It is pretty sickening to see the expansion of an authoritarian state in real time.
But here it is: China makes a move to fully suppress all anti-government dissent on Hong Kong 20 years before the treaty signed with the UK government runs out.
2. The withdrawal of the USA from global affairs is becoming increasingly obvious. US overseas troop deployments in total is now less than 100,000, lower than any time in the past century.
More chillingly for little old New Zealand, Australia for having the temerity to propose an investigation into the Covid-19 virus in China has been delivered hard counter-hits from China with major restrictions on imports of Australian beef and barley. The next step will be coal, and they've done that before.
It may well be all coincidence, but the intended chilling effect is that Australians believe clearly that it really is retaliation by China:
New Zealand is now in a state where we are totally reliant on the economic performance of Australia and China. The US's Mike Pompeo may well be standing up for Hong Kong, but the contest is far bigger already. And New Zealand is closer to the crosshairs of China than we have ever been.
And China's been playing silly buggers for years testing and pushing the boundaries to see if someone blinks 3 or 4 years ago when I was there, Chinese earth-moving equipment was discovered a kilometre inside Indian territory in Sikkim (adjacent to the border with Bhutan),
Xi Jinping, Trump, Bolsenaro, Netanyahu, Putin, Modi and a few others seem to want to expand their territory to accommodate the size of their egos.
In India they have sent troops beyond the area in dispute and the troops are taking up defensive positions.
The intent being to force India to agree to the border claimed by China.
In sych with the exercises to take islands by force, the message is clear. China in betraying the Hong Kong agreement has chosen to reveal it is prepared to seize by force what others do not concede in talks. It’s foreign policy is now fear and obey.
When globalism is replaced by nationalism, the wolves amongst nations soon prey on the weak.
"And New Zealand is closer to the crosshairs of China than we have ever been."
Impressive fearmongering. Extending your analogy, the CCP won't be ‘pulling the trigger‘ on NZ just yet IMHO, but (out of interest):
1. Do you think NZ recently became a little closer ora lot closer to 'China's crosshairs'?
2. With the ‘Red Menace‘ in abeyance, how best for NZ to keep the 'Yellow Peril' at bay?
Trade isn't a one-way street – in the interest of balance:
"There was a brief (4.5 minute) chat with Australian correspondent Bernard Keane on RNZ's nine-to-noon programme this morning [20 May 2020], including the "blame game" on China's recent imposition of tariffs on Australian barley. Interestingly, "Australia has been engaging in its own trade war on China for a very long time." Indeed, the opinions expressed by Keane seemed more balanced than many of the (anti-China) opinions expressed on The Standard." https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018747215/australia-correspondent-bernard-keane
Notwithsatanding your bizarre “little p.c. blankie” and “you’re clearly not built for any useful discussion” jibes, I do have concerns about the CCP’s military and (particularly for NZ) trade policies, but whipping up fear of the CCP is counterproductive, in my opinion.
Would it be a fair assessment to say that as the fallout from lockdown unfolds; recession or depression, wide-spread unemployment and shortages of all sorts; the National Party and its supporters will do everything it can to erode public confidence in the Government, attack it's leading figures and their plans to keep the country buoyant, use dishonest methods to turn voters against the 3 parties in Government and mislead New Zealanders as to their own ability to manage the coming difficulties? Would it not be prudent/wise/morally responsible to set aside such behaviour for the good of all New Zealanders, refrain from wasting the energy we'll need and perverting the plans that have till now, served us very well, simply because National's Politicians seek to be back in power?
My best bet for the current lot in government to secure their re-employement in government via the election is to do decent work, and maybe be a little less cynical and a bit more future minded rather then just throwing around band aids to some and a big fat nothing to others.
But National will do what National does – and it would be down right foolish to believe that would not do what they do. After all they too want to keep their well paying jobs in parliament, it sure beats working in private industry – or trying to find a job – at the current times. (btw, that applies to ALL of the suits in parliament)
This would be any governments worst nightmare. Years of health and unemployment costs, limited tourism and increased crime. A person needs to work out what is and is not important when it comes to who they vote for at the next election. I do not need the National Party to tell me that a deep recession or a depression is going to be next.
I know I shouldn't say it, but… If we have to live at Level Two for the forseeable future I think that would be a good thing
[fairyland hat on]
Limited tourism, increased local production and we're not treating people like sardines that can be packed into an economic can for profit. We'll not have the health costs with a cultural swing to physical distancing. Unemployment will take care of itself as business adjusts to an economic model that moves away from mass-consumerism and excess profit.
[hat off]
We need a coalition government that can work within the new parameters of infection control and bring the people along with it. That government is not National. Labour/Greens have some work to do.
"I know I shouldn't say it, but… If we have to live at Level Two for the forseeable future I think that would be a good thing"
I say it too .
and if we don,t have to live at Level 2 that is the way we should be going anyway, after a big conversation on what kind of a country we are aiming for; sustainable or not and that starts with a big nationwide discussion on what is a sustainable population level for NZ. I see us as a Norway of the Southern Hemisphere with our wilderness areas no longer being compromised and our manufacturing growth an extension of our agrarian production.
The law sets up the legal framework for future alert levels as there is no longer a State of Emergency. It effectively allows the Health Minister to issue an order that would make alert level rules legally enforceable.
That might include, for example, the ability for police or "enforcement officers" to close certain premises or roads, ban certain types of travel or congregations, or require people to be physically distant or to stay at home in their bubbles if necessary.
It also would allow warrant less searches of private property if there was a reasonable belief that the alert level rules were being broken.
Every Human Right organisation has voiced concern and while Hong Kong fights against state and police control, NZ seem to embrace it. Go figure.
Fair call. I shouldn't have generalised. I'd like some ofthe benefits of Level 2 to become normalised in our everyday life without requiring restrictive legislation for that to happen.
I'd like not for us to go back to the mass tourism, mass consumerism and businesss as usual with the exploitation of people and planet we have at Level 1. I like that we have practically ended people living on the streets at level 2.
Amen to that, but lets not get the focus away on any unintended consequences.
We certainly need to prioritize and I would say 2 issues need immediate attention: clean water and a stop of pumping the life (literally) out of aquifers and transport infrastructure including rail that gets diesel trucks off the road. It would provide plenty of work in that downturn and contribute to a better way of life that the next generation deserves.
Well shortly New Zealand will be covid-19 free- in a world where covid-19 is endemic NZ will be the most or one of the most popular places in the world for TV and Movie making – bring your staff do the quarantine and then you can do the work just like you used to – anywhere else not a shits show
NZ will be the most or one of the most popular places in the world for TV and Movie making
A friend was saying today, that a good mate of hers who works in the film industry, was telling her the same. And the flow on effect for the hospitality industry could be just the boost they need.
Enjoy and share and walk around with chorus in your head all day. 🤣
HRH* Nathleigh has produced this stan music video to recruit Australia's next Prime Minister. 😁😁😁 So please help to spread the word =) (*Human Resources Headhunter)
Public Enemy wasn't commenting on police brutality or racism.
They were complaining about representations of black people through Hollywood.
Burn Hollywood burn I smell a riot
Goin' on first they're guilty now they're gone
Yeah I'll check out a movie
But it'll take a black one to move me
Get me the hell away from this TV
All this news and views are beneath me
So all I hear about is shots ringin' out
About gangs puttin' each others head out
So I rather kick some slang out
All right fellas let's go hand out
Hollywood or would they not
Make us all look bad like I know they had
But some things I'll never forget yeah
So step and fetch this shit
For all the years we looked like clowns
The joke is over smell the smoke from all around
I was reading last night how quickly a person can get hypoxia (condition where not enough oxygen makes it to the cells and tissues in the body) during an anaesethic. When I saw the footage of the officer obstructing the airway of George and hearing George say he could not breath and the officer ignoring George and seeing George lose consciousness and the officer still not moving I realised that I was witnessing manslaughter.
I do hope that the officers are all put on trial and I know that this will not bring George back.
I am outraged and I suspect this occurs a lot and is covered up. There is a lot of ongoing tension in the USA with lives not mattering and due to the officers behaviour they have created further distrust and frustration in those who want change.
That having been said, it has long been recognised that restraining someone improperly can lead to their death. Shit, I was only a bouncer and I was explicitly taught to be exceptionally careful about it. Including warning signs like "I can't breathe" followed by "playing possum" [which isn't].
In an equitable society, I suggest that there would be some criminal issues for a court to consider.
If it can be argued one way, then it can be argued the other. That is what courts are for.
3rd degree murder is basically equivalent to manslaughter. If the cop intended him to die, that would be second-degree murder (plain murder in NZ). If the cop had planned in advance to kill him, that would be "first degree" murder.
It's not a “return to the ’90s”, it’s normal life there. This virulent and sinister racism, from Central Park in New York to San Francisco, is a constant in the United States.
