Poor financial management of sexual violence services has forced Oranga Tamariki to take the "additional measure" of reviewing what it did with all the funding it got in Budget 2019-20.
In a briefing released under the OIA, the ministry said it was doing the review of "financial management and controls to minimise the risk of the issues described in this report occurring again", referring to a damning report into its sexual violence services project.
"Of particular concern has been the issues and failings identified around the management of these programmes," Te Kani told Davis.
"The Radio NZ article on 26 May 2022 provides another example of the weaknesses in Oranga Tamariki financial management systems and processes," he added.
I could say..unbelievable…but sadly its all too true.. And I note the “management” word. I sure hope the “managers” are looking for new jobs…..and well away from vulnerable people.
After noticing a surge in Covid positives locally in the last weeks I did a bit of digging and to my surprise I found that on Wednesday 22 June around 6300 international arrivals came here, that’s about the daily average, but of that number 593 tested positive at the border, that’s about 1 in 10! Again about the daily average, give or take. If this was in the general population half a million people would be newly positive a day. Are we being gamed, are arrivals getting Covid and climbing on a plane heading for better health care ?
Downloading the data is difficult, some of it is huge and our internet isn’t up to it and nowI’ve got Covid after 2 1/2 years avoiding it and struggling to concentrate. Look up NZ Covid status and then arrivals data. Sorry, best I can do but this is serious.
The question is the isolation arrangements – and at whose expense (as most will not require hospitalisation). It would seem that travel involves a high risk of getting omicron as the vaccination does not prevent spread.
NZ customs simply says if you have a positive test you have to isolate (doesn't say anything about where or who pays)
MIQ says there will be 4 remaining isolation facilities after 30 June – 3 Auckland, 1 Christchurch. I suspect these will be for people who have no other isolation options.
I'd say the ones returning to NZ will be isolating at home. Ones here on business will be isolating in their hotel rooms (too great a cost to the business for them to knowingly spread Covid). Tourists? Who knows. Depends on how sick they are. I suspect any with a mild or asymptomatic case, will be strongly tempted *not* to isolate.
Risk of them *not* isolating is probably about the same as the general population. We know (from the late 2021 Auckland lockdown) that some Kiwis don't isolate. Anecdotally, we know that some self-employed contractors don't isolate – with very mild or asymptomatic cases (not surprisingly, not working = no pay)
And number of actual Covid cases from travellers is dwarfed by the public infection rate.
FWIW. Travellers entering NZ no longer have a PCR test, instead they have a self-administered RAT test (lower accuracy).
Travellers are instead required to self-test for COVID-19 on arrival.
Travellers will receive a Welcome Pack at the biosecurity checkpoint. This pack will include detailed information on and testing requirements, including rapid antigen tests. The first RAT test it to be administered on the day you arrive into New Zealand, and the second on day 5/6. If you have a positive COVID-19 test result, you must immediately self-isolate, register your result, and follow up with a PCR test.
I'd say it's highly unlikely that anyone is getting Covid and then choosing to hop on a plane and come to NZ.
Airlines won't board anyone with obvious symptoms. And airfares are both hugely expensive (especially at the last minute) and flights are very thin on the ground (not many planes flying, mostly fully booked). Auckland to Sydney, next week, for example is over $1K one way. It's nothing like the cost/convenience pre-Covid.
What is happening is that airports are giant petrie dishes for cross-infection.
"Although the official advice from the ministry of health and airlines is to delay your travel if you're sick, most travellers would rather come home rather than face being stuck abroad.
One in five Kiwis say they'd still fly home with Covid, according to a recent Herald poll.
Over sixty percent of New Zealanders say they would fly while sick, with only two thirds of these respondents saying they'd bother to take a Covid-19 test first"
Agree that this is likely. But not the scenario posited – that people would wait until they were sick, and then choose to fly to NZ because of better health care.
People are having to book a long way out to get airfares, and they are pretty expensive. Not really likely to be a drop of the hat decision to fly. But probably reinforces the choice to fly if not well (too expensive to cancel)
I'd say that it would actually be higher for Kiwis inside NZ (although the figures look a bit odd – both 1 in 5 and 60%).
So, you start to feel unwell at work. Do you leave immediately? (depends on the workplace, and how supportive they are for Covid/respiratory illness leave). Do you take the bus home? (if you're a PT user – what are your other options?).
He worked with Hartwich, right before somehow getting his current job. And before that with the equivalent organisation in Aus, the CIS. Radical right winger.
Why? Its an American court case,we are not going to start driving on the wrong side of the road,introduce capital gains tax on housing,or allow the carry of concealed weapons as allowed by the other decision released by the SCOTUS .
Because Luxon is anti-abortion at a very strong fundamental philosophical level, as are other MPs in his party. Abortion law in NZ isn't settled or particularly secure from conservative governments if we have a regressive cultural shift.
Further, National MPs now advocate anti-abortion lines. Compare this to someone like Bill English, who is Catholic and anit-abortion, but apparently didn't consider this relevant in his time as leader of National.
It's appropriate and reasonable to pressure Luxon now about what he will do in the future given that. If he can't rule out removing abortion access in the future, including via legislation or policy, then the electorate needs to know this.
The significance of the US SC decision isn't that we are like them legally, it's that the US public ignored what was happening and lost an extremely important right as well as legal case. No way should women, or the left, be complacent about abortion rights in NZ. In ten years the political and social landscape here may be very different.
He is also a teetotaller ,is the angst of worry in the chardonnay bourgeois class troublesome.They already have problems with irrelevance as seen during the Pandemic,where they were deemed to be non essential.
There are significant issues in NZ,that will be increasing towards the election such as 10% mortgages,an unsustainable balance of payments.large blowouts on white elephants etc.
It will not be an election issue,as it will not be in the US at the mid terms,where inflation and recession are the foremost issues.
You're missing the point. If we wait until it's an election issue, it's much harder to fight. Getting Luxon to be honest right now makes it easier.
You might not see it as an important issue, many women do.
Current arising economic issues will pale in comparison to what's coming with the climate crisis. What's foremost in the general voter's mind isn't the only important thing.
The climate crisis is not the foremost issue globally,it is the economic crisis from war and altruism (QE) that has shocked the world and forced a reversal in policies from Europe (especially German greens) to both increase the use of coal,and investment in FF.
The economic damage that the act/nats would inflict would be inflationary and hence increase interest rates (a cost spiral) similarly munting our agriculture exports (which would do zero to CC mitigation) would also increase our risk to pay our debts and would be inflationary on borrowed debt.
Climate is the one real hammer that the Left has against the Right in electioneering.
And, in a close election (which it looks as though 2023 will be), they need to stop wasting time on peripheral issues.
Economy (always a big issue in NZ elections), governance (3 waters, etc.) and Climate (especially with repeated disasters), are the levers which can shift the election.
Social stuff doesn't usually change votes. Left wing on social issues already vote left. There are no votes to garner here.
Is anyone suggesting that abortion should or will be an election issue in 2023? As I said above, the reason it matters now is because it makes it easier to retain abortion rights. It doesn't have to be an election issue for that to be true.
Economy (always a big issue in NZ elections), governance (3 waters, etc.) and Climate (especially with repeated disasters), are the levers which can shift the election.
How much more honest can he be? He's said repeatedly that the NZ abortion laws won't change under his government.
Now, unless you have some evidence that that is a lie…..
His personal beliefs aren't particularly relevant to National Party and (potentially) government policy. However, he's acknowledged that some people may be concerned over them, and been very specific that there will be no change to abortion legislation.
NZ has a history of Labour governments pushing social change legislation, which National governments don't roll back.
I don't see that there is in NZ (unlike in the US) any strong groundswell for change. Roe v Wade has been a deeply unpopular decision among sectors of the American population ever since it was passed.
We simply don't have that large a % of the population who are passionately against abortion in NZ.
Especially when abortion numbers are dropping, consistently, over the last decade (better access to contraception and/or morning after pills would be my take on the reasons)
Now, unless you have some evidence that that is a lie…..
Well no, but there's no evidence that it's the truth either. Parties pledge things only to backtrack after they've been elected all the time.
His personal beliefs aren't particularly relevant to National Party and (potentially) government policy. However, he's acknowledged that some people may be concerned over them, and been very specific that there will be no change to abortion legislation.
His views are reflective of a substantial section of his party, as evidenced by voting on the 2019 abortion law reform act. If it came to a conscience vote, which it very likely would, he has little influence on the outcome to be making those sorts of claims.
NZ has a history of Labour governments pushing social change legislation, which National governments don't roll back.
You mean like social welfare *cough cough*
I don't see that there is in NZ (unlike in the US) any strong groundswell for change. Roe v Wade has been a deeply unpopular decision among sectors of the American population ever since it was passed.
We simply don't have that large a % of the population who are passionately against abortion in NZ.
Around 23.5 of the population is Maori and Pasifika, many of whom have complicated views about that. Tariana Turia while in the Maori Party went on the warpath against Family Planning comparing it to genocide. Any assumption that NZ is a default western country is a mistaken one. And some of our fastest growing demographics come from religiously conservative parts of the world. Don't make assumptions about the status quo.
Especially when abortion numbers are dropping, consistently, over the last decade (better access to contraception and/or morning after pills would be my take on the reasons)
Which actually makes abortion a more attractive target for conservative politicians. They can point to that and suggest it be eliminated altogether.
No, I mean like homosexual law reform, and euthanasia. Social change legislation, which has little (if any) impact on the financial bottom line.
Neither of which would have been enacted under a National government (IMHO), but National sees no benefit in trying to repeal (regardless of the beliefs of some of their core constituency).
Generalizing broadly, Maori and Pasifika don't vote National (Labour, and more recently TPM are their natural home) – so little point for National in appealing to their vote (assuming that this would do so).
If you assume that all politicians that you dislike are automatically lying, there really is no basis for any political discussion.
It comes down to 'I hate him, don't vote for him' which is really not very convincing….
"Neither of which would have been enacted under a National government (IMHO)".
Why would they not have done so, at least for homosexual law reform? After all the first attempt to reform the law was attempted by a National Party MP, Venn Young, in 1974. He didn't succeed but that was when we had a Labour Government with a leader, PM Norman Kirk, who was vehemently opposed to both Homosexual Law reform and also Abortion Law reform.
Perhaps Young should have tried a bit later after Kirk had died but when he had a go no-one expected Kirk's death and trying in 1975 would have been harder as it would have brought the debate, and the votes into peoples' minds during the election campaign.
However it was a National MP who first tried to bring about the change.
I thought I had explained this. If NZ becomes more regressive socially and politically, there's nothing stopping changes in abortion rights. I don't think National would go into an election saying they're going to repeal abortion access. I would expect them to chip away at it if it was to their benefit to do so.
By the time a nation state gets to the point where removal of abortion rights is supported, it's far too late to change that. That's because it doesn't stand alone, but sits within regressive politics. We are incredibly naive if we think NZ is somehow immune from regressive shifts. We're already seeing bits of this here. Since Trump the rise in overt nastiness, and sexism and outright misogyny (eg what is directed at Ardern). We know that Qanon and other regressive forces are at work in NZ. We know that humans tend to vote conservatively in emergencies eg Chch post quake. And so on.
I can't prove Luxon is a liar. He may even believe what he is saying. Or think he does. I still don't trust him or National.
If NZ becomes more regressive socially, you are right that there is nothing preventing changes in abortion rights. Or in gay rights. Or in any other social structure.
That's the way our law works, parliament pretty much makes it (with some theoretical backstop from the Bill of Rights – but nothing preventing that being repealed, either).
But, I don't see any signs of NZ becoming more regressive socially. The push-back I see is around the far edges of the social reforms (where trans-rights infringe on women's rights; where iwi rights impact on democracy, etc.).
To me, this says, that the rights shift (and there is always a shift) has gone as far as the current social Kiwi environment feels is comfortable. Not that it’s rebounding towards more social conservatism.
Political parties are always shaped by the social environment – and if NZ became more socially regressive (which, again, I see no signs of), all political parties (including left wing ones) would be influenced by this change.
2020 aside, the left holds a narrow majority, then the right, then left etc. It's not just about social progress, it's about political. The left isn't making much ground.
Not that many months ago, a large, chaotic, multi-influenced group the like of which we've never seen before occupied the ground of parliament for three weeks. Those people haven't disappeared, and their hatred of the left is growing. I see people in my community, previous left wing voters, who are appalled at the Labour government. Some of those people are at risk of radicalisation by qanon etc.
