Two academic heavyweights give Biden public advice: " Robert Alexander is a professor of political science and founding director of the Institute for Civics and Public Policy at Ohio Northern University. He is also the author of "Representation and the Electoral College." David B. Cohen is a professor of political science and assistant director of the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at The University of Akron." https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/26/opinions/three-women-who-should-be-at-the-top-of-bidens-vp-list-alexander-cohen/index.html
Biden already made history by committing to choose a female running mate. Fortunately for him, there are a number of talented and experienced women who are legitimate contenders for the spot. We believe California Sen. Kamala Harris, Florida Rep. Val Demings and former National Security Adviser Susan Rice should be at the top of Biden's list.
An emerging consensus is that Biden should select a woman of color. University of Virginia Professor Larry Sabato's Crystal Ball ranks all five of Biden's top vice presidential choices as women of color, with Harris, Demings, and Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth leading the way. USA Today's Jill Lawrence argues that Biden should choose either Harris or Demings.
We concur with 538's Perry Bacon's assessment that choosing a Black woman is an important acknowledgment of both descriptive (how much a candidate looks like the electorate) and symbolic representation (how a candidate exemplifies an idea that resonates with the electorate). Such a choice would likely shore up positive perceptions of Biden among the Democratic base — a base riled by racial unrest and protests across the country. Failing to do so may dampen turnout among marginal voters that could prove costly in a close contest.
Given the likelihood of Biden dying in office if elected president, the choice is critical. The one chosen must be able to retain public support via mana and competence. Healing the racial divide will take at least that, but the prospects of rebuilding goodwill on the basis of a renewal of ethos compel the right choice.
"We believe California Sen. Kamala Harris, Florida Rep. Val Demings and former National Security Adviser Susan Rice should be at the top of Biden's list."
????!!??? People who write something like that are not "academic heavyweights"; they're nothing but Democratic Party jobsworths.
Harris thinks it's funny to lock up black parents if their kids don't go to school.
Fine Gael’s leader and former taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the coalition’s formation marked the end of civil war politics in the Dáil. “I believe civil war politics ended a long time ago in our country, but today civil war politics ends in our parliament,” he said. “Two great parties coming together with another great party, the Green party, to offer what this country needs: a stable government for the betterment of our country and for the betterment of our world.”
Sinn Féin responded with a conspiracy theory:
The Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald, whose party won the second-highest number of Dáil seats, said that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael had conspired to exclude Sinn Féin from government.
Cabinet posts have been divvied up along expected lines. Fine Gael getting the finance, justice, foreign affairs, economic development portfolios while Fianna Fáil gets the social stuff, education, health, housing plus ag & fish. Greens have done pretty well actually with 3 cabinet posts including environment, climate change, arts & culture, transport, youth & children.
Martin and Varadkar will swap roles halfway through the term when Varadkar takes over as Taoiseach.
By the way the election was way back at the beginning of February. It’s taken 4 & a half months to put the government together.
You got to feel for Mary Lou McDonald she’s taken Sinn Fein almost into government.
Fianna Fail and Fine Gael are like our Labour and National so it remains to be seen how well the coalition will go.
My (admittedly rather sketchy) understanding is that their Labour Party is more akin to our old Alliance under Anderton. Fianna Fáil is a broad church centrist, republican party; that split-off from Sinn Fein after that movement went all in for armed resistance. Fine Gael is the Conservative party in the same mould as National here or the Tories in the UK.
Never a good sign for Major Parties when they're forced into a Grand Coalition by a dynamic Opposition Party on an upward trajectory.
As for the Irish Greens … wiped out last time they went into Govt … support more than halved at the following Election … no TDs at all … about as welcome to Irish voters as a Baby Arctic Seal Vol-au-vent served at a Green Party Annual Conference.
Would be good to have an explanation of the shift in voter views of them. A mix of negatives sufficient to overwhelm these positives?
"In almost four years in Government, from 2007 to 2011, the Green Party contributed to the passage of civil partnership for same-sex couples, the introduction of major planning reform, a major increase in renewable energy output, progressive budgets, and a nationwide scheme of home insulation retrofitting." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Party_(Ireland)
Edit
All very interesting and perhaps we should be more Irish. They have been oppressed badly and still have spirit. We have been oppressed and seem to go into dour as a default. They worked like billy-oh to make their way and initiated the word 'navvies' short for those who dug out England's navigation canals for transporting production.
We worked hard cutting down the forest in our own land for profit. The working man here found a voice in the Labour Party but that turned out to be more interested in being socially mobile, going up a class, and left its supporters behind. It has now to turn back from representing nature's despoilers targeting wealth, and return to its core role of acting for working people, and the underpaid and underemployed and find a way to get enterprise in NZ working for NZs providing for NZs needs, with some export as well, instead of the present reverse situation.
Now Labour must combine with the Green Party in implementing policies good for us all. And for the strugglers; be about healthy housing same as when it began, and relating to the new Climate Change menace which has penetrated our consciousness with trepidation.
If you listen to the Irish music it can be soulful but also the jigs really get everyone going, along with Irish whisky. Our music was more about gold-mining failures 'Farewell to the Gold' or a waltz, Save the Last Dance for Me. The Kokatahi Band played a mix of music that they remembered to bring some light and rest from toil, fuelled by beer and home-made spirit and refreshments. Then another lot of music crazed us up with rock and roll, and drugs. We had a chance to break the pattern of poor and drunken, rich and self-satisfied after WW2, but our horizons were too low. Now the size of the problem is huge but looking at how we can pull together to cope with Covid-19, this will likely act as a spur to carry the spirit further.
Problems can be dealt to rather than crush us, so let's show Ireland we can do better, let's compete in a sporting fashion to have the best policies performing successfully like well-oiled machines, for all the people and the country. We should keep in touch with Ireland, is there a group uniting the two countries? We can learn from them, the jigs, the determination, the national closeness as in, 'If You're Irish come into the Parlour, There's a Welcome here for you'! We will say, 'Naumai, Haeremai' but with the same meaning and effect. Let's do it.
According to Worldometer this morning, 10 million cases occurred overnight, both the US and Brazil recorded 42 thousand new cases each, the total death toll is now 500 thousand.
Exponential increase in the infections rate and countries still not taking the virus seriously.
Just more evidence that NZ has applied the best response to this pandemic of any country, we've got a Govt that has saved us from potentialy the worst disaster in any of our life times.
We are the lucky country for having the Govt and response we've had, wake up NZ media, get your head out of the sand.
As the situation deteriorates overseas the public here will have cast into clear definition, the foolish position taken by the National Party, Todd Muller and much of the media.
Audrey Young in the Herald yesterday pretty much admitted that National’s best hope now is community transmission and a second wave of covid so they can call Jacinda a failure. Astonishingly cynical really.
Tawdrey lets the mask slip and out comes the 'power at all costs' even if that cost is kiwis lives. Cynicals not the word more like inhumane and a view that doesn’t get the airplay it deserves.
MSM are lock step with nationals messaging as Joyce (Mr 20Bill hole that didn't exist) gets a pulpit in granny today and Judiths book will no doubt provide exposure through till sept GE.
Remember that one the dark lords of DP is employed by them now with all his media contacts and all that money from swallowing rats gives them a lot of resources.
Apparently testing rates have gone through the roof again in Auckland as people start to get nervous about covid again on the back of National’s scaremongering.
One would think after going through the unpleasant experience of being nose swabbed and being all clear they'd get a bit pissed off at the hysteria inducing media and opp party. My kids mum rang sick at her work and they asked her to go get tested, she said the test is absolutely awful.
IIRC three of the Oz states haven't had any cases for weeks so they may want to keep their borders closed to Victoria until community transmission ceases.
Just read 50,000 tests conducted in Ak of late , all negative. Slim hope then for the Nats. Shocking to think they are likely hoping for community transmission.
Just read an article from the Daily Telegraph which quotes Michael Baker, saying he was the designer of the worlds most successful lockdown. Things aren't looking to great in Australia. I remember when we were in lockdown zooming friends over there and thinking theres was a pretty loose lockdown……
I feel frightened about what all. this is going to mean for billions of people
Politics of disaster is politics of fear and this never makes for good policy. This is consistent with the absence of coherent and detailed policy from National. It is also another reason why I’m happy-ish that the Government didn’t push for major reform, besides the fact that they should obtain a clear mandate for it and campaign on it.
It generally doesn't, Just Is. Instead, the dread generated by events in America, Brazil and so on, will overshadow the fear being stirred up by National et al and New Zealanders will reassess their views accordingly. I reckon.
Well said Just In. Talking to a rabid brain dead Tory yesterday I got the impression that he was very bitter that we had no community transmission of the virus as it was more down to good luck than good management as this incompetent pack of no-hopers could not organise a piss up in a brewery. He wanted National to fix things. Yeah, like Mullet was screaming for letting students in and then in the next breath claim that we were letting the virus in and it was shambolic
Not surprised really by his comments after the last week of hysteria lead by the pathetic excuse for shit house paper called the Herald.
As I said to him I am very grateful for living in a country run by people who could not organise a piss up and their good luck, Sooner be here mate than some of these so-called countries where the right is soooo organised like Australia (held up as a sample how we should do it ) UK run by Bozo and top of the hit parade USA and Brazil run by pea brained ultra right wing fuckwits.
I get the impression that most Kiwis are aware of our success and why we've been successful, it's really only the rusted on Nat supporters making a lot of noise, many of those supporters are of course the media its self, I doubt wether ordinary Kiwis are interested in "tipping the baby out with the bath water" better off sticking with Govt that has got us to where we are today, history proves the Nats don't have what it takes in a natural disater, never did.
" Nats don't have what it takes in a natural disaster, never did."
You can say that again pal. Only have to study how the Christchurch earthquake was run by Jerry Brownarse Minister of Disasters one almighty big disaster.
Incidentally, my answer was to your comment @3 not @3.1.2 as written. 8. 48 am on a Sunday is a bit early for me
+1. This of course could all be destroyed if National win in September. New Zealand is in great danger of pandemic disaster should that happen and I think the public know this.
"This of course could all be destroyed if National win in September. New Zealand is in great danger of pandemic disaster should that happen and I think the public know this".
We hope so Mutton because there are one hell of a lot of fuckwits out there who are brain dead to this and are more interested in point-scoring against the government.
Like prat Garner one morning last week kept asking Premier Ardern if she was going to apologise. What for? I ask, apologise for keeping the pandemic at bay in NZ.
Prime Minister Ardern please. Premier is Australian term.
What does Premier mean in Australia?
The Premier of Western Australia is the head of the executive branch of government in the Australian state of Western Australia. The Premier has similar functions in Western Australia to those performed by the Prime Minister of Australia at the national level, subject to the different Constitutions. Wikipedia
"Prime Minister Ardern please. Premier is Australian term"
You are not quite right there me old son
I quote the Oxford Concise Dictionary
Premier Prime Minister in Great Britain or some British dominions. so it is NOT an Ozzie term but a British term so I will stick with what I said Premier Ardern.
On Friday, the Australian Federal Police raided the Sydney home and parliamentary offices of the NSW Labor MP and the home of his part-time staffer John Zhang.
Federal politics under the Libs has seen multiple police raids, often targeting Labor or Union offices, most, if not all have no outcome whatsoever, but the negative publicity is always damaging to the Labor Party and the mostly right wing media go along for the ride
I lived in Sydney from 2011 to 2018 and saw how the media can destroy a whole country for the sake of political point scoring.
Is this the media cosying up to ScoMo? Chomp on your pavlova while you watch this fascinating culinary masterpiece unfold, and hear about the latest passion – date syrup! But which date was that?
No, I didn't, but he was minister of Tourism under the Howard Govt and was suddenly sacked from the position, only very recently the reason for his demise was revealed, Fraudulent Activity, recieving kickbacks for favourable contracts, basically, completely dishonest, he's a Pentecostal Christian, say no more, right wing conservatism.
"Green Party senator Pippa Hackett will be Super Junior Minister in Agriculture with responsibility for Land Use and Biodiversity." Obviously a new form of political creature, Super Junior Ministers – ought we to get some? Chloe seems a contender, eh?
Could be. The label implies minister-with-training-wheels-on, yet I wonder why the Super gets put on the front – as if to imply a better product that the consumer ought to buy. Perhaps they will wear a badge with their title on it (as a marketing device).
WSJ didn't confirm their reporting either. Just more uncritical parroting of the same evidence-free assertions by anonymous sources we have no reason to believe are different from NYT's sources. pic.twitter.com/lSQVthmudo— Caitlin Johnstone ⏳ (@caitoz) June 27, 2020
The minatory deep voice and the ominous timpani percussion obviously affected you deeply. But where are the links you talk about? Did those dastardly Russian masterminds steal the links as well?
After 3 weeks of poor journalism and some appalingly ignorant commentary as a result – about as poor a service from the media estate as one should ever have to experience.
The story that should have been written weeks ago.
There was a government of a country that was coronavirus free. It was at Level 2 of its management regime and because it was community transmission free for some weeks was under pressure to move to level 1 and open up its borders to foreign students and bubble with a neighbouring country (Oz).
It had already buckled to pressure to allow early exit from the two week quarantine it ran to be kind. Early release without testing.
So it announced a move to Level 1, but aware of the greater risk of cluster growth (and also the likelihood of returning Kiwis having infections because of the greater numbers returning as overseas lockdown rules eased) under Level 1 moved to a requirement for testing on day 3 and day 12 of the managed isolation.
However it did so with only one days notice. June 8 with the new rules from June 9.
Until June 8 all testing was run by the local Health Boards at its testing sites. It had organised the staff, the safety equipment and training for this. There was some testing of those moving into quarantine hotels because of their symptoms – but these numbers were low and testing was in very small numbers on an occasional ad hoc basis (without any time pressure) and so had no implications for other testing capability.
