You have to be kidding. You couldn't make this up.
"Members of the film crew working on the set where a cinematographer was shot dead by the actor Alec Baldwin are reported to have been using the gun involved for live target practice.
Sources involved in the production of Rust, a western set in the 19th century, told the celebrity website TMZ that the gun was used for recreational purposes off set, with real ammunition that may have accidentally been left in the weapon when it was handed to Baldwin, 63, as he rehearsed a scene in New Mexico."
if he thought it was a prop, not a firearm, then no, it’s not his fault. Unless they use live ammunition on the set for some reason, why would he need to treat it as a firearm rather than a prop? It’s also a workplace, so there are rules around all of that.
the whole "who to blame" bollocks is a result of the gun culture, having a shootup for fun, gun maybe left with live ammo etc etc. treating guns like we treat power tools is a nonsense. personal protection,second amendment, grow up!
Bit like that in NZ with our gang, drug and gun culture. We appear to have a gang related shooting nearly every week these days, even under lockdown, however gangsters don't take much notice of lockdowns. I thought Jacinda and the NZ Police were on top of this gun problem ?
Negligence when handling a firearm and manslaughter, basic gun handling procedure check there is no live ammunition in the weapon, same rules apply for normal people or are Hollywood Movie Stars different to you and I ?
Baldwin probably believed it was a prop or loaded with blanks however someone f#%ked up big time, sounds like three people did not double check the weapon was loaded with live ammunition.
Someone gives the gun to someone in the usual way on the set with it implicit that it's checked, it's okay to use in the expected manner.
That person gives it to someone in the usual way on the set with it implicit that it's checked, it's okay to use in the expected manner.
That person gives it to the actor, who accepts it expecting to use it in the pre-ordained manner.
Someone clearly stuffed up dramatically with tragic results. Baldwin killed someone as a result. Can you think of a punishment as bad as knowing you did it and having to live with it every day of the rest of your life?
I pick my car up from the company servicing it. Someone does not do some detail right and does not check properly. I pick the car up and on the way home my car goes out of control because of the job not being done properly.
The car crosses the centre line hits another vehicle and someone in the other car is killed. What should I be charged with? What punishment should I be given?
Obviously all parties involved were negligent, there should not be live ammunition on the set but it is the USA. Baldwin evidently has been quite careful in the past.
Agree 100% especially with the haphazard licensing here in NZ and the number of illegal firearms floating around this country in the hands of the criminal fraternity.
I was thinking about hunters who shoot other people, or kids that shoot their mates when playing with their dad's rifle because their father left a bullet in it and didn't have it locked away. I grew up in a household where the hunting rifle was in the cupboard, but I never saw any ammunition.
The whole system around the presence of firearms on film sets is at fault, along with everyone who had a hand in operating it. Weapons capable of delivering lethal missiles of any kind simply shouldn't have been there at all, in my view. (You could blame Sam Peckinpah, and his well-known insistence on having "authentic-sounding" gunfire on the soundtracks of his films.)
But if they do have to be there, then there must be a rigorous code of conduct, which everybody adheres to at all times. And any gun – real or not – should be treated at all times as though it were loaded.
No-one should have assumed the gun involved here was safe. For a salutary example of what that sort of behaviour can lead to, check out the tragic mishap that took place in Wales just on a century ago (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abermule_train_collision). At least six individuals contributed to that disaster. If any one of them had done their job properly, the accident wouldn't have occurred.
Apparently the AD said "cold gun" while handing it to Baldwin. That means not loaded with live rounds. So the AD didn't check – or check properly. But they followed the ritual.
Real firearms on set can be necessary, but live ammunition on set isn't conceivably needed. Sound effects can be recorded on a controlled firing range months before or after actors touch a weapon. Same with bullet impact sequences. A sequence where the actor is supposed to draw the weapon without firing it? No bang, not even a blank is needed. Dummy rounds in a revolver, maybe. Certainly not live ones.
I can't believe they would have live ammunition on a set if they have real guns as props. Can't they make fake guns that look real that don't actually fire anything?
The gun that killed “Rust” cinematographer Halyna Hutchins last Thursday was used by crew members that morning for live-ammunition target practice, an individual with knowledge of the set told TheWrap.
So the spirit of community is live & well, and folks are helping those who are afraid of the jab by getting one for them. Well, the MoH has officially signalled this phenomenon as a maybe. Sensible, since the truth is increasingly elusive nowadays.
Pity the poor cops, who will now be feeling challenged to determine the truth! They should plead `insufficient resources' to shirk the task in the usual manner, asap.
After all, what's important is that the govt seems to reach the 90% target – not that it actually does so. Labour knows perception beats reality nowadays.
Health bureaucrats, being old-fashioned, are concerned that fake identity usage will make the vaccination numbers more illusion than fact. But as long as everyone holds hands and maintains their faith in the system, it won't matter. Faith-based politics is traditional, so we can rely on it to produce the desired outcome by weight of numbers.
n the letter to Representative James Comer (R., Ky.), Lawrence A. Tabak of the NIH cites a “limited experiment” that was conducted to test if “spike proteins from naturally occurring bat coronaviruses circulating in China were capable of binding to the human ACE2 receptor in a mouse model.” The laboratory mice infected with the modified bat virus “became sicker” than those infected with the unmodified bat virus.
Peter Daszak , the president of ECo Health Alliance ,heavily involved in gain of function research at Wuhan, was also a team member for the WHO investigation that went to Wuhan to find the origins of covid
Dennis, Is this rumour the same type as "A homeless man has received accommodation and meals by slipping into MIQ" ?
After extensive costly checking of lists with CTV cameras it was declared to be a story, and was traced back to National MP Woodhouse.
If this vaccination story is true/sarc, produce proof, or get on and help the roll out rather than hindering it.
This was meant as a comment on your comment Dennis.
Don't be silly, Patricia. As the TVNZ report informs us, the Health Dept has alerted the police to the possibility of citizens deliberately faking vaccination stats. Seems obvious the officials would not do so unless they had serious concerns about the consequences.
I doubt you really intended to suggest that the officials are being irresponsible in doing that. I suspect you simply didn't think it through.
So the onus is on the cops to determine the proof – or lack thereof. It is not on you or I to do so. I'm sure that, when you give more thought to the moral responsibility side of the issue, you will realise this.
You may think what you like Frank, but the use of the archaic term "Silly" implies "Silly Girl" and yet you did not reply to Tiger Mountain's similar comment in that fashion? So ?? Why was that?? Why not “silly comment”.. You personalised it imo. Mansplaining is beneath you really.
I was commenting on a previous “report” which cost a great deal and proved shady. This could be another “red herring”. Not all Health Officials have been helpful in the past.
No problem, Bremner. You may think TVNZ was reporting a rumour as long as you like but I'm inclined to take their report of the Health Dept referral to the police at face value. I don't believe our officials issue rumours during a pandemic. I'm surprised you have the temerity to accuse them of that!
Re TM, I assumed he was simply implying that any Health Dept officials involved in this decision were National voters. Speculation unworthy of comment.
Likewise. I'm a typical kiwi guy inasmuch as I don't use 19th century titles like the one you're trying to impose on me.
I can see why you may have thought my effort in explaining why the Health Dept officials don't seem to be starting rumours was condescending – but I didn't actually pat her on the head, right? So dunno why my being helpful made you feel queasy. You may need to take a tablet for that.
Weird that at a time of such US hostility to China there would be such collaboration at the Wuhan lab.
According to the article, the leaked documents 'struck a number of scientists and researchers as significant for one reason' – namely that a distinctive segment of SARS-CoV-2's genetic code is a 'furin cleavage site' which makes the virus more infectious because of its ability to enter human cells – exactly the feature EcoHealth proposed modifying in the leaked proposal.
Stephanopoulos also pressed Fauci on the controversy over to what extent the U.S. was funding bat coronavirus research in Wuhan after the NIH released a letter this week about a New York City-based nonprofit's research on bat coronavirus spike proteins. The letter states that the subcontractor had not disclosed some results in a timely manner.
"Now, some critics and analysts have seized on that to say you and others have misled the public about U.S. funding of this so-called gain-of-function research. The NIH says that's false. Our medical unit backs that up," Stephanopoulos said. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., has called for Fauci's firing over the controversy.
"Well, I obviously totally disagree with Senator Paul. He's absolutely incorrect. Neither I nor Dr. Francis Collins, the director of the NIH lied or misled about what we've done," Fauci responded.
"What did we learn from the letter? Does it show that some of the research we were finding was riskier than we know?" Stephanopoulos pressed.
Fauci said they knew what the risk was and there's "no denial" that they should have put their progress report in a timely manner, but that the implication that the research led to COVID-19 is "unconscionable" and "molecularly impossible."
"There's all of this concern about what's gain-of-function or what's not, with the implication that that research led to SARS-CoV-2, and COVID-19, which, George, unequivocally anybody that knows anything about viral biology and phylogeny of viruses know that it is molecularly impossible for those viruses that were worked on to turn into SARS-CoV-2 because they were distant enough molecularly that no matter what you did to them, they could never, ever become SARS-CoV-2," Fauci explained.
"And yet when people talk about gain-of-function, they make that implication which I think is unconscionable to do, to say, 'Well, maybe that research led to SARS-CoV-2'," Fauci added. "You can ask any person of good faith who's a virologist, and they will tell you, absolutely clearly, that that would be molecularly impossible."
In the words of Mandy Rice-Davies "well he would say that wouldn't he"
Fauci lied to Congress
He knew in April about the nature of the research, but told Congress in July that US tax dollars had not been used to fund risky coronavirus research in Wuhan
Peter Daszak and the EcoHealth Alliance (EHA) proposed injecting deadly chimeric bat coronaviruses collected by the Wuhan Institute of Virology into humanised and “batified” mice.
The EHA / WIV proposal (named ‘DEFUSE’) was ultimately rejected for full funding (but leaving open the door for partial funding), in part because it mis-interpreted the GOF guidelines.
In other words, a branch of the federal government had already judged aspects of EHA’s research, and the corresponding shared research plan with the WIV, as falling under the definition of GOF, only for HHS to approve similar work without P3CO review in 2018 and 2019.
The other interesting angle I only recently became aware of is that Fauci seems to have had form on this kind thing back during the early days of the AID's epidemic when he first rose to prominence.
It's important to understand that there is no evidence or good reason to think the escape was intentional. The lab was being so badly run from a bio-security perspective that an accident was almost inevitable.
The culpability lies with the response. Patient Zero is almost certainly among a number of WIV staff members in early October 2019. There was a five month window of opportunity to isolate and eradicate COVID between then and late February 2020 when finally the world started to shut down international travel.
Instead the CCP first tried to cover up the lethality and transmissibility of the new pathogen. Then later after closing down domestic travel to prevent the spread – spent the next six weeks loudly insisting that doing the same for international travel would be racist. And pressuring WHO into failing to declare the event a pandemic – a declaration that would have triggered preventative action – for a whole month after it was fucking obvious to everyone what was happening.
Then we have some of the leading professional figures who we should have been able to rely upon to be frank and transparent on what they knew, lie and mislead the public – and much of the rest of the medical community – for another year or so.
What should have happened is that sometime in November 2019 a WHO team of independent technical experts should have arrived at WIV for a full open-book, pockets-out investigation across the entire institution. It's now abundantly clear that this kind of research has the proven potential to be even more devastating than nuclear weapons – and any nation that is going to host such research must be subject to an iron-clad supervision and oversight by a global body capable of overriding all professional and nation-state conflicts of interest.
Surely the EHA also cops some flak for not raising flags when they saw what was happening. They kept their mouths shut because they knew they'd cut corners.
It's important to understand that there is no evidence or good reason to think the escape was intentional.
"The escape"? When you're that committed to the idea of a lab escape, why bother to consider alternatives? Imho the origin of SARS-CoV-2 has yet to be determined, despite the conviction of Senator Paul (R-Ky) and others.
SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV Share the Furin Site CGG-CGG Genetic Footprint
In conclusion, it is highly unlikely to find this genetic marker in betacoronaviruses wildlife, but they are there. Collectively, results shed light on recombination as origin of the virus CGG-CGG arginine pair in the S1/S2 cleavage site.
Inferring the ecological niche of bat viruses closely related to SARS-CoV-2 using phylogeographic analyses of Rhinolophus species
The results show that the ecological niche of bat viruses related to SARS-CoV2 includes several regions of mainland Southeast Asia whereas the ecological niche of bat viruses related to SARS-CoV is mainly restricted to China. In agreement with these results, human populations in Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand appear to be much less affected by the COVID-19 pandemic than other countries of Southeast Asia. In the climatic transitional zone between the two ecological niches (southern Yunnan, northern Laos, northern Vietnam), genomic recombination between highly divergent viruses is more likely to occur. Considering the limited data and the risk of recombinant bat-CoVs emergence as the source of new pandemics in humans, the bat populations in these regions should be under surveillance.
Closest known relatives of virusbehind COVID-19 found in Laos
“I am more convinced than ever that SARS-CoV-2 has a natural origin,” agrees Linfa Wang, a virologist at Duke–NUS Medical School in Singapore. Together with relatives of SARS-CoV-2 discovered in Thailand, Cambodia and Yunnan in southern China, the study demonstrates that southeast Asia is a “hotspot of diversity for SARS-CoV-2 related viruses”, says Alice Latinne, an evolutionary biologist at the Wildlife Conservation Society Vietnam in Hanoi.
…
Wang says that both studies highlight the importance of ramping up sampling in regions outside China to help uncover the origins of the pandemic.
Science often doesn't shift conspiracy thinkers DMK. We only need to look at ebola to realise the difficulty and time needed to ascertain the wild origins of a "new" virus. Already, bats have been sampled that have a closer genetic match than the virus being used at Wuhan as your articles above show. Also, like RL, Zerohedge cannot resist any story with an anti China bias. Distance from Wuhan stated below is a red herring. Wuhan is not definitively ground zero and cannot be so until thorough cooperative investigation with all States into alleged examples of infection prior to the Wuhan outbreak. As with the Spanish flu, the naming of this pandemic by Trump may be due to the diligence of medical staff in noticing something out of the ordinary and taking the action required to find its cause. The conspiracy theory just has to keep snowballing to keep up with all the agencies that must have been involved. At present, these include the NIH and CDC. Even though there is no scientific refutation of a simple well known pathway. But no. Because the natural pathway has taken years to uncover in the past, this now becomes evidence for conspiracy.
But the lab leak theory, although it started off as being very anti China, has taken a different turn with the US being so involved, contracting out the research.This is no doubt why the first WHO investigation failed to find anything definitive.And why oh why would you have the president of the Eco Health Alliance , who was so involved in Wuhan , on the WHO team?
None of that looks good , and neither does the oversight for what was going on
Gain of function research is very risky, and the laboratories that engage in it , as RL said a while ago, leak like sieves..It is getting way too coincidental, that the novel furin cleavage site was exactly the adaptation the EHA was proposing to insert
I've always been a bit leery of Ockhams razor, but I'm swinging that way now (after arguing the opposite for months)
Whatever, the research has been very dodgily pursued, lies have been told, and terrible risks taken .I'm glad to see the light being shone on GOF research.
