When it comes to breach of copyright, Trump seems to have established a track record as serial offender.
"Tom Petty family united last weekend to release a statement objecting to the use of I Won't Back Down at the President's contentious campaign rally in Tulsa. Brendon Urie soon followed with a strongly worded statement condemning Trump's use of the Panic! at the Disco song High Hopes at the same rally. Both Neil Young and REM's Michael Stipe have previously publicly objected to Trump campaign song use.
What an arrogant little view of life from someone who has joined 'The Currrent Correctness and Infinite Fount of All Wisdom Cult'. I haven't registered this anywhere so offer it to anyone who has been looking for a group to start or a name for one they have joined. Be quick, grab it before someone else gets off with it.
My piece of wisdom is that we all contain the potential for all the faults we apprehend in others now and from the past; our job is to keep thinking, forgive ourselves with big efforts to do better, and when we come across perpetrators don't waste time hating them. Instead insist ask them to atone by attempting to change what they have done, and get the water of life running in a different direction so that everyone can access it.
Well sounds like bull-kaka to me. Not helped by the emphasis on strange words that the would not normally be emphasised in the narration. So what if you have to give the benefit of the doubt or, heavens, be kind to someone older who may imperfect recall, wrong recall or who you think might actually be wrong. It does not mean that their whole life has been lived imperfectly or wrongly.
In the 70s there was an almost slavish following by some of the idea that you had to let people know their faults, that it was better for them to know their faults and for you to let them know…..a crock that I called the 'Goodness and Honesty policy' (sarc) as it was nothing of the sort. This sounds a bit like that.
The government’s review of managed isolation facilities paints a picture of an under-resourced, uncoordinated and ad hoc system.
The review points to a “misalignment between different agencies’ perceived responsibilities, their policies, and operational realities”. Which basically means it was all a bit of a mess.
So those folk now must face the fact that the govt's review confirms the existence of the shambles. Well, they could persist in denial by claiming that a mess is not as bad as a shambles, perhaps. But better to get real instead!
Do we have community spread, Dennis, and if so, was this caused or compounded by the ‘shambles’ that you you’re so focussed on? It is simple big-picture-small-picture stuff but many folks, you included, seem to fret & sweat over the small stuff. Please notice that I haven’t mentioned one official or political party, as they are irrelevant to this question.
Well, I do agree that the folks who would rather call a spade an excavation implement have made relevant points.
My concern is that the PM seems to have lost the plot re political management. Public confidence in the govt is essential for re-election. She can't afford to maintain the ebb-tide effect in the polls. Chris Trotter gets it, I noticed this morning that he posted this on Friday: http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2020/06/sack-him-jacinda-sack-him-now.html
If David Clark hasn’t been sacked by the time you read this, then Jacinda isn’t doing her job. His point-blank refusal to accept responsibility for the multiple institutional failures of his Health portfolio more than justifies Clark’s dismissal.
Ministers of the Crown only have one job: to be responsible. As members of both the legislature and the executive they are a living bridge between citizen and state. A ministerial refusal to accept responsibility for failures occurring on his watch is also a refusal to uphold the essence of our Westminster-style representative democracy. If Jacinda doesn’t get this, then she should be given a swift tutorial by someone who does.
Keeping David Clark operating in his role as the Nats' secret weapon is loony. It just reinforces Muller as a viable alternative in the public mind. Why do that??
I put a comment here supporting someone who made the point re lack of community spread last week. That's not the issue.
And re those using Woodhouse as a red herring, he's just beating up. But when you use spin on the basis of a valid point you get traction, right? To me he's just like one of those wee yap yap yap dogs. Even someone with average intelligence gets it right half the time. David Clark has been ramping up his yap.
That odious little man Woodhouse is clinging to the hope there is community spread. He also clings to that canard about the homeless man, and doubles down by saying he has lots and lots of other anecdotes about errors in the system. Do tell, Michael, why hold back? in for one, in for all? after all, you have proved you have no interest in the public health response being successful.
____________________________________________
I think it's fair to say the system became 'unfit for purpose' owing to the rapid growth in numbers. It's clear the problems with isolating and quarantining people grow exponentially as numbers grow, and this has exposed the insane demands from opposition politicians to open up more quickly.