We have a still growing divide between wealthy and poor in NZ, this is a recipe for disaster.
None of this is particularly controversial. These are known dynamics. I see good things happening that will prevent the bad things happening, but I don't see NZ as being immune from a regressive shift, nor from that happening suddenly in a large crisis.
Bad scenario would be something like National and ACT being in government with the support of a small ultra conservative party and a big quake hitting Wellington or the Alpine Fault and causing widespread chaos to people's lives as well as huge economic stress. This isn't not a far fetched scenario. You really think NACT won't use this as an opportunity to build more power for themselves?
I am also very open to us shifting progressively, not just on social issues but on environment and the bigger changes needed to prevent the worst of climate change, and the adaptations we need. Much of what I write now is in that vein: how can we create proactive pathways that help people see a way to good futures and thus step away from the bad ones (social, political, environmental).
I see us at risk of not achieving that, and I don't see any compelling reason that NZ would inherently survive repeated emergencies and come out intact without that proactive change.
New Zealand has already become more regressive socially:
1. Benefit rates les s than NZS
2. Youth rates extended to age 25 from under 18
3. Loss of the right to strike except at the end of an agreement – in most cases once every three years
4. Loss of 8 hour working day 40 hour working week
5. Working on weekends and especially Sundays
6. Social obligations on sole parents
7. Freely being able to gift- resulting in a massive transfer of wealth away from wives and matrimonial settlements
8. Reduction in taxation for the wealthy and highest paid (think not only tax rates but tax on luxury items, stamp duty, etc
9. The reduction in state housing and the shift to market rents for those tenants as well as the removal of working people from state housing
10 The rise of slum landlords and renting rooms and putting homeless in motels
11. The rise of foodbanks and churches having to do charity work (not that they aren't willing participants).
These things all start to set the scene for more regression over time. It is so bad that Labour couldn't even bring them selves to increase benefits rates as suggested by WEAG but when COVID hit they showed that they can do middle-class welfare very well.
Things that were normal for me growing up and starting work – all gone.
How much more honest can he be? He's said repeatedly that the NZ abortion laws won't change under his government.
Which is basically what Kavanaugh and Gorsuch said to the US Senate when questioned on their approach to Roe v Wade it is settled law and 50 years of precedent. Liars.
I'd save the skewering for issues which are likely to change people's voting.
He's got a very strong line (no doubt well-developed and tested by PR), which he's repeated in multiple interviews
I'm interested in New Zealand. We have settled our abortion laws in the last Parliament and they will not be changing under my government."
People who hate him, will continue to hate him; people who like (or at least tolerate) him, will continue to do the same. People in the middle, aren't likely to be shifted by this issue.
His commenting (or rather choosing not to comment) on Roe v Wade isn't really going to resonate with the electorate in 18 months time.
What will, is the economy (most elections are about the economy) and political inclusion/exclusion (3 waters, etc.).
Left wing commentators/journalists need to hammer the points where National is vulnerable to losing (or not gaining) support from the centrists. There's little point in hammering them on issues which only resonate with the people who already vote for you.
Luxon believes abortion is tantamount murder and Reti wouldn't rule out narrowing access and said it would be up to a caucus likely to include more than a few of their ilk. I believe them.
The point I was trying to make is that this is not something which is going to convince the middle to shift their vote.
Left can argue that Luxon and/or Reti would narrow access – but 'up to caucus' means that they'd have to convince the majority (and probably a super-majority) of their caucus that this needed to happen.
Which is not at all likely. National are cold-bloodedly pragmatic about social legislation – they don’t buy into fights which don’t have a lot of popular support. Labour are the ones who (generally) push the social legislation, which National doesn’t roll back.
Middle regard it as pure speculation, now back to the economy……
I don't agree with your premise that Luxon's personal views are irrelevant. Would you vote for the Labour Party if its leader opposed abortion?
And in my post I mean that Luxon needs to be asked about his personal views on abortion during the election campaign so that people know what they are voting for.
People like you and me, political tragics, follow these things more closely than the person in the street many of whom will have forgotten Luxon's personal views.
TBH. Unless Abortion reform were on the political agenda, I probably wouldn't care about the personal views of a candidate.
I mean, I might make assumptions about what Ardern's views are, but I didn't actually know, one way or the other, at the 2020 election.
Unless you have a passionate conviction on a social issue (e.g LGBT or abortion), you're probably not going to be very aware of an MPs personal convictions on an issue, or change your vote because of this. Unless it's a topical issue at the election (i.e. there is a proposal to change the law)
I know of several right-wing women who changed their vote over the Homosexual law reform bill (had family members who were gay). But, once that legislation was in place, they reverted to voting on their traditional economic grounds (i.e. moved right wing again).
Social conscience vote issues are widely recognised to be across parties – there are Labour members who are personally anti-abortion, as well as National ones.
However, Dr Shane Reti, who would become National’s Health Minister if they won the election, has been more equivocal.
“We’ll have to see what the New Zealand situation, if that might be influenced in any way by that decision making, but I come back I’m not going to offer any comment on what they do in another sovereign jurisdiction,” he said yesterday.
Dr Reti would not rule out narrowing access and said it would be up to the caucus.
“That would always be a decision for caucus, and so I’m not going to offer a position here now, but we are mindful in watching what happens with Roe vs Wade.”
Labour — 37 W , 28 M (after Faafoi and Mallard are replaced)
National – 11 W, 22 M
Greens —– 7 W , 3 M
Act ———– 4 W , 6 M
Māori ——- 1 W , 1 M
House ——- 60 : 60
Currently, two parties are doing the heavy lifting. [apologies for any errors]
IPU release 2020 Women in Parliament report IWD2021
With the exception of New Zealand, women’s representation in parliaments in the Pacific remained consistently low or entirely absent in elections held in 2020. New Zealand’s new parliament made history with more women, people of colour, LGBTQ+ and Māori MPs than at any time in the past.
We could/can stop covid-19, we could/can stop climate change, we could/can even stop war.
Tackling these three scourges means imposing controls on the market.
Which is why it can't/won't be done.
We must accept we won’t meet 1.5°C climate target, says report
New Scientist – 3 June 2022
By Adam Vaughan
…The world’s failure to act seriously on cutting greenhouse gas emissions means meeting its 1.5°C climate change goal is implausible, according to two scientists calling for more honesty about the path Earth is headed for.
….In a review of global action on climate change, including pledges at last year's COP26 summit. Damon Matthews and Seth Wynes at Concordia University, Canada, said social, political and technological inertia meant the Paris Agreement’s temperature target was likely to be missed.
Cards stay stacked until someone tips over the table.
There is nothing even remotely equivalent in the (small-d) democratic camp, on none of these levels, and especially not as a unified, coordinated political project. That’s a big reason why the Right is succeeding with the support of only a shrinking, radicalizing minority.
Demonising a category of the human population based on the behaviour of some of that group is a form of
1. bigotry/discrimination
2. guilt/shaming by association
3. collective smear
4. promotion of hate based on political creed
It's a bit like the McCarthyist era fellow travellers/UnAmerican approach that has reduced the USA to the culture war nation it is today.
What's interesting is that the same slurs against the woke/liberal progressives/progressive left occur as often on left blogs such as this site and the Daily Blog as they do on Kiwiblog.
I appreciate your engagement in the last couple of days, SPC, even as I suspect you are doing less listening and addressing points made, than making points yourself. (You probably consider me to be doing the same, so that's just where we are at present. The achievement is that engagement has been ongoing and respectful).
In that vein, I would like clarity on this comment:
"Demonising a category of the human population based on the behaviour of some of that group is a form of
1. bigotry/discrimination
2. guilt/shaming by association
3. collective smear
4. promotion of hate based on political creed"
Who do you believe is being 'demonised' and who do you believe is 'demonising', and how (as in common examples) is this being done?
Who do you believe is being 'demonised' and who do you believe is 'demonising', and how (as in common examples) is this being done?
I don't follow all the conversations here (other things to do) but I may be able to partially answer your question. SPC noted:
It's a bit like the McCarthyist era fellow travellers/UnAmerican approach that has reduced the USA to the culture war nation it is today.
Using a local historical example, I think the same sort of thing has happened in NZ albeit to a lesser degree.
Back in the 1970s and 1980s, there was a covert/overt movement in NZ who, using today's terms, would be described as being on the extreme right of the political spectrum. The public persona was seen in the form of the National Front Party and the Skinheads of the same period, but behind them were almost certainly more powerful individuals, This movement was said to be associated with like minded overseas groups. There was an article about the rise of neo-nazism and its possible NZ consequences in the Sunday Star Times back in the 1990s.
They selected individuals based on either their ethnicity, religion or political persuasion. and targeted them by way of bizarre hoaxes and other demeaning behaviour. There were some well known people among the targets including a former prime minister. Another common theme was to set up an individual or special group up for ridicule and embarrassment then watch the fallout which inevitably followed. A good example of that was the Colin Moyle affair.
That is by no means all they did. Some of their behaviour was unlawful – criminal offences were committed – but they got away with it or were allowed to get away with it – not sure which.
I knew two people who were on the periphery (at the least) of this movement although I had no idea at the time. They were members of the Labour Party in the 70s and 80s.
Just like McCarthyism laid the foundations for what is going on in America today, I believe that movement back un the 70s and 80s was the fore-runner of what we are seeing today in NZ.
Demonising a category of the human population based on the behaviour of some of that group is a form of…
Yep. See it here all the time. 'Rosemary McDonald is not Pfizer shot and supported the Freedom Village protestors and believes there were better ways of handling the Covid pandemic so she must be…
1. a right wing nutbar, fascist anti semite racist misogynist, pro plague anti vaxxer.
2. a pathetic gullible victim of Russian/American/Canadian/Martian cyberbot misinformation peddlers.
etc. etc. I could go on but I've work to do. (PS…I scan multiple sites periodically as you clearly do and tbh, TDB and KB are further down the road of tolerance of 'alternate Covid opinions' than here. For now. )
Most people in RM's position (health care and social support for those with disability) would have a level of cynicism – the failure is so egregious that it was noted, quite recently, as one of our human rights failures.
For mine, most of us on blogs are a little bit cynical about government and MSM, some with more personal experience reasons than others and some because of a perceived failure to do enough (unfulfilled idealism/ambition for government/society).
It could hardly been a comment in disagreement with her post, since she agreed with mine.
And being a cynic about the state of the health care system is just part of being a sentient being atm in Enzed.
Then there was the 'No CPR from paramedics….' edict that went down like a cup of cold spew with…paramedics…that added the deeper drive -in.
Then there were the nurses who got up a petition because the hospitals were not allowing them to wear masks at work…masks they had bought themselves. The doctors even stepped up…
(If you knew how many times I have read the words "flexible" and "responsive" on moh.govt.nz documents you would understand more where I'm coming from.)
Ministry of Health. Failing to acknowledge the expertise of health professionals and patients since forever.
How about the experience of my elderly parents, who were considerably more "isolated" during covid than rest home residents, who are thankful to be still alive, unlike so many of their contemporaries in countries like the UK and USA, whose Governments didn't give a shit.
If your parents were not in a rest home then their experience of lockdowns was probably not the same as the almost 2 years of severe restrictions and isolation from families and friends most rest-homes had to endure.
I am impressed at how very readily you dismiss a person who has extensive first-hand experience informing her view.
Maybe NZ got the balance between 'deaths' and 'isolation' wrong, and certainly some would be keen still to put the 'cruelty boot' in, regardless of how any hypothetical alternative responses might have played out.
I don't recall anyone calling you these names. Disagreeing with you yes but stating all those things you have listed.
I could be wrong but I don't recall that.
There's lots of things wrong with health – the DHB setup, the time and motion minimum staffing we can get away with imported from the UK, the contracting out of services that reduces staff wages, the underfunding, the closure of rural hospitals, the reduction in mental health beds and respite care, and lots more.
There's lot that works well too and we shouldn't forget that.
Many of the health staff got relentless abuse from people in the anti-vax brigade. Some of it was absolutely appalling.
I would suggest, and you may disagree, that some of the tolerance on the right leaning sites is due to the views being seen as anti-government rather than supporting the views directly. It isn't tolerance you are seeing – it is just grist to their mill.