Look Francesca, I'm not really sure what it is about Martenson that everyone holds in such high regard. Darpa has funded a lot of weird projects. Some work, many don't. But that they funded a project to mangle up a super virus from cut and paste or some kind of mix and match witches brew doesnt mean that its possible to complete. Frankensteins monster is a fiction. If you want to get some of the flavour of Martenson then here is a really good starter in an interview with Whitney Webb. She is another who believes that all the really rich people are in such total control of the world that anything that what they wish to make happen, happens. For her, Rockefeller is a prime mover. But in the interview, Martenson says that the mRNA vaccines also have a Darpa background and implies that covd is a plot to exert societal control. If this is the level of his genius then I think that even though its unsettling to realise that it may take a long time to unravel the origins of covd, it is unlikely that this is a plot thats been hatched by some evil genius.
Off the mark there. I explicitly stated above that there is no evidence or good reason to think COVID was intentionally released. No evil genius needed.
But as with the Soviet Chernobyl story, once the disaster had gotten loose the CCP response was culpable. All of the necessary elements for a lab leak had both precedent and confirmed presence. Your Occams Razor doesn't cut mustard.
But you agree with evidence presented by a firm believer of mad genius. As well as the ability to create Frankensteins monster from parts scraped from here and there when all the evidence from science shows the most likely path to be from the wild, naturally, by normal selection processes
As well as the ability to create Frankensteins monster from parts scraped from here and there when all the evidence from science shows the most likely path to be from the wild, naturally, by normal selection processes
Absolutely wrong. Experimental work of exactly this nature is precisely what WIV had been conducting under contract to the EHA. This much is unequivocally documented from the US side.
On the other hand your earlier claim that other virus's genetically closer to the one's WIV were working have been found on is based on the false premise that we have full and unfettered access to the WIV virus database. Without that information any such comparison is meaningless.
We also know that for the better part of a decade, numerous other researchers and groups were vocally concerned about the extreme risks involved in this kind of viral manipulation, to the extent that the Obama Administration placed a strict moratorium on it. Implying that this risk was either fanciful or unfounded flies in the face of events this past two years.
Darpa didn’t fund it .They said it was too risky, (didn’t stop NIAID from funding tho( Fauci is the director)and I’m not going on what Martenson has to say .I’m looking at what has come to light in the last 6 days
Malfeasance. Covid may not have escaped from the lab, but these GOF exercises have way too many risks and not enough oversight.
Lies were told, regulations were breached .RL and I differ over CCP culpability, but I respect his arguments otherwise
Science often doesn't shift conspiracy thinkers DMK.
So it would seem – appreciate your comment and info.
Some opinions here are tainted by a pronounced anti-CCP bias. There's already a noticeable broadening of blame ("the CCP response was culpable") in order to continue painting the CCP as (at best) a duplicitous bad faith actor once the most likely origin of SARS-CoV-2 is revealed.
Whereas it seems to me more likely that the CCP acted passably well in response to a novel pathogen – certainly better than the U.K. government handled the BSE epidemic and its impact on human health. And no, there was no cover-up there either, just an honest effort to deal with a (very) novel pathogen, coupled with government complacency and incompetence with a nod (early on) to beef farmers' back pockets.
Daughter of Gummer family friend dies from vCJD The daughter of a friend of the former agriculture minister John Gummer – who controversially tried to allay safety fears over British beef by feeding his own child a burger in front of the national media – has died from the human form of mad cow disease.
Some opinions here are tainted by a pronounced anti-CCP bias.
Considering their appalling record – I make zero apology for this. That elements of the left still cannot bring itself to fully repudiate the monstrous failures of communism and still carries water for that failed ideology is a matter of deep regret as far as I'm concerned.
If there is one infamous thinker more proven wrong than Marx it would have to be Freud – and while both will always retain their place in history as intellectual pioneers – somehow the field of psychology moved on from the deep limitations and errors of it’s founding figure, while the political hard left still retains an irrational loyalty to marxism and it's numerous derivatives.
I will credit you with noticing that it's the CCP I'm set against and not the Chinese people or China as a nation. I only wish the latter freedom from the former.
Considering their appalling record – I make zero apology for this.
It was just an observation. I didn’t ask for or expect an apology – we're all ‘entitled’ to our opinions, such as the one I wrote at 11:07 pm last night, and the one you wrote at 4:46 am this morning.
If we need some insight into where we are heading in terms of public malaise – some inklings from an article from Suzanne Moore on the UK twenty months in:
“Have you got a temperature?” the pharmacist asks. No, I am fine. She has to check as I am about to get a flu jab. Flu, we are told, could kill as many people this winter as Covid. Last year there was less flu because we were not mixing. This year who knows? “Can I get my Covid Booster shot here?” I ask. The Health Minister Sajid Javid said that anyone over 50 can now get one if it is six months since their last vaccine. “No, we don’t do them or we would be overwhelmed” says the pharmacist.
So I try to book one online. The government says I am eligible. The website says I am not.
This is yet another bit of the system that is not working, but like many of my fellow citizens I am resigned to this. I don’t bother calling my doctors’ because haven’t they already got enough to deal with?
This world where we are told one thing is happening and yet we know somehow it’s not – this state of cognitive dissonance – is how it feels here right now. There is no device that takes the temperature of a nation. Instead there is feverish speculation and cold hard information and most of us live somewhere between the two. ..
…
Other days nothing makes sense. We are lost but know intuitively that we cannot go back to a time before. The future always arrives unannounced. Our so called Blitz Spirit is a tattered myth. Many suffered what we now know to be real trauma.
Is this to be the winter of our discontent? It’s looking likely. So much is broken and yet you can walk into an expensive restaurant and it will be packed. You can go dancing as if nothing bad ever happened. You can party on. It’s just at night when you hear the sound of the ambulance sirens so regularly and helicopters hover overhead because our kids are still stabbing each other to death, you wonder what the phrase “a perfect storm” means. You wonder, as you nestle back down under the duvet, if there is shelter from the storm. You wonder if the shelters can withstand what is coming. And you fall into a half sleep trying to remember a time when there were adults who knew things and there were certainties and solutions and a desire to mend all that was damaged.
But it’s no good because as the dawn comes, you realise you no longer live in that country any more.
Thanks Molly, a sobering forewarning of things to come. The death cult capitalists would disregard as the ravings of the unhinged. But it is perfectly logical in fact.
So she is eligible for a booster, that means she is no longer 'vaccinated'. This is how quick one can fall from 'good' category of vaccinated to 'bad' category of unvaccinated, never mind the issues in getting these booster shots.
Do we even acknowledge that everyone who got vaccinated between Jan and April is right now in the process of loosing the double jabbed status, or has lost it already? Are these people counted under the vaccinated or unvaccinated?
I fall into that category, having obediently lined up and got my jab as soon as it was available .Apparently I still have 47% protection (what does that even mean?)in an area famous for its low vax rate.(57%), no word of boosters so I’m just going to have to run the gauntlet on this one
It depends on the particular statistic what protection means, but usually these are stated in relation to an unvaccinated rate. 47% then means if you would have contracted covid in some scenario then there is now have 53% rate of catching it in that same scenario.
Francesca – you still have excellent protection against hospitalisation and death from your vaccinations. It is your protection against catching (and potentially spreading) the virus at all, which is waning.
"It is your protection against catching (and potentially spreading) the virus at all, which is waning."
Some good news from New Scientist:
….People who are fully vaccinated against covid-19 are far less likely to infect others, despite the arrival of the delta variant, several studies show. The findings refute the idea, which has become common in some circles, that vaccines no longer do much to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
“They absolutely do reduce transmission,” says Christopher Byron Brooke at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “Vaccinated people do transmit the virus in some cases, but the data are super crystal-clear that the risk of transmission for a vaccinated individual is much, much lower than for an unvaccinated individual.”
Hi Francesca, N and I have that same problem, but I seem to remember reading here that our immunity still protects against the worst outcomes even at that level. I always get the 'flu vax, and I guess that is a booster. That was through our Dr's office, and I believe the booster will be the same, and they will call people in by invitation "as not all will need it" Seem to recall that. Someone else may know.
Life in the future with a Covid Pass is going to be interesting, one day you are vaccinated, the next no more – unless they give a grace period of a month to get the booster shot. Oh well its only the poor that will have to suffer the complications of these systems.
not that i can see, but i know from people overseas that the issue with getting the booster shots is real.
So any target of 90% is inachievable as any day people will fall out of the fully vaccinated group into the 'non vaccinated group' if they cant get a booster. At least that is what logic would suggest.
I doubt that few who are double vaxxed have no immunity now after 6 months, but we will see. I agree with what you've been saying about we need to keep on with the masks, handwashing, distancing etc.
Booster shots are a given, I'm not sure we know yet how that will work with the vax cert.
We don't need to rush this thing Jacinda has fallen flat on her face already trying to get the Australian Bubble up and running to quickly with out having the checks and balances in place.
There was a lot of pressure to have a trans – Tasman bubble, to reconnect family and for people to wake up and get vaccinated. Tourism and business were not the winners.
When it comes to pressure by opening up schools in a L3 zone, for students in years 11 – 13 this is going to be a body slam for the government.
To put education before a students health is going to have an effect which I do not think the health system is prepared for.
"The failure to at least try to maintain an elimination strategy until the vaccination rollout was well advanced has led to an inequity once again."
Absolutely agree.
The ending of the Level 4 Lockdown and its replacement with the so called Three Step Roadmap Out Of Lockdown" (Which was supposed to be implemented despite rising cases in the community) was abandoned as confusing and unworkable. On October 4, only the first step of loosening restrictions of the Roadmap in spite of rising infections was able to be inplemented before it was abandoned. The Three Step Roadmap Out Of Lockdown has been replaced with the Traffic Light system. The Traffic Light system has also been criticised for being confusing and unworkable.
Both systems were never meant to work. The purpose of both schemes is not to prevent a rise in infections, their purpose is to end lockdowns despite rising hospitalisations and deaths.
Health experts have called for the return of the Elimination strategy and the retention of the 4 Level Lockdown Alert system. The government have refused putting all their faith in the still incomplete vaccine roll out.
The triumph of the economy over public health and welfare is complete.
The current energy crisis in Europe and China exposes how shallow the response to climate change has been .We've hung on to the same economic model of produce and consume crap , with the same rising inequities , and concentrated on merely substituting fossil fuels with renewals.Dumb!! and frightening.
Disclaimer: i am personally not to badly affected by these times of the plague and am looking at a decent christmas period. 🙂
I am also not asking for money to be spend on undeserving businesses – and aren't they all underserving, bludgers all of them s/ – I am asking for a similar clause as was added to tenancy / lease agreements as was done in 2012 after teh CHCH earthquakes. This would provide some certainty to tenants but also the landlords and would by implication maybe even force the banks to work with their customers who hold commercial properties.
After decades of accepting that There Is No Alteranitve (TINA) to neoliberal economic orthodoxy, the Labour government are unlikely to adopt anything like the sort of lease and mortgage relief of the First Labour Government during the Depression, (or even of the Massey Coalition government during the First World War.)
Neoliberals would rather let the virus rip than consider any measures like that.
Rather than impose a mortgage moratorium, if they had been in power in 1913 Neoliberals would have let the Germans in.
Rather than impose a rent and lease moratorium, if they had been in power in 1931 neoliberals would have let mass evictions and mortgagees sales impoverish the mass of the people.
Because you know, TINA.
…..by 1931, it was clear that further intervention was necessary to prevent widespread foreclosures and mortgagee sales…..
….Although mortgage relief was frequently discussed at some length by
contemporary commentators, and by some historians in the 1950s and
1960s, it has been relegated to a few lines at most in more recent works.’
…..This Act also extended to lessees [renters] the same protection
that had been granted to mortgagors,
The modification of mortgage conditions was not new in New Zealand. A ‘mortgage moratorium’ had been imposed as a war measure in 1914,
Only the stupid would not know that if a facility is studying bat viruses and the potential effect on humans, that that research would need to determine if such a thing was possible. The way to do that would be to use lab mice inoculated with human cells to determine the outcome.. I pity the poor mice but we must give them thanks because although they do spread disease and environmental disaster, see Australia this year, many have given their lives so that we do not suffer the many diseases that afflict us. I think mice deserve the Noble Prize this year.
Trying to put China’s activities on the geopolitical front, especially the Pacific, in some sort of historical perspective.
China’s development has been governed by it is geography. Desert to the north, mountains to the west, jungle to the south the ocean to the east. Mountain ranges and river systems inside the borders have given structure to population growth and internal migration. The river valleys and plains of the Yellow river and the Yangtse being the major ones.
To protect the one border easily overrun, generations and multiple dynasties built an actual wall as a barrier to invasion. There have been periods in Chinese history where the exploration of the oceans to the east have been extensive. China has been trading regularly with ports as far as the Arabian Gulf and the Red Sea for thousands of years.
With the expansion of sea trade around its eastern coast from the 19th century it is only natural that China would want to ensure that its own coastline was protected. The expansion into the South China sea could be seen in this light. Similar with Taiwan. Prior to the Nationalist takeover, that island had been part of China for many hundreds of years.
Given China’s more recent history with Western powers, it could hardly be blamed for having a jaundiced view of their behaviour.
"Prior to the Nationalist takeover, that island had been part of China for many hundreds of years.".
Taiwan was part of China for a couple of hundred years perhaps but certainly not up until the Nationalist takeover as you suggest. For the 50 years from 1895 for example it was ruled by Japan. Prior to about 1760 the movement of Chinese people to Taiwan was actively discouraged by the Chinese authorities. The island was only really under the full control of China from about 1770 to 1880 or so.
So treat every one including yourself as if you had the plague and act accordingly. Mask, Distance, Sanitize, booster shots after vaccination. Keep bubbles small, stay away from large events.
If we are lucky it will run its course and disappear in two / three years.
Vaccination is far and away the single most powerful tool for reducing the effects of this crisis.
But yes, vaccination does need the help of other public safety measures to get us all to a reasonably positive outcome.
Such as ensuring the willfully unvaccinated disease spreaders are minimally out and about spreading disease. Ongoing mask use and distancing. Reducing the size and number of events where people are packed together making loud mouth-noises. And so on.
As efficacy for vaccines is less then 1,behavior constraints will be a necessity and concerts etc will need to be significantly restricted,despite the PM signalling.
“A mother and daughter reported there was a person acting strange, a man dressed as a woman wearing a wig,” said Wrentham Police Chief Bill McGrath.
When Wrentham Police responded to the outlets in August, where women reported a man behaving suspiciously in a women’s bathroom, an investigation began that would uncover far more sinister evidence. A witness photo showed what appeared to be pen cameras – recording devices – laced into the man’s sneakers.
Surveillance video soon led investigators to 23-year-old Jacob Guerrero of Woonsocket, Rhode Island. A search warrant gave police access to his phone, which contained photos and videos of child pornography.
“Some of the children he allegedly had on his phone were 8, 9, 10, 11 years old,” McGrath said.
But hey, they just want to use the loo that goes with their 'gender' right? Right? And no one could even tell them from a person. Right?
But it is all good, he can identify as a female and get to sit his sentence out in a female prison. Cause he is such a lovely young women. Right?
Whose is listening to us? We've said all these things w/could happen. To mount any argument let alone just ask a question is to invite all sorts of foul mouthed responses that seem perfectly OK to their supporters.
