Will Simon Bridges also dismiss ol' Chester as a "wokester"
"While it is politically attractive to pretend we can arrest our way to success with methamphetamine, we need to see the same passion for providing rehabilitation, understanding, and pre-emptive strategies across society to try and turn the tap off in this burgeoning trade.
Chester Borrows is a former police officer, and served as Courts Minister in the Key government. He currently sits on the Parole Board."
Good to see something is being done. In particular I would like attention on how the changes to welfare either completely skipped disabled, or in many cases made their situation worse (remember the PM saying that nobody would be worse off? Not true).
I wish them well, I truly do, but I fear it will be a waste of time and effort.
No government in NZ has ever committed to addressing inequities and inequalities for disabled people. Neither of the Big Two give a shit, and minor parties lack the power and influence to move the mountains more than a few millimetres.
The single digit salute given to the advice from the Welfare Expert Advisory Group by this Current Mob is a dead giveaway…
And speaking about death…and because NZ tends to trot behind the Motherland in social policy…pesky disabled are going to be less of a drain on the UK economy by virtue if the fact that Te Virus kills them off at a horrifyingly higher rate than the rest of the population.
(Cue the resident euthanasia promoters here on TS…just what is needed is another lecture about the ethics of spending more $$$ on disabled people at the expense of the poor.)
I saw on Aljazeera TV a few weeks back that 3 out of 5 in the UK who died were disabled. It was confronting that many in the disabled group had a do not resuscitate on their medical file which they were not aware of.
We could put this simply: Humans are animals and resources on this planet are finite.
Reaction: aggression, defensiveness, me me me, no compassion. its is the same story since the ape started to stand upright. Very, very few will raise above that. NZ is no different. With Euthanasia a door has opened to justify to end the suffering…. this, not even animals do.
From day 1 the classification of contacts at Papatoetoe College gave the wrong impression of who was more at risk. Being in the same year class or travelling on a school bus with a student who was infectious without knowing.
I would like to know the failure rate for a nasal swab not picking up Covid-19 when it is in the lungs?
Were it known where the first community case of this outbreak became infected this would have been an advantage.
It is about dealing with the situation as it is at this time and the required information being given clearly so it understood and followed.
Hi Treetop, I looked that up ie the failure rate of the nasal swab. It’s 96% accurate, which is great, but when you think of that every four in 100 are false negatives.
I am no expert but it would seem the most obvious explanation is case M and N caught it off their family member who was at PapatoetoeHS and she returned three negative tests.
the geonome is the same in case m and n as the papatoetoe cluster
Unlikely to be 3 false positives on all of the nasal swabs so other reasons for not showing a positive. Could be a combination, not infectious yet, in the lung (not sure if would show being symtomatic), or a case outside the home is the likely source of contact for the older sibling and his mother and nothing to do with the household.
Genome sequencing is helpful to tie it to a cluster.
Unlikely to be 3 false positives on all of the nasal swabs …
Well, just on the straight numbers of 1 in every 25 tests of a positive person returning a false negative test result, that would be one in every roughly 15,000 covid-positive people returning 3 false negative results.
Given that our total case count is now up to around 2400, it's not wildly implausible that we have had enough instances of infection for the very rare event of repeated false negatives to have actually occurred. Just like your individual chance of winning Powerball is almost indistinguishable from zero, yet someone in New Zealand does in fact win Powerball every few weeks.
That's without considering the nuances of what conditions make false negatives more likely, or the possibility of timing issues that the first negative test might have been so early in the infection that it would be very unlikely to produce a positive, and so on.
All of which highlights that it's a very complex business. And that's without getting into the intricacies of what the virus does in bodies or the involved, problematic things around communities and transmission.
Wasn't it brilliant a year ago that overnight we developed a couple of million microbiologists and epidemiologists who could tell everyone what could and should be done.
The theme today in some places is more base of course. Ardern resigning, (and Hipkins and Bloomfield,) seems the minimum. Funny how those who so rapidly advanced through the ranks of the scientifically knowledgeable and qualified could just as instantly turn into lynch mob morons.
14 day isolation and retesting in that time prevents a community outbreak and ensures more accurate results when it comes to a series of swabs in an individual.
Agreed, but short of putting all contacts irrespective into MIQ we will never have 100% safety and even MIQ is not watertight. However, this is neither necessary nor desirable nor realistic.
I think the system is now reasonably robust although they keep on improving things, as they should. The new contact categories is a recent change and I think it is a sensible one.
I think that more improvements can be made in the messaging & communication, or education, if you prefer. They need to consider and apply psychology more. Poission just gave an informative link with a wealth of data: https://thestandard.org.nz/level-3-again-be-kind/#comment-1781177.
I didn’t mean you to read it all, just to be aware that there is a lot more data & info out there that Government could use to improve its handling of the pandemic 🙂
I don’t get your point. Depending on the type of contact AKA Contact Category, this is exactly what is expected and happening. Unless somebody does not follow the rules such as this Casual Plus Contact.
Any person who receives a yellow QR notification for a location of interest via the NZ COVID Tracer app where the notification says ‘Casual Plus Contact’. The notification will provide brief advice and a link for more information.
Personally, this omnishambles adds another major point of evidence discrediting Amnesty International's judgement, along with their really clueless adoption of Mumia Abu-Jamal as a poster boy.
Along with how it highlights how readily convergence moonbats happily amplify Kremlin propaganda without any attempt at critical examination, or consideration of nuance of the big picture.
As Martin Luther King once observed, ‘Though it may take a long time, the arc of history bends towards justice’
Despite all the lies and propaganda it is only a matter of time before Russian officers and soldiers in Syria complicit in aiding and abetting the Assad regime to carry out atrocities against the Syrian people will also brought to justice.
Navalny is by no means a simple criminal – and reinstating a suspended sentence because the convict could not meet contact requirements while recovering from novichok poisoning is a pretty sketchy basis for reimprisonment.
@ Brigid, these guys are so malleable I seriously believe if we were living in 1941 they would get in behind the Nazi invasion of Russia in a flash if they were told too, they seem to have absolutely no critical thinking facility for processing any new incoming information whatsoever.
Of course they will willfully either ignore or justify this…
I don’t believe there has been a bombing, a sanction, an assassination, a droning, or in fact any sort of aggressive foreign action from western countries directed outwardly across the planet, that you bunch of mindless fucking maniacs haven’t supported if told it’s OK by Liberal media…and that is why I often compare you to camp guards, because there is a long sad history of people like you lot of brainless arse lickers who end up being actually really dangerous to fellow citizens when/if shit ever hits the fan.
Like I said a couple of weeks ago, when someone comes along, who you guys think is the right authority, and that authority says jump, and you lot instantly yell back…HOW HIGH SIR…..no questions asked, ever…it’s really quite scary and unsettling to watch in real time.
And BTW, you have proved time and again here on this site, that if they told you dog shit was chocolate ice cream, you would shovel that down your throat as quick as you could. of that I am sure.
Yes, you are sure of many scary and unsettling things.
The relationship of those things to reality, however, seems tenuous and ephemeral. If only you could form a coherent, rational argument to support the reality of those things, rather than merely producing flecks of froth around the mouth.
I don’t believe there has been a bombing, a sanction, an assassination, a droning, or in fact any sort of aggressive foreign action from western countries directed outwardly across the planet, that you bunch of mindless fucking maniacs haven’t supported if told it’s OK by Liberal media
With that statement you not only show you haven't read what people have posted in opposition to some western military actions, you admit to having no real clue about politics – especially global insight, and then self confess to being the sort of moron wiser heads think you are. Well played.
when someone comes along, who you guys think is the right authority, and that authority says jump, and you lot instantly yell back…HOW HIGH SIR
That’s exactly what you do.
You’re like one of those Trump supporters who believes the voting machines were hacked because the my pillow guy told you.
Could you please do all of us here on TS a favour and rinse your mouth out with soap and tone it down, thanks. The three of you love to fight here, and who am I to judge, but your personal insults keep crossing the admittedly fuzzy boundaries of robust debate and it is a tad embarrassing.
I am not the least bit embarrassed, why should I be, I stand behind everything I said today, and say whenever I am on The Standard.