It’s also clear these issue were either not anticipated, or overwhelmed the ability to adapt to greater numbers. But I note that in the last two weeks in particular there is not an inch to be given to the overworked people involved in the covid response at all levels. They are expected to be perfect. Anything else is not good enough. So easy to be a sideline expert, all wind and no responsibility.
Fair enough, and something else worth considering is the conflation of testing and quarantine in the public mind. In retrospect, seems like reassurance from the specialists that two weeks quarantine removes the risk became questionable at some point.
So then we got a rush to try & test all those released without testing. I'm not clear on why and I expect many others aren't either…
What is the primary goal of the border quarantine measures? Arguably, the secondary one is to make the public feel safer AKA “spin”. Has the primary objective been met, so far? If not, what was the impact? If you only focus on the spin then the ‘issue’ is about spin on spin AKA yap yap doggies yelping at every passing car.
Sacking Clark now would be another mess in the making.
The reason for the quarantine shambles was not obvious, but SPC over the weekend has put up a clear case the PM can take to the country. The reasoning was really only obvious in hindsight, but it goes like this:
While the whole country was at Level 3, effectively everyone and everywhere was in quarantine, so while the border procedures were useful they were not essential. Cases could slip through, but they would be contained very quickly.
But when the country dropped to Level 1 it became essential to first increase the border process security. The mistake was in yielding to political pressure to go down from Level 3 to Level 1 so quickly, which meant that the border process, which is a two week process, did not have time to ramp up in an orderly fashion.
Take that to the country, explain that in the understandable desire to get back to Level 1, the subtle implications for border quarantine were not properly understood and managed. It was an honest mistake I believe, and an honest mea culpa will be accepted.
The the Ministry can get on with more important reforms that are in the pipeline. Sacrificing goats for mere public spectacle is medieval.
Yes – and funnily enough, it's exactly what I was shouting at the telly and at everyone at home when it became apparent that we were moving to Level 1 so quickly – "make sure the border is secure first!" Leakage from the border into a community operating at level 1 being so much more potentially dangerous.
I disagree on the basis of traditional morality: the doctrine of ministerial responsibility ought to be enforced. I believe the case you make, while seeming reasonable, would fail as a political strategy.
I think it will fly. Most voters are reasonable people and when the mistake is explained to them they will understand.
After all how many people here anticipated this peculiar problem at the time? I certainly didn't. And none of the clever media types calling for Clark’s resignation did either.
I think the government has been busy dealing with the real world issues being thrown at them as this pandemic and it's consequences escalate.
Too busy to deal with spot fires being deliberately lit by the media and national party, although Adern took early steps to to address these with her interview earlier this morning. She also sounded tired, like a parent who has been up 5 times during night with a restless infant….
Dennis Frank You remind me sometimes of a needle stuck in the groove of an old vinyl record. You may call me old-fashioned, but then so are you. Events are moving so fast requiring regular adjustments of opinions, policies, practices and implementation, to try to ensure practical and high-minded results. To carry on an argument that we should stop and get an exact record of outcomes during fast-changing events under our Covid-19 regs is futile time-wasting not helpful to the government or the left. Are you thinking at all? Do you want a Right-Wing government?
I would scorn you personally if you do. It would show that you are a democracy-destroyer, and not worthy of space on any realistic left-wing blog that has integrity and objectivity. We are in crisis in the world, let's think about it all not get stuck on the potty obstinately wailing. Life happens while we are planning (and commenting repetitively) other things!
Issuing feeble excuses in an attempt to justify evasion of moral responsibility isn't a good idea. All that happens is that you reinforce the view of centrists that the political left is just as bad as the political right.
Ministerial responsibility was put into the system of representative democracy for a very good reason. You and Ian ought to reflect on that reason. It doesn't help Aotearoa when the left side of politics is just as keen to break the rules as the right.
I think you will find that Dr Ashley Bloomfield answers directly to Government and not the MoH because he has more power than the MoH in an emergency. That was my understanding way back in the mists of time when he was elevated, so yes responsibility bypasses Ministers all the way to Parliament.
I will repeat part of Jacinda Ardern's comments this morning to the 'one size fits all' idiot who goes by the name of Mike Hosking:
Hosking: "Did you look at the pictures last week of Ashley Bloomfield when your Minister of Heath threw him under the bus so publicly?"
Ardern: "I did. I did see that interview but I also know the full transcript of what happened in the interview and the elements that weren't included. That included Dr Clark talking about what an exceptional public servant Ashley was."
