Makes us appreciate our health system, but didn’t the National Government introduce partial payment in Public Hospitals in the 90s? Seem to remember picking up my young son and being asked for dollars at the desk. Awful feeling. Imagine those in the USA, the land of plenty.
Instead of giving just a hyperlink, which might well fail in the near future, why not simply reprint the article?….
Debt Collector Is Faulted for Tough Tactics in Hospitals
[deleted]
In November, Marcia Newton was shocked when she was forced to pay for her son Maxx’s ear tube surgery at Fairview Hospital even before he went into the hospital room.
[deleted]
[lprent: because
1. It violates policy and for that matter copyright.
2. It chews up space on the screen especially for those who don’t want to read it.
3. The NYT doesn’t remove links so that was a really dumbarse excuse.
4. It is lazy. If you want people to read something then make an effort to explain why. If you are unwilling to make that effort then why should people make the effort to read it.
5. So a moderator will cut it, and since you didn’t leave a link people will have to search for the article on the minimal hints that are left.
6. Because wasting a moderators time after results in a level of irritation and we like to share that feeling.
Banned for 4 weeks – approx 1 week for each minute that it took me to delete the comments section on an ipad screen that you left on the end of the article. ]
“A lot of people out there are saying someone should do something, but what we’ve demonstrated is that we’re doing more than just something, we’re getting housing into the market.”
getting housing into the market
So, it’s not about the people who need somewhere to live? Just about delivering some product to market? Thank-you for your concern, Gerry!
By the way, Gerry does not back a gathering like a summit. Surprise surprise. My inside sources tell me it would not work to Gerry’s advantage for a range of people to get together, talk and compare notes.
The modus operandi that thrives on divisiveness, polarising issues, and selective or secretive information disclosures would not be keen on inclusive, open and probing public discussions.
John Key on TV last night stated that the claim the Chinese purchase of the Crafar farms would affect Fonterra is a ‘conspiracy’ by the opposition to confuse new Zealanders. Desperate isn’t he?
Slippery is looking a bit tired round the eyes aint He, the lame conspiracy theory crap trotted out by our ‘Leader’ is what passes for rigorous debate in that one’s mind,
Reminds me that I have to email His office offering to sell Him my wide range of tin-foil hats…
The supply is only limited by the amount of the stuff in the super-market,
i was tho, in the spirit of ‘Finance Company’s’ everywhere hoping to secure from Him forward payment for the initial order and then to collapse the ‘Tin-Foil Hat Co’ leaving no trace of the coin anywhere…
The media minders up on the 9th floor have been in a panic for the past couple of weeks, first having tried to involve Slippery in the debate on an ‘intellectual’ level,
Laughably, Slippery’s attempts at bringing ‘intelligent’ debate to both the asset rip-off and the patently unlawful sale of the ex-Crafar Farms to overseas interests had Him talking with that definite childish lisp and babbling like a 4 year old in the middle of a major sugar rush,
Having watched this display of numb-nuts proportions form the Prime Minister his advisors have in abject horror cast about within the lexicon for something that He can utter into the debate that will show Him to have ‘won’ the day for National’s ’cause’ as all that had occurred from Slippery’s descent into intellectualism had been the exposure of Him as an empty suitcase of intellectual or moral rigour,
Hence the quick stoop by the Prime Minister’s advisers into the ‘muck’ of commentary by those from the right who appear on some web-sites using ”conspiracy theory” as their sole means of debate, in effect Slippery over the past month having blown his ‘cover-story’ as the poor Kiwi-kid who made good and came home to show the country of His birth a better way had to find the fastest means of attempting to have the faithful on message with the little ‘fairy-tale’ that is the Slippery Prime Ministers ‘back-story’,
For Slippery tho, the damage is done,for everyone of the faithful who duly bowed to the quick change artistry of the Prime Minister in His little cameo of down home Kiwi-kid. flick, hardened vicious international money trader, and flick, back to down home Kiwi-kid and carried on as a true believer there is another who having voted for National simply for the tax cuts and the cheap shares they have been offered have had their conscience questioned by the Prime Ministers quick changes in personality…
Bad12 – ‘the patently unlawful sale of the ex-Crafar Farms to overseas interests’, do some reading, I especially like the part where Chris Carter trying to stop the Whangamata waterways deal was illegal under OIO legislation (that a co-allition of the ‘left’ wrote!), but the Crafer Farms deal fits all of their criteria to the letter of the law.
You appear to be writing English in Swahili, whatever it is that you are trying to aquaint me of comes across as maybe this or maybe that, perhaps you could have another try,
Lest We Forget
Next time someone repeats the nonsense about “brave” and “decent” Australian and New Zealand troops, you might like to remind him or her of the massacre at Surafend….