As I have always said, I am very easy to find, so if anyone wants this debate face to face, that’s fine with me.
Will try and tone the swearing down a bit though if that is a problem.
Adrian doesn’t like me “micro managing” you (https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-25-01-2021/#comment-1776224 and https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-25-01-2021/#comment-1776230), which I think is fair enough and I rely on you self-moderating. However, that doesn’t seem to be working so well for so long so soon I will resort to ‘macro managing’ and I personally don’t give a toss who are going to be caught in that when it happens. When you treat other commenters with obvious disdain, you severely diminish your demands to and of Moderators.
Trouble was, when I tried ignoring most commenters I have disdain for, it's fine. But with one or two, sooner or later they drop something along the lines of the lack of response "speaks volumes", which is a flat-out lie.
So sometimes it feels like the old rock and hard place.
It's not the morbid drunks who are a problem for other people – it's the one who's taking swings at random folk and calling them the c-word in lieu of being able to form a rational position.
By the way, he’s been doing it for over a year now so yeah, I’m getting tired of it.
Indeed, it is frustrating when people offer no argument or (political) analysis but only ad homs and cheap labels ‘supported’ with meaningless and distracting YT clips.
With respect, Incognito, my choice of that Keith Olbermann montage was hardly meaningless. All of the ad homs and cheap labels in this thread come from Andre; I placed them in context.
It has been a while since anybody here received a ban. You’re currently in pole position and the nearest competition is not even in sight, I’m pleased to say.
They're not any good as insults because they are either worn out or they have no basis in reality.
Worn out insults: 1) Stalin's "useful idiots" crack. This is no more than a cliché and it has no power at all; Andre and a few others use it on this forum quite a bit. It usually says nothing about the target, but a great deal about the attacker.
2) "clueless"–same as for "useful idiots."
Insults with no basis in reality: 1) The flaccid "convergence moonbat" slur is an invention of one of the beleaguered propagandists who churns out copy for the faux-liberal Clintonista rump of the tedia, AKA “the blogosphere” (Daily Kos, Daily Beast, Vox, Huff Po). It is predicated on the nonsensical idea that, since principled people on the left criticised the Democratic Party's "leadership" and right wingers from Fox News railed, often incoherently, against Democratic "leaders", then both left and right must be the same. They converge, in other words. To quote Noam Chomsky, in order to accept that theory, you need a very expensive education.
2) "Kremlin propaganda"—sane and reasonable people will of course realize that if the Russian government happens to agree with one on a point of principle—for example, that supporting the Al-Nusra Front in Syria is not a good idea—that does not necessarily mean that one is a supporter of the Russian government.
,,, without any attempt at critical examination, or consideration of nuance of the big picture."
…here is some of the 'critical examination' you so rightly point out is sorely missing in coverage of this topic, and from actual Russians on the ground in Russia, who would ever have thought actual Russian citizens might have their own diverse opinions about their own affairs?
For Russian leftists, Western favorite Navalny represents same corrupt elitism
" Two Russian leftists, Katya Kazbek and Alexey Sakhnin discuss why they don't see Navalny as a genuine alternative to Vladimir Putin, and instead as a representative of a different faction of the ruling Russian elite — one more willing to cater to Western counterparts."
In Navalny poisoning, rush to judgment threatens new Russia-NATO crisis
Guest: Fred Weir, veteran Moscow correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor.
The thing is Adrian, all you do is repost trash like this.
You never entertain the obvious questions – like, "How legitimate can a person who declares himself president for life be?" – a question Xi also needs to answer.
The lack of critical thinking lies with you Putin dupes.
Find yourself a few primary sources on Russia instead of what Putin's PR machine spoonfeeds you, and you'll be less of a public embarrassment.
The second fellow is a very poor commentator also. You should be aware that Russia has a significant intellectual culture – these people wanted, in the post Gorbachov era, to have an actual democracy.
They are absolutely furious with Putin reverting to the corruption that characterized the late Soviet era. When that autocrat took power, Russian presidential terms were limited to five years – specifically to keep scoundrels like Putin out. He has betrayed the reform of the post-Soviet era – and his management has been economically disastrous as well as deadly to journalists and industrialists that were not part of his clique.
And of course you have not answered the question. How can a leader who pretends to be a democratic president declare himself president for life? This is the act of an autocrat – and autocrats are not legitimate.
“You have selected them for their subservience to the corrupt Putin regime. You need to balance such perspectives” FFS!!!
I don't want to be rude here Stuart, but it really looks like you are either being willfully stupid or are desperately trying to just remain ignorant of other facts around this issue, so you can, for some unknown reason, only ever talk or comment on it in half truths and rhetoric….try actually putting a pin into that bubble of yours once and awhile, the fresh air might do you some good my friend.
Aaronn Mate' interviews from the above clips…
Interviewee 1; Alexey Sakhnin is a Russian activist and a member of the Left Front. He was one of the leaders of the anti-Putin protest movement from 2011 to 2013. He later emigrated to Sweden and lived as an exile there, before returning to Russia to continue his work as a left oppositional activist and journalist. He is also a member of the Progressive International Council. https://jacobinmag.com/author/alexey-sakhnin
Interviewee 2: Katya Kazbek is originally from Russia. She is a feminist and an LGBTIQ issues freelance writer. Her work has been published in Creative Times Report, Russian GQ and Vogue. Katya’s main fields of interest include the post-colonial struggle in the ex-USSR territories, race, migration, class, sexual violence and queer identities https://www.guernicamag.com/katya-kazbek-discourse-in-danger/
Interviewee 3; Fred Weir has been the Monitor's Moscow correspondent, covering Russia and the former Soviet Union, since 1998. He's traveled over much of that vast territory, reporting on stories ranging from Russia's financial crash to the war in Chechnya, creeping Islamization in central Asia, Russia's demographic crisis, the rise of Vladimir Putin and his repeated returns to the Kremlin, and the ups and downs of US-Russia relations.
Fred is the co-author of Revolution from Above: Russia's Path from Gorbachev to Putin, Routledge, 2007. https://www.csmonitor.com/About/People/Fred-Weir
Then don't. Go and find yourself some credible Russian sources (you'll recognize them easily enough – they won't have a bar of RT) or stop flaunting your ignorance.
I have no problem with listening to and gathering perspectives and opinion from people like Galina Timchenko, even if it is from the BBC who are far from impartial, in fact the BBC have just been proved through leaked documents to be actively impartial, and ironically….
“These revelations show that when MPs were railing about Russia, British agents were using the BBC and Reuters to deploy precisely the same tactics that politicians and media commentators were accusing Russia of using,”
From NZ Herald: "The new case – "Case M" – attends the Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT) and is the older brother of a Papatoetoe High School student. The man, who also works at Kerry Logistics (Oceania) Limited, went to MIT for three days and to the gym twice – including once after taking a Covid test – when he should have been isolating at home".
He is not going to be popular with his work mates at Kerry Logistics or MIT!
Some months ago on the radio I heard the account of a bloke who was feeling unwell and thought he might have covid, that chap got a test and immediately voluntary self isolated. I felt gratitude toward him for doing the right thing and helping ensure the virus remained under control.
We have heard similar a number of times since. So and so recorded a positive test however the risk is low as they person had been self isolating for so many days before infection.
Fest forward to this past week. Ardern has said it was right to drop levels last week as those who posed a risk had been identified and had been told to isolate. If people had done the right thing we would have a firewall around the virus.
The problem of course if that some people DIDN'T do the right thing. And for all the reasons they might have felt 'compelled' or 'needed' to go out, there was an element of choice in them not doing the right thing, they chose so. Now thousands of people are at risk; at risk of contracting covid19, at risk of seeing a precarious business going under, at risk of missing a mortgage payment, at risk of missing bills, at risk of losing a job.
Most people will do the right thing. With those who choose not to the question that came to my mind is – do we from now on have to go to a level 3 or similar each and every time, rather than rely in contact tracing and isolation for some, to give no option to those who cannot make the right choice. Everyone goes to level 3 because some people cannot do as asked an cannot do the right thing. Due to a few placing us all at risk, we take away the option of doing the right thing, and automatically apply a blanket level 3 across everyone
In terms of covid and employers, have been musing on the "not being popular with workmates" bit. Someone may have been exposed to covid and was instructed to self isolate. They however chose to go to work (as opposed to the employer demanding they go to work). So the person goes to work and is then confirmed as having covid. The employer is required to close their business, clean it, and send a number of staff home to isolate and get a test. The risk the employee created might lead to discipline action. I am not saying it will automatically lead to punitive action however I think the employer has open to them initiating discipline action on the employee for the chaos created by not self isolating.