Hosking: "What did you see in Ashley's face?"
Ardern: "Well, the same that I've seen across people who are working in health generally. A group of people who have worked exceptionally hard across a number of months and we do have to give some respite to. They have been working incredibly hard. We have been criticised for not directly blaming any individual person because this is a failure of our system and we have taken collective responsibility for that."
Hosking: "Did he deserve what we got?"
Ardern: "What Dr Clark said was no different to what Dr Bloomfield said only 48 hours before. No one here is placing blame at any individual's foot for something that was a systems failure and that we are all working really well collectively together to resolve."
Hosking: "You don't think it was galling that the most inept minister going was the one handing out the criticism?"
Ardern: "Again, you'll see that I have kind of disputed the framing that you have put around this whole thing, Mike. None of us are placing blame on individuals here because that wouldn't be right. We have had a system failure and we have worked hard to fix it. The report yesterday shows the efforts being made. Both Dr Bloomfield and Dr Clark have worked together exceptionally well. I have sat in meetings with these individuals frequently. I know the collaborative, collegial working relationship they have. Those individuals are part of a bigger team who have managed to get New Zealand into an uneviable position. We are doing better than most of the world right now, and it is because in no small part to their work they are doing alongside New Zealanders."
I watched the press conference live and Jacinda is right. Clark was fulsome in his praise of Bloomfield but how extraordinary that the media apparently missed it – not.
What utter bollocks Denis. I read the transcript of Ardern's interview with Hoskings this morning about why she hasn't sacked Clark……..as Ardern said earlier Clark is part of the solution.
A shambles is the United States, the UK, Brazil. Not NZ. The system here is/was under extreme stress.
A shambles is "a state of total disorder"….. Its just bollocks that you describe isolation facilities as total disorder.
BTW Denis you are starting to sound like those pathetic Nats saying “We’d do it better”
The govt review has confirmed that my view is correct. The fact that it is widely shared in the public mind is hurting Labour. Persisting in denial of the facts will not help their re-election prospects.
As for Nats doing better, not a chance. Obviously David Clark got set up by the officials who failed to do their job properly, and any Nat minister would have been set up similarly. Unless those officials did it deliberately to undermine the govt, due to being Nat supporters. Incompetence is the more likely explanation.
Denis, I don't think it is accurate to characterise isolation facilities as a shambles (dictionary definition of a shambles is state of total disorder).
Its very clear that any disorder in isolation facilities was not pervasive. Of course it has hurt Labour's polling. That is undeniable and the opposition has played politics with the system failures to score votes. You are buying into the oppositions memes.
The system of quarantining returnees has achieved what it set out to achieve i.e keeping Covid out of the community. To do that by definition the system was functional despite the issues.
Okay, put like that it is all reasoning I can accept as valid. Lots of folks nowadays lose words loosely in disregard of the dictionary meaning (racism for instance).
I'm not buying into Nat memes – I independently reached the same view in accord with widespread public perception of the consequences of the operational dysfunction. Did so before Woodhouse began bleating.
Assuming the public dance to the Nats' tune is a leftist syndrome. Sometimes it seems that way, but really it's a mistake to assume people can't form their own opinions from what happens…
At the risk of introducing too much nuance; my primary issue is immoral protection of public service wrong-doers. 😇
There's a convention around this: Nat/Lab agreement that enforcement can only proceed via employment contract. I don't agree with this left/right weasel dance unison sham. It's immoral, because it is used to cover up wrong-doing.
To do so, David Clark had to disregard the parliamentary doctrine of ministerial responsibility. His leader has condoned that. So far.
So as regards culpability, DC is merely the secondary offender. Yet parliamentary democracy is supposed to make him take the rap. On that basis, my take on the stances adopted by Linda Clark & Richard Harman is as follows: LC is correct on the basis of how parliament is supposed to operate, RH is correct on the basis of natural justice.
Exactly, every country in the world is having huge fuckups on a scale far, far larger than this on an hourly basis. One in 5 months is a pretty good record which is why we are the safest place in the world being managed by the best and hardest working group on the planet. And I thank them every day. i have also along with many others have had a complete gutsful of whiner and finger pointers.
Better to fix it Frank. Which they have, smartly with no excuses. As to "get real instead" Instead of what? Lying like Woodhouse? scaremongering about "Community transmission?"
