The trouble with the Wuhan virus is that it’s neither one thing nor the other!
If, on the one hand, it was as mild a disease as the flu (though the flu kills 500 people a year in this country, which figure surprised me) then fws like Alan Jones on Sky News Australia (I’m not going to link!) would be right in saying we need to learn to live with it. The flu has detrimental effects on the old and compromised, but, by and large, we all recover with few lasting after effects.
Not so Covid-19. It was shocking to learn a child under 1 has the virus in NZ, and there have been plenty of cases world-wide of young and seemingly healthy people being killed by the disease. Then there’s the phenomenon called long-covid, which seems to have debilitating effects for months. Few people suffer, but for those who do, it’s not nice!
On the other hand, if the virus had a death rate approaching that of the Black Death of the 1340s in Europe, or the Great Plague of 1665 in London – around 30% mortality, then our government’s commendable actions would seem mild and inviting disaster. (Not that I wish the virus to be more virulent!)
Because the death rate of Covid-19 is so relatively low it allows right whingers to rabbit on about the economy. It also allows the anti-vax nutbars a platform to voice their cranky views.
As an old time leftie (I would probably nationalise anything that moved and harness it to the service of the people) I have been, I admit, a little disappointed by the lack of ‘socialist fervour’ displayed by our government, but cannot fault their overall performance in containing this virus.
I posted this quote yesterday (a screen-shot, I think, of a FB page on a Twitter post – no idea how to copy and past that into Open Mike) but I think it’s worth repeating:
Ciaran Irvine said:
"The right wing media here (and also in the rest of the world) NEED Jacinda to fail at this – because how she has handled Covid indicts them all as not just clueless spoofers but in many countries actual mass murderers,
"The Right has been utterly, catastrophically, psychotically Wrong all over the world at every single step of this pandemic, so Aotearoa's success thus far infuriates them and they NEED us to fail."
We may not be so lucky when the next pandemic shakes the world up.
I can acknowledge the attempts at change made by the government: increases in minimum wage, the improvement in pensions.
However, the problems seem to arise amongst those who are charged with implementing any reform. They appear to be stuck in this neo-liberal mindset. Hospitals and DHBs having CEOs and sub contracting important parts of the work force.
As an example, our local DHB resisted issuing scrubs to front line staff for a long time in the first lockdown. Shortage of stock was cited as an excuse. This time round the policy is to wait until Covid is identified in the district before scrubs are available.
This arrogance is akin to folk who don't scan or wear masks, because they know better.
This is all about a balance sheet. The DHB bears the cost of laundering. Whereas public health should be the lens through which these decisions are made. Less of ‘The machine that goes bing’ ala Monty Python.
Back to your wider point, we are needing to have a korero about the short and medium term future and what life in Aotearoa looks like in 2025.
Yep, Scomo and others seem to believe this Delta outbreak in NZ is (somehow) a validation of their beliefs, and so are hoping NZ doesn't get on top of the outbreak. They would prefer NZ to be a NSW, not a SA or WA – depressing and revealing.
How’s your ‘keep it out, stamp it out’ mantra going now? Delta has really upped the cost of that hasn’t it?
I believe the tragic Covid-19 death toll is a validation of the Govt's virus elimination strategy, and the Team of (nearly) Five Million's has (again) responded magnificently.
I don't mean the full nutbar brigade. But if your dad died of it last year while you were convincing yourself that masks were an overreaction and it was fine to go to that football match and take shortcuts with isolation, then a country eliminating delta means that dad might have died of a preventable disease rather than an irresistable act of god.
……Because the death rate of Covid-19 is so relatively low it allows right whingers to rabbit on about the economy. It also allows the anti-vax nutbars a platform to voice their cranky views.
"……Aotearoa's success thus far infuriates them and they NEED us to fail."
Our local Fifth Columnists, enemy within, want us to fail more than most.
Fifth column
World War II poster from the United States denouncing fifth columnists
A fifth column is any group of people who undermine a larger group from within……
……Clandestine fifth column activities can involve acts of sabotage, disinformation, or espionage executed within defense lines by secret sympathizers with an external force….
We've had sabotage, we certainly have had disinformation. I don't think, we have had any espionage, executed by sympathisers of an external force embarrassed by our success, and wanting us to fail. (Unless you count the people parading with QAnon signs at a Billy TK anti-lockdown rally, as "sympathisers of an external force").