Indeed!!! from a family where the Grand-father we never knew served in WW1 and the father that we never knew served in WW2 we only seen the utter futility of fighting other peoples wars in other peoples countries,
Both of them,the grand-father and the father returned to NZ after serving, but, not as whole people,
The true Fracking story and it’s both revealing and horrifying. This is an excellent work from Rolling Stone April 2012 … may it get an airing everywhere that it needs to be understood ! The corruption outlined from page one beggars belief, or is this become the norm ? Please read it.
Brief extract from page 3 …
“Last year, scientists at Duke University, McClendon’s alma mater, published the first rigorous, peer-reviewed study of pollution at drilling and fracking operations. Examining 60 sites in New York and Pennsylvania, they found “systematic evidence for methane contamination” in household drinking water: Water wells half a mile from drilling operations were contaminated by methane at 17 times the rate of those farther from gas developments. Although methane in water has not been studied closely as a health hazard, it can seep into houses and build up to explosive levels.
The study caused a big stir, in part because it was the first clear evidence that fracking was contaminating drinking water, contrary to the industry’s denials. Just weeks after the study was released, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection fined Chesapeake $1.1 million – the largest fine against an oil and gas operator in the agency’s history – for contaminating 17 wells in Bradford County, including some that had been part of the Duke study.”
There’s a good little piece on the Granny-Herald web-site today which adds a spot of ‘flesh’ to something I was saying here the other day about the level of commitment shown by the Green Party in adhering to that Party’s ‘principles’,
It appears that all Green MP’s,from within their own salaries buy carbon credits to off-set the carbon emissions of all their travel,
Green co-leader Metiria Turei does the round trip from Dunedin to the Parliament and back once a week and duly pays for such carbon emissions over and above any tax’s paid via the emissions trading scheme…
Well, that is good when such travel is unavoidable. But it is better to try to cut down on one’s contribution to carbon emissions as much as possible. Such emissions can contribute to irreplaceable species extinction well before the carbon off-set takes effect. And once a species is extinct, it is lost forever.
“Documents released under the Official Information Act show Justice Ministry officials believe the wording of the money-laundering offence may not meet New Zealand’s international obligations and are reviewing the “effectiveness” of the charge”
“And unless the law is changed New Zealand will not meet its obligations under the United Nations’ Vienna Convention to fight global organised crime”
—- UN has been setting rules for a very long time in many fronts – Move along, nothing in it!
Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide: A Discussion We Need to Have
Date Thursday 26 April, 2012
Time 5.15 pm to 7.30 pm
Venue Colquhoun Lecture Theatre, Dunedin Public Hospital
Those speaking will be: Professor Sean Davison (just completed his home detention for assisting the death of his mother) Hon. Maryan Street (Labour MP based in Nelson and author of a new private member’s bill that would allow for some aspects of assisted suicide) Professor Grant Gillett of the University of Otago’s Centre for Bioethics and a leading authority on end-of-life issues John Kleinsman, Director of the Wellington-based Nathaniel Centre, the NZ Catholic Bioethics Centre.
So, it seems that the UK have some idea of how abhorrent it is that an MP would seek to intervene in political matters on behalf of a commercial entity : Jeremy Hunt’s involvment in BSkyB bid
As far as I have heard, there is no evidence of him promising to introduce legislation on behalf of the Murdoch’s, or to have taken action to ensure that there were no other bidders, simply that he “ignored his commitment to MPs to act in a quasi-judicial and impartial capacity” (I would have thought his commitment actually lies with the British people, but there you go). Yet, that seems to be reason enough to call for his immediate resignation.
Apparently David Cameron has hauled in him in to explain himself, shame there is no one to do the same to JoKey.
[edit] Drat, I forgot about David Cameron’s promise to the Murdoch’s to cut back the BBC. Guess this makes Dav Cam’s hauling Hunt over the coals seem a little hypocritical.
Agreed Jackal. The sooner this thoroughly flawed man is removed from public office the better. He needs to retire and contemplate his hypocrisy and the harm he does by doing nothing but shake John Key’s hand and deeply intone woffle as though meaning something.
Thanks for that and, yes, it is disgusting that the minister is lying and not being called on it by the MSM (although I suppose that’s normal these days – there isn’t a journalist left there).
Before you get too excited about this, consider several things.
It doesn’t look like you are comparing like figures. You refer to “The Chief Coroner Judge Neil MacLean has today released the latest provisional national suicide statistics”.
And the Herald report refers to:
The 2009 rates have only now become available because suspected suicide cases must be investigated by the coroner, which can take up to two years.
So you may be comparing final figures (for 2009) with interim figures to June 2011.