Fear of losing your job if you do not go to work is a concern. This also applies if you told your employer you had been tested and the employer said you had to come to work.
It needs to be made an offence if an employee is being coerced.
indeed, workers AND businesses need to do the right thing. Coercion to come to work is as equally bad as someone deciding the self isolate rules don't apply to them. The cost to the employer is such a case as you mention is closure, loss of income and the need for a deep clean. Plus paying staff full pay due to the employers stupidity.
That said, I am not aware how a gym can coerce someone to go in for a workout after getting a covid test.
As I recall the outcome of this case was not clear. I do not know what the final decision was. Possibly it was miscommunication with both the employer and the employee.
Even the writer of that soppy article agreed that gang numbers and confidence and visibility were increasing. Check out multiple hundreds of gang bikes rolling through Auckland yesterday. You could hear them for miles. I've not seen that done on that scale for many years.
As for last week, the Commissioner did ok, but Bridges is onto a total winner.
Covid won't camouflage this government forever, and the weaker ministers like Williams who haven't played defence well will be the most vulnerable.
I'm sure it's much smaller for regular users. But the relationship between gangs growing in smaller towns and regions of New Zealand, and massive rises in meth use, is pretty clear.
"Kawerau is a small town with a population of around 7000 people. Locals Newshub spoke to said you could find P in one in every two homes here, and if you don't already have it, your next hit is only a phone call away. "
In the 8 years we've lived in Australia I cannot recall the last time we saw a gang presence in public. I know they exist, but to suggest they enjoy any kind of extra legitimacy here strikes me as implausible.
"Right now this Government and the Police aren't convincing anyone that they're taking gangs seriously, and it will cost both of them in popularity and respect."
One could argue that Bridges is something of an expert when it comes to losing popularity and respect, but that's yesterday's news. Just when it seemed the former National party leader couldn't go any lower, he plumbs new depths. Whatever next?
With schools unable to have galas and other fund raising since late 2019, the drop off of international students and a dramatic reduction in school donations being received for those schools D7+, (that the labour govt decided not to keep its promise to fund ALL schools in lieu of dropping donations). Just listen out to schools following Heath boards with deficits and boards under severe pressure (like Health Boards) to work within inadequate funding levels.
I see, take a scattergun, shoot at something, then connect the thousands of dots into a coherent self-consistent narrative to discern and communicate ‘the truth’, and come up with ‘solutions’. That’s called constructive criticism and rational debate. It is in short supply, here and everywhere else.
I see continual under funding by ALL governments creating stress at a local level and the acceptance that under funding is to be compensated by the goodwill of teachers, nurses etc fund raising, parking fees, with anything that can makeup shortfalls any options to source funds. With covid many areas of alternative funding has greatly diminished or disappeared, and my comment was directed to Schools experiencing this so early on in the year. Other examples St Johns.
All policies are human constructs and not set in stone, follow natural laws etc. This can be changed. It takes a strong willed government and enough people fed up with all that BS we are being fed daily to act.
I would have thought if there is a provable drop in revenue, in this case through fundraising, the schools can apply for Covid-19 subsidy assistance just like anyone else?
As we have had Covid 19 schools that declined the option (Decile 1-7) in some cases are now worse off. I know that local primary schools are already having to operate under restricted budgets and asking teachers to teach with reduced resources e.g. art supplies.
I don't know when they first started telling people about the shutdown but they were certainly doing so last Wednesday, 24 Feb. It never rains but it pours.
Of course the iwi themselves have signed on to it.
I'm just marking that this is a damnably small settlement for the scale of injustice perpetrated against them by the Crown.
In 1865 this iwi had control of about 220,000 hectares, from the sources of the Waitakere to Stratford and to Whanganui.
As always the Crown's reps recognise it's not enough …. "While no redress can ever fully compensate for the destructive and demoralising effects of Crown actions, I hope this settlement will allow Ngāti Maru to realise their aspirations for a vibrant economic and cultural future, and restores a relationship based on mutual trust, respect, and cooperation." – Minister Little
But TBH if that had happened to my family I wouldn't be letting Minister Little off with it. I'd just keep fighting until I was good and done.
If they manage to acquire any cutting rights, I sure hope they cut them fast before the Chinese locally-grown glut collapses our log prices. Because if they don't they won't be worth much.
Looking forward to the post-settlement entity going from strength to strength.
Also looking forward to visiting the Parihaka village upgrade once it's all done.
This seems to be a very quick turnaround by the PM.
On Tuesday last she seemed to be saying she was in no hurry to get vaccinated.
"Asked whether she is willing to be vaccinated publicly, Ardern said she will, when it's her turn." ….. "Ardern's decision is a move away from other world leaders who have chosen to receive the vaccination early and in public, in the hopes of inspiring confidence in the vaccine."
"However, she told the Weekend Herald that she would not wait until the middle of the year, when the wider public rollout begins." …. " However, a vaccine will potentially allow Ardern to travel overseas again in the near future, and try to reinvigorate trade talks." …. "The timing and order of any trips would depend on how easy it was to travel. However, global leaders are working on a "vaccine passport" to try to open up travel again."
Given that she generally travels on an Air Force jet the only inconvenience would seem to be the need to quarantine. Does she know that a vaccination provides immunity from carrying the disease or do our leaders plan to excuse themselves from obligations we have to bear?
If it is the former it would seem to me that the first group to be vaccinated should be anyone planning to come to this country. After all, if the vaccination is fully effective we could wipe quarantine for anyone who is fully vaccinated. If it doesn't work that way is out PM planning to bypass quarantine for herself but keep it on for everyone else?
[lprent: Would you care to substantiate “Given that she generally travels on an Air Force jet…” since you have made it as an assertion of fact. However I strongly suspect that you are merely lying (again) for effect. But hey, if you make the assertion, then you own it and are expected to substantiate it. Or you could apologise to the people reading this site for making up false facts?
Substantive links only please. Possibly comparing it with John Key and/or Bill English broken down by roles.
Incidentally, as far as I am aware, the most common reason for her (like all previous prime ministers, MFAT ministers, and trade ministers) to use a Air Force 757 jet is to carry trade or diplomatic missions – not specifically for her own travel. If you were being rigorous, then you’d exclude those when they are far larger than her and assisting staff members – but I suspect you might have data issues.
The nearest viable alternative for the numbers of people on those trips especially to low traffic destinations in the pacific, would be to charter a plane for the people invited or required for those missions. Even then I vaguely remember comments in Hansard by the head of the AF, that it was usually an opportunity to send aid and diplomatic freight as well.
I’ll put you on auto-moderation for a day or two until you assemble your facts and/or apology. If I don’t hear back from you then I’ll make a sentencing decision. ]
I don't have any opinion on whether she travels on an Air Force plane. It is normally the most convenient way to do it, particularly when there is a large group of people going to some out of the way place.
[Irrelevant twaddle deleted. ]
[lprent: Read my note again and stop wasting my time. Doing searches isn’t a rare skill these days. I did that in the couple of minutes after I read your assertion.
But that wasn’t what I moderated on. You didn’t state your sentence as an opinion – you stated it in a way that claimed it to be a fact. I wouldn’t have bothered to moderate on an opinion expressed as an opinion.
What you said about Ardern was that “Given that she generally travels on an Air Force jet the only inconvenience would seem to be the need to quarantine.”. Showing that she sometimes flies on air force planes or jets isn’t ‘generally’. By your apparent definition of ‘generally’, my few flights on air force planes and helicopters decades ago could be expressed that the air force are my personal airline that I generally use. Something that is false to fact.
There was no ‘opinion’ in the first part of that sentence, the second part was opinion – and ludicrously false if the fact it was based on was false. It was also the kind of ‘fact’ that some moronic trolls would repeat like parrots for ever after. That irritates me.