I think Jacinda needs to stop with the hand-wringing, over-earnest, exaggerated caring manner. It has become cringe-worthy. And is putting people off, as they can't bear to watch or listen.
Maybe peel that style back to a more open, clear, fresh straight-eyed manner, through which Jacinda's genuine caring kindness will still shine through.
It does come through that the PM has kindness as a personal core value.
The core values of the government managing Covid is what the population in NZ trust. The government have a good track record and a hell of a job to do.
I afraid I couldn't resist it. It was the combination of the two wind directions that you and icognito had chosen that set me off. One I could have ignored but not the combination. It isn't meant to be a comment on any views that you might have expressed of course.
Except you opinion of Shakespeare though. I felt the same way when I was at school but I changed when I saw them acted rather than as something to study. The best was a performance of Macbeth held outside in the evening in the You Yangs, a National Park near Melbourne. No props, just the granite outcrops as a background to the performance. Magnificent.
One of the things I love about theatre and other performing arts is that it's a medium that only exists in the moment, and that moment is unpredictable in duration. Any part done well is over in an instant, but a short performance done badly takes an eternity…
Sorry, alwyn, but you have erred most grievously on quoting Northern hemisphere winds here in NZ. As a yachtsman, I learned long ago that as regards high pressure, low pressure, cyclones and anti-cyclones, everything in the Southern hemisphere is the opposite of the Northern hemisphere.
So here in Godzone, a wind from the NW will do the opposite of what it does in Europe.
Nice try, though.
(It’s a bit like the Coriolis effect causing bathtub water to spin the opposite way in each hemisphere when exiting via the plughole with no outside interference, like one of us deliberately spinning it the other way..
Now who would spin things a certain way??)
Well I know what it means, in these modern days. As I said though I simply couldn't resist making my comment after you used south and pat used north-west.
I'm not sure about In Vino though. It may foreign to him.
I would certainly agree that The Bard was very unlikely to have used "south" with that meaning. The phrase was apparently used for the first time about 300 years after his death.
"When the expression “go south” first appeared in the early 20th century".
Nah screw that. Elimination and tight border control has been hard but it's saved us from an absolute disaster. We are on the right track. Kia kaha Fortress NZ
High vaccination, a more highly trasmissable strain than Delta, a breakdown of contact tracing, people not isolating, no money left in the Covid fund, essential, services breaking down due to not having the staff. The most affected essential service will be health as there is already a shortage.
We can only have a sensible debate if we all know and agree on definitions and terms. I sincerely doubt this is the case, so we’re guaranteed talking past each other.
Elimination of disease: Reduction to zero of the incidence of a specified disease in a defined geographical area as a result of deliberate efforts; continued intervention measures are required. Example: neonatal tetanus.
Elimination of infections: Reduction to zero of the incidence of infection caused by a specific agent in a defined geographical area as a result of deliberate efforts; continued measures to prevent re-establishment of transmission are required. Example: measles, poliomyelitis.
Indeed….and I think B.H. is correct in his use of terminology (although I disagree with his assessment of the Gov positioning pre current outbreak), we will at some point, probably early,mid next year accept 'control' as our strategy….or at least the Gov will accept it, there will be opposition but I expect that will be insufficient to change the Govs direction.
Yet with elimination also requires our leaders to do more than "manage" what covid throws us. We need to have the confidence that those in charge are also reviewing the strategies. Modifying them from reviews see what works, what requires modification and what has failed . Such review processes appears not to have occurred until we have had this current outbreak, and then changed some processors. I accept some issues will not arise until the "system" is tested, others should have been seen in the planning stages that they would not succeed.
I have heard our PM comment that the delta variation is a game changer. Yet The first case of the Delta variant worldwide was detected in India in October last year. Daily cases surged from around 10,000 in February to more than 414,000 in May 7. And we in NZ have maintained the same game plan e.g. we only tested "several sites in Auckland" when there are 18.
And that is where many here IMO fail to see and become so defensive. That planning needs to be so much better than what it was, and that requires people to question what has been put into place and for those in power to accept that somethings need to change.
I would be reluctant to be too critical…by your own example delta only changed the game at the end of May and we have successfully maintained our border until a week or so ago…it is difficult to plan for all eventualities especially when the potential events are almost infinite.
I'd suggest that given our very limited resources we have done particularly well but we have absolutely no guarantee that we will continue to do so, and that is no reflection on the Gov, they have performed well, if not perfectly….and there is no such thing as perfection,
There is no need for the Gov to be defensive, though that wont stop various interests calling them out
Don't worry about Herodotius' analysis. If it is to do with the current government it is always negative… disguised as an opinion from someone who endeavours to present as an intellectual expert. In short, he/she is a troll.
