Professor Sharon Peacock, the director of Public Health England's National Infection Service, told MPs the kits were in the final stages of testing at a laboratory in Oxford and could be approved for mass distribution by the end of this week.
That and other anti-body tests are what will eventually kill the spread first, with antivirals and then vaccines. It will be interesting on what the max time is between exposure, initial infection and antibodies.
But the tests will be at least month away from any real levels of distribution. It takes time to scale up any kind of mass distribution. But if it works ok, then I suspect that there will be a big push to replicate it.
Yes, this is quite promising. I was just about to link to the same article.
and i like that they patentend the valves and then liberated the blue prints so everyone can print these valves. Also good on Decathlon for supplying the diving mask.
Transit is the issue. We mostly transit through Singapore and Hong Kong for most destinations. Singapore has largely shut transit. So has Hong Kong. Planes have a lot of range but it has limits and the limit is if you can land and refuel to get back again.
We are long way from anywhere apart from aussie and the islands.
Basically there was a reasonable level of warning. Some people didn't heed it.
Oh. 🙁
That’s a pity. I didn’t think about transits/fuel
Thought it was just a matter of organising between officials. It was a fast developing situation and bound to catch some of us out. Can’t help but worry for those caught overseas in places like Sri Lanka.
well he crowned himself bishop, so obviously he will have what ever doctorates he will need.
he too will kill people, just as the prosperity preachers do in the US. After all the man has bills to pay so the flock needs to hand over 10% of that sweet government money that they received in order to tide them over.
A grifter is gonna grift. Those harleys don't come cheap.
Rapper M.I.A. has revealed she is anti-vaccination and would 'choose death' over getting a coronavirus vaccination amid the ongoing pandemic.
The Paper Planes hitmaker, 44, declared her stance on vaccinations and expressed her regret at being 'made to' vaccinate her son, 11, before he started school in a series of tweets on Wednesday.
The musician, real name Mathangi Arulpragasam, wrote: 'If I have to choose the vaccine or chip I'm gonna choose death.'
""Satan has control of atmospheres unless you're a born-again, Jesus-loving, bible-believing, Holy Ghost-filled, tithe-paying believer," Bishop Tamaki said on Sunday morning."
From my contact who lives in the Coromandel: last couple of days a lot of people have arrived to stay in their holiday homes for the lock down. My contact is not bothered by this as they will not be mixing with them and are all prepared to stay at home.
Some of the arrivees live in apartments in the city, so it is understandable, but others don't and they would be better off in the city. Coromandel emergency services are already stretched and if these city-dwellers had an emergency, they'd be better off in the city.
The permanent population of the Coromandel is around 30,000. Over the summer months that population swells by around 100,000. Every year. I know when our local emergency services are busy because the siren sounds 3 – 4 times a day to call in the volunteers. Over the past week we have not heard the siren at all. There has not been a helicopter flying urgent cases out of the hospital. I visited my beach property this past week to do some preparatory maintenance before the shut down. There were far fewer people about than over the summer months. I spoke to my doctor just this week to delay my 1/2 yearly WOF, and confirm my 3 monthly prescriptions, and they are now doing consultations over the phone where possible. My friend who is a public health nurse has only had a staff of 2 for some time now and has a community to service from Te Aroha across to Waihi and north, and she is certainly run off her feet. But she has been for some time. Those moving in to holiday baches for the duration would be unlikely to be adding to her burden, if they were needing constant care I'm sure people would be remaining at their primary place of residence. Serious injuries are not handled at the Thames Base Hospital, all major surgery is immediately transferred to Hamilton after triage.
My sister-in-law, is in her seventies and at home with cold so I delivered food and panadol to her on Tuesday morning. She has sold her house, with a settlement date for next Friday, and will be moving into a unit in a Somerset retirement village in Hamilton. Tuesday afternoon, the real estate agent arrived and booted her out of the house for an hour while they did the final inspection. She drove down the road, still ill, and sat in her car until they texted her that they had left.
I had suggested that she get in touch with her lawyer and confirm that both deals are postponed until after the lockdown – however long that may be, and then make sure she is alright for the duration.
After calling this morning to see how she was going, she informs me that she has been unable to speak to her lawyer, but the office rang her to go in and sign some papers. When I asked what they were for, she said she didn't really know, and that the associate was unable to provide any information.
She also received a phone call yesterday from the retirement village, saying that they will be sending the scheduled movers to her place next Wednesday to pack and move her from Auckland to Hamilton. When I said this would not be regarded as an essential service, she said the retirement home said that they were an essential service and so the move would be permissible. I asked if she really wanted several people in her home touching all her stuff, which she would then have to unpack, and move during the lockdown. She said – not really. And so, I had to convince her that she has a right to stay where she is and advise her lawyer to postpone the settlement of both deals. My partner, who works in transport – reinforced that despite retirement homes being essential services – moving to one would be unlikely to be included in that criteria.
I am hoping she now has some confidence in dealing with this stressful situation in an already stressful time for her.
I consider she is being failed by three professional services at present. Her real estate company, her lawyer and the retirement village.
(In contrast, another experience, from a work colleague of my partner, had his lawyer ring him the same day as the Alert 4 notice to say – don’t worry, house settlement is on hold until the lockdown is over).
She is fairly independent and healthy, and the most we can do is give her some information and/or ammunition to deal with unreasonable or uncomfortable requests. Although it is very frustrating, to have your exceptional advice ignored, hah!, she is capable of making her own decisions and can make those choices and deal with the consequences.
As for the agent, they probably called her as they came over. It wouldn't occur to her to say "No, not at this time".
"New guidelines issued by the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand said owners and tenants would not be able to move into or out of properties during the lock-down period and the Auckland District Law Society had recommended that all settlements be deferred until after the lock-down is lifted."
If you are ok with advocating for her, is it possible to do conference calls, between her the resthome/lawyer, with you sitting in on the call? All she would need to do is tell them she gives her consent for you to be present as your advocate.
That way she can still make decisions etc, and you could speak up if you felt something was being overlooked or distorted.
It's really cool that she is able to share with you what's happening to her, that's so awesome. Like it’s obvious she values your advice, so she might be quite open to the advocate idea.
Thanks, Cinny. She knows that we will step in for her, and I think she will ask if she gets distressed. But there is a fine line between being helpful and being overbearing – and it's one I try to keep note of. She is – in normal circumstances – very independent. Although, these are not normal times.
Hope you and your girls are doing well with your plans.
That's good to hear Molly, yay, cheers for the update, so good it's working out for her.