I know for a fact that not all cases in the year to June 2011 where suicide was viewed as a possibility are complete, as I know of a case from October 2010 that has not yet been finalised. It has been investigated by police as possible suicide but I’ve talked to the assistant coroner and they don’t think it will be ruled as suicide.
Also note that Dunne acknowledges the numbers are still not good and suicide needs more attention.
And also keep in mind that legitimate trends can experience some moves against the trend.
My only knowledge of this is what I saw in the press release a couple of days ago and Jackals claims (which at this stage have potential flaws, plus my knowledge of one relavent case. I’ve had no contact with anyone in UF about this.
Pete George, the figures might be provisional, with the Coroner stating “All reasonable effort has been made to ensure that the following information is accurate and current”, but there is no question that the suicide rate is increasing under National. They are the reason for the move against the previous downwards trend. For Dunne to say they are declining is a blatant lie!
there is no question that the suicide rate is increasing under National.
I am questioning that, and you have done nothing to back up your claims. You can’t compare provisional figures with final statistics.
Can you show an upward trend in provisional figures? Over what time period?
Can you provide any proof that National are “the reason” for a move?
If you can show it has increasd in one year (you haven’t done that yet) that is not necessarily a move against a trend, it’s a single figure.
You’re a sorry soul you are. Remember that any change which is less than 2% is likely to be just statistical noise.
Dunne isn’t trying to make statistical noise more important than it should be is he? And why are you so finickity about “provisional” versus “final” when Dunne obviously is fine with “provisional” as good enough to make final announcements on?
Pete George, it’s annoying me that you’re making the same argument here as the one you’ve made at The Jackal.
Can you provide any proof that National are “the reason” for a move?
As previously stated; This link shows a high rate of suicide throughout the 90′s while National was in power. It peaked towards the end of their governance in 1998. It also shows a decline of around 20% during Labours last governance. Peter Dunne trying to say there is a decrease over the last three years is incorrect. It has increased by 5%. The real trend is that suicides go up when National is in power.
Those graphs suggest a peak and leveling off around 1995 and trending down from there right through to 2007. And nothing since then.
And it proves nothing. You can’t just claim (with any credibility) that because a graph may roughly follow what you want it to say there is a direct and irrefutable correlation.
There will be many influences and lags. Problems in puberty and as young adults are often influenced by esarly childhood.
And there are many unanswered questions – like has reporting changed? Are suicides more or less rigorously investigated?
And does it correlate with a peak in young male population trends? Didn’t that peak in the mid 1990s?
And it proves nothing. You can’t just claim (with any credibility) that because a graph may roughly follow what you want it to say there is a direct and irrefutable correlation.
Um – you can. I agree that it’s bad science to apply one’s model to the data, but the correlation is simply the displayed line (i.e. increasing or maintained in the 1990s, with a much lower rate in the 2000’s). What one can’t reasonably do is claim a causal link.
But the correlation is interesting, and of course snapping in the line:
Suicide is more common in deprived neighbourhoods. In 2007, the age-standardised suicide death rate in the most deprived areas (NZDep2001 quintiles 3–5) was 13.3 per 100,000 population. This was significantly higher than the rate of 7.7 per 100,000 population in the least deprived areas (quintile 1). Rates of hospitalisation for intentional self-harm show a similar pattern.
and coupling it with the varios sector reforms of the 80s and early 90s might indicate the possibility some sort of causal relationship.
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More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Māori are yet to see anything from this Government except cuts, reversals and taking our people backwards, Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...
The Coalition Government’s refusal to commit to ongoing funding for social housing is seeing the sector pull back on developments and families watch their dreams of securing a home fade away, says Labour Housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...
Changes to minimum wage and benefit indexation means many New Zealanders will get less this year, as the Government gives a big tax break to landlords instead. ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel. “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says. "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board. “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti. “I have asked her to ...
The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States. “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research. “New Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...
Kia Ora Gaza A passionate haka reverberated through Auckland International Airport as a medical team of three New Zealand doctors received an emotional farewell from a big crowd of supporters before flying to Turkey to join the international Freedom Flotilla to Gaza. The doctors, who left Auckland yesterday, hope to ...
With submissions closing today, Macassey-Pickard says groups around the country have been supporting a huge range of people to make their submissions. ...
Our response to the new legislation is informed by targeted conversations with practitioners working in the system and through an implementation lens. ...
The new ‘Fast-track Approvals Bill’ would give just three Ministers the power to approve or deny development projects. They would avoid the usual checks and balances that are in place to protect rivers, land, the ocean, and communities. ...
COMMENTARY:By Eugene Doyle Helen Clark, how I miss you. The former New Zealand Prime Minister — the safest pair of hands this country has had in living memory — gave a masterclass on the importance of maintaining an independent foreign policy when she spoke at an AUKUS symposium held ...