It was of course not practically possible to have a testing regime in place from June 9 for those who arrived June 7 (June 9 was their third day for testing). Not with one days notice June 8. So operations management staff made the presumption that the policy was meant to only apply for those who arrived from June 9 (not making this presumption would have inferred those making the policy decision were so out of touch as not to realise what they asked could not be done in practice). And so they would apply it from June 11th for those who arrived on June 9. And if they could not organise this with the local Health Board who supplied such staff by June 11th, they would have the first test as early as possible afterward (as they had operated the earlier testing of those with symptoms in quarantine before June 8, when this was in synch with local Health Board staff availability).
As we know this all came to public notice because a pair of sisters who arrived before June 9 were let out early, and without a test (as people were in May and still were if they arrived before June 9 – unknown to government which seemed to presume that a day 3 or day 12 test would have prevented this).
And as we know, it was not until about June 16 that the managed isolation system set up a testing regime for those for day 3 and day 12 – even those who arrived on June 9 were not tested on June 11 as the testing took a while to put in place).
So what actually went wrong.
Cabinet made a collective decision to do something that could not be done in practice.
Did Cabinet receive advice from the Ministry of Health about how long it would take to set up the system to apply day 3 and day 12 testing? Or did it make the decison expecting it to apply from June 9 (with one days notice June 8 Cabinet for those who arrived in June 7 – like those sisters from the UK), without any knowledge that there was little chance this could be done. Blaming the Minister or the Ministry or the management regime officials for not implementing the impossible is stupid.
Did the Ministry inform the Minister about what was possible? Did Cabinet know what they needed to know about the practicality of their policy being implemented in a timely way?
These are the relevant questions. And yet no one has asked them. Well served by our media, hardly.
PS Now there are people criticising the Health Minister for not visiting management isolation facilities. There is a reason we do not allow interface with others in the hotel (just necessary isolation regime staffing). There is a pandemic. A person going from such a place to a hospital (to meet a health need) means everyone in the hospital they meet has to be in a suit and the place they go is isolated out until they get a negative test result.
"These are the relevant questions. And yet no one has asked them."
Well, did you listen to the RNZ political panel this morning? Linda Clark & Richard Harman reviewing the past week. Those here trying to whitewash Labour, who anticipate a pleasant sunday, ought not to listen to it!
It's almost as if Labour presumes a cover-up of public service lying to the govt is in everyone's best interests. Yes, I know Labour MPs are mostly clueless – but that bad?? Really? It puzzles me. What does Jacinda gain by promoting this perception?
1. Cabinet made a policy decision asking for something from June 9 with one days notice that would take a week to roll out in practice (did they know that ion June 8 or not?).
2. The risk of community spread resulting was no greater than that from releaase from managed isolation without a test during May and the first eweek of June.
All of the back testing done is really to prove Muller's beliefs to be wrong. A bit like science – archeology etc has done to creation science belief.
It's almost as if Labour presumes a cover-up of public service lying to the govt is in everyone's best interests. Yes, I know Labour MPs are mostly clueless – but that bad?? Really? It puzzles me. What does Jacinda gain by promoting this perception?
Have a KitKat, Dennis, your comment is projecting so much ‘perception’ that I almost thought it was advanced baiting.
Before I get into the nitty-gritty, it’s worth noting that we’ve had more than 20,000 people go through managed isolation since the beginning of April. Almost all of those would have left without being tested. There is no evidence any of those people have transmitted the virus to anyone in the wider New Zealand community. On top of that, in the last week or so more than 45,000 tests have been processed and the only positives have come from people in managed isolation facilities at the border.
Fourteen days in managed isolation is our first line of border defence, not testing
Because of what we now know about how this virus infects people, lots of countries have settled on 14 days as the time at which if someone doesn’t show symptoms of Covid-19 then it is highly unlikely they will have the virus and be infectious. In other words, they are at very low risk of transmitting the virus to others or “seeding” the virus back into the community. We have been using this 14-day isolation period for several months. This is our first line of defence.
She gives this very useful interactive graphic to also explain why after over 2 weeks of the new border restrictions (implemented on 9 June) there is very little chance of there being community transmission in Aotearoa
ooops sorry about the graphic – seems to have gained extra pixels. 🙁
[lprent: Fixed. The source image was large. You just need to constrain it (as was probably done at sciblog). Just add the width attribute into the img tag (eg width=”550″). If you’re the first in the hierarchy you can get away with 600. If you’re 10 down in the replies then 500 px will do. ]
Yep, we even had Selway on here getting his test and his Dr telling him "you don't need one" after 2 weeks quarantine, the medical experts must despair at the public sometimes. So basically, all these people getting tests after 2 weeks is for political reasons, to assuage the fears of the public.
I mean, if we're within capacity and it's not going to fuck logistics, you might as well test them. It might throw something up once every 50 years.
But the scaremongerers like Muller can go fuck themselves. Spidey-sense is not an effective screening test for community transmission. Their intention is to sow alarm and despondency. It's disgusting.
Hey SPC, have you ever thought about becoming a reporter, this concise and informative turn of events describes the whole dilema in a way most people can understand, it wasn't a bungle, it was a case of not everyone understanding the process and the time frame for implementation, probably the key thing was simple lack of good communication between everyone concerned.
There were/are no subsequent negative outcomes as a result and hopefully communication lines will improve.
I once did, long ago back in the 1980's. I did offer to write a column back in 1999, but got rejected for a black fairy who tried out for the Lord of the Rings.
It was the Singles column at the Dominion Post, they were replacing the original colunmist EG, later City Girl (a blonde) , with another. The column was published with the pseudonym Sarah Duffy. Duffy means black fairy in Gaelic (dubh fey) The person chosen as Sarah Duffy no 2 (a brunette) wrote a first column about them trying out for a role in Lord of the Rings.
I find the PC reaction to the term black fairy – especially in reference to the Lord of the Rings so very 20th Creactionary.
Dunno about that, I know folks who speak Klingon. But if you're going to be obscure, don't take it bad when people think you're just openly saying the quiet bits out loud.
Excellent comment SPC and just published on RNZ a good review on the Report of the country's Managed Isolation and Quarantine system.
While the review found the system wasn't "broken'' it revealed the increased number of people returning to New Zealand and going into managed isolation was putting pressure on accommodation facilities and staff were only able to respond to daily challenges.
"The resources required to support the Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ) function have failed to keep pace with the increased volume of returnees. This has resulted in a very dedicated team having to confront immediate issues with limited capacity to plan ahead," the review said.
…
"The Ministry of Health will be increasing the number of clinical and non-clinical staff, such as nurses, at each facility to ensure health checks, testing and other health services are consistently delivered to the standards required," Woods said.
Air Commodore Webb last week announced a doubling of the on-the-ground Defence Force staff of 32, across 18 facilities.
"As of today, we have 168 NZDF personnel across 21 facilities providing 24/7 coverage. There are also more government and defence staff across the end-to-end system.
"This increased resourcing has had an immediate impact on the ground in terms of making sure our people are well supported to carry out their roles and ensure the safe transfer of returnees into managed isolation," he said.
Other improvements rolling out now include:
Increased security for transferring returnees to managed isolation facilities
The standardisation of procedures across all facilities
The introduction of better information for returnees – from flight boarding through to entry into New Zealand and their exit from Managed Isolation.
Better information to communities where those facilities are located.
Strengthening of demand forecasting, reporting functions and coordination between agencies.
Health responses include:
More staff in facilities
Improved model of care – including taking into account issues like mental health and addiction issues
More clinical oversight to ensure a consistent quality of service in facilities
Monitoring to ensure there is consistency across facilities
My wife dragged in a Weekend Herald this morning, she purchaed it yesterday, I asked her why on earth she had bought the Herald, she knows I refuse to read it, she replied, I know, but we're running out of newspaper to start the fire and the Saturday edition is quite thick and quite good value.
Ha ha I like it, better than tearing it up into small squares punching a hole in the corner and tying it with a bit of rope on the back of the Loo door which is the natural home for it.
It was well worth reading Matt Nippert's background coverage of how the government organised a response to Covid-19, including lengthy interviews with Ardern and Peters. That was good, in-depth journalism. You'd be much better informed and would have the details to rebut the RW line that "any government would have done the same".
Simon Wilson's lunch with Muller and Kaye was a good read too.
There's plenty of rubbish in the Herald but only a fool would refuse to eat the fish because they don't like the chips.
SPC, good to read some proper background to the situation. Where oh where are intelligent, balanced reporters who can investigate without getting hysterical?
Have any investigated and got hysterical at Bridges & Muller over them wanting to bring in thousands of students? Where would they be put up? Who would manage and staff these facilities, bearing in mind the huge management of thousands of returning Kiwis has not always been easy, which is understandable given there was no rehearsal for this pandemic.
I have been heartened by some sensible letters to Dom Post, and people I know more and more are saying the media has lost the plot and NZ has done extremely well. Muller and Co have never acknowledged this.
It is hard not to come to the conclusion that the govt, somewhat bungled the switch from Level 2 to Level 1. We now know Jacinda Ardern was under enormous pressure to make that switch and it came from all quarters but especially from National. In the end she relented despite Bloomfield's note of caution that Level 2 should run for another two weeks.
The public has to take their share of the blame too because we were all sick and tired of lockdown and we wanted more freedom and we said so – every last one of us.
Who was to blame?
We were all to blame from the PM downwards. So lets stop scapegoating individuals which, from my experiences, is the art of the guilty trying to distract attention away from themselves.
We're all to blame … Let's sack EVERYONE! Then we can start with a clean slate back where we were before, with everyone in the same positions.
One exception: Let's have EVERYONE this time round saying "We don't know how f…..n lucky we are."
The doom merchants, the "Everyone with responsibilities has cocked up" mob?
Put them in a leaky boat, give Michael Woodhouse the oars, stand Odd Job Muller on the poop deck with a telescope to hold up to his ear, and push them off towards Antarctica.
The triumph of reason has happened within Labour in the UK. Apparently…
I don’t want to rub salt into the wound, because that would sterilise it and help it heal, but the sacking of Rebecca Long-Bailey was one of those rare moments of shocking leadership. For those of us who think a broad-based egalitarian government would be a good idea, it has been a long time since a Labour leader has surprised us with such moral clarity.
It does not diminish Keir Starmer’s decisiveness that Long-Bailey brought it on herself. By refusing to delete her tweet praising Maxine Peake’s interview, with its antisemitic implication that Israel was to blame for the death of George Floyd, she made Starmer’s choice clear. Indeed, it makes the triumph of reason all the sweeter that the other side contributed to its own defeat with such a misjudgement. https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/keir-starmer-rebecca-long-bailey-tony-blair-corbyn-defeated-blairite-triumph-a9588896.html
So the long arm of Mossad thesis, eh? I doubt she really implied that, but when UK politics persists in a morass of paranoia, conspiracy theories will inevitably whirl around in the vortex of competing perceptions. And yes, moral clarity in a Labour leader is indeed shocking. As a suggestion. Not sure if the reality has been validated.
An alternative action for Keir Starmer would be to keep following the foolish and fractious Jeremy Corbyn into a defeat so deep it will take years to get Labour out:
… with its antisemitic implication that Israel was to blame for the death of George Floyd…
That was not the implication at all. What was at issue here was whether or not this murderous chokehold technique being used by U.S. police against peaceful and unarmed civilians was taught to them by Israeli police. You probably are aware that Israeli “policing” of the Occupied Territories is even more oppressive and lethal than what is being inflicted on the citizens of the United States by another vicious police culture.
The wild allegation that "Israel was to blame" is entirely the fabrication of Jeremy Rentoul, the Indescribablyboring hack you have ill-advisedly chosen to quote. Rentoul is a shameless backer of the right wing Blairite faction which has managed to grab control of the Party again after its democratic deviation. It would have been hard for you to choose a more devious and dishonorable source; in 2015 he was forced to publicly apologise after another of his outrageous canards aimed about Corbyn.
I wrote a post on Twitter last night that I regret, and for which I apologise. I suggested that Jeremy Corbyn might say that France had brought the Paris attacks on itself. I ought to know the danger of spending too much time on Twitter, and I make no excuses.
I apologise without reservation to Mr Corbyn, to my colleagues and to readers. It was a stupid and offensive thing to say, especially at that time, and I am mortified by it.
My sympathy goes to the families and friends of all those killed and injured in the attacks.
That's quite a different tone isn't it? Air flight staff in PPE, wake up breakfasts, nurse visits every day, social distancing, security watching all the time, grateful to be back in NZ. What a shambles & David Clark should resign!
Clearly National are ignorant of basic accounting. The cost of doing this is far lower than cost of dealing with a minor outbreak.
Or they are ignorant of human behaviour when constrained – there will always be idiots who care less for the common good than they do for their own personal interests.
Or both.
But I suspect that it is simply because the National strategists are so focused on their spiteful politics of envy because it allows them to stop looking at the horrors that a full-blown epidemic brings. We really should send some of their MPs on a fact finding mission to the US at present (or even after our election) so that they do start to understand it.
Nah, National will be saying that private enterprise can better organise border controls than civil servants and the military, and anyway the money should be going to our mates…..
Toss-up? Far too uncertain. Deals behind closed doors is how you do it, with knighthoods and cushy retirement jobs, and even a little earner writing for the Herald………
[Exasperatedly] Look, it's perfectlysimple, opposition National party politicians are simply saying that NZ's Covid-19 outcomes would be much better if only our government had adopted policies closer to Sweden'sAustralia's New Zealand's – that's all they're yakking on about; give them a break, and while you’re at it read Chris Penk's simple book why don't yah!