If you claim a fact as part of a debate here, then the responsibility is yours to prove it or even have a decent argument for saying it was correct. That is the core of having a robust debate. Now you appear to be now attempting weasel it down a mere opinion. Doesn’t work.
You will either prove your assertion was at the very least to be something that can be argued about on the basis of verifiable facts, apologise to readers, or get a long arbitrary ban (that goes up each time that you waste my time). Which as a matter of fact becomes your choices because I won’t tolerate any others.
I really don’t like people making claims of fact that are extremely unlikely. You can’t throw opinion off as being fact here without challenge and without sanction if you can’t support it. This is a place for robust debate and expressing peoples own opinions. It is not maintained for inventing magic ‘facts’ for political advantage and payment. In NZ that was known as the departed whaleoil site. ]
I am very impressed. I certainly wasn't capable of coming up with all the information you ask of me. To find that you are capable of, in just a few minutes, coming up with details of all the trips on Air Force planes taken by Key, English and Ardern was beyond my skills.
That was even more beyond my meagre skills when you appear to have wanted me to break them down by type of trip and to be able to identify, at least by role, all the people who went on the trip including, I suppose, whether they were part of the PM's department, another department, the Press or private organisations. Even if you didn't want to know who they were you would seem to be capable of coming up with the number who were in each classification
Is this really what you managed to do in a few minutes? How do you do it? Enlightenment would be much appreciated. What were the queries that you used?
[lprent: Pointless diversion that doesn’t address the question of how you can show that your assertion of fact was in any way correct or arguable. My task was way simpler than your one because all I had to do was to seek any information that vaguely supported your made up garbage. Where as you appear to have to manufacture more idiotic bullshit arguments. I guess another day before I deal with you.
BTW: I just scanned the first 4 pages of google on RNAF 757 and 40 squadron, had a quick search at Wikipedia site, a read through the 2019 NZDF report, and a search of Hansard on the parliamentary site.
Plus of course I’ve been reading about the search for a replacement for the 757 and C-130s for quite a few years now in general background reading on the maintenance issues like this. ]
Watched tovid obrine alternatively trying to skewer the PM and then playing gossip columnist on newshub nationals yesterday. groomed to the max in black and red lippy. this morning she back on the telly trying to make out that her opinion on covid lockdowns carries more weight than the pm and the director of health. this time dressed in white no lippy and against a black backdrop so last nights excesses were not so obvious. my apologies for being so petty but if she wants to put herself up as a model of virtue and probity then it works both ways
Republican have regularly been breaking rules 3 to 10 of the 10 commandments;
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain, Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy, Honour thy father and thy mother, Thou shalt not murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour, Thou shalt not covet
But now it looks like they have found a way to get a full bingo of breaking all the10 Commandments by treating Trump as their god and worshiping idols of him.
I think someone might have sent this as a joke, but those who claim to be Christians missed the fact they where breaking Rules 1 and 2 with it because most of them have never actually really read the bible, they just quote parts of it they have been told justify their bigotry.
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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 ...
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 ...
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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 ...
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 ...
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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 ...
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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. ...
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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. ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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. ...
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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 ...
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Flag-bearing duties were shared between boxer David Nyika and Black Ferns Sevens captain Sarah Hirini in Tokyo three years ago. Triple Olympic medallist in boardsailing, Barbara Kendall was the first female flag bearer in Atlanta in 1996. Since 2004, the flagbearers have worn a kākahu (cloak) as they led ...
Will Simon Bridges also dismiss ol' Chester as a "wokester"
"While it is politically attractive to pretend we can arrest our way to success with methamphetamine, we need to see the same passion for providing rehabilitation, understanding, and pre-emptive strategies across society to try and turn the tap off in this burgeoning trade.
Chester Borrows is a former police officer, and served as Courts Minister in the Key government. He currently sits on the Parole Board."
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/124369962/we-cant-pretend-that-we-can-arrest-our-way-to-success-with-methamphetamine
Good to see something is being done. In particular I would like attention on how the changes to welfare either completely skipped disabled, or in many cases made their situation worse (remember the PM saying that nobody would be worse off? Not true).
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300238233/disabled-kiwis-plan-hikoi-of-hope-to-parliament
I wish them well, I truly do, but I fear it will be a waste of time and effort.
No government in NZ has ever committed to addressing inequities and inequalities for disabled people. Neither of the Big Two give a shit, and minor parties lack the power and influence to move the mountains more than a few millimetres.
The single digit salute given to the advice from the Welfare Expert Advisory Group by this Current Mob is a dead giveaway…
And speaking about death…and because NZ tends to trot behind the Motherland in social policy…pesky disabled are going to be less of a drain on the UK economy by virtue if the fact that Te Virus kills them off at a horrifyingly higher rate than the rest of the population.
https://www.health.org.uk/news-and-comment/news/6-out-of-10-people-who-have-died-from-covid-19-are-disabled
Of course that article fails to mention this quiet little initiative that has been going on for some time…
https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/news/2020/april/fury-over-do-not-resuscitate-notices
(Cue the resident euthanasia promoters here on TS…just what is needed is another lecture about the ethics of spending more $$$ on disabled people at the expense of the poor.)
I saw on Aljazeera TV a few weeks back that 3 out of 5 in the UK who died were disabled. It was confronting that many in the disabled group had a do not resuscitate on their medical file which they were not aware of.
Point well made Rosemary.
We could put this simply: Humans are animals and resources on this planet are finite.
Reaction: aggression, defensiveness, me me me, no compassion. its is the same story since the ape started to stand upright. Very, very few will raise above that. NZ is no different. With Euthanasia a door has opened to justify to end the suffering…. this, not even animals do.
Whats the difference between nipping down to the vape store during isolation and loading up the car and heading to Coromandel to avoid lockdown?
Or bailing Auckland midday two weekends in a fortnight to make a late evening lock down announcement for Auckland from Wellington.
From day 1 the classification of contacts at Papatoetoe College gave the wrong impression of who was more at risk. Being in the same year class or travelling on a school bus with a student who was infectious without knowing.
I would like to know the failure rate for a nasal swab not picking up Covid-19 when it is in the lungs?
Were it known where the first community case of this outbreak became infected this would have been an advantage.
It is about dealing with the situation as it is at this time and the required information being given clearly so it understood and followed.
I am no expert but it would seem the most obvious explanation is case M and N caught it off their family member who was at PapatoetoeHS and she returned three negative tests.
the geonome is the same in case m and n as the papatoetoe cluster
Thanks for that.
Unlikely to be 3 false positives on all of the nasal swabs so other reasons for not showing a positive. Could be a combination, not infectious yet, in the lung (not sure if would show being symtomatic), or a case outside the home is the likely source of contact for the older sibling and his mother and nothing to do with the household.
Genome sequencing is helpful to tie it to a cluster.
Unlikely to be 3 false positives on all of the nasal swabs …
Well, just on the straight numbers of 1 in every 25 tests of a positive person returning a false negative test result, that would be one in every roughly 15,000 covid-positive people returning 3 false negative results.
Given that our total case count is now up to around 2400, it's not wildly implausible that we have had enough instances of infection for the very rare event of repeated false negatives to have actually occurred. Just like your individual chance of winning Powerball is almost indistinguishable from zero, yet someone in New Zealand does in fact win Powerball every few weeks.
That's without considering the nuances of what conditions make false negatives more likely, or the possibility of timing issues that the first negative test might have been so early in the infection that it would be very unlikely to produce a positive, and so on.
All of which highlights that it's a very complex business. And that's without getting into the intricacies of what the virus does in bodies or the involved, problematic things around communities and transmission.
Wasn't it brilliant a year ago that overnight we developed a couple of million microbiologists and epidemiologists who could tell everyone what could and should be done.
The theme today in some places is more base of course. Ardern resigning, (and Hipkins and Bloomfield,) seems the minimum. Funny how those who so rapidly advanced through the ranks of the scientifically knowledgeable and qualified could just as instantly turn into lynch mob morons.
I still love the if these trends continue comments from some of the ebola-era google-trained epidemiologists. Total zombie apocalypse territory.
https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-health-advice-public/assessment-and-testing-covid-19/covid-19-test-results-and-their-accuracy
14 day isolation and retesting in that time prevents a community outbreak and ensures more accurate results when it comes to a series of swabs in an individual.
