Jester, you may have found that out via Harawira before I became aware of it last night, but he would have been leaked the info from someone, and is unlikely to be in possession of all the facts. You found out around 10pm, and the MoH had Locations of Interest updated by midnight, if not before (that's just when I saw it). The health minister and his staff may have been a little bit occupied with responding to the unfolding crisis to jump in front of the cameras, in the middle of the night, before having all the facts. I am sure Harawira has enough on his plate today with managing non-consented checkpoints in Northland (not saying I disagree with them, especially given the Auckland pair, but that could turn nasty without someone with mana, not to mention; from Mana, on top of it).
Now if they don't front up at 1pm today, I will join you in your annoyance.
Though, I imagine that this community infection topic will quickly swamp OM, so if any Mods are reading this, maybe a dedicated post about this will prevent that? Not trying to waste your time or tell you how to do your work, but it is a bit off topic to use MS's vaccine post from yesterday.
No I found out at around 5:15pm on Newstalk One ZB via Hone (NOT 10pm).
The ministry had not said anything until Hone basically leaked it to HDPA. Later yesterday evening the ministry jumped into action. So yes, I am still annoyed or at least disappointed.
HDPA? I assume you are not referring to the enzyme, but what it does mean eludes me. Also assume that the ministry was already in action, perhaps too much so to be conducting press meetings on the basis of incomplete information. Unless there are still 24hour testing stations operating in Auckland, there is a limited amount anyone could do after 5pm. Anyway, I feel that Hipkins; more than Bloomfield, should be the focus of your ire, as they were less likely to be actively busy analyzing the data at the time.
I think your comment on yesterday's OM was around 10pm, so just assumed that the interview you heard must have been just before then. See what happens when people jump to conclusions on the basis of too little data? They just have to waste time later correcting the error and distracting from the more pressing issues.
Edit: Your initial comment was just after %pm, but just a reckon that was govt confirmed by 6pm
Police have shut down the Tai Tokerau border control information checkpoint at Waiomio. Hone Harawira said he is “p….. off” and concerned nothing is being done to protect the people of the north.
Out of interest why are you annoyed? Hipkins and Bloomfield should have told us sooner? Someone’s leaking in health?
I remained concerned about these new variants and wonder if we should be going into some sort of level change ASAP. But I still have high trust in our covid response and know this is to do with my personal approach which is with an abundance of caution.
hope I am not being a bore and happy to be told I am. Yesterday posed a question would you attend a largish party with someone who had left managed isolation the week before. Thanks to those who answered.
but McFlook and Peter from Chechnya if you are around would your answer still be yes?
btw this is not some hypothetical for me, real life issue and I thought the standard a good place to do a reality check. Thanks
Hi Anker. Yes, my answer would still be yes, for same reasons as yesterday: we need to keep a sense of perspective and have confidence that the MOH and other associated bodies are on top of this and will.inform us if the risk level changes.
ok accept your point of view Peter, but I have a different view. We are free to get on with our lives here mostly because of people being careful when we need to be. I am not proposing stay home and don't ever go out because of Covid. But if there is some risk take pre-cautions. Parties can be held at a better time. Its not that bigger deal.
Personally I wouldn't want to get Covid because I have had cancer and that increases the risk of me getting a bad dose. I also think every time I take an avoidable risk it is potentially risking our precious health workers. Why should I put them at risk just cause I want to go to a party. BTW I would and have attended parties over the last few months (not in level 2) but would not go to one where someone is a week out from managed isolation. Its a very, very tiny sacrifice to avoid what would be a catastrophe.
Could you, or someone else on here, clarify something. At the hypothetical party, if my Covid app has Bluetooth turned on, and it later transpires someone at the party is infected, does the Bluetooth detect that I was in close proximity to that person?
It's totally dependant on the infected person also having 1/ the COVID app installed and running, and 2/ that person also having the bluetooth functionality enabled. And then it's still a maybe, as in not going to be 100%. But way better than nothing if both are using the app.
For admins notes: Just had to ditch a browser called Bing that came with Windows as I set up Windows. It does not know where NZ is nor any of it's business entities. I simply couldn't get The Standard in a search result despite using all manner of trickery. Stuff I needed to find via Canterbury Press! Garbage browser… Chrome it is.
Yes, I see what you mean. If you search for the standard even confined to Only from New Zealand the ‘hits’ are misses. However, at the bottom of each results page you’ll find Related searches for the standard and that can be more helpful.
Sometime a few months back the ability to search TS comments using Google on Firefox on Windows 10 went away for me.
ie, if I wanted to search for when I've been insulting to Colonel Trotter, I used to be able to use google with the search words Andre bowelly site:thestandard.org.nz and it would give me the rude comments I've made. Now it just gives me a listing of author @Andre search results from TS, and sometimes not even that.