OK. I'll cross out three slurs that have not been directed at me personally…but I assume apply because of 'guilty by association'. The rest all stand.
right wing nutbar, fascist anti semite racist misogynist, pro plague anti vaxxer.
I'll add to that…"bully" (because I object to the vaccine mandates) and "Goebbels" after I posted about the rise and rise of homeschooling during Covid. Baffling. But there we are.
As for the Righty Sites. Anti Government, anti Left, anti Labour and anti Jacinda for sure. Exactly like TS when the Natz were in. Tribal is as tribal does.
But it was interesting to see how many of the regulars altered their opinion (especially about the mRNA products) when published research and data not seen in MSM here was posted. There were a few, as on here, who called for such 'anti vax/ anti public health ' posts to be banned. But hard to do that when it is sourced from government sites or published, peer reviewed research.
Fear is the mind killer. And there are/were a fair number of truly frightened folks around who attack anyone not following the government script.
You seem like an intelligent person…perhaps you'd be interested in this conversation.
What you did Rosemary was distort the actual facts (as opposed to the false facts) both during and after the parliamentary protest. Time and again numerous people on this site corrected your claims yet you continued to make them.
That is what those who opposed you were remonstrating you about. Trying to re-write history is not going to cut it.
Despite the range of causes that have brought this otherwise disparate group of people together – leading to some perturbing and confusing messaging along the way – the one thing they seemingly want is freedom from the government's Covid-19 rules.
For disabled people like myself, this freedom would mean the end of reasonable restrictions which have saved potentially not only my life but the lives of thousands of disabled people and people with health conditions nationwide who would otherwise have succumbed to Covid-19.
She’s young, employed part-time, is immunosuppressed and suffers from asthma. Getting Covid-19 would not be good for her. “I’m likely to be hospitalised if I get it,” she says.
Indeed…the “anti mandate” /anti vaxxer/ anti mask/anti guvmint , quite the selfish….did they never consider there are MANY OTHERS who would indeed be very adversely affected? Of course not. I give them NO credence . At all.
There were a few people in wheelchairs at the Freedom Village. Some having been disabled for some time who like my partner chose to err on the side of caution with the experimental mRNA shots out of concern it could exacerbate existing conditions, and others in wheelchairs because of adverse effects from said mRNA shots.
Now, it could very well be that there are some people with disabilities in New Zealand who still cling to the expectation that the 'guvmint' will protect them from all ills and render the entire physical environment flat and 100% accessible.
The same benevolent entity will fund all the personal care they need, as well as ensuring the carer workforce is well stocked and fully trained in the skills required to keep those with very high care needs alive.
My partner is not one of these. He lives in the real world. He has to. It took 26 years for him to get a government funded wheelchair, and he used to have to get flatmates in to do his personal cares because as a working person he had no entitlement for funding for home based care.
(This is not for want of trying to get the guvmint to provide the supports he needs…as well as trying to educate bureaucrats in the ways they could improve the 'service' they are paid by the taxpayer to provide…but one has only so much in the way of energy for such Sisyphean tasks.)
I'm not sure if you have kept up with how those seriously impacted by side effects from the mRNA shots are faring PscylingLeft.Always?
Many, many thousands of New Zealanders do not think the mandates are acceptable and and are appalled at the way the experimental mRNA products have been forced on working people, and that the awful side effects experienced by too many have been largely dismissed and denied by the guvmint.
The people most impacted continue to struggle. In the UK they have started to acknowledge the harms and pay compensation…but it has, and continues to be, a very long haul for these people.
If disabled or immune compromised people think that their mRNA shot will 'work' only if everyone else has also taken it then they may have to examine their faith. And perhaps take other precautions.
And above all take as much responsibility for one's own health and welfare as possible…because sure as fuck one cannot rely on guvmint.
A significant adverse event (such as requiring hospitalisation) after and attributed to Covid-19 vaccination is grounds to apply for a temporary medical exemption.
The findings in this report are subject to at least four limitations. First, data from this report are insufficient to draw conclusions about the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines against SARS-CoV-2, including the Delta variant, during this outbreak. As population-level vaccination coverage increases, vaccinated persons are likely to represent a larger proportion of COVID-19 cases. Second, asymptomatic breakthrough infections might be underrepresented because of detection bias.
I have spoken with a few people who truly believed they were dying from a 'heart attack' after their 2nd jab. There's no way in hell these people could be persuaded to take another. However 'recovered' they may be.
I think/hope that one day we'll look back and see the utter fucking madness that possessed our so called health system when it demanded that Covid "vaccine" injured take yet another shot in order to feed their families.
Accepting that it doesn't prevent infection or transmission, if the Pfizer product actually works ( at preventing serious illness, hospitalisation and death) it shouldn't matter if the person next to you has also had it. Should it?
…today the 'fully vaccinated' just top the chart for the highest number of hospitalisations per 100,000 of that population. Tbf..the three main groups..twice jabbed, thrice jabbed and the fucking filth have been pretty much neck and neck for the dubious top honours for the past 2 months.
I agree that the current mandates have a much thinner basis than at the beginning, but the vaccines are still effective against serious illness, hospitalisation, and death although this drops the longer ago one has been boosted/vaccinated and it becomes less certain (as in unknown/undetermined) with longer time since the last shot.
There are now vaccines other than the Pfizer one and these are reasonable alternatives in most cases from a strictly medical perspective.
Beliefs are tricky beasts and very strong motivators and influencers of individual decisions but not a good basis for rational evidence-based Public Health measures.
If you keep repeating the same strongly negative language long and often enough, you’ll start to believe it too.
He does the dismissive very well – it began after the election with the marijuana referendum and the way the medicinal marijuana regime has been managed since.
Admin (a more easily addressed problem) has also been a problem in the area I've been receiving healthcare in.
Automated messages for fixed 4-weekly treatments have not been sent for several months. The nurses who give the medication just wave me in and administer it. This is only possible because I have to pick up the medication and take it with me.
This is not possible on a regular six month fixed appointment where the administration of the medication is 45 min and is provided. The last two appointments have only been scheduled on time because I've chased them up, and had them scheduled on time.
The last monthly appointment gave an indication of how far basic housekeeping has fallen behind. I spoke to the receptionist at length, saying I was here for the monthly jab. She checked her computer and said that my last injection was two months prior. I said, No, I was in last month, and not only had my injection but also the six-monthly medication at the same time. She repeated that my last visit was two months prior. Despite me giving the dates more than once, I ended up with saying – well, in that case I am one month overdue for the injection, so here I am. She then sent me to the waiting room.
Very soon after came in the nurse practitioner – who is one of three that I see regularly. She was in the back of the office while I was having my conversation with reception, and went and got my physical file. It was not in the patient filing system. It was in the pile of records that needed to be updated on the computer. This pile was more than six weeks behind.
Data entry can be brought up to date without the need for specialised skills. It's not only the medical professsionals that are unsupported at present.
I'll say also at my local GP. Where they've had several staff out with Covid and/or household isolation. It's only when you are speaking to a temp, who is clearly struggling with the booking system, and identifying who you are, and what this issue is, that you realise what a great, intelligent, job the usual team do.
I finally had to ask to speak to the practice nurse, to sort out the issue – which she did quickly and efficiently. But it's a waste of her time to be dealing with admin, and just adds to her workload/stress levels.
The staff are the usual, and from talking have not (yet) been directly affected by Covid absences. I think it's more indicative of a general winding-down of resources and support – in this particular case.
Whatever the reasons, it's going to take a lot of effort and attention to address.
I know a lot of health workers (everyone from Doctors, through to nurses, radiologists, psych workers and other allied health professionals).
Every one is under huge pressure, both personally, and on behalf of their patients (they tend to go into 'caring' professions in order to make a difference to people's lives).
Massive stress-levels, burnout, and re-considering their future. Where they can, they're managing their workload – e.g. GPs closing their patient lists; it's virtually impossible to get to see a psychiatrist (even if you have a ton of money to throw around); nurses exiting the public health system – and going to work in private practice (or a totally non-related field – there's plenty of jobs out there).
None of them have anything good to say about Little pressing forward with the reforms, ATM. And that includes people who were pro the reforms, initially, and think that DHB restructure/reform was/is needed. But not now.
Where is he getting his advice from? Does he think it's too far down the track to press 'pause' on.?
It's hard to believe they're even bothering to turn up to work any more. But someone's got to hold their finger in the dyke. People made of finer stuff than the political class, that's for sure.
The thing with Simeon and Simon O'C is that not only are their views revolting, unlike Luxon both of them are too stupid and incompetent to realise how bad it plays in the electorate.
Banning abortion isn't popular with the US electorate either. Those in power don't care about popular support:
About 71% of Americans – including majorities of Democrats and Republicans – say decisions about terminating a pregnancy should be left to a woman and her doctor, rather than regulated by the government.
Chris Penk is Simeon Brown's epsilon intellectual, but because Brown has offended people National want to offend (to secure the centre middle class vote) he has been promoted to a higher rank. That must hurt.
If you think a Luxon Government can't make abortion access a convoluted and thoroughly degrading mash up of Squid Game & Kafka's The Trial without touching a single piece of legislation, you obviously had no contact with WINZ during the 90's. Or any point thereafter.
If you give people the resources they are more likely to make better decisions with better outcomes. Science is an invaluable resource, which is why it is a concern that trust in science has been eroding and science denial has been growing. The parallels between Covid-19, smoking, and climate change, for example, are striking and show the points of overlap. However, there’s no one-size-fits-all explanation and thus there’s no one-size-fits-all solution except starting with awareness of the growing problem and eternal vigilance (similar to the price of liberty and safeguarding democracy).
Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox church, slipped on the holy water during the service. pic.twitter.com/BlnZ38bu3d
Kirill blamed liberal values for Russia’s bloody invasion of Ukraine, blessed Putin’s war for a “quick” victory over Ukraine.More: https://t.co/rYcr7EZa1w
Cynicism is a double-edged sword and can have a positive influence or a negative destructive one. This can be seen played out in the occupation of Parliament grounds, which started off as a peaceful protest but ended in a riot.
Whether casting doubt on folks who assess crowd sizes, federal judges, experts, or climate scientists, Trump has learned to weaponize cynicism to his benefit.
The article makes a case for so-called intelligent cynicism – a critical disposition to ask questions, reject the status quo, and resist rosy narratives that hide the truth of things – as opposed to irrational cynicism – based on anger and fear. The problem I have is that there is not necessarily a neat separation between these two forms of cynicism as is clear, for example, from the Parliament protest.
The question thus is how to morph or channel irrational cynicism into intelligent cynicism, assuming this is possible, of course.
Some might find this discussion about the Parliament Protest interesting. Or not.
(Marama Fox was not part of the protest action, is triple vaxxed and anti mandate. She found herself involved and was there on that last day when the cops violently broke up the protest.)
I’m vaccinated and had an issue with some aspects of the mandates or rather how and why they were implemented in the first place; not all mandates were equal and not all employers followed the same approach.
Pity. Fox certainly not all on the side of the protestors and she could see that the 'peace and love' were wearing thin and the angry ranty spoiling for a fight faction were getting louder.
She vehemently objects to the suggestion that especially Maori were gullible and manipulated by white supremacist extremists.
She cried herself to sleep after witnessing the violence…mostly metered out by the cops.
Interesting that she apparently thinks that Māori were somehow ‘immune’ [pun intended] to the mis- and dis-information and undeniable manipulation on social media in particular.
I really don’t have 100 min to watch YT clips but I do read very fast.
I watched the first 15 mins, because I've always respected her. She's good here too. I wish they would explain things more, there's a bit too much jumping around to keep me engaged. But her passion and sharp mind are great.
I have learned to listen… rather than tying up valuable working time watching. My wee tablet has good sound (I don't do earphones), and often accompanies me as I work. (Leaving it in full sun while up a ladder painting was not the best idea. )
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He’s got the fire and the furyAt his commandWell, you don’t have to worryIf you hold on to Jesus’ handWe’ll all be safe from SatanWhen the thunder rollsWe just gotta keep the devilWay down in the hole─ Tom Waits, “Way Down In The Hole”WHAT’S NOT TO LIKE about Stuff Circuit’s ...
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The Government is continuing to make regional economies stronger and more resilient with investment in a project that will likely create the world’s first commercial seaweed-based nanocellulose manufacturing plant. The innovative $1.5 million project in Paeroa in the Waikato is being supported with a $750,000 loan from the Government’s Regional ...