In sum, and on the evidence, Australia has done no better than us in economic outcomes, is doing worse than us in public health outcomes and is headed in the wrong direction in controlling the disease. Yet this failed model is what the National Party has been promoting all along, and is what would have adopted had a National government been in power here. Perhaps the media could begin to raise this credibility problem, now that we’re on the verge of an election campaign where National’s main pitch to voters is that it is a safer pair of hands in a crisis, and is a better manager of the economy. In its dreams. For the past three decades there is absolutely no evidence that has been the case, beyond its provision of an occasional sugar hit to the economy in the shape of tax cuts and asset part-sales. Sure, you can always keep warm for a while by burning the furniture, but this isn’t a sustainable way of running the economy. http://werewolf.co.nz/2020/06/gordon-campbell-on-the-media-collusion-with-nationals-attack-lines/
Or keep warm by exporting swamp kauri 'furniture' to China; or live sheep to the Middle East, or kiwi fruit plants to the competition- that kind of sustainable?
Then there's education. Knock off a few diplomas, certificates and degrees to all in-comers. (What did Prof Jim Flynn say on RNZ? No-one reads anymore at Uni.)
Jeremy Corbyn’s Opponents Burned the House Down to Stop Him — Now Keir Starmer Is King of the Ashes
by DANIEL FINN, Jacobin, 25 June 2020
By sacking Rebecca Long-Bailey on a trumped-up pretext, Keir Starmer has set the seal on a drastic shift to the right for the British Labour Party. That shift comes just as the key arguments by Jeremy Corbyn’s opponents to justify a break with his left leadership have been falling apart in the face of overwhelming evidence. ….
Keir Starmer is making the right moves, and it's a helluva lot better than that fucking moron Jeremy Corbyn who was so utterly loathed by both marginal voters and deeply loyalLaobour voters alike. Corbyn lost every voter age category from 25-44 upwards.
Corbyn deserves a statue of himself on a pedestal put up outside Labour UK headquarters central London with feet made of tin, so that Labour supporters can organise crowds to pull it down with tractors and chains every year and sing sings about "never again" and explain to the youngest of supporters this is how to avoid wasting millions of supporter hours and millions of supporter money and a huge 2017 voter surge into stupid policies and catastrophic defeat within 2 years and allow Boris Fucking Johnson to rule the country into ruin instead.
Or, of course, you could read Norman Finkelstein instead.
The Health and Disability system review was finally released last week to mixed reception. We all know that the MOH is dysfunctional, and successive governments have failed to either take charge of this rogue organisation or properly fund our public health and disability system to ensure systemic inequities do not cost further lives.
What gladdens my cynical and bitter old heart is how finally, finally, disabled people have raised their voices both individually and collectively to express their bitter disappointment at the failure of this review to address the very real inadequacies in the Ministry of Health Disability Support Services.
There were no disabled people on the Review's steering committee and as Gerri Pomeroy, President of DPA says…
Disabled people have the right to have their views taken into consideration and be heard, particularly now the government is a signatory to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons."
While she and others supported many of the health system changes the report suggested, she said the review was "as we feared, a health review with disability tacked on".
(Kudos to Gerri. She is an ACC client and it became clear she had little understanding of the struggles faced by those who have no rights or entitlements to disability supports enshrined by law. A while after we challenged her on this, she did approach us and admitted that she really had no idea how tough it is under MOH. Very pleased to see her stepping up.)
I remember as a young disability activist at the time this went against the consensus view of disabled people who believed it would represent a regression to the medical model of disability. Simply, the medical model holds that disabled people should be treated as people with bodily and mental deficits which needed to be addressed through treatment – rather than as people who need to have our rights upheld and requirement for individualised support respected.
As time has shown, the government's claims turned out to be but fine rhetoric.
The reality for disabled people like me is that we still have to go through bureaucratic hoops to prove to the Ministry of Health (which controls funding for non-accident related disability) that we need essential mobility equipment such as, for example, wheelchairs or housing modifications.
This having to go through hoops has been compounded by successive governments failing to increase disability support funding substantially – at least not until this year's Budget which saw the most significant boost to disability funding in decades.
Chris doesn't just criticize he suggests a solution…one that has been on the disability wishlist for many years.
I would like to see a government entity called Disability New Zealand established (replacing both the Ministry of Health DSS and ACC), whose operations and governance are be led by disabled people.
This agency would administer disability support funding and allow disabled people and their whānau to both create and hold individualised support budgets.
Moreover, an independent, autonomous Disability Commission, which would also be disabled person-led, would provide policy advice and monitor all government policy which impacted on disabled people.
We could have had all these recommendations had the Health and Disability System Review included disabled people's representation on it – something that I and other disabled people and our organisations called for constantly, including to Health Minister David Clark and Review Chair Heather Simpson.
Our views were ignored, hence the limited recommendations.
Responses from both Carmel MIA Sepuloni as Minister for Disability Issues and Jenny 'I don't really want this hot potato thrown at me by JAG' Salesa have been predictably dismissive.
'Just fuck off and wait..' sums it up.
I might be being over optimistic, but this might be one of those make or break issues for this Current Mob occupying the gummint benches.
Perhaps someone close to them could whisper in their ear that some of us out here do understand that the Misery of Health has been a rogue entity for quite some time now so we don't necessarily blame the MPs and the PM directly for this continued shitting on of disabled New Zealanders. What would be great…and very possibly vote winning… would be the massive purge of the entrenched bureaucracy at the Mystery that is desperately needed.
Start again with new blood, and this time use the word "entitled" in all of their policies.
A Disability Authority and Disability Commission (advocacy) does seem to be the way to go.
Not that this should be needed to make these moves.
1. move long term support (disability benefit) to super rate level
2. allow those who meet criteria for disability support to receive a minimum of the dole rate when living with working partners.
3. super rate support to those unable to work while they are facing illness likely that incapacitate them, or cause death (heart attacks and late stage cancer)
4. more than benefit level support to workers no longer able to work for health reasons (outside the current ACC model).
Advocacy for those with disability, birth or ACC orbit, or non ACC criteria sickness/deterioration in terms of medical and treatment support is necessary, especially when we are still under the funding constraint management regime of health services model.
and writing that I went to the RNZ website and see the front page is plastered with the DA review critiques, which is fantastic except for the fact that the disability activist sector appears to be sacrificing people whose disability stems from health issues. Or maybe they just don't know about them.
…the disability activist sector appears to be sacrificing people whose disability stems from health issues….
You're going to have to expand on that weka. Am I right in thinking this is to do with the difference between the social and medical models of disability?
Can be a bit tricky….no disabled person…especially those born with impairments…wants to be seen solely as someone who needs treatment or fixing. Chris Ford's piece discusses this a little. I'll let him explain.
OTOH…if disabled people do not get the supports they need then their health can go rapidly to shit. So there is the medical to consider.
In all our dealings with the Misery of Health over the years one of the expectations that Peter and I wrongly held was that provision of good supports for disabled people would be seen as an investment. The cost of fixing someone through through the health system can be seriously expensive. Much more than funding adequate supports.
But no. It seems the bastards don't care if a person with spina bifida (who survived the near compulsory termination protocols) gets repeated bladder and kidney infections because they are forced to use single use catheters multiple times. Kidney failure? Shortens their lives. In the Ministry's book this would be a win.
And as for the End of Life Choice Bill….this should be ditched until ALL disabled New Zealanders who need disability supports have those supports funded as of right.
the RNZ headlines and having a quick read through are pushing the separate Disability from Health. Which I actually support, but you *have to take health disability people with that, not create a further ghettoisation of chronically ill people. We already have discrimination with Health on that basis around who can get disability funding. I can totally see that if Disability were given its own ministry that Labour would fuck this up and chronically ill people would be sacrificed yet again.
I agree there are issues on what framing/narratives are used too, especially around ‘fixing’. It's complex. I completely agree with the position that the govt should be putting disabled people in charge, and this needs to include those with health disabilities (which will present another whole set of challenges). I don't think the disability sector (govt, NGO or activist) is particularly good on this.
I can totally see that if Disability were given its own ministry that Labour would fuck this up and chronically ill people would be sacrificed yet again.
Very quickly…because I have stuff to do outside while it is not raining…you might want to have a look at the MOH DSS definition of disability as pertains to accessing services.
For many years now mental health has been accepted into the disability tent..but not, you say chronic health conditions.
Why…I guess this is about the 'condition lasting for longer than six months' part of the definition. Could it be than many with these health conditions resist the definition of 'disability' because of the negative connotations of the word? They are hoping to be cured?
"… the medical model holds that disabled people should be treated as people with bodily and mental deficits which need to be addressed through treatment – rather than as people who need to have our rights upheld…"
Which would be bad enough on its own – but is compounded when the treatment recommended is far from the best available. For example, the scandalous reluctance of the medical profession to recommend and advocate for the the funding of Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR) for children with cerebral palsy. Combined with follow-up physiotherapy, gym-work and strengthening, it is by far the best, modern treatment for cerebral palsy of the diplegic type. The long-term burden of disability on the individuals concerned, and the taxpayer (though the health economics studies have not been done) is substantially reduced. Existing protocols of multiple, repeated orthopaedic operations with poor cumulative outcomes are protected and maintained – because that is where the current medical expertise and government funding sits. Families are self-funding or running lengthy fund-raising campaigns to obtain this procedure overseas – then paying again for physiotherapy or gym sessions while injured rugby players get covered by ACC.
And then there was 9.06 am Media Watch which I didn't find easy to reach as usual. There seems to be some reshuffling of how things are presented, not sure just what. However here is the audio which is very interesting as it is about Cambridge Analytica et al. Did you know that Margaret Thatcher used the services of the political mixers for her three elections? And there's more….
Those who wish to be politically informed, and those who wish to be up with all the sly ways of undermining our political process and elections, and those who want to find out who is who and who's paying should listen to this. Journalists are out there with 'truly epic stories', and that's not puffing them up. Knowing about this is important for those with dreams of maintaining a good, functioning democracy that keeps itself in good condition, and clean its boots topside, and soles regularly.
It would be interesting to know what others here thought after hearing this, did everyone find something new they hadn't heard?
Air nz really doesn't get it- starting to look like they might be a paid up member of the Nats.
Do they need to have government regulation on every little thing or could they not err on the side of caution and wear and handout masks. No aircraft filtration system is going to save you from the person next to you coughing all over you.
An Air New Zealand spokeswoman said crew on international flights are required to wear masks and gloves during food and drink service and face-to-face interactions with passengers.
However, there was no government requirement for staff to wear masks in Queensland.
"Our jet aircraft are fitted with hospital-grade air systems that filter out viruses, and hand sanitiser is also available in airports and on aircraft for customers and staff to use as they wish," she said.
And on a wider note we probably really don't need further infections from in transit and aircraft transmission. If we get too much or find it towards the end of quarantine it will delay departure from quarantine of more people and clog up the spaces we do have.
LC: "I think it's inevitably a combination of both… Labour has made a lot of mistakes in the last couple of weeks". She's saying Muller's achievement isn't solely the cause of the 9% switch in the poll. "A lot of public confidence has been shaken by a whole series of mistakes, and they are going to be punished for that."
RH: "we learnt this morning that both Shane Jones & Nikki Kaye want the legislation to be amended to let Auckland take more water from the Waikato River". After mentioning that the RMA amendments are still in select committee. And "it's looking less & less likely that the shovel-ready projects are going to be ready before the election."
LC: "Winston is in the petty politics phase at the moment, and I don't think it's working for him."
RH on the border shambles: "I think they need to explain just how the decisions were made… Go back to Tuesday, and in the House, Jacinda Ardern quite clearly stated that the Ministry of Health had misled her… now, for a ministry to mislead the prime minister herself on something like this [testing done] is very, very important. And so yes, Clark is guilty of not asking enough questions". [Re the DGoH] "The prime minister said he was reporting, but what he was reporting was wrong."
Yet the public servant who think they've got away with lying to their minister, the DGoH, and the PM are sitting there rubbing their hands with glee, saying to each other "Way cool, dudes! Public service is fun, eh?"
RH: "I think it would be unfair to sack the minister for this, yet the government has not presented a case in its own defense."
Then re Newshub and "throwing Dr Bloomfield under the bus"…
LC: "As an old television reporter I have to take my hat off to the cameraman… an absolute master, because that really caught a moment – and he was being thrown under a bus, I don't think there's any denying that… there's no question that the prime minister has been misled by the ministry, and it may be that Bloomfield has been too – by his officials". "I think the most responsible thing that David Clark could do is resign."
As you know, I think Linda Clark's perspective is very ignorant.
As to the question to the Minister while alongside Bloomfield, and the cameraman’s filming of Bloomfield at that moment, speaks to the very fact of this being a pre planned sting. The story of it effectively written before the question was even asked.
Taking off their hat to the cameraman, in that context, is disingenuous.
Yeah, incantations do work via repetition. Just like advertising. Yet people en masse still have this old idea in their heads; magical thinking is ineffective.
Mass perceptions of a shambles are likewise influential. Weight of numbers – politics being a numbers game.
What a couple of poisonous weeds. There have been a number of people who appeared to be sensible reporters revealed when they leave government jobs, as deeply troubled by the idea of a fair democracy, and honest, balanced reporting with both negative and positive observations!
Loud noise in MSM does not equal mass perception although NZ’s megaphone media would like you to believe it and, sadly, it seems to be working. You seem to be scared that critical thinking might be conflated with defending the Government/Clark/DGoH. Walk and chew gum at the same time.
"Sensors in Sweden …" is how the Chernobyl news kicked off in 1986.
Radiation sensors in Stockholm have detected higher-than-usual but still harmless levels of isotopes produced by nuclear fission, probably from somewhere on or near the Baltic Sea, a body running a worldwide network of the sensors said on Friday.
People who visited a bar in East Lansing, Michigan, are being asked to self-quarantine because roughly 85 people contracted Covid-19 after visiting the establishment this month, a health official says.
That number is up from the 34 reported Wednesday and is expected to rise, Ingham County Health officer Linda S. Vail told CNN.
The Health Department is asking patrons who visited Harper's Restaurant & Brew Pub between June 12 and June 20 to self-quarantine, and report cases of Covid-19, the department said in a statement.