The girls and I are having daily games of scrabble and they are loving it, thanks 🙂 They haven't left the house since Sunday, I'm contemplating take them out for a walk, the beach is a block away, so I figure that's a walk around the block, masks on girls, anti bacterial spray in our pockets 🙂 Hope all is well for you too.
Quick update: After phone calls to numerous relatives, she has been reassured and has accepted that she is to stay put for the duration. Which has almost removed any anxiety from the situation. So, the persuasive power of a wealth of similar advice from non-legal persons has a silver lining sometimes. (The lawyer is still to return the message left for them on Tuesday. )
The second thing he says is "govt/civil service that is competent, prepared, deserving of our trust and is actually trusted"
Unfortunately we seem to have a Police Commissioner who believes he is Wyatt Earp. Did you hear him on Morning Report this morning?
I was absolutely appalled by the what he was saying. I think he should be relieved of his duties until he can demonstrate that he has read and understood what we are allowed to do.
This morning he seemed more like a character out of a B-grade Western movie. He had the “I am the law in Dodge City” approach.
For example he seemed to think no one should be out of their home and that somehow using an ATM was a forbidden activity.
What does the official website say? You can
“Access essential services, like buying groceries, or going to a bank or pharmacy.
Go to work if you work for an essential service.
Go for a walk, or exercise and enjoy nature.”
What is using an ATM except going to a bank?
Just listen to the man. https://www.rnz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=2018740208
I have decided to keep a copy of the material on the official website with me when I go out for my daily exercise. I have to drive there because I live on a hill in Wellington and walking, other than on the flat, is very difficult. I am, on the other hand only too willing to keep a safe distance from other people. Indeed, if a Policeman approaches me, I plan on ordering him to stay at least 2 metres away from me and I will show him id but I am not going to let him touch it. Why should I get this disease because the Police Commissioner hasn’t told his staff how to do their job properly?
[please provide a time stamp for this “For example he seemed to think no one should be out of their home and that somehow using an ATM was a forbidden activity.”. In premod until that happens – weka]
I haven't listened to him but you are correct Alwyn, basically we can do anything as long as we keep our distance, and I laughed at the keeping the police at a distance too. I'm in South Dunedin, just took kids for walk to park and back, people about, all walking around each other, fairly cheerful, friendly. Take care mate.
Hope the kids didn't use any play equipment at the park. If so, an educational chat and Police warning would be in order. And no, you can't do anything as long as you keep your distance.
You're right, I only can go for walk, go to chemist, supermarket, vets, go check on my gran, go see my designated friend, check and exercise my horse, go to my workplace, drop off and pick up my kid, that's all.
Can I see my family and friends during the lockdown?
From 11.59pm "everyone must stay at home unless they are working in essential services", Government Controller John Ombler said during yesterday's press conference.
He said that meant no socialising with people outside their households.
"The police (and the army, if needed to support the police) are empowered to order any person to stop any activity that contributes to the current emergency – essentially, spreading Covid-19 in the community. Government ministers may set aside virtually any legislative provision that becomes impracticable to apply while the epidemic is in force."
Bush did sound a bit hard-line. I guess it was a psychological play to knock people into line early on – rather than have to try and put the lid on later if people start out by flouting the rules.
You seem to cause disquiet often. I couldn't understand why you have found yourself at odds with a Policeman.
He did not hand you a baby blanket. Was that the problem ?
Why don't you get in touch with your excellent friends – Sir John Key (experienced in touching ); Sir William English (experienced in settling issues with female staff ); and Paula Bennett ( expert at releasing any, I mean any, private material ).
She maybe able to take you in person to that outstanding Simon Bridges, trained in numerous Universities both in the Northern Hemisphere and apparently has strong roots in China. Well established in Law, and nearly perfect in speech. He could get you up the Hill in Wellington . When he is not counting out his bit of National money.
Taking into account a large number of New Zealanders see "laws, rules and regulations" more like "suggestions" at best, a strong wording at the start of the lockdown sounds sensible to me. And I'm definitely not a supporter of strong authority / heavy hand etc.
It's easier to loosen things up a bit, when it works well, then tighten things up, when required.
Prosecutions for repeat offenders, can enter buildings if they think gatherings are being held…all framed with the expectation most people have complied anyway.
Seemed pretty laid back to me given it is a nationwide quarantine. Most stressy part was the interviewer pushing for answers around armed checkpoints which don't seem to be on table yet.
The Commissioner sounds pretty tame alwyn – explaining expectations, outlining the consequences and generally fulfilling the requirements of his role. Some of those at risk of idiots who want to cause an extended shut-down would rather the NZ Police adopted the tactics of the Indian Police. Beat the hell out of suspected transgressors, no explanations, questions or warnings.
I bet you still have happy memories of the great days of the Red Squad. Is the Commissioner bound by the rules the Government has laid down, as I quoted, or is he at liberty do order his troops to do anything he wants? Is he above the law?
Red Squad, unrestrained powers of a Commissioner, ordering Police to act with disregard of the law, not allowing people to use ATMs? Most of us are more concerned with reality and stopping the ravages of a pandemic and haven't too much time for those who want warm fuzzies from the backstop put there by the Government to constrain fools. Go join your kindred spirits on Bondi Beach – they'll love you there.
I, for one, am shocked and appalled at this situation. Several comments into a thread about police gone amok and Alwyn has not yet raised the spectre of the police commissioner personally performing summary executions upon people who just wanted to use an ATM. In this time of worry and tribulation we need everyone to perform at their best, including the tory pearl-clutchers. /sarc
Chill out, dude. If you're genuinely worried, get cash out at the supermarket.
Exercise isn't meant to be easy. Walk on your hill. If the baby jesus had wanted you to exercise on the flat he wouldn't have out of his bounty given you a hillside residence.
I've heard him twice today and got the Wyatt Earp feeling too. Two things calmed me.
The first was thinking about the first antenatal classes I went to years ago. I felt for the woman taking it. She had a disparate group to inform. A wide group of ages 40ish to 16ish, a couple of teachers, a lawyer, a couple of shop assistants, a 17 year old who exhibited signs of not knowing how she became pregnant. How to pitch the message to such a group?
Second was thinking about other life saving measures we have and how messages of those are received, understood and acted on. Don't drink and drive, wear a seat belt, don't use a mobile while driving don't go too fast, drive to the conditions. What could you say and how could you say it? How should you say it?
To me the tone of the Commissioner made him sound a bit of a wooden plonker. Some of what he said made it sound like he thought we were plonkers. A lot of us are.
I thought about his 'style' and while thinking it was one I didn't find ideal I guess others would find it just right. I'm sure as hell pleased I don't have his job.