MINNEAPOLIS—Calling for a more measured way to express opposition to police brutality, critics slammed demonstrators Thursday for recklessly looting businesses without forming a private equity firm first. “Look, we all have the right to protest, but that doesn’t mean you can just rush in and destroy any business without gathering a group of clandestine investors to purchase it at a severely reduced price and slowly bleed it to death,” said Facebook commenter Amy Mulrain, echoing the sentiments of detractors nationwide who blasted the demonstrators for not hiring a consultant group to take stock of a struggling company’s assets before plundering. “I understand that people are angry, but they shouldn’t just endanger businesses without even a thought to enriching themselves through leveraged buyouts and across-the-board terminations. It’s disgusting to put workers at risk by looting. You do it by chipping away at their health benefits and eventually laying them off. There’s a right way and wrong way to do this.” At press time, critics recommended that protestors hold law enforcement accountable by simply purchasing the Minneapolis police department from taxpayers.
A week ago Simon Bridges was still leader of the National party. Ah, the good old days.
Remember when making a silly comment about hair dye was enough to get the eyes rolling? That now seems like a pearl of wisdom. Under his successor (assassin) the eyes have been spinning so fast they've fallen out of their sockets. The gaffe-meter is broken.
His latest gem: "Most New Zealanders are unemployed, but they don't know it yet" (yesterday).
A week is a long time in politics. It can only get better from here onwards. But in all seriousness, the Opposition is in serious disarray, ERC has been disbanded, and the only flutter of an election contest is some predictable sparring between the PM and the Deputy PM.
That 23% of Nat MPs having any business experience is telling, given their constant call that they are the party of Business. And I think Muller being in big business management is a far cry from owning and running a butcher or hairdresser or a service station.
"Prominent freshwater expert Dr Mike Joy said the advice from scientists and Kahui Wai Māori (the Māori Freshwater Forum) had “fallen on deaf ears.” “Instead, it appears the Minister for the Environment has caved into political and industry pressure to further delay implementing the long overdue instream nutrient limits.” He added that “the limits proposed by the specialist panels were key to achieving real change, and far from being extreme, would have simply brought New Zealand into line with the rest of the world”."
Yeah, but he's an ecologist and there's never been a place for such people in the Labour universe. Can’t support the capitalist system by listening to eggheads.
translation: we can't rely on science and best practice using the precautionary principle because too many politicians are beholden to the corporate industrial dairy lobby who are going to fob everyone off for as long as they can in order to keep strip mining NZ. Let's take a few decades to sort things out as the science can't tell us how to run extractive industries without damaging the environment.
/spit
Joy nailed it. If you're quitting smoking, there's little point in dropping from 3 packs a day to 2.5 packs if you have your lung health in mind.
Yep, industrial farming is up there with the tobacco industry. Also, the climate deniers, who basically used the same tactics 'there's not enough science yet'.
If you think the policy is sound, then put it up against what Joy is saying.
The Greens are saying it's way better than before, of course it is, National basically said for nine years go ahead and treat rivers like sewers.
I trust the Greens and Sage in particular, and I assume that they've built in many useful things despite the limitations. But it's stupid to pretend that this is adequate and is not a trade off with the industrial farming economy. Are there going to be reductions in dairy farms? Conversions to regenag? I'm guessing not, that it's ambulance at the bottom of the cliff that people are still being allowed to push ecosystems off.
Servers belonging to the social-media platform Twitter burst into flames on Thursday, after the company attempted to fact-check all of Donald Trump’s tweets.
“We knew that fact-checking Trump’s tweets was going to put a strain on our system,” Jack Dorsey, the C.E.O. of Twitter, said. “We had no idea that it would result in columns of fire shooting forty feet into the air.”
Reportedly, an explosion in the server fact-checking Trump’s tweets about Joe Scarborough ignited a blaze that quickly spread to a server furiously vetting his tweets about Barack Obama.
Fire trucks rushed to Twitter headquarters to extinguish the inferno, which San Francisco officials called the largest fact-checking-related fire incident in the city’s history.
While no one was injured in the conflagration, Dorsey quietly shelved plans to fact-check all of Donald Trump, Jr.,’s tweets.
This morning an NZR journalist reported for Goldsmith that he couldn't get up to date numbers on the correctness of the Grants given to businesses. He was told that audits were ongoing and quarterly reports would be issued. So far no charges had been laid.
How is this important enough to lead the news? How can Goldsmith get such a non-story published?
Barking at imaginary passing cars isn't an attempt at accountability.
Auditing claims isn't a 5 min exercise, it requires time and effort. It is entirely logical to report on the auditing of claims on a longer time frame than benefit applications, or positive COVID-19 tests.
I'd actually like to see a full list of the claims made rather than that silly little box where you try to get a name to come up. It would be a lot easier to check.
If only because a lot of places have a trading name but a different legal name.
The proposed nutrient limits were key to achieving real change, and far from being extreme, would have brought New Zealand into line with the rest of the world.
For example, in China, the limit for nitrogen in rivers is 1 milligram per litre – the same limit as our technical advisory group recommended.
Instead, Minister for the Environment David Parker decided to postpone this discussion by another year – meaning New Zealand will continue to lag other nations in having clear, enforceable nutrient limits.
…
The other main policy the expert panels pushed for was a cap on the use of nitrogen fertiliser. This was indeed part of the announcement, which is a positive and important step forward.
But the cap is set at 190kg per hectare per year, which is too high. This is like telling someone they should reduce smoking from three to two and a half packets a day to be healthier.
Sam Ackerman is due to shed some unwarranted tears this morning RNZ National, Friday 29 May 2020, 10:20 a.m.
Right now, Lynn Freeman is interviewing Filipina filmmaker Ramona Diaz. One of the things she's talking about is the use of fake news and disinformation by the egregious President Rodrigo Duterte. Well worth a listen. https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon
Unfortunately, at 11:30 Lynn will talk to sports reporter Sam Ackerman, who is apparently going to lament the loss of Radio Sport.
W T F ??!!??!? The death of Radio Sport was long overdue. If ever there was a source of fake news and bigotry, it was that joke of a station, with its dismal line-up of "talents" such as Tony Veitch, Martin Devlin, and Murray Deaker.
Here is Martin Devlin, beside himself after news of a British athlete being killed after being hit by a hammer-throw….
DEVLIN: He got killed with a HAMMER! Oh GOD, just imagine the MESS! Ha ha ha ha ha! STEVEN HUNTER AKA "SHUNTER" (PRODUCER): Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! DEVLIN: Ker-SQUISH! SHUNTER: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! DEVLIN: Splat!" SHUNTER: Ha ha ha ha ha! DEVLIN: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/01/lest-we-forget-martin-devlin-jan-26-2011.html
And, of course, Murray "Deaks" Deaker…
CALLER PHIL: I want to talk about the All Black squad. Murray, I am very, very concerned. I think we will have a lack of intelligence, once the ball goes past Daniel Carter.
DEAKER: [long, thoughtful pause] Conrad Smith?
PHIL: Yes, but what if he’s injured, Murray?
DEAKER: [long, thoughtful pause] I know what you’re getting at, Phil.
PHIL: Yes, well, it needs to be said, Murray.
DEAKER: [with utmost gravitas] A lot of people talk about this in private, but are not prepared to talk about it in public. But I don’t give a TOSS about that! The problem is that in this country we have a lot of boys that are EARLY MATURERS.
PHIL: Yes, oh yes.
DEAKER: These guys haven’t got the slender build of, say, a Dan Carter, or a Jeff Wilson, or an Andrew Mehrtens.
PHIL: That’s right, Murray.
DEAKER: So they’ve never had to jink, or sidestep, or run around any opponents. They are so HUGE that all they have ever had to do is barge past them. They’ve never had to THINK! Because they’re early maturers!
PHIL: It’s a worry. Because these overseas teams, they’re THINKERS, Murray! They’re private school boys, and they’re thinkers.! The Australians, Murray, they’re just so EDUCATED! I remember once when the lowest-qualified player in the team was a chartered accountant, Murray!
DEAKER: Yes, but we’ll not see the likes of Nick Farr-Jones, David Kirk, Sir John Graham and Sir Wilson Whineray again. They were very bright guys!
PHIL: I’m so worried, Murray….
The links were to particularly grievous and stupid comments by commentators on the (blessedly) defunct Radio Sport. That's why I keep a record of these comments, which would otherwise disappear into the ether. It means that when I point out that a particular sports broadcaster in fact knows nothing about sports and is a brutal bigot to boot, I can provide evidence.
Dont worry, mate, I'm just having a laugh, but if you're that bothered, stick it in your data base and I'll have a look for your killer zinger comeback some time in 2034 lol
In 2034, by the way, Pres. Eric Trump will be midway through his second term, and down here Jacinda will be nearing the end of her seventh. Former President Obama will still have sixteen more years to live….