"Given the number of cases in this outbreak, we consider this a higher risk exposure than a typical visit to a restaurant or bar," Vail said. "There are likely more people infected with Covid-19 not yet identified."
Well, does that mean it isn't a UBI?? Perhaps you could write up & post an essay explaining what sort of critter it is. Sounds good tho, & a radical move… 👍
UBIs are generally paid to everyone. The GP GMI is for those that need it (essentially everyone not in full time work). I tempted to say Gareth Morgan won't be getting it 😈 but I haven't seen yet if the GMI is asset tested.
I took it as a question from someone who hadn't read the policy yet.
The debate around UBI has been dominant, so it's going to be useful to compare the two different things and point out they are apples and oranges but they're still both fruit 🙂 Especially when it comes to examining TOP's UBI policy 😈
Fair comment. Talking about TOP’s UBI policy is specific, at least. I still don’t see much point in a head-to-head comparison other than to show and highlight (?) the differences? I think it is a reductionist trap and an exercise in futility (AKA waste of time) but I’m sure some pundits and MSM won’t be able to resist 😉 Just my 2 cents, of course.
Given TOP will be going after GP votes, and that too many lefties have been singing the praises of TOP's UBI, I find it instructive to look at them side by side. I'm putting up a post tomorrow about the GP policy alone, might do a separate one on the comparison with TOP at some point (might not be necessary).
It's also because I've written about the serious short comings of UBI models (including TOP's) and the GP basically fills the gaps that others haven't been able to. This isn't about the GP so much (apart from pointing out the value in voting for them), it's more about keeping visible the need for welfare to be bolted on to any model. A distinction that too many on the left had failed to grasp. Will be really interesting to see who gets it now, once presented with an integrated and costed policy.
I am writing a post as we speak. It's a beautiful policy and yes, radical but not so much as to scare the horses. Not perfect, but really good. Tt's not a UBI. It's a guaranteed minimum income for those that need it, plus lots of other good stuff for welfare.
I used to support UBI, but now prefer Guaranteed Minimum Income (GMI). GMI means you can afford to give more to those who need it, while maintaining the other desirable aspects of UBI (no test or expectations other than having sufficiently low income). All of us are eligible for GMI when we need it.
Listening to this from Max Rashbrooke explained the UBI / GMI issue well.
I gave Melanie a call once and suggested that instead of Equity for 'Illness' it was reworded to be inclusive of those who were disabled from birth and those whose injuries predated ACC…she wouldn't have a bar of it. Different communities and different needs.
At the end of the day we're all humans whose minds or bodies have some degree of impairment because of whatever and who need a some degree of support.
Not sure if those words are from the Party or clumsy paraphrasing by the media. The release to members reads:
That means we’re making big changes to how we support students and people out of work, giving extra help to parents, those who are sick or disabled, and making sure all whānau have what they need to thrive.
✅Extra support for people who are sick or disabled
By reforming ACC as the Agency for Comprehensive Care, our plan ensures that those who find themselves unable to work due to sickness or disability are properly supported, and have enough to live on.
GREEN PARTY candidate Chris Ford says he's "reassessing" his membership of the Green Party in the light of the leadership shifting the party further to the right and signing up for Labour's 'Budget Responsibility Rules'. He's also angry that this was done without any consultation with the party membership.
Ford, who stood for the Green's in 2014, said: "I'm very disappointed with the party I belong to for doing this! In fact, I know that many other members -like me – are disappointed and angry. I am reassessing my membership. I knew that this statement (Labour and Greens' joint Budget Responsibility Rules agreement) was being developed but party members seem to have been largely bypassed in doing so.”
Ford is expressing a widespread dissatisfaction within the Green Party rank and file who believe that the party has strayed far from its progressive roots, For many, the sight of co-leaders James Shaw and Metiria Turei signing up to the 'Budget Responsibility Rules' may be the final straw.
For mine they should reduce pressure on the managed isolation facilities by turning them into second week stays.
They should locate first week stays in hotels not currently used (rent by floor). Just the day 3 test to interface with the confined without symptoms.
And if they bus – either level 3 spacing, or provide masks to passengers and PPE to staff.
We should if at all possible have special flights for Kiwis in Oz coming here, they do not leave Oz with it and are at risk on the journey to the hotel and others they are isolated with.
Very good, clear press conference by Woods and Webb (most of which will never make the headlines, because it was too sensible).
Expecting 5,000 arriving in the next 1-2 weeks? Capacity for 6,000, give or take.
So let's invite thousands more people in, we can cope easily, said no sane person, ever. But National are saying exactly that. So what do the journos at press conference ask about instead? "Is anybody bringing in drugs?" FFS.
Better questions from the media might be, "Why are all these people returning home to New Zealand?" and "What are the returnees reporting on how conditions are in the countries they are returning from in terms of Covid-19 and social risk?" or "What percentage of returnees have furnished substantive complaints about treatment on return?"
Personally I would have brought those who lost employment through ill health (sickness/physical decay and heart attacks etc) into the ACC employer funded system. This also has a focus on funding treatment/recovery to get people back to work.
Savings for MSD then used for more generous funding to those with earlier and other circumstance inability to work (often permanent) – 80% of the MW is generous ($600 a week before tax). And I thought moving those on disability (now around $300) to the super rate $425 was the bold move. I can however agree younger folk need more than someone on super who owns a home, so there is a case for the higher amount.
The last sentence may refer to the ACC payment system, how to put a cap on the payments it currently makes to injured workers to reduce its costs to afford the expansion of coverage. The 80% payment amount maximum frozen until it reduces to 1/2 times the average wage as a maximum.
thanks, I did wonder if it was about high income earners going onto ACC. Can you please explain how that works?
SLP current rate is $307 for an adult. GP policy is to increase this to $390 before April (60% of min wage), then once merged with ACC to increase it to 80% of net minimum wage, $604/wk or $484 depending on whether they are talking about 80% of net or gross.
Surprises me that this woman had worked for MSD and was shocked and disappointed when her employer treated her like shit, sorry, with less than kindness when she became sick.
All I know about ACC is that its based at 80% of the former wage.
correction to the original post
until it reduces to 1 1/2 times the average as a maximum.
I presume that under the ACC system there is a maximum former wage allowed and thus there would be savings made if that was fixed/unadjusted until it was no more than 1 1/2 times the average. Thus a future maximum amount at 80% of that amount, which would be a maxmum of (at current average somewhere around 60,000, 80% would be c$48,000 near $1000 per week).
PS above I put it at $600 a week for 80% of the MW, it would at next years rate of $20 an hour be c$640 per week before tax.
Oh how could police do this in a supposedly civilised country. If they had a spark of decency left in the USA they would be ashamed. It's a disgrace at present, sick outside and in. That was in Florida with a lot of coronavirus. A good slogan for their protests would be Cough on a Cop. A violence free way of retaliating. What sort of reaction did Ghandi and his followers get? It takes a lot of resolve to face this sort of viciousness.
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Eric Crampton writes – I hadn’t thought about this one until a helpful email showed up in my inbox.It’s pretty obvious that income tax thresholds should automatically index with inflation – whether to anchor the thresholds in percentiles of the income distribution, or to anchor against a real ...
Jacqui Van Der Kaay writes – Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National ...
Gary Judd writes – The Dean of the law school at the Auckland University of Technology is someone called Khylee Quince. I have been sent her social media posting in which she has, over the LawNews headline “Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Maori studies for ...
Cleo Paskal writes – WASHINGTON, D.C.: ‘Many of us have received phone calls from [the opposing camp] telling them if they join the camp they will be given projects for their wards and $300,000 [around US$35,000] each’, says former Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani. The elections in Solomon Islands aren’t ...
With hindsight, it was inevitable that (a) Hamas would agree to the ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar and that ( b) Israel would then immediately launch attacks on Rafah, regardless. We might have hoped the concessions made by Hamas would cause Israel to desist from slaughtering thousands more ...
Placards and mourners outside the Kilbirnie Mosque following the Christchurch terror attack: MSD has terminated the Kaiwhakaoranga service, which has been used by 415 families since the attacks. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The Government’s pledge to only cut ‘back office’ staff rather than ‘frontline’ services is on increasingly shaky ground, with ...
There’s been a few smaller public transport announcements over the last week or so that I thought I’d cover in a single post. Fareshare I’ve long called for Auckland Transport to offer a way to enable employer-subsidised public transport options. The need for this took on even more importance ...
Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National Minister Matt Doocey, reflects poorly on Genter and ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Who likes being sneered at? Nobody. Worse yet, when the sneerer has their facts all wrong, and might well be an idiot.The sneer in question is The adults are in charge now, and it is a sneer offered in retort to criticism of this new Government, no matter how well ...
When in government, Labour pushed to extend the Parliamentary term to four years, to reduce accountability and our ability to vote out a bad government. And now, they're trying to do it through the member's ballot, with a Four-Year Parliamentary Term Legislation Bill. The bill at least requires a referendum ...
A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill (Hūhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing Māori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...
Simeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Buzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion “investment” in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...
Chris Trotter writes – Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied…Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Dehm, Senior lecturer, international migration and refugee law, University of Technology Sydney The High Court unanimously ruled today that the Australian government can keep asylum seekers in immigration detention indefinitely in cases where they do not “voluntarily” cooperate with their own ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Munro, Lecturer, Creative Industries and Digital Media, University of South Australia Twenty-four hours after the release of Macklemore’s pro-Palestine protest song Hind’s Hall on social media on May 7, the video had already notched up over 24 million views. In ...
Failing to anticipate the complexity of the consenting system is being cited as the the current builder's shortcomings, an Infrastructure Commission review says. ...
350 Aotearoa is calling the Environment Select Committee’s decision to allow oral submissions from just 40% of individual, unique submitters who asked to speak to the committee ‘a disgraceful blight to democracy’. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Helal, Assistant Dean (Sustainability), The University of Melbourne Dubai skylineAleksandarPasaric/Pexels Since ancient times, people have built structures that reach for the skies – from the steep spires of medieval towers to the grand domes of ancient cathedrals and mosques. Today ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edward Musole, PhD Law Student, University of New England Girts Ragelis/ShutterstockRecent trends show Australians are increasingly buying wearables such as smartwatches and fitness trackers. These electronics track our body movements or vital signs to provide data throughout the day, with ...
Papua New Guinea experienced a significant earthquake on 24 March in East Sepik and there has also been recent flooding there and in surrounding provinces. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yousuf Mohammed, Dermatology researcher, The University of Queensland Maridav/Shutterstock You wake up, stagger to the bathroom and gaze into the mirror. No, you’re not imagining it. You’ve developed face wrinkles overnight. They’re sleep wrinkles. Sleep wrinkles are temporary. But as your ...
The Environment Select Committee has just announced that 60 percent of individuals who asked to speak at the hearings will not be heard. This equates to almost 700 people who made individual submissions and more than 1000 more who made a form submission. ...
The Royal New Zealand Ballet is performing Swan Lake around the country. What kind of dream does the ballet sell?Before going to see the Royal New Zealand Ballet perform Swan Lake, I had about as much familiarity with the plot of this ballet as could be expected from having ...
A new poem by Auckland poet Eamonn Tee. High Tide at Local Maxima It is only going to get worse. The streams will be narrow and fickle. The week will bend and buckle like a pot-bellied waist. You will make it to the weekend with one ...
The New Zealand entrepreneur behind beauty business Ethique is gearing up to launch a new eco-venture. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Our thirst for a tasty bevvy is insatiable, but it comes with a hefty plastic price for the planet: 580 billion ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 James by Percival Everett (Mantle, $38) A retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from ...
By Kamna Kumar in Suva Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General Henry Puna stressed the importance of media freedom and its link to the climate and environmental crisis at the 2024 World Press Freedom Day event organised by the University of the South Pacific’s journalism programme. Under the theme “A Planet for ...
Tara Ward previews a new local TV series offering alternative visions of motherhood. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. A woman is clambering up the side of her two-story house, clinging desperately to a drainpipe. Nearby, her child is perched on the ...
Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) is supportive of the cross-party approach to climate adaptation announced by the Minister of Climate Change today. ...
The Sustainable Business Council (SBC) and Climate Leaders Coalition (CLC) welcome today’s announcement from Government around a bipartisan inquiry into an enduring climate adaptation framework for New Zealand. ...
The Free Speech Union welcomes the decision by the Department of Internal Affairs, and Minister Brooke Van Velden, to abandon proposals to further regulate online speech. ...
Its new building in Wellington will not be nearly big enough for all its records, and it has also run out of money to build its new storage facility in Levin. ...
BusinessNZ is congratulating the Minister of Climate Change for his work in achieving cross-party consensus for a way forward on climate adaptation. ...
Recent research reveals the repeal of smokefree measures is not only bad for our health, but also the economy. The Government has repealed various smokefree measures to ensure it keeps collecting $1.2 billion a year in tobacco taxes, in order to pay for tax cuts already being delivered to ...
The club’s surprisingly good season is built on the desire to prove a random A-League YouTuber wrong… and a few other factors.“There’s no way that Wellington Phoenix play finals this year. I can’t see it happening at all.” Those are the words of Lachlan Raeside, an Australian football content ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By César Albarrán-Torres, Senior Lecturer, Department of Media and Communication, Swinburne University of Technology Apple TV+ As one of billions of bilingual individuals in the world, it disappoints me when a film or TV show with characters of a non-English-speaking background is ...
The under-utilised course is a waste of space, and with a little political will, it could be turned into something better. For the duration of her stay in Wellington, my long-suffering cousin listened to me rant about golf courses. They’re bad for the environment: water intensive and pesticide heavy. They ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leah Ruppanner, Professor of Sociology and Founding Director of The Future of Work Lab, Podcast at MissPerceived, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock A recent report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows US fertility rates dropped 2% in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy Corderoy, Medical doctor and PhD candidate studying involuntary psychiatric treatment, School of Psychiatry, UNSW Sydney shop_py/Shutterstock Picture two people, both suffering from a serious mental illness requiring hospital admission. One was born in Australia, the other in Asia. Hopefully, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Treby, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, RMIT University P.j.Hickox, Shutterstock Peatlands store more carbon per square metre than any other ecosystem on Earth. These waterlogged, mossy bogs beat even dense rainforests for their ability to act as carbon reservoirs. Under the ...