Since the search function here is currently working well, it hasn't been an issue.
I used to use the dual system Ubuntu & Windows option on an old computer before it wore out. Windows was better for gaming (at least for the old strategy games that I play). I like linux-based systems (which Ubuntu & Debian are an offshoot of) more; in theory, than; in practice. Fine for running Open office and webrowsing though. It's just that; I always felt I could do so much more with it if I only took the time to learn, so I really got to feel my age, and digital semi-literacy, whenever I used it. Which is not the operating system's fault.
The Torygraph on the failed array of quangos, management consultancies and outsourcing firms.
Why has Britain fared so poorly with Covid-19? Although blaming this or that minister or official offers an easy answer, the deeper causes lie in the transformation of the British state.
Britain inherited from World War II a “command and control” state; a state that could govern. Whitehall was well-practised in strategic planning, good at the rapid and efficient mobilisation of resources and people, and it regularly took authoritative, direct action to meet society’s needs.
Back then, the state could deliver what democratically elected politicians asked of it – to build the NHS, for instance – because it retained the powers, people and resources to do so.
Today, after 40 years of reform, the “command and control” state has been replaced by a “regulatory state”. Decision-making has shifted from parliament to an archipelago of some 400 “arms-length” quangos, employing more than 278,000 people and costing £205 billion per year. Moreover, the state’s assets – its capacity to execute policy on its own accord – have been outsourced or rationalised.
Does anyone know, in the hotels / MIQ facilities, are for example, day 2 people able to mix with say, day 12 people? eg. at common areas / smoking areas. Hopefully not.
I have had two stints in MIQ. One in Hamilton and one in Auckland
There is no mixing with anyone regardless of the day you arrive.
You are permitted to attend fixed times for exercise but you are l isolated from anyone else, and you wear a mask and are socially distanced. There is a risk at the juncture, but from my experience no one is 'mixing'.
About that drive-through testing … probably make self testing a damn sight easier.
More than a million Beijing residents undergoing coronavirus testing amid a fresh outbreak have been administered anal swabs, which are considered more accurate and raise the chances of detecting COVID-19, said a Chinese disease specialist.
Quite depressing to watch, read and listen to various Liberal 'Left' news sources to again unquestioningly jump on board the US led Venezuela regime change band wagon without missing a step and offering no proof or evidence so soon after these same outlets taking so much effort and time to debunk Trumps obvious bullshit over election fraud in the US…it could make you wonder at some of their other reporting…or so you would think?
US (and NZ) Media Require No Evidence for Claims of Electoral Fraud—in Venezuela
"Venezuela’s December 6 parliamentary election offers an instructive case study, with corporate journalists unquestioningly repeating Trump officials’ unsubstantiated allegations of “fraud” there at the same time that they debunked Trump’s virtually identical claims vis-a-vis the US election. And the right-wing violence that was rightly portrayed as a threat to democracy in the US was heartily endorsed as a democratic campaign in Venezuela, where it served Washington’s foreign policy goals.
The media’s uncritical echoing of fraud allegations is in turn used to justify the continuation of Washington’s regime-change policies. Early signs point to this dynamic continuing in full force under the new Biden administration (Reuters, 1/19/21)."
At least Biden's going to revive the Iran nuclear deal, so that's something, plus hand out some more cheques (USD1400) to US citizens and rejoin the Paris Accord on climate change. But mostly he's a ludicrous relic of a profoundly broken past, and completely unequal to the historical moment he finds himself in.
I'm just about past caring – might go plant some things in the garden and catch a fish. To quote Allen Ginsberg from 65 years ago, “America when will you be angelic?”
Advice from someone who really knows how to do a checkmate:
…the UK was uniquely placed to take action against Putin’s inner circle. He argued that the flow of money from Moscow into London had to cease. “It’s very simple. Stop talking and start acting,” he said.
Kasparov said Russia was at a crossroads following pro-Navalny protests last Saturday in more than 100 Russian cities, with 40,000 people taking to the streets in Moscow. He described the demonstrations as “phenomenal” and the most significant since 1991.
“They happened despite state propaganda and pressure on people,” he said. “In Europe nobody can now send a more vocal message to the Kremlin than the Brits. As long as the money keeps flowing into London and to the free world, Putin’s power is untouched.”
It is hard to be a plutocrat when you can't use the money you have looted. Though it's not quite that simple; as Putin's regime still has a lot of guns, and other more terrifying weapons.
Barfly, if it's not that significant; why has it not happened any other time in the last 40 years? Has Moscow been just so idyllic that there has been nothing to protest, or has a ruthless exKGB officer seized control of the state apparatus to quash dissent through a program (/pogrom) of murder and intimidation? I believe the latter to be closer to the truth.