That you for confirming that there are some here are closed to anything that resembles questioning the government or seeking to improve. Perhaps you could open an eye and look at what is happening in the real world. Or do you think that this government is mistake free and there is no need for any improvement ?
I think there's an implicit assumption in some of the current "questioning" that little to no planning and preparation has occurred in regards to delta. I'm not sure that's the case.
There's also the point that we have a world-leading government in regards to this pandemic. Argue about vax schedules all you want, whether we should have fast-tracked medsafe approval or gone for a collect-the-set approach to purchases of the different vaccines, or thrown more money to try and outbid plaguelands. A total death toll after 18 months of a couple of dozen? That's amazeballs.
So sure, question stuff. If the points are genuinely worthwhile and unlikely to have been considered by the people responsible.
Even better, if you think there's someone in NZ better to be PM or DGHealth or whatever, please name them for consideration. They'd have big shoes to fill, though.
I am on record here of stating that the current government is the best we have as an option, but that it does not mean that it is the best, and that there is not room for improvement. Also I believe that we the public deserve the best that they can provide, and imo that is not the case, not just COVID but housing, health, the environment etc I still think our waste water testing in Auckland was totally inadequate as this was suppose to be an early warning system of COVID being present, we were told that there were measures in place. Devonport is not somewhere on the margins of Auckland- and from my understanding ww from this area was not going to a station that was being tested.
and to have someone like Anne make attacks when she has on this site supported the governments stance on NOT meeting the pay demands of the nurses, from memory commenting that she is ok with the nurses fair pay to take 10 years.
how on earth can the dickhead commentators in the UK and Australia claim NZ is on the wrong path in light of these facts??
and lets check those stats again later when we are similarly vaccinated and all countries are operating under similar conditions, with or without covid on the loose.. lets just see who suffered the most lockdowns and who suffered the most deaths..
I suspect we know what the results will be..
and I suspect we know that the dickhead commentators will again avoid the facts… dickheads..
It typically occurs with an unspecified antecedent, in sentences such as:
"Somebody left their umbrella in the office. Could you please let them know where they can get it?"
"The patient should be told at the outset how much they will be required to pay."
"But a journalist should not be forced to reveal their sources."
The singular they emerged by the 14th century, about a century after the plural they. It has been commonly employed in everyday English ever since then and has gained currency in official contexts. Singular they was criticised since the mid-18th century by prescriptive commentators who considered it an error.
So it's lasted 600 odd years so far, I'd be betting on it sticking around myself.
That is not the same thing at all, arkie. It avoids the inconvenience of having to say 'he or she' or 'his or her' after words like 'everybody'…. and, as you say, has been accepted usage for a long time.
I cannot see the same acceptance being given to referring to one specific person as 'they'.
Well there are three examples of referring to one specific person as they in the quote I provided. The article is on the singular they and can provide you with further examples of singular they being used through 600 years of history.
That's more than enough time for acceptance I would have thought.
Correct, they were all uses of singular they 'with an unspecified antecedent', though that is different from your example of a plural they 'with an unspecified antecedent'.
As to your second example; what if the patient is named Jay Smith, or Robin Smith or any other number of non-gendered names?
Here on this pseudonymous forum many commenters names are not gender specific, I think that presents a pretty fair case for use of the singular they.
I have presented the facts about the 600 year history of the singular they, so with respect, it's not a 'bloody nonsense' and it has lasted and will outlast us both.
Cool – no argument with the examples you gave, but I still think it will not be generally accepted when the antecedent is specified in number and gender.
It won't take much to outlast me – I am getting old!
The ratings of the second season seem to be holding up, though some purists would have preferred to have stopped with the first. Suggestions that the lead role would be better played by Ardern feigning unconcerned detachment, and aping a conventional male presentation style seem misplaced. Especially with Bloomfield already excelling in that role.
Detractors seem mostly concerned that spoilers are not readily available pre-screening. However, given that episodes are; generally live tweeted, and synopses are widely distributed after airing, these criticisms seem rather churlish.
<blockquote>
Set in a dystopian world where autocratic and populist leaders are in charge of the USA, China, UK, Brazil and many other nations. 1pm Daily Update takes place in the imaginary island nation of New Zealand, a utopian society where science, facts, strong leadership and a genuine care for its people and environment take precedence over money and big business.