I've seen a few people comment in various places that this is mostly about the risk of creating unnecessary rescue callouts, but I think there's far more to it than that.
The government messaging about this has changed a lot in the last couple of days. That's probably a direct response to so many people asking and talking about how they can find loopholes to get away with doing whatever it is they want to do, so long as [blah blah 2 metres blah blah]. It's obvious that lots of people out there still want to convince themselves that stuff they want to do is perfectly okay, according to their own interpretation. It should frighten all of us if we're letting anyone and everyone interpret this as they want to, because that undermines the whole point.
A solo tramp or going hunting or going fishing might be technically okay if it were carried out perfectly, but that sidesteps the point. Allowing exceptions to the general and simple rule creates new problems. Every time someone acts like they're getting an exception, other people expect it should also apply to them. The messaging and the enforcement become orders of magnitude harder, and confusion increases.
There's a big responsibility we all have here, to lead by example, so that other people have less ammo for rationalising their own excuses to bend rules. Trying to rationalise loopholes, undermines the whole effort of getting the population to do something consistent for extremely important reasons.
I am in the food business, so yeah, food poisoning and such is an issue in any commercial kitchen and thus we are all a bit 'special' when it comes to scrubbing down our kitchens. Its one of the professional traumas that come with making food for public consumption.
however, you can just feel free to ignore anything that is posted by me in regards to food safety and handling and only do what you feel comfortable, but it has been established that the virus is quite happily living on certain surfaces and that no matter what you bring in from the supermarket will be as safe as the food control plan implemented by the supermarket and executed by the staff. 🙂
I, too, have been round food preperation and service most my life. When the hand wash message was being hammered, I was thinking ' surely y'all do this already?'
I hope post outbreak, folk will keep washing hands thoroughly.
Speaking of sanitiser: I use a 70% methylated spirits 30% water in a spray bottle as a contact sanitiser for my home brew equipment. Would work for most surfaces.
bleach will do and i have a liter of 60% cointreau cooking alcohol that i happily donate to the cause.
I finished scrubbing my kitchen down, first with very hot soapy water and then with a 70% bleach/30% water solution.
coffee now and then on to the bathroom/toilet as these are the areas that i think will be most sensitive.
I consider myself sick and quarantined, and thus will stay home for the 4 weeks. I have enough food to cook several big boil ups that should get us through this. No fancy meals, but good wholesome home cooked food.
i did splash some money tho on potting mix and compost to supplement mine and will tomorrow spend getting my veggie patch winter ready.
And yeah, quite a few home brewers and distillers are currently making sanitizer.
You have diluted the meths by about 40% making it useless against C-19 only 72% i.e pure meths or other alcohol is strong enough apparently to do the job. This shit isn't salmonella.
On Saturday I started notifying physicians and other staff at our hospital that they have contracted COVID. Today- we called more employees in one day than I have called the last three days combined. I spoke with sick physicians, scared staff who have put themselves on the front line to save all of you. I know eventually some healthcare workers will need to be admitted to the hospital, some may need intensive care…
Our hospital is filling up. We have expanded the number of ICU's. We are expanding the number of COVID floor units to take optimal care of our patients.
We are on calls daily to increase our physician and nursing teams to care for an ever increasing number of patients, while some are "on the bench" because they have fallen ill with COVID. We are cycling teams trying to maintain staffing, preserving our staff, and trying to keep everyone healthy.
We have doctors making hard decisions about time while they are on hospital service for 2 weeks at a time. I have to decide if I will live away from my family when I am on hospital service so that I do not expose them (including one with asthma and one on immunosuppressants). Know that your healthcare providers are making many sacrifices at this time, working extremely long hours, time away from family, and worrying that it is still not going to be enough. We are running as fast as we can and we can't keep up.
I know everyone is making sacrifices and I thank you. Please shelter in place. This will last a few months. check in with your family and friends via FaceTime or Zoom meetings. Take one trip to the grocery store per week. Help us help you.
[USA] With the FDIC now playing calming piano music in the background as they urge people not to take their money out of banks, I'd say we are on the verge of a rather spectacular corporate bond market collapse or it's been happening in the background.
The bond market is significantly bigger than the sharemarket where most people's focus is directed.
When depositing money in a bank it is considered an unsecured loan to the bank. If the bank was going under due to massive corporate bond write off's why continue taking the risk? Not like those deposits are earning much in the way of interest.
A nationwide shortage of two drugs touted as possible treatments for the coronavirus is being driven in part by doctors inappropriately prescribing the medicines for family, friends and themselves, according to pharmacists and state regulators.
“It’s disgraceful, is what it is,” said Garth Reynolds, executive director of the Illinois Pharmacists Association, which started getting calls and emails Saturday from members saying they were receiving questionable prescriptions. “And completely selfish.”
Demand for chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine surged over the past several days as President Donald Trump promoted them as possible treatments for the coronavirus and online forums buzzed with excitement over a small study suggesting the combination of hydroxychloroquine and a commonly used antibiotic could be effective in treating COVID-19.
Reynolds said the Illinois Pharmacists Association has started reaching out to pharmacists and medical groups throughout the state to urge doctors, nurses and physician assistants not to write prescriptions for themselves and those close to them.
You seriously have to wonder where and how those doctors, nurses and physician assistants got their ‘qualifications’. Perhaps it was at Trump University.
A question for standardistas. My employer has just confirmed that they will be paying us the Covid 19 wage subsidy during the period we are closed for the lockdown. On top of that they also say they will be using our annual leave to top up wages/salaries to 80%. I thought that the government had said that annual leave could only be used in this way if agreed by both parties? Can anyone advise me? Can’t find any info online.
If an employee, who is required to self-isolate under Ministry of Health guidelines for COVID-19, can’t practicably work from home, then special paid leave should be considered. Other forms of paid leave can be considered (such as paid sick leave) and used by agreement between the employer and the employee. The COVID-19 Leave Payment Scheme is available to support employers to pay employees in these circumstances. All workers who left New Zealand prior to 15 March 2020 will be eligible for the COVID-19 Leave Payment Scheme.
We will see 100+ new cases a day for at least the next fortnight. The number of clusters is rising rapidly, so a lot of community transfer is only starting from now. No way will places like cafes be opening any time soon.