Unfortunately, Radio Sport didn't stick to that core business. Instead, it turned over the airwaves to the likes of Deaker, Devlin, Veitch, Doug Golightly, and Willy Lose….
…life is not worth living without cricket on the radio.
Sounds like a protracted torture in brain activity deprivation. It' is as tedious as listening to the Trump alternately blustering and whining without the moments of inadvertent ironic humour.
I gave up on sports when I stopped playing them. I can't quite understand people who waste time on listening to them or even attending sports grounds to watch them. Don't they have anything else to do?
Fair comment, Lynn. The problem with Radio Sport was that they had 18 hours to fill every day.* Even if they had been knowledgeable, eloquent, and witty broadcasters, that would have been an almost impossible task. They possessed, sadly, none of those qualities.
* Midnight to dawn they paid for infinitely superior American sports talk radio.
It's more about the community, if you're watching local sports. Otherwise, I find it hard to get excited about some weekly competition that drags on and on. World Cups and the Olympics are pretty cool tho
Second time – 3 hours apart – got a phony call with female USA accent from automated scam machine claiming that someone has been spending $1000 with Amazon on my credit card. Phoned the bank just to check out and they report a wave of it going on – FYI. Bank says if you follow their directions they give you two different buttons for choice and you will be directed to a person who will harvest your card number from you. Warmer job I imagine than fruit picking or cabbage cutting out in the fields.
Try this " I'm so glad you called, can we talk about Jesus ? " Works every time, but mostly if I've had a bad day or even only a semi-terrific one I'll purge with a diatribe of the most offensive shit imaginable, its quite cathartic.
Remember these arseholes know they are committing a crime.
@ greywarshark (14) I was with a friend during the week when she received the same message, however this time the caller had an Indian accent. Fortunately, she was on to the fact it was a scam. Yep, the scammers are out there. Caution is needed.
Allowing a home-grown scientific consensus to inform our Covid-19 response has safeguarded health – such a common sense approach, compared to the ‘balance‘ advocated by market forces. I’m enjoying retail shopping and restaurant dining now – what’s the rush?
That is pretty much the basis you have to use for this particular bug. Even the 2 week infection limit looks like it may have been optimistic as there are now examples of people getting infected and not displaying any virus shedding until weeks afterwards – but it looks like it is doing the job – so not worth changing.
I was just reading some wannabe guest post writer sending something in via email proclaiming the theory that covid-19 is just a hoax by the government. Feels like they cribbed it off some other site as clickbait (and that is what their reference site looks like as well). All assertions based on the idea that it is just influenza and that nothing the government did (like closing and controlling borders in this and previous outbreaks) made any difference.
I was tempted to put it up just so I could eviscerate the ‘author’. The increased total death rate above normal in the US, Brazil, UK, and now Russia of this ‘influenza’ even with the social distancing there being the obvious club to beat the dipshit with. But since it was, like almost of 30 odd similar propositions I get daily, just an excuse to provide links to other sites – I restrained myself. Besides the dipshit clickbaiter would never actually come and argue their point.
Reminds me, I need to write a explicit policy on asserting false facts in comments and providing links and/or not defending their usage. I don’t mind rapping people over the knuckles about it. But it is starting to get irksome. Plus the National party appears to be making using completely false facts their only strategy based on some of the social media I have seen.
One from Pugh used pre-covid data from debt levels in Greece against projected post-covid-19 debt levels in NZ which was a pretty egregious bit of lying. I was thinking that a immediate 6 month ban unless they justified their usage to me in email was the appropriate site response – with all correspondence published.
Yeah it was initially, as per the plan designed around an influenza pandemic. But we get a new influenza strain each year, and apparently covid might be a bit more stable. Days after we went into L4 specialists started suggesting we might be able to eliminate it, rather than just slow it.
There's been some kerfuffle about the semantics of "eliminate", but I guess it's generally the "plan A+" crowd that won, rather than the "plan B" dude lol
I can accept that, yet that is not what is being conveyed and what was the aim/measure to achieve before we progress down. What will happen in the future when there are a few cases diagnosed ? Do we progress up the levels again for eradication to mirror what has been achieved this time ?
For the foreseeable, we'll have border quarantine (and testing of improving sensitivity and timeliness). If a case shows up there, no worries it's doing its job. Although staff who contacted that person might be themselves quarantined.
If a case goes through quarantine then presents with covid a week later, we might see a national or regional alert escalation, or maybe a combination (e.g. the locality of know contacts goes to level 3/4, while the rest of the country goes back to level 2 to aid tracing if an unkown contact went out of town).
A random case popping up with no known travel association? That's when people will be probably looking at a nationwide L3/4 again, because it breaks the known behaviour of the disease.
But these are possible variations, not gospel. It's a judgement call at the time, based on many factors and inputs. But so far the govt's been pretty good at communicating what is happening, why, and what the risks are.
I'm not sure what you mean by "not what is being conveyed". The elimination goal has been pretty consistent for a couple of months now, which is actually pretty miraculous in this fast-changing situation.
Appreciate the wish for certainty now and in the future, but also understand the need to adjust responses and 'level details' as NZ gets on top of this pandemic threat, learning as we go.
Covid-19 is novel, with no proven treatment or vaccine (yet) – caution is (still) warranted, IMHO.
Covid-19 is novel, with no proven treatment or vaccine (yet)..
Personally I remain unconvinced that they will get a vaccine within 5 years. And that is only because they were getting close to trialling SARS and MERS viruses using new approaches before this particular coronavirus popped up.
The more that is revealed about covid-19, the more unconvinced I get. A 32k base pair virus from inside bat colonies – and one that appears (in my view) to have had about a decade adapting to humans. It looks both endemic, unlikely to get a widespread herd immunity, and vaccines are unlikely to have a long term effect. I see this hanging around and if a vaccine is achieved, is going to require boosters every few years.
Specific antiviral treatments to prevent slipping into a critical state seem more likely in the medium term.
Which of the Level 2 restrictions do you consider an unreasonable restriction?
About all I can see that's significantly different from Level 1 is limiting gatherings to 100 or less, ensuring physical distancing, and record-keeping of visitors.
That doesn't seem onerous, particularly since we are still in a time period where undetected presymptomatic or asymptomatic community transmission could still be occurring. It seems to me to be very low pain to maintain Level 2 for a few weeks longer to minimise the risk of the massive pain of having to go back up the levels.
I am fortunate and I gather from your comment that you to are also (I hope so), but ask that question to someone who has or is considering shutting down their business or has or could lose their job, and the consequence of that be it financial, health, relationship etc. The delay of progressing thru the stages by 1,2 or 3 weeks could make a difference to them.
What kind of business might be at serious risk of having to close because of another few weeks of limiting gatherings to 100 people, some physical distancing, and maintaining visitor logs?
I would guess it's very very few. The massive lockdown we have already had will have already culled the marginal businesses, and another few weeks of level 2 won't affect the vast majority of businesses that were robust enough to survive until now. It will affect a few weeks of profitability for sure, so the owners have an incentive to make as much noise as they can, which is where I think the push to go to Level 1 is coming from.
A few more weeks of Level 2 certainly won't change the outlook for the business sectors that have been wholesale obliterated such as tourism.
With no community sport until June 22nd there is 2-3 weeks where cafes, bakeries, mobile coffee etc miss out on that trade.( + the feel good factor of life returning to some resemblance to normal) Some of these businesses are next to parks that when there is no action there is no foot traffic that is 2/7 of their trade. Restaurants, pubs etc that to comply with distancing have limited what their business can cater for. Professional sports events that have eliminated crowds those industries that support these events. Whist these may not be large compared to already announced closures, tell that to those affected.
I would suggest to those affected that they ponder the consequences of having to go back into a Level 3 or 4 lockdown.
And that they also ponder that the team that made the decisions that appear to have us on track for a return to domestic normality much faster than our peer nations are the same team that see our best course is to maintain Level 2 for a few weeks longer. Their record of success so far is awfully hard to argue with.
NZ at level 2 is now less restrictive than Queensland which has similar (almost) zero new case rates and very few active cases. Queensland, like WA, NT, SA and Tas are keeping their borders closed to Vic and NSW where there is (admittedly low) community transmission. NZ is probably one of the very few advanced economies with such opportunites. Count your lucky stars you live where you live.
Well around my hood it's starting to look pretty normal apart from the distancing, the hand sanitiser and the signing in. I've also stuck my head into a number of the small local businesses that I would really hate to loose – $50 note in hand to donate if needed- to check that they are okay and found that they were fine with lots of work and any worries had vanished.
I still have more to check though. Stuff did take the donation but happy with that.
same here redbaron. in my small town and the neigbouring two I was in yesterday, shops were busy and car parks hard to find. the only closed shop in my local town is a pizza shop that closed three weeks prior to lockdown.