This is not fail safe.
Again, what do you mean? Do you want a system that is 100% safe?
No system can be a 100% safe.
When it comes to the 14 day isolation and retesting can this be improved?
The same can be said for the classification of contact people fall into.
Agreed, but short of putting all contacts irrespective into MIQ we will never have 100% safety and even MIQ is not watertight. However, this is neither necessary nor desirable nor realistic.
I think the system is now reasonably robust although they keep on improving things, as they should. The new contact categories is a recent change and I think it is a sensible one.
I think that more improvements can be made in the messaging & communication, or education, if you prefer. They need to consider and apply psychology more. Poission just gave an informative link with a wealth of data: https://thestandard.org.nz/level-3-again-be-kind/#comment-1781177.
I did open the link, a lot of reading is required.
I didn’t mean you to read it all, just to be aware that there is a lot more data & info out there that Government could use to improve its handling of the pandemic 🙂
I don’t get your point. Depending on the type of contact AKA Contact Category, this is exactly what is expected and happening. Unless somebody does not follow the rules such as this Casual Plus Contact.
https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-health-advice-public/contact-tracing-covid-19#casual-plus
A Casual Plus Contact is not required to isolate for 14 days and to undergo a re-test.
https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-health-advice-public/contact-tracing-covid-19#actions
On the topic of Navalny, Kremlin propaganda campaigns, western useful idiots, Amnesty International:
https://thehill.com/opinion/international/540815-wests-wokeness-helped-russia-to-redefine-a-prisoner-of-conscience
Personally, this omnishambles adds another major point of evidence discrediting Amnesty International's judgement, along with their really clueless adoption of Mumia Abu-Jamal as a poster boy.
Along with how it highlights how readily convergence moonbats happily amplify Kremlin propaganda without any attempt at critical examination, or consideration of nuance of the big picture.
Same sort of thing happened to James Le Mesurier
As Martin Luther King once observed, ‘Though it may take a long time, the arc of history bends towards justice’
Despite all the lies and propaganda it is only a matter of time before Russian officers and soldiers in Syria complicit in aiding and abetting the Assad regime to carry out atrocities against the Syrian people will also brought to justice.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/24/first-verdict-expected-in-germanys-landmark-syria-torture-trial
Prisoner of conscience?
Jesus Andre do get a grip.
Navalny is a simple criminal who is now serving jail time for numerous violations of his suspended sentence.
And you talk of propaganda.
fuksake
The original charges do seem pretty sketchy.
Navalny is by no means a simple criminal – and reinstating a suspended sentence because the convict could not meet contact requirements while recovering from novichok poisoning is a pretty sketchy basis for reimprisonment.
But since you are repeating Putinist propaganda, it seems only fair that the other side of the story be put. (1) Why Putin wants Alexei Navalny dead – YouTube
Andre did not coin the term “prisoner of conscience”; you are taking aim at the messenger.
No. The article did.
\shrug
ditto shrug
Did you do a left or a right semi-shrug or a full shrug? I reckon my shrug was bigger and better than yours
"Did you do a left or a right semi-shrug or a full shrug"
Not telling
" I reckon my shrug was bigger and better than yours "
Not even
@ Brigid, these guys are so malleable I seriously believe if we were living in 1941 they would get in behind the Nazi invasion of Russia in a flash if they were told too, they seem to have absolutely no critical thinking facility for processing any new incoming information whatsoever.
Of course they will willfully either ignore or justify this…
Reuters, BBC in Covert UK Program to Push Western Agenda
https://consortiumnews.com/2021/02/22/reuters-bbc-in-covert-uk-program-to-push-western-agenda/
Godwin.
meh. He's not usually so explicit in his accusations about which camps commenters he doesn't agree with would willingly staff.
Just because they [checks notes] think Putin is a totalitarian, murdering, kleptocrat.
I'd be offended, but only if I thought Adrian's opinion was worth more than dogshit.
You have to wonder about someone who repeatedly refers to concentration camps to defend a losing point of view.
Now if camp guard meant Charles Hawtrey or Kenneth Williams in carry on sergeant, that would be much less barking and, of course, somewhat amusing.
OMG it's an ancestor of Police Academy!
No oral under the lectern though, it was 1958 after all, and that didn't arrive in the UK until 1974.
I don’t believe there has been a bombing, a sanction, an assassination, a droning, or in fact any sort of aggressive foreign action from western countries directed outwardly across the planet, that you bunch of mindless fucking maniacs haven’t supported if told it’s OK by Liberal media…and that is why I often compare you to camp guards, because there is a long sad history of people like you lot of brainless arse lickers who end up being actually really dangerous to fellow citizens when/if shit ever hits the fan.
Like I said a couple of weeks ago, when someone comes along, who you guys think is the right authority, and that authority says jump, and you lot instantly yell back…HOW HIGH SIR…..no questions asked, ever…it’s really quite scary and unsettling to watch in real time.
And BTW, you have proved time and again here on this site, that if they told you dog shit was chocolate ice cream, you would shovel that down your throat as quick as you could. of that I am sure.
Thank you.
Also note they won't/can't counter the reasonable content you provide that falls outside the establishment narrative they vehemently hold on to.
Yes, you are sure of many scary and unsettling things.
The relationship of those things to reality, however, seems tenuous and ephemeral. If only you could form a coherent, rational argument to support the reality of those things, rather than merely producing flecks of froth around the mouth.
With that statement you not only show you haven't read what people have posted in opposition to some western military actions, you admit to having no real clue about politics – especially global insight, and then self confess to being the sort of moron wiser heads think you are. Well played.
That’s exactly what you do.
You’re like one of those Trump supporters who believes the voting machines were hacked because the my pillow guy told you.
Could you please do all of us here on TS a favour and rinse your mouth out with soap and tone it down, thanks. The three of you love to fight here, and who am I to judge, but your personal insults keep crossing the admittedly fuzzy boundaries of robust debate and it is a tad embarrassing.
I am not the least bit embarrassed, why should I be, I stand behind everything I said today, and say whenever I am on The Standard.
As I have always said, I am very easy to find, so if anyone wants this debate face to face, that’s fine with me.
Will try and tone the swearing down a bit though if that is a problem.
Yes, I think that would be appreciated all around, thank you.
Because it's the naughty words that are a problem, not calling people "camp guards"? Especially now he's made it clear precisely which camps he means?
It’s all of it.
Adrian doesn’t like me “micro managing” you (https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-25-01-2021/#comment-1776224 and https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-25-01-2021/#comment-1776230), which I think is fair enough and I rely on you self-moderating. However, that doesn’t seem to be working so well for so long so soon I will resort to ‘macro managing’ and I personally don’t give a toss who are going to be caught in that when it happens. When you treat other commenters with obvious disdain, you severely diminish your demands to and of Moderators.
Fair call.
Trouble was, when I tried ignoring most commenters I have disdain for, it's fine. But with one or two, sooner or later they drop something along the lines of the lack of response "speaks volumes", which is a flat-out lie.
So sometimes it feels like the old rock and hard place.
When your drunk uncle at a party starts whaling that nobody loves him it is better to call a taxi for him than to beat him even more senseless.
It's not the morbid drunks who are a problem for other people – it's the one who's taking swings at random folk and calling them the c-word in lieu of being able to form a rational position.
By the way, he’s been doing it for over a year now so yeah, I’m getting tired of it.
Noted, thanks.
"Useful idiots", "Convergence moonbats", "Kremlin propaganda", "clueless". Lots of epithets, zero argument. Reminds one of this thoughtful analyst:
Indeed, it is frustrating when people offer no argument or (political) analysis but only ad homs and cheap labels ‘supported’ with meaningless and distracting YT clips.
With respect, Incognito, my choice of that Keith Olbermann montage was hardly meaningless. All of the ad homs and cheap labels in this thread come from Andre; I placed them in context.
When I limit myself to one thread I generally state that
You upset cos the best insults have been used already?
It has been a while since anybody here received a ban. You’re currently in pole position and the nearest competition is not even in sight, I’m pleased to say.
They're not any good as insults because they are either worn out or they have no basis in reality.