Well, I can't read Cyrillic; but don't you think that someone would have mentioned it somewhere in an english language source somewhere, if so? I am more inclined to trust Kasparov; a chess grandmaster's memory than your uninformed supposition, unless you can provide a link.
Also that should be; "the last 30 years", not 40. Some clumsy fingers today!
And the newspapers were fooling, and the ash-trays have retired
Cause the keyboard has been drinking…
The point is, if you're only going to read and believe those publications at the head of your google search you're not going to be very well informed are you.
Therefore what you believe is based on poor research so your ignorance is your concern and really doesn't interest me.
Not about dead people (if that's what your image depicts); no, I don't believe Putin does, Joe90. However, I imagine he, and his backers, care very deeply about the state of their bank accounts.
The true thoughts of the heroic Navalny….bit of a racist Nationalist by the looks of it, but hey the Liberals can use him in their anti Russian boogie man McCarthyite hysteria campaign..so who cares right….
“What if we had a different ur-myth about energy and order in the universe? Imagine, for instance, that our intuitions were still informed more by that world of agrarian smallholders, and less by the industrialized cultures that eclipsed it. Letting our worldview shift further still, we could combine such a retrieval of our deeper past with an appreciation of the highly modern. Imagine, that is, a sense of energy informed not by Victorian science but by more recent physics—from cosmic background radiation to the quantum effervescence of space itself. And imagine, too, a feeling for order that derived less from loose notions of entropic decline, and more from recent work on physical self-organization or the way organisms adaptively harness tiny changes in entropy to drive productive chemical reactions.
“Imbued with such a worldview, moved and directed by it much as the Victorians were influenced by thermodynamics and Darwinism, we might think and act less in the vein of industrial agriculture, with its mining of natural gas and unidirectional spill of energy. We might be more inclined to let the flywheel of ecology get spinning and investigate the potential allowances of regenerative agriculture. More generally, perhaps we would begin to see that part of the solution to our planetary crisis lies not in hustle, but in repose. Not in catching the next trans-Atlantic flight to an important conference or meeting, but in staying home, contentedly. Not in buying a new more efficient car, but in leaving the old one parked. Perhaps there are many solutions that do not even occur to us, because they resemble passivity rather than action, and we are so deeply trained to hustle.”
I simply can't see how you can make the majority of NZ car drivers reducing their carbon emissions voluntarily. They are used to cheap, second hand car imports, ideally with as big – means polluting – engine as possible (while NZ petrol is still cheap compared to many Western European countries). On top of it, driving is seen as a god-given right, even if it serves very little to no purpose.
We have now "climate emergency" declared on every level here in Wellington: local, regional and national. Looking forward to the ideas to significantly reduce the transport carbon emission in the near future. Clearly, people have to leave their car at home when going into an office or work from home to achieve any noticeable reduction.
Buggered if I know but her response on this like her response to house prices the other day reminds me of old dont give a fuck key,its I bit depressing.
The thing about short selling is there is literally no limit to how much money a short seller could be on the hook for. I vaguely recall a comment from last year that short sellers in Tesla stock were in the hole for more than the combined market capitalisation of Ford, GM and Volkswagen combined.
Wall St big players have ganged together to stop the free market. Only insider trading allowed now apparently. They shut down the subreddit and Discord on the basis of "hate speech"… because they can't really say the truth: they don't like market manipulation, when it's not themselves doing it.
"What does the stock market do? It provides a convenient method of payment for elevated executive salaries and an avenue to riches for people ― usually organizations of rich people ― who want to bet on stocks. Turns out, that’s a lot of people. "
"The GameStop affair provides an opportunity to update Keynes for the 21st century: If you leave it to professional gamblers to determine the social value of any activity, they will almost always give you the wrong answer, no matter how many of them gamble against each other. They can reward social destruction just as readily as they reward social harmony or a video game store or a well-groomed horse at the starting gate.
Financial markets cannot tell us what is good and what is bad. They can only tell us what a lot of people thought they could make money on at a certain point in time. The real work of determining what kind of world we want to live in is the proper subject of democracy, not high finance. The Redditors have made this brazenly clear to the world, and for that they should be celebrated rather than condemned.
The situation, however, does demand a public policy solution. The Redditors have revealed an absurdity by being absurd. The appropriate response is not to demand an orgy of further absurdity, but to do something sensible."
Yeah suddenly it's a loophole that needs regulating. Wall St & DC have deregulated everything and lined their own pockets, plundering the Earth for decades.
"We have been advised that a small number of people who were in hotel quarantine in the Pullman Hotel in Auckland at the same time as these other cases have since travelled to Australia on green zone flights”
“We know that 12 people who were in quarantine at the Pullman Hotel have arrived in Sydney. Three of these people have travelled on to Hong Kong and the authorities there have been advised.”