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Two academic heavyweights give Biden public advice: " Robert Alexander is a professor of political science and founding director of the Institute for Civics and Public Policy at Ohio Northern University. He is also the author of "Representation and the Electoral College." David B. Cohen is a professor of political science and assistant director of the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at The University of Akron." https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/26/opinions/three-women-who-should-be-at-the-top-of-bidens-vp-list-alexander-cohen/index.html
Given the likelihood of Biden dying in office if elected president, the choice is critical. The one chosen must be able to retain public support via mana and competence. Healing the racial divide will take at least that, but the prospects of rebuilding goodwill on the basis of a renewal of ethos compel the right choice.
They're giving him advice like those three haven't been on the top of the list for months.
How timesomely irrelevant of them.
????!!??? People who write something like that are not "academic heavyweights"; they're nothing but Democratic Party jobsworths.
Harris thinks it's funny to lock up black parents if their kids don't go to school.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/jan/31/kamala-harris-laughed-jailing-parents-truancy
During Israel's 2014 massacre of civilians in Gaza, Rice spoke out—in favour of the Israelis.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/29/susan-rice-gaza-hamas-israel-defends-john-kerry
And Demings is—surprise, surprise—just like the other two, a Russiagate truther….
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/116/hr1404
Greens enter govt in Ireland: "The three-way coalition of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green party is the first time the first two parties – former civil war rivals – have been in government together." https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/27/micheal-martin-irish-taoiseach-coalition-fianna-fail-fine-gael
Sinn Féin responded with a conspiracy theory:
Cabinet posts have been divvied up along expected lines. Fine Gael getting the finance, justice, foreign affairs, economic development portfolios while Fianna Fáil gets the social stuff, education, health, housing plus ag & fish. Greens have done pretty well actually with 3 cabinet posts including environment, climate change, arts & culture, transport, youth & children.
Martin and Varadkar will swap roles halfway through the term when Varadkar takes over as Taoiseach.
By the way the election was way back at the beginning of February. It’s taken 4 & a half months to put the government together.
You got to feel for Mary Lou McDonald she’s taken Sinn Fein almost into government.
Fianna Fail and Fine Gael are like our Labour and National so it remains to be seen how well the coalition will go.
Although they do actually have a Labour Party: it has 5 senators (same as Sinn Fein), Green Party only has two.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seanad_%C3%89ireann
However in the more powerful elected lower house things are very different:
Sinn Fein 37, Greens 12, Labour only 6.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C3%A1il_%C3%89ireann
My (admittedly rather sketchy) understanding is that their Labour Party is more akin to our old Alliance under Anderton. Fianna Fáil is a broad church centrist, republican party; that split-off from Sinn Fein after that movement went all in for armed resistance. Fine Gael is the Conservative party in the same mould as National here or the Tories in the UK.
Interesting. There's also the Social Democrats – due to an apparent necessity to fill the void between "broad church centrist, republican" and Labour.
A void so huge they have 6 members currently in the lower house. Very Irish.
Never a good sign for Major Parties when they're forced into a Grand Coalition by a dynamic Opposition Party on an upward trajectory.
As for the Irish Greens … wiped out last time they went into Govt … support more than halved at the following Election … no TDs at all … about as welcome to Irish voters as a Baby Arctic Seal Vol-au-vent served at a Green Party Annual Conference.
Would be good to have an explanation of the shift in voter views of them. A mix of negatives sufficient to overwhelm these positives?
"In almost four years in Government, from 2007 to 2011, the Green Party contributed to the passage of civil partnership for same-sex couples, the introduction of major planning reform, a major increase in renewable energy output, progressive budgets, and a nationwide scheme of home insulation retrofitting." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Party_(Ireland)
Edit
All very interesting and perhaps we should be more Irish. They have been oppressed badly and still have spirit. We have been oppressed and seem to go into dour as a default. They worked like billy-oh to make their way and initiated the word 'navvies' short for those who dug out England's navigation canals for transporting production.
We worked hard cutting down the forest in our own land for profit. The working man here found a voice in the Labour Party but that turned out to be more interested in being socially mobile, going up a class, and left its supporters behind. It has now to turn back from representing nature's despoilers targeting wealth, and return to its core role of acting for working people, and the underpaid and underemployed and find a way to get enterprise in NZ working for NZs providing for NZs needs, with some export as well, instead of the present reverse situation.
Now Labour must combine with the Green Party in implementing policies good for us all. And for the strugglers; be about healthy housing same as when it began, and relating to the new Climate Change menace which has penetrated our consciousness with trepidation.
If you listen to the Irish music it can be soulful but also the jigs really get everyone going, along with Irish whisky. Our music was more about gold-mining failures 'Farewell to the Gold' or a waltz, Save the Last Dance for Me. The Kokatahi Band played a mix of music that they remembered to bring some light and rest from toil, fuelled by beer and home-made spirit and refreshments. Then another lot of music crazed us up with rock and roll, and drugs. We had a chance to break the pattern of poor and drunken, rich and self-satisfied after WW2, but our horizons were too low. Now the size of the problem is huge but looking at how we can pull together to cope with Covid-19, this will likely act as a spur to carry the spirit further.
Problems can be dealt to rather than crush us, so let's show Ireland we can do better, let's compete in a sporting fashion to have the best policies performing successfully like well-oiled machines, for all the people and the country. We should keep in touch with Ireland, is there a group uniting the two countries? We can learn from them, the jigs, the determination, the national closeness as in, 'If You're Irish come into the Parlour, There's a Welcome here for you'! We will say, 'Naumai, Haeremai' but with the same meaning and effect. Let's do it.
The group uniting the two countries would be all the dour Irishmenwomen who came out here and cut down our forests.
Sounds like a typical NZ-aligned comment.
According to Worldometer this morning, 10 million cases occurred overnight, both the US and Brazil recorded 42 thousand new cases each, the total death toll is now 500 thousand.
Exponential increase in the infections rate and countries still not taking the virus seriously.
Just more evidence that NZ has applied the best response to this pandemic of any country, we've got a Govt that has saved us from potentialy the worst disaster in any of our life times.
We are the lucky country for having the Govt and response we've had, wake up NZ media, get your head out of the sand.
As the situation deteriorates overseas the public here will have cast into clear definition, the foolish position taken by the National Party, Todd Muller and much of the media.
Robert, are there courses in Riverton on your stuff that I can do?
Got any links for accommodation and bookings in Riverton?
Audrey Young in the Herald yesterday pretty much admitted that National’s best hope now is community transmission and a second wave of covid so they can call Jacinda a failure. Astonishingly cynical really.
Tawdrey lets the mask slip and out comes the 'power at all costs' even if that cost is kiwis lives. Cynicals not the word more like inhumane and a view that doesn’t get the airplay it deserves.
MSM are lock step with nationals messaging as Joyce (Mr 20Bill hole that didn't exist) gets a pulpit in granny today and Judiths book will no doubt provide exposure through till sept GE.
Remember that one the dark lords of DP is employed by them now with all his media contacts and all that money from swallowing rats gives them a lot of resources.
Apparently testing rates have gone through the roof again in Auckland as people start to get nervous about covid again on the back of National’s scaremongering.
Well let's hope the ministry manage to keep track of how many, and passes accurate truthful info to the govt.
One would think after going through the unpleasant experience of being nose swabbed and being all clear they'd get a bit pissed off at the hysteria inducing media and opp party. My kids mum rang sick at her work and they asked her to go get tested, she said the test is absolutely awful.
I had it a few weeks ago. Certainly uncomfortable but not so bad.
Melbourne has second wave of Covid mostly from community Transmission.
Also 30% of those leaving quarantine hotels refusing testing.
National ,Hosking were pushing the Aussie version of partial lockdown.
Muller claiming NZ was at fault for delay in Australia/NZ bubble.
Now Victorian health authorities say this maybe the new normal ongoing community Transmission.
Tova will be interviewing the Horeskin about his expert opinion any .. moment.. now..
IIRC three of the Oz states haven't had any cases for weeks so they may want to keep their borders closed to Victoria until community transmission ceases.
Just read 50,000 tests conducted in Ak of late , all negative. Slim hope then for the Nats. Shocking to think they are likely hoping for community transmission.
Just read an article from the Daily Telegraph which quotes Michael Baker, saying he was the designer of the worlds most successful lockdown. Things aren't looking to great in Australia. I remember when we were in lockdown zooming friends over there and thinking theres was a pretty loose lockdown……
I feel frightened about what all. this is going to mean for billions of people
Politics of disaster is politics of fear and this never makes for good policy. This is consistent with the absence of coherent and detailed policy from National. It is also another reason why I’m happy-ish that the Government didn’t push for major reform, besides the fact that they should obtain a clear mandate for it and campaign on it.
Let's hope Robert, let's hope common sense prevails over manufactured scaremongering.
It generally doesn't, Just Is. Instead, the dread generated by events in America, Brazil and so on, will overshadow the fear being stirred up by National et al and New Zealanders will reassess their views accordingly. I reckon.
Just In @3.1.2
Well said Just In. Talking to a rabid brain dead Tory yesterday I got the impression that he was very bitter that we had no community transmission of the virus as it was more down to good luck than good management as this incompetent pack of no-hopers could not organise a piss up in a brewery. He wanted National to fix things. Yeah, like Mullet was screaming for letting students in and then in the next breath claim that we were letting the virus in and it was shambolic
Not surprised really by his comments after the last week of hysteria lead by the pathetic excuse for shit house paper called the Herald.
As I said to him I am very grateful for living in a country run by people who could not organise a piss up and their good luck, Sooner be here mate than some of these so-called countries where the right is soooo organised like Australia (held up as a sample how we should do it ) UK run by Bozo and top of the hit parade USA and Brazil run by pea brained ultra right wing fuckwits.
I get the impression that most Kiwis are aware of our success and why we've been successful, it's really only the rusted on Nat supporters making a lot of noise, many of those supporters are of course the media its self, I doubt wether ordinary Kiwis are interested in "tipping the baby out with the bath water" better off sticking with Govt that has got us to where we are today, history proves the Nats don't have what it takes in a natural disater, never did.
" Nats don't have what it takes in a natural disaster, never did."
You can say that again pal. Only have to study how the Christchurch earthquake was run by Jerry Brownarse Minister of Disasters one almighty big disaster.
Incidentally, my answer was to your comment @3 not @3.1.2 as written. 8. 48 am on a Sunday is a bit early for me
+1. This of course could all be destroyed if National win in September. New Zealand is in great danger of pandemic disaster should that happen and I think the public know this.
Mutton said @ 3.3
"This of course could all be destroyed if National win in September. New Zealand is in great danger of pandemic disaster should that happen and I think the public know this".
Reply
We hope so Mutton because there are one hell of a lot of fuckwits out there who are brain dead to this and are more interested in point-scoring against the government.
Like prat Garner one morning last week kept asking Premier Ardern if she was going to apologise. What for? I ask, apologise for keeping the pandemic at bay in NZ.
Prime Minister Ardern please. Premier is Australian term.
What does Premier mean in Australia?
The Premier of Western Australia is the head of the executive branch of government in the Australian state of Western Australia. The Premier has similar functions in Western Australia to those performed by the Prime Minister of Australia at the national level, subject to the different Constitutions. Wikipedia
"Prime Minister Ardern please. Premier is Australian term"
You are not quite right there me old son
I quote the Oxford Concise Dictionary
Premier Prime Minister in Great Britain or some British dominions. so it is NOT an Ozzie term but a British term so I will stick with what I said Premier Ardern.
On Friday, the Australian Federal Police raided the Sydney home and parliamentary offices of the NSW Labor MP and the home of his part-time staffer John Zhang.
https://youtu.be/bV6xQRo3GWY
Federal politics under the Libs has seen multiple police raids, often targeting Labor or Union offices, most, if not all have no outcome whatsoever, but the negative publicity is always damaging to the Labor Party and the mostly right wing media go along for the ride
I lived in Sydney from 2011 to 2018 and saw how the media can destroy a whole country for the sake of political point scoring.
It may well be political point scoring, yet the Party didn't seem to come to their defence while quickly attempting to distance themselves.
Is this the media cosying up to ScoMo? Chomp on your pavlova while you watch this fascinating culinary masterpiece unfold, and hear about the latest passion – date syrup! But which date was that?
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sJyb5zAOi4
Did you know ScoMoFo used to work for Munter McMutton?
No, I didn't, but he was minister of Tourism under the Howard Govt and was suddenly sacked from the position, only very recently the reason for his demise was revealed, Fraudulent Activity, recieving kickbacks for favourable contracts, basically, completely dishonest, he's a Pentecostal Christian, say no more, right wing conservatism.
I wonder if he saw out his contract under McMutton.
The new Irish Cabinet
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/norma-foley-to-be-minister-for-education-with-helen-mcentee-minister-for-justice-1.4290632
"Green Party senator Pippa Hackett will be Super Junior Minister in Agriculture with responsibility for Land Use and Biodiversity." Obviously a new form of political creature, Super Junior Ministers – ought we to get some? Chloe seems a contender, eh?
Equivalent of Parliamentary Under-Secretaries?
Could be. The label implies minister-with-training-wheels-on, yet I wonder why the Super gets put on the front – as if to imply a better product that the consumer ought to buy. Perhaps they will wear a badge with their title on it (as a marketing device).
Ha. Maybe Ardern should have had training wheels on a few of hers?
We must keep a watching brief on this – how does Ireland manage their agriculture etc?