First thought was that if health professionals who care for those with Covid have decided not to get vaccinated, then surely they have their own reasons? They are after all qualified in the area of healthcare.
Making vaccination madatory seems to me like it risks those clinicians walking away from front line care. It's not like we have an abundance of doctors as nurses in NZ.
“Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed he has asked health officials for advice on making the Pfizer vaccine mandatory for health workers in contact with confirmed Covid-19 cases, including in hospitals.
Such policy wasn’t on the table before the highly infectious Delta strain forced a rethink of how to protect the country. It would be a “last resort”, Hipkins told the Herald.
“We currently encourage all frontline healthcare workers to be vaccinated. This is a group that has been eligible to be vaccinated since the beginning of the rollout to Group 2 [in March].”
[Despite several attempts by several Moderators to get your attention to the Moderation of your comment, you have refused to acknowledge and engage with it. You are wasting Moderator time. I have no time to keep monitoring you and trying to get your attention.
For those of you with time on your hands in lockdown, I highly recommend Helen Kelly, her Life by Rebecca Mackie. Not sure if its possible to purchase and download, but if you can, do.
it’s an outstanding book and includes the background stories of Pat and Cath Kelly, Helens parents. It also details the impact of Rogernomics and the despicable employment contracts on working people of NZ and the resulting demise of Trade Unions.
The book captures the extraordinary leader and woman Helen was. Driven, determined, deeply compassionate and committed to working people.
I was given a cardigan a few months ago what a marvelous garment ive scarcely taken it off since frequently wearing it to bed then waking up feeling half cooked !Its made by a company called mcdonalds and contains mulberry silk ,possum and marino wool.Dont kill possums for nothing people theyre far too valuable imo
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Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Asia Pacific Report From France to Australia, university pro-Palestine protests in the United States have now spread to several countries with students pitching on-campus camps. And students at Columbia and other US universities remain defiant as campuses have witnessed the biggest protests since the anti-Vietnam war and anti-apartheid eras in ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
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 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, 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 ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Rock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...
Nearly everyone has experienced the frustration of something you use breaking and being difficult or expensive to fix. Proposed legislation could change that. It’s been raining on and off all Sunday afternoon but people are lining up outside a building in a corner of Gribblehirst Park in Sandringham, Auckland. In ...
What does a forever relationship look like when you don’t believe in marriage? And how do you celebrate it? This essay is part of our Sunday Essay series, made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.I’m going to do it, right now. I’m going to say ...
The Prime Minister has committed to resuming direct flights to Thailand. But it’s not a promise he will be able to deliver on anytime soon. The post Prime Minister jumps the gun in Thailand appeared first on Newsroom. ...
It’s not that long ago Eliza McCartney was seriously wondering if the Paris Olympics would be her pole vaulting swansong. After years of being hounded by injury after injury, the Rio Olympics bronze medallist was still confident she would compete at her second Olympics in Paris in July, unless something ...
FICTION 1 Take Two by Danielle Hawkins (Allen & Unwin, $36.99) There’s commercial fiction, like this book, and then there’s quality fiction, quality writers, quality literature; the forthcoming Auckland Writers Festival is full of quality, and ReadingRoom has two tickets to give away to the following events: Paul Lynch (Dublin ...
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Opinion
The trouble with the Wuhan virus is that it’s neither one thing nor the other!
If, on the one hand, it was as mild a disease as the flu (though the flu kills 500 people a year in this country, which figure surprised me) then fws like Alan Jones on Sky News Australia (I’m not going to link!) would be right in saying we need to learn to live with it. The flu has detrimental effects on the old and compromised, but, by and large, we all recover with few lasting after effects.
Not so Covid-19. It was shocking to learn a child under 1 has the virus in NZ, and there have been plenty of cases world-wide of young and seemingly healthy people being killed by the disease. Then there’s the phenomenon called long-covid, which seems to have debilitating effects for months. Few people suffer, but for those who do, it’s not nice!
On the other hand, if the virus had a death rate approaching that of the Black Death of the 1340s in Europe, or the Great Plague of 1665 in London – around 30% mortality, then our government’s commendable actions would seem mild and inviting disaster. (Not that I wish the virus to be more virulent!)
Because the death rate of Covid-19 is so relatively low it allows right whingers to rabbit on about the economy. It also allows the anti-vax nutbars a platform to voice their cranky views.