A new partnership strategy aimed at putting the decision-making and support for children in need in the hands of the community has been officially launched in Kaitaia by Minister for Children Kelvin Davis. TE ATATŪ, formed in partnership with Te Kahu Oranga Whānau and Oranga Tamariki, is the first such ...
$6million investment in research into three green hydrogen projects New Zealand research teams now able to access European green hydrogen research facilities and expertise A green hydrogen research programme has been established with Germany will support Aotearoa New Zealand’s move towards a more sustainable, low-emissions economy, Research, Science and Innovation ...
Minister for Māori Development Willie Jackson today announced the allocation of the remaining $14.9 million of the $20 million Budget 2021 investment into the Māori Boarding Schools initiative. The four Māori boarding schools play a significant role in the development of future Māori leaders. They have been long-standing, staunch advocates ...
Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta today announced the appointment of Andre Van Der Walt as New Zealand’s next High Commissioner to Kiribati. “As a Pacific nation we value our strong and enduring relationships throughout the region, especially with Kiribati,” Nanaia Mahuta said. “Our two nations share a strong partnership based on ...
More than a third of eligible migrants are now New Zealand residents thanks to the Government’s one-off, simplified path to residence, providing a way forward for migrant families and certainty for New Zealand businesses, Minister of Immigration Michael Wood has announced. “This is great news for our migrant families and ...
New Zealand is making a further significant deployment of 120 New Zealand Defence Force personnel to the United Kingdom to help train Ukraine soldiers, as part of an international effort to help Ukraine continue to defend itself against Russia’s illegal war. It follows a completed deployment of 30 NZDF personnel ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta will visit Niue and Tonga this week to engage kanohi ki te kanohi with counterparts, and progress work on Aotearoa New Zealand’s Pacific Resilience and climate action priorities. “After the disruption caused by COVID-19 border closures, this is another opportunity to connect in-person with our ...
Our new approach to public transport will: Support ‘on-demand’ public transport services Allow councils to own and operate services in house Improve pay and working conditions Deliver routes and services that reflect community needs Incentivise the decarbonisation of the fleet Workers and public transport users are at the heart of ...
As-salamu alaykum, Tena tatou katoa, Thank you all for being here today. To the Afghan human rights defenders and your family members, welcome to Aotearoa. And thank you Your Excellency for hosting us all here at Government House. We have with us today from Afghanistan, human rights advocates, journalists, judges, ...
It’s my great pleasure to be able to speak with you about a really positive move for the Build-to-Rent sector. As you know, we announced changes last year to help steer property investors way from the existing pool of housing and toward solving New Zealand’s grave housing shortage - by ...
· Tax changes aimed at growing quality, secure rental supply · New and existing build-to-rent developments exempt from interest limitation rules in perpetuity, when offering ten-year tenancies · Exemption to apply from 1 October 2021. The Government is encouraging more long-term rental options by giving developers tax incentives for as ...
The Government has marked another milestone in its push for better rural connectivity, welcoming the delivery of Rural Connectivity Group’s (RCG) 350th tower. Waikato’s Te Ākau, which sits roughly 50 kilometres out of Hamilton is home to the new tower. “The COVID 19 pandemic has highlighted the ever-increasing importance of ...
Biosecurity co-operation topped the agenda when Australia and New Zealand’s agriculture ministers met yesterday. Australia’s Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Senator Murray Watt met with his New Zealand counterpart, Damien O’Connor, Minister of Agriculture, Biosecurity, and Rural Communities in a conference call, which had particular focus on foot and ...
People could spend less time in hospital, thanks to a smart new remote device that lets patients be monitored at home, Health Minister Andrew Little says. “Technology has the potential to really change the way we do things – to do things that are better for patients and at the ...
Concrete steps to clarify inclusive, evidence-informed teaching practices Strengthen capability supports along the professional pathway Enhance partnerships between the education system and whānau, iwi, communities Embed equitable additional learning supports and assessment tools that help teachers effectively notice and respond to the needs of students Improved student achievement is a ...
Aotearoa New Zealand has committed to strengthen global prevention, preparedness and responses to future pandemics with seed funding for a new World Bank initiative, Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced today. “We cannot afford to wait until the next pandemic. We must all play our part to support developing countries ...
A law change to ensure that forestry conversions by overseas investors benefit New Zealand has passed its final reading in Parliament. Previously, overseas investors wishing to convert land, such as farm land, into forestry only needed to meet the “special forestry test”. This is a streamlined test, designed to encourage ...
International tourism recovery well underway with higher level of overseas visitor arrivals than previously expected UK and US card spend already back at pre-COVID levels Visitors staying in New Zealand longer and spending more compared to 2019 Govt support throughout pandemic helped tourism sector prepare for return of international ...
The Ministry for Ethnic Communities has released its first strategy, setting out the actions it will take over the next few years to achieve better wellbeing outcomes for ethnic communities Minister for Diversity, Inclusion and Ethnic Communities Priyanca Radhakrishnan announced today. “The Strategy that has been released today sets out ...
The Prime Minister has officially opened the Hawke’s Bay Regional Aquatic Centre today saying it is a huge asset to the region and to the country. “This is a world class facility which will be able to host national and international events including the world championships. With a 10-lane Olympic ...
The Associate Minister of Education, Aupito William Sio, has today announced the recipients of the Tulī Takes Flight scholarships which were a key part of last year’s Dawn Raids apology. The scholarships are a part of the goodwill gesture of reconciliation to mark the apology by the New Zealand Government ...
96% of estimated menstruating students receive free period products 2085 schools involved 1200 dispensers installed Supports cost of living, combats child poverty, helps increase attendance Associate Minister of Education Jan Tinetti today hailed the free period products in schools, Ikura | Manaakitia te whare tangata, a huge success, acknowledging ...
The Tourism Industry Transformation Plan outlines key actions to improve the sector This includes a Tourism and Hospitality Accord to set employment standards Developing cultural competency within the workforce Improving the education and training system for tourism Equipping business owners and operators with better tools and enabling better work ...
Minister for the Digital Economy and Communications Dr David Clark welcomes Google Cloud’s decision to make New Zealand a cloud region. “This is another major vote of confidence for New Zealand’s growing digital sector, and our economic recovery from COVID 19,” David Clark said. “Becoming a cloud region will mean ...
A package of changes to NCEA and University Entrance announced today recognise the impact COVID-19 has had on senior secondary students’ assessment towards NCEA in 2022, says Associate Minister of Education Jan Tinetti. “We have heard from schools how significant absences of students and teachers, as a result of COVID-19, ...
Te Reo Māori tauparapara… Tapatapa tū ki te Rangi! Ki te Whei-ao! Ki te Ao-mārama Tihei mauri ora! Stand at the edge of the universe! of the spiritual world! of the physical world! It is the breath of creation Formal acknowledgments… [Your Highness Afioga Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II and Masiofo] ...
The Government’s commitment to combatting firearms violence has reached another significant milestone today with the passage of the Firearms Prohibition Order Legislation Bill, Police Minister Chris Hipkins says. The new law helps to reduce firearm-related crime by targeting possession, use, or carriage of firearms by people whose actions and behaviours ...
Minister for Veterans, Hon Meka Whaitiri sends her condolences to the last Battle for Crete veteran. “I am saddened today to learn of the passing of Cyril Henry Robinson known as Brant Robinson, who is believed to be the last surviving New Zealand veteran of the Battle for Crete, Meka ...
Legislation to repeal the ‘Three Strikes’ law has passed its third reading in Parliament. “The Three Strikes Legislation Repeal Bill ends an anomaly in New Zealand’s justice system that dictates what sentence judges must hand down irrespective of relevant factors,” Justice Minister Kiri Allan said. “The three strikes law was ...
Work is under way on preliminary steps to improve the Government’s support for survivors of abuse in care while a new, independent redress system is designed, Public Service Minister Chris Hipkins says. These steps – recommended by the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry – include rapid payments for ...
Remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki Online Forum 77 years ago today, an atomic bomb was dropped on the city of Nagasaki. Three days earlier, on the 6th of August 1945, the same fate had befallen the people of Hiroshima. Tens of thousands died instantly. In the years that followed 340,000 ...
An agreement signed today between the New Zealand and United States governments will provide new opportunities for our space sector and closer collaboration with NASA, Economic and Regional Development Minister Stuart Nash said. Stuart Nash signed the Framework Agreement with United States Deputy Secretary of State, Wendy Sherman. The signing ...
An agreement signed today between New Zealand’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the United States’ Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will strengthen global emergency management capability, says Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty. “The Government is committed to continually strengthening our emergency management system, and this Memorandum of Cooperation ...
New Zealand will remain at the Orange traffic light setting, while hospitalisations remain elevated and pressure on the health system continues through winter. “There’s still significant pressure on hospitals from winter illnesses, so our current measures have an ongoing role to play in reducing the number of COVID-19 cases and ...
Streets will soon be able to be transformed from unsafe and inaccessible corridors to vibrant places for all transport modes thanks to new legislation proposed today, announced Transport Minister Michael Wood. “We need to make it safe, quicker and more attractive for people to walk, ride and take public transport ...
More young minds eyeing food and fibre careers is the aim of new Government support for agricultural and horticultural science teachers in secondary schools, Agriculture and Rural Communities Minister Damien O’Connor announced today. The Government is committing $1.6 million over five years to the initiative through the Ministry for Primary ...
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Wood has confirmed the government will do a full review of the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme early next year. ...
A report which found the country's health and safety regulator lacks a clear strategy and cannot say if it is effective is "shocking", the National Party says. ...
The latest rise in the official cash rate by the Reserve Bank on Wednesday has only cemented the need for Government to respond positively to unions calling for a unified pay increase to recognise people working across the education, health and wider public ...
Having found time in his busy schedule, missing civil servant Stephen Town has hung up his boots and resigned from his $13,000-a-week garden leave ‘job’ - which is cushy even for Wellington. “We are delighted that our efforts to find Stephen ...
The Taxpayers’ Union says that cuts to Government spending are a far better way to deal with the inflation crisis than the Reserve Bank of New Zealand hiking the Official Cash Rate – and the public agree. Kiwi voters understand the drivers behind ...
The Monetary Policy Committee today increased the Official Cash Rate (OCR) to 3 percent from 2.5 percent. The Committee agreed it remains appropriate to continue to tighten monetary conditions at pace to maintain price stability and contribute ...
It’s a tense time in New Zealand’s farming industries. Already the Ministry for Primary Industries has had to shoot down an overseas news report that China had shut its borders to NZ and Australian products due to concerns about foot-and-mouth. NZ exports to China are continuing as normal, a Ministry ...
Buzz from the Beehive Promoting the wellbeing of Māori is the common factor in three of the latest four Beehive announcements. The government is providing $14.9 million (from of the $20 million Budget 2021 investment into the Māori Boarding Schools initiative) to four Māori boarding schools; and ...
There has been little progress in closing the gender pay gap despite record low unemployment, the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions said today following the release of labour market data by Statistics NZ. The overall gender pay gap has stubbornly ...
“There are far too many dairies now also operating as licenced ‘Specialist Vape Retailers’. It makes a mockery of our vaping laws and so we’re pleased the Government is going to tidy up this unintended consequence,” says Nancy Loucas, co-founder ...
Median weekly earnings from wages and salaries rose by 8.8 percent to $1,189 in the year to the June 2022 quarter, Stats NZ said today. The 8.8 percent annual increase in median weekly earnings from wages and salaries was the largest annual increase ...
Hamilton West MP Gaurav Sharma's office has one staff member and no further decisions have been made on his staffing since he publicly accused Labour colleagues of bullying. ...
Auckland Mayor Phil Goff, Deputy Mayor Bill Cashmore and Regulatory Committee Chair Linda Cooper will today present Auckland Council’s submission [speaking notes attached] to the government’s Finance Expenditure Committee hearing on the proposed Water ...
The MP's suspension from Labour's caucus will be reviewed in December but caucus could agree to expel him sooner if he breaches party rules again, the Prime Minister says. ...
The Accessibility for New Zealanders Bill is aimed at addressing the accessibility barriers faced by disabled people, tāngata whaikaha, and others, so they can live independently and participate fully in all areas of life. The bill also aims to ensure ...
Labour MPs may well be determining the fate of Hamilton West MP Gaurav Sharma at a special caucus meeting, as this post is being written. According to Stuff, the party’s MPs will enter a virtual meeting at 2.30pm on Tuesday and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was expected to speak to ...