I refer to my earlier https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-28-06-2020/#comment-1723533 comment about the Irish.
Are they just a mass of dash, or strong contenders in a clash for the perkiest political policies and performance for the peeps?
Watching Q+A this morning.
Gosh Jian Yang is a dodgy MP. Why won't he front for any interviews? Especially in an election year.
Is there any other list MP in the history of NZ who hasn't fronted for interviews for years?
Why is he even on the national party list collecting around $170,000 a year of our tax payer money?
Why aren't media calling out muller on this and asking him questions about it?
It stinks of CCP manipulation deep in the roots of the national party.
Comrade Colonel has people to talk for him.Why own a dog and bark yourself?
Do he and Winston go in for cafe conversations?
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/419989/use-of-chinese-communist-party-associated-phrase-inappropriate-winston-peters
Video.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/invisible-man-national-mp-jian-yang-reporters-two-year-attempt-get-him-front
Treason.
https://twitter.com/speechwriterguy/status/1276761350606213120
Gullible.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Cait's consulted her astrology book?
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2925449-the-complete-book-of-astrology
Nah. Her astrology book is prob'ly more accurate and objective than her other writing.
… but her emails.
Luckily the Lincoln Project makes the links:
The minatory deep voice and the ominous timpani percussion obviously affected you deeply. But where are the links you talk about? Did those dastardly Russian masterminds steal the links as well?
After 3 weeks of poor journalism and some appalingly ignorant commentary as a result – about as poor a service from the media estate as one should ever have to experience.
The story that should have been written weeks ago.
There was a government of a country that was coronavirus free. It was at Level 2 of its management regime and because it was community transmission free for some weeks was under pressure to move to level 1 and open up its borders to foreign students and bubble with a neighbouring country (Oz).
It had already buckled to pressure to allow early exit from the two week quarantine it ran to be kind. Early release without testing.
So it announced a move to Level 1, but aware of the greater risk of cluster growth (and also the likelihood of returning Kiwis having infections because of the greater numbers returning as overseas lockdown rules eased) under Level 1 moved to a requirement for testing on day 3 and day 12 of the managed isolation.
However it did so with only one days notice. June 8 with the new rules from June 9.
Until June 8 all testing was run by the local Health Boards at its testing sites. It had organised the staff, the safety equipment and training for this. There was some testing of those moving into quarantine hotels because of their symptoms – but these numbers were low and testing was in very small numbers on an occasional ad hoc basis (without any time pressure) and so had no implications for other testing capability.
It was of course not practically possible to have a testing regime in place from June 9 for those who arrived June 7 (June 9 was their third day for testing). Not with one days notice June 8. So operations management staff made the presumption that the policy was meant to only apply for those who arrived from June 9 (not making this presumption would have inferred those making the policy decision were so out of touch as not to realise what they asked could not be done in practice). And so they would apply it from June 11th for those who arrived on June 9. And if they could not organise this with the local Health Board who supplied such staff by June 11th, they would have the first test as early as possible afterward (as they had operated the earlier testing of those with symptoms in quarantine before June 8, when this was in synch with local Health Board staff availability).
As we know this all came to public notice because a pair of sisters who arrived before June 9 were let out early, and without a test (as people were in May and still were if they arrived before June 9 – unknown to government which seemed to presume that a day 3 or day 12 test would have prevented this).
And as we know, it was not until about June 16 that the managed isolation system set up a testing regime for those for day 3 and day 12 – even those who arrived on June 9 were not tested on June 11 as the testing took a while to put in place).
So what actually went wrong.
Cabinet made a collective decision to do something that could not be done in practice.
Did Cabinet receive advice from the Ministry of Health about how long it would take to set up the system to apply day 3 and day 12 testing? Or did it make the decison expecting it to apply from June 9 (with one days notice June 8 Cabinet for those who arrived in June 7 – like those sisters from the UK), without any knowledge that there was little chance this could be done. Blaming the Minister or the Ministry or the management regime officials for not implementing the impossible is stupid.
Did the Ministry inform the Minister about what was possible? Did Cabinet know what they needed to know about the practicality of their policy being implemented in a timely way?
These are the relevant questions. And yet no one has asked them. Well served by our media, hardly.
PS Now there are people criticising the Health Minister for not visiting management isolation facilities. There is a reason we do not allow interface with others in the hotel (just necessary isolation regime staffing). There is a pandemic. A person going from such a place to a hospital (to meet a health need) means everyone in the hospital they meet has to be in a suit and the place they go is isolated out until they get a negative test result.
"These are the relevant questions. And yet no one has asked them."
Well, did you listen to the RNZ political panel this morning? Linda Clark & Richard Harman reviewing the past week. Those here trying to whitewash Labour, who anticipate a pleasant sunday, ought not to listen to it!
It's almost as if Labour presumes a cover-up of public service lying to the govt is in everyone's best interests. Yes, I know Labour MPs are mostly clueless – but that bad?? Really? It puzzles me. What does Jacinda gain by promoting this perception?
There are two real takeouts
1. Cabinet made a policy decision asking for something from June 9 with one days notice that would take a week to roll out in practice (did they know that ion June 8 or not?).
2. The risk of community spread resulting was no greater than that from releaase from managed isolation without a test during May and the first eweek of June.
All of the back testing done is really to prove Muller's beliefs to be wrong. A bit like science – archeology etc has done to creation science belief.
Have a KitKat, Dennis, your comment is projecting so much ‘perception’ that I almost thought it was advanced baiting.
Perhaps you and Linda and Richard should read Soiuxsie Wiles' excellent article on why she is confident there is no community transmission of Covid in NZ
She gives this very useful interactive graphic to also explain why after over 2 weeks of the new border restrictions (implemented on 9 June) there is very little chance of there being community transmission in Aotearoa
ooops sorry about the graphic – seems to have gained extra pixels. 🙁
[lprent: Fixed. The source image was large. You just need to constrain it (as was probably done at sciblog). Just add the width attribute into the img tag (eg width=”550″). If you’re the first in the hierarchy you can get away with 600. If you’re 10 down in the replies then 500 px will do. ]
Thanks Lynn I see how to do that now 🙂
I have to say that is a good graphic. What it needs emphasizing is the median time of the onset of any symptoms is days after the infectious period.
Yep, we even had Selway on here getting his test and his Dr telling him "you don't need one" after 2 weeks quarantine, the medical experts must despair at the public sometimes. So basically, all these people getting tests after 2 weeks is for political reasons, to assuage the fears of the public.
I mean, if we're within capacity and it's not going to fuck logistics, you might as well test them. It might throw something up once every 50 years.
But the scaremongerers like Muller can go fuck themselves. Spidey-sense is not an effective screening test for community transmission. Their intention is to sow alarm and despondency. It's disgusting.
I heard it. Basically they said he should resign because it looked bad cos of the cllever camera work. Surely you didn't fall for that crap.
Hey SPC, have you ever thought about becoming a reporter, this concise and informative turn of events describes the whole dilema in a way most people can understand, it wasn't a bungle, it was a case of not everyone understanding the process and the time frame for implementation, probably the key thing was simple lack of good communication between everyone concerned.
There were/are no subsequent negative outcomes as a result and hopefully communication lines will improve.
I once did, long ago back in the 1980's. I did offer to write a column back in 1999, but got rejected for a black fairy who tried out for the Lord of the Rings.
"black fairy"? WTAF dude?
"but got rejected for a black fairy who tried out for the Lord of the Rings."
Please explain what you mean by this.
It was the Singles column at the Dominion Post, they were replacing the original colunmist EG, later City Girl (a blonde) , with another. The column was published with the pseudonym Sarah Duffy. Duffy means black fairy in Gaelic (dubh fey) The person chosen as Sarah Duffy no 2 (a brunette) wrote a first column about them trying out for a role in Lord of the Rings.
I find the PC reaction to the term black fairy – especially in reference to the Lord of the Rings so very 20th C reactionary.
Forgive me for not reading Gaelic, singles columns from 20 years ago, or LOTR. That shifts it to a lowercase "wtaf".
Yeah I know, I am a walking/hobbling relic of yesteryear.
Dunno about that, I know folks who speak Klingon. But if you're going to be obscure, don't take it bad when people think you're just openly saying the quiet bits out loud.
Excellent comment SPC and just published on RNZ a good review on the Report of the country's Managed Isolation and Quarantine system.
Something for a Sunday morning laugh.
My wife dragged in a Weekend Herald this morning, she purchaed it yesterday, I asked her why on earth she had bought the Herald, she knows I refuse to read it, she replied, I know, but we're running out of newspaper to start the fire and the Saturday edition is quite thick and quite good value.
Ha! Indeed!
Ha ha I like it, better than tearing it up into small squares punching a hole in the corner and tying it with a bit of rope on the back of the Loo door which is the natural home for it.
It was well worth reading Matt Nippert's background coverage of how the government organised a response to Covid-19, including lengthy interviews with Ardern and Peters. That was good, in-depth journalism. You'd be much better informed and would have the details to rebut the RW line that "any government would have done the same".
Simon Wilson's lunch with Muller and Kaye was a good read too.
There's plenty of rubbish in the Herald but only a fool would refuse to eat the fish because they don't like the chips.
They were two of the best back-ground stories I have read in a long time.
Maybe what Anne states is true, rare appearances of professional journalism, makes the paper a bit of a lucky dip.
Good fuel and the puzzle section is OK if you like word games
Aus fearing their "second wave", be interesting if Nats/Hooton start screaming "close the border!!!!".
SPC, good to read some proper background to the situation. Where oh where are intelligent, balanced reporters who can investigate without getting hysterical?
Have any investigated and got hysterical at Bridges & Muller over them wanting to bring in thousands of students? Where would they be put up? Who would manage and staff these facilities, bearing in mind the huge management of thousands of returning Kiwis has not always been easy, which is understandable given there was no rehearsal for this pandemic.
I have been heartened by some sensible letters to Dom Post, and people I know more and more are saying the media has lost the plot and NZ has done extremely well. Muller and Co have never acknowledged this.
Yes. I concur with SPC too.
But who was to blame?
It is hard not to come to the conclusion that the govt, somewhat bungled the switch from Level 2 to Level 1. We now know Jacinda Ardern was under enormous pressure to make that switch and it came from all quarters but especially from National. In the end she relented despite Bloomfield's note of caution that Level 2 should run for another two weeks.
The public has to take their share of the blame too because we were all sick and tired of lockdown and we wanted more freedom and we said so – every last one of us.
Who was to blame?
We were all to blame from the PM downwards. So lets stop scapegoating individuals which, from my experiences, is the art of the guilty trying to distract attention away from themselves.
Interesting point Anne, we are all to blame, fair enough.
We're all to blame … Let's sack EVERYONE! Then we can start with a clean slate back where we were before, with everyone in the same positions.
One exception: Let's have EVERYONE this time round saying "We don't know how f…..n lucky we are."
The doom merchants, the "Everyone with responsibilities has cocked up" mob?
Put them in a leaky boat, give Michael Woodhouse the oars, stand Odd Job Muller on the poop deck with a telescope to hold up to his ear, and push them off towards Antarctica.
19 September
For the record, I was not sick and tired of the lockdown, so count me out of the collective breastbeating thanks.
The triumph of reason has happened within Labour in the UK. Apparently…
So the long arm of Mossad thesis, eh? I doubt she really implied that, but when UK politics persists in a morass of paranoia, conspiracy theories will inevitably whirl around in the vortex of competing perceptions. And yes, moral clarity in a Labour leader is indeed shocking. As a suggestion. Not sure if the reality has been validated.
An alternative action for Keir Starmer would be to keep following the foolish and fractious Jeremy Corbyn into a defeat so deep it will take years to get Labour out:
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/jun/18/key-points-from-review-of-2019-labour-election-defeat
… with its antisemitic implication that Israel was to blame for the death of George Floyd…
That was not the implication at all. What was at issue here was whether or not this murderous chokehold technique being used by U.S. police against peaceful and unarmed civilians was taught to them by Israeli police. You probably are aware that Israeli “policing” of the Occupied Territories is even more oppressive and lethal than what is being inflicted on the citizens of the United States by another vicious police culture.
The wild allegation that "Israel was to blame" is entirely the fabrication of Jeremy Rentoul, the Indescribablyboring hack you have ill-advisedly chosen to quote. Rentoul is a shameless backer of the right wing Blairite faction which has managed to grab control of the Party again after its democratic deviation. It would have been hard for you to choose a more devious and dishonorable source; in 2015 he was forced to publicly apologise after another of his outrageous canards aimed about Corbyn.
Shame on you for quoting such a callous and calculated liar, Dennis.
The facts are getting out there.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/300041626/coronavirus-life-in-a-highsecurity-quarantine-facility-in-new-zealand
That's quite a different tone isn't it? Air flight staff in PPE, wake up breakfasts, nurse visits every day, social distancing, security watching all the time, grateful to be back in NZ. What a shambles & David Clark should resign!
The new natsy line will have to be that the expense of this mollycoddling is A NATIONAL DISGRACE.
Clearly National are ignorant of basic accounting. The cost of doing this is far lower than cost of dealing with a minor outbreak.
Or they are ignorant of human behaviour when constrained – there will always be idiots who care less for the common good than they do for their own personal interests.
Or both.
But I suspect that it is simply because the National strategists are so focused on their spiteful politics of envy because it allows them to stop looking at the horrors that a full-blown epidemic brings. We really should send some of their MPs on a fact finding mission to the US at present (or even after our election) so that they do start to understand it.
Nah, National will be saying that private enterprise can better organise border controls than civil servants and the military, and anyway the money should be going to our mates…..
A toss-up between Serco and Novopay?