Worn out insults: 1) Stalin's "useful idiots" crack. This is no more than a cliché and it has no power at all; Andre and a few others use it on this forum quite a bit. It usually says nothing about the target, but a great deal about the attacker.
2) "clueless"–same as for "useful idiots."
Insults with no basis in reality: 1) The flaccid "convergence moonbat" slur is an invention of one of the beleaguered propagandists who churns out copy for the faux-liberal Clintonista rump of the tedia, AKA “the blogosphere” (Daily Kos, Daily Beast, Vox, Huff Po). It is predicated on the nonsensical idea that, since principled people on the left criticised the Democratic Party's "leadership" and right wingers from Fox News railed, often incoherently, against Democratic "leaders", then both left and right must be the same. They converge, in other words. To quote Noam Chomsky, in order to accept that theory, you need a very expensive education.
2) "Kremlin propaganda"—sane and reasonable people will of course realize that if the Russian government happens to agree with one on a point of principle—for example, that supporting the Al-Nusra Front in Syria is not a good idea—that does not necessarily mean that one is a supporter of the Russian government.
Chomsky inspired me to use 'useful idiots' without even making the Stalin connection. I'm sure that says lots about me.
,,, without any attempt at critical examination, or consideration of nuance of the big picture."
…here is some of the 'critical examination' you so rightly point out is sorely missing in coverage of this topic, and from actual Russians on the ground in Russia, who would ever have thought actual Russian citizens might have their own diverse opinions about their own affairs?
For Russian leftists, Western favorite Navalny represents same corrupt elitism
" Two Russian leftists, Katya Kazbek and Alexey Sakhnin discuss why they don't see Navalny as a genuine alternative to Vladimir Putin, and instead as a representative of a different faction of the ruling Russian elite — one more willing to cater to Western counterparts."
In Navalny poisoning, rush to judgment threatens new Russia-NATO crisis
Guest: Fred Weir, veteran Moscow correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor.
The thing is Adrian, all you do is repost trash like this.
You never entertain the obvious questions – like, "How legitimate can a person who declares himself president for life be?" – a question Xi also needs to answer.
The lack of critical thinking lies with you Putin dupes.
Find yourself a few primary sources on Russia instead of what Putin's PR machine spoonfeeds you, and you'll be less of a public embarrassment.
And what is your problem with the people that Aron Mate' interviews in those two clips exactly?
It's not obvious to you?
You have selected them for their subservience to the corrupt Putin regime. You need to balance such perspectives – you might start here: Blowing up Russia: the secret plot to bring back KGB power Download (236 Pages) (pdfdrive.com)
The second fellow is a very poor commentator also. You should be aware that Russia has a significant intellectual culture – these people wanted, in the post Gorbachov era, to have an actual democracy.
They are absolutely furious with Putin reverting to the corruption that characterized the late Soviet era. When that autocrat took power, Russian presidential terms were limited to five years – specifically to keep scoundrels like Putin out. He has betrayed the reform of the post-Soviet era – and his management has been economically disastrous as well as deadly to journalists and industrialists that were not part of his clique.
And of course you have not answered the question. How can a leader who pretends to be a democratic president declare himself president for life? This is the act of an autocrat – and autocrats are not legitimate.
“You have selected them for their subservience to the corrupt Putin regime. You need to balance such perspectives” FFS!!!
I don't want to be rude here Stuart, but it really looks like you are either being willfully stupid or are desperately trying to just remain ignorant of other facts around this issue, so you can, for some unknown reason, only ever talk or comment on it in half truths and rhetoric….try actually putting a pin into that bubble of yours once and awhile, the fresh air might do you some good my friend.
Aaronn Mate' interviews from the above clips…
Interviewee 1;
Alexey Sakhnin is a Russian activist and a member of the Left Front. He was one of the leaders of the anti-Putin protest movement from 2011 to 2013. He later emigrated to Sweden and lived as an exile there, before returning to Russia to continue his work as a left oppositional activist and journalist. He is also a member of the Progressive International Council.
https://jacobinmag.com/author/alexey-sakhnin
Interviewee 2:
Katya Kazbek is originally from Russia. She is a feminist and an LGBTIQ issues freelance writer. Her work has been published in Creative Times Report, Russian GQ and Vogue. Katya’s main fields of interest include the post-colonial struggle in the ex-USSR territories, race, migration, class, sexual violence and queer identities
https://www.guernicamag.com/katya-kazbek-discourse-in-danger/
Interviewee 3;
Fred Weir has been the Monitor's Moscow correspondent, covering Russia and the former Soviet Union, since 1998. He's traveled over much of that vast territory, reporting on stories ranging from Russia's financial crash to the war in Chechnya, creeping Islamization in central Asia, Russia's demographic crisis, the rise of Vladimir Putin and his repeated returns to the Kremlin, and the ups and downs of US-Russia relations.
Fred is the co-author of Revolution from Above: Russia's Path from Gorbachev to Putin, Routledge, 2007.
https://www.csmonitor.com/About/People/Fred-Weir
I don't want to be rude here
Then don't. Go and find yourself some credible Russian sources (you'll recognize them easily enough – they won't have a bar of RT) or stop flaunting your ignorance.
Politkovskaya had many friends you know – and the survivors still work to bring the truth out. This lady seems promising for example. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/russian-journalist-galina-timchenko/id494517111?i=1000430864222
I have no problem with listening to and gathering perspectives and opinion from people like Galina Timchenko, even if it is from the BBC who are far from impartial, in fact the BBC have just been proved through leaked documents to be actively impartial, and ironically….
“These revelations show that when MPs were railing about Russia, British agents were using the BBC and Reuters to deploy precisely the same tactics that politicians and media commentators were accusing Russia of using,”
https://consortiumnews.com/2021/02/22/reuters-bbc-in-covert-uk-program-to-push-western-agenda/
Well it's a start.
But to understand Putin, one does well to look at the beginning of his political career. Two Decades On, Smoldering Questions About The Russian President's Vault To Power (rferl.org)
From NZ Herald: "The new case – "Case M" – attends the Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT) and is the older brother of a Papatoetoe High School student. The man, who also works at Kerry Logistics (Oceania) Limited, went to MIT for three days and to the gym twice – including once after taking a Covid test – when he should have been isolating at home".
He is not going to be popular with his work mates at Kerry Logistics or MIT!
Its all very well for Seymour to blame Ardern for this lock down, but how the hell do you stop idiots like this! (other than locking them up or something).
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-coronavirus-auckland-in-level-3-lockdown-rest-of-new-zealand-at-level-2-latest-developments/KQD6V5VYWFFYSJUNAAZNI4K2LU/
If Seymour was our leader he would be like Trump no masks no lock down.
The UK variant is much more easily spread we need to be much more careful and be prepared for sudden lockdown.
If Seymour was our leader…
Now there's a dystopian vision, if ever there was one.
Some months ago on the radio I heard the account of a bloke who was feeling unwell and thought he might have covid, that chap got a test and immediately voluntary self isolated. I felt gratitude toward him for doing the right thing and helping ensure the virus remained under control.
We have heard similar a number of times since. So and so recorded a positive test however the risk is low as they person had been self isolating for so many days before infection.
Fest forward to this past week. Ardern has said it was right to drop levels last week as those who posed a risk had been identified and had been told to isolate. If people had done the right thing we would have a firewall around the virus.
The problem of course if that some people DIDN'T do the right thing. And for all the reasons they might have felt 'compelled' or 'needed' to go out, there was an element of choice in them not doing the right thing, they chose so. Now thousands of people are at risk; at risk of contracting covid19, at risk of seeing a precarious business going under, at risk of missing a mortgage payment, at risk of missing bills, at risk of losing a job.
Most people will do the right thing. With those who choose not to the question that came to my mind is – do we from now on have to go to a level 3 or similar each and every time, rather than rely in contact tracing and isolation for some, to give no option to those who cannot make the right choice. Everyone goes to level 3 because some people cannot do as asked an cannot do the right thing. Due to a few placing us all at risk, we take away the option of doing the right thing, and automatically apply a blanket level 3 across everyone
I sent someone a text this morning to say that MPs need to be tested. An hour later on Q+A Collins was on, she attended the Joseph Parker fight.
At some point an MP is going to test positive.
Seymour now wants a police state?