The government's released the list of organisations provided with information on how to apply - just hours before public submissions on the bill close. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milton Speer, Visiting Fellow, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney Before climate change really got going, eastern Australia’s flash floods tended to concentrate on our coastal regions, east of the Great Dividing Range. But that’s changing. Now ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Finkel, Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow, La Trobe University Sia Duff / South Australian Museum In February, the South Australian Museum “re-imagined” itself. In the face of rising costs and inadequate government funds, CEO David Gaimster, who took the reins last June, declared ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan Pearce, Professor, School of Allied Heath, Human Services & Sport, La Trobe University, La Trobe University This week, Collingwood AFL player Nathan Murphy announced his retirement, brought on by his concussion history and ongoing issues. The 24-year-old’s seemingly sudden retirement, ...
The Mental Health Foundation provides support and resources for those facing the loss of their job, so it’s wrong in the very week the Government adds another 1000 jobs to its tally of cuts, that this is happening. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Howard, Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English and Writing, University of Sydney Daniel Boud/Sydney Theatre Company Decay, terror, revulsion. These are three of the central themes of Thomas Bernhard’s rarely performed play The President. The Austrian is one of the greatest ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ye In (Jane) Hwang, Postdoctoral Research Associate at School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock You’d be hard pressed to find any aspect of daily life that doesn’t require some form of digital literacy. We need only to look back ten ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says threats by ministers Shane Jones and David Seymour to reform or close down the Waitangi Tribunal were “ill-considered”, as legal experts say the ministers may have breached Cabinet Manual conventions. “I think those comments are ill-considered and we expect all ministers to actually exercise good ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Newton, Professor of Exercise Medicine, Edith Cowan University Pexels/RDNE stock project You’re not in your 20s or 30s anymore and you know regular health checks are important. So you go to your GP. During the appointment they measure your waist. ...
A new poem by Evangeline Riddiford Graham. Mitochondrial Problem I. It was long drive to Kansas for the man and his dog but you have to understand he said She doesn’t fly. Which calls to mind not carsick shitting barking or whining but a dog who chooses not to as ...
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)Hot off the press, this debut ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Wajnryb McDonald, PhD candidate in Criminology, University of Sydney Less than 24 hours after Ashlee Good was murdered in Bondi Junction, her family released a statement requesting the media take down photographs they had reproduced of Ashlee and her family without ...
Chief executive Shaun Robinson said it has not had any government funding cut, but government-funded contracts have not kept pace with rising costs. ...
The Ministry of Health has delayed the release of its evidence brief on the safety, reversibility and mental health and wellbeing outcomes for puberty blockers. While we wait, Julia de Bres speaks to those with firsthand experience. Best practice gender-affirming healthcare is based on trans people’s self-determination and agency. The ...
Barcelona’s city streets have gone from traffic-clogged to pedestrian-friendly. How? Superblocks. Ellen Rykers explains. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week I read a great interview with renowned urbanist Janette Sadik-Khan by The Spinoff’s Wellington editor Joel MacManus: “You can reimagine streets, ...
Student groups ‘Climate Action VUW’, Schools Strike 4 Climate and VUWSA will be on the street in Wellington today, the last day for submissions on the Fast-track Approvals Bill, with a message that the fight against the Government’s ‘War on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sofia Ammassari, Research Fellow, Griffith University Since 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity has grown exponentially – and so has the formidable organisational machine of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). These two factors will be key to delivering the BJP a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendon Hyndman, Associate Professor of Education (Adjunct) & Senior Manager (BCE), Charles Sturt University During COVID almost all Australian students and their families experienced online learning. But while schools have long since gone back to in-person teaching, online learning has not gone ...
Yes, they’re better for the environment. No, that’s not a good enough reason for me to use them. Once every 26 days or so, my period arrives, and if struck by an act of God, I am caught red-crotched without products. How, after 17 years of this, do I still ...
“It will cause significant harm to our environment and communities. It is completely at odds with New Zealanders’ relationship with nature and our need for a low-carbon, sustainable economic future." ...
The Chair of the National Maori Authority, Matthew Tukaki, has warned a Parliamentary Select Committee that fast-tracking legislation is a perilous practice that undermines the core tenets of democracy, transparency, and accountability. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Tenbensel, Associate Professor, Health Policy, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Since coming into power, the coalition government has adopted a simple but shrewd see-how-fast-we-can-move political strategy. However, in the health sector this need for speed entails ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Hronis, Clinical Psychologist, University of Technology Sydney Darya Sannikova/Pexels Whether you’re watching TV, attending a footy game, or eating a meal at your local pub, gambling is hard to escape. Although the rise of gambling is not unique to Australia, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Wong, Forrest Fellow, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia Have you ever wondered if there are more insects out at night than during the day? We set out to answer this question by combing through the scientific ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carol T Kulik, Research Professor, University of South Australia IR Stone/Shutterstock In Australia, it’s not the done thing to know – let alone ask – what our colleagues are paid. Yet, it’s easy to see how pay transparency can make pay ...