In my life the possible fracture between friends is on this issue rather than on Covid. We all seem to be vaxxed.
He was dressed in a wig in the ladies. US has self ID and anyone can be a lady and be in the ladies, and if they tell the cops they are a lady they get to go to the ladies prison.
So the moment he says he is a lady, or was a lady, or will be a lady, that makes him a lady.
Any 2 dollar wig will get you access to that sweet sweet ladydom and access to all the little girls and women you would like to film while they go to the loo to do their business and change their tampons / pads. Cause that is what ladies do, specially the ladies with penises and a penchant for little girls.
Perhaps you could answer the question. " does the criminal in this article identify as a Woman/Trans? I can't see anywhere in the storey that says HE does."
i have answered the question.
He was in a Ladies, wearing a Lady wig, impersonating a Lady, that by the Self ID laws in the US will make him a Lady. That is all you have to do to be a Lady.
and i leave it at that, lest someone accuses me of misgendering a dear Lady, with a Lady penis and a very bad wig, who is in the Ladies toilet to film little girls in the toilet.
And for what its worth, just in case you did not know, All trans identified males are men, no matter the wigs, the fake boobs, the lipstick and the shoes.
You haven't answered the question, it was a simple one. Obviously you are going to choose not to and will continue around in circles trying to link an arsehole male criminal in a wig and dress with the Trans Community. You should be ashamed
The shame rests with you for not thinking this through.
Sabine's original post states the problem is with self-id and the unthinking admittance of male-bodied people into female single sex spaces.
There is no condemnation of transpeople in there, just one of the current approach which puts women and girls at further unnecessary risk.
(As an aside, how comfortable would you be with a young girl aged 8 going into a changing room of naked men and getting undressed in front of them? If not 8, 11,16, 21? My partner says never. But I'm just wondering how many men on here that push for biological men in women's spaces would answer that question. Might provide some answers.)
Red's original question, has been answered several times. He just keeps asking because he wants to get someone to say something transphobic. And those replying aren’t transphobic, so it’s a bit of a hard slog.
Unfortunately, most of us, discussing in good faith, persisted in saying it was a problem of legislation and social contract that has resulted in this person getting access. They only thing of concern was that anyone with violent intent now had a form of access that they previously didn't have.
Perhaps you could answer the question. " does the criminal in this article identify as a Woman/Trans? I can't see anywhere in the storey that says HE does."
Can you please explain why this matters?
Also, what is a trans woman, and what is identifying as a woman? See if you can answer.
"were to say such a thing could happen then it is because they are transphobic or terf."
"with hate crime for misgendering the poor woman in the toilets"
"Cause that is what ladies do, specially the ladies with penises and a penchant for little girls"
That is why I asked just one question "does the criminal in this article identify as a Woman/Trans? I can't see anywhere in the storey that says HE does."
The assault does not have to be done by a transgender person to be harmful. The harm exists.
The admittance of male bodied people into female spaces used to be recognised as a problem, which is why we had single sex spaces in the first place.
The ability of self-id that requires nothing except a declaration of a self-experienced 'feeling' alongside a legal recognition of that feeling as reality, has created a situation whereby no-one can be challenged when entering a single-sex space, even when they are obviously not the sex it was intended for.
That has effectively opened the doors to those spaces for those who wish to violate women and girls.
They are just upset that some bloke put on a wig, went to a loo, filmed little girls going about their business and got caught. It makes them look bad, and they know it, but they also don't give a shit,
Self ID for all men is am must after all there is no more discriminated and endangered person then a male, and if little girls get filmed toileting for the sexual gratification of adults well that is a price to pay, and they are not the ones footing the bill. Aren't they?
PS. Perhaps you missed my question above, would like to know your answer?
(As an aside, how comfortable would you be with a young girl aged 8 going into a changing room of naked men and getting undressed in front of them? If not 8, 11,16, 21? My partner says never. But I'm just wondering how many men on here that push for biological men in women's spaces would answer that question. Might provide some answers.)
It's a fair question. Imho it would be unfortunate if people identifying as trans women were tarnished by the behavior of this man (or possibly trans woman) before any objective determination of their 'trans nature' has been made.
Of course, no one would conflate standing up for trans rights with excusing these invasive and/or predatory behaviours, would they?
It's a question that has nothing to do with the point Sabine made, which was in regards to the loss of previous safeguards around single sex spaces that made such a violation easier to do.
If transpeople fear that they will be unfairly tarnished they can start lobbying the government that the Self ID bill may makes it to easy for every Hans, Franz and Jakob too to identify into any female space, and please put some safe guarding in it so that these places are not littered with the broken bodies of women and children and the internet is not full of footage of little girls trying to change a menstruation pad or even just have a pee.
If transpeople fear that they will be unfairly tarnished they can start demanding that Self ID will be binned for something more sensible, so as to safe guard women, girls, boys and transpeople.
If transpeople fear that they will be unfairly tarnished they can start demanding that their Allies understand the danger that lies within the Self ID bill to the safety of women, girls, boys and transpeople, and be considered.
Until they do so, they too must understand that the bed they make, is the bed they will sleep in, and that the company they keep says more about them then i t will ever say about us who have been warning about that odious bill, that have been pointing out for some time now, that the Self ID bill is rubbish and dangerous. Because some people will abuse this right, and they will do damage, and chances are the damage is done to women and children, but then I guess that is ok. Women and children, are they even human?
"Has the promotion of trans rights led to a surge in violations of single sex spaces?"
Wrong question. The question is whether there is a conflict of rights between self -ID and women's rights.
(not all trans people support self-ID, in part because of how the above case impacts on them)
If you don't yet understand the problem with self ID, please pay attention to what women are saying, and who have been talking about this for some time.
Look, I don't AGREE or DISAGREE with the stance you are all taking, I am not in a position to speak with authority, which is why I only asked if this MAN was identifying as a Woman or Trans or if he was "just" a dirty POS male criminal.
God, I'm scared to ask in case of another pile on but should men be able to stop me as a gay male entering the Men's Bathroom in case I accidentally cop a glance at their dick or should they wait to complain until another male unwantedly cops a feel or photographs their dick. (ie Breaks the Law)
God, I'm scared to ask in case of another pile on but should men be able to stop me as a gay male entering the Men's Bathroom in case I accidentally cop a glance at their dick or should they wait to complain until another male unwantedly cops a feel or photographs their dick. (ie Breaks the Law)
Once again, you are entering a thread about a specific topic, and now you are asking for legal advice on something unrelated?
No-one knows where you are going with this. Do you?
none of your examples are about blaming the trans community for the actions of this male. Maybe you are not understanding what is being said. If you think those examples are about blaming the trans community, please explain how.
(and generally I would say your comments here would work better if you explained proactively what you mean rather than us to keep having to ask what you mean).
should men be able to stop me as a gay male entering the Men's Bathroom in case I accidentally cop a glance at their dick or should they wait to complain until another male unwantedly cops a feel or photographs their dick. (ie Breaks the Law)
sorry, I have no idea what you mean there. Obviously gay men should have access to men's toilets, why wouldn't they? And obviously if any man sexually assaults a man then that would be a matter for the law. That's got nothing to do with trans people, or women's single sex spaces. So please explain why you are asking this?
"sexually assaults a man then that would be a matter for the law. That's got nothing to do with trans people, or women's single sex spaces. So please explain why you are asking this?"
Which is exactly why I don't think the original point in this example should be used in the Trans Argument. This case had nothing to do with it, other than he put a wig and dress on to break the law.
If you don't see the snarky comments listed as aimed at the Trans/Trans Activists or Laws aimed at protecting the Trans Community, then we can obviously never agree, and if you can't see the correlation of Men sharing a Bathroom with law abiding Gay Men and Women sharing their Bathroom with law abiding Trans Women then I can't explain it any further. Once again, agree to disagree.
[I’m telling you as a mod, there is an onus on you to explain what you mean, because I’m not the only one that doesn’t follow your argument. If you are going to make accusations against people here, you have to back them up or explain how. I can’t agree to disagree, because I literally don’t know what point you are trying to make. – weka]
A: poster puts link to MAN breaking the law and links the story to Trans People having the right to use Women's Bathrooms so they feel safe.
B: I ask ONE question, did he identify as Woman or Trans.
C: 3 others pile in without answering the question (Sabine did, in about the third go)
D: I use, what I see, as a pretty relevant example of why Men shouldn't, and probably don't, feel threatened about other men using their bathroom unless a law is broken, just as Women shouldn't feel threatened in a bathroom unless someone, Male or Female breaks the law.
I truly don't know how to make it any clearer. If there hadn't been a pile on I assume Sabine and I would have had a debate until, judging by my lack of debating skills, would have reached an impasse.
Would you like me to Ban myself again from Open Mike as I seriously tried to?
If you don't see the snarky comments listed as aimed at the Trans/Trans Activists or Laws aimed at protecting the Trans Community, then we can obviously never agree, and if you can't see the correlation of Men sharing a Bathroom with law abiding Gay Men and Women sharing their Bathroom with law abiding Trans Women then I can't explain it any further. Once again, agree to disagree.
Finally, we get to read your point. Another bad faith attempt at engagement.
If you can't point out the "aimed at the Trans/Trans Activists or Laws aimed at protecting the Trans Community,", perhaps consider it's because they don't exist.
The difference between sexual attraction and sexual assault, should be clear. One is an act of intimacy, one is an act of violence. Don't conflate the two.
It used to be accepted that women needed single sex spaces when vulnerable for the following reasons:
Most attacks on women are perpetrated by men,
Men are over 20% physically stronger than women,
For reasons of modesty, privacy and culture many women do not want to be in a state of undress where a male bodied person is present.
Allowing male-bodied people into female spaces is not "protecting the trans community", it is a violation of single-sex spaces. One that has foreseen consequences. One that could avoid those negative consequences by the provision of a third space.
That is why I personally advocated for third spaces for male-bodied transwomen, like Debbie Hayton in the UK:
21. Because gender identity is unprovable and unfalsifiable, the attempt to reframe transgender rights in terms of gender identity has been progressed by assertion rather than argument. That has damaged the trust and confidence that transgender people rely on to live our lives.
22. My own experience of being transgender has developed over the past ten years as I came out and transitioned socially, medically, and surgically. Initially I believed what I had been told: that I was some sort of woman. That provided a trivial explanation for my gender dysphoria, but it was a statement of belief. Unsurprisingly I was unable to construct an argument to support my claim to be a woman that would convince me, let alone anyone else. That caused me significant distress.
23. I finally found peace with myself when I reconciled myself to my sex and accepted that I did not need to assert a gender identity to break social gender norms.
24. My current understanding of myself is a biological male who breaks those social gender norms to be comfortable in my body and with how I relate to society. I am content because it is self-evident to me and others, and it requires no female gender identity. The protected characteristic of Gender Reassignment protects me from harassment and discrimination, while I could still use my diagnosis of gender dysphoria to access a GRC, should I wish to apply for one.
25. However, this understanding gives me no right to be treated by the law and by society in the same way as a woman, whenever the sexes are served differently.
26. I therefore ask the Committee to press the Government to consider ways in which safe-and-secure mixed-sex services and provision can be added alongside current provision that is sex-segregated. The benefits would extend to anyone who did not want to share communal facilities with their own sex. As well as transgender people. this could include parents with young children of the opposite sex and carers of vulnerable adults of the opposite sex.
Which is exactly why I don't think the original point in this example should be used in the Trans Argument. This case had nothing to do with it, other than he put a wig and dress on to break the law.
Then you still don't understand what the problem is, despite it being explained. Self ID allows any male to enter women's spaces. That's trans women and men and NB males. All of them, at any time. Women have no way of knowing if any male is a trans woman or not. None.
Trans women can look like men. Stop and think about that. If you still think that trans women are people who have transitioned (eg like Georgina Beyer) then you need to educate yourself, because that is no longer true. Any male who says they are a woman at any time is now to be considered a woman. How can you not see the problem with that?
The man in the article may be a trans woman, we have no way of knowing. This is the whole point. We (women, and actually the rest of society) have no way of knowing.
The issues isn't trans rights generally, it's self-ID specifically. YOu appear to not understand what self-ID is.
I'm pretty sure you couldn't. After this conversation, I have serious concerns about your ability to get out of bed in the morning.
A: poster puts link to MAN breaking the law and links the story to Trans People having the right to use Women's Bathrooms so they feel safe.
A: poster puts link to PERSON breaking the law and links the story to the changes in legislation for self-id and access to single sex spaces that allowed this PERSON to enter such spaces unchallenged.
B: I ask ONE question, did he identify as Woman or Trans.
B: You ask ONE irrelevant question, did he identify as Woman or Trans. (No mention of the harm that has taken place for the women and children that were violated).
C: 3 others pile in without answering the question (Sabine did, in about the third go)
C: 3 others pile in – what can I say – Open Mike, and the question was pointed out as being irrelevant. Besides, we can now spot a bit of bad faith posturing a mile off.
D: I use, what I see, as a pretty relevant example of why Men shouldn't, and probably don't, feel threatened about other men using their bathroom unless a law is broken, just as Women shouldn't feel threatened in a bathroom unless someone, Male or Female breaks the law.
D: You use, a pretty simplistic example that you as a gay man should know better not to use. Actually, as a thinking human being. You never answered my question about a young girl disrobing in a male changing room. There is discomfort that is not connected to sexual attraction or sexual violence that relates to social mores and accepted behaviour.
That discomfort of being in the presence of the opposite sex when naked or vulnerable may be stronger for females than you as an individual. Culturally, it is unacceptable to some in terms of personal privacy or religious beliefs. So to admit male bodied people into such spaces, is to exclude some female bodied people from those spaces.
I truly don't know how to make it any clearer. If there hadn't been a pile on I assume Sabine and I would have had a debate until, judging by my lack of debating skills, would have reached an impasse.
I know you think it is a pile on. But it was really a lot of people trying to explain the same thing, and you demonstrating repeatedly a lack of comprehension. Debate is a telling word. It does appear there was no intention of having a discussion, and I am not going to watch another commenter on this site be 'debated' on this topic if I suspect it is not entered to in good faith, so I think you should remember that.
"Has the promotion of trans rights led to a surge in violations of single sex spaces?"
Wrong question.
Even if it is a "wrong question", answers may nevertheless be forthcoming – in the fullness of time.
And those are some edifying images you posted at 4:08/4:10/4:15 pm.
Suppose 'third spaces' (or third and forth spaces?) are better than no spaces at all. And maybe the less obviously transgender could also display a visible ‘sex identifier’, for added security.
are you being sarcastic? If so it's in very poor taste, for trans women and women. Nearly all humans know what sex they are, and nearly all humans can recognise visually the sex of other humans, we don't need visible sex identifiers.
Trans people shouldn't be required to modify their bodies. Women shouldn't have to share single sex spaces with male bodied people. I don't know what you are trying to say (and again, I really wish people would just speak plainly and say what they mean).
I am blaming shitty laws made by shitty politicians that allow any male to impersonate women in order to gain access to toilets, changing rooms, saunas, sports, jobs, etc etc etc and all in the name of Self ID. That is all a man has to do in order to be legally considered a 'women'. They can keep their cock n balls, their beards, their flat chests and big feet, and yet, they are still women. Go figure.