If only they kept it to musical items, it would be wonderful.
Television footage of street demonstrations following the Qu’ran burnings by U.S. troops. Major General Gawn has an answer ready: “There are a hundred thousand American troops in Afghanistan. There will always be a few bad apples.” Gen. John R. Allen tries to muster up every bit of gravitas he can as he assures the U.S. television audience that those responsible for the Qu’ran burnings “will be tracked down.”
If only they kept it to musical items, it would be wonderful.
+100
And also carried that approach forward to their police forces in USA to ours in NZ and Australia too. So sad to hear about this latest USA police outrage. Chris Trotter eviscerates it:
Chris Trotter? It will be interesting to see what he says if those cops are acquitted. I wonder if his views have evolved since the killing of Trayvon Martin in 2013…
NOELLE McCARTHY: Now you have something about this Florida verdict, and Juror B-37?
…A long, rambling discussion ensues, with most of the participants clearly disgusted with the verdict. But not everyone….
CHRIS TROTTER:[very slowly, mustering all the pomp and gravitas he can] I think all this talk about the jury is most unfortunate. You have, even in this case I think, to trust the jury. In any trial, there are always items of evidence that we do not know about, even in this case I think.
….[Long, extremely uncomfortable pause]….
NOELLE McCARTHY:[doggedly positive] One thing the whole world is talking about, Zoe Ferguson, is the royal birth!
"Covid 19 coronavirus: $60 million funding boost for New Zealand's libraries"
"This is targeted funding over two years to keep librarians in jobs and upskill them to provide extra assistance to jobseekers and to people wanting to improve their reading and digital literacy skills."
..so, Librarians as unskilled Jobseeker assistants with no official title and code of conduct, has now just become the new normal.
Pity those poor deluded souls that visit libraries to, you know, borrow books….between the strict limit on titles held in each library, the aesthetic of half empty shelves (a policy in some library's..'safer' and more 'tidy looking' apparently)..and now the full and open morphing of libraries into Social Welfare offices the self fulfilling prophesy of 'no one reads books anymore' is well on its way.
I do believe that yesterday morning RNZ reported that people without computers could still access doctors on line via the libraries. Seriously.
If the powers that be wish to move the world on line..job seeking and Doctors visits and Education.. then they need to come up with specialised computer hubs, with specialised staff..computer lounges in winz for starters. Though I guess that would only work if winz offices could become 'customer friendly'.
Libraries have become a place where the poor may have cheap access to a computer for a while… Is there any other place?
I agree with you in that I want libraries to remain as they were, with this as a temporary addition, not see the destruction of the traditional library, which becomes just a Social Welfare Office.
"This Tweet violated the Twitter Rules about glorifying violence. However, Twitter has determined that it may be in the public’s interest for the Tweet to remain accessible."
With a local majority of over 8,000, why it was was necessary for the apparent alternative Ian Dunwoodie to white ant her out of town is completely beyond civil reason. Hell, ask around town – she's a lot easier to work with than Carmel Sepuloni.
Its good to see Tangata whenua O Aotearoa receiving houners the list looks to deserve there houners from what I have seen go down in the last few months.
Oliver Hartwich writes – New Zealanders recently learned about a new feature film. It will be about former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern – and taxpayers will subsidise it to the tune of NZ$800,000. Ardern had nothing personally to do with either the film or the subsidy. But her government’s ...
TL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above that was recorded yesterday afternoon above between and The Kākā’s climate correspondent : An independent review panel into the emergency response to Cyclone Gabrielle in Hawkes Bayconcluded “that ...
There are now only a few days left to give feedback on the Draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport 2024-34 (see our earlier post this week on GPS submission guides). As we’ve reported, the GPS is a disaster for Local Government, so we were particularly interested to hear ...
Willis has pledged to go ahead with the debt-funded tax cuts, despite growing opposition from her own supporters worried about appearing fiscally irresponsible. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for ...
Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
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 ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
Photo by Alvan Nee on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
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It is pretty sickening to see the expansion of an authoritarian state in real time.
But here it is: China makes a move to fully suppress all anti-government dissent on Hong Kong 20 years before the treaty signed with the UK government runs out.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/28/world/asia/china-hong-kong-crackdown.html
This sits well with the context provided by RedL yesterday concerning the growth of Chinese aggression recently:
"1. CV19 has done two things; one is that the exemplary Taiwanese response (they actually warned WHO of CV19 human to human transmission on Dec31) is a major loss of face for the CCP, and also obviously it has caused a major distraction in the USA.)
2. The withdrawal of the USA from global affairs is becoming increasingly obvious. US overseas troop deployments in total is now less than 100,000, lower than any time in the past century.
3. The Chinese military has dramatically expanded it's capacity in the past few years. In particular they may well believe their new hypersonic missile capacity gives them the ability to keep the US Navy aircraft carriers at a safe distance.
4. They keep on saying that they are preparing for war.
5. Their military are in the middle of major invasion landing exercises on Hainan Island. Also in their sights are an invasion of the Dongsha Island group ."
More chillingly for little old New Zealand, Australia for having the temerity to propose an investigation into the Covid-19 virus in China has been delivered hard counter-hits from China with major restrictions on imports of Australian beef and barley. The next step will be coal, and they've done that before.
It may well be all coincidence, but the intended chilling effect is that Australians believe clearly that it really is retaliation by China:
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/may/26/chinas-trade-bans-are-retaliation-to-covid-19-inquiry-more-than-half-of-australians-say
This has had the intended effect of getting Australia's government to prepare for some lengthy backwards moonwalking:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/22/take-a-calm-breath-agriculture-minister-seeks-to-cool-escalating-trade-hostilities-with-china-over-coal
New Zealand is now in a state where we are totally reliant on the economic performance of Australia and China. The US's Mike Pompeo may well be standing up for Hong Kong, but the contest is far bigger already. And New Zealand is closer to the crosshairs of China than we have ever been.
China has also moved thousands of troops into territory claimed by India along the shared Himalayan border
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/27/china-and-india-move-troops-as-border-tensions-escalate
And China's been playing silly buggers for years testing and pushing the boundaries to see if someone blinks 3 or 4 years ago when I was there, Chinese earth-moving equipment was discovered a kilometre inside Indian territory in Sikkim (adjacent to the border with Bhutan),
Xi Jinping, Trump, Bolsenaro, Netanyahu, Putin, Modi and a few others seem to want to expand their territory to accommodate the size of their egos.
In India they have sent troops beyond the area in dispute and the troops are taking up defensive positions.
The intent being to force India to agree to the border claimed by China.
In sych with the exercises to take islands by force, the message is clear. China in betraying the Hong Kong agreement has chosen to reveal it is prepared to seize by force what others do not concede in talks. It’s foreign policy is now fear and obey.
When globalism is replaced by nationalism, the wolves amongst nations soon prey on the weak.
"And New Zealand is closer to the crosshairs of China than we have ever been."
Impressive fearmongering. Extending your analogy, the CCP won't be ‘pulling the trigger‘ on NZ just yet IMHO, but (out of interest):
1. Do you think NZ recently became a little closer or a lot closer to 'China's crosshairs'?
2. With the ‘Red Menace‘ in abeyance, how best for NZ to keep the 'Yellow Peril' at bay?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_Peril
If you don't believe that the trade embargo has happened, go ask the Australian Embassy. Ask them if they feel targeted.
But since all you can do for discussion is withdraw into a corner with your little p.c. blankie, you're clearly not built for any useful discussion.
The full Five Eyes partners have come out against China's actions against Hong Kong.
All of the actions described above demonstrate increased Chinese aggression.
“Both countries [China and India] need to activate backchannel talks and ensure that it is handled delicately.”
https://www.news.com.au/technology/innovation/military/very-volatile-china-sends-5000-troops-to-disputed-border-with-india/news-story/788d455620c2728bde6dbc9b197a76c5
Trade isn't a one-way street – in the interest of balance:
Notwithsatanding your bizarre “little p.c. blankie” and “you’re clearly not built for any useful discussion” jibes, I do have concerns about the CCP’s military and (particularly for NZ) trade policies, but whipping up fear of the CCP is counterproductive, in my opinion.
Back to my lovely soft, warm blankie.
Would it be a fair assessment to say that as the fallout from lockdown unfolds; recession or depression, wide-spread unemployment and shortages of all sorts; the National Party and its supporters will do everything it can to erode public confidence in the Government, attack it's leading figures and their plans to keep the country buoyant, use dishonest methods to turn voters against the 3 parties in Government and mislead New Zealanders as to their own ability to manage the coming difficulties? Would it not be prudent/wise/morally responsible to set aside such behaviour for the good of all New Zealanders, refrain from wasting the energy we'll need and perverting the plans that have till now, served us very well, simply because National's Politicians seek to be back in power?