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is sounding a warning to migrants, that running foul of the law may see them leaving the country prematurely. ...
The government’s plan to get 50,000 people off jobseeker support by 2030 has had a rocky start, 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. Beneficiary numbers are up – and so are ...
Raglan Roast is a staple of Wellington coffee culture. But with five branches across the capital, which one is the best? I am a die-hard Raglan Roast fan. It’s consistently the most affordable cafe in Wellington, and one of the only places you can get a coffee after 3pm. So, ...
Residents of University of Auckland halls are being urged to withhold their accommodation fees from May 1, in a bid to force the university to take student concerns over rent hikes seriously.The University of Auckland is facing a strike from students over the cost of on-campus accommodation. The Students ...
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Opinion: With maths understanding at 42 percent for Year 8 students, there’s no doubt something has to be done. But how? The post Financial literacy should be on all of us appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Hineaupounamu ‘Missy’ Nuku has been scaling mountains in Canada for her college basketball team, the Lakeland Rustlers. Alberta is currently home for the 20-year-old point guard, who is in her first year of a scholarship at Lakeland College, where she is studying for a business degree. She has certainly made ...
New Zealand and the Philippines have signed a new maritime security agreement and stated their concerns over activity in the South China Sea, as Chinese vessels continue to flout international law. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Philippines President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos committed to signing a Mutual Logistics Supporting Arrangement by ...
The thousands of government “back-office” job cuts are causing widespread pain in the capital city. In today’s episode of The Detail, we speak to three journalists and a think tank researcher, looking at the larger picture around the cuts and what effect it will have on Wellington, a city that’s ...
Opinion: The famed American architect and urban designer Daniel Burnham once said, “Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood!” Burnham wouldn’t have been referring to the transport plans in Aotearoa New Zealand over the past five years; projects so big they hadn’t the credibility to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra When ASIO boss Mike Burgess delivered his annual threat assessment earlier this year, he stressed the rising danger posed by espionage and foreign interference. “In 2024, threats to our way of life have surpassed ...
The Tribunal had called on Minister for Children Karen Chhour to provide evidence at an urgent inquiry into the repeal of Section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By T.J. Thomson, Senior Lecturer in Visual Communication & Digital Media, RMIT University Midjourney image by T.J. Thomson As more than half of Australian office workers report using generative artificial intelligence (AI) for work, we’re starting to see this technology affect every ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa Nicole Sharwood, Injury epidemiologist | Expert Witness, UNSW Sydney Sergey Novikov/Shutterstock Injuries are the leading cause of disability and death among Australian children and adolescents. At least a quarter of all emergency department presentations during childhood are injury-related. Injuries can ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Di Winkler, Adjunct Associate Professor, Living with Disability Research Centre, La Trobe University Shutterstock/Ground PictureMany Australians with disability feel on the edge of a precipice right now. Recommendations from the disability royal commission and the NDIS review were released late ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Salman Shooshtarian, Senior Lecturer, School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University Salman Shooshtarian Asbestos has been found in mulch used for playgrounds, schools, parks and gardens across Sydney and Melbourne. Local communities naturally fear for the health of their ...
Family First says that the latest abortion statistics make grim and upsetting reading, with a 25% increase in abortions since the decriminalisation of abortion in March 2020. According to an Official Information Act request received by Right to Life ...
Ipsos New Zealand's inaugural participation in a global study on populism reveals a pervasive sense of societal and economic decline among New Zealanders. MORE DETAILS AND FULL REPORT HERE Ipsos New Zealand's inaugural participation in a global study ...
This is neo liberalism, this is where Key and his attack dog Ryall and the rest of the Nats want to take us.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/25/business/debt-collector-is-faulted-for-tough-tactics-in-hospitals.html?_r=1&hp
Makes us appreciate our health system, but didn’t the National Government introduce partial payment in Public Hospitals in the 90s? Seem to remember picking up my young son and being asked for dollars at the desk. Awful feeling. Imagine those in the USA, the land of plenty.
National blew our health system apart to the point where Labour never really put it back together properly.
Yes, but thankfully, it no longer applies… I remember that!
Actually its nearer to this…can anyone say ECAN
Yes we are in real trouble with the anyone whose hands are on the wheel!
Instead of giving just a hyperlink, which might well fail in the near future, why not simply reprint the article?….