Looks that way. Is there a metric for dropping back to level 3? e.g. zero new cases for n consecutive days? Decline in new cases for n consecutive days? At some point it might be useful to have a metric that is science-based and to publicise it – just to stop the endless speculation that's gonna happen. But I guess they don't have a sense of what it is yet.
criteria are probably a) no further community transmission b) medical resources, masks, treatments are available c) secured the borders d) figured out tech for contact tracing & surveillance
i see the us being under one level or another for about 2 years. Until we have access to safe and fast testing, we will actually never know if one has it until that person shows symptons. Then followed by antivirals and vaccine. Hopefully.
So maybe a going up and down the 4 levels according to need. And any other flare up could and should result in lock downs again, hopefully then tho at a more local level rather then nation wide.
Apparently there was a national emergency alert sent out yesterday to mobile phones, I have 2 degrees data is disabled and I don't seem to have got it . Just curious but did others?
Got the alert with mobile data turned off. I'm on Vodafone. Phone is about 18 months old, on Android. IIRC it was at 6:30 and didn't leave anything on my phone when it finished playing. Maybe you didn't have your phone on you at that moment?
I hope you come through this with business intact, and will be a customer next time I'm in Rotorua after this is over (very fond of chocolate, serious problem for a diabetic but the dark stuff is reasonably safe as well as being the best choc).
I think when we all come out of this, we are going to see a lot more people working from home, as both employees and employers see the benefits. The company I work for has a lot of people working from home, and it seems that from what I heard, it seems to be going fine.
Having more people who can work from home, do so would have a lot of benefits. Perhaps the government should spend more money on better internet connectivity rather than roads?
A federal judge handed down a major victory for the Standing Rock Sioux tribe of North Dakota on Wednesday, ruling that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers violated the National Environmental Policy Act by approving federal permits for the Dakota Access Pipeline.
The USACE must complete a full environmental impact study of the pipeline, including full consideration of concerns presented by the Standing Rock Tribe, the judge ruled. The tribe has asked the court to ultimately shut the pipeline down.
Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
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Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
The thing about life’s little victories is that they can be followed by a defeat.Reader Darryl told me on Monday night:Test again Dave. My “head cold” last week became COVID within 24 hours, and is still with me. I hear the new variants take a bit longer to show up ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Angus Deaton on rethinking his economics IMFLocal scoop: The people behind Tamarind, the firm that left a $500m cleanup bill for taxpayers at Taranaki’s Tui oil well, are back operating in Taranaki under a different company name. Jonathan ...
Normally when we talk about accessing public transport it’s about improving how easy it is to get to, such as how easy is it to cross roads in a station/stop’s walking catchment, is it possible to cycle to safely, do bus connections work, or even if are there new routes/connections ...
Politicians are not renowned for telling the truth. Some tell us things that are verifiably not true. They offer statements that omit critical pieces of information. Gloss over risks, preferring to offer the best case scenario.Some not truths are quite small, others amusing in their transparency. There are those repeated ...
The pressure is mounting on the Government as it finalises its Budget Policy Statement, but yet more predicted revenue ‘goes missing’. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Climate Commission has delivered another funding blow to the National-ACT-NZ First coalition Government’s tax-cutting plans, potentially carving $1.4 billion off the ‘climate ...
The Government now faces the prospect of having to watch another tax raise the price of petrol when, only six days ago, it abolished the Auckland Regional Fuel tax. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon argued that the regional fuel tax imposed costs on lower-income people with less fuel-efficient vehicles and that ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
The government’s attack on Māori health this week is committing tangata-whenua to a premature death, says Te Pāti Māori. “The government have begun their onslaught on Māori health with the abolishment of the Māori Health Authority and smokefree laws in the same day” said health spokesperson and co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. ...
Today marks a tragic milestone for New Zealanders as the Coalition Government side with big tobacco to repeal the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Act 2022, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins and Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
This year’s Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity and the contribution of Pacific communities to New Zealand culture, says Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti. Dr Reti announced dates for the 2024 Pacific Language Weeks during a visit to the Pasifika festival in Auckland today and says there’s so ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
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 Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
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This looks interesting
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/120576908/britain-days-away-from-releasing-millions-of-coronavirus-finger-prick-tests
Professor Sharon Peacock, the director of Public Health England's National Infection Service, told MPs the kits were in the final stages of testing at a laboratory in Oxford and could be approved for mass distribution by the end of this week.
That and other anti-body tests are what will eventually kill the spread first, with antivirals and then vaccines. It will be interesting on what the max time is between exposure, initial infection and antibodies.
But the tests will be at least month away from any real levels of distribution. It takes time to scale up any kind of mass distribution. But if it works ok, then I suspect that there will be a big push to replicate it.
solution to the shortage of ventilators
https://www.newsweek.com/coronavirus-covid19-hospital-ventilator-snorkeling-mask-italy-3d-printing-isinnova-1494150?fbclid=IwAR2FXmvdgh62GJb4S2VNQiESyMJwyzvFYYY1H1jmmoBW32Q01XEA1xrXs2c
Yes, this is quite promising. I was just about to link to the same article.
and i like that they patentend the valves and then liberated the blue prints so everyone can print these valves. Also good on Decathlon for supplying the diving mask.
More inovation.
https://www.radio.cz/en/section/curraffrs/czech-researchers-develop-top-grade-respirator-for-3d-printing
https://jalopnik.com/fords-quickly-designed-powered-air-purifying-respirator-1842476673?
Wishing that NZ would do some rescue flights for those stranded overseas. It just seems like our govt has given up too early on this.
I understand the lockdowns in other countries prevent NZ planes passing through them.
Transit is the issue. We mostly transit through Singapore and Hong Kong for most destinations. Singapore has largely shut transit. So has Hong Kong. Planes have a lot of range but it has limits and the limit is if you can land and refuel to get back again.
We are long way from anywhere apart from aussie and the islands.
Basically there was a reasonable level of warning. Some people didn't heed it.
Is transit shut because they want staff to stay home?
Part of them shutting down their borders to all foreigners.
Yes, but are they still letting in flights for goods?
A plane on the tarmac that is refueling and no-one disembarks is not the same as letting in people from overseas.
Oh. 🙁
That’s a pity. I didn’t think about transits/fuel
Thought it was just a matter of organising between officials. It was a fast developing situation and bound to catch some of us out. Can’t help but worry for those caught overseas in places like Sri Lanka.
Hi A
You seem displeased with the Government. Even though you are clearly aware that Landing Rights became inaccessible due to Sovereign Border Controls.
Why do you demand the impossible from the Government. Is it part of your fealty to the wonderful National Party ?
My son just made it back from Switzerland this morning; it was looking very sketchy for a while.
He has been covid19 tested then put in quarantine in a hotel near Auckland airport.
Phew! Glad to hear he's home.
The Bish goes all Trumpian on us.