My best bet for the current lot in government to secure their re-employement in government via the election is to do decent work, and maybe be a little less cynical and a bit more future minded rather then just throwing around band aids to some and a big fat nothing to others.
But National will do what National does – and it would be down right foolish to believe that would not do what they do. After all they too want to keep their well paying jobs in parliament, it sure beats working in private industry – or trying to find a job – at the current times. (btw, that applies to ALL of the suits in parliament)
That's a good point.
Jones throwing his lollies at raglan wharf when there are sewage issues and a single lane bridge WDC need to deal to.
Not a good look IMO as basic infrastructure should be numero uno priority.
Council's have failed across NZ in providing basics. Central leadership required.
Dirty Politics about to kick in.
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2020/05/29/guest-blog-manu-caddie-dirty-politics-2-0/?fbclid=IwAR3BPi9WXIcfwHzGk5nCjJUmntSc9lQ0PdMI9ldZYWQNyiUsg51EmBdRxyk
Without the Facecloth tracking code: https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2020/05/29/guest-blog-manu-caddie-dirty-politics-2-0/
Thanks for that I will be more careful next time
All good. Not a risk, just easier to handle without the cruft.
Yes.
ditto
What if Covid-19 becomes endemic?
This would be any governments worst nightmare. Years of health and unemployment costs, limited tourism and increased crime. A person needs to work out what is and is not important when it comes to who they vote for at the next election. I do not need the National Party to tell me that a deep recession or a depression is going to be next.
"What if Covid-19 becomes endemic?"
I know I shouldn't say it, but… If we have to live at Level Two for the forseeable future I think that would be a good thing
[fairyland hat on]
Limited tourism, increased local production and we're not treating people like sardines that can be packed into an economic can for profit. We'll not have the health costs with a cultural swing to physical distancing. Unemployment will take care of itself as business adjusts to an economic model that moves away from mass-consumerism and excess profit.
[hat off]
We need a coalition government that can work within the new parameters of infection control and bring the people along with it. That government is not National. Labour/Greens have some work to do.
Your vision is agreeable. I trust the current government the most to steer the country through the rapids.
"I know I shouldn't say it, but… If we have to live at Level Two for the forseeable future I think that would be a good thing"
I say it too .
and if we don,t have to live at Level 2 that is the way we should be going anyway, after a big conversation on what kind of a country we are aiming for; sustainable or not and that starts with a big nationwide discussion on what is a sustainable population level for NZ. I see us as a Norway of the Southern Hemisphere with our wilderness areas no longer being compromised and our manufacturing growth an extension of our agrarian production.
Miravox – No it wouldn't.
And I cite:
The law sets up the legal framework for future alert levels as there is no longer a State of Emergency. It effectively allows the Health Minister to issue an order that would make alert level rules legally enforceable.
That might include, for example, the ability for police or "enforcement officers" to close certain premises or roads, ban certain types of travel or congregations, or require people to be physically distant or to stay at home in their bubbles if necessary.
It also would allow warrant less searches of private property if there was a reasonable belief that the alert level rules were being broken.
Every Human Right organisation has voiced concern and while Hong Kong fights against state and police control, NZ seem to embrace it. Go figure.
Something about the prospect of drowning in your own lung fluid makes people support infectious disease control, eh.
Fair call. I shouldn't have generalised. I'd like some ofthe benefits of Level 2 to become normalised in our everyday life without requiring restrictive legislation for that to happen.
I'd like not for us to go back to the mass tourism, mass consumerism and businesss as usual with the exploitation of people and planet we have at Level 1. I like that we have practically ended people living on the streets at level 2.
Amen to that, but lets not get the focus away on any unintended consequences.
We certainly need to prioritize and I would say 2 issues need immediate attention: clean water and a stop of pumping the life (literally) out of aquifers and transport infrastructure including rail that gets diesel trucks off the road. It would provide plenty of work in that downturn and contribute to a better way of life that the next generation deserves.
Just a start and it is feasible.
"What if Covid-19 becomes endemic?"
Well shortly New Zealand will be covid-19 free- in a world where covid-19 is endemic NZ will be the most or one of the most popular places in the world for TV and Movie making – bring your staff do the quarantine and then you can do the work just like you used to – anywhere else not a shits show
A friend was saying today, that a good mate of hers who works in the film industry, was telling her the same. And the flow on effect for the hospitality industry could be just the boost they need.
Yes. The issue then becomes what is the best use of *our time and energy and creative powers? All of us.
Enjoy and share and walk around with chorus in your head all day. 🤣
HRH* Nathleigh has produced this stan music video to recruit Australia's next Prime Minister. 😁😁😁 So please help to spread the word =) (*Human Resources Headhunter)
https://t.co/i8CN0IBNiL
❤️😁
Haha, nice one Jess. Will try and put that up as a post later on.
Jess Nice one I shared that.
There is a return to the '90s in the US. Tensions are high just like the tinder box that was set off by the beating of Rodney King.
The police actions are bad enough, but the following inaction compounds the injustice.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/300023356/violence-looting-in-minneapolis-after-george-floyd-police-killing
Chuck D and Public Enemy called it before it kicked off.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=k6MlwT1lBk0
Public Enemy wasn't commenting on police brutality or racism.
They were complaining about representations of black people through Hollywood.
Burn Hollywood burn I smell a riot
Goin' on first they're guilty now they're gone
Yeah I'll check out a movie
But it'll take a black one to move me
Get me the hell away from this TV
All this news and views are beneath me
So all I hear about is shots ringin' out
About gangs puttin' each others head out
So I rather kick some slang out
All right fellas let's go hand out
Hollywood or would they not
Make us all look bad like I know they had
But some things I'll never forget yeah
So step and fetch this shit
For all the years we looked like clowns
The joke is over smell the smoke from all around
Burn Hollywood burn
Yes, ostensibly the song was about racism and Hollywood.
Not everyone that was rioting was on the streets because of Rodney King.
In the same way folk that are upset now, isn't just because of Eric Garner and George Floyd.
Hollywood's profound influence also impacted on the woman who phoned police because a BLACK man was videoing her recently.
P.E. we're spot on, not bad for a bunch of 'rabble rousers'.
Edit oops, sorry mods, spotted the F in the name field too late…
Reinforcing prejudices
I was reading last night how quickly a person can get hypoxia (condition where not enough oxygen makes it to the cells and tissues in the body) during an anaesethic. When I saw the footage of the officer obstructing the airway of George and hearing George say he could not breath and the officer ignoring George and seeing George lose consciousness and the officer still not moving I realised that I was witnessing manslaughter.
I do hope that the officers are all put on trial and I know that this will not bring George back.
I am outraged and I suspect this occurs a lot and is covered up. There is a lot of ongoing tension in the USA with lives not mattering and due to the officers behaviour they have created further distrust and frustration in those who want change.
Murder, not manslaughter. Nice try.
I initially wrote murder and changed it as Floyd did not die at the scene.
So Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd without malice or forethought?
https://twitter.com/NBCNews/status/1266134329870225409
https://twitter.com/DelilahBenson12/status/1266139481406689280
Paramedics worked on him for an hour at the scene but could not revive him. He was killed there.
An earlier report said he died in hospital, this is why I said "did not die at the scene." It is clear that Floyd was killed and who killed him.
Murder is if he intended the person to die.
That having been said, it has long been recognised that restraining someone improperly can lead to their death. Shit, I was only a bouncer and I was explicitly taught to be exceptionally careful about it. Including warning signs like "I can't breathe" followed by "playing possum" [which isn't].
In an equitable society, I suggest that there would be some criminal issues for a court to consider.
he might not intended,
but he sure as heck could not give two fucks if the guy did die.
so yeah, murder fits. Nothing accidental about having your knee on the windpipe of a man in handcuffs for nine minutes.
the only reason this guy is not in prison is because he wears the blue uniform. Anyone else would be in the box, and charges would be thrown at them.
Law's all about intent.
And it's a bit difficult to lean on a windpipe when they're face down.
I do agree with your last paragraph, though.
and one could argue that keeping your knee on the winpipe of a men who is restrained by handcuffs and two other officers is intend.
To bad if he lives, really. The intend was for him to die.
The cop intended to do no good, and it matter not one bit to him if the guy on the floor lives or dies. And that my friend is intend.
btw, he was charged with third degree murder.
Maybe they need a few new laws on cop who murder while in uniform.
If it can be argued one way, then it can be argued the other. That is what courts are for.
3rd degree murder is basically equivalent to manslaughter. If the cop intended him to die, that would be second-degree murder (plain murder in NZ). If the cop had planned in advance to kill him, that would be "first degree" murder.
It's not a “return to the ’90s”, it’s normal life there. This virulent and sinister racism, from Central Park in New York to San Francisco, is a constant in the United States.