Reserve Bank governor Adrian Orr has a lot on his plate at present. He is battling to hose down prices which have been rising faster than they have done for 30 years, while at the same time “maximising” sustainable employment. It’s a task none of his predecessors had to undertake. ...
Te Tari Taiwhenua is inviting members of the public to apply to the current funding round of the Chinese Poll Tax Heritage Trust. The Trust chairman, Mr Paul Chin, encourages people to make applications for proposals that support the aims of the Trust. The ...
The Independent Monitoring Mechanism (IMM) says that disabled people’s human rights will not be fully realised in Aotearoa unless there is a jointly owned and implemented cross government agency approach. The IMM today released its third general update ...
Buzz from the Beehive Comings and goings were the common factor in the latest Beehive announcements. Immigration Minister Michael Wood handled the “inward” movements by regurgitating migrant statistics he presumably wanted to crow about. The “outward” movements are recorded in three statements – a further deployment of 120 New Zealand ...
Greenpeace Aotearoa is urging the New Zealand government to back the strongest possible Global Oceans Treaty as the latest round of negotiations for the long-awaited treaty kick off in New York. UN member states are meeting this week to hammer out the details ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ron May, Emertius Fellow, attached to the State, Society and Governance in Melanesia Program, Australian National University Paramilitary police and soldiers patrol ballot boxes at Tari airport, Southern Highlands, PNGAAP Image Despite Australia “stepping up” its relations with the Pacific since ...
With less than a year until its launch, Broadcasting Minister Willie Jackson says he is willing to address opposition concerns over the independence of the new government funded public media entity. ...
Births and deaths releases provide statistics on the number of births and deaths of people resident in New Zealand that are registered during a given period, along with selected fertility and mortality rates. They may differ from statistics presented ...
New Zealand's resident population provisionally grew by 12,700 or 0.2 percent over the year, to reach 5.12 million at 30 June 2022, Stats NZ said today. This is the lowest annual growth rate since June 1986 when the population barely changed (0.0 ...
Retail NZ welcomes two policy initiatives from the ACT Party Law and Order policy document to combat retail crime – infringement notices and three strikes for burglary. “The announcement today from the ACT Party of two specific policies that will help ...
The departure of the Human Right’s Commission from its core role to defend classical human rights into left wing ideological advocacy would be comical if the policies it is pushing weren’t so dangerous, says the Taxpayers’ Union. “This was always ...
Given climate change not only poses a serious challenge to Auckland but New Zealand as a whole, mayoral candidate Efeso Collins is pledging to form a Coalition of Mayors For Climate Action. Collins says it’s vital local councils work closely together ...
Power Play - Labour MPs will be meeting for an urgent caucus early this afternoon, as the party tries to manage the snowballing damage from the serious allegations being made by one of its own, Gaurav Sharma. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ryan Heneghan, Lecturer in Mathematical Ecology, Queensland University of Technology US Department of Energy Even a relatively small nuclear war would create a worldwide food crisis lasting at least a decade in which hundreds of millions would starve, according to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katherine Livingstone, NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow and Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin University Shutterstock The popularity of plant-based proteins, or “fake meat”, has increased in recent years as consumers look to eat fewer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arindam Basu, Associate Professor, Epidemiology and Environmental Health, University of Canterbury Yang Jianzheng/VCG via Getty Images Within less than three years, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared two public health emergencies of international concern: COVID-19 in February 2020 and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anthony Halog, Lecturer/Research Group Leader in Industrial Ecology and Circular Economy, The University of Queensland The Brisbane 2032 Olympic organising committee boardDarren England/AAP In a year of major sporting events – the Commonwealth Games, the FIFA World Cup, cricket’s T20 World ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joanne O’Mara, Associate Professor in Education, Deakin University Shutterstock It’s hard for parents to help kids with homework without doing it for them. It can be especially difficult to work out where to start when your child is preparing a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Day, PhD Student, Economic and Industrial Policy, Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies, University of Sydney Shutterstock The NSW government’s industrial dispute with rail unions over the new intercity trains is tipped to add hundreds of millions of dollars ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Siobhan Lyons, Scholar in Media and Cultural Studies, Macquarie University IMDB When it was announced that the creators of Breaking Bad would be filming a prequel spin-off to their iconic series, few could have imagined the critical acclaim it would ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The only credible explanation for Scott Morrison personally installing himself, as an undisclosed ministerial partner, in several portfolios is the former prime minister’s passion for control. The fact he didn’t tell senior colleagues, let ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Linden Ashcroft, Lecturer in climate science and science communication, The University of Melbourne Mike Marrah/Unsplash, CC BY-SA On August 14 1912, a small New Zealand newspaper published a short article announcing global coal usage was affecting our planet’s temperature. ...
In the wake of the emotionally draining sagas that have dominated the mainstream media for the past week or so — -first the allegations of bullying within Parliament and by parliamentarians, and then the All Blacks’ triumph and turmoil over the coach’s future employment — can any relief be found? ...
Auckland mayoral hopeful Viv Beck should throw in the towel to give rival and former Far North mayor Wayne Brown a better go, says former Auckland mayor and National MP John Banks. ...
The government reduced pay parity funding for early childhood teachers in its May Budget to keep its education spending within agreed limits, briefing documents show. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anne Twomey, Professor of Constitutional Law, University of Sydney Lukas Coch/AAP It has been reported that, during the pandemic, the then prime minister, Scott Morrison, swore himself in as a minister to several portfolios, including health, finance and resources. ...
The polytechnic sector has been getting a bad press in recent times. Former Otago Polytechnic chief executive Phil Ker has demanded an apology from Education Minister Chris Hipkins for turning the country’s polytechnic education system into “a national disgrace”. The Otago Daily Times has described the centralising of New Zealand’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tuffley, Senior Lecturer in Applied Ethics & CyberSecurity, Griffith University Glen Carrie/Unsplash Social media platforms have had some bad press in recent times, largely prompted by the vast extent of their data collection. Now Meta, the parent company of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Sandeman, Honorary Professor, Federation University Australia Shutterstock As a parent, it might feel like you are constantly giving your children worm treatments – usually in the form of chocolate or sweetened chewable tablets. In fact, most kids in ...
New Zealand will send another 120 Defence staff to the UK to help train Ukraine soldiers to defend against Russia after the completion of the previous 30-strong deployment. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Rubenstein, Professor, Academic Director, 50/50 by 2030 Foundation, University of Canberra With more independents, women, Indigenous Australians and MPs from a multicultural background than ever before, federal parliament seems ready to deal with issues that have been lying dormant for years. ...
LGNZ welcomes the Government’s move to allow councils to own bus services. The Public Transport Operating Model (PTOM) has been replaced with the new Sustainable Public Transport Framework. The new framework gives councils the ability to own and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Evangeline Mantzioris, Program Director of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Accredited Practising Dietitian, University of South Australia Shutterstock If you wake up in the morning feeling thirsty, you might be dehydrated. There are a few things which might be at play ...
The Free Speech Union has released the first Annual Universities Ranking Report , taking a critical look at the policies and practices of New Zealand’s universities with regards to free speech, and “grading” them on whether they suppress or encourage ...
Buzz from the Beehive The big announcement from the Beehive so far today is that workers and public transport users are at the heart of a new approach to public transport branded the Sustainable Public Transport Framework. This is great news, although when you take workers and public transport users ...
The New Zealand Chiropractors’ Association (NZCA) is again calling for the government to end COVID-19 mandates for private primary healthcare practices, as the continuing restrictions are unjust and unsubstantiated now that the Omicron variant is at large ...
Privacy Commissioner Michael Webster is encouraging New Zealanders to have their say on the use of biometric information in Aotearoa New Zealand. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner today launched its consultation paper, Privacy Regulation of ...
Jacinda Ardern doesn't believe there are widespread issues of bullying across the party, but says employment matters will be raised from time-to-time in a large workplace. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ross Pain, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Philosophy, Australian National University Shutterstock In the early 1990s, British neuroscientist Karl Friston was poring over brain scans. The scans produced terabytes of digital output, and Friston had to find new techniques to sort and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amitabh Mattoo, Honorary Professor of International Relations, The University of Melbourne Mohandas Gandhi, who led India’s fight for independence, talks to a crowd in Ahmedabad, India in 1931. AP On this day 75 years ago, after a long battle for self-government, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edward C Holmes, ARC Australian Laureate Fellow and Professor, University of Sydney My colleagues and I published the most detailedstudies of the earliest events in the COVID-19 pandemic last month in the journal Science. Together, these papers paint a coherent evidence-based ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa Ottenhaus, Lectuer in Structural Timber Engineering, The University of Queensland Developer Thrive Construct recently announced the world’s tallest steel-timber hotel to be built at Victoria Square, Adelaide. Australia has caught onto the trend of building taller in timber, with other plans ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tamara May, Psychologist and Research Associate in the Department of Paediatrics, Monash University HBO While we all like to be prepared for what might happen in the future, like those difficult conversations and life choices, some go to extraordinary lengths ...
Labour MP Gaurav Sharma is doubling down on his claim a colleague misused taxpayers' money despite the Parliamentary Service determining no spending rules were broken. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Big business wants a “catch up boost” to permanent migration, with at least two thirds of the places going to skilled workers, In proposals for next month’s jobs and skills summit, the Business Council ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Wes Mountain/The Conversation, CC BY-ND Australia’s top economists are divided about how to tackle ballooning inflation of 6.1% that’s forecast to climb to a three-decade high of 7.75% by ...
I could say..unbelievable…but sadly its all too true.. And I note the “management” word. I sure hope the “managers” are looking for new jobs…..and well away from vulnerable people.
After noticing a surge in Covid positives locally in the last weeks I did a bit of digging and to my surprise I found that on Wednesday 22 June around 6300 international arrivals came here, that’s about the daily average, but of that number 593 tested positive at the border, that’s about 1 in 10! Again about the daily average, give or take. If this was in the general population half a million people would be newly positive a day. Are we being gamed, are arrivals getting Covid and climbing on a plane heading for better health care ?
Downloading the data is difficult, some of it is huge and our internet isn’t up to it and nowI’ve got Covid after 2 1/2 years avoiding it and struggling to concentrate. Look up NZ Covid status and then arrivals data. Sorry, best I can do but this is serious.
The question is the isolation arrangements – and at whose expense (as most will not require hospitalisation). It would seem that travel involves a high risk of getting omicron as the vaccination does not prevent spread.
NZ customs simply says if you have a positive test you have to isolate (doesn't say anything about where or who pays)
MIQ says there will be 4 remaining isolation facilities after 30 June – 3 Auckland, 1 Christchurch. I suspect these will be for people who have no other isolation options.
https://www.miq.govt.nz/being-in-managed-isolation/isolation-facilities/facility-locations/
I'd say the ones returning to NZ will be isolating at home. Ones here on business will be isolating in their hotel rooms (too great a cost to the business for them to knowingly spread Covid). Tourists? Who knows. Depends on how sick they are. I suspect any with a mild or asymptomatic case, will be strongly tempted *not* to isolate.
Risk of them *not* isolating is probably about the same as the general population. We know (from the late 2021 Auckland lockdown) that some Kiwis don't isolate. Anecdotally, we know that some self-employed contractors don't isolate – with very mild or asymptomatic cases (not surprisingly, not working = no pay)
And number of actual Covid cases from travellers is dwarfed by the public infection rate.
FWIW. Travellers entering NZ no longer have a PCR test, instead they have a self-administered RAT test (lower accuracy).
https://www.customs.govt.nz/covid-19/personal/travelling-to-nz/
I'd say it's highly unlikely that anyone is getting Covid and then choosing to hop on a plane and come to NZ.
Airlines won't board anyone with obvious symptoms. And airfares are both hugely expensive (especially at the last minute) and flights are very thin on the ground (not many planes flying, mostly fully booked). Auckland to Sydney, next week, for example is over $1K one way. It's nothing like the cost/convenience pre-Covid.
What is happening is that airports are giant petrie dishes for cross-infection.
"Although the official advice from the ministry of health and airlines is to delay your travel if you're sick, most travellers would rather come home rather than face being stuck abroad.
One in five Kiwis say they'd still fly home with Covid, according to a recent Herald poll.