I thought people had to disembark once the flight reached NZ. So people transit through NZ and continue on to another destination not leaving the plane?
Pretty simple, there's more quarantine spaces in NZ than Aussie so NZ citizens or residents who have been overseas are using NZ quarantine to get into Australia
Or reverse-501s: grew up in Aus, didn't need paperwork so still technically NZers and not aussies, got kiwi passport, and now have a quicker path back home through NZ MIQ.
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Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
I was initially resistant to the idea often suggested to me that the Government should deliver an arts strategy. The whole point of the arts and creativity is that people should do whatever the hell they want, unbound by the dictates of politicians in Wellington. Peter Jackson, Kiri Te Kanawa, Eleanor ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Rock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...
Nearly everyone has experienced the frustration of something you use breaking and being difficult or expensive to fix. Proposed legislation could change that. It’s been raining on and off all Sunday afternoon but people are lining up outside a building in a corner of Gribblehirst Park in Sandringham, Auckland. In ...
What does a forever relationship look like when you don’t believe in marriage? And how do you celebrate it? This essay is part of our Sunday Essay series, made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.I’m going to do it, right now. I’m going to say ...
The Prime Minister has committed to resuming direct flights to Thailand. But it’s not a promise he will be able to deliver on anytime soon. The post Prime Minister jumps the gun in Thailand appeared first on Newsroom. ...
It’s not that long ago Eliza McCartney was seriously wondering if the Paris Olympics would be her pole vaulting swansong. After years of being hounded by injury after injury, the Rio Olympics bronze medallist was still confident she would compete at her second Olympics in Paris in July, unless something ...
FICTION 1 Take Two by Danielle Hawkins (Allen & Unwin, $36.99) There’s commercial fiction, like this book, and then there’s quality fiction, quality writers, quality literature; the forthcoming Auckland Writers Festival is full of quality, and ReadingRoom has two tickets to give away to the following events: Paul Lynch (Dublin ...
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You can’t have missed the Gallipoli story as the movies, documentaries, essays and books capture what it was like for New Zealand troops in their eight-month campaign on the Peninsula. But this Anzac Day the Auckland War Memorial Museum has published a book that sheds light on a little-known aspect of the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Pōneke based peace activists staged a silent protest at the ANZAC day service to highlight New Zealand’s complicity in war and genocide, and urge the government to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Palestine. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena M.E. Bunbury, Postdoctoral Researcher, James Cook University Burial with a horse at the Rákóczifalva site, Hungary (8th century AD).Sándor Hegedűs, Hungarian National Museum, CC BY How do we understand past societies? For centuries, our main sources of information have been ...
Amanda Thompson doesn’t really do Anzac Day. But what she does do is remember the people she knew who had a lifetime to remember stuff they didn’t really want to, because of a war they didn’t ask for. And she does make Anzac biscuits.First published in 2021.All my ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Willis, Postdoctoral Researcher, CSIRO Xavier Boulenger/Shutterstock In the two decades to 2019, global plastic production doubled. By 2040, plastic manufacturing and processing could consume as much as 20% of global oil production and use up 15% of the annual carbon ...
With our collective remembrance, and steadfast belief in our common humanity, we strengthen our hope and resolve to do what we can to foster dialogue and understanding, and to heal divisions in our pursuit of peace. ...
Principal reasons for the opposition is the loss of the public’s democratic right to have “a fair say” and the vital need for a government free from corruption, said Casey Cravens of Dunedin, president of the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater ...
Never mind the scoreboard – in the 2000 Bledisloe Cup decider, the real trans-Tasman battle was won before kickoff.First published in 2016. The dawn of the new millennium was a dark time for the All Blacks. Their final game pre-Y2K was a 22-18 loss to South Africa in the ...
I’m on the wrong side of 40, I never pursued creative work and now my job is killing my soul. Help! Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,May I start with the least original conversation opener you’re likely to hear around the motu at the moment, particularly in Wellington: ...
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/27/keep-covid-rescue-programmes-or-risk-triggering-stock-market-crash-warns-imf
And there you have it…..all pretence gone.
Oops – they said the quiet bit out loud.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2021/01/jacinda-ardern-weighing-options-against-companies-dumping-contaminated-waste-into-sewers.html
The double standard in nz continues . Farmers get hung drawn and quartered for less
Reckon!
Judith seems to be bringing the Nats back to the centre. Her speech at Ellerslie about housing, apparently did not go down too well with the Rotarians. https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/27-01-2021/judith-collins-wants-to-help-solve-the-countrys-housing-crisis-do-people-care/
And now she wants to contest the Maōri seats. There must be a lot of spluttering going on somewhere. Although it does give ACT more room on the right, so maybe part of some plan?
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/exclusive-national-party-contest-m-ori-electorate-seats?auto=6226481526001
ACT and National with former leaders like Banks and Brash will struggle to get any votes.