Debt Collector Is Faulted for Tough Tactics in Hospitals
[deleted]
In November, Marcia Newton was shocked when she was forced to pay for her son Maxx’s ear tube surgery at Fairview Hospital even before he went into the hospital room.
[deleted]
[lprent: because
1. It violates policy and for that matter copyright.
2. It chews up space on the screen especially for those who don’t want to read it.
3. The NYT doesn’t remove links so that was a really dumbarse excuse.
4. It is lazy. If you want people to read something then make an effort to explain why. If you are unwilling to make that effort then why should people make the effort to read it.
5. So a moderator will cut it, and since you didn’t leave a link people will have to search for the article on the minimal hints that are left.
6. Because wasting a moderators time after results in a level of irritation and we like to share that feeling.
Banned for 4 weeks – approx 1 week for each minute that it took me to delete the comments section on an ipad screen that you left on the end of the article. ]
So GerrytheHut doesn’t want to have a summit where there’s a collaborative endeavour to find solutions to Christchurch’s housing problems:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/6802552/Brownlee-not-keen-on-public-summit
But Gerry’s reasoning is curiously worded:
getting housing into the market
So, it’s not about the people who need somewhere to live? Just about delivering some product to market? Thank-you for your concern, Gerry!
By the way, Gerry does not back a gathering like a summit. Surprise surprise. My inside sources tell me it would not work to Gerry’s advantage for a range of people to get together, talk and compare notes.
The modus operandi that thrives on divisiveness, polarising issues, and selective or secretive information disclosures would not be keen on inclusive, open and probing public discussions.
John Key on TV last night stated that the claim the Chinese purchase of the Crafar farms would affect Fonterra is a ‘conspiracy’ by the opposition to confuse new Zealanders. Desperate isn’t he?
He is so busy making shit up that he will soon be dripping with them.
Slippery is looking a bit tired round the eyes aint He, the lame conspiracy theory crap trotted out by our ‘Leader’ is what passes for rigorous debate in that one’s mind,
Reminds me that I have to email His office offering to sell Him my wide range of tin-foil hats…
How many do you have? 😈
Have to love someone giving you the straight line..
The supply is only limited by the amount of the stuff in the super-market,
i was tho, in the spirit of ‘Finance Company’s’ everywhere hoping to secure from Him forward payment for the initial order and then to collapse the ‘Tin-Foil Hat Co’ leaving no trace of the coin anywhere…
bad12, don’t fall for the tin foil hat conspiracy,
it won’t protect you from the signal, it amplifies it!
🙂
Those hats are essentially just an aerial that the govt can use to read your thoughts.
Basically don’t trust anyone who tries to sell you any kind of kitchenware at all.
Perhaps John Key could explain how it is a conspiracy.
Isn’t that like trying to prove you didn’t buy something?
How about you prove there is some basis to the claims?
Nah, Key is making the allegation. Of a conspiracy against him. The twat.
Someone must have got in Keys ear about use of the terminology, as he has used it in regrds to the Sky Casino, and now Crafer Farms…
Blatantly trying to deceive using smear tactics….Still is should have many on here looking the other way, and believing what Key says!
The media minders up on the 9th floor have been in a panic for the past couple of weeks, first having tried to involve Slippery in the debate on an ‘intellectual’ level,
Laughably, Slippery’s attempts at bringing ‘intelligent’ debate to both the asset rip-off and the patently unlawful sale of the ex-Crafar Farms to overseas interests had Him talking with that definite childish lisp and babbling like a 4 year old in the middle of a major sugar rush,
Having watched this display of numb-nuts proportions form the Prime Minister his advisors have in abject horror cast about within the lexicon for something that He can utter into the debate that will show Him to have ‘won’ the day for National’s ’cause’ as all that had occurred from Slippery’s descent into intellectualism had been the exposure of Him as an empty suitcase of intellectual or moral rigour,
Hence the quick stoop by the Prime Minister’s advisers into the ‘muck’ of commentary by those from the right who appear on some web-sites using ”conspiracy theory” as their sole means of debate, in effect Slippery over the past month having blown his ‘cover-story’ as the poor Kiwi-kid who made good and came home to show the country of His birth a better way had to find the fastest means of attempting to have the faithful on message with the little ‘fairy-tale’ that is the Slippery Prime Ministers ‘back-story’,
For Slippery tho, the damage is done,for everyone of the faithful who duly bowed to the quick change artistry of the Prime Minister in His little cameo of down home Kiwi-kid. flick, hardened vicious international money trader, and flick, back to down home Kiwi-kid and carried on as a true believer there is another who having voted for National simply for the tax cuts and the cheap shares they have been offered have had their conscience questioned by the Prime Ministers quick changes in personality…
Bad12 – ‘the patently unlawful sale of the ex-Crafar Farms to overseas interests’, do some reading, I especially like the part where Chris Carter trying to stop the Whangamata waterways deal was illegal under OIO legislation (that a co-allition of the ‘left’ wrote!), but the Crafer Farms deal fits all of their criteria to the letter of the law.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1202/S00206/questions-and-answers-feb-16.htm
Interesting world when blinkers are removed, isn’t it?