As an old time leftie (I would probably nationalise anything that moved and harness it to the service of the people) I have been, I admit, a little disappointed by the lack of ‘socialist fervour’ displayed by our government, but cannot fault their overall performance in containing this virus.
I posted this quote yesterday (a screen-shot, I think, of a FB page on a Twitter post – no idea how to copy and past that into Open Mike) but I think it’s worth repeating:
Ciaran Irvine said:
"The right wing media here (and also in the rest of the world) NEED Jacinda to fail at this – because how she has handled Covid indicts them all as not just clueless spoofers but in many countries actual mass murderers,
"The Right has been utterly, catastrophically, psychotically Wrong all over the world at every single step of this pandemic, so Aotearoa's success thus far infuriates them and they NEED us to fail."
We may not be so lucky when the next pandemic shakes the world up.
Not a lot to take issue with there.
I can acknowledge the attempts at change made by the government: increases in minimum wage, the improvement in pensions.
However, the problems seem to arise amongst those who are charged with implementing any reform. They appear to be stuck in this neo-liberal mindset. Hospitals and DHBs having CEOs and sub contracting important parts of the work force.
As an example, our local DHB resisted issuing scrubs to front line staff for a long time in the first lockdown. Shortage of stock was cited as an excuse. This time round the policy is to wait until Covid is identified in the district before scrubs are available.
This arrogance is akin to folk who don't scan or wear masks, because they know better.
This is all about a balance sheet. The DHB bears the cost of laundering. Whereas public health should be the lens through which these decisions are made. Less of ‘The machine that goes bing’ ala Monty Python.
Back to your wider point, we are needing to have a korero about the short and medium term future and what life in Aotearoa looks like in 2025.
It is depressing that people want us to fail (deaths, life long illness, overflowing hospitals) for political reasons.
Yep, Scomo and others seem to believe this Delta outbreak in NZ is (somehow) a validation of their beliefs, and so are hoping NZ doesn't get on top of the outbreak. They would prefer NZ to be a NSW, not a SA or WA – depressing and revealing.
I believe the tragic Covid-19 death toll is a validation of the Govt's virus elimination strategy, and the Team of (nearly) Five Million's has (again) responded magnificently.
Keep it out, Stamp it out
Unite against COVID-19
https://covid19.govt.nz/
And for personal coping reasons, I suspect.
I don't mean the full nutbar brigade. But if your dad died of it last year while you were convincing yourself that masks were an overreaction and it was fine to go to that football match and take shortcuts with isolation, then a country eliminating delta means that dad might have died of a preventable disease rather than an irresistable act of god.
Our local Fifth Columnists, enemy within, want us to fail more than most.
We've had sabotage, we certainly have had disinformation. I don't think, we have had any espionage, executed by sympathisers of an external force embarrassed by our success, and wanting us to fail. (Unless you count the people parading with QAnon signs at a Billy TK anti-lockdown rally, as "sympathisers of an external force").
I think Jacinda needs to stop with the hand-wringing, over-earnest, exaggerated caring manner. It has become cringe-worthy. And is putting people off, as they can't bear to watch or listen.
Maybe peel that style back to a more open, clear, fresh straight-eyed manner, through which Jacinda's genuine caring kindness will still shine through.
2c for the start of the day
It does come through that the PM has kindness as a personal core value.
The core values of the government managing Covid is what the population in NZ trust. The government have a good track record and a hell of a job to do.
I agree, the PM seems to be less 'stage managed' than a lot of her ilk- Collins and Bridges for example.
The lack of involvement by Labour MPs in 'National's many issues' last election was refreshing.
Of course , unless maybe she genuinely cares and not being a fake means that fact shows on her face.?
Yeh sounds like she is being asked to fake being a fake.
Right on. Same with the constant harping from so many sources on the emotional angle. It's intellectually dishonest.
Just give us the news, information and analysis.
I'll decide how i feel about it – it doesn't need to be orchestrated.
But how are we to know what to think if Jenny May Coffin doesn't show us she's sad every morning?
Like goldsmiths piece in granny on the education system they spent 3 terms screwing over.
The hypocrisy is palpable and the attack angles multiple
I put up a post just after 6am but appear to have run into a moderation problem?
One word triggered Auto-Moderation. Just be patient until a Moderator releases it.
https://thekaka.substack.com/p/why-elimination-will-have-to-end
Kite is flying…what way is the wind blowing?
Southward
NW here
Well incognito at least is claiming to be sane.
You are, I fear, admitting to insanity. A wind from the NW indeed. Did you never see Hamlet when you were at school? As he put it
"I am but mad north-north-west. When the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw."