Over sixty percent of New Zealanders say they would fly while sick, with only two thirds of these respondents saying they'd bother to take a Covid-19 test first"
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/comment-one-in-five-kiwis-would-fly-sick-as-travel-testing-ends/E4YOJD2ZMSIPC37FGIOJUOE64A/
Agree that this is likely. But not the scenario posited – that people would wait until they were sick, and then choose to fly to NZ because of better health care.
People are having to book a long way out to get airfares, and they are pretty expensive. Not really likely to be a drop of the hat decision to fly. But probably reinforces the choice to fly if not well (too expensive to cancel)
I'd say that it would actually be higher for Kiwis inside NZ (although the figures look a bit odd – both 1 in 5 and 60%).
So, you start to feel unwell at work. Do you leave immediately? (depends on the workplace, and how supportive they are for Covid/respiratory illness leave). Do you take the bus home? (if you're a PT user – what are your other options?).
Guidance for workplaces with staff impacted by COVID-19
https://www.health.govt.nz/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-health-advice-public/covid-19-information-household-and-close-contacts/guidance-workplaces-staff-impacted-covid-19#:~:text=At%20any%20time%2C%20an%20employee,free%2C%20on%200800%20358%205453.
Your number of detected cases is off and most likely you mixed up daily new cases at the border with total number of cases.
https://www.health.govt.nz/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-data-and-statistics/covid-19-current-cases
Sorry to hear that you have Covid-19. Take it easy because it can be a real bastard.
Take your own advice, Adrian, old friend, and take care. As Incognito says above, Covid-19 can be like you! 🙂
Luke Malpas from Stuff.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/129078998/a-recession-is-coming-you-can-bank-on-it
Any journalist who regularly quotes Oliver Hartwich is telling us they’re a neoliberal shill.
I was beginning to think better of Stuff. Sigh…
He worked with Hartwich, right before somehow getting his current job. And before that with the equivalent organisation in Aus, the CIS. Radical right winger.
And yet Stuff employ him as a Senior Political Journalist. WTF!
Yeah – he's part of the Taxevader's Union too – about as much journalistic credibility as Jordan Williams.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/kiwi-political-parties-slam-us-supreme-court-roe-v-wade-abortion-rights-decision-except-national-party/WGTEJP6UHTGF57MVWMZ3PRV6LM/
So, National on the wrong side of history yet again.
Luxon should be skewered on this, repeatedly, more particularly, just prior to the election.
Why? Its an American court case,we are not going to start driving on the wrong side of the road,introduce capital gains tax on housing,or allow the carry of concealed weapons as allowed by the other decision released by the SCOTUS .
Because Luxon is anti-abortion at a very strong fundamental philosophical level, as are other MPs in his party. Abortion law in NZ isn't settled or particularly secure from conservative governments if we have a regressive cultural shift.
Further, National MPs now advocate anti-abortion lines. Compare this to someone like Bill English, who is Catholic and anit-abortion, but apparently didn't consider this relevant in his time as leader of National.
It's appropriate and reasonable to pressure Luxon now about what he will do in the future given that. If he can't rule out removing abortion access in the future, including via legislation or policy, then the electorate needs to know this.
The significance of the US SC decision isn't that we are like them legally, it's that the US public ignored what was happening and lost an extremely important right as well as legal case. No way should women, or the left, be complacent about abortion rights in NZ. In ten years the political and social landscape here may be very different.
He is also a teetotaller ,is the angst of worry in the chardonnay bourgeois class troublesome.They already have problems with irrelevance as seen during the Pandemic,where they were deemed to be non essential.
There are significant issues in NZ,that will be increasing towards the election such as 10% mortgages,an unsustainable balance of payments.large blowouts on white elephants etc.
It will not be an election issue,as it will not be in the US at the mid terms,where inflation and recession are the foremost issues.
You're missing the point. If we wait until it's an election issue, it's much harder to fight. Getting Luxon to be honest right now makes it easier.
You might not see it as an important issue, many women do.
Current arising economic issues will pale in comparison to what's coming with the climate crisis. What's foremost in the general voter's mind isn't the only important thing.
The climate crisis is not the foremost issue globally,it is the economic crisis from war and altruism (QE) that has shocked the world and forced a reversal in policies from Europe (especially German greens) to both increase the use of coal,and investment in FF.
The economic damage that the act/nats would inflict would be inflationary and hence increase interest rates (a cost spiral) similarly munting our agriculture exports (which would do zero to CC mitigation) would also increase our risk to pay our debts and would be inflationary on borrowed debt.
and yet all of that is going to fall over because we won't act on climate.
Climate is the one real hammer that the Left has against the Right in electioneering.
And, in a close election (which it looks as though 2023 will be), they need to stop wasting time on peripheral issues.
Economy (always a big issue in NZ elections), governance (3 waters, etc.) and Climate (especially with repeated disasters), are the levers which can shift the election.
Social stuff doesn't usually change votes. Left wing on social issues already vote left. There are no votes to garner here.
Is anyone suggesting that abortion should or will be an election issue in 2023? As I said above, the reason it matters now is because it makes it easier to retain abortion rights. It doesn't have to be an election issue for that to be true.
How are you thinking 3 waters factors into that?
How much more honest can he be? He's said repeatedly that the NZ abortion laws won't change under his government.
Now, unless you have some evidence that that is a lie…..
His personal beliefs aren't particularly relevant to National Party and (potentially) government policy. However, he's acknowledged that some people may be concerned over them, and been very specific that there will be no change to abortion legislation.
NZ has a history of Labour governments pushing social change legislation, which National governments don't roll back.
I don't see that there is in NZ (unlike in the US) any strong groundswell for change. Roe v Wade has been a deeply unpopular decision among sectors of the American population ever since it was passed.
We simply don't have that large a % of the population who are passionately against abortion in NZ.
Especially when abortion numbers are dropping, consistently, over the last decade (better access to contraception and/or morning after pills would be my take on the reasons)
Well no, but there's no evidence that it's the truth either. Parties pledge things only to backtrack after they've been elected all the time.
His views are reflective of a substantial section of his party, as evidenced by voting on the 2019 abortion law reform act. If it came to a conscience vote, which it very likely would, he has little influence on the outcome to be making those sorts of claims.
You mean like social welfare *cough cough*
Around 23.5 of the population is Maori and Pasifika, many of whom have complicated views about that. Tariana Turia while in the Maori Party went on the warpath against Family Planning comparing it to genocide. Any assumption that NZ is a default western country is a mistaken one. And some of our fastest growing demographics come from religiously conservative parts of the world. Don't make assumptions about the status quo.
Which actually makes abortion a more attractive target for conservative politicians. They can point to that and suggest it be eliminated altogether.
No, I mean like homosexual law reform, and euthanasia. Social change legislation, which has little (if any) impact on the financial bottom line.
Neither of which would have been enacted under a National government (IMHO), but National sees no benefit in trying to repeal (regardless of the beliefs of some of their core constituency).
Generalizing broadly, Maori and Pasifika don't vote National (Labour, and more recently TPM are their natural home) – so little point for National in appealing to their vote (assuming that this would do so).
If you assume that all politicians that you dislike are automatically lying, there really is no basis for any political discussion.
It comes down to 'I hate him, don't vote for him' which is really not very convincing….
"Neither of which would have been enacted under a National government (IMHO)".
Why would they not have done so, at least for homosexual law reform? After all the first attempt to reform the law was attempted by a National Party MP, Venn Young, in 1974. He didn't succeed but that was when we had a Labour Government with a leader, PM Norman Kirk, who was vehemently opposed to both Homosexual Law reform and also Abortion Law reform.
Perhaps Young should have tried a bit later after Kirk had died but when he had a go no-one expected Kirk's death and trying in 1975 would have been harder as it would have brought the debate, and the votes into peoples' minds during the election campaign.
However it was a National MP who first tried to bring about the change.
I thought I had explained this. If NZ becomes more regressive socially and politically, there's nothing stopping changes in abortion rights. I don't think National would go into an election saying they're going to repeal abortion access. I would expect them to chip away at it if it was to their benefit to do so.
By the time a nation state gets to the point where removal of abortion rights is supported, it's far too late to change that. That's because it doesn't stand alone, but sits within regressive politics. We are incredibly naive if we think NZ is somehow immune from regressive shifts. We're already seeing bits of this here. Since Trump the rise in overt nastiness, and sexism and outright misogyny (eg what is directed at Ardern). We know that Qanon and other regressive forces are at work in NZ. We know that humans tend to vote conservatively in emergencies eg Chch post quake. And so on.
I can't prove Luxon is a liar. He may even believe what he is saying. Or think he does. I still don't trust him or National.
it's not about the 2023 election, it's about holding National to account now for their values and policies. Playing the long game.
Thanks Weka – good tips for parsing any political statement, imho.
the 'ultimately settled' bit raises my hackles.
If NZ becomes more regressive socially, you are right that there is nothing preventing changes in abortion rights. Or in gay rights. Or in any other social structure.
That's the way our law works, parliament pretty much makes it (with some theoretical backstop from the Bill of Rights – but nothing preventing that being repealed, either).
But, I don't see any signs of NZ becoming more regressive socially. The push-back I see is around the far edges of the social reforms (where trans-rights infringe on women's rights; where iwi rights impact on democracy, etc.).
To me, this says, that the rights shift (and there is always a shift) has gone as far as the current social Kiwi environment feels is comfortable. Not that it’s rebounding towards more social conservatism.
Political parties are always shaped by the social environment – and if NZ became more socially regressive (which, again, I see no signs of), all political parties (including left wing ones) would be influenced by this change.
2020 aside, the left holds a narrow majority, then the right, then left etc. It's not just about social progress, it's about political. The left isn't making much ground.
Not that many months ago, a large, chaotic, multi-influenced group the like of which we've never seen before occupied the ground of parliament for three weeks. Those people haven't disappeared, and their hatred of the left is growing. I see people in my community, previous left wing voters, who are appalled at the Labour government. Some of those people are at risk of radicalisation by qanon etc.
We have a still growing divide between wealthy and poor in NZ, this is a recipe for disaster.
None of this is particularly controversial. These are known dynamics. I see good things happening that will prevent the bad things happening, but I don't see NZ as being immune from a regressive shift, nor from that happening suddenly in a large crisis.
Bad scenario would be something like National and ACT being in government with the support of a small ultra conservative party and a big quake hitting Wellington or the Alpine Fault and causing widespread chaos to people's lives as well as huge economic stress. This isn't not a far fetched scenario. You really think NACT won't use this as an opportunity to build more power for themselves?
I am also very open to us shifting progressively, not just on social issues but on environment and the bigger changes needed to prevent the worst of climate change, and the adaptations we need. Much of what I write now is in that vein: how can we create proactive pathways that help people see a way to good futures and thus step away from the bad ones (social, political, environmental).
I see us at risk of not achieving that, and I don't see any compelling reason that NZ would inherently survive repeated emergencies and come out intact without that proactive change.
"If NZ becomes more regressive socially"
New Zealand has already become more regressive socially:
1. Benefit rates les s than NZS
2. Youth rates extended to age 25 from under 18
3. Loss of the right to strike except at the end of an agreement – in most cases once every three years
4. Loss of 8 hour working day 40 hour working week
5. Working on weekends and especially Sundays
6. Social obligations on sole parents
7. Freely being able to gift- resulting in a massive transfer of wealth away from wives and matrimonial settlements
8. Reduction in taxation for the wealthy and highest paid (think not only tax rates but tax on luxury items, stamp duty, etc
9. The reduction in state housing and the shift to market rents for those tenants as well as the removal of working people from state housing
10 The rise of slum landlords and renting rooms and putting homeless in motels
11. The rise of foodbanks and churches having to do charity work (not that they aren't willing participants).
These things all start to set the scene for more regression over time. It is so bad that Labour couldn't even bring them selves to increase benefits rates as suggested by WEAG but when COVID hit they showed that they can do middle-class welfare very well.
Things that were normal for me growing up and starting work – all gone.
.https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-26-06-2022/#comment-1897081
Exactly.
I just watched a film about the Yukon in winter….climate change is definitely here….ask the mountain goats
Which is basically what Kavanaugh and Gorsuch said to the US Senate when questioned on their approach to Roe v Wade it is settled law and 50 years of precedent. Liars.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jun/25/gorsuch-kavanaugh-misled-senators-roe-v-wade
So, there is nothing that he can say will convince you.
Really, no point in any further debate.