"Im not a PhD but I have the highest doctorates, in whatever you, in the word of God. Nobody bigger in the nation right now."
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/119861726/coronavirus-brian-tamaki-blames-satanic-airborne-demons-drinking-of-bats-blood?fbclid=IwAR0lhh6avd4phXAl-BtC0qeGpM4sEGmt7eI-UlfBV7VGOsx3nyxHVwPfbfY
well he crowned himself bishop, so obviously he will have what ever doctorates he will need.
he too will kill people, just as the prosperity preachers do in the US. After all the man has bills to pay so the flock needs to hand over 10% of that sweet government money that they received in order to tide them over.
A grifter is gonna grift. Those harleys don't come cheap.
And the $1.8 million home. https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/98196636/destiny-churchs-brian-and-hannah-tamaki-move-into-15m-luxury-home
I’ll tithe you but don't tax me.
He doesn't deserve the name Brian lest that be misspelt and it believed he has one and uses it….
Anti-vaxxers say it's 5G that's to blame.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/03/a-fake-pandemic-antivaxxers-are-spreading-coronavirus-conspiracy-theories/
Pro-rhonas say the darndest things.
Rapper M.I.A. has revealed she is anti-vaccination and would 'choose death' over getting a coronavirus vaccination amid the ongoing pandemic.
The Paper Planes hitmaker, 44, declared her stance on vaccinations and expressed her regret at being 'made to' vaccinate her son, 11, before he started school in a series of tweets on Wednesday.
The musician, real name Mathangi Arulpragasam, wrote: 'If I have to choose the vaccine or chip I'm gonna choose death.'
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-8152925/M-choose-death-coronavirus-vaccination.html
Darwin Award.
""Satan has control of atmospheres unless you're a born-again, Jesus-loving, bible-believing, Holy Ghost-filled, tithe-paying believer," Bishop Tamaki said on Sunday morning."
(My bold)
From my contact who lives in the Coromandel: last couple of days a lot of people have arrived to stay in their holiday homes for the lock down. My contact is not bothered by this as they will not be mixing with them and are all prepared to stay at home.
Some of the arrivees live in apartments in the city, so it is understandable, but others don't and they would be better off in the city. Coromandel emergency services are already stretched and if these city-dwellers had an emergency, they'd be better off in the city.
The permanent population of the Coromandel is around 30,000. Over the summer months that population swells by around 100,000. Every year. I know when our local emergency services are busy because the siren sounds 3 – 4 times a day to call in the volunteers. Over the past week we have not heard the siren at all. There has not been a helicopter flying urgent cases out of the hospital. I visited my beach property this past week to do some preparatory maintenance before the shut down. There were far fewer people about than over the summer months. I spoke to my doctor just this week to delay my 1/2 yearly WOF, and confirm my 3 monthly prescriptions, and they are now doing consultations over the phone where possible. My friend who is a public health nurse has only had a staff of 2 for some time now and has a community to service from Te Aroha across to Waihi and north, and she is certainly run off her feet. But she has been for some time. Those moving in to holiday baches for the duration would be unlikely to be adding to her burden, if they were needing constant care I'm sure people would be remaining at their primary place of residence. Serious injuries are not handled at the Thames Base Hospital, all major surgery is immediately transferred to Hamilton after triage.
My sister-in-law, is in her seventies and at home with cold so I delivered food and panadol to her on Tuesday morning. She has sold her house, with a settlement date for next Friday, and will be moving into a unit in a Somerset retirement village in Hamilton. Tuesday afternoon, the real estate agent arrived and booted her out of the house for an hour while they did the final inspection. She drove down the road, still ill, and sat in her car until they texted her that they had left.
I had suggested that she get in touch with her lawyer and confirm that both deals are postponed until after the lockdown – however long that may be, and then make sure she is alright for the duration.
After calling this morning to see how she was going, she informs me that she has been unable to speak to her lawyer, but the office rang her to go in and sign some papers. When I asked what they were for, she said she didn't really know, and that the associate was unable to provide any information.
She also received a phone call yesterday from the retirement village, saying that they will be sending the scheduled movers to her place next Wednesday to pack and move her from Auckland to Hamilton. When I said this would not be regarded as an essential service, she said the retirement home said that they were an essential service and so the move would be permissible. I asked if she really wanted several people in her home touching all her stuff, which she would then have to unpack, and move during the lockdown. She said – not really. And so, I had to convince her that she has a right to stay where she is and advise her lawyer to postpone the settlement of both deals. My partner, who works in transport – reinforced that despite retirement homes being essential services – moving to one would be unlikely to be included in that criteria.
I am hoping she now has some confidence in dealing with this stressful situation in an already stressful time for her.
I consider she is being failed by three professional services at present. Her real estate company, her lawyer and the retirement village.
(In contrast, another experience, from a work colleague of my partner, had his lawyer ring him the same day as the Alert 4 notice to say – don’t worry, house settlement is on hold until the lockdown is over).
I'm betting there's a hefty chunk of patronising an old person in there too 🙁
Are the Community Law Centres open for calls? Sounds like she needs some independent legal advice.
It's her home, the agent can't come in at will, that's bullshit.
She is fairly independent and healthy, and the most we can do is give her some information and/or ammunition to deal with unreasonable or uncomfortable requests. Although it is very frustrating, to have your exceptional advice ignored, hah!, she is capable of making her own decisions and can make those choices and deal with the consequences.
As for the agent, they probably called her as they came over. It wouldn't occur to her to say "No, not at this time".
"New guidelines issued by the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand said owners and tenants would not be able to move into or out of properties during the lock-down period and the Auckland District Law Society had recommended that all settlements be deferred until after the lock-down is lifted."
https://www.interest.co.nz/property/104245/real-estate-agents-self-isolation-means-no-open-homes-no-auctions-and-no-property
Thanks, pat. That kind of information is gold.
youre welcome…hope it works out
If you are ok with advocating for her, is it possible to do conference calls, between her the resthome/lawyer, with you sitting in on the call? All she would need to do is tell them she gives her consent for you to be present as your advocate.
That way she can still make decisions etc, and you could speak up if you felt something was being overlooked or distorted.
It's really cool that she is able to share with you what's happening to her, that's so awesome. Like it’s obvious she values your advice, so she might be quite open to the advocate idea.
Thanks, Cinny. She knows that we will step in for her, and I think she will ask if she gets distressed. But there is a fine line between being helpful and being overbearing – and it's one I try to keep note of. She is – in normal circumstances – very independent. Although, these are not normal times.
Hope you and your girls are doing well with your plans.