Toss-up? Far too uncertain. Deals behind closed doors is how you do it, with knighthoods and cushy retirement jobs, and even a little earner writing for the Herald………
[Exasperatedly] Look, it's perfectly simple, opposition National party politicians are simply saying that NZ's Covid-19 outcomes would be much better if only our government had adopted policies closer to
Sweden'sAustralia'sNew Zealand's – that's all they're yakking on about; give them a break, and while you’re at it read Chris Penk's simple book why don't yah!Or keep warm by exporting swamp kauri 'furniture' to China; or live sheep to the Middle East, or kiwi fruit plants to the competition- that kind of sustainable?
Those 'initiatives' need wider circulation – audience ready and waiting.
How about exporting NZ bulk wine overseas for the GB supermarket trade??
Or, selling Argentinian bulk wine in NZ under NZ brand labels?
Or well water to the Chinese?
Or cheap power to Aussie smelters?
Then there's education. Knock off a few diplomas, certificates and degrees to all in-comers. (What did Prof Jim Flynn say on RNZ? No-one reads anymore at Uni.)
All good little earners for the steakholders
Or smuggling in diseased bees and rabbit viruses of course.
Virus smuggling – now there's an idea for this time of troubles.
Solving a housing crisis, one bankruptcy at a time.
https://twitter.com/carlquintanilla/status/1276620106781659136
Americans can get a house for under $100K. But John Key ( & Clark before that) "saved" us from the GFC by importing a million people
Jeremy Corbyn’s Opponents Burned the House Down to Stop Him — Now Keir Starmer Is King of the Ashes
by DANIEL FINN, Jacobin, 25 June 2020
By sacking Rebecca Long-Bailey on a trumped-up pretext, Keir Starmer has set the seal on a drastic shift to the right for the British Labour Party. That shift comes just as the key arguments by Jeremy Corbyn’s opponents to justify a break with his left leadership have been falling apart in the face of overwhelming evidence. ….
Read more…
https://jacobinmag.com/2020/06/keir-starmer-rebecca-long-bailey-sacked-labour
http://normanfinkelstein.com/2020/06/26/the-sordid-truth-about-jeremy-corbyns-defeat/
Keir Starmer is making the right moves, and it's a helluva lot better than that fucking moron Jeremy Corbyn who was so utterly loathed by both marginal voters and deeply loyalLaobour voters alike. Corbyn lost every voter age category from 25-44 upwards.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/jun/18/key-points-from-review-of-2019-labour-election-defeat
Corbyn deserves a statue of himself on a pedestal put up outside Labour UK headquarters central London with feet made of tin, so that Labour supporters can organise crowds to pull it down with tractors and chains every year and sing sings about "never again" and explain to the youngest of supporters this is how to avoid wasting millions of supporter hours and millions of supporter money and a huge 2017 voter surge into stupid policies and catastrophic defeat within 2 years and allow Boris Fucking Johnson to rule the country into ruin instead.
Or, of course, you could read Norman Finkelstein instead.
Keir Starmer is making the right moves… that fucking moron Jeremy Corbyn … Boris Fucking Johnson to rule the country into ruin
?
https://i0.wp.com/bobcesca.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/cant-tell-if-serious.jpg
Or, of course, you could read Norman Finkelstein instead.
Of course. And who do YOU read, sir?
Well I read the actual review of the Labour Party's performance for a start, rather than an outsider's reckons.
And you should expect more sackings from Starmer as well, if anyone so much as puts a hair out of place.
And you should expect more sackings from Starmer as well, if anyone so much as puts a hair out of place.
You're quite right there, Ad.
He’ll call belonging to a union “anti-Semitic” next. It would make as much sense as anything else he’s said.
https://twitter.com/HackneyAbbott/status/1276928258102231040
Further down the thread, one Alistair Craig sums up this disastrous capture of the Labour Party by the right wing:
The Health and Disability system review was finally released last week to mixed reception. We all know that the MOH is dysfunctional, and successive governments have failed to either take charge of this rogue organisation or properly fund our public health and disability system to ensure systemic inequities do not cost further lives.
https://systemreview.health.govt.nz/
What gladdens my cynical and bitter old heart is how finally, finally, disabled people have raised their voices both individually and collectively to express their bitter disappointment at the failure of this review to address the very real inadequacies in the Ministry of Health Disability Support Services.
There were no disabled people on the Review's steering committee and as Gerri Pomeroy, President of DPA says…
Disabled people have the right to have their views taken into consideration and be heard, particularly now the government is a signatory to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons."
While she and others supported many of the health system changes the report suggested, she said the review was "as we feared, a health review with disability tacked on".
(Kudos to Gerri. She is an ACC client and it became clear she had little understanding of the struggles faced by those who have no rights or entitlements to disability supports enshrined by law. A while after we challenged her on this, she did approach us and admitted that she really had no idea how tough it is under MOH. Very pleased to see her stepping up.)
This long form article on RNZ is by a journalist unknown to me. He's done an excellent job. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/419956/disability-sector-calls-for-separate-ministry-support-unshackled-from-health-system
And yesterday another writer and long time disability advocate Chris Ford made this contribution…also on the RNZ site. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/on-the-inside/419994/opinion-time-to-liberate-disability-from-health
I remember as a young disability activist at the time this went against the consensus view of disabled people who believed it would represent a regression to the medical model of disability. Simply, the medical model holds that disabled people should be treated as people with bodily and mental deficits which needed to be addressed through treatment – rather than as people who need to have our rights upheld and requirement for individualised support respected.
As time has shown, the government's claims turned out to be but fine rhetoric.
The reality for disabled people like me is that we still have to go through bureaucratic hoops to prove to the Ministry of Health (which controls funding for non-accident related disability) that we need essential mobility equipment such as, for example, wheelchairs or housing modifications.
This having to go through hoops has been compounded by successive governments failing to increase disability support funding substantially – at least not until this year's Budget which saw the most significant boost to disability funding in decades.
Chris doesn't just criticize he suggests a solution…one that has been on the disability wishlist for many years.
I would like to see a government entity called Disability New Zealand established (replacing both the Ministry of Health DSS and ACC), whose operations and governance are be led by disabled people.
This agency would administer disability support funding and allow disabled people and their whānau to both create and hold individualised support budgets.
Moreover, an independent, autonomous Disability Commission, which would also be disabled person-led, would provide policy advice and monitor all government policy which impacted on disabled people.
We could have had all these recommendations had the Health and Disability System Review included disabled people's representation on it – something that I and other disabled people and our organisations called for constantly, including to Health Minister David Clark and Review Chair Heather Simpson.
Our views were ignored, hence the limited recommendations.
Responses from both Carmel MIA Sepuloni as Minister for Disability Issues and Jenny 'I don't really want this hot potato thrown at me by JAG' Salesa have been predictably dismissive.
'Just fuck off and wait..' sums it up.
I might be being over optimistic, but this might be one of those make or break issues for this Current Mob occupying the gummint benches.
Perhaps someone close to them could whisper in their ear that some of us out here do understand that the Misery of Health has been a rogue entity for quite some time now so we don't necessarily blame the MPs and the PM directly for this continued shitting on of disabled New Zealanders. What would be great…and very possibly vote winning… would be the massive purge of the entrenched bureaucracy at the Mystery that is desperately needed.
Start again with new blood, and this time use the word "entitled" in all of their policies.
A Disability Authority and Disability Commission (advocacy) does seem to be the way to go.
Not that this should be needed to make these moves.
1. move long term support (disability benefit) to super rate level
2. allow those who meet criteria for disability support to receive a minimum of the dole rate when living with working partners.
3. super rate support to those unable to work while they are facing illness likely that incapacitate them, or cause death (heart attacks and late stage cancer)
4. more than benefit level support to workers no longer able to work for health reasons (outside the current ACC model).
Advocacy for those with disability, birth or ACC orbit, or non ACC criteria sickness/deterioration in terms of medical and treatment support is necessary, especially when we are still under the funding constraint management regime of health services model.
Thanks SPC for your considered response.
You should send that to the PM, Sepuloni and Salesa.
Maybe even Reverend Clark…but that might be a waste of a stamp.
+100
"'Just fuck off and wait..'"
rolfnui.
I just tweeted this
https://twitter.com/wekatweets/status/1277023845271011328
and writing that I went to the RNZ website and see the front page is plastered with the DA review critiques, which is fantastic except for the fact that the disability activist sector appears to be sacrificing people whose disability stems from health issues. Or maybe they just don't know about them.
Not impressed, it's a shit show all round.
…the disability activist sector appears to be sacrificing people whose disability stems from health issues….
You're going to have to expand on that weka. Am I right in thinking this is to do with the difference between the social and medical models of disability?
Can be a bit tricky….no disabled person…especially those born with impairments…wants to be seen solely as someone who needs treatment or fixing. Chris Ford's piece discusses this a little. I'll let him explain.
OTOH…if disabled people do not get the supports they need then their health can go rapidly to shit. So there is the medical to consider.
In all our dealings with the Misery of Health over the years one of the expectations that Peter and I wrongly held was that provision of good supports for disabled people would be seen as an investment. The cost of fixing someone through through the health system can be seriously expensive. Much more than funding adequate supports.
But no. It seems the bastards don't care if a person with spina bifida (who survived the near compulsory termination protocols) gets repeated bladder and kidney infections because they are forced to use single use catheters multiple times. Kidney failure? Shortens their lives. In the Ministry's book this would be a win.
And as for the End of Life Choice Bill….this should be ditched until ALL disabled New Zealanders who need disability supports have those supports funded as of right.
Just like those on ACC.
the RNZ headlines and having a quick read through are pushing the separate Disability from Health. Which I actually support, but you *have to take health disability people with that, not create a further ghettoisation of chronically ill people. We already have discrimination with Health on that basis around who can get disability funding. I can totally see that if Disability were given its own ministry that Labour would fuck this up and chronically ill people would be sacrificed yet again.
I agree there are issues on what framing/narratives are used too, especially around ‘fixing’. It's complex. I completely agree with the position that the govt should be putting disabled people in charge, and this needs to include those with health disabilities (which will present another whole set of challenges). I don't think the disability sector (govt, NGO or activist) is particularly good on this.
I can totally see that if Disability were given its own ministry that Labour would fuck this up and chronically ill people would be sacrificed yet again.
Very quickly…because I have stuff to do outside while it is not raining…you might want to have a look at the MOH DSS definition of disability as pertains to accessing services.
For many years now mental health has been accepted into the disability tent..but not, you say chronic health conditions.
Why…I guess this is about the 'condition lasting for longer than six months' part of the definition. Could it be than many with these health conditions resist the definition of 'disability' because of the negative connotations of the word? They are hoping to be cured?
A minefield.
"… the medical model holds that disabled people should be treated as people with bodily and mental deficits which need to be addressed through treatment – rather than as people who need to have our rights upheld…"
Which would be bad enough on its own – but is compounded when the treatment recommended is far from the best available. For example, the scandalous reluctance of the medical profession to recommend and advocate for the the funding of Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR) for children with cerebral palsy. Combined with follow-up physiotherapy, gym-work and strengthening, it is by far the best, modern treatment for cerebral palsy of the diplegic type. The long-term burden of disability on the individuals concerned, and the taxpayer (though the health economics studies have not been done) is substantially reduced. Existing protocols of multiple, repeated orthopaedic operations with poor cumulative outcomes are protected and maintained – because that is where the current medical expertise and government funding sits. Families are self-funding or running lengthy fund-raising campaigns to obtain this procedure overseas – then paying again for physiotherapy or gym sessions while injured rugby players get covered by ACC.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/95874406/120k-cerebral-palsy-surgery-worth-it-to-give-3yearold-hugo-a-chance-at-a-normal-life
Interesting…and it seems this is an accepted treatment in the States…so why not here?
Some interesting stuff on media on Radionz today.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/mediawatch/audio/2018752161/midweek-mediawatch-reporters-criticised-for-being-too-critical 7.51 am
And then there was 9.06 am Media Watch which I didn't find easy to reach as usual. There seems to be some reshuffling of how things are presented, not sure just what. However here is the audio which is very interesting as it is about Cambridge Analytica et al. Did you know that Margaret Thatcher used the services of the political mixers for her three elections? And there's more….
https://www.rnz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=2018752569
Those who wish to be politically informed, and those who wish to be up with all the sly ways of undermining our political process and elections, and those who want to find out who is who and who's paying should listen to this. Journalists are out there with 'truly epic stories', and that's not puffing them up. Knowing about this is important for those with dreams of maintaining a good, functioning democracy that keeps itself in good condition, and clean its boots topside, and soles regularly.
It would be interesting to know what others here thought after hearing this, did everyone find something new they hadn't heard?
Air nz really doesn't get it- starting to look like they might be a paid up member of the Nats.
Do they need to have government regulation on every little thing or could they not err on the side of caution and wear and handout masks. No aircraft filtration system is going to save you from the person next to you coughing all over you.
An Air New Zealand spokeswoman said crew on international flights are required to wear masks and gloves during food and drink service and face-to-face interactions with passengers.
However, there was no government requirement for staff to wear masks in Queensland.
"Our jet aircraft are fitted with hospital-grade air systems that filter out viruses, and hand sanitiser is also available in airports and on aircraft for customers and staff to use as they wish," she said.
And on a wider note we probably really don't need further infections from in transit and aircraft transmission. If we get too much or find it towards the end of quarantine it will delay departure from quarantine of more people and clog up the spaces we do have.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/travel-troubles/121957033/coronavirus-passenger-dismayed-at-air-new-zealands-casual-attitude-to-virus
From the RNZ political panel this morning (https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/sunday/audio/2018752565/the-panel-with-linda-clark-and-richard-harman – jump to 6.5 mins in to skip the world cup bit):
LC: "I think it's inevitably a combination of both… Labour has made a lot of mistakes in the last couple of weeks". She's saying Muller's achievement isn't solely the cause of the 9% switch in the poll. "A lot of public confidence has been shaken by a whole series of mistakes, and they are going to be punished for that."
RH: "we learnt this morning that both Shane Jones & Nikki Kaye want the legislation to be amended to let Auckland take more water from the Waikato River". After mentioning that the RMA amendments are still in select committee. And "it's looking less & less likely that the shovel-ready projects are going to be ready before the election."