No need for trans, But the trans community that is upset with any male being able to pretend to be a trans person in order to gain access to women and children and specifically to film little girls on the toilet can speak up any day now. Any fucking day.
So I am not saying that this person identifies as Trans, as he does not have to anymore, I am saying he clearly impersonates women when it suits his sexual need for arousal and to satisfy his little girl on the toilet fetish.
The only people focussed on whether this person was trans or not misses the fact that the women and girls were assaulted.
In many states in the US, the access to the space was legislatively and socially sanctioned, because now – even if someone is recognisably male – you are unable to stop them entering single sex spaces for females.
IF they have assault or violation in mind, then they now can enter a space where women and girls may be naked, in a state of undress, or vulnerable without anybody challenging them. In fact, challenging them would be considered 'transphobic'.
So, who could foresee this coming? Apparently, not you. But many did.
Nah, then we become defective men and the only reason they have for keeping us around is simply that they still need some amubulant wombs for reproduction.
We – thanks to the very progressive politicians of our time, have become nothing, something that is undefinable yet everyone who wants to can be one, thanks to a shitty wig and a bit of lippy. And sometimes not even that is needed.
Gosh, i remember being a little girl in Germany in the early seventies and we all knew which public toilets were safe to go to and which ones weren't. And for a while that stopped, public spaces became somewhat safe for women of all ages and girls and little boys too. And here we are and we wear seven mile boots and going backwards. Now i am getting old, and thus will use less and less of these spaces, nor am i trying to make a career in a world were a man with lippy is 'inclusion of the femine' into a boardroom, and a team of all transwomen can be considered a womens team, nor will i ever have to compete with a part time womenman for a 'womens of the year award'.
So i am just sad, for every girl assaulted, every girl/boy on a cheap 5 second clip on the internet for all eternity so that some sick adults can jack off, sad for what we do and allow to be done to women and girls because in the end, we know how it will end, how it always ended. We have history books full of that particular story.
I know the sadness you hold, because it resides in me.
What holds me up, and brings a smile to my wet face is the voices of others (mostly women) – including yours. What gets me up is the anger at such harm being willfully ignored.
The issue is that someone gained access to a space previously under legislative AND social contract as a single sex space, due to the confusion arising from the issue of self-id and the practical application of the law.
That made it easier for someone with malice to enter the space unchallenged.
This possibility was raised, it matters little whether they identify or not.
Single sex spaces – were created to protect women and girls when they are unclothed, sleeping or in other vulnerable states.
They really don't care about that Molly. The only thing that is important is that persons like yourself and me accept these women as women without any buts and ifs. 🙂
Who knows the truth of whether these men truly see themselves as trans, or whether they (mis)use the term to gain access to assault women and girls.
quite.
Red Blooded, this is why I asked you what is a trans woman? The only definition I'm aware of currently is a male who self identifies as woman. How would you tell the difference between a trans woman and a man pretending to be a trans woman and a man pretending to be a woman?
"I have just one question, does the criminal in this article identify as a Woman/Trans? I can't see anywhere in the storey that says HE does."
As others have said, at this point, from a safeguarding pov, it doesn't actually matter. Self-ID means that any male can be a woman at any time. So if someone sees a male in a women's toilets, the social expectation and pressure is to assume they are a trans woman and not question their right to be there.
That social pressure is dangerous, and when women pointed this out we were called bigots. Including by people who should have known better.
The other aspect is the number of left wing people who believe that women and girls (and probably boys) are collateral damage in the push for gender identity ideology to take hold.
Thanks for providing for me the significance of this proposed legislation. I feel sure going on past form this government will make no changes without a referendum first,
Judith Collins is showing her complete lack of common sense – she is demanding to know the date the traffic light system will finish. How can anyone put an exact date on that with so many unknowns ahead. No one knows what the situation will be in 3 months, 6 months, 9 months – so how foolish to put a date on it.
Collins continues to Crush Nationals chances of retaining its major party status.
Probably trying to appeal to ACT supporters while loosing more of the centre ground.
Bishop agrees with govt approach Collins trying to be relevant has another disaster how much longer can National continue with a vote Crusher. Team play is why NZ does so well. Crusher is not a team player but a neglected bully which are the worst kind .
yup, Collins has 2 faces – one coming and one going- and she doesn't know which one to follow. The latest she doesn't agree with a '2 class system' but still supports vaccine certificates and giving businesses the power to use them. She has undermined her Covid spokesperson Bishop who supports the vaccine passports and is disagreeing with the last National Party leader who won an election who pushed for vaccine certificates.
The utter idiocy, ideological blindness (or perhaps it is intentional), and lack of class analysis in this tweet by the UK LGBTQ police network twitter account.
They think that men who have committed violence against women, and women being victims of violence by men, is somehow analogous 😳 Let's not record any gender/sex stats, that will fix things. FFS.
This is institutional and personal (by the tweeter) misogyny (bear in mind the UK has had recent high profile murders of women, including one woman murdered by a policeman misuing his police credentials, and police saying women should take more care to avoid being murdered by men).
It's part of a longstanding and increasing dynamic in society that is trying to remove women's rights. And half the left is supporting this.
Hone Harawira and his mates are calling for Northland to go up to Level 3.Amongst his comments was this
Another concern is a plan by protestors to take over the Wakaputanga celebrations at Waitangi on Thursday. Wakaputanga marks the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1835, with festivities scaled down this year due to health restrictions. But Harawira said a “group of Pakēhā anti-vaxxers” planned to come to Waitangi from all over the country to occupy the grounds, in breach of alert levels.
If true, what on earth leads some honky antivaccers to believe they have the right to deliberately breach restrictions to peddle some weak minded antivax propaganda. It is their right not to be vaccinated, they put their own health and risk. Where do they get off peddling some mistruths and falsehoods which might influence the naive and gullible and put others health at risk. Self entitlement at it's worst.
A local company using local resources is getting shafted, supermarket customers are being deprived of choice, and a gazillion air-miles are being flown (from Alaska and China for gosh sakes!), at goodness knows what cost to the environment, all basically so that a few more pennies can trickle into the already well-stuffed pockets of Foodstuffs shareholders.
Why isn’t half the country jumping up and down in rage? Why is Stuff (to name but one) so silent on the matter?
Just heard university students returning to Auckland and Waikato are considered non essential, but travel will be permitted under level 2. So over the next few weeks there will be thousands of students returning to Auckland and Hamilton that under current restrictions will be unable to do so. This is from Air NZ. 😤
I imagine the same will be for those returning by car?
I have an Auckland University student and an Auckland Unitec student at home.
Both have been told that the remainder of the year is online. I can't see why any tertiary students would be coming to Auckland before the next semester.
Those who live in Auckland, Hamilton, Northland etc that have been studying in the South, Wellington, Pal Nth etc. There will be thousands travelling from next week onwards as their year and exams are completed. Or have completed their education diploma/Degree etc and have employment and relocating to a level 3 area
From Air NZ
“You have options if you still need to travel
At Alert Level 3, travelling is limited and only essential travellers are permitted to travel between regions.
If you would like to travel domestically with no connection through Auckland, you can do so as normal under the guidance of Alert Level 2. If you transit through Auckland, you will need to stay within the terminal while you wait for your connecting flight.”
New Zealand is again having to reconcile conflicting pressures from its military and its trade interests. Should we join Pillar Two of AUKUS and risk compromising our markets in China? For a century after New Zealand was founded in 1840, its external security arrangements and external economics arrangements were aligned. ...
The ‘50 Shades of Green’ farmers’ protest in 2019 was heavy on climate change denial, but five years on, scepticism and criticism about the idea that pine forests can save us is growing across the board. File photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate ...
This morning the sky was bright.The birds, in their usual joyous bliss. Nature doesn’t seem to feel the heat of what might angst humans.Their calls are clear and beautiful.Just some random thoughts:MāoriPaul Goldsmith has announced his government will roll back the judiciary’s rulings on Māori Customary Marine Title, which recognises ...
In 2003, the Court of Appeal delivered its decision in Ngati Apa v Attorney-General, ruling that Māori customary title over the foreshore and seabed had not been universally extinguished, and that the Māori Land Court could determine claims and confirm title if the facts supported it. This kicked off the ...
Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Carereport released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced$802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Carereport in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquirypublished its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone iconon the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive:Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloittereport for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’sOliver LewisScoop:Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announcedthe Board of Te Whatu Ora-Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Orderimage, ...
Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
Waiting In The Wings:For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSAannounced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
Open access notablesImproving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society:To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
A late change to charter school legislation will cheat educators out of fair pay and negotiating power proving charter schools are just a vehicle to make profit out of our education system. ...
In 2004 te iwi Māori rallied against the Crown’s attempt to confiscate our coastlines and moana with the Foreshore and Seabed Act. This led to the largest hīkoi of a generation and the birth of Te Pāti Māori. 20 years later, history is repeating itself. Today the government has announced ...
It has been five and a half years since the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care was established to investigate the abuse of children, young people, and vulnerable adults within state and faith-based institutions. Yesterday, the final report - Whanaketia through pain and trauma, from darkness to light ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to take action off the back of the International Court of Justice ruling on Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine. ...
On Friday the International Court of Justice reaffirmed what Palestinian’s have been telling us for decades: that the occupation and colonisation of Palestinian lands by Israel is illegal and must end immediately. They also called for reparations for Palestinian’s who have lived under Israeli occupation since it began in 1967. ...
Labour calls on the Government to act after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Territories is illegal. ...
The 53.7 percent rise in benefit sanctions over the last year is more proof of this Government’s disdain for our communities most in need of support. ...
Aotearoa could be a country where every child grows up feeling safe, loved and with a sense of belonging in their whānau and community. But for some of our children, this is far from reality. Instead, they are trapped in a maze of intergenerational harm that they can’t escape on ...
Te Pāti Māori are calling for David Seymour to resign as Associate Health Minister in response to his call for Pharmac to ignore the Treaty of Waitangi. “This announcement is just another example of the government’s anti-Tiriti, anti-Māori agenda.” Said Co-leader and spokesperson for health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. “Seymour thinks it ...
The soaring price of renting is driving the rise of inflation in this country - with latest figures from Stats NZ showing rents are up 4.8 per cent on average while annual inflation is at 3.3 per cent. ...
National’s Emissions Reduction Plan will take New Zealand further from the economy we need to ensure the next generation has a stable climate and secure livelihoods. ...
Following consultation with named parties and thorough consideration of privacy interests, the Green Party is in a position to release the Executive Summary of the final report from the independent investigation into Darleen Tana. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon should be asking serious questions of his Minister for Resources Shane Jones now it’s been revealed he misled the public about a dinner with mining companies that he didn’t declare and said wasn’t pre-arranged. ...
Te Pāti Māori have submitted to the Justice Select Committee against the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill. The bill will further entrench racism in our justice system and fails to focus on rehabilitation. “Reinstating Three Strikes will empower a systematically racist system and exacerbate the overrepresentation of Māori in ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee is set to make a determination on the Residential Tenancies Amendment (RTA) Bill in the coming weeks. “This legislation will give landlords the power to kick our whānau out onto the street for no reason” said Housing spokesperson, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “Their solution to the housing ...
“National’s campaign was about tackling crime and the best they can do is a two-year long Ministerial Advisory Group,” Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
“There are more examples of charter schools failing their students than there are success stories. The coalition Government is driving to dismantle our public school system and instead promote a privatised, competitive structure that puts profits before kids,” Jan Tinetti said. ...
“This government is choosing to deliberately mislead and withhold information, keeping our people in the dark about this government’s agenda and the future of our mokopuna,” said co-leader and spokesperson for Health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. The call comes after the demand from the Chief Ombudsman that Associate Minister of Health, Casey ...
“Today’s climate announcement by Simon Watts makes clear the National Government is simply paying lip service to meeting its climate change targets,” Megan Woods said. ...
National is choosing to make life harder for workers by taking away the rights our communities have fought hard for. Here's how they’re taking workers backwards. ...
Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue. We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views. “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
Tēnā tātou katoa, Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts. “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet. “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks. “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. At the heart of this report are the ...
For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024. “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane. “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says. “This will be our third visit to ...
Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today. “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum. While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation. “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan. “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says. “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests. Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone. Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
Opinion: The Canadian short story writer Alice Munro – winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013 – died in May at the age of 92. Her work was about “the damage people inflict on one another in the name of love”, Deborah Treisman wrote in the New Yorker. ...
This month marks two years since the most powerful telescope ever built sent its first pictures back to earth. From its lofty vantage point, beyond the moon in orbit around the sun, the James Webb Space Telescope was tuned to observe the first stars and galaxies being born soon after ...
Comment: After Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ preview several weeks ago, I had some optimism about the Government’s emissions reduction plan. Now I’ve read the discussion document, that hope has been dashed. How can the Government propose a plan that wants to take New Zealand taxpayers’ hard-earned money, and spend ...
Christopher Luxon: hurdles The little man from National jumps hurdles in his sleep. He’s quite good at it in his dreams and even though the reality doesn’t quite match up you have to give him credit for getting up every morning and crashing into the very first hurdle of the ...
Comment: It was a good two hours into the conversation when Tyrone Marks raised the most basic of questions when I first spoke to him in 2017. “They didn’t explain the things they did to me. They never told me why. And they still haven’t. There’s no explanation for it. ...
Last summer when Matairangi burned, Ginny and Tom stood at the window of their lounge, watching kākā shoot skyward from the burning trees. From the distance, they looked to Ginny like pages torn from books and thrown into a bonfire. It was Tom, voice tight, who told her it was ...
Madeleine Chapman rounds out Death Week on The Spinoff with a final recommendation. You can read all of our Death Week coverage here. Nothing forces you to reflect on your life and relationships quite like proximity to death. For those whose nearest and dearest have died, there are reasonably obvious ...
Whitney Greene takes us through her life in television, including the TV character she’d like to plan a funeral for and her cow lung catastrophe on The Traitors NZ. “If the phone rings, I have to answer it,” Whitney Greene from The Traitors NZ warns as we begin our My ...
Maddie Ballard reviews the debut essay collection of Pōneke writer Flora Feltham.In ‘The Raw Material’, the longest essay in Flora Feltham’s dazzling debut collection, the author heads out for a run after hours of weaving and sees the world turn to textile. “Pounding along the Parade, I saw the ...
Andy Christiansen, one half of the experimental rock-pop duo TRiPS, shares the tunes inspiring the band’s perfect weekend and new release. “Good speakers, good food, good music, no distractions”: that’s all you need to enjoy the psychedelic stylings of TRiPS, a new band formed by Fly My Pretties’ Barnaby Weir ...
Celebrating our quadrennial opportunity to become experts in a bunch of sports we never normally watch.The games of the XXXIII Olympiad are upon us. Paris will host this year’s showcase of sporting and athletic prowess, which means some late-night and early-morning viewing for us in Aotearoa.But what sports ...
The photograph is striking and beautiful, but also disturbing – a reminder that my love for John was often entangled in shame.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.In the spring of 1980, in Dunedin, shortly before his death, someone took a photograph ...
Get to know Babushka, our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Babu’s humans, Jo and Isabel, for their support. Dog name: Babushka (Babu for short) Age: 2Breed: Border Collie X poodleIf rescued, ...