That's good to hear Molly, yay, cheers for the update, so good it's working out for her.
The girls and I are having daily games of scrabble and they are loving it, thanks 🙂 They haven't left the house since Sunday, I'm contemplating take them out for a walk, the beach is a block away, so I figure that's a walk around the block, masks on girls, anti bacterial spray in our pockets 🙂 Hope all is well for you too.
Very unsettling for her. Glad she has someone around to help.
Quick update: After phone calls to numerous relatives, she has been reassured and has accepted that she is to stay put for the duration. Which has almost removed any anxiety from the situation. So, the persuasive power of a wealth of similar advice from non-legal persons has a silver lining sometimes. (The lawyer is still to return the message left for them on Tuesday. )
https://twitter.com/keith_ng/status/1242926157508431872
The second thing he says is "govt/civil service that is competent, prepared, deserving of our trust and is actually trusted"
Unfortunately we seem to have a Police Commissioner who believes he is Wyatt Earp. Did you hear him on Morning Report this morning?
I was absolutely appalled by the what he was saying. I think he should be relieved of his duties until he can demonstrate that he has read and understood what we are allowed to do.
This morning he seemed more like a character out of a B-grade Western movie. He had the “I am the law in Dodge City” approach.
For example he seemed to think no one should be out of their home and that somehow using an ATM was a forbidden activity.
What does the official website say? You can
“Access essential services, like buying groceries, or going to a bank or pharmacy.
Go to work if you work for an essential service.
Go for a walk, or exercise and enjoy nature.”
What is using an ATM except going to a bank?
Just listen to the man.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=2018740208
I have decided to keep a copy of the material on the official website with me when I go out for my daily exercise. I have to drive there because I live on a hill in Wellington and walking, other than on the flat, is very difficult. I am, on the other hand only too willing to keep a safe distance from other people. Indeed, if a Policeman approaches me, I plan on ordering him to stay at least 2 metres away from me and I will show him id but I am not going to let him touch it. Why should I get this disease because the Police Commissioner hasn’t told his staff how to do their job properly?
[please provide a time stamp for this “For example he seemed to think no one should be out of their home and that somehow using an ATM was a forbidden activity.”. In premod until that happens – weka]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4YGotz_MoA
I haven't listened to him but you are correct Alwyn, basically we can do anything as long as we keep our distance, and I laughed at the keeping the police at a distance too. I'm in South Dunedin, just took kids for walk to park and back, people about, all walking around each other, fairly cheerful, friendly. Take care mate.
Hope the kids didn't use any play equipment at the park. If so, an educational chat and Police warning would be in order. And no, you can't do anything as long as you keep your distance.
You're right, I only can go for walk, go to chemist, supermarket, vets, go check on my gran, go see my designated friend, check and exercise my horse, go to my workplace, drop off and pick up my kid, that's all.
ya reckon?
/
Can I see my family and friends during the lockdown?
From 11.59pm "everyone must stay at home unless they are working in essential services", Government Controller John Ombler said during yesterday's press conference.
He said that meant no socialising with people outside their households.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12319477
yep "
"Ardern said people needed to establish what their "bubble" was for the self-isolation period and they must stick to only interacting with each other.
She said this must be a very small group and everyone must remain "faithful" to only having contact with each other." The PM. Just use common sense.
Your bubble is your household.
But hey, good luck, vector.
Not quite. But close. And bubbles mustn't intersect, otherwise they're just bigger bubbles.
"The police (and the army, if needed to support the police) are empowered to order any person to stop any activity that contributes to the current emergency – essentially, spreading Covid-19 in the community. Government ministers may set aside virtually any legislative provision that becomes impracticable to apply while the epidemic is in force."
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/412583/covid-19-state-of-national-emergency-explained
Bush did sound a bit hard-line. I guess it was a psychological play to knock people into line early on – rather than have to try and put the lid on later if people start out by flouting the rules.
It may be worth considering that in a state of emergency the authorities have neither the time nor inclination to debate your views
Of course, that was my point.
Mental note…..take the tape measure when visiting essential services in case one has interaction with the police… maybe a high viz vest too 🙂
Hi Alwyn
You seem to cause disquiet often. I couldn't understand why you have found yourself at odds with a Policeman.
He did not hand you a baby blanket. Was that the problem ?
Why don't you get in touch with your excellent friends – Sir John Key (experienced in touching ); Sir William English (experienced in settling issues with female staff ); and Paula Bennett ( expert at releasing any, I mean any, private material ).
She maybe able to take you in person to that outstanding Simon Bridges, trained in numerous Universities both in the Northern Hemisphere and apparently has strong roots in China. Well established in Law, and nearly perfect in speech. He could get you up the Hill in Wellington . When he is not counting out his bit of National money.
All the best.
?
Taking into account a large number of New Zealanders see "laws, rules and regulations" more like "suggestions" at best, a strong wording at the start of the lockdown sounds sensible to me. And I'm definitely not a supporter of strong authority / heavy hand etc.
It's easier to loosen things up a bit, when it works well, then tighten things up, when required.
Prosecutions for repeat offenders, can enter buildings if they think gatherings are being held…all framed with the expectation most people have complied anyway.
Seemed pretty laid back to me given it is a nationwide quarantine. Most stressy part was the interviewer pushing for answers around armed checkpoints which don't seem to be on table yet.
The Commissioner sounds pretty tame alwyn – explaining expectations, outlining the consequences and generally fulfilling the requirements of his role. Some of those at risk of idiots who want to cause an extended shut-down would rather the NZ Police adopted the tactics of the Indian Police. Beat the hell out of suspected transgressors, no explanations, questions or warnings.
"The Commissioner sounds pretty tame"
I bet you still have happy memories of the great days of the Red Squad. Is the Commissioner bound by the rules the Government has laid down, as I quoted, or is he at liberty do order his troops to do anything he wants? Is he above the law?
Red Squad, unrestrained powers of a Commissioner, ordering Police to act with disregard of the law, not allowing people to use ATMs? Most of us are more concerned with reality and stopping the ravages of a pandemic and haven't too much time for those who want warm fuzzies from the backstop put there by the Government to constrain fools. Go join your kindred spirits on Bondi Beach – they'll love you there.
I, for one, am shocked and appalled at this situation. Several comments into a thread about police gone amok and Alwyn has not yet raised the spectre of the police commissioner personally performing summary executions upon people who just wanted to use an ATM. In this time of worry and tribulation we need everyone to perform at their best, including the tory pearl-clutchers. /sarc
Chill out, dude. If you're genuinely worried, get cash out at the supermarket.