In terms of covid and employers, have been musing on the "not being popular with workmates" bit. Someone may have been exposed to covid and was instructed to self isolate. They however chose to go to work (as opposed to the employer demanding they go to work). So the person goes to work and is then confirmed as having covid. The employer is required to close their business, clean it, and send a number of staff home to isolate and get a test. The risk the employee created might lead to discipline action. I am not saying it will automatically lead to punitive action however I think the employer has open to them initiating discipline action on the employee for the chaos created by not self isolating.
Fear of losing your job if you do not go to work is a concern. This also applies if you told your employer you had been tested and the employer said you had to come to work.
It needs to be made an offence if an employee is being coerced.
indeed, workers AND businesses need to do the right thing. Coercion to come to work is as equally bad as someone deciding the self isolate rules don't apply to them. The cost to the employer is such a case as you mention is closure, loss of income and the need for a deep clean. Plus paying staff full pay due to the employers stupidity.
That said, I am not aware how a gym can coerce someone to go in for a workout after getting a covid test.
It already is.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/123382917/worksafe-notified-over-auckland-covid19-case-who-went-to-work-after-being-tested-and-advised-to-selfisolate
As I recall the outcome of this case was not clear. I do not know what the final decision was. Possibly it was miscommunication with both the employer and the employee.
Well, that wasn’t quite the point of this thread but anyway: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/300226268/covid19-worksafe-wont-investigate-shop-linked-to-auckland-november-cluster
On the plus side, thanks to case M, the traffic around Saint Heliers and Mission Bay should be fine due to no Round the bays!
I'm off to YouTube to watch the Monty Python Life of Brian tune "Always look on the bright side of life"
You really are a little ray of sunshine, aren't you?
QFT
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/300240628/poverty-desperation-social-exclusion-this-is-the-soil-in-which-gangs-grow
The silence of Minister Poto Williams when her own Commissioner was attacked this week was reprehensible. She's just weak.
Bridges should be able to make good inroads with gang issues this year.
I think he handled Bridges fine on his own and in fact made him look even more reactionary and stupid.
She probably felt it was best to stand back and let Simon damage himself.
Even the writer of that soppy article agreed that gang numbers and confidence and visibility were increasing. Check out multiple hundreds of gang bikes rolling through Auckland yesterday. You could hear them for miles. I've not seen that done on that scale for many years.
As for last week, the Commissioner did ok, but Bridges is onto a total winner.
Covid won't camouflage this government forever, and the weaker ministers like Williams who haven't played defence well will be the most vulnerable.
I live near Headhunters HQ in Auckland. The road is permanently deep carbon black with burnout marks.
Gangs are trying to mimic here the higher profile and greater legitimacy they enjoy in Australia.
It's all about marketing.
That marketing is effective and goes hand in hand with actual market control.
From the Otago Uni study last year, 28% of middle aged New Zealanders have tried methamphetamine
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/409889/study-finds-28-percent-of-middle-aged-kiwis-have-tried-meth-and-reveals-the-drug-s-links-with-violence
I'm sure it's much smaller for regular users. But the relationship between gangs growing in smaller towns and regions of New Zealand, and massive rises in meth use, is pretty clear.
"Kawerau is a small town with a population of around 7000 people. Locals Newshub spoke to said you could find P in one in every two homes here, and if you don't already have it, your next hit is only a phone call away. "
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/11/new-zealand-s-growing-meth-crisis-ruining-people-s-lives-frontline-staff.html
NZPolice track this meth+dealer+violence growth relationship (among other ways) by trend-line responses from their informants:
https://www.police.govt.nz/about-us/publication/online-version/recent-changes-methamphetamine-scene-new-zealand-page-4
In the 8 years we've lived in Australia I cannot recall the last time we saw a gang presence in public. I know they exist, but to suggest they enjoy any kind of extra legitimacy here strikes me as implausible.
I have noticed some bikie gangs cover their patches with a vest when on their bikes.
Lead by invisible hand or not lead at all?
One could argue that Bridges is something of an expert when it comes to losing popularity and respect, but that's yesterday's news. Just when it seemed the former National party leader couldn't go any lower, he plumbs new depths. Whatever next?
With schools unable to have galas and other fund raising since late 2019, the drop off of international students and a dramatic reduction in school donations being received for those schools D7+, (that the labour govt decided not to keep its promise to fund ALL schools in lieu of dropping donations). Just listen out to schools following Heath boards with deficits and boards under severe pressure (like Health Boards) to work within inadequate funding levels.
https://www.education.govt.nz/school/funding-and-financials/fees-charges-and-donations/#what
So in other words schools can only survive with donations and foreign students. This means NZ has no functioning school system in place.
Similar situation for the Health system. Not far off for the vulnerable in society.
But millionaires and billionaires made a bundle, some with the money that should be going to the need of the community. How telling.
I see, take a scattergun, shoot at something, then connect the thousands of dots into a coherent self-consistent narrative to discern and communicate ‘the truth’, and come up with ‘solutions’. That’s called constructive criticism and rational debate. It is in short supply, here and everywhere else.
I see continual under funding by ALL governments creating stress at a local level and the acceptance that under funding is to be compensated by the goodwill of teachers, nurses etc fund raising, parking fees, with anything that can makeup shortfalls any options to source funds. With covid many areas of alternative funding has greatly diminished or disappeared, and my comment was directed to Schools experiencing this so early on in the year. Other examples St Johns.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/opinion/121808945/ambulance-service-should-not-be-dependent-on-charity
All policies are human constructs and not set in stone, follow natural laws etc. This can be changed. It takes a strong willed government and enough people fed up with all that BS we are being fed daily to act.
I am for one not optimistic.
I would have thought if there is a provable drop in revenue, in this case through fundraising, the schools can apply for Covid-19 subsidy assistance just like anyone else?
That unfilled promise means that 30% of schools were not covered, and most schools have galas etc to top up shortfalls Not happening.
Do you have a link to that “promise” so that we know what you’re talking about?
Of course, not many did foresee this pandemic.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/113426993/decile-810-schools-to-wait-for-another-day-for-shift-in-governments-150-voluntary-donations-scheme
As we have had Covid 19 schools that declined the option (Decile 1-7) in some cases are now worse off. I know that local primary schools are already having to operate under restricted budgets and asking teachers to teach with reduced resources e.g. art supplies.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2017/07/20/39419/school-donations
"Part of that funding would go toward giving schools that don't ask for donations $150 per student"
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2017/10/what-labour-promised.html
Oh yeah. I knew this was coming because I saw the alert when paying GST on Friday (forgive me a little indulgent virtue signalling there).
But, perfect timing, right?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/covid-19-coronavirus-ird-website-down-businesses-cant-apply-for-support-payment/ZCN3DBXBPBHQFC7JLY7P3PHRGA/
On this one I really feel sorry for the IRD.
I don't know when they first started telling people about the shutdown but they were certainly doing so last Wednesday, 24 Feb. It never rains but it pours.
https://media.ird.govt.nz/articles/ir-online-services-and-phone-lines-closed-during-this-weekend/
If they have planned ahead for a weekend outage it is likely that they can’t bring anything up until they have done the lot.
This Ngati Maru settlement seems pretty small for all the Waitara wrongs of the 1860s and Parihaka on top of that.
$30m plus a few reserves, and rights to buy a bit more: the full set of settlement documents is here:
https://www.govt.nz/browse/history-culture-and-heritage/treaty-settlements/find-a-treaty-settlement/ngati-maru-taranaki/
Of course the iwi themselves have signed on to it.
I'm just marking that this is a damnably small settlement for the scale of injustice perpetrated against them by the Crown.
In 1865 this iwi had control of about 220,000 hectares, from the sources of the Waitakere to Stratford and to Whanganui.
As always the Crown's reps recognise it's not enough …. "While no redress can ever fully compensate for the destructive and demoralising effects of Crown actions, I hope this settlement will allow Ngāti Maru to realise their aspirations for a vibrant economic and cultural future, and restores a relationship based on mutual trust, respect, and cooperation." – Minister Little
But TBH if that had happened to my family I wouldn't be letting Minister Little off with it. I'd just keep fighting until I was good and done.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/crown-apologises-leaving-ng-ti-maru-virtually-landless-30m-settlement-signed
If they manage to acquire any cutting rights, I sure hope they cut them fast before the Chinese locally-grown glut collapses our log prices. Because if they don't they won't be worth much.