Still very annoyed that we find this out from Hone and not Hipkins or Bloomfield.
Live: Child and adult are the new Covid-19 cases in the community in Auckland | Stuff.co.nz
Jester, you may have found that out via Harawira before I became aware of it last night, but he would have been leaked the info from someone, and is unlikely to be in possession of all the facts. You found out around 10pm, and the MoH had Locations of Interest updated by midnight, if not before (that's just when I saw it). The health minister and his staff may have been a little bit occupied with responding to the unfolding crisis to jump in front of the cameras, in the middle of the night, before having all the facts. I am sure Harawira has enough on his plate today with managing non-consented checkpoints in Northland (not saying I disagree with them, especially given the Auckland pair, but that could turn nasty without someone with mana, not to mention; from Mana, on top of it).
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2018781204/northland-covid-19-checkpoints-to-go-ahead-without-police
Now if they don't front up at 1pm today, I will join you in your annoyance.
Though, I imagine that this community infection topic will quickly swamp OM, so if any Mods are reading this, maybe a dedicated post about this will prevent that? Not trying to waste your time or tell you how to do your work, but it is a bit off topic to use MS's vaccine post from yesterday.
No I found out at around 5:15pm on Newstalk One ZB via Hone (NOT 10pm).
The ministry had not said anything until Hone basically leaked it to HDPA. Later yesterday evening the ministry jumped into action. So yes, I am still annoyed or at least disappointed.
HDPA? I assume you are not referring to the enzyme, but what it does mean eludes me. Also assume that the ministry was already in action, perhaps too much so to be conducting press meetings on the basis of incomplete information. Unless there are still 24hour testing stations operating in Auckland, there is a limited amount anyone could do after 5pm. Anyway, I feel that Hipkins; more than Bloomfield, should be the focus of your ire, as they were less likely to be actively busy analyzing the data at the time.
I think your comment on yesterday's OM was around 10pm, so just assumed that the interview you heard must have been just before then. See what happens when people jump to conclusions on the basis of too little data? They just have to waste time later correcting the error and distracting from the more pressing issues.
Edit: Your initial comment was just after %pm, but just a reckon that was govt confirmed by 6pm
That should be; "just after 5pm", not %pm!
Anyway this is more important:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300215941/live-child-and-adult-with-covid19-in-the-community-in-auckland-have-south-african-strain
No close contacts test positive so good news so far.
Good wake up call use tracer app wash hands minimise unnecessary contacts .
I remained concerned about these new variants and wonder if we should be going into some sort of level change ASAP. But I still have high trust in our covid response and know this is to do with my personal approach which is with an abundance of caution.
hope I am not being a bore and happy to be told I am. Yesterday posed a question would you attend a largish party with someone who had left managed isolation the week before. Thanks to those who answered.
but McFlook and Peter from Chechnya if you are around would your answer still be yes?
btw this is not some hypothetical for me, real life issue and I thought the standard a good place to do a reality check. Thanks
Hi Anker. Yes, my answer would still be yes, for same reasons as yesterday: we need to keep a sense of perspective and have confidence that the MOH and other associated bodies are on top of this and will.inform us if the risk level changes.
ok accept your point of view Peter, but I have a different view. We are free to get on with our lives here mostly because of people being careful when we need to be. I am not proposing stay home and don't ever go out because of Covid. But if there is some risk take pre-cautions. Parties can be held at a better time. Its not that bigger deal.
Personally I wouldn't want to get Covid because I have had cancer and that increases the risk of me getting a bad dose. I also think every time I take an avoidable risk it is potentially risking our precious health workers. Why should I put them at risk just cause I want to go to a party. BTW I would and have attended parties over the last few months (not in level 2) but would not go to one where someone is a week out from managed isolation. Its a very, very tiny sacrifice to avoid what would be a catastrophe.
Could you, or someone else on here, clarify something. At the hypothetical party, if my Covid app has Bluetooth turned on, and it later transpires someone at the party is infected, does the Bluetooth detect that I was in close proximity to that person?
Sorry I don't know the answer to that Peter
It's totally dependant on the infected person also having 1/ the COVID app installed and running, and 2/ that person also having the bluetooth functionality enabled. And then it's still a maybe, as in not going to be 100%. But way better than nothing if both are using the app.
For admins notes: Just had to ditch a browser called Bing that came with Windows as I set up Windows. It does not know where NZ is nor any of it's business entities. I simply couldn't get The Standard in a search result despite using all manner of trickery. Stuff I needed to find via Canterbury Press! Garbage browser… Chrome it is.
Yes, I see what you mean. If you search for the standard even confined to Only from New Zealand the ‘hits’ are misses. However, at the bottom of each results page you’ll find Related searches for the standard and that can be more helpful.