Pacific Media Watch A Lebanese photojournalist who was severely wounded during an Israeli air strike in south Lebanon carried the Olympic torch in Paris this week in honour of her peers who have been wounded and killed in the field — especially in Gaza and Lebanon. Christina Assi of Agence ...
The first report in a five-part web series focused on the 15th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women taking place in the Marshall Islands this week.SPECIAL REPORT:By Netani Rika in Majuro Women continue to fight for justice 70 years after the first nuclear tests by the United States caused ...
Christopher Luxon has joined with Australia and Canada's leaders in voicing support for US President Joe Biden's ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The 2022 election brought the “teal wave” into parliament. The next election will test whether teals, who occupy what were Liberal seats, and other independents can maintain their momentum. Joining us on the Podcast ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Musgrave, Senior lecturer in Pharmacology, University of Adelaide Pixavri/Shutterstock A major Federal Court class action has been dismissed this week after Justice Michael Lee ruled there was not enough evidence to prove the weedkiller Roundup causes cancer. Plaintiff Kelvin ...
In The Week in Politics: politicians have to decide what to do about child abuse, Health NZ is booked in for major surgery and Darleen Tana returns. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Corbould, Associate Professor, Contemporary Histories Research Group, Deakin University Mainstream media are surprisingly muted at the prospect of the world’s most powerful nation being led for the first time by a woman – specifically a woman of colour, Vice President Kamala ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Bennett, PhD Student, Associate Research Fellow, Deakin University Last week, a drone delivery company called Wing (owned by Google’s parent company, Alphabet) started operating in Melbourne. Some 250,000 residents in parts of the city’s eastern suburbs can now order food from ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Foo, Lecturer, Physiotherapy, Monash University pikselstock/Shutterstock In the next 40 years in Australia, it’s predicted the number of Australians aged 65 and over will more than double, while the number of people aged 85 and over will more than triple. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katrina Grant, Research Associate, Power Institute for Arts and Visual Culture, University of Sydney Jonas Åkerström’s 1790 work, Session of the Accademia dell’Arcadia on August 17 1788.Nationalmuseum/Cecilia Heisser Ever wondered whether you’d have a better chance at winning an Olympic gold ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexandra Jones, Program Lead, Food Governance, George Institute for Global Health wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock On Thursday, Australian and New Zealand food ministers at state, federal and national levels met to thrash out what’s next for health star ratings on packaged foods. Now, after ...
The Abuse in Care report found many Pacific survivors lost their connections to their culture and language, resulting in trauma that has been carried from generation to generation. ...
In the regulatory review, ECC intends to suggest that ERO focus on curriculum delivery reviews rather than the Ministry, because it’s not efficient or effective to have two agencies with radically different approaches climbing over each other. ...
Te Rūnanga Nui o Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori invites the current government to work in partnership with them to develop a pathway forward, including the development of a parallel pathway and meaningful policy and strategy for Kura Kaupapa Māori ...
If you haven’t started watching yet, Tara Ward begs you to reconsider. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. In the world of New Zealand reality television, we have many gems in our crown. There’s the delicious second season of the Celebrity Treasure ...
A new poem by Fiona Kidman. The clothes of the dead I did not keep my mother’s furry red beret for long nor the stringy scarves that adorned the necks of my aunts, although I have kept tag ends of gold, the rings and trinkets they wore, the brooches no ...
The government’s announcement that it will re-open the foreshore and seabed controversy by changing the rules on recognising centuries-old Māori customary title for a third time goes against the rule of law and New Zealand values,” Mr Tipa says. ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Lioness by Emily Perkins (Bloomsbury, $25) Roarrrr! Perkins’ brilliant, award-winning, Marian-Keyes anointed, darkly funny, long ...
The 2004 Act vested ownership of the foreshore and seabed in the Crown, extinguishing any Māori claims to ownership and causing widespread outrage and protests among Māori communities. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Antje Deckert, Associate Professor (Criminology), Auckland University of Technology Getty Images Despite the connection between institutional harm and gang membership made clear in this week’s mammoth royal commission abuse-in care report, the government seems unlikely to soften its “get tough on ...
From Lewis Clareburt in the swimming to the start of the rowing – the first seven days of Paris 2024 promise to be big for New Zealand. There are few events that bring the country together quite like an Olympic Games. Nothing quite matches the excitement of getting up in ...
Groundbreaking local science just showed up in the most surprising of places: the season finale of The Kardashians. In the season five finale of The Kardashians last night, several members of the family gathered together in one of their signature empty, cream-coloured rooms to hear test results that had been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Saikal, Emeritus professor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies, Australian National University The Middle East is on the brink of a possibly devastating regional war, with hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah reaching an extremely dangerous level. Washington has engaged in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Elizabeth Eades, Rheumatologist, Monash University Lupus is an inflammatory autoimmune illness, where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks itself. Lupus can affect virtually any part of the body, although it most commonly affects the skin, joints and kidneys. The symptoms ...
A law firm that specialises in working with survivors of abuse in State care is disappointed that the Government fails to recognise that its boot camps can be directly compared to previous boot camps from the 1990s and 2000s. ...
Dying is a natural part of life, like updating your Wof or seeing your hairdresser, but without the word-of-mouth recs that help guarantee a good service. What if we changed that? Dying Reviews received by The Spinoff have had the names of organisations redacted while Hospice NZ collects further data. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonti Horner, Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland Mike Lewinski/Flickr, CC BY On any clear night, if you gaze skywards long enough, chances are you’ll see a meteor streaking through the sky. Some nights, however, are better than others. At ...
Despite having no bars or other designated spaces for lesbians, Auckland boasts a small but mighty lesbian museum. So how did it get here? The past 18 months has brought increasing hostility towards the queer community across Aotearoa. Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull’s anti-trans rally in Tamaki Makaurau last March led to a ...
Poneke Antifascist Coalition has invited Wellingtonians to stand in solidarity with the Kanak people at 12pm today outside the French Embassy in Wellington. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Layton, Visiting Fellow, Strategic Studies, Griffith University Drones are the signature technology of the Ukraine war. A few miniature aircraft designs were used in the war’s early days, but an incredible array of drones have now evolved. There are different types, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Slee, Associate Professor, Clinical Academic Neurologist, Flinders University Francisco Gonzelez/Unsplash Migraine is many things, but one thing it’s not is “just a headache”. “Migraine” comes from the Greek word “hemicrania”, referring to the common experience of migraine being predominantly ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lee White, Senior Lecturer and Horizon Fellow, School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Sydney Australia was slow to introduce minimum building standards for energy efficiency. The Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) only came into force in 2003. Older homes ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steven Sherwood, Professor of Atmospheric Sciences, Climate Change Research Centre, UNSW Sydney The past century of human-induced warming has increased rainfall variability over 75% of the Earth’s land area – particularly over Australia, Europe and eastern North America, new research shows. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Heynen, Program Coordinator, Sustainable Energy, The University of Queensland A temporary stadium in the Champ-de-Mars, ParisEkaterina Pokrovsky/Shutterstock As Paris prepares to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the sustainability of the event is coming under scrutiny. The organisers have promoted ...
A night of karaoke and community in a pub that feels like a memory. You’d barely even notice it, unless you knew to look. Tucked away behind a liquor store on busy Constable Street is the capital’s last great pub. Newtown Sports Bar is an emblem of the pub culture ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Wright, Professor in Marine Geology, University of Canterbury Louise Corcoran/Getty Images The decline in the number of doctoral candidates at New Zealand universities is a worrying sign for the country’s effort to build a knowledge-based economy. Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laurie Berg, Associate Professor, University of Technology Sydney defotoberg/Shutterstock Migrant worker exploitation is entrenched in workplaces across Australia. Tragically, a deep fear of immigration consequences means most unlawful employer conduct goes unreported. On Wednesday, however, the government officially launched a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vaughan Cruickshank, Senior Lecturer in Health and Physical Education, University of Tasmania Paris is about to host its third summer Olympics. While we don’t yet know what the legacy of this year’s games will be, let’s take the opportunity to reflect on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hugh Breakey, Deputy Director, Institute for Ethics, Governance & Law, Griffith University In the wake of the assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump, there were calls from bothsides of US politics, as well as internationally, to reduce the brutal, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Keith Rathbone, Senior Lecturer, Modern European History and Sports History, Macquarie University Two high-profile assaults on Australians in Paris have raised concerns about security ahead of the Olympic Games. On Saturday evening, a young woman was allegedly sexually assaulted by a ...
Dying is inevitable and, so it seems, is it costing a lot, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in today’s extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here.The cost of dying ...
The government took Joyce Harris's first baby and sent her off to a girls' home. Half a century on - and out of oceans of hurt - it asked her to be a mother figure. ...
It’s the deadliest fictional town in the country, but which death has been the most bonkers? Alex Casey looks back at 10 seasons of The Brokenwood Mysteries to find out. Warning: The following ranking story contains famous New Zealand actors appearing to be dead (not alive). The Spinoff has been ...
Water cremation is the biggest thing to happen to the death industry in the last 100 years. Alex Casey meets the people trying to bring it to Aotearoa. Through a set of mirrored doors down the industrial end of Christchurch’s St Asaph Street, death is getting a new lease on ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 26 July appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Update on the Baldwin shooting
You have to be kidding. You couldn't make this up.
"Members of the film crew working on the set where a cinematographer was shot dead by the actor Alec Baldwin are reported to have been using the gun involved for live target practice.
Sources involved in the production of Rust, a western set in the 19th century, told the celebrity website TMZ that the gun was used for recreational purposes off set, with real ammunition that may have accidentally been left in the weapon when it was handed to Baldwin, 63, as he rehearsed a scene in New Mexico."
Who cares? There are around 250,000 gun deaths each year in the world.
And close to 5 million covid deaths – so firearms are far less lethal?
As someone said to me over the weekend there's a new T-shirt coming out that says:
"Guns don't kill people, but Alec Baldwin does"
Too soon?
yes, especially if it's not his fault.
It's his fault. He picked up the gun, he didn't check the firearm himself and he pulled the trigger.
if he thought it was a prop, not a firearm, then no, it’s not his fault. Unless they use live ammunition on the set for some reason, why would he need to treat it as a firearm rather than a prop? It’s also a workplace, so there are rules around all of that.
the whole "who to blame" bollocks is a result of the gun culture, having a shootup for fun, gun maybe left with live ammo etc etc. treating guns like we treat power tools is a nonsense. personal protection,second amendment, grow up!
Bit like that in NZ with our gang, drug and gun culture. We appear to have a gang related shooting nearly every week these days, even under lockdown, however gangsters don't take much notice of lockdowns. I thought Jacinda and the NZ Police were on top of this gun problem ?
Cyber chocolate fish to whomever guesses which individual is selling those.
(Hint; he was a distant runner-up to his dad for the title of World's Most Loathsome Pile of Garbage Wearing a Human Skinsuit)
Baldwin needs to be charged along with others for this Clusterfuck, I agree you can’t make this shit up and it could only happen in the USA.
What would you charge Baldwin with? What punishment would you give him if he were to be found guilty?
Negligence when handling a firearm and manslaughter, basic gun handling procedure check there is no live ammunition in the weapon, same rules apply for normal people or are Hollywood Movie Stars different to you and I ?
didn't he have good reason to believe it was a prop not a working firearm?
Baldwin probably believed it was a prop or loaded with blanks however someone f#%ked up big time, sounds like three people did not double check the weapon was loaded with live ammunition.
Someone gives the gun to someone in the usual way on the set with it implicit that it's checked, it's okay to use in the expected manner.
That person gives it to someone in the usual way on the set with it implicit that it's checked, it's okay to use in the expected manner.
That person gives it to the actor, who accepts it expecting to use it in the pre-ordained manner.
Someone clearly stuffed up dramatically with tragic results. Baldwin killed someone as a result. Can you think of a punishment as bad as knowing you did it and having to live with it every day of the rest of your life?
I pick my car up from the company servicing it. Someone does not do some detail right and does not check properly. I pick the car up and on the way home my car goes out of control because of the job not being done properly.
The car crosses the centre line hits another vehicle and someone in the other car is killed. What should I be charged with? What punishment should I be given?
Red herring the mechanic should be charged, not sure on the punishment.
Do I take it from that you now think Baldwin should not be charged? Which is where you started.
Obviously all parties involved were negligent, there should not be live ammunition on the set but it is the USA. Baldwin evidently has been quite careful in the past.
I doubt Baldwin is culpable, it will be on the people who manage the props.
Apparently the AD has previous. Allegedly.
Re Punishment have a look on the US Websites and get back to us what you think he should get.
"it could only happen in the USA."
I don't know, some of the accidental gun deaths in NZ are pretty stupid too.
Agree 100% especially with the haphazard licensing here in NZ and the number of illegal firearms floating around this country in the hands of the criminal fraternity.
I was thinking about hunters who shoot other people, or kids that shoot their mates when playing with their dad's rifle because their father left a bullet in it and didn't have it locked away. I grew up in a household where the hunting rifle was in the cupboard, but I never saw any ammunition.
Time flies – I thought this shooting happened maybe five years ago, but it's more than ten.
The bloke that handed the gun to Baldwin or whoever was supposed to check it should be charged.
Well, no. Actors aren't experts, they're actors. How are they expected to tell the difference between a realistic dummy round and a real bullet?
BUT
as executive producer, he bears some responsibility for the safety culture (or lack thereof) on set.
Definitely a Health & Safety Issue, poor management on site.
The whole system around the presence of firearms on film sets is at fault, along with everyone who had a hand in operating it. Weapons capable of delivering lethal missiles of any kind simply shouldn't have been there at all, in my view. (You could blame Sam Peckinpah, and his well-known insistence on having "authentic-sounding" gunfire on the soundtracks of his films.)
But if they do have to be there, then there must be a rigorous code of conduct, which everybody adheres to at all times. And any gun – real or not – should be treated at all times as though it were loaded.
No-one should have assumed the gun involved here was safe. For a salutary example of what that sort of behaviour can lead to, check out the tragic mishap that took place in Wales just on a century ago (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abermule_train_collision). At least six individuals contributed to that disaster. If any one of them had done their job properly, the accident wouldn't have occurred.
And more recently, week long health and safety courses are based on the multiple systems failures responsible for the Pier Alpha disaster.
https://www.thechemicalengineer.com/features/piper-alpha-the-disaster-in-detail/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piper_Alpha
ritual vs procedures.
Apparently the AD said "cold gun" while handing it to Baldwin. That means not loaded with live rounds. So the AD didn't check – or check properly. But they followed the ritual.
Real firearms on set can be necessary, but live ammunition on set isn't conceivably needed. Sound effects can be recorded on a controlled firing range months before or after actors touch a weapon. Same with bullet impact sequences. A sequence where the actor is supposed to draw the weapon without firing it? No bang, not even a blank is needed. Dummy rounds in a revolver, maybe. Certainly not live ones.
I can't believe they would have live ammunition on a set if they have real guns as props. Can't they make fake guns that look real that don't actually fire anything?
Wasn't it his stunt double who actually pulled the trigger?
I haven't heard that anywhere.
Ordinarily, they do. Sometimes you can spot them, if you're a gun nut.
But this set seems to have broken a lot of rules.
Gun nuts gunna gun nut.