Looking forward to the post-settlement entity going from strength to strength.
Also looking forward to visiting the Parihaka village upgrade once it's all done.
This is just the first bite, as I am sure you are aware.
"Full and final settlements" are no such thing.
It is unavoidable.
Great to see a 'funeral for a river' done with such panache and also with lots of local farmer support.
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/feb/28/its-a-funeral-march-french-artist-jrs-powerful-homily-for-australias-murray-darling
It's one of the first times in a long time I've seen art and activism intersect really well.
Maybe those artists can come over here and do the same.
Good to see there are some farmers who actually care about water quality.
This seems to be a very quick turnaround by the PM.
On Tuesday last she seemed to be saying she was in no hurry to get vaccinated.
"Asked whether she is willing to be vaccinated publicly, Ardern said she will, when it's her turn." ….. "Ardern's decision is a move away from other world leaders who have chosen to receive the vaccination early and in public, in the hopes of inspiring confidence in the vaccine."
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-coronavirus-jacinda-ardern-says-she-will-be-publicly-vaccinated-but-not-yet/K7LDPTQCUTD2YW65D5TKYQJUDA/
By Saturday she was saying
"However, she told the Weekend Herald that she would not wait until the middle of the year, when the wider public rollout begins." …. " However, a vaccine will potentially allow Ardern to travel overseas again in the near future, and try to reinvigorate trade talks." …. "The timing and order of any trips would depend on how easy it was to travel. However, global leaders are working on a "vaccine passport" to try to open up travel again."
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/coronavirus-covid-19-pm-jacinda-ardern-plans-to-get-vaccinated-before-public/R4DTBWN3Q5QUQZ634O3XHNBBMQ/
Given that she generally travels on an Air Force jet the only inconvenience would seem to be the need to quarantine. Does she know that a vaccination provides immunity from carrying the disease or do our leaders plan to excuse themselves from obligations we have to bear?
If it is the former it would seem to me that the first group to be vaccinated should be anyone planning to come to this country. After all, if the vaccination is fully effective we could wipe quarantine for anyone who is fully vaccinated. If it doesn't work that way is out PM planning to bypass quarantine for herself but keep it on for everyone else?
[lprent: Would you care to substantiate “Given that she generally travels on an Air Force jet…” since you have made it as an assertion of fact. However I strongly suspect that you are merely lying (again) for effect. But hey, if you make the assertion, then you own it and are expected to substantiate it. Or you could apologise to the people reading this site for making up false facts?
Substantive links only please. Possibly comparing it with John Key and/or Bill English broken down by roles.
Incidentally, as far as I am aware, the most common reason for her (like all previous prime ministers, MFAT ministers, and trade ministers) to use a Air Force 757 jet is to carry trade or diplomatic missions – not specifically for her own travel. If you were being rigorous, then you’d exclude those when they are far larger than her and assisting staff members – but I suspect you might have data issues.
The nearest viable alternative for the numbers of people on those trips especially to low traffic destinations in the pacific, would be to charter a plane for the people invited or required for those missions. Even then I vaguely remember comments in Hansard by the head of the AF, that it was usually an opportunity to send aid and diplomatic freight as well.
I’ll put you on auto-moderation for a day or two until you assemble your facts and/or apology. If I don’t hear back from you then I’ll make a sentencing decision. ]
Well she's probably planning to come back into this country after leaving it.
Do you know how long it takes after the first and second shot of vaccine to achieve full immunity?
Do you know how many days between the two shots?
Do you know how long new arrivals are mandated to stay in MIQ?
see my moderating note.
Travel on an Air Force plane.
I don't have any opinion on whether she travels on an Air Force plane. It is normally the most convenient way to do it, particularly when there is a large group of people going to some out of the way place.
[Irrelevant twaddle deleted. ]
[lprent: Read my note again and stop wasting my time. Doing searches isn’t a rare skill these days. I did that in the couple of minutes after I read your assertion.
But that wasn’t what I moderated on. You didn’t state your sentence as an opinion – you stated it in a way that claimed it to be a fact. I wouldn’t have bothered to moderate on an opinion expressed as an opinion.
What you said about Ardern was that “Given that she generally travels on an Air Force jet the only inconvenience would seem to be the need to quarantine.”. Showing that she sometimes flies on air force planes or jets isn’t ‘generally’. By your apparent definition of ‘generally’, my few flights on air force planes and helicopters decades ago could be expressed that the air force are my personal airline that I generally use. Something that is false to fact.
There was no ‘opinion’ in the first part of that sentence, the second part was opinion – and ludicrously false if the fact it was based on was false. It was also the kind of ‘fact’ that some moronic trolls would repeat like parrots for ever after. That irritates me.
If you claim a fact as part of a debate here, then the responsibility is yours to prove it or even have a decent argument for saying it was correct. That is the core of having a robust debate. Now you appear to be now attempting weasel it down a mere opinion. Doesn’t work.
You will either prove your assertion was at the very least to be something that can be argued about on the basis of verifiable facts, apologise to readers, or get a long arbitrary ban (that goes up each time that you waste my time). Which as a matter of fact becomes your choices because I won’t tolerate any others.
I really don’t like people making claims of fact that are extremely unlikely. You can’t throw opinion off as being fact here without challenge and without sanction if you can’t support it. This is a place for robust debate and expressing peoples own opinions. It is not maintained for inventing magic ‘facts’ for political advantage and payment. In NZ that was known as the departed whaleoil site. ]
I am very impressed. I certainly wasn't capable of coming up with all the information you ask of me. To find that you are capable of, in just a few minutes, coming up with details of all the trips on Air Force planes taken by Key, English and Ardern was beyond my skills.
That was even more beyond my meagre skills when you appear to have wanted me to break them down by type of trip and to be able to identify, at least by role, all the people who went on the trip including, I suppose, whether they were part of the PM's department, another department, the Press or private organisations. Even if you didn't want to know who they were you would seem to be capable of coming up with the number who were in each classification
Is this really what you managed to do in a few minutes? How do you do it? Enlightenment would be much appreciated. What were the queries that you used?
[lprent: Pointless diversion that doesn’t address the question of how you can show that your assertion of fact was in any way correct or arguable. My task was way simpler than your one because all I had to do was to seek any information that vaguely supported your made up garbage. Where as you appear to have to manufacture more idiotic bullshit arguments. I guess another day before I deal with you.
BTW: I just scanned the first 4 pages of google on RNAF 757 and 40 squadron, had a quick search at Wikipedia site, a read through the 2019 NZDF report, and a search of Hansard on the parliamentary site.
Plus of course I’ve been reading about the search for a replacement for the 757 and C-130s for quite a few years now in general background reading on the maintenance issues like this. ]
Watched tovid obrine alternatively trying to skewer the PM and then playing gossip columnist on newshub nationals yesterday. groomed to the max in black and red lippy. this morning she back on the telly trying to make out that her opinion on covid lockdowns carries more weight than the pm and the director of health. this time dressed in white no lippy and against a black backdrop so last nights excesses were not so obvious. my apologies for being so petty but if she wants to put herself up as a model of virtue and probity then it works both ways
If you don't like what someone does, why even bring her appearance into it?
Republican have regularly been breaking rules 3 to 10 of the 10 commandments;
But now it looks like they have found a way to get a full bingo of breaking all the10 Commandments by treating Trump as their god and worshiping idols of him.
I think someone might have sent this as a joke, but those who claim to be Christians missed the fact they where breaking Rules 1 and 2 with it because most of them have never actually really read the bible, they just quote parts of it they have been told justify their bigotry.
22,000 seasonal workers needed within days in By of Plenty.
Minimum picking wage for Kiwifruit is now $22.10.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/kiwi-fruit-pickers-have-simple-message-growers-cry-labour-pay-us-more
Sometimes markets work ok. The pressure on this rate can only go up now.
This is what is stipulated by government as the living wage hrl. rate.
That would be the full time rate which would also have annual leave and sick days.
I assume the kiwifruit picking is a casual contract. This hourly rate should be higher.