HTH
Sometime a few months back the ability to search TS comments using Google on Firefox on Windows 10 went away for me.
ie, if I wanted to search for when I've been insulting to Colonel Trotter, I used to be able to use google with the search words Andre bowelly site:thestandard.org.nz and it would give me the rude comments I've made. Now it just gives me a listing of author @Andre search results from TS, and sometimes not even that.
Since the search function here is currently working well, it hasn't been an issue.
It's 'bowalley road' Andre. Does that make a difference to your search?
biochar – Saw this and thought of your enthusiasm for this bleeple.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/afternoons/audio/2018781782/new-zealand-s-first-microforest
“We are coastal hillside, so all the natives that are traditionally in that area are from that list.”
He says the key difference between his project and others is the use of bio char to enrich the soil.
At this stage most of their work is to do with making bio char which he says is very growth supporting.
Bing is Windows default search engine. Results for thestandardnz and the standard nz
You could ditch windoze entirely and install a less buggy OS.
https://ubuntu.com/tutorials/install-ubuntu-desktop#1-overview
Firefox is the default browser and works well.
I used to use the dual system Ubuntu & Windows option on an old computer before it wore out. Windows was better for gaming (at least for the old strategy games that I play). I like linux-based systems (which Ubuntu & Debian are an offshoot of) more; in theory, than; in practice. Fine for running Open office and webrowsing though. It's just that; I always felt I could do so much more with it if I only took the time to learn, so I really got to feel my age, and digital semi-literacy, whenever I used it. Which is not the operating system's fault.
A long(ish) and instructive read…the rules of the game.
https://michael-hudson.com/2021/01/the-rentier-resurgence-and-takeover-finance-capitalism-vs-industrial-capitalism/
The Torygraph on the failed array of quangos, management consultancies and outsourcing firms.
Why has Britain fared so poorly with Covid-19? Although blaming this or that minister or official offers an easy answer, the deeper causes lie in the transformation of the British state.
Britain inherited from World War II a “command and control” state; a state that could govern. Whitehall was well-practised in strategic planning, good at the rapid and efficient mobilisation of resources and people, and it regularly took authoritative, direct action to meet society’s needs.
Back then, the state could deliver what democratically elected politicians asked of it – to build the NHS, for instance – because it retained the powers, people and resources to do so.
Today, after 40 years of reform, the “command and control” state has been replaced by a “regulatory state”. Decision-making has shifted from parliament to an archipelago of some 400 “arms-length” quangos, employing more than 278,000 people and costing £205 billion per year. Moreover, the state’s assets – its capacity to execute policy on its own accord – have been outsourced or rationalised.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/rolls-royce-skoda-pandemic-has-exposed-britains-failed-regulatory/ (free)
Does anyone know, in the hotels / MIQ facilities, are for example, day 2 people able to mix with say, day 12 people? eg. at common areas / smoking areas. Hopefully not.
I understand 'social distancing' applies in MIQ irrespective of time arrived i.e. between and within groups
oh well, it's all good then. 🙂
IF it has transferred through the aircon then obviously not
I have had two stints in MIQ. One in Hamilton and one in Auckland
There is no mixing with anyone regardless of the day you arrive.
You are permitted to attend fixed times for exercise but you are l isolated from anyone else, and you wear a mask and are socially distanced. There is a risk at the juncture, but from my experience no one is 'mixing'.
That is good to know. Thanks
About that drive-through testing … probably make self testing a damn sight easier.
More than a million Beijing residents undergoing coronavirus testing amid a fresh outbreak have been administered anal swabs, which are considered more accurate and raise the chances of detecting COVID-19, said a Chinese disease specialist.
https://www.newsweek.com/covid-anal-swabs-beijing-residents-more-accurate-says-chinese-expert-1564381?
Quite depressing to watch, read and listen to various Liberal 'Left' news sources to again unquestioningly jump on board the US led Venezuela regime change band wagon without missing a step and offering no proof or evidence so soon after these same outlets taking so much effort and time to debunk Trumps obvious bullshit over election fraud in the US…it could make you wonder at some of their other reporting…or so you would think?
US (and NZ) Media Require No Evidence for Claims of Electoral Fraud—in Venezuela
"Venezuela’s December 6 parliamentary election offers an instructive case study, with corporate journalists unquestioningly repeating Trump officials’ unsubstantiated allegations of “fraud” there at the same time that they debunked Trump’s virtually identical claims vis-a-vis the US election. And the right-wing violence that was rightly portrayed as a threat to democracy in the US was heartily endorsed as a democratic campaign in Venezuela, where it served Washington’s foreign policy goals.
The media’s uncritical echoing of fraud allegations is in turn used to justify the continuation of Washington’s regime-change policies. Early signs point to this dynamic continuing in full force under the new Biden administration (Reuters, 1/19/21)."