Lol…I may well be….and Shakespeare I can happily live without
I afraid I couldn't resist it. It was the combination of the two wind directions that you and icognito had chosen that set me off. One I could have ignored but not the combination. It isn't meant to be a comment on any views that you might have expressed of course.
Except you opinion of Shakespeare though. I felt the same way when I was at school but I changed when I saw them acted rather than as something to study. The best was a performance of Macbeth held outside in the evening in the You Yangs, a National Park near Melbourne. No props, just the granite outcrops as a background to the performance. Magnificent.
I guess you had to be there
True, that.
One of the things I love about theatre and other performing arts is that it's a medium that only exists in the moment, and that moment is unpredictable in duration. Any part done well is over in an instant, but a short performance done badly takes an eternity…
Sorry, alwyn, but you have erred most grievously on quoting Northern hemisphere winds here in NZ. As a yachtsman, I learned long ago that as regards high pressure, low pressure, cyclones and anti-cyclones, everything in the Southern hemisphere is the opposite of the Northern hemisphere.
So here in Godzone, a wind from the NW will do the opposite of what it does in Europe.
Nice try, though.
(It’s a bit like the Coriolis effect causing bathtub water to spin the opposite way in each hemisphere when exiting via the plughole with no outside interference, like one of us deliberately spinning it the other way..
Now who would spin things a certain way??)
I suggest that you take it up with Shakespeare. He wrote the words after all.
The wind was figurative and so was the direction. You know when things go South means, don’t you? I don’t think that Will gave it that meaning though.
Well I know what it means, in these modern days. As I said though I simply couldn't resist making my comment after you used south and pat used north-west.
I'm not sure about In Vino though. It may foreign to him.
I would certainly agree that The Bard was very unlikely to have used "south" with that meaning. The phrase was apparently used for the first time about 300 years after his death.
"When the expression “go south” first appeared in the early 20th century".
https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/go/words/word-of-the-week-metaphorically-going-south-has-changed-through-history/article_70166330-e2ed-5d7a-9cba-b2d96a4735d1.html
ps I see pat commented, a greay deal more succinctly, while I was composing this.
In Shakespeare's time they knew the world was round, but had no idea of differing weather patterns in the Southern hemisphere.
alwyn should have known this and allowed for it in his almost-creditable witticism.
He came to the end of his wit.
Apparently its a 19th century idiom, so a little after Shakespeares time
Nah screw that. Elimination and tight border control has been hard but it's saved us from an absolute disaster. We are on the right track. Kia kaha Fortress NZ
What is going to end elimination in NZ?
High vaccination, a more highly trasmissable strain than Delta, a breakdown of contact tracing, people not isolating, no money left in the Covid fund, essential, services breaking down due to not having the staff. The most affected essential service will be health as there is already a shortage.
Edit transmissible.
We can only have a sensible debate if we all know and agree on definitions and terms. I sincerely doubt this is the case, so we’re guaranteed talking past each other.
https://gh.bmj.com/content/6/8/e006810
Good link Incognito. Eradication is the best solution to aim at. To hell with the right wing cult of death
it is only the right wing redneck country leaders who failed with elimination who claim elimination can't work … funnily enough… doh
… and as always they drag the rest of the populace down with them
… enough with right wing redneck leaders
Elimination has worked for us to date…..that dosnt mean that it will to continue to do so or even continue to be acceptable to the majority.
Yet with elimination also requires our leaders to do more than "manage" what covid throws us. We need to have the confidence that those in charge are also reviewing the strategies. Modifying them from reviews see what works, what requires modification and what has failed . Such review processes appears not to have occurred until we have had this current outbreak, and then changed some processors. I accept some issues will not arise until the "system" is tested, others should have been seen in the planning stages that they would not succeed.
I have heard our PM comment that the delta variation is a game changer. Yet The first case of the Delta variant worldwide was detected in India in October last year. Daily cases surged from around 10,000 in February to more than 414,000 in May 7. And we in NZ have maintained the same game plan e.g. we only tested "several sites in Auckland" when there are 18.
And that is where many here IMO fail to see and become so defensive. That planning needs to be so much better than what it was, and that requires people to question what has been put into place and for those in power to accept that somethings need to change.
https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-health-advice-public/covid-19-wastewater-testing
I would be reluctant to be too critical…by your own example delta only changed the game at the end of May and we have successfully maintained our border until a week or so ago…it is difficult to plan for all eventualities especially when the potential events are almost infinite.