Exercise isn't meant to be easy. Walk on your hill. If the baby jesus had wanted you to exercise on the flat he wouldn't have out of his bounty given you a hillside residence.
I've heard him twice today and got the Wyatt Earp feeling too. Two things calmed me.
The first was thinking about the first antenatal classes I went to years ago. I felt for the woman taking it. She had a disparate group to inform. A wide group of ages 40ish to 16ish, a couple of teachers, a lawyer, a couple of shop assistants, a 17 year old who exhibited signs of not knowing how she became pregnant. How to pitch the message to such a group?
Second was thinking about other life saving measures we have and how messages of those are received, understood and acted on. Don't drink and drive, wear a seat belt, don't use a mobile while driving don't go too fast, drive to the conditions. What could you say and how could you say it? How should you say it?
To me the tone of the Commissioner made him sound a bit of a wooden plonker. Some of what he said made it sound like he thought we were plonkers. A lot of us are.
I thought about his 'style' and while thinking it was one I didn't find ideal I guess others would find it just right. I'm sure as hell pleased I don't have his job.
Here's an excellent comment from another forum:
'Murica
https://twitter.com/StevenTDennis/status/1242877676827836418
https://twitter.com/ChadPergram/status/1242865232206323715
"They worry that would create an incentive for low-wage workers to get laid off and stay laid off"
That is actually one of the things you most want a UBI implementation to do – weaken employer power.
They are talking about $200 p/w per person in NZ. Those on Super would be very diminished.
Perhaps the world will come to it's senses.
https://twitter.com/JihadiJew/status/1242878765811879937
a bit of good information about food and how to sanitize it before using it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=sjDuwc9KBps&feature=emb_logo
the smell of sanitizer will be the one thing that will define this period of time to me. That and the fear in the eyes of people.
Stay safe all of youse.
Croatian friend reckons we Kiwis are getting a taste of the fear that gripped people in Sarajevo during the Bosnian war.
Paranoia?
I am in the food business, so yeah, food poisoning and such is an issue in any commercial kitchen and thus we are all a bit 'special' when it comes to scrubbing down our kitchens. Its one of the professional traumas that come with making food for public consumption.
however, you can just feel free to ignore anything that is posted by me in regards to food safety and handling and only do what you feel comfortable, but it has been established that the virus is quite happily living on certain surfaces and that no matter what you bring in from the supermarket will be as safe as the food control plan implemented by the supermarket and executed by the staff. 🙂
I, too, have been round food preperation and service most my life. When the hand wash message was being hammered, I was thinking ' surely y'all do this already?'
I hope post outbreak, folk will keep washing hands thoroughly.
Speaking of sanitiser: I use a 70% methylated spirits 30% water in a spray bottle as a contact sanitiser for my home brew equipment. Would work for most surfaces.
bleach will do and i have a liter of 60% cointreau cooking alcohol that i happily donate to the cause.
I finished scrubbing my kitchen down, first with very hot soapy water and then with a 70% bleach/30% water solution.
coffee now and then on to the bathroom/toilet as these are the areas that i think will be most sensitive.
I consider myself sick and quarantined, and thus will stay home for the 4 weeks. I have enough food to cook several big boil ups that should get us through this. No fancy meals, but good wholesome home cooked food.
i did splash some money tho on potting mix and compost to supplement mine and will tomorrow spend getting my veggie patch winter ready.
And yeah, quite a few home brewers and distillers are currently making sanitizer.
You have diluted the meths by about 40% making it useless against C-19 only 72% i.e pure meths or other alcohol is strong enough apparently to do the job. This shit isn't salmonella.
Thanks, I will strengthen it up ie leave out the water.
The good thing is that a Defended case would have been agonising. Sentencing in May.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12319961
[Sorry Ianmac but we have a policy not to name him – MS]
Thank goodness he at last admitted his obvious guilt. That will be a small blessing to the large number of survivors and victims
Ooops. Sorry MS.
Trump on Easter:
Thank god we are not living in the States.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbPQCJtnT6o&feature=emb_logo
From a US health worker's FB.
(no link for privacy)
[USA] With the FDIC now playing calming piano music in the background as they urge people not to take their money out of banks, I'd say we are on the verge of a rather spectacular corporate bond market collapse or it's been happening in the background.
The bond market is significantly bigger than the sharemarket where most people's focus is directed.
When depositing money in a bank it is considered an unsecured loan to the bank. If the bank was going under due to massive corporate bond write off's why continue taking the risk? Not like those deposits are earning much in the way of interest.
On their way to being a failed state.
https://twitter.com/azeen/status/1242862701661036545
A nationwide shortage of two drugs touted as possible treatments for the coronavirus is being driven in part by doctors inappropriately prescribing the medicines for family, friends and themselves, according to pharmacists and state regulators.
“It’s disgraceful, is what it is,” said Garth Reynolds, executive director of the Illinois Pharmacists Association, which started getting calls and emails Saturday from members saying they were receiving questionable prescriptions. “And completely selfish.”
Demand for chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine surged over the past several days as President Donald Trump promoted them as possible treatments for the coronavirus and online forums buzzed with excitement over a small study suggesting the combination of hydroxychloroquine and a commonly used antibiotic could be effective in treating COVID-19.
Reynolds said the Illinois Pharmacists Association has started reaching out to pharmacists and medical groups throughout the state to urge doctors, nurses and physician assistants not to write prescriptions for themselves and those close to them.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/doctors-are-hoarding-unproven-coronavirus-medicine-by-writing-prescriptions-for-themselves-and-their-families_n_5e7a13e4c5b62f90bc51ae3b
That could easily backfire. Chqlne has some serious side effects that need to be monitored.
You seriously have to wonder where and how those doctors, nurses and physician assistants got their ‘qualifications’. Perhaps it was at Trump University.
Where upon graduation they take the hypocrite oath
A question for standardistas. My employer has just confirmed that they will be paying us the Covid 19 wage subsidy during the period we are closed for the lockdown. On top of that they also say they will be using our annual leave to top up wages/salaries to 80%. I thought that the government had said that annual leave could only be used in this way if agreed by both parties? Can anyone advise me? Can’t find any info online.
Looks like you're correct.
If an employee, who is required to self-isolate under Ministry of Health guidelines for COVID-19, can’t practicably work from home, then special paid leave should be considered. Other forms of paid leave can be considered (such as paid sick leave) and used by agreement between the employer and the employee. The COVID-19 Leave Payment Scheme is available to support employers to pay employees in these circumstances. All workers who left New Zealand prior to 15 March 2020 will be eligible for the COVID-19 Leave Payment Scheme.
https://www.employment.govt.nz/about/news-and-updates/workplace-response-coronavirus-covid-19/
Racist stupidity abounds.
https://twitter.com/John_Hudson/status/1242917105256800258
https://twitter.com/bad_takes/status/1242911229267660802
Everything has to go through the MAGA disinformation machine. Equally, the 'Spanish flu' could be renamed to the "Kansas Virus"?