Depressing and enraging but entirely predictable.
At least Biden's going to revive the Iran nuclear deal, so that's something, plus hand out some more cheques (USD1400) to US citizens and rejoin the Paris Accord on climate change. But mostly he's a ludicrous relic of a profoundly broken past, and completely unequal to the historical moment he finds himself in.
I'm just about past caring – might go plant some things in the garden and catch a fish. To quote Allen Ginsberg from 65 years ago, “America when will you be angelic?”
I like this version; with Waits' melancholy setting for Ginsberg's reading, though there is something to be said for the starkness of the bare words.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZQ1F45j8Vc
Advice from someone who really knows how to do a checkmate:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/27/garry-kasparov-calls-on-uk-to-impose-sanctions-oligarchs-vladmiri-putin-alexei-navalny
It is hard to be a plutocrat when you can't use the money you have looted. Though it's not quite that simple; as Putin's regime still has a lot of guns, and other more terrifying weapons.
Moscow population 12,190,000 approx 40,000 protesters = just over 0.3 % I doubt Putin is losing sleep
Barfly, if it's not that significant; why has it not happened any other time in the last 40 years? Has Moscow been just so idyllic that there has been nothing to protest, or has a ruthless exKGB officer seized control of the state apparatus to quash dissent through a program (/pogrom) of murder and intimidation? I believe the latter to be closer to the truth.
"there has been nothing to protest"
Not necessarily. If the guardian, bbc et al haven't reported an event that doesn't prove no event took place.
Well, I can't read Cyrillic; but don't you think that someone would have mentioned it somewhere in an english language source somewhere, if so? I am more inclined to trust Kasparov; a chess grandmaster's memory than your uninformed supposition, unless you can provide a link.
Also that should be; "the last 30 years", not 40. Some clumsy fingers today!
The point is, if you're only going to read and believe those publications at the head of your google search you're not going to be very well informed are you.
Therefore what you believe is based on poor research so your ignorance is your concern and really doesn't interest me.
My beliefs don't matter to you so much, that you; felt compelled to leave a reply telling me how they don't matter to you? Okayy…
Poots doesn't give a rats….
Not about dead people (if that's what your image depicts); no, I don't believe Putin does, Joe90. However, I imagine he, and his backers, care very deeply about the state of their bank accounts.
They're murdered Russian journalists.
" witnesses saw at least one killer in a parked Lada"
Yep Russia did it.
Does Putin drive a Lada? He might. So yeah he did it.
Check out the #RussiaProtests tag on twitter. This is a massive movement.
https://twitter.com/AlexKokcharov/status/1352999003361857539?s=20
The true thoughts of the heroic Navalny….bit of a racist Nationalist by the looks of it, but hey the Liberals can use him in their anti Russian boogie man McCarthyite hysteria campaign..so who cares right….
https://twitter.com/MarkAmesExiled/status/1354052162570117121
Nalvany looks like he is just another Putin if the Twitter post is to believed .
Who knows Russian bot factories Putins financial contribution to Trump Pence The leave Brexit campaign..
Attn RedLogix 🙂
“What if we had a different ur-myth about energy and order in the universe? Imagine, for instance, that our intuitions were still informed more by that world of agrarian smallholders, and less by the industrialized cultures that eclipsed it. Letting our worldview shift further still, we could combine such a retrieval of our deeper past with an appreciation of the highly modern. Imagine, that is, a sense of energy informed not by Victorian science but by more recent physics—from cosmic background radiation to the quantum effervescence of space itself. And imagine, too, a feeling for order that derived less from loose notions of entropic decline, and more from recent work on physical self-organization or the way organisms adaptively harness tiny changes in entropy to drive productive chemical reactions.
“Imbued with such a worldview, moved and directed by it much as the Victorians were influenced by thermodynamics and Darwinism, we might think and act less in the vein of industrial agriculture, with its mining of natural gas and unidirectional spill of energy. We might be more inclined to let the flywheel of ecology get spinning and investigate the potential allowances of regenerative agriculture. More generally, perhaps we would begin to see that part of the solution to our planetary crisis lies not in hustle, but in repose. Not in catching the next trans-Atlantic flight to an important conference or meeting, but in staying home, contentedly. Not in buying a new more efficient car, but in leaving the old one parked. Perhaps there are many solutions that do not even occur to us, because they resemble passivity rather than action, and we are so deeply trained to hustle.”
https://nautil.us/issue/86/energy/the-idea-of-entropy-has-led-us-astray
Average weekly rent in Auckland now $595pw! Unfortunately I cant see it easing much over the coming year if there is as much demand as they say.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/homed/real-estate/124072625/super-city-rents-hit-new-record
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2021/01/jacinda-ardern-encourages-higher-spending-on-cars-to-reduce-emissions-as-act-fears-for-less-fortunate.html
I'm starting to think Ardern just can't be bothered trying to solve the big problems.