I'd suggest that given our very limited resources we have done particularly well but we have absolutely no guarantee that we will continue to do so, and that is no reflection on the Gov, they have performed well, if not perfectly….and there is no such thing as perfection,
There is no need for the Gov to be defensive, though that wont stop various interests calling them out
Don't worry about Herodotius' analysis. If it is to do with the current government it is always negative… disguised as an opinion from someone who endeavours to present as an intellectual expert. In short, he/she is a troll.
What!…me worry?
Not meant to be taken literally.
That you for confirming that there are some here are closed to anything that resembles questioning the government or seeking to improve. Perhaps you could open an eye and look at what is happening in the real world. Or do you think that this government is mistake free and there is no need for any improvement ?
I think there's an implicit assumption in some of the current "questioning" that little to no planning and preparation has occurred in regards to delta. I'm not sure that's the case.
There's also the point that we have a world-leading government in regards to this pandemic. Argue about vax schedules all you want, whether we should have fast-tracked medsafe approval or gone for a collect-the-set approach to purchases of the different vaccines, or thrown more money to try and outbid plaguelands. A total death toll after 18 months of a couple of dozen? That's amazeballs.
So sure, question stuff. If the points are genuinely worthwhile and unlikely to have been considered by the people responsible.
Even better, if you think there's someone in NZ better to be PM or DGHealth or whatever, please name them for consideration. They'd have big shoes to fill, though.
I am on record here of stating that the current government is the best we have as an option, but that it does not mean that it is the best, and that there is not room for improvement. Also I believe that we the public deserve the best that they can provide, and imo that is not the case, not just COVID but housing, health, the environment etc I still think our waste water testing in Auckland was totally inadequate as this was suppose to be an early warning system of COVID being present, we were told that there were measures in place. Devonport is not somewhere on the margins of Auckland- and from my understanding ww from this area was not going to a station that was being tested.
and to have someone like Anne make attacks when she has on this site supported the governments stance on NOT meeting the pay demands of the nurses, from memory commenting that she is ok with the nurses fair pay to take 10 years.
US, Australia, NZ and UK
Ausie
1739 cases 38 death per million
NZ
611 cases 5 death per million
UK
95,986 cases , 1,931 deaths
US
116,704 cases, 1944 deaths
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries
how on earth can the dickhead commentators in the UK and Australia claim NZ is on the wrong path in light of these facts??
and lets check those stats again later when we are similarly vaccinated and all countries are operating under similar conditions, with or without covid on the loose.. lets just see who suffered the most lockdowns and who suffered the most deaths..
I suspect we know what the results will be..
and I suspect we know that the dickhead commentators will again avoid the facts… dickheads..
Yes Dick head is a very gentle description in my view.
And apparently Trump was booed at a rally for promotion of vaccination!!
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/300390673/donald-trump-booed-at-alabama-rally-after-encouraging-crowd-to-get-covid19-vaccine
Alabama
per million
135,7592 cases
447 deaths
I trust Greywarshark is keeping ok, I haven't seen anything from them for a while.
I think they found a new home over at TDB.
Ahh, ta.
For heaven's sake – 'they' is plural. Give up on that bloody nonsense. It will not last.
When in Rome …
You aren't in Rome. You are on a little country at the bottom of the world, luckily for you. (Until just lately – hoping for status quo to hold.)
Lucky. My Italian sucks.
Que?
There's an appropriate Blackadder line somewhere…
Cunning …
It’s a saying, but you know this.
Actually, I’m in my lounge catching up with the daily news before I can chill out.
So it's lasted 600 odd years so far, I'd be betting on it sticking around myself.
That is not the same thing at all, arkie. It avoids the inconvenience of having to say 'he or she' or 'his or her' after words like 'everybody'…. and, as you say, has been accepted usage for a long time.
I cannot see the same acceptance being given to referring to one specific person as 'they'.
Well there are three examples of referring to one specific person as they in the quote I provided. The article is on the singular they and can provide you with further examples of singular they being used through 600 years of history.
That's more than enough time for acceptance I would have thought.
With respect, (as Winston used to love to say) all three examples you used were non-specific in gender and identity, just like my example 'everybody'.
If the patient were specifically named 'John Smith' nobody would say 'they' instead of 'he'.
Correct, they were all uses of singular they 'with an unspecified antecedent', though that is different from your example of a plural they 'with an unspecified antecedent'.