LC: "Winston is in the petty politics phase at the moment, and I don't think it's working for him."
RH on the border shambles: "I think they need to explain just how the decisions were made… Go back to Tuesday, and in the House, Jacinda Ardern quite clearly stated that the Ministry of Health had misled her… now, for a ministry to mislead the prime minister herself on something like this [testing done] is very, very important. And so yes, Clark is guilty of not asking enough questions". [Re the DGoH] "The prime minister said he was reporting, but what he was reporting was wrong."
Yet the public servant who think they've got away with lying to their minister, the DGoH, and the PM are sitting there rubbing their hands with glee, saying to each other "Way cool, dudes! Public service is fun, eh?"
RH: "I think it would be unfair to sack the minister for this, yet the government has not presented a case in its own defense."
Then re Newshub and "throwing Dr Bloomfield under the bus"…
LC: "As an old television reporter I have to take my hat off to the cameraman… an absolute master, because that really caught a moment – and he was being thrown under a bus, I don't think there's any denying that… there's no question that the prime minister has been misled by the ministry, and it may be that Bloomfield has been too – by his officials". "I think the most responsible thing that David Clark could do is resign."
As you know, I think Linda Clark's perspective is very ignorant.
As to the question to the Minister while alongside Bloomfield, and the cameraman’s filming of Bloomfield at that moment, speaks to the very fact of this being a pre planned sting. The story of it effectively written before the question was even asked.
Taking off their hat to the cameraman, in that context, is disingenuous.
there was no shambles, I'll keep repeating that everytime I see it.
Yeah, incantations do work via repetition. Just like advertising. Yet people en masse still have this old idea in their heads; magical thinking is ineffective.
Mass perceptions of a shambles are likewise influential. Weight of numbers – politics being a numbers game.
What a couple of poisonous weeds. There have been a number of people who appeared to be sensible reporters revealed when they leave government jobs, as deeply troubled by the idea of a fair democracy, and honest, balanced reporting with both negative and positive observations!
Loud noise in MSM does not equal mass perception although NZ’s megaphone media would like you to believe it and, sadly, it seems to be working. You seem to be scared that critical thinking might be conflated with defending the Government/Clark/DGoH. Walk and chew gum at the same time.
Dennis: Why are you buying into the "border shambles" line when it was nothing of the sort?
Green have a policy announcement at 1pm
Live stream https://www.facebook.com/nzgreenparty/videos/723007115124045/
"Sensors in Sweden …" is how the Chernobyl news kicked off in 1986.
Radiation sensors in Stockholm have detected higher-than-usual but still harmless levels of isotopes produced by nuclear fission, probably from somewhere on or near the Baltic Sea, a body running a worldwide network of the sensors said on Friday.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nuclear-particles-baltic/sensors-detect-rise-in-nuclear-particles-on-baltic-sea-global-body-says-idUSKBN23X2TN
Half-price piss, though.
https://twitter.com/Phil_Lewis_/status/1275409775178768385
People who visited a bar in East Lansing, Michigan, are being asked to self-quarantine because roughly 85 people contracted Covid-19 after visiting the establishment this month, a health official says.
That number is up from the 34 reported Wednesday and is expected to rise, Ingham County Health officer Linda S. Vail told CNN.
The Health Department is asking patrons who visited Harper's Restaurant & Brew Pub between June 12 and June 20 to self-quarantine, and report cases of Covid-19, the department said in a statement.
"Given the number of cases in this outbreak, we consider this a higher risk exposure than a typical visit to a restaurant or bar," Vail said. "There are likely more people infected with Covid-19 not yet identified."
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/27/us/michigan-coronavirus-bar-harpers/index.html
Greens new social security policy:
Guaranteed Minimum Income replacing all core benefits and student allowance.
Increases in income support for those with children
ACC replaced with Agency for Comprehensive Care
Taxing uber wealthy, as well as new tax brackets for $100,000 and $150,000
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/420016/election-2020-green-party-unveils-plans-to-tackle-poverty
https://www.greens.org.nz/green_party_proposes_transformational_poverty_action_plan
Guaranteed Minimum Income
Well, does that mean it isn't a UBI?? Perhaps you could write up & post an essay explaining what sort of critter it is. Sounds good tho, & a radical move… 👍
Is there a single clear definition of UBI, in NZ context? If not, this is a red herring, IMHO.
UBIs are generally paid to everyone. The GP GMI is for those that need it (essentially everyone not in full time work). I tempted to say Gareth Morgan won't be getting it 😈 but I haven't seen yet if the GMI is asset tested.
No one on super (or in FT work) would get.
Ta
GMI =//= UBI and comparing the two would be like apples & orange AKA a red herring 😉
I took it as a question from someone who hadn't read the policy yet.
The debate around UBI has been dominant, so it's going to be useful to compare the two different things and point out they are apples and oranges but they're still both fruit 🙂 Especially when it comes to examining TOP's UBI policy 😈
Fair comment. Talking about TOP’s UBI policy is specific, at least. I still don’t see much point in a head-to-head comparison other than to show and highlight (?) the differences? I think it is a reductionist trap and an exercise in futility (AKA waste of time) but I’m sure some pundits and MSM won’t be able to resist 😉 Just my 2 cents, of course.
Given TOP will be going after GP votes, and that too many lefties have been singing the praises of TOP's UBI, I find it instructive to look at them side by side. I'm putting up a post tomorrow about the GP policy alone, might do a separate one on the comparison with TOP at some point (might not be necessary).
It's also because I've written about the serious short comings of UBI models (including TOP's) and the GP basically fills the gaps that others haven't been able to. This isn't about the GP so much (apart from pointing out the value in voting for them), it's more about keeping visible the need for welfare to be bolted on to any model. A distinction that too many on the left had failed to grasp. Will be really interesting to see who gets it now, once presented with an integrated and costed policy.
The link says $325 base rate (singles) for benefits and srtudent allowance. It also shows higher support payments per child.
And no GMI has nothing to do with UI.
I am writing a post as we speak. It's a beautiful policy and yes, radical but not so much as to scare the horses. Not perfect, but really good. Tt's not a UBI. It's a guaranteed minimum income for those that need it, plus lots of other good stuff for welfare.
I used to support UBI, but now prefer Guaranteed Minimum Income (GMI). GMI means you can afford to give more to those who need it, while maintaining the other desirable aspects of UBI (no test or expectations other than having sufficiently low income). All of us are eligible for GMI when we need it.
Listening to this from Max Rashbrooke explained the UBI / GMI issue well.
Does he talk about a GMI specfically?
Absolutely, listen at 12:20
It would support people who were injured or sick …
Arrgghhh!!!!
What about those born with a disability? This is what some of the disability activists are on about.
As if your disability being literally lifelong makes you less deserving.
Hardly inclusive language is it?
We must all try harder.
While yet another rainstorm passes through…remember this?
https://info.scoop.co.nz/Equity_For_Illness
I gave Melanie a call once and suggested that instead of Equity for 'Illness' it was reworded to be inclusive of those who were disabled from birth and those whose injuries predated ACC…she wouldn't have a bar of it. Different communities and different needs.
At the end of the day we're all humans whose minds or bodies have some degree of impairment because of whatever and who need a some degree of support.
Goodness me..our tribalism is our downfall.
Not sure if those words are from the Party or clumsy paraphrasing by the media. The release to members reads:
There does seem to be some unclarity of language in the policy documents.
Just working my way through the details, but it looks good for all disabled, impaired, unwell people that can't work full time.
all in a context of manaaki, give people what they need rather than making them jump hoops. It's bold as.
couples rates would be gone too. Can't see the details on abatement rates yet, but they'd change those too.
And maybe, just maybe the Greens can win back quality candidates such as this…
https://nzagainstthecurrent.blogspot.com/2017/03/i-am-reassessing-my-membership.html
GREEN PARTY candidate Chris Ford says he's "reassessing" his membership of the Green Party in the light of the leadership shifting the party further to the right and signing up for Labour's 'Budget Responsibility Rules'. He's also angry that this was done without any consultation with the party membership.
Ford, who stood for the Green's in 2014, said: "I'm very disappointed with the party I belong to for doing this! In fact, I know that many other members -like me – are disappointed and angry. I am reassessing my membership. I knew that this statement (Labour and Greens' joint Budget Responsibility Rules agreement) was being developed but party members seem to have been largely bypassed in doing so.”
Ford is expressing a widespread dissatisfaction within the Green Party rank and file who believe that the party has strayed far from its progressive roots, For many, the sight of co-leaders James Shaw and Metiria Turei signing up to the 'Budget Responsibility Rules' may be the final straw.
Maybe. Greens decided to reverse the BRR support some time ago.
Thank heavens
Increase in base benefit rate to $390/wk
$390 or $325?
$325 after tax.
Base rate for people who can't work due to disability/illness would be higher than everyone else.
Bold indeed. Looking good…let's see it explicit in their manifesto.
Might have a party to vote for after all.
Who is the Green candidate for the Far North?
The unwelcome re-emergence of Unity Mitford
https://twitter.com/LKTranslator/status/1276782228660523009
A lot of pressure on the managed isolation system from increased numbers coming across the border.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/420020/covid-19-nz-s-managed-isolation-system-not-broken-but-under-extreme-stress-review
For mine they should reduce pressure on the managed isolation facilities by turning them into second week stays.
They should locate first week stays in hotels not currently used (rent by floor). Just the day 3 test to interface with the confined without symptoms.
And if they bus – either level 3 spacing, or provide masks to passengers and PPE to staff.
We should if at all possible have special flights for Kiwis in Oz coming here, they do not leave Oz with it and are at risk on the journey to the hotel and others they are isolated with.
First week stays confined to their room.
Very good, clear press conference by Woods and Webb (most of which will never make the headlines, because it was too sensible).
Expecting 5,000 arriving in the next 1-2 weeks? Capacity for 6,000, give or take.
So let's invite thousands more people in, we can cope easily, said no sane person, ever. But National are saying exactly that. So what do the journos at press conference ask about instead? "Is anybody bringing in drugs?" FFS.
Better questions from the media might be, "Why are all these people returning home to New Zealand?" and "What are the returnees reporting on how conditions are in the countries they are returning from in terms of Covid-19 and social risk?" or "What percentage of returnees have furnished substantive complaints about treatment on return?"
Can anyone explain this to me?
https://twitter.com/wekatweets/status/1277082483771621377
Personally I would have brought those who lost employment through ill health (sickness/physical decay and heart attacks etc) into the ACC employer funded system. This also has a focus on funding treatment/recovery to get people back to work.
Savings for MSD then used for more generous funding to those with earlier and other circumstance inability to work (often permanent) – 80% of the MW is generous ($600 a week before tax). And I thought moving those on disability (now around $300) to the super rate $425 was the bold move. I can however agree younger folk need more than someone on super who owns a home, so there is a case for the higher amount.
The last sentence may refer to the ACC payment system, how to put a cap on the payments it currently makes to injured workers to reduce its costs to afford the expansion of coverage. The 80% payment amount maximum frozen until it reduces to 1/2 times the average wage as a maximum.
thanks, I did wonder if it was about high income earners going onto ACC. Can you please explain how that works?
SLP current rate is $307 for an adult. GP policy is to increase this to $390 before April (60% of min wage), then once merged with ACC to increase it to 80% of net minimum wage, $604/wk or $484 depending on whether they are talking about 80% of net or gross.
And this just landed on the Natrad website…https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/420040/woman-with-chronic-illness-calls-out-employer-s-double-standard
Surprises me that this woman had worked for MSD and was shocked and disappointed when her employer treated her like shit, sorry, with less than kindness when she became sick.
Other surprising little snippet from this article is that although 24% of the population have some sort of disability…only 4.8% of MSD employees identify as disabled. (https://www.odi.govt.nz/home/about-disability/key-facts-about-disability-in-new-zealand/ )
Explains a lot.
All I know about ACC is that its based at 80% of the former wage.
correction to the original post
until it reduces to 1 1/2 times the average as a maximum.
I presume that under the ACC system there is a maximum former wage allowed and thus there would be savings made if that was fixed/unadjusted until it was no more than 1 1/2 times the average. Thus a future maximum amount at 80% of that amount, which would be a maxmum of (at current average somewhere around 60,000, 80% would be c$48,000 near $1000 per week).
PS above I put it at $600 a week for 80% of the MW, it would at next years rate of $20 an hour be c$640 per week before tax.
heh
https://twitter.com/shannonrwatts/status/1277054431075266560
https://twitter.com/shannonrwatts/status/1277059315937886208
https://www.theolympian.com/news/local/article243834242.html
ACT are doing their bit to increase diversity in Parliament. Gun nuts and climate cranks deserve representation too!
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12343678
And one of Hooton’s acolytes on no. 2. Will Paul ‘the Muss’ Goldsmith stand aside again in Epsom?
Poots don't care.
/
https://twitter.com/Kasparov63/status/1276957671510339584
Urgent water summit too short notice for double-booked Auckland Council
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12343660
So many ‘surprised’ people, so little action, so late …
Can we please bang some heads together?
She miscarried.
https://twitter.com/eastfeed/status/1276326723995471873
Looks like an intentional piece of Balkans-style ethnic cleansing – deliberate termination of a foetus for being black
Oh how could police do this in a supposedly civilised country. If they had a spark of decency left in the USA they would be ashamed. It's a disgrace at present, sick outside and in. That was in Florida with a lot of coronavirus. A good slogan for their protests would be Cough on a Cop. A violence free way of retaliating. What sort of reaction did Ghandi and his followers get? It takes a lot of resolve to face this sort of viciousness.
Well, I expect all of you will talk about the Greens's beneficiary package tomorrow. It was a late announcement (?).
It depends how much they insist on it in their coalition negotiations. I'll accept all party's positions — a bidding war for the neediest.