What solution(s) do you propose?
I simply can't see how you can make the majority of NZ car drivers reducing their carbon emissions voluntarily. They are used to cheap, second hand car imports, ideally with as big – means polluting – engine as possible (while NZ petrol is still cheap compared to many Western European countries). On top of it, driving is seen as a god-given right, even if it serves very little to no purpose.
We have now "climate emergency" declared on every level here in Wellington: local, regional and national. Looking forward to the ideas to significantly reduce the transport carbon emission in the near future. Clearly, people have to leave their car at home when going into an office or work from home to achieve any noticeable reduction.
Buggered if I know but her response on this like her response to house prices the other day reminds me of old dont give a fuck key,its I bit depressing.
Amsterdam Is Embracing a Radical New Economic Theory to Help Save the Environment. Could It Also Replace Capitalism?
https://time.com/5930093/amsterdam-doughnut-economics/
Hope so. Or at least opens a door to good change.
Covid may test the model.
an explainer for those trying to make sense of the redditors taking down the hedge fund dudes. I think I understood this, most of it at least.
https://twitter.com/migbike/status/1354449364463325185
Longer form explanation of what's going on:
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/redditors-myth-stock-market_n_6011bd16c5b61cb9535099d6
The thing about short selling is there is literally no limit to how much money a short seller could be on the hook for. I vaguely recall a comment from last year that short sellers in Tesla stock were in the hole for more than the combined market capitalisation of Ford, GM and Volkswagen combined.
Wall St big players have ganged together to stop the free market. Only insider trading allowed now apparently. They shut down the subreddit and Discord on the basis of "hate speech"… because they can't really say the truth: they don't like market manipulation, when it's not themselves doing it.
"What does the stock market do? It provides a convenient method of payment for elevated executive salaries and an avenue to riches for people ― usually organizations of rich people ― who want to bet on stocks. Turns out, that’s a lot of people. "
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/redditors-myth-stock-market_n_6011bd16c5b61cb9535099d6
"The GameStop affair provides an opportunity to update Keynes for the 21st century: If you leave it to professional gamblers to determine the social value of any activity, they will almost always give you the wrong answer, no matter how many of them gamble against each other. They can reward social destruction just as readily as they reward social harmony or a video game store or a well-groomed horse at the starting gate.
Financial markets cannot tell us what is good and what is bad. They can only tell us what a lot of people thought they could make money on at a certain point in time. The real work of determining what kind of world we want to live in is the proper subject of democracy, not high finance. The Redditors have made this brazenly clear to the world, and for that they should be celebrated rather than condemned.
The situation, however, does demand a public policy solution. The Redditors have revealed an absurdity by being absurd. The appropriate response is not to demand an orgy of further absurdity, but to do something sensible."
Nuff said
Yeah suddenly it's a loophole that needs regulating. Wall St & DC have deregulated everything and lined their own pockets, plundering the Earth for decades.
https://twitter.com/rudy_betrayed/status/1354485494445461510?s=20
https://twitter.com/bocxtop/status/1354496988193185806?s=20
"We have been advised that a small number of people who were in hotel quarantine in the Pullman Hotel in Auckland at the same time as these other cases have since travelled to Australia on green zone flights”
“We know that 12 people who were in quarantine at the Pullman Hotel have arrived in Sydney. Three of these people have travelled on to Hong Kong and the authorities there have been advised.”
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-coronavirus-twelve-travellers-from-virus-hotel-came-to-australia/VDFZ2NXR44TOCEJFHVGI5ASZYY/
What is going on here ? Extrapolation of the quarantine service which was for Kiwis coming home not for others to use and abuse to go elsewhere.
Is it because it is too hard to get direct flights or it is cheaper to fly so they transit through NZ.
Surely immigration could keep track somehow and it cannot be excluded that they paid for their own MIQ.
If that is the case it should be prohibited.
In transit passengers remains air side at the airport. Those flying on to other destinations from MIQ would be NZ citizens with the right to do so.
I thought people had to disembark once the flight reached NZ. So people transit through NZ and continue on to another destination not leaving the plane?
Those flying on to another country never enter NZ, remaining air side in one of Dante's circles of hell, the international transit lounge.
Pretty simple, there's more quarantine spaces in NZ than Aussie so NZ citizens or residents who have been overseas are using NZ quarantine to get into Australia
NZers coming into NZ presumably don't have to tell the govt why, or how long they intend to stay.
I bet it's just global citizens who have scammed a nz resident Visa and are useing nz as a back door to other places ,
heh.
Or reverse-501s: grew up in Aus, didn't need paperwork so still technically NZers and not aussies, got kiwi passport, and now have a quicker path back home through NZ MIQ.