No – I would not trust him in the slightest. When asked a direct question he repeatedly diverts and avoids giving a direct reply.
eg. "Not a NZ issue" – Yeah Right!
https://www.1news.co.nz/2022/06/25/not-a-nz-issue-luxon-responds-to-us-abortion-ruling/
Macro (@4:41 pm), "diverts and avoids giving a direct reply" is why Luxonites believe he'd make a ‘useful’ PM – anything's possible!
Just like Key.
"No more taxes". Then 16 new taxes, sorry, charges, and an increase in GST.
"No more asset sales". Just Air NZ and several others.
“We will fix child poverty”. Joke!!
If you believe anything National says before an election, I have a bridge to sell you!
As always with National “If you don’t like my principles (Before the election) we have others”.
I'd save the skewering for issues which are likely to change people's voting.
He's got a very strong line (no doubt well-developed and tested by PR), which he's repeated in multiple interviews
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/466851/luxon-on-national-act-alliance-budget-abortion
People who hate him, will continue to hate him; people who like (or at least tolerate) him, will continue to do the same. People in the middle, aren't likely to be shifted by this issue.
His commenting (or rather choosing not to comment) on Roe v Wade isn't really going to resonate with the electorate in 18 months time.
What will, is the economy (most elections are about the economy) and political inclusion/exclusion (3 waters, etc.).
Left wing commentators/journalists need to hammer the points where National is vulnerable to losing (or not gaining) support from the centrists. There's little point in hammering them on issues which only resonate with the people who already vote for you.
When people tell you who they are, believe them.
Luxon believes abortion is tantamount murder and Reti wouldn't rule out narrowing access and said it would be up to a caucus likely to include more than a few of their ilk. I believe them.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2021/12/full-interview-national-leader-christopher-luxon-and-deputy-leader-nicola-willis.html
The point I was trying to make is that this is not something which is going to convince the middle to shift their vote.
Left can argue that Luxon and/or Reti would narrow access – but 'up to caucus' means that they'd have to convince the majority (and probably a super-majority) of their caucus that this needed to happen.
Which is not at all likely. National are cold-bloodedly pragmatic about social legislation – they don’t buy into fights which don’t have a lot of popular support. Labour are the ones who (generally) push the social legislation, which National doesn’t roll back.
Middle regard it as pure speculation, now back to the economy……
Bella….the public should know if Luxon supports abortion or not …..it's a simple yes or no answer.
They do know.
His personal preference AND the commitment that he's made not to change the existing law under his government.
Even politicians are allowed personal ethics….
And, I notice none of this angst being directed to Adrian Rurawhe, who is about to be elected Speaker, who voted ‘no’ in the final Abortion bill.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/how-mps-voted-on-abortion-law-reform/WV4JCWZTSB4PFZFHTFUTDFUC64/
Which says to me that a lot of this outrage is directed at Luxon because A) he’s Luxon, and B) he’s the Leader of the Opposition.
I don't agree with your premise that Luxon's personal views are irrelevant. Would you vote for the Labour Party if its leader opposed abortion?
And in my post I mean that Luxon needs to be asked about his personal views on abortion during the election campaign so that people know what they are voting for.
People like you and me, political tragics, follow these things more closely than the person in the street many of whom will have forgotten Luxon's personal views.
TBH. Unless Abortion reform were on the political agenda, I probably wouldn't care about the personal views of a candidate.
I mean, I might make assumptions about what Ardern's views are, but I didn't actually know, one way or the other, at the 2020 election.
Unless you have a passionate conviction on a social issue (e.g LGBT or abortion), you're probably not going to be very aware of an MPs personal convictions on an issue, or change your vote because of this. Unless it's a topical issue at the election (i.e. there is a proposal to change the law)
I know of several right-wing women who changed their vote over the Homosexual law reform bill (had family members who were gay). But, once that legislation was in place, they reverted to voting on their traditional economic grounds (i.e. moved right wing again).
Social conscience vote issues are widely recognised to be across parties – there are Labour members who are personally anti-abortion, as well as National ones.
Exactly right Robert.
Did any Nat poli comment?
This was Shane Reti last month:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/466851/luxon-on-national-act-alliance-budget-abortion
The abortion law in 2020 was passed 68 to 51.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/how-mps-voted-on-abortion-law-reform/WV4JCWZTSB4PFZFHTFUTDFUC64/
The link show who voted for and agin
Thanks for that link dv.
The 68 YES votes were distributed 34:34 between women and men.
The 51 NO votes were distributed 15:36 – guess which way.
Imho NZ political parties should endeavour to achieve close to a 50-50 representation of women and men in Parliament.
https://teara.govt.nz/en/graph/28634/women-in-parliament
Labour — 37 W , 28 M (after Faafoi and Mallard are replaced)
National – 11 W, 22 M
Greens —– 7 W , 3 M
Act ———– 4 W , 6 M
Māori ——- 1 W , 1 M
House ——- 60 : 60
Currently, two parties are doing the heavy lifting. [apologies for any errors]
Everything is connected.
We could/can stop covid-19, we could/can stop climate change, we could/can even stop war.
Tackling these three scourges means imposing controls on the market.
Which is why it can't/won't be done.
Cards stay stacked until someone tips over the table.
Yep.
Demonising a category of the human population based on the behaviour of some of that group is a form of
1. bigotry/discrimination
2. guilt/shaming by association
3. collective smear
4. promotion of hate based on political creed
It's a bit like the McCarthyist era fellow travellers/UnAmerican approach that has reduced the USA to the culture war nation it is today.
What's interesting is that the same slurs against the woke/liberal progressives/progressive left occur as often on left blogs such as this site and the Daily Blog as they do on Kiwiblog.
I appreciate your engagement in the last couple of days, SPC, even as I suspect you are doing less listening and addressing points made, than making points yourself. (You probably consider me to be doing the same, so that's just where we are at present. The achievement is that engagement has been ongoing and respectful).
In that vein, I would like clarity on this comment:
"Demonising a category of the human population based on the behaviour of some of that group is a form of
1. bigotry/discrimination
2. guilt/shaming by association
3. collective smear
4. promotion of hate based on political creed"
Who do you believe is being 'demonised' and who do you believe is 'demonising', and how (as in common examples) is this being done?
You expressed support for one of those posts, from a poster from whom they are his regular contribution, yesterday.
Can you link, this is a bit vague?
(and possibly falls under:
2. guilt/shaming by association
3. collective smear)
I don't follow all the conversations here (other things to do) but I may be able to partially answer your question. SPC noted:
Using a local historical example, I think the same sort of thing has happened in NZ albeit to a lesser degree.
Back in the 1970s and 1980s, there was a covert/overt movement in NZ who, using today's terms, would be described as being on the extreme right of the political spectrum. The public persona was seen in the form of the National Front Party and the Skinheads of the same period, but behind them were almost certainly more powerful individuals, This movement was said to be associated with like minded overseas groups. There was an article about the rise of neo-nazism and its possible NZ consequences in the Sunday Star Times back in the 1990s.
They selected individuals based on either their ethnicity, religion or political persuasion. and targeted them by way of bizarre hoaxes and other demeaning behaviour. There were some well known people among the targets including a former prime minister. Another common theme was to set up an individual or special group up for ridicule and embarrassment then watch the fallout which inevitably followed. A good example of that was the Colin Moyle affair.
That is by no means all they did. Some of their behaviour was unlawful – criminal offences were committed – but they got away with it or were allowed to get away with it – not sure which.
I knew two people who were on the periphery (at the least) of this movement although I had no idea at the time. They were members of the Labour Party in the 70s and 80s.
Just like McCarthyism laid the foundations for what is going on in America today, I believe that movement back un the 70s and 80s was the fore-runner of what we are seeing today in NZ.
I was noting the use of attack lines borrowed from American right wing social media (and possibly some crafted in Russia).
But sure in earlier times other metholology – Murray Ball tried to lampoon it, the attempt to create some right wing white nativism, in Stanley.
Demonising a category of the human population based on the behaviour of some of that group is a form of…
Yep. See it here all the time. 'Rosemary McDonald is not Pfizer shot and supported the Freedom Village protestors and believes there were better ways of handling the Covid pandemic so she must be…
1. a right wing nutbar, fascist anti semite racist misogynist, pro plague anti vaxxer.
2. a pathetic gullible victim of Russian/American/Canadian/Martian cyberbot misinformation peddlers.
etc. etc. I could go on but I've work to do. (PS…I scan multiple sites periodically as you clearly do and tbh, TDB and KB are further down the road of tolerance of 'alternate Covid opinions' than here. For now. )
Meh, you're a government/health knows it all cynic from way back before social media was on the radar.
"Meh, you're a government/health knows it all cynic from way back before social media was on the radar."
And that's a problem, …how?
Do not misrepresent my post.
Most people in RM's position (health care and social support for those with disability) would have a level of cynicism – the failure is so egregious that it was noted, quite recently, as one of our human rights failures.
"Do not misrepresent my post."
Didn't mean to, just asked for clarification.
Sarcasm doesn't read clearly in text. If it was in recognition of the truth of Rosemary's comment, I agree.
For mine, most of us on blogs are a little bit cynical about government and MSM, some with more personal experience reasons than others and some because of a perceived failure to do enough (unfulfilled idealism/ambition for government/society).
It could hardly been a comment in disagreement with her post, since she agreed with mine.
And being a cynic about the state of the health care system is just part of being a sentient being atm in Enzed.
You're right. Kind of.
I think it was Uncle Ashley and the 'home based disability care workers don't need to wear masks unless they work within 1 .5m of the disabled person' that drove in the final, cynical nail.
Stupid, stupid man.
Then there was the 'No CPR from paramedics….' edict that went down like a cup of cold spew with…paramedics…that added the deeper drive -in.
Then there were the nurses who got up a petition because the hospitals were not allowing them to wear masks at work…masks they had bought themselves. The doctors even stepped up…
(If you knew how many times I have read the words "flexible" and "responsive" on moh.govt.nz documents you would understand more where I'm coming from.)
Ministry of Health. Failing to acknowledge the expertise of health professionals and patients since forever.
You would have had enough reason to be cynical a long time before COVID.
A paucity of support to carers, the inadequate level of the disability benefit.
The manager of my the major rest home who looks after my father told me that the social isolation caused by the lockdowns was just cruel.
Said with a particular vehemence.
Even more cruel to knock the residents off with covid.
How about telling us about your many years experience in running large rest homes for the elderly.
How about the experience of my elderly parents, who were considerably more "isolated" during covid than rest home residents, who are thankful to be still alive, unlike so many of their contemporaries in countries like the UK and USA, whose Governments didn't give a shit.
If your parents were not in a rest home then their experience of lockdowns was probably not the same as the almost 2 years of severe restrictions and isolation from families and friends most rest-homes had to endure.
I am impressed at how very readily you dismiss a person who has extensive first-hand experience informing her view.
Excess mortality in NZ is around 20% above baseline for the 1/4
https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/excess-mortality-p-scores-average-baseline?country=NZL~AUS
Multiple causes,including an increase in all respiratory illnesses.
Thank you. I was looking for that data a while back.
Imho "the lockdowns" were prudent precautions informed in part by the impact of the pandemic on rest home residents in NZ and other countries.
Maybe NZ got the balance between 'deaths' and 'isolation' wrong, and certainly some would be keen still to put the 'cruelty boot' in, regardless of how any hypothetical alternative responses might have played out.
https://ltccovid.org/questions/2-02/
I don't recall anyone calling you these names. Disagreeing with you yes but stating all those things you have listed.
I could be wrong but I don't recall that.
There's lots of things wrong with health – the DHB setup, the time and motion minimum staffing we can get away with imported from the UK, the contracting out of services that reduces staff wages, the underfunding, the closure of rural hospitals, the reduction in mental health beds and respite care, and lots more.
There's lot that works well too and we shouldn't forget that.
Many of the health staff got relentless abuse from people in the anti-vax brigade. Some of it was absolutely appalling.
I would suggest, and you may disagree, that some of the tolerance on the right leaning sites is due to the views being seen as anti-government rather than supporting the views directly. It isn't tolerance you are seeing – it is just grist to their mill.
OK. I'll cross out three slurs that have not been directed at me personally…but I assume apply because of 'guilty by association'. The rest all stand.
right wing nutbar, fascist
anti semite racist misogynist, pro plague anti vaxxer.I'll add to that…"bully" (because I object to the vaccine mandates) and "Goebbels" after I posted about the rise and rise of homeschooling during Covid. Baffling. But there we are.