The gun that killed “Rust” cinematographer Halyna Hutchins last Thursday was used by crew members that morning for live-ammunition target practice, an individual with knowledge of the set told TheWrap.
https://www.thewrap.com/halyna-hutchins-live-ammo-target-practice/
So the spirit of community is live & well, and folks are helping those who are afraid of the jab by getting one for them. Well, the MoH has officially signalled this phenomenon as a maybe. Sensible, since the truth is increasingly elusive nowadays.
Pity the poor cops, who will now be feeling challenged to determine the truth! They should plead `insufficient resources' to shirk the task in the usual manner, asap.
After all, what's important is that the govt seems to reach the 90% target – not that it actually does so. Labour knows perception beats reality nowadays.
Health bureaucrats, being old-fashioned, are concerned that fake identity usage will make the vaccination numbers more illusion than fact. But as long as everyone holds hands and maintains their faith in the system, it won't matter. Faith-based politics is traditional, so we can rely on it to produce the desired outcome by weight of numbers.
“may be happening”? a nice little earn for the Woodhouse homeless man perhaps…
pmsl
woodhouses homeless man ends up with 20 jabs of Pfizer and lifelong immunity for all diseases….
Well den, it's a bit of a selfpunishing offence isn't it.
I think Red Logix has been right about this all along.
https://news.yahoo.com/nih-admits-funding-gain-function-125103852.html
an excerpt
Peter Daszak , the president of ECo Health Alliance ,heavily involved in gain of function research at Wuhan, was also a team member for the WHO investigation that went to Wuhan to find the origins of covid
Conflict of interest?
https://www.newsweek.com/peter-daszak-u-s-funds-wuhan-institute-virology-aided-cover-faces-calls-quit-ecohealth-alliance-1636103
This is the sort of thing that gives conspiracy theorists a good name
Daszak and Fauci lied.
Interesting seems the Chinese and the WHO are not being totally honest with us, if it smells like a rat it probably is a rat ?
If it smells like a rat it probably is a bat
All sounds a bit batty to me the whole thing, the world's best scientific minds have still not figured it out ?
Dennis, Is this rumour the same type as "A homeless man has received accommodation and meals by slipping into MIQ" ?
After extensive costly checking of lists with CTV cameras it was declared to be a story, and was traced back to National MP Woodhouse.
If this vaccination story is true/sarc, produce proof, or get on and help the roll out rather than hindering it.
This was meant as a comment on your comment Dennis.
Don't be silly, Patricia. As the TVNZ report informs us, the Health Dept has alerted the police to the possibility of citizens deliberately faking vaccination stats. Seems obvious the officials would not do so unless they had serious concerns about the consequences.
I doubt you really intended to suggest that the officials are being irresponsible in doing that. I suspect you simply didn't think it through.
So the onus is on the cops to determine the proof – or lack thereof. It is not on you or I to do so. I'm sure that, when you give more thought to the moral responsibility side of the issue, you will realise this.
You may think what you like Frank, but the use of the archaic term "Silly" implies "Silly Girl" and yet you did not reply to Tiger Mountain's similar comment in that fashion? So ?? Why was that?? Why not “silly comment”.. You personalised it imo. Mansplaining is beneath you really.
I was commenting on a previous “report” which cost a great deal and proved shady. This could be another “red herring”. Not all Health Officials have been helpful in the past.
No problem, Bremner. You may think TVNZ was reporting a rumour as long as you like but I'm inclined to take their report of the Health Dept referral to the police at face value. I don't believe our officials issue rumours during a pandemic. I'm surprised you have the temerity to accuse them of that!
Re TM, I assumed he was simply implying that any Health Dept officials involved in this decision were National voters. Speculation unworthy of comment.
My use of your Surname instead of your Christian/first name was unintentional.![blush blush](https://cdn2.thestandard.org.nz/wp-content/plugins/ark-wysiwyg-comment-editor/ckeditor/plugins/smiley/images/embarrassed_smile.png?x42494)
Mr Frank came across as queasily condescending imo.
People are getting a bit tetchy at the moment all over online forums so though I am quite capable of biting back, am trying not to, excessively…
Likewise. I'm a typical kiwi guy inasmuch as I don't use 19th century titles like the one you're trying to impose on me.
I can see why you may have thought my effort in explaining why the Health Dept officials don't seem to be starting rumours was condescending – but I didn't actually pat her on the head, right? So dunno why my being helpful made you feel queasy. You may need to take a tablet for that.
This Zero Hedge article fleshes out more details
Weird that at a time of such US hostility to China there would be such collaboration at the Wuhan lab.
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/ecohealth-throws-fauci-under-bus-over-wuhan-gain-function-report-researcher-claims
https://www.google.com/amp/s/abcnews.go.com/amp/ThisWeek/pediatric-vaccines-1st-2nd-week-november-fauci/story%3fid=80746197
In the words of Mandy Rice-Davies "well he would say that wouldn't he"
Fauci lied to Congress
He knew in April about the nature of the research, but told Congress in July that US tax dollars had not been used to fund risky coronavirus research in Wuhan
Then there is this:
The other interesting angle I only recently became aware of is that Fauci seems to have had form on this kind thing back during the early days of the AID's epidemic when he first rose to prominence.
It's important to understand that there is no evidence or good reason to think the escape was intentional. The lab was being so badly run from a bio-security perspective that an accident was almost inevitable.
The culpability lies with the response. Patient Zero is almost certainly among a number of WIV staff members in early October 2019. There was a five month window of opportunity to isolate and eradicate COVID between then and late February 2020 when finally the world started to shut down international travel.
Instead the CCP first tried to cover up the lethality and transmissibility of the new pathogen. Then later after closing down domestic travel to prevent the spread – spent the next six weeks loudly insisting that doing the same for international travel would be racist. And pressuring WHO into failing to declare the event a pandemic – a declaration that would have triggered preventative action – for a whole month after it was fucking obvious to everyone what was happening.
Then we have some of the leading professional figures who we should have been able to rely upon to be frank and transparent on what they knew, lie and mislead the public – and much of the rest of the medical community – for another year or so.
What should have happened is that sometime in November 2019 a WHO team of independent technical experts should have arrived at WIV for a full open-book, pockets-out investigation across the entire institution. It's now abundantly clear that this kind of research has the proven potential to be even more devastating than nuclear weapons – and any nation that is going to host such research must be subject to an iron-clad supervision and oversight by a global body capable of overriding all professional and nation-state conflicts of interest.
Surely the EHA also cops some flak for not raising flags when they saw what was happening. They kept their mouths shut because they knew they'd cut corners.
Yes. Daszak's position as head of EHA is untenable. How they handle this will be a litmus test.
"The escape"? When you're that committed to the idea of a lab escape, why bother to consider alternatives? Imho the origin of SARS-CoV-2 has yet to be determined, despite the conviction of Senator Paul (R-Ky) and others.
How far from Wuhan?
Maybe agents of the evil CCP are seeding SARS-CoV-2 in bat colonies in Thailand and Cambodia as we write – some wouldn’t put it past them.
Science often doesn't shift conspiracy thinkers DMK. We only need to look at ebola to realise the difficulty and time needed to ascertain the wild origins of a "new" virus. Already, bats have been sampled that have a closer genetic match than the virus being used at Wuhan as your articles above show. Also, like RL, Zerohedge cannot resist any story with an anti China bias. Distance from Wuhan stated below is a red herring. Wuhan is not definitively ground zero and cannot be so until thorough cooperative investigation with all States into alleged examples of infection prior to the Wuhan outbreak. As with the Spanish flu, the naming of this pandemic by Trump may be due to the diligence of medical staff in noticing something out of the ordinary and taking the action required to find its cause. The conspiracy theory just has to keep snowballing to keep up with all the agencies that must have been involved. At present, these include the NIH and CDC. Even though there is no scientific refutation of a simple well known pathway. But no. Because the natural pathway has taken years to uncover in the past, this now becomes evidence for conspiracy.
But the lab leak theory, although it started off as being very anti China, has taken a different turn with the US being so involved, contracting out the research.This is no doubt why the first WHO investigation failed to find anything definitive.And why oh why would you have the president of the Eco Health Alliance , who was so involved in Wuhan , on the WHO team?
None of that looks good , and neither does the oversight for what was going on
Gain of function research is very risky, and the laboratories that engage in it , as RL said a while ago, leak like sieves..It is getting way too coincidental, that the novel furin cleavage site was exactly the adaptation the EHA was proposing to insert
I've always been a bit leery of Ockhams razor, but I'm swinging that way now (after arguing the opposite for months)
Whatever, the research has been very dodgily pursued, lies have been told, and terrible risks taken .I'm glad to see the light being shone on GOF research.
Look Francesca, I'm not really sure what it is about Martenson that everyone holds in such high regard. Darpa has funded a lot of weird projects. Some work, many don't. But that they funded a project to mangle up a super virus from cut and paste or some kind of mix and match witches brew doesnt mean that its possible to complete. Frankensteins monster is a fiction. If you want to get some of the flavour of Martenson then here is a really good starter in an interview with Whitney Webb. She is another who believes that all the really rich people are in such total control of the world that anything that what they wish to make happen, happens. For her, Rockefeller is a prime mover. But in the interview, Martenson says that the mRNA vaccines also have a Darpa background and implies that covd is a plot to exert societal control. If this is the level of his genius then I think that even though its unsettling to realise that it may take a long time to unravel the origins of covd, it is unlikely that this is a plot thats been hatched by some evil genius.
Off the mark there. I explicitly stated above that there is no evidence or good reason to think COVID was intentionally released. No evil genius needed.
But as with the Soviet Chernobyl story, once the disaster had gotten loose the CCP response was culpable. All of the necessary elements for a lab leak had both precedent and confirmed presence. Your Occams Razor doesn't cut mustard.
But you agree with evidence presented by a firm believer of mad genius. As well as the ability to create Frankensteins monster from parts scraped from here and there when all the evidence from science shows the most likely path to be from the wild, naturally, by normal selection processes
As well as the ability to create Frankensteins monster from parts scraped from here and there when all the evidence from science shows the most likely path to be from the wild, naturally, by normal selection processes
Absolutely wrong. Experimental work of exactly this nature is precisely what WIV had been conducting under contract to the EHA. This much is unequivocally documented from the US side.
On the other hand your earlier claim that other virus's genetically closer to the one's WIV were working have been found on is based on the false premise that we have full and unfettered access to the WIV virus database. Without that information any such comparison is meaningless.
We also know that for the better part of a decade, numerous other researchers and groups were vocally concerned about the extreme risks involved in this kind of viral manipulation, to the extent that the Obama Administration placed a strict moratorium on it. Implying that this risk was either fanciful or unfounded flies in the face of events this past two years.
Darpa didn’t fund it .They said it was too risky, (didn’t stop NIAID from funding tho( Fauci is the director)and I’m not going on what Martenson has to say .I’m looking at what has come to light in the last 6 days
Malfeasance. Covid may not have escaped from the lab, but these GOF exercises have way too many risks and not enough oversight.
Lies were told, regulations were breached .RL and I differ over CCP culpability, but I respect his arguments otherwise
So it would seem – appreciate your comment and info.
Some opinions here are tainted by a pronounced anti-CCP bias. There's already a noticeable broadening of blame ("the CCP response was culpable") in order to continue painting the CCP as (at best) a duplicitous bad faith actor once the most likely origin of SARS-CoV-2 is revealed.
Whereas it seems to me more likely that the CCP acted passably well in response to a novel pathogen – certainly better than the U.K. government handled the BSE epidemic and its impact on human health. And no, there was no cover-up there either, just an honest effort to deal with a (very) novel pathogen, coupled with government complacency and incompetence with a nod (early on) to beef farmers' back pockets.
Some opinions here are tainted by a pronounced anti-CCP bias.
Considering their appalling record – I make zero apology for this. That elements of the left still cannot bring itself to fully repudiate the monstrous failures of communism and still carries water for that failed ideology is a matter of deep regret as far as I'm concerned.
If there is one infamous thinker more proven wrong than Marx it would have to be Freud – and while both will always retain their place in history as intellectual pioneers – somehow the field of psychology moved on from the deep limitations and errors of it’s founding figure, while the political hard left still retains an irrational loyalty to marxism and it's numerous derivatives.
I will credit you with noticing that it's the CCP I'm set against and not the Chinese people or China as a nation. I only wish the latter freedom from the former.
It was just an observation. I didn’t ask for or expect an apology – we're all ‘entitled’ to our opinions, such as the one I wrote at 11:07 pm last night, and the one you wrote at 4:46 am this morning.
.
Chris Martenson was on to this very early on … sophisticated critique way back in circa April / May 2020 IIRR.
https://www.peakprosperity.com/bombshell-damning-evidence-leaked/
Here's Martenson from last month , with plenty of links
If we need some insight into where we are heading in terms of public malaise – some inklings from an article from Suzanne Moore on the UK twenty months in:
The State of the Nation: The Nation is in a State
…
Thanks Molly, a sobering forewarning of things to come. The death cult capitalists would disregard as the ravings of the unhinged. But it is perfectly logical in fact.
very sobering.
NZ still has more choice about what path we go down, but denial is a huge issue. Denial of the problem, and denial of the possible solutions.
Neoliberalim for the win.
So she is eligible for a booster, that means she is no longer 'vaccinated'. This is how quick one can fall from 'good' category of vaccinated to 'bad' category of unvaccinated, never mind the issues in getting these booster shots.
Do we even acknowledge that everyone who got vaccinated between Jan and April is right now in the process of loosing the double jabbed status, or has lost it already? Are these people counted under the vaccinated or unvaccinated?
I fall into that category, having obediently lined up and got my jab as soon as it was available .Apparently I still have 47% protection (what does that even mean?)in an area famous for its low vax rate.(57%), no word of boosters so I’m just going to have to run the gauntlet on this one
So are you considered vaccinated in our stats, or are you one of them evil antivaxxers who are holding up our freedoms?
God knows Clearly my protection is considered adequate.
Apparently it's ridiculously easy to go online and get a mask exemption too.
We have a high proportion of covid deniers as well as anti vaxxers.
I'll be heading for the hills.
It depends on the particular statistic what protection means, but usually these are stated in relation to an unvaccinated rate. 47% then means if you would have contracted covid in some scenario then there is now have 53% rate of catching it in that same scenario.
Thanks
Francesca – you still have excellent protection against hospitalisation and death from your vaccinations. It is your protection against catching (and potentially spreading) the virus at all, which is waning.
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)02183-8/fulltext
"It is your protection against catching (and potentially spreading) the virus at all, which is waning."
Some good news from New Scientist:
That is pleasing.![smiley smiley](https://cdn2.thestandard.org.nz/wp-content/plugins/ark-wysiwyg-comment-editor/ckeditor/plugins/smiley/images/regular_smile.png?x42494)
Hi Francesca, N and I have that same problem, but I seem to remember reading here that our immunity still protects against the worst outcomes even at that level. I always get the 'flu vax, and I guess that is a booster. That was through our Dr's office, and I believe the booster will be the same, and they will call people in by invitation "as not all will need it" Seem to recall that. Someone else may know.
Thanks Patricia
As mentioned before, I had trouble booking my first jab because of similar circumstances.
The failure to at least try to maintain an elimination strategy until the vaccination rollout was well advanced has led to an inequity once again.