As to your second example; what if the patient is named Jay Smith, or Robin Smith or any other number of non-gendered names?
Here on this pseudonymous forum many commenters names are not gender specific, I think that presents a pretty fair case for use of the singular they.
I have presented the facts about the 600 year history of the singular they, so with respect, it's not a 'bloody nonsense' and it has lasted and will outlast us both.
Cool – no argument with the examples you gave, but I still think it will not be generally accepted when the antecedent is specified in number and gender.
It won't take much to outlast me – I am getting old!
The ratings of the second season seem to be holding up, though some purists would have preferred to have stopped with the first. Suggestions that the lead role would be better played by Ardern feigning unconcerned detachment, and aping a conventional male presentation style seem misplaced. Especially with Bloomfield already excelling in that role.
Detractors seem mostly concerned that spoilers are not readily available pre-screening. However, given that episodes are; generally live tweeted, and synopses are widely distributed after airing, these criticisms seem rather churlish.
https://m.imdb.com/title/tt12511606/
Imaginary utopia leads brave new world invisibly away from 1984 in spite of massive drone deployments. . .
o.m.g.
That's fecking amazing.
The other one I saw today was this:
[img only link]
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E9mWhxBVcAISDSj?format=jpg&name=large
https://twitter.com/glocks75/status/1430339867083304963/photo/1
First thought was that if health professionals who care for those with Covid have decided not to get vaccinated, then surely they have their own reasons? They are after all qualified in the area of healthcare.
Making vaccination madatory seems to me like it risks those clinicians walking away from front line care. It's not like we have an abundance of doctors as nurses in NZ.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/exclusive-mandatory-vaccination-considered-for-health-workers-treating-covid-19-patients/2WYUESH326UI3COGKANOQEHTTY/
Edit: forgot it was paywalled, adding quote
“Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed he has asked health officials for advice on making the Pfizer vaccine mandatory for health workers in contact with confirmed Covid-19 cases, including in hospitals.
Such policy wasn’t on the table before the highly infectious Delta strain forced a rethink of how to protect the country. It would be a “last resort”, Hipkins told the Herald.
“We currently encourage all frontline healthcare workers to be vaccinated. This is a group that has been eligible to be vaccinated since the beginning of the rollout to Group 2 [in March].”
[Despite several attempts by several Moderators to get your attention to the Moderation of your comment, you have refused to acknowledge and engage with it. You are wasting Moderator time. I have no time to keep monitoring you and trying to get your attention.
Banned for three weeks – Incognito]
See my Moderation note @ 10:38 am.
Rather Ardern's Mormon kindness than Mortlock's toxic, white bread evangelicalism.
https://twitter.com/davidfarrier/status/1430235729079115776
https://www.webworm.co/p/worshipping-at-the-church-of-anti
If you haven’t already discovered Jonathan Pie…
https://youtu.be/_buiAGqcy7s
On my box of disposable marks, (the ones with a blue side and a white side) I could not see which side needs to be worn closest to the nose and mouth.
Does anyone know if it makes a difference which side is closest to your face?
white side to face
I looked at where the elastic was placed and it is smoother on the white side.
I have been wearing blue side to face.
lol…why doesn't that surprise me!
Here you go.
https://smartairfilters.com/en/blog/does-surgical-mask-orientation-affect-its-ability-capture-viruses/
Thanks for that.
Wearing either side closest to the mouth face will be sufficient to stop the shouts of 'wear a mask' and strange looks in public.
Breathing through my mouth when wearing a mask stops my glasses from fogging up. At least I can now see people I would want to avoid.
Fogging: the eternal foe.
Wearing masks as high up the bridge of the nose as possible (under the glasses) seems to help, but then my chin starts popping out the bottom.
I did manage to work out to not put the mask on upside down as there is only one end which has the wire to mold the mask on the bridge of the nose.
Edit: I have worn a mask upside down.
Rosemary posted this a few days ago. My partner walked past while I was watching and said, "That's what I do to stop my glasses fogging up."
Worth a trial, if that's an issue:
https://youtu.be/5P0AVeX19Gk
I did see the other video on viral load, the immune vitamins and breathing exercises by the same woman. I appreciate the link.
I was given a cardigan a few months ago what a marvelous garment ive scarcely taken it off since frequently wearing it to bed then waking up feeling half cooked !Its made by a company called mcdonalds and contains mulberry silk ,possum and marino wool.Dont kill possums for nothing people theyre far too valuable imo