Selling NZ out is interesting to you?
You appear to be writing English in Swahili, whatever it is that you are trying to aquaint me of comes across as maybe this or maybe that, perhaps you could have another try,
PS, Sorry there are no blinkers worn here…
“Guvmint” by crosby textor — that’s the hollow sound of hollow men.
Lest We Forget
Next time someone repeats the nonsense about “brave” and “decent” Australian and New Zealand troops, you might like to remind him or her of the massacre at Surafend….
http://alh-research.tripod.com/Light_Horse/index.blog?topic_id=1115959
Indeed!!! from a family where the Grand-father we never knew served in WW1 and the father that we never knew served in WW2 we only seen the utter futility of fighting other peoples wars in other peoples countries,
Both of them,the grand-father and the father returned to NZ after serving, but, not as whole people,
I see NO glory,and,when will we be free…
Good point that act makes all NZ and Australian troops who have served absolute dicks.
Not sure if this link has already been posted.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/apr/11/pokies-and-the-australian-addiction-to-gambling
The true Fracking story and it’s both revealing and horrifying. This is an excellent work from Rolling Stone April 2012 … may it get an airing everywhere that it needs to be understood ! The corruption outlined from page one beggars belief, or is this become the norm ? Please read it.
Brief extract from page 3 …
“Last year, scientists at Duke University, McClendon’s alma mater, published the first rigorous, peer-reviewed study of pollution at drilling and fracking operations. Examining 60 sites in New York and Pennsylvania, they found “systematic evidence for methane contamination” in household drinking water: Water wells half a mile from drilling operations were contaminated by methane at 17 times the rate of those farther from gas developments. Although methane in water has not been studied closely as a health hazard, it can seep into houses and build up to explosive levels.
The study caused a big stir, in part because it was the first clear evidence that fracking was contaminating drinking water, contrary to the industry’s denials. Just weeks after the study was released, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection fined Chesapeake $1.1 million – the largest fine against an oil and gas operator in the agency’s history – for contaminating 17 wells in Bradford County, including some that had been part of the Duke study.”
Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/the-big-fracking-bubble-the-scam-behind-the-gas-boom-20120301#ixzz1sv8SUlAO
Fracking in the UK..
http://thelonggoodread.com/2012/04/22/whats-the-truth-about-fracking/
There’s a good little piece on the Granny-Herald web-site today which adds a spot of ‘flesh’ to something I was saying here the other day about the level of commitment shown by the Green Party in adhering to that Party’s ‘principles’,
It appears that all Green MP’s,from within their own salaries buy carbon credits to off-set the carbon emissions of all their travel,
Green co-leader Metiria Turei does the round trip from Dunedin to the Parliament and back once a week and duly pays for such carbon emissions over and above any tax’s paid via the emissions trading scheme…
Well, that is good when such travel is unavoidable. But it is better to try to cut down on one’s contribution to carbon emissions as much as possible. Such emissions can contribute to irreplaceable species extinction well before the carbon off-set takes effect. And once a species is extinct, it is lost forever.
Money Laundering rules for the little people
“Documents released under the Official Information Act show Justice Ministry officials believe the wording of the money-laundering offence may not meet New Zealand’s international obligations and are reviewing the “effectiveness” of the charge”
“And unless the law is changed New Zealand will not meet its obligations under the United Nations’ Vienna Convention to fight global organised crime”
—- UN has been setting rules for a very long time in many fronts – Move along, nothing in it!
Money Laundering for the big boys
““Bank of America takes its anti-money-laundering responsibilities very seriously,”
Actoid goes postal on national telly:
http://readingthemaps.blogspot.co.nz/2012/04/john-ansell-lizard-creature_9281.html
Romney, chosen because he has no chance against Obama, and because there is not a word from his mouth anyone with a shred of intelligence would believe
“Everywhere I go, Americans are tired of being tired, and many of those who are fortunate enough to have a job are working harder for less.”
— That piece of brilliance from a billionaire, who does not like to pay show his tax records!
Then there are the skeletons!
For anyone in Dunedin interested in a debate on euthanasia:
Those speaking will be:
Professor Sean Davison (just completed his home detention for assisting the death of his mother)
Hon. Maryan Street (Labour MP based in Nelson and author of a new private member’s bill that would allow for some aspects of assisted suicide)
Professor Grant Gillett of the University of Otago’s Centre for Bioethics and a leading authority on end-of-life issues
John Kleinsman, Director of the Wellington-based Nathaniel Centre, the NZ Catholic Bioethics Centre.