Life in the future with a Covid Pass is going to be interesting, one day you are vaccinated, the next no more – unless they give a grace period of a month to get the booster shot. Oh well its only the poor that will have to suffer the complications of these systems.
have they said how the pass is going to work with the booster yet?
not that i can see, but i know from people overseas that the issue with getting the booster shots is real.
So any target of 90% is inachievable as any day people will fall out of the fully vaccinated group into the 'non vaccinated group' if they cant get a booster. At least that is what logic would suggest.
I doubt that few who are double vaxxed have no immunity now after 6 months, but we will see. I agree with what you've been saying about we need to keep on with the masks, handwashing, distancing etc.
Booster shots are a given, I'm not sure we know yet how that will work with the vax cert.
We don't need to rush this thing Jacinda has fallen flat on her face already trying to get the Australian Bubble up and running to quickly with out having the checks and balances in place.
There was a lot of pressure to have a trans – Tasman bubble, to reconnect family and for people to wake up and get vaccinated. Tourism and business were not the winners.
When it comes to pressure by opening up schools in a L3 zone, for students in years 11 – 13 this is going to be a body slam for the government.
To put education before a students health is going to have an effect which I do not think the health system is prepared for.
"The failure to at least try to maintain an elimination strategy until the vaccination rollout was well advanced has led to an inequity once again."
Absolutely agree.
The ending of the Level 4 Lockdown and its replacement with the so called Three Step Roadmap Out Of Lockdown" (Which was supposed to be implemented despite rising cases in the community) was abandoned as confusing and unworkable. On October 4, only the first step of loosening restrictions of the Roadmap in spite of rising infections was able to be inplemented before it was abandoned. The Three Step Roadmap Out Of Lockdown has been replaced with the Traffic Light system. The Traffic Light system has also been criticised for being confusing and unworkable.
Both systems were never meant to work. The purpose of both schemes is not to prevent a rise in infections, their purpose is to end lockdowns despite rising hospitalisations and deaths.
Health experts have called for the return of the Elimination strategy and the retention of the 4 Level Lockdown Alert system. The government have refused putting all their faith in the still incomplete vaccine roll out.
The triumph of the economy over public health and welfare is complete.
Very good Molly , sure resonates with me.
The current energy crisis in Europe and China exposes how shallow the response to climate change has been .We've hung on to the same economic model of produce and consume crap , with the same rising inequities , and concentrated on merely substituting fossil fuels with renewals.Dumb!! and frightening.
buried in the Otago Times an article about businesses and commercial leases and the absence of government regulations in the times of the plague.
https://www.odt.co.nz/business/take-advice-implications-covid-19-leases?fbclid=IwAR0enbcUAOb696Y71UhVeO5Nn4vteUDDNx3z7oxznDOdulfIPNQBrA490Lc
Disclaimer: i am personally not to badly affected by these times of the plague and am looking at a decent christmas period. 🙂
I am also not asking for money to be spend on undeserving businesses – and aren't they all underserving, bludgers all of them s/ – I am asking for a similar clause as was added to tenancy / lease agreements as was done in 2012 after teh CHCH earthquakes. This would provide some certainty to tenants but also the landlords and would by implication maybe even force the banks to work with their customers who hold commercial properties.
Pretty meagre stuff from a Labour govt.
After decades of accepting that There Is No Alteranitve (TINA) to neoliberal economic orthodoxy, the Labour government are unlikely to adopt anything like the sort of lease and mortgage relief of the First Labour Government during the Depression, (or even of the Massey Coalition government during the First World War.)
Neoliberals would rather let the virus rip than consider any measures like that.
Rather than impose a mortgage moratorium, if they had been in power in 1913 Neoliberals would have let the Germans in.
Rather than impose a rent and lease moratorium, if they had been in power in 1931 neoliberals would have let mass evictions and mortgagees sales impoverish the mass of the people.
Because you know, TINA.
Only the stupid would not know that if a facility is studying bat viruses and the potential effect on humans, that that research would need to determine if such a thing was possible. The way to do that would be to use lab mice inoculated with human cells to determine the outcome.. I pity the poor mice but we must give them thanks because although they do spread disease and environmental disaster, see Australia this year, many have given their lives so that we do not suffer the many diseases that afflict us. I think mice deserve the Noble Prize this year.
I think the Nobel prize might have more cachet
Trying to put China’s activities on the geopolitical front, especially the Pacific, in some sort of historical perspective.
China’s development has been governed by it is geography. Desert to the north, mountains to the west, jungle to the south the ocean to the east. Mountain ranges and river systems inside the borders have given structure to population growth and internal migration. The river valleys and plains of the Yellow river and the Yangtse being the major ones.
To protect the one border easily overrun, generations and multiple dynasties built an actual wall as a barrier to invasion. There have been periods in Chinese history where the exploration of the oceans to the east have been extensive. China has been trading regularly with ports as far as the Arabian Gulf and the Red Sea for thousands of years.
With the expansion of sea trade around its eastern coast from the 19th century it is only natural that China would want to ensure that its own coastline was protected. The expansion into the South China sea could be seen in this light. Similar with Taiwan. Prior to the Nationalist takeover, that island had been part of China for many hundreds of years.
Given China’s more recent history with Western powers, it could hardly be blamed for having a jaundiced view of their behaviour.
"Prior to the Nationalist takeover, that island had been part of China for many hundreds of years.".
Taiwan was part of China for a couple of hundred years perhaps but certainly not up until the Nationalist takeover as you suggest. For the 50 years from 1895 for example it was ruled by Japan. Prior to about 1760 the movement of Chinese people to Taiwan was actively discouraged by the Chinese authorities. The island was only really under the full control of China from about 1770 to 1880 or so.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Taiwan#Early_settlement
Full control perhaps.
But certainly China's sphere of influence since about 239CE. There are written references to Taiwan in Chinese records going back to 3rd Century BCE.
Given the above points can we "vaccinate" our way out of this crisis?
I don't think we can.
So treat every one including yourself as if you had the plague and act accordingly. Mask, Distance, Sanitize, booster shots after vaccination. Keep bubbles small, stay away from large events.
If we are lucky it will run its course and disappear in two / three years.
Vaccination is far and away the single most powerful tool for reducing the effects of this crisis.
But yes, vaccination does need the help of other public safety measures to get us all to a reasonably positive outcome.
Such as ensuring the willfully unvaccinated disease spreaders are minimally out and about spreading disease. Ongoing mask use and distancing. Reducing the size and number of events where people are packed together making loud mouth-noises. And so on.
As efficacy for vaccines is less then 1,behavior constraints will be a necessity and concerts etc will need to be significantly restricted,despite the PM signalling.
Aucklanders will need to stay in AK.
https://twitter.com/yaneerbaryam/status/1442160150266138626?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1442160150266138626%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.twitter.com%2F%3Fquery%3Dhttps3A2F2Ftwitter.com2Fyaneerbaryam2Fstatus2F1442160150266138626widget%3DTweet
File this in the 'war on women', and remember that no one could have thought of that, and no one would do such a thing, and even if people were to say such a thing could happen then it is because they are transphobic or terf.
https://boston.cbslocal.com/2021/10/19/wrentham-outlets-jacob-guerrero-amazon-driver-child-pornography-charges/
Surely no one could have forseen this? Right?
But hey, they just want to use the loo that goes with their 'gender' right? Right? And no one could even tell them from a person. Right?
But it is all good, he can identify as a female and get to sit his sentence out in a female prison. Cause he is such a lovely young women. Right?
Whose is listening to us? We've said all these things w/could happen. To mount any argument let alone just ask a question is to invite all sorts of foul mouthed responses that seem perfectly OK to their supporters.
In my life the possible fracture between friends is on this issue rather than on Covid. We all seem to be vaxxed.![crying crying](https://cdn2.thestandard.org.nz/wp-content/plugins/ark-wysiwyg-comment-editor/ckeditor/plugins/smiley/images/cry_smile.png?x42494)
I'm surprised the mother and daughter weren't charged with hate crime for misgendering the poor woman in the toilets
I have just one question, does the criminal in this article identify as a Woman/Trans? I can't see anywhere in the storey that says HE does.
He was dressed in a wig in the ladies. US has self ID and anyone can be a lady and be in the ladies, and if they tell the cops they are a lady they get to go to the ladies prison.
So the moment he says he is a lady, or was a lady, or will be a lady, that makes him a lady.
Any 2 dollar wig will get you access to that sweet sweet ladydom and access to all the little girls and women you would like to film while they go to the loo to do their business and change their tampons / pads. Cause that is what ladies do, specially the ladies with penises and a penchant for little girls.
Don't even the $2 wig. Self-id doesn't require a change in presentation.
Perhaps you could answer the question. " does the criminal in this article identify as a Woman/Trans? I can't see anywhere in the storey that says HE does."
i have answered the question.
He was in a Ladies, wearing a Lady wig, impersonating a Lady, that by the Self ID laws in the US will make him a Lady. That is all you have to do to be a Lady.
and i leave it at that, lest someone accuses me of misgendering a dear Lady, with a Lady penis and a very bad wig, who is in the Ladies toilet to film little girls in the toilet.
And for what its worth, just in case you did not know, All trans identified males are men, no matter the wigs, the fake boobs, the lipstick and the shoes.
You haven't answered the question, it was a simple one. Obviously you are going to choose not to and will continue around in circles trying to link an arsehole male criminal in a wig and dress with the Trans Community. You should be ashamed
The shame rests with you for not thinking this through.
Sabine's original post states the problem is with self-id and the unthinking admittance of male-bodied people into female single sex spaces.
There is no condemnation of transpeople in there, just one of the current approach which puts women and girls at further unnecessary risk.
(As an aside, how comfortable would you be with a young girl aged 8 going into a changing room of naked men and getting undressed in front of them? If not 8, 11,16, 21? My partner says never. But I'm just wondering how many men on here that push for biological men in women's spaces would answer that question. Might provide some answers.)
I understand the question Red1, good luck getting an answer.
Maybe explain it.
It seems like a really bad attempt to conflate sexual attraction with sexual violence.
Sorry, wrong question….![blush blush](https://cdn2.thestandard.org.nz/wp-content/plugins/ark-wysiwyg-comment-editor/ckeditor/plugins/smiley/images/embarrassed_smile.png?x42494)
Red's original question, has been answered several times. He just keeps asking because he wants to get someone to say something transphobic. And those replying aren’t transphobic, so it’s a bit of a hard slog.
Unfortunately, most of us, discussing in good faith, persisted in saying it was a problem of legislation and social contract that has resulted in this person getting access. They only thing of concern was that anyone with violent intent now had a form of access that they previously didn't have.
Can you please explain why this matters?
Also, what is a trans woman, and what is identifying as a woman? See if you can answer.
I am not the one trying to blame the Trans Community for the actions of a male arsehole, so no I don't need to answer your question.
Please point to who here is trying to blame the trans community for the actions of this male? Please be specific (link or name the comment number).
"were to say such a thing could happen then it is because they are transphobic or terf."
"with hate crime for misgendering the poor woman in the toilets"
"Cause that is what ladies do, specially the ladies with penises and a penchant for little girls"
That is why I asked just one question "does the criminal in this article identify as a Woman/Trans? I can't see anywhere in the storey that says HE does."
You just are not good at connecting dots are you?
… and anyone who challenges even those males with some form of violation in mind are in the position of perhaps being accused of transphobia and creating a hoax.
They know all of that, and yet they don't care.
They are just upset that some bloke put on a wig, went to a loo, filmed little girls going about their business and got caught. It makes them look bad, and they know it, but they also don't give a shit,
Self ID for all men is am must after all there is no more discriminated and endangered person then a male, and if little girls get filmed toileting for the sexual gratification of adults well that is a price to pay, and they are not the ones footing the bill. Aren't they?
I read the thread that Ceri Black seems to think is the one that the Northern Irish police believe is a hate crime.
Worth the read.
https://twitter.com/FemmeLoves/status/1412316271698448386
PS. Perhaps you missed my question above, would like to know your answer?
(As an aside, how comfortable would you be with a young girl aged 8 going into a changing room of naked men and getting undressed in front of them? If not 8, 11,16, 21? My partner says never. But I'm just wondering how many men on here that push for biological men in women's spaces would answer that question. Might provide some answers.)
It's a fair question. Imho it would be unfortunate if people identifying as trans women were tarnished by the behavior of this man (or possibly trans woman) before any objective determination of their 'trans nature' has been made.
Of course, no one would conflate standing up for trans rights with excusing these invasive and/or predatory behaviours, would they?
Has the promotion of trans rights led to a surge in violations of single sex spaces?
It's a question that has nothing to do with the point Sabine made, which was in regards to the loss of previous safeguards around single sex spaces that made such a violation easier to do.
(see below).
If transpeople fear that they will be unfairly tarnished they can start lobbying the government that the Self ID bill may makes it to easy for every Hans, Franz and Jakob too to identify into any female space, and please put some safe guarding in it so that these places are not littered with the broken bodies of women and children and the internet is not full of footage of little girls trying to change a menstruation pad or even just have a pee.
If transpeople fear that they will be unfairly tarnished they can start demanding that Self ID will be binned for something more sensible, so as to safe guard women, girls, boys and transpeople.
If transpeople fear that they will be unfairly tarnished they can start demanding that their Allies understand the danger that lies within the Self ID bill to the safety of women, girls, boys and transpeople, and be considered.
Until they do so, they too must understand that the bed they make, is the bed they will sleep in, and that the company they keep says more about them then i t will ever say about us who have been warning about that odious bill, that have been pointing out for some time now, that the Self ID bill is rubbish and dangerous. Because some people will abuse this right, and they will do damage, and chances are the damage is done to women and children, but then I guess that is ok. Women and children, are they even human?
"Has the promotion of trans rights led to a surge in violations of single sex spaces?"
Wrong question. The question is whether there is a conflict of rights between self -ID and women's rights.
(not all trans people support self-ID, in part because of how the above case impacts on them)
If you don't yet understand the problem with self ID, please pay attention to what women are saying, and who have been talking about this for some time.
RBO, please tell me which of the following people you would understand to be a trans woman if you saw them and didn't know anything else about them:
In answer to Weka ….
oops sorry, ….
Sabine 11 (original Link)
Francesca 11.2
Sabine 11.3.1.2.1
Look, I don't AGREE or DISAGREE with the stance you are all taking, I am not in a position to speak with authority, which is why I only asked if this MAN was identifying as a Woman or Trans or if he was "just" a dirty POS male criminal.
God, I'm scared to ask in case of another pile on but should men be able to stop me as a gay male entering the Men's Bathroom in case I accidentally cop a glance at their dick or should they wait to complain until another male unwantedly cops a feel or photographs their dick. (ie Breaks the Law)
God, I'm scared to ask in case of another pile on but should men be able to stop me as a gay male entering the Men's Bathroom in case I accidentally cop a glance at their dick or should they wait to complain until another male unwantedly cops a feel or photographs their dick. (ie Breaks the Law)
Once again, you are entering a thread about a specific topic, and now you are asking for legal advice on something unrelated?
No-one knows where you are going with this. Do you?
none of your examples are about blaming the trans community for the actions of this male. Maybe you are not understanding what is being said. If you think those examples are about blaming the trans community, please explain how.