Ice Cube probably said it best about the Rodney King riots:
https://youtu.be/C8V66bxvM2Q
"Riots"? You mean “rebellions.”
https://twitter.com/marclamonthill/status/1266018234073038851
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=Nhu_uxRR2og&t=55&app=desktop
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fannie_Lou_Hamer
Protestors Criticized For Looting Businesses Without Forming Private Equity Firm First
That is some brilliant dark satire… I hope.
Nikki's shoulders.
https://www.facebook.com/tomsainsbury6/videos/3180121542027187/
😂
You are awful – but funny.
Lmao !!!
A week ago Simon Bridges was still leader of the National party. Ah, the good old days.
Remember when making a silly comment about hair dye was enough to get the eyes rolling? That now seems like a pearl of wisdom. Under his successor (assassin) the eyes have been spinning so fast they've fallen out of their sockets. The gaffe-meter is broken.
His latest gem: "Most New Zealanders are unemployed, but they don't know it yet" (yesterday).
Most.
Meh, he’s just projecting his own dire situation onto most New Zealanders. I feel a bout of solidarity with comrade Muller coming up.
Todd Muller mash-up/take-down.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1265645303748628485
A week is a long time in politics. It can only get better from here onwards. But in all seriousness, the Opposition is in serious disarray, ERC has been disbanded, and the only flutter of an election contest is some predictable sparring between the PM and the Deputy PM.
Atleast Winston v Arden is a fair fight, Ardern v muller will be like watching Shane Cameron v Dave Tua again .
Mike Tyson vs Stephen Hawking.
They’d still offer Tyson $20 million for a round of shadow boxing.
Boring Bill English did 3 rounds with a boxer for charity it showed him to be slow and out of touch like his political career.
Or Ryder v. Slater. (Muller, it hardly needs to be said, is the bloke in red.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUdYgBhF9-w
That 23% of Nat MPs having any business experience is telling, given their constant call that they are the party of Business. And I think Muller being in big business management is a far cry from owning and running a butcher or hairdresser or a service station.
National’s business experience during a pandemic is zero.
Much respect to the creator, that was epic
Labour bottling it again. Already sold out housing, beneficiaries, public transport and now fresh water standards. Next stop climate change…
Now now, stop beating on poor Labour, they're only on 59%. Peaking, so the only way forward is down. Show a little compassion!
And Marama says it's a win for the Greens, which means leftist solidarity hand-holding with Labour, right? https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/28-05-2020/te-mana-o-te-wai-whats-in-the-governments-new-freshwater-cleanup-package/
"Prominent freshwater expert Dr Mike Joy said the advice from scientists and Kahui Wai Māori (the Māori Freshwater Forum) had “fallen on deaf ears.” “Instead, it appears the Minister for the Environment has caved into political and industry pressure to further delay implementing the long overdue instream nutrient limits.” He added that “the limits proposed by the specialist panels were key to achieving real change, and far from being extreme, would have simply brought New Zealand into line with the rest of the world”."
Yeah, but he's an ecologist and there's never been a place for such people in the Labour universe. Can’t support the capitalist system by listening to eggheads.
Read all the scientific reports the government released as part of the government policy.
Has 100 times more weight.
translation: we can't rely on science and best practice using the precautionary principle because too many politicians are beholden to the corporate industrial dairy lobby who are going to fob everyone off for as long as they can in order to keep strip mining NZ. Let's take a few decades to sort things out as the science can't tell us how to run extractive industries without damaging the environment.
/spit
Joy nailed it. If you're quitting smoking, there's little point in dropping from 3 packs a day to 2.5 packs if you have your lung health in mind.
Yep, industrial farming is up there with the tobacco industry. Also, the climate deniers, who basically used the same tactics 'there's not enough science yet'.
All the other scientific and economic reports were published at the same time, in Scoop, if you dared to look. OR even read.
And instead of spitting, have a look at the Greens praising the policy to the gills.
None of them are climate deniers either. Not one.
Go on though, keep emoting. You haven't mentioned the Nazis yet.
Lol, but you did.
If you think the policy is sound, then put it up against what Joy is saying.
The Greens are saying it's way better than before, of course it is, National basically said for nine years go ahead and treat rivers like sewers.
I trust the Greens and Sage in particular, and I assume that they've built in many useful things despite the limitations. But it's stupid to pretend that this is adequate and is not a trade off with the industrial farming economy. Are there going to be reductions in dairy farms? Conversions to regenag? I'm guessing not, that it's ambulance at the bottom of the cliff that people are still being allowed to push ecosystems off.
Shame Trump didn't move so quickly (or at all) on the Virus problem.
Now cases are ca 20k per day and 1000+ deaths per day
With nearly 1,8m cases and over 103000 deaths
BUT BUT allow checking on the lies he tells GEEZ, that is a really serious affront!!!
This morning an NZR journalist reported for Goldsmith that he couldn't get up to date numbers on the correctness of the Grants given to businesses. He was told that audits were ongoing and quarterly reports would be issued. So far no charges had been laid.
How is this important enough to lead the news? How can Goldsmith get such a non-story published?
https://www.rnz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=2018748484
It is about accountability of government in extraordinary times, so quite fair. It's what we fund an Opposition for.
Barking at imaginary passing cars isn't an attempt at accountability.
Auditing claims isn't a 5 min exercise, it requires time and effort. It is entirely logical to report on the auditing of claims on a longer time frame than benefit applications, or positive COVID-19 tests.
Reasonable to ask.
Ok to ask. But they got an answer that the audits were ongoing so why the headlines?
Someone in govt has told Sepuloni to promptly reverse her resistance: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/417855/government-backtracks-on-wage-subsidy-audit-data-moves-to-weekly-reporting
I'd actually like to see a full list of the claims made rather than that silly little box where you try to get a name to come up. It would be a lot easier to check.
If only because a lot of places have a trading name but a different legal name.
Cuomo? No, no, NO.
His comedian brother at the 3:40 mark…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uH7vOm_qA-A
Scientist Mike Joy in his own words about this government diluting water policy: https://theconversation.com/new-zealand-government-ignores-expert-advice-in-its-plan-to-improve-water-quality-in-rivers-and-lakes-139554
Jesse Mulligan said before he interviewed Mike Joy yesterday: "This is the first time I've had you on the programme for years."
Why would that be? He has on a propagandist for the farming lobby nearly every week.
or kicking the can just past the election?
Sam Ackerman is due to shed some unwarranted tears this morning RNZ National, Friday 29 May 2020, 10:20 a.m.
Right now, Lynn Freeman is interviewing Filipina filmmaker Ramona Diaz. One of the things she's talking about is the use of fake news and disinformation by the egregious President Rodrigo Duterte. Well worth a listen. https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon
Unfortunately, at 11:30 Lynn will talk to sports reporter Sam Ackerman, who is apparently going to lament the loss of Radio Sport.
W T F ??!!??!? The death of Radio Sport was long overdue. If ever there was a source of fake news and bigotry, it was that joke of a station, with its dismal line-up of "talents" such as Tony Veitch, Martin Devlin, and Murray Deaker.
Tony Veitch…. https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2019/07/tony-veitch-newstalkzb-in-action-dec-28.html
Here is Martin Devlin, beside himself after news of a British athlete being killed after being hit by a hammer-throw….
DEVLIN: He got killed with a HAMMER! Oh GOD, just imagine the MESS! Ha ha ha ha ha!
STEVEN HUNTER AKA "SHUNTER" (PRODUCER): Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
DEVLIN: Ker-SQUISH!
SHUNTER: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
DEVLIN: Splat!" SHUNTER: Ha ha ha ha ha! DEVLIN: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/01/lest-we-forget-martin-devlin-jan-26-2011.html
And, of course, Murray "Deaks" Deaker…
CALLER PHIL: I want to talk about the All Black squad. Murray, I am very, very concerned. I think we will have a lack of intelligence, once the ball goes past Daniel Carter.
DEAKER: [long, thoughtful pause] Conrad Smith?
PHIL: Yes, but what if he’s injured, Murray?
DEAKER: [long, thoughtful pause] I know what you’re getting at, Phil.
PHIL: Yes, well, it needs to be said, Murray.
DEAKER: [with utmost gravitas] A lot of people talk about this in private, but are not prepared to talk about it in public. But I don’t give a TOSS about that! The problem is that in this country we have a lot of boys that are EARLY MATURERS.
PHIL: Yes, oh yes.
DEAKER: These guys haven’t got the slender build of, say, a Dan Carter, or a Jeff Wilson, or an Andrew Mehrtens.
PHIL: That’s right, Murray.
DEAKER: So they’ve never had to jink, or sidestep, or run around any opponents. They are so HUGE that all they have ever had to do is barge past them. They’ve never had to THINK! Because they’re early maturers!