So, it seems that the UK have some idea of how abhorrent it is that an MP would seek to intervene in political matters on behalf of a commercial entity :
Jeremy Hunt’s involvment in BSkyB bid
As far as I have heard, there is no evidence of him promising to introduce legislation on behalf of the Murdoch’s, or to have taken action to ensure that there were no other bidders, simply that he “ignored his commitment to MPs to act in a quasi-judicial and impartial capacity” (I would have thought his commitment actually lies with the British people, but there you go). Yet, that seems to be reason enough to call for his immediate resignation.
Apparently David Cameron has hauled in him in to explain himself, shame there is no one to do the same to JoKey.
[edit] Drat, I forgot about David Cameron’s promise to the Murdoch’s to cut back the BBC. Guess this makes Dav Cam’s hauling Hunt over the coals seem a little hypocritical.
Dunne doctors suicide stats
It’s despicable of Peter Dunne to try to manipulate the public concerning suicide statistics to promote the governments policies…
Agreed Jackal. The sooner this thoroughly flawed man is removed from public office the better. He needs to retire and contemplate his hypocrisy and the harm he does by doing nothing but shake John Key’s hand and deeply intone woffle as though meaning something.
Oh dear, Pete G will be fair livid over this.
Might even be the excuse he’s been looking for to quit UF.
Thanks for that and, yes, it is disgusting that the minister is lying and not being called on it by the MSM (although I suppose that’s normal these days – there isn’t a journalist left there).
Before you get too excited about this, consider several things.
It doesn’t look like you are comparing like figures. You refer to “The Chief Coroner Judge Neil MacLean has today released the latest provisional national suicide statistics”.
And the Herald report refers to:
So you may be comparing final figures (for 2009) with interim figures to June 2011.
I know for a fact that not all cases in the year to June 2011 where suicide was viewed as a possibility are complete, as I know of a case from October 2010 that has not yet been finalised. It has been investigated by police as possible suicide but I’ve talked to the assistant coroner and they don’t think it will be ruled as suicide.
Also note that Dunne acknowledges the numbers are still not good and suicide needs more attention.
And also keep in mind that legitimate trends can experience some moves against the trend.
My only knowledge of this is what I saw in the press release a couple of days ago and Jackals claims (which at this stage have potential flaws, plus my knowledge of one relavent case. I’ve had no contact with anyone in UF about this.
Pete George, the figures might be provisional, with the Coroner stating “All reasonable effort has been made to ensure that the following information is accurate and current”, but there is no question that the suicide rate is increasing under National. They are the reason for the move against the previous downwards trend. For Dunne to say they are declining is a blatant lie!
there is no question that the suicide rate is increasing under National.
I am questioning that, and you have done nothing to back up your claims. You can’t compare provisional figures with final statistics.
Can you show an upward trend in provisional figures? Over what time period?
Can you provide any proof that National are “the reason” for a move?
If you can show it has increasd in one year (you haven’t done that yet) that is not necessarily a move against a trend, it’s a single figure.
You’re a sorry soul you are. Remember that any change which is less than 2% is likely to be just statistical noise.
Dunne isn’t trying to make statistical noise more important than it should be is he? And why are you so finickity about “provisional” versus “final” when Dunne obviously is fine with “provisional” as good enough to make final announcements on?
Pete George, it’s annoying me that you’re making the same argument here as the one you’ve made at The Jackal.
As previously stated; This link shows a high rate of suicide throughout the 90′s while National was in power. It peaked towards the end of their governance in 1998. It also shows a decline of around 20% during Labours last governance. Peter Dunne trying to say there is a decrease over the last three years is incorrect. It has increased by 5%. The real trend is that suicides go up when National is in power.
Those graphs suggest a peak and leveling off around 1995 and trending down from there right through to 2007. And nothing since then.
And it proves nothing. You can’t just claim (with any credibility) that because a graph may roughly follow what you want it to say there is a direct and irrefutable correlation.
There will be many influences and lags. Problems in puberty and as young adults are often influenced by esarly childhood.
And there are many unanswered questions – like has reporting changed? Are suicides more or less rigorously investigated?
And does it correlate with a peak in young male population trends? Didn’t that peak in the mid 1990s?
Um – you can. I agree that it’s bad science to apply one’s model to the data, but the correlation is simply the displayed line (i.e. increasing or maintained in the 1990s, with a much lower rate in the 2000’s). What one can’t reasonably do is claim a causal link.
But the correlation is interesting, and of course snapping in the line:
and coupling it with the varios sector reforms of the 80s and early 90s might indicate the possibility some sort of causal relationship.