As for the Righty Sites. Anti Government, anti Left, anti Labour and anti Jacinda for sure. Exactly like TS when the Natz were in. Tribal is as tribal does.
But it was interesting to see how many of the regulars altered their opinion (especially about the mRNA products) when published research and data not seen in MSM here was posted. There were a few, as on here, who called for such 'anti vax/ anti public health ' posts to be banned. But hard to do that when it is sourced from government sites or published, peer reviewed research.
Fear is the mind killer. And there are/were a fair number of truly frightened folks around who attack anyone not following the government script.
You seem like an intelligent person…perhaps you'd be interested in this conversation.
What you did Rosemary was distort the actual facts (as opposed to the false facts) both during and after the parliamentary protest. Time and again numerous people on this site corrected your claims yet you continued to make them.
That is what those who opposed you were remonstrating you about. Trying to re-write history is not going to cut it.
Trying to re-write history is not going to cut it.
You got that right.
"Time and again numerous people on this site corrected your claims yet you continued to make them."
Numerous people incl Moderators…..And Aye absolutely
Indeed…the “anti mandate” /anti vaxxer/ anti mask/anti guvmint , quite the selfish….did they never consider there are MANY OTHERS who would indeed be very adversely affected? Of course not. I give them NO credence . At all.
…quite the selfish…
Indeed.
There were a few people in wheelchairs at the Freedom Village. Some having been disabled for some time who like my partner chose to err on the side of caution with the experimental mRNA shots out of concern it could exacerbate existing conditions, and others in wheelchairs because of adverse effects from said mRNA shots.
Now, it could very well be that there are some people with disabilities in New Zealand who still cling to the expectation that the 'guvmint' will protect them from all ills and render the entire physical environment flat and 100% accessible.
The same benevolent entity will fund all the personal care they need, as well as ensuring the carer workforce is well stocked and fully trained in the skills required to keep those with very high care needs alive.
My partner is not one of these. He lives in the real world. He has to. It took 26 years for him to get a government funded wheelchair, and he used to have to get flatmates in to do his personal cares because as a working person he had no entitlement for funding for home based care.
(This is not for want of trying to get the guvmint to provide the supports he needs…as well as trying to educate bureaucrats in the ways they could improve the 'service' they are paid by the taxpayer to provide…but one has only so much in the way of energy for such Sisyphean tasks.)
I'm not sure if you have kept up with how those seriously impacted by side effects from the mRNA shots are faring PscylingLeft.Always?
It may very well be that you are one of the many guvmint supporters who accept the determination that there have been no serious adverse effects from the experimental mRNA shots, that it is mere coincidence that the neurological symptoms and the euphemistically described "chest discomfort" began shortly after taking the shot and that it is perfectly reasonable to demand that a person who ended up in A&E with myocarditis after shot 1 or shot 2 has to get shot 2 or shot 3 to keep their job.
Many, many thousands of New Zealanders do not think the mandates are acceptable and and are appalled at the way the experimental mRNA products have been forced on working people, and that the awful side effects experienced by too many have been largely dismissed and denied by the guvmint.
The people most impacted continue to struggle. In the UK they have started to acknowledge the harms and pay compensation…but it has, and continues to be, a very long haul for these people.
If people feel they are at risk they should take precautions. If they think the mRNA shots are safe and effective they should by all means avail themselves of them. I sincerely hope the shots work for them as they have been told they will. But we knew last August that the shots did not prevent infection or transmission and did not necessarily reduce viral load and did not necessarily prevent hospitalisation. They may reduce death. That was for Delta.
If disabled or immune compromised people think that their mRNA shot will 'work' only if everyone else has also taken it then they may have to examine their faith. And perhaps take other precautions.
And above all take as much responsibility for one's own health and welfare as possible…because sure as fuck one cannot rely on guvmint.
A significant adverse event (such as requiring hospitalisation) after and attributed to Covid-19 vaccination is grounds to apply for a temporary medical exemption.
Indeed. The operative word being "temporary".
I have spoken with a few people who truly believed they were dying from a 'heart attack' after their 2nd jab. There's no way in hell these people could be persuaded to take another. However 'recovered' they may be.
I think/hope that one day we'll look back and see the utter fucking madness that possessed our so called health system when it demanded that Covid "vaccine" injured take yet another shot in order to feed their families.
Accepting that it doesn't prevent infection or transmission, if the Pfizer product actually works ( at preventing serious illness, hospitalisation and death) it shouldn't matter if the person next to you has also had it. Should it?
In the meantime…https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/in-depth/450874/covid-19-data-visualisations-nz-in-numbers
…today the 'fully vaccinated' just top the chart for the highest number of hospitalisations per 100,000 of that population. Tbf..the three main groups..twice jabbed, thrice jabbed and the fucking filth have been pretty much neck and neck for the dubious top honours for the past 2 months.
I agree that the current mandates have a much thinner basis than at the beginning, but the vaccines are still effective against serious illness, hospitalisation, and death although this drops the longer ago one has been boosted/vaccinated and it becomes less certain (as in unknown/undetermined) with longer time since the last shot.
There are now vaccines other than the Pfizer one and these are reasonable alternatives in most cases from a strictly medical perspective.
Beliefs are tricky beasts and very strong motivators and influencers of individual decisions but not a good basis for rational evidence-based Public Health measures.
If you keep repeating the same strongly negative language long and often enough, you’ll start to believe it too.
Can’t wait until trans people replace the gestationals in the Black Ferns, jeez we’ll win the World Cup for sure.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
To state the obvious, the rules of the IRB International Rugby Board) for its events would apply to all nations contesting.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/129072232/dr-dolittle-healthcare-staff-are-at-the-end-of-their-rope-with-the-government
as I posted earlier, the health service is in absolute crisis;and they send staff a lapel pin.
He does the dismissive very well – it began after the election with the marijuana referendum and the way the medicinal marijuana regime has been managed since.
Admin (a more easily addressed problem) has also been a problem in the area I've been receiving healthcare in.
Automated messages for fixed 4-weekly treatments have not been sent for several months. The nurses who give the medication just wave me in and administer it. This is only possible because I have to pick up the medication and take it with me.
This is not possible on a regular six month fixed appointment where the administration of the medication is 45 min and is provided. The last two appointments have only been scheduled on time because I've chased them up, and had them scheduled on time.
The last monthly appointment gave an indication of how far basic housekeeping has fallen behind. I spoke to the receptionist at length, saying I was here for the monthly jab. She checked her computer and said that my last injection was two months prior. I said, No, I was in last month, and not only had my injection but also the six-monthly medication at the same time. She repeated that my last visit was two months prior. Despite me giving the dates more than once, I ended up with saying – well, in that case I am one month overdue for the injection, so here I am. She then sent me to the waiting room.
Very soon after came in the nurse practitioner – who is one of three that I see regularly. She was in the back of the office while I was having my conversation with reception, and went and got my physical file. It was not in the patient filing system. It was in the pile of records that needed to be updated on the computer. This pile was more than six weeks behind.
Data entry can be brought up to date without the need for specialised skills. It's not only the medical professsionals that are unsupported at present.
(This is the Superclinic in Manukau.)
I'll say also at my local GP. Where they've had several staff out with Covid and/or household isolation. It's only when you are speaking to a temp, who is clearly struggling with the booking system, and identifying who you are, and what this issue is, that you realise what a great, intelligent, job the usual team do.
I finally had to ask to speak to the practice nurse, to sort out the issue – which she did quickly and efficiently. But it's a waste of her time to be dealing with admin, and just adds to her workload/stress levels.
The staff are the usual, and from talking have not (yet) been directly affected by Covid absences. I think it's more indicative of a general winding-down of resources and support – in this particular case.
Whatever the reasons, it's going to take a lot of effort and attention to address.
I know a lot of health workers (everyone from Doctors, through to nurses, radiologists, psych workers and other allied health professionals).
Every one is under huge pressure, both personally, and on behalf of their patients (they tend to go into 'caring' professions in order to make a difference to people's lives).
Massive stress-levels, burnout, and re-considering their future. Where they can, they're managing their workload – e.g. GPs closing their patient lists; it's virtually impossible to get to see a psychiatrist (even if you have a ton of money to throw around); nurses exiting the public health system – and going to work in private practice (or a totally non-related field – there's plenty of jobs out there).
None of them have anything good to say about Little pressing forward with the reforms, ATM. And that includes people who were pro the reforms, initially, and think that DHB restructure/reform was/is needed. But not now.
Where is he getting his advice from? Does he think it's too far down the track to press 'pause' on.?
Well, it's legislated and been given the Royal Assent, and takes effect on Friday (1 July), so it's probably too late to press pause now.
It's hard to believe they're even bothering to turn up to work any more. But someone's got to hold their finger in the dyke. People made of finer stuff than the political class, that's for sure.
Scrambling.
(click tweet to read hidden sentence).
The thing with Simeon and Simon O'C is that not only are their views revolting, unlike Luxon both of them are too stupid and incompetent to realise how bad it plays in the electorate.
Banning abortion isn't popular with the US electorate either. Those in power don't care about popular support:
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/broad-us-support-abortion-rights-odds-with-supreme-courts-restrictions-2022-06-24/
Some of their base will be salivating.
They're on a roll. But misunderstood, apparently.
Chris Penk is Simeon Brown's epsilon intellectual, but because Brown has offended people National want to offend (to secure the centre middle class vote) he has been promoted to a higher rank. That must hurt.
Reassurances..
If you give people the resources they are more likely to make better decisions with better outcomes. Science is an invaluable resource, which is why it is a concern that trust in science has been eroding and science denial has been growing. The parallels between Covid-19, smoking, and climate change, for example, are striking and show the points of overlap. However, there’s no one-size-fits-all explanation and thus there’s no one-size-fits-all solution except starting with awareness of the growing problem and eternal vigilance (similar to the price of liberty and safeguarding democracy).
https://twitter.com/EricTopol/status/1540123988197707776/photo/1
https://twitter.com/EricTopol/status/1540123988197707776/photo/2
Patriarch Spy has an oops.
Cynicism is a double-edged sword and can have a positive influence or a negative destructive one. This can be seen played out in the occupation of Parliament grounds, which started off as a peaceful protest but ended in a riot.
https://www.salon.com/2018/06/22/dont-worry-be-cynical-why-the-fear-of-a-nation-of-critical-skeptics-is-overblown/
The article makes a case for so-called intelligent cynicism – a critical disposition to ask questions, reject the status quo, and resist rosy narratives that hide the truth of things – as opposed to irrational cynicism – based on anger and fear. The problem I have is that there is not necessarily a neat separation between these two forms of cynicism as is clear, for example, from the Parliament protest.
The question thus is how to morph or channel irrational cynicism into intelligent cynicism, assuming this is possible, of course.
Some might find this discussion about the Parliament Protest interesting. Or not.
(Marama Fox was not part of the protest action, is triple vaxxed and anti mandate. She found herself involved and was there on that last day when the cops violently broke up the protest.)
Thanks, but I don’t have that much spare time!
I’m vaccinated and had an issue with some aspects of the mandates or rather how and why they were implemented in the first place; not all mandates were equal and not all employers followed the same approach.
Pity. Fox certainly not all on the side of the protestors and she could see that the 'peace and love' were wearing thin and the angry ranty spoiling for a fight faction were getting louder.
She vehemently objects to the suggestion that especially Maori were gullible and manipulated by white supremacist extremists.
She cried herself to sleep after witnessing the violence…mostly metered out by the cops.
And she's one tough wahine.
Interesting that she apparently thinks that Māori were somehow ‘immune’ [pun intended] to the mis- and dis-information and undeniable manipulation on social media in particular.
I really don’t have 100 min to watch YT clips but I do read very fast.
I watched the first 15 mins, because I've always respected her. She's good here too. I wish they would explain things more, there's a bit too much jumping around to keep me engaged. But her passion and sharp mind are great.
I have learned to listen… rather than tying up valuable working time watching. My wee tablet has good sound (I don't do earphones), and often accompanies me as I work. (Leaving it in full sun while up a ladder painting was not the best idea. )
It begins with quite a long preamble, but at some point it becomes compelling story-telling.
If you haven't listened to this…https://rdln.wordpress.com/2022/05/24/marama-fox-on-the-maori-presence-at-the-recent-parliamentary-protests/ …thoroughly engaging. It may very well be one of the truer, most credible accounts of the Freedom Village 'event' in the archive.