PHIL: It’s a worry. Because these overseas teams, they’re THINKERS, Murray! They’re private school boys, and they’re thinkers.! The Australians, Murray, they’re just so EDUCATED! I remember once when the lowest-qualified player in the team was a chartered accountant, Murray!
DEAKER: Yes, but we’ll not see the likes of Nick Farr-Jones, David Kirk, Sir John Graham and Sir Wilson Whineray again. They were very bright guys!
PHIL: I’m so worried, Murray….
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-21032012/#comment-449711
Ackerman is lamenting the loss of this garbage? In fact, the demise of Radio Sport is about as regrettable as the demise of Whaleoil Beef Hooked.
Why do I get the feeling you have a severe hatred of Radio Sport.
Funny thing about radios, some people may not understand.
You don't actually have to listen to them and you can switch channels.
It's gone, Chris. Thank God. The curse of Breen strikes again.
https://media1.tenor.com/images/aedf0a83eba45622947b6c988131ded1/tenor.gif?itemid=4731328
Anyone who links to themselves from 2011 and 2012 should probably provide all the answers you need to know.
The links were to particularly grievous and stupid comments by commentators on the (blessedly) defunct Radio Sport. That's why I keep a record of these comments, which would otherwise disappear into the ether. It means that when I point out that a particular sports broadcaster in fact knows nothing about sports and is a brutal bigot to boot, I can provide evidence.
What do you do, sir?
Dont worry, mate, I'm just having a laugh, but if you're that bothered, stick it in your data base and I'll have a look for your killer zinger comeback some time in 2034 lol
Killer zinger on the way, buddy.
In 2034, by the way, Pres. Eric Trump will be midway through his second term, and down here Jacinda will be nearing the end of her seventh. Former President Obama will still have sixteen more years to live….
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/01/who-will-be-lead-mourner-at-obamas.html
But Morrissey, life is not worth living without cricket on the radio.
Fair comment, my bearded friend.
Unfortunately, Radio Sport didn't stick to that core business. Instead, it turned over the airwaves to the likes of Deaker, Devlin, Veitch, Doug Golightly, and Willy Lose….
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/search?q=Willy+Lose
Agreed…I never listened to them.
Neither did anyone else. That's why NZME did what it had wanted to do for years, and got rid of it.
Sounds like a protracted torture in brain activity deprivation. It' is as tedious as listening to the Trump alternately blustering and whining without the moments of inadvertent ironic humour.
I gave up on sports when I stopped playing them. I can't quite understand people who waste time on listening to them or even attending sports grounds to watch them. Don't they have anything else to do?
Fair comment, Lynn. The problem with Radio Sport was that they had 18 hours to fill every day.* Even if they had been knowledgeable, eloquent, and witty broadcasters, that would have been an almost impossible task. They possessed, sadly, none of those qualities.
* Midnight to dawn they paid for infinitely superior American sports talk radio.
It's more about the community, if you're watching local sports. Otherwise, I find it hard to get excited about some weekly competition that drags on and on. World Cups and the Olympics are pretty cool tho
lprent….oh you are so wrong…..I remember listening to England v Pakistan on the BBC World Service while sleeping under the stars in Tibet in '82.
(This was before Thatcher removed funding for Test Match Special on the World Service-unforgivable.)
Second time – 3 hours apart – got a phony call with female USA accent from automated scam machine claiming that someone has been spending $1000 with Amazon on my credit card. Phoned the bank just to check out and they report a wave of it going on – FYI. Bank says if you follow their directions they give you two different buttons for choice and you will be directed to a person who will harvest your card number from you. Warmer job I imagine than fruit picking or cabbage cutting out in the fields.
Yes we have had several calls. 3 yesterday, None today yet!!
Hang up Don't respond.
Try this " I'm so glad you called, can we talk about Jesus ? " Works every time, but mostly if I've had a bad day or even only a semi-terrific one I'll purge with a diatribe of the most offensive shit imaginable, its quite cathartic.
Remember these arseholes know they are committing a crime.
The calls are machine recorded.
So not ta goer.
That's awesome, thanking you Adrian, I'm going to use that one day 🙂
@ greywarshark (14) I was with a friend during the week when she received the same message, however this time the caller had an Indian accent. Fortunately, she was on to the fact it was a scam. Yep, the scammers are out there. Caution is needed.
Feel like reading TheStandard.org.nz with new fonts and wider layout? (client side only)
Here's my custom CSS: 🤓 (work in progress)
https://gist.githubusercontent.com/roblogic/09d2bb93a67483f05158ccda0ae3fe53/raw/
It works with the Stylus browser extension.
Thank you. Look forward to delving over coming days.
Oh, Stylus needs the filename “stan.user.css” also. So install Stylus, then go to
https://gist.githubusercontent.com/roblogic/09d2bb93a67483f05158ccda0ae3fe53/raw/stan.user.css
and it should give TS a nice makeover 🙂
https://twitter.com/roblogic_/status/1266205469497896960?s=20
Nice use of css.
You can just add that directly to your browser as well…
Cheers, a bit of creativity and hacking is always a fun diversion
Ta. Hacking the layout appeals.. 🙂
how to win all the votes you want ONE active case in NZ
Excellent news.
https://www.twitter.com/radionz/status/1266177542647504896
It is, yet we are still at level 2, level 1 potentially 3 weeks away. It is easy (I grant you) to comment after the event.
I hope our govt. acts promptly to accelerate our move down the alert levels.
Allowing a home-grown scientific consensus to inform our Covid-19 response has safeguarded health – such a common sense approach, compared to the ‘balance‘ advocated by market forces. I’m enjoying retail shopping and restaurant dining now – what’s the rush?
A period of two infection cycles between easing restrictions is prudent.
We don't want to fuck it up at the end and have to redo two months of effort.
That is pretty much the basis you have to use for this particular bug. Even the 2 week infection limit looks like it may have been optimistic as there are now examples of people getting infected and not displaying any virus shedding until weeks afterwards – but it looks like it is doing the job – so not worth changing.
I was just reading some wannabe guest post writer sending something in via email proclaiming the theory that covid-19 is just a hoax by the government. Feels like they cribbed it off some other site as clickbait (and that is what their reference site looks like as well). All assertions based on the idea that it is just influenza and that nothing the government did (like closing and controlling borders in this and previous outbreaks) made any difference.
I was tempted to put it up just so I could eviscerate the ‘author’. The increased total death rate above normal in the US, Brazil, UK, and now Russia of this ‘influenza’ even with the social distancing there being the obvious club to beat the dipshit with. But since it was, like almost of 30 odd similar propositions I get daily, just an excuse to provide links to other sites – I restrained myself. Besides the dipshit clickbaiter would never actually come and argue their point.
Reminds me, I need to write a explicit policy on asserting false facts in comments and providing links and/or not defending their usage. I don’t mind rapping people over the knuckles about it. But it is starting to get irksome. Plus the National party appears to be making using completely false facts their only strategy based on some of the social media I have seen.
One from Pugh used pre-covid data from debt levels in Greece against projected post-covid-19 debt levels in NZ which was a pretty egregious bit of lying. I was thinking that a immediate 6 month ban unless they justified their usage to me in email was the appropriate site response – with all correspondence published.
Was it the same one as I mentioned in the back-end?
I thought that a driver for the shutdown was to protect our health system from being overrun – Not to have 0 cases
Level 2 – Reduce The disease is contained, but the risk of community transmission remains
Level 1 – Prepare The disease is contained in New Zealand
https://covid19.govt.nz/assets/resources/tables/COVID-19-alert-levels-summary.pdf
Yeah it was initially, as per the plan designed around an influenza pandemic. But we get a new influenza strain each year, and apparently covid might be a bit more stable. Days after we went into L4 specialists started suggesting we might be able to eliminate it, rather than just slow it.
There's been some kerfuffle about the semantics of "eliminate", but I guess it's generally the "plan A+" crowd that won, rather than the "plan B" dude lol
I can accept that, yet that is not what is being conveyed and what was the aim/measure to achieve before we progress down. What will happen in the future when there are a few cases diagnosed ? Do we progress up the levels again for eradication to mirror what has been achieved this time ?
Depends on the scenario of "new cases".
For the foreseeable, we'll have border quarantine (and testing of improving sensitivity and timeliness). If a case shows up there, no worries it's doing its job. Although staff who contacted that person might be themselves quarantined.
If a case goes through quarantine then presents with covid a week later, we might see a national or regional alert escalation, or maybe a combination (e.g. the locality of know contacts goes to level 3/4, while the rest of the country goes back to level 2 to aid tracing if an unkown contact went out of town).
A random case popping up with no known travel association? That's when people will be probably looking at a nationwide L3/4 again, because it breaks the known behaviour of the disease.
But these are possible variations, not gospel. It's a judgement call at the time, based on many factors and inputs. But so far the govt's been pretty good at communicating what is happening, why, and what the risks are.