Probably too early, but how do people see the lockdown coming off/
I can't see it being overnight, possibly down to level 3,then 2, the 1 over say 2-4 weeks?
Scuttlebutt says >12 weeks.
It will be extended after 4 weeks, guaranteed.
We will see 100+ new cases a day for at least the next fortnight. The number of clusters is rising rapidly, so a lot of community transfer is only starting from now. No way will places like cafes be opening any time soon.
This is a long, hard road.
Yeah an extension is a definite possibility. Looks like it's gotten away on us within some communities, rather than just travellers.
Looks that way. Is there a metric for dropping back to level 3? e.g. zero new cases for n consecutive days? Decline in new cases for n consecutive days? At some point it might be useful to have a metric that is science-based and to publicise it – just to stop the endless speculation that's gonna happen. But I guess they don't have a sense of what it is yet.
criteria are probably a) no further community transmission b) medical resources, masks, treatments are available c) secured the borders d) figured out tech for contact tracing & surveillance
pretty Orwellian
i see the us being under one level or another for about 2 years. Until we have access to safe and fast testing, we will actually never know if one has it until that person shows symptons. Then followed by antivirals and vaccine. Hopefully.
So maybe a going up and down the 4 levels according to need. And any other flare up could and should result in lock downs again, hopefully then tho at a more local level rather then nation wide.
Up to date info here on all NZ cases, locations and flight numbers of any aircraft they may have been on lately
This is excellent that the government is sharing such.
https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-current-cases
Thanks for that link – excellent info there 🙂
Some good advice for all.
Heh. Since we've all got time on our hands …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyIzhRvtIJ0
Internet access and broadband speed is a nightmare (hit and miss) at the moment 🙁
Internet's good, essential service working from home, but the phone is damn near unusable.
http://vodafonespeedtest.speedtestcustom.com/result/96df5a30-6efe-11ea-be9c-21fae30469d3
ADSL here and it is even more patchy than usual.
PM to speak at 3 pm, usual channels.
good announcment here for emergency and essential staff.
Countdown has set up shopping times for these groups of people
https://www.facebook.com/
Morning 8 – 9
Evening 8 – 9
please pass this on if you know people that fall into this category.
New World will also have dedicated hours for emergency staff – please check with them if this were to apply to you.
Apparently there was a national emergency alert sent out yesterday to mobile phones, I have 2 degrees data is disabled and I don't seem to have got it . Just curious but did others?
I didn't but I have an older phone and never get them. You can look online to see if your phone will receive them.
Don't think it's data dependent. Some people get those alerts even without a sim card (no idea how that works).
Got the alert with mobile data turned off. I'm on Vodafone. Phone is about 18 months old, on Android. IIRC it was at 6:30 and didn't leave anything on my phone when it finished playing. Maybe you didn't have your phone on you at that moment?
I'm on 2 degrees Prepay and I didn't get it either.
Thanks every one. No I wasn't near my phone at the time – nothing unusual in that for me.
Seems a waste if it just played and then vanished – lots of people then maybe didn't get it. and it is a national emergency alert.
Unfortunately all those special offers and texts reminding me to top up never seem to dematerialise.
Hi RBCV, I am with 2 degrees and a huawei and didn't receive txt.
The other two in the house on Apple and spark did.
I think it may depend on whether or not your phone can do 4g
This might explain why you didn't get it
https://getready.govt.nz/prepared/stay-informed/emergency-mobile-alert/ema-faqs/
The sociopathic POS doesn’t give a rats about the lives of ordinary people because it's all about him.
A pandemic is detrimental to his election success.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1242905328209080331
This Marist College case shows the ease of speed of this virus.
We are in the same integrated school community and at staff level my kids' schools have significant contact with Marist College.
Just days ago one staff member having travel overseas was diagnosed with Covid-19, now there are 11 cases.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/03/coronavirus-ministry-of-health-confirms-78-new-cases-in-new-zealand.html
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/03/coronavirus-marist-college-confirms-11-cases-of-covid-19.html
Some day …………
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U97mKbD6DwI
The Spinoof cheesey or what
good all the same
This could be a game changer
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO2003/S00125/queensland-researchers-find-coronavirus-cure.htm
If we're running out of cigarettes then it's an essential service.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/120561976/coronavirus-work-continues-at-cigarette-factory-through-lockdown
Is ANZ bank site down?
Can't open it.
Can log on now!!!
Yours truly.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/news/video.cfm?c_id=1501138&gal_cid=1501138&gallery_id=218398
Interview with the local herald crew and small businesses in Rotorua.
funnily enough the one person not coming through my doors was the Labour Candidate from Rotorua. 🙂
I hope you come through this with business intact, and will be a customer next time I'm in Rotorua after this is over (very fond of chocolate, serious problem for a diabetic but the dark stuff is reasonably safe as well as being the best choc).
as they say, you can't kill weed, and i consider myself weed.
Identify yourself when you come and i find you a nice 80% or maybe that little 70% Ecuadorian single origine. ….one of my faves.
Uganda has the best Covid 19 PSA.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKY9AKuJNqI
awesome.
I think when we all come out of this, we are going to see a lot more people working from home, as both employees and employers see the benefits. The company I work for has a lot of people working from home, and it seems that from what I heard, it seems to be going fine.
Having more people who can work from home, do so would have a lot of benefits. Perhaps the government should spend more money on better internet connectivity rather than roads?
The other thing that would be good to see post Covid is a patient/nurse ratio implemented and adhered to.
Big win.
A federal judge handed down a major victory for the Standing Rock Sioux tribe of North Dakota on Wednesday, ruling that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers violated the National Environmental Policy Act by approving federal permits for the Dakota Access Pipeline.
The USACE must complete a full environmental impact study of the pipeline, including full consideration of concerns presented by the Standing Rock Tribe, the judge ruled. The tribe has asked the court to ultimately shut the pipeline down.
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/03/25/huge-victory-standing-rock-sioux-tribe-federal-court-rules-dapl-permits-violated-law?
Industrial scale suffering ahoy.
https://twitter.com/sunny_hundal/status/1242856226943381504
The wealthiest nation on the planet.
/
https://twitter.com/SarahDadouch/status/1242877475547418625