(and generally I would say your comments here would work better if you explained proactively what you mean rather than us to keep having to ask what you mean).
sorry, I have no idea what you mean there. Obviously gay men should have access to men's toilets, why wouldn't they? And obviously if any man sexually assaults a man then that would be a matter for the law. That's got nothing to do with trans people, or women's single sex spaces. So please explain why you are asking this?
"sexually assaults a man then that would be a matter for the law. That's got nothing to do with trans people, or women's single sex spaces. So please explain why you are asking this?"
Which is exactly why I don't think the original point in this example should be used in the Trans Argument. This case had nothing to do with it, other than he put a wig and dress on to break the law.
if it feels like a pile on, just slow down and explain what you mean. We're here for the debate, it works better if there is good communication.
If you don't see the snarky comments listed as aimed at the Trans/Trans Activists or Laws aimed at protecting the Trans Community, then we can obviously never agree, and if you can't see the correlation of Men sharing a Bathroom with law abiding Gay Men and Women sharing their Bathroom with law abiding Trans Women then I can't explain it any further. Once again, agree to disagree.
[I’m telling you as a mod, there is an onus on you to explain what you mean, because I’m not the only one that doesn’t follow your argument. If you are going to make accusations against people here, you have to back them up or explain how. I can’t agree to disagree, because I literally don’t know what point you are trying to make. – weka]
mod note for you.
Not sure how I can help you out.
A: poster puts link to MAN breaking the law and links the story to Trans People having the right to use Women's Bathrooms so they feel safe.
B: I ask ONE question, did he identify as Woman or Trans.
C: 3 others pile in without answering the question (Sabine did, in about the third go)
D: I use, what I see, as a pretty relevant example of why Men shouldn't, and probably don't, feel threatened about other men using their bathroom unless a law is broken, just as Women shouldn't feel threatened in a bathroom unless someone, Male or Female breaks the law.
I truly don't know how to make it any clearer. If there hadn't been a pile on I assume Sabine and I would have had a debate until, judging by my lack of debating skills, would have reached an impasse.
Would you like me to Ban myself again from Open Mike as I seriously tried to?
Finally, we get to read your point. Another bad faith attempt at engagement.
If you can't point out the "aimed at the Trans/Trans Activists or Laws aimed at protecting the Trans Community,", perhaps consider it's because they don't exist.
The difference between sexual attraction and sexual assault, should be clear. One is an act of intimacy, one is an act of violence. Don't conflate the two.
It used to be accepted that women needed single sex spaces when vulnerable for the following reasons:
Allowing male-bodied people into female spaces is not "protecting the trans community", it is a violation of single-sex spaces. One that has foreseen consequences. One that could avoid those negative consequences by the provision of a third space.
That is why I personally advocated for third spaces for male-bodied transwomen, like Debbie Hayton in the UK:
Then you still don't understand what the problem is, despite it being explained. Self ID allows any male to enter women's spaces. That's trans women and men and NB males. All of them, at any time. Women have no way of knowing if any male is a trans woman or not. None.
Trans women can look like men. Stop and think about that. If you still think that trans women are people who have transitioned (eg like Georgina Beyer) then you need to educate yourself, because that is no longer true. Any male who says they are a woman at any time is now to be considered a woman. How can you not see the problem with that?
The man in the article may be a trans woman, we have no way of knowing. This is the whole point. We (women, and actually the rest of society) have no way of knowing.
The issues isn't trans rights generally, it's self-ID specifically. YOu appear to not understand what self-ID is.
have a look here. https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-26-10-2021/#comment-1827711
I'm pretty sure you couldn't. After this conversation, I have serious concerns about your ability to get out of bed in the morning.
A: poster puts link to PERSON breaking the law and links the story to the changes in legislation for self-id and access to single sex spaces that allowed this PERSON to enter such spaces unchallenged.
B: You ask ONE irrelevant question, did he identify as Woman or Trans. (No mention of the harm that has taken place for the women and children that were violated).
C: 3 others pile in – what can I say – Open Mike, and the question was pointed out as being irrelevant. Besides, we can now spot a bit of bad faith posturing a mile off.
D: I use, what I see, as a pretty relevant example of why Men shouldn't, and probably don't, feel threatened about other men using their bathroom unless a law is broken, just as Women shouldn't feel threatened in a bathroom unless someone, Male or Female breaks the law.
D: You use, a pretty simplistic example that you as a gay man should know better not to use. Actually, as a thinking human being. You never answered my question about a young girl disrobing in a male changing room. There is discomfort that is not connected to sexual attraction or sexual violence that relates to social mores and accepted behaviour.
That discomfort of being in the presence of the opposite sex when naked or vulnerable may be stronger for females than you as an individual. Culturally, it is unacceptable to some in terms of personal privacy or religious beliefs. So to admit male bodied people into such spaces, is to exclude some female bodied people from those spaces.
I truly don't know how to make it any clearer. If there hadn't been a pile on I assume Sabine and I would have had a debate until, judging by my lack of debating skills, would have reached an impasse.
I know you think it is a pile on. But it was really a lot of people trying to explain the same thing, and you demonstrating repeatedly a lack of comprehension. Debate is a telling word. It does appear there was no intention of having a discussion, and I am not going to watch another commenter on this site be 'debated' on this topic if I suspect it is not entered to in good faith, so I think you should remember that.
Even if it is a "wrong question", answers may nevertheless be forthcoming – in the fullness of time.
And those are some edifying images you posted at 4:08/4:10/4:15 pm.
Suppose 'third spaces' (or third and forth spaces?) are better than no spaces at all. And maybe the less obviously transgender could also display a visible ‘sex identifier’, for added security.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dana_International
The question is:
How do we maintain previous safeguarding practices for single-sex spaces, services etc WHILE supporting our transgender community?
Have you any answer other than a version of why would we bother?
are you being sarcastic? If so it's in very poor taste, for trans women and women. Nearly all humans know what sex they are, and nearly all humans can recognise visually the sex of other humans, we don't need visible sex identifiers.
Trans people shouldn't be required to modify their bodies. Women shouldn't have to share single sex spaces with male bodied people. I don't know what you are trying to say (and again, I really wish people would just speak plainly and say what they mean).
I don't blame the trans community for anything.
I am blaming shitty laws made by shitty politicians that allow any male to impersonate women in order to gain access to toilets, changing rooms, saunas, sports, jobs, etc etc etc and all in the name of Self ID. That is all a man has to do in order to be legally considered a 'women'. They can keep their cock n balls, their beards, their flat chests and big feet, and yet, they are still women. Go figure.
No need for trans, But the trans community that is upset with any male being able to pretend to be a trans person in order to gain access to women and children and specifically to film little girls on the toilet can speak up any day now. Any fucking day.
So I am not saying that this person identifies as Trans, as he does not have to anymore, I am saying he clearly impersonates women when it suits his sexual need for arousal and to satisfy his little girl on the toilet fetish.
Why is that important to you?
The only people focussed on whether this person was trans or not misses the fact that the women and girls were assaulted.
In many states in the US, the access to the space was legislatively and socially sanctioned, because now – even if someone is recognisably male – you are unable to stop them entering single sex spaces for females.
IF they have assault or violation in mind, then they now can enter a space where women and girls may be naked, in a state of undress, or vulnerable without anybody challenging them. In fact, challenging them would be considered 'transphobic'.
So, who could foresee this coming? Apparently, not you. But many did.
Women and girls being attacked, who cares? Like really does anyone other then those that are being attacked care?
Is it not part of our lot to be attacked, sexually abused, molested, filmed on the toilet without consent, and so on and so forth.
Are we even human?
Apparently we're human if we're willing to pretend we aren't women and don't have female bodies.
Nah, then we become defective men and the only reason they have for keeping us around is simply that they still need some amubulant wombs for reproduction.
We – thanks to the very progressive politicians of our time, have become nothing, something that is undefinable yet everyone who wants to can be one, thanks to a shitty wig and a bit of lippy. And sometimes not even that is needed.
Nothing, that describes us bests.
Signifying nothing, perhaps.
But mostly all sound and fury.![wink wink](https://cdn2.thestandard.org.nz/wp-content/plugins/ark-wysiwyg-comment-editor/ckeditor/plugins/smiley/images/wink_smile.png?x42494)
no fury in me, just sadness.
Gosh, i remember being a little girl in Germany in the early seventies and we all knew which public toilets were safe to go to and which ones weren't. And for a while that stopped, public spaces became somewhat safe for women of all ages and girls and little boys too. And here we are and we wear seven mile boots and going backwards. Now i am getting old, and thus will use less and less of these spaces, nor am i trying to make a career in a world were a man with lippy is 'inclusion of the femine' into a boardroom, and a team of all transwomen can be considered a womens team, nor will i ever have to compete with a part time womenman for a 'womens of the year award'.
So i am just sad, for every girl assaulted, every girl/boy on a cheap 5 second clip on the internet for all eternity so that some sick adults can jack off, sad for what we do and allow to be done to women and girls because in the end, we know how it will end, how it always ended. We have history books full of that particular story.
Today humour, tomorrow tears.
I know the sadness you hold, because it resides in me.
What holds me up, and brings a smile to my wet face is the voices of others (mostly women) – including yours. What gets me up is the anger at such harm being willfully ignored.
The issue is that someone gained access to a space previously under legislative AND social contract as a single sex space, due to the confusion arising from the issue of self-id and the practical application of the law.
That made it easier for someone with malice to enter the space unchallenged.
This possibility was raised, it matters little whether they identify or not.
Single sex spaces – were created to protect women and girls when they are unclothed, sleeping or in other vulnerable states.
They really don't care about that Molly. The only thing that is important is that persons like yourself and me accept these women as women without any buts and ifs. 🙂
… I'm starting to think there are a few on this forum that I wouldn't offer a piece of Hubble-Bubble to when out for a stroll…
The inability to consider anything without using a lens of 'transphobia' is concerning.
But if you did need similar incidents with individuals who did identify themelves as women:
Darren Merager
Student at Loudoun County, US
Who knows the truth of whether these men truly see themselves as trans, or whether they (mis)use the term to gain access to assault women and girls.
The issue has always been about ensuring basic safeguards are maintained. Third spaces would have done that.
quite.
Red Blooded, this is why I asked you what is a trans woman? The only definition I'm aware of currently is a male who self identifies as woman. How would you tell the difference between a trans woman and a man pretending to be a trans woman and a man pretending to be a woman?
"How would you tell the difference between a trans woman and a man pretending to be a trans woman and a man pretending to be a woman?"
And, importantly, any other man.
"I have just one question, does the criminal in this article identify as a Woman/Trans? I can't see anywhere in the storey that says HE does."
As others have said, at this point, from a safeguarding pov, it doesn't actually matter. Self-ID means that any male can be a woman at any time. So if someone sees a male in a women's toilets, the social expectation and pressure is to assume they are a trans woman and not question their right to be there.
That social pressure is dangerous, and when women pointed this out we were called bigots. Including by people who should have known better.
The other aspect is the number of left wing people who believe that women and girls (and probably boys) are collateral damage in the push for gender identity ideology to take hold.
Thanks for providing for me the significance of this proposed legislation. I feel sure going on past form this government will make no changes without a referendum first,
Judith Collins is showing her complete lack of common sense – she is demanding to know the date the traffic light system will finish. How can anyone put an exact date on that with so many unknowns ahead. No one knows what the situation will be in 3 months, 6 months, 9 months – so how foolish to put a date on it.
Collins continues to Crush Nationals chances of retaining its major party status.
Probably trying to appeal to ACT supporters while loosing more of the centre ground.
Bishop agrees with govt approach Collins trying to be relevant has another disaster how much longer can National continue with a vote Crusher. Team play is why NZ does so well. Crusher is not a team player but a neglected bully which are the worst kind .
yup, Collins has 2 faces – one coming and one going- and she doesn't know which one to follow. The latest she doesn't agree with a '2 class system' but still supports vaccine certificates and giving businesses the power to use them. She has undermined her Covid spokesperson Bishop who supports the vaccine passports and is disagreeing with the last National Party leader who won an election who pushed for vaccine certificates.
Jude taking a $1 Each Way Bet.
She is starting to sound like Winston singing of the same hymn sheet.
Oh Canada…
https://twitter.com/BryanPassifiume/status/1452653580939317254
The utter idiocy, ideological blindness (or perhaps it is intentional), and lack of class analysis in this tweet by the UK LGBTQ police network twitter account.
They think that men who have committed violence against women, and women being victims of violence by men, is somehow analogous 😳 Let's not record any gender/sex stats, that will fix things. FFS.
This is institutional and personal (by the tweeter) misogyny (bear in mind the UK has had recent high profile murders of women, including one woman murdered by a policeman misuing his police credentials, and police saying women should take more care to avoid being murdered by men).
It's part of a longstanding and increasing dynamic in society that is trying to remove women's rights. And half the left is supporting this.
https://twitter.com/TwelveDaisies/status/1452393731311689728
well i guess when you can blame women for being rapists of women it will make the men who commit these crimes less violent and rapey?
I will respect the beliefs of the Genderist cult when they show respect to the intellectual dignity of others.
https://twitter.com/EveKeneinan/status/1452791092664016910?s=20
Hone Harawira and his mates are calling for Northland to go up to Level 3.Amongst his comments was this
If true, what on earth leads some honky antivaccers to believe they have the right to deliberately breach restrictions to peddle some weak minded antivax propaganda. It is their right not to be vaccinated, they put their own health and risk. Where do they get off peddling some mistruths and falsehoods which might influence the naive and gullible and put others health at risk. Self entitlement at it's worst.
Max ain't happy.
https://twitter.com/MaxBlumenthal/status/1452490014533816323
I've been waiting for this to get more prominence in the MSM – so far in vain: https://www.newsroom.co.nz/supermarket-cuts-force-mccain-and-sealord-to-restructure-jobs.
A local company using local resources is getting shafted, supermarket customers are being deprived of choice, and a gazillion air-miles are being flown (from Alaska and China for gosh sakes!), at goodness knows what cost to the environment, all basically so that a few more pennies can trickle into the already well-stuffed pockets of Foodstuffs shareholders.
Why isn’t half the country jumping up and down in rage? Why is Stuff (to name but one) so silent on the matter?
Just heard university students returning to Auckland and Waikato are considered non essential, but travel will be permitted under level 2. So over the next few weeks there will be thousands of students returning to Auckland and Hamilton that under current restrictions will be unable to do so. This is from Air NZ. 😤
I imagine the same will be for those returning by car?
I have an Auckland University student and an Auckland Unitec student at home.
Both have been told that the remainder of the year is online. I can't see why any tertiary students would be coming to Auckland before the next semester.
Those who live in Auckland, Hamilton, Northland etc that have been studying in the South, Wellington, Pal Nth etc. There will be thousands travelling from next week onwards as their year and exams are completed. Or have completed their education diploma/Degree etc and have employment and relocating to a level 3 area
From Air NZ
“You have options if you still need to travel
At Alert Level 3, travelling is limited and only essential travellers are permitted to travel between regions.
If you would like to travel domestically with no connection through Auckland, you can do so as normal under the guidance of Alert Level 2. If you transit through Auckland, you will need to stay within the terminal while you wait for your connecting flight.”
Doh!
… returning to…![blush blush](https://cdn2.thestandard.org.nz/wp-content/plugins/ark-wysiwyg-comment-editor/ckeditor/plugins/smiley/images/embarrassed_smile.png?x42494)