I'm not sure what you mean by "not what is being conveyed". The elimination goal has been pretty consistent for a couple of months now, which is actually pretty miraculous in this fast-changing situation.
Appreciate the wish for certainty now and in the future, but also understand the need to adjust responses and 'level details' as NZ gets on top of this pandemic threat, learning as we go.
Covid-19 is novel, with no proven treatment or vaccine (yet) – caution is (still) warranted, IMHO.
Personally I remain unconvinced that they will get a vaccine within 5 years. And that is only because they were getting close to trialling SARS and MERS viruses using new approaches before this particular coronavirus popped up.
The more that is revealed about covid-19, the more unconvinced I get. A 32k base pair virus from inside bat colonies – and one that appears (in my view) to have had about a decade adapting to humans. It looks both endemic, unlikely to get a widespread herd immunity, and vaccines are unlikely to have a long term effect. I see this hanging around and if a vaccine is achieved, is going to require boosters every few years.
Specific antiviral treatments to prevent slipping into a critical state seem more likely in the medium term.
Which of the Level 2 restrictions do you consider an unreasonable restriction?
About all I can see that's significantly different from Level 1 is limiting gatherings to 100 or less, ensuring physical distancing, and record-keeping of visitors.
That doesn't seem onerous, particularly since we are still in a time period where undetected presymptomatic or asymptomatic community transmission could still be occurring. It seems to me to be very low pain to maintain Level 2 for a few weeks longer to minimise the risk of the massive pain of having to go back up the levels.
I am fortunate and I gather from your comment that you to are also (I hope so), but ask that question to someone who has or is considering shutting down their business or has or could lose their job, and the consequence of that be it financial, health, relationship etc. The delay of progressing thru the stages by 1,2 or 3 weeks could make a difference to them.
What kind of business might be at serious risk of having to close because of another few weeks of limiting gatherings to 100 people, some physical distancing, and maintaining visitor logs?
I would guess it's very very few. The massive lockdown we have already had will have already culled the marginal businesses, and another few weeks of level 2 won't affect the vast majority of businesses that were robust enough to survive until now. It will affect a few weeks of profitability for sure, so the owners have an incentive to make as much noise as they can, which is where I think the push to go to Level 1 is coming from.
A few more weeks of Level 2 certainly won't change the outlook for the business sectors that have been wholesale obliterated such as tourism.
With no community sport until June 22nd there is 2-3 weeks where cafes, bakeries, mobile coffee etc miss out on that trade.( + the feel good factor of life returning to some resemblance to normal) Some of these businesses are next to parks that when there is no action there is no foot traffic that is 2/7 of their trade. Restaurants, pubs etc that to comply with distancing have limited what their business can cater for. Professional sports events that have eliminated crowds those industries that support these events. Whist these may not be large compared to already announced closures, tell that to those affected.
I would suggest to those affected that they ponder the consequences of having to go back into a Level 3 or 4 lockdown.
And that they also ponder that the team that made the decisions that appear to have us on track for a return to domestic normality much faster than our peer nations are the same team that see our best course is to maintain Level 2 for a few weeks longer. Their record of success so far is awfully hard to argue with.
NZ at level 2 is now less restrictive than Queensland which has similar (almost) zero new case rates and very few active cases. Queensland, like WA, NT, SA and Tas are keeping their borders closed to Vic and NSW where there is (admittedly low) community transmission. NZ is probably one of the very few advanced economies with such opportunites. Count your lucky stars you live where you live.
Well around my hood it's starting to look pretty normal apart from the distancing, the hand sanitiser and the signing in. I've also stuck my head into a number of the small local businesses that I would really hate to loose – $50 note in hand to donate if needed- to check that they are okay and found that they were fine with lots of work and any worries had vanished.
I still have more to check though. Stuff did take the donation but happy with that.
same here redbaron. in my small town and the neigbouring two I was in yesterday, shops were busy and car parks hard to find. the only closed shop in my local town is a pizza shop that closed three weeks prior to lockdown.
Look up South Korea's second wave 54 cases overnight, and Australia has some community transmission. Safe rather than sorry. June 8 is not long now.
Great collaboration between NZ Defence Forces and US Defense Forces.
https://youtu.be/zUuOnl4f0rE
Ahhh Jingoism
If only they kept it to musical items, it would be wonderful.
If only they kept it to musical items, it would be wonderful.
+100
And also carried that approach forward to their police forces in USA to ours in NZ and Australia too. So sad to hear about this latest USA police outrage. Chris Trotter eviscerates it:
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2020/05/29/poisonous-legacy-why-george-floyd-could-be-choked-while-the-whole-world-watched/
I think Morrissey has covered this also further down.
Chris Trotter? It will be interesting to see what he says if those cops are acquitted. I wonder if his views have evolved since the killing of Trayvon Martin in 2013…
Beautiful work both teams ka pai e kia ora.
Thanks Macro Good one.
..so, Librarians as unskilled Jobseeker assistants with no official title and code of conduct, has now just become the new normal.
Pity those poor deluded souls that visit libraries to, you know, borrow books….between the strict limit on titles held in each library, the aesthetic of half empty shelves (a policy in some library's..'safer' and more 'tidy looking' apparently)..and now the full and open morphing of libraries into Social Welfare offices the self fulfilling prophesy of 'no one reads books anymore' is well on its way.
I do believe that yesterday morning RNZ reported that people without computers could still access doctors on line via the libraries. Seriously.
If the powers that be wish to move the world on line..job seeking and Doctors visits and Education.. then they need to come up with specialised computer hubs, with specialised staff..computer lounges in winz for starters. Though I guess that would only work if winz offices could become 'customer friendly'.
Libraries have become a place where the poor may have cheap access to a computer for a while… Is there any other place?
I agree with you in that I want libraries to remain as they were, with this as a temporary addition, not see the destruction of the traditional library, which becomes just a Social Welfare Office.
They always dress up things like this as being about 'jobs'.
Libraries are community knowledge hubs already, not just places with books. I'd trust a librarian to help people more than a winz staffer.
Not great but it recognises the value of libraries and librarians and also the impact on rates which might otherwise lead to library funding cuts.
The Pride of Minneapolis. NOT.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=12335764
Here's one of Minneapolis' finest working as agent provocateur….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PU0fkDT4q4k&feature=emb_logo
"This Tweet violated the Twitter Rules about glorifying violence. However, Twitter has determined that it may be in the public’s interest for the Tweet to remain accessible."
https://www.twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1266231100780744704
Fork !!! It's going to be real ugly by the time we wake up tomorrow.
Best news all year:
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/05/national-mps-say-law-change-lets-government-scrutinise-every-foreign-financial-transaction.html
So Louisa Wall has exited out of Manurewa. One hopes she will get a suitably high position on List. Politics sometimes is a hard place
With a local majority of over 8,000, why it was was necessary for the apparent alternative Ian Dunwoodie to white ant her out of town is completely beyond civil reason. Hell, ask around town – she's a lot easier to work with than Carmel Sepuloni.
Not sure It's it's going to run seat there's is someone else
[Fixed typo in user handle]
See Moderation note.
What the actual fork… the CNN team were just arrested while they were reporting on the riots..wow!
https://twitter.com/CNN/status/1266315061221613569
Only the black CNN reporters, the white ones were fine…
'Murica…. go figure.
Not sure its Ian that is going to get the seat there is someone else
[Fixed typo in user handle]
See Moderation note.
Kia Ora Newshub.
The art plagiarism hiding behind A court??????.
People who stuff there recycling bins with rubbish are so short sighted wake up.
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora
Te Ao Maori News
Its good to see Maori coming out with online resources to support tangata mental health.
Ka kite Ano.
https://youtu.be/qQfetkoGrpU
Kia Ora Newshub.
Opening Travel to the Pacific Islands is logical.
That's good to see People supporting Aotearoa business.
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora
Te Ao Maori News.
Planting a billion trees is awesome I hope all our Waterways edges are planted with trees to help keep them clean.
Find Your Fish helping Rangatahi find a great future is a good idea Kia Kaha.
Ka pai Te reo Maori in Te whare
Ka kite Ano.
Kia Ora
Te Ao Maori News.
Yes it does exist here in Aotearoa.
Its good to see Tangata whenua O Aotearoa receiving houners the list looks to deserve there houners from what I have seen go down in the last few months.
Ka kite Ano.
The kawaii run is awesome at Te motu Te Kawaii run is awesome at Te Waiapu to it great to see a ruhui at Te Motu.
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora
The Am Show.
With that data on whare heat it good that the government has $50.00 a week winter heating payment for the tangata that need it the most..
In winter and we still have warm weather like this That's global warming.
Plant based plastic bottles is good news especially when it breaks down fast in the environment.
Ka kite Ano