Prime Minister Ardern said we would get cases coming in at the border. No one then thought the numbers returning would become a flood. Very quickly the system was almost overwhelmed by returnees from areas where the pandemic is raging.
"Shambles" means no parts of the border controls were working. That is patently untrue, as we would have community transmission.
I hope some one doesn't sneak the virus through somehow, as was done with the rabbit Khaleesi virus, because politically they believe they would be better off.
We need to stop navel gazing and start working at how to maximise health and future opportunities. Scare mongering is another road to austerity and a loss of confidence.
Fisher and Paykel Health saw a 37% growth and 5000 employees is a case in point.
Rather than getting the so-called 'real oil' from an article complete with 'spin,' the actual press release and the report itself and project plan present a clear and sober picture. ( I thought we had all had it confirmed/learned during the lockdown 1.00pm pressers and seeing the articles that resulted that journos often don't get the slant correct or even the facts.)
The June poll continues a trend among the Helius cannabis surveys, which have found increasing support cannabis legalisation since August last year, when only 39 per cent of Kiwis were in favour. However, a November 2018 Helius cannabis survey registered the highest support for legalising cannabis for personal use at 60 per cent.
The intra-party breakdowns are fascinating too, with only Nat dinosaurs holding the line against progress:
Notably, New Zealand First voters have now shifted to support reform – 53 per cent are in favour. Seventy per cent of ACT voters now plan to tick yes at the referendum – up significantly from 45 per cent in February. And 72 per cent of Labour voters support the bill.
Yeah I'll be voting to legalise even though I know that it's bad for the body. However, we have spent millions through the cops and justice system for about zero result. Give a fraction of that money to the health system and I reckon they will have nagged most people into submission within the decade. They did a basically good job on the fags- much more cost effective than the cops.
Heck I'd even run an ad asking if people wanted to be arrested or nagged.
neither, some will simply bake cookies, or make a tincture, tea, gummi bears (with or without permission form the Greens) and will never smoke a single leave.
But yes, i will vote for it as i am sick and tired of seing lives fucked over for a joint, or 'possesion with intend to sell' even tho its literally just an ounce for private use.
And thus i will also be voting for new businesses, new agricultural projects, jobs and increased tax revenue.
I was actually thinking of things like short term memory loss ? not the actual smoke which I assume is as bad as fag smoke. But is this an issue with non smoke forms of delivery?
Hmmm, Kate Hawkesby, the paragon of personal freedom and responsibility, seems to advocate for forced COVID-19 tests for people coming into the country. Nek minit, she will call for forced vaccination too.
Every time he's interviewed he embarrasses himself, he simply has no idea what's real and what's not, perfect for a finace minister of the National Party, basically full of shite
John Cambell interviewd him this morning, he kept reiterating the story came from a reliable source but would not name the source or state that the story was TRUE.
They suffer from Dunning Kruger syndrome which, in a nutshell, means that stupid people who don't know they are stupid like to believe that everyone else is stupid.
And just prior to Goldsmith’s shambles of an interview Woodhouse was still pushing the Nat’s line that there was likely to be community transmission of Covid in Aotearoa although (like the fabled Homeless Man) there is absolutely no evidence to support the claim.
True, no evidence. However risk management is the underlying rationale. One would not expect Woodhouse to be able to explain that sophisticated concept, eh?
Greens warning of climate change in the nineties used that as the basis of their advocacy. I'm not saying they did it well – it seems in retrospect to have been tacit rather than made explicit. However since it is the basis of the insurance industry, and used even more widely throughout capitalism, it does deserve articulation.
Don’t just go Paula–piss off! You will be remembered as a revolting Rebstock trained, ladder pulling, beneficiary bashing, woman undermining, confidence breaking mockery of what MPs should aspire to.
While I'm normally in favour of error or mistake as the default assumption for political screw-ups, I'd caution that there is a LONG history of malicious misinterpretation of other parties' more progressive policies from National finance spokespeople, so let's not be TOO charitable to Goldsmith and rule out entirely the idea that he knows damn well how marginal taxes work and what the language that describes them looks like, but he's mischievously trying to muddy the waters.
Maybe Luxon will join the people driving a fleet of Motorhomes for the new ONE Party that I talked to in the Far North today. They believe they are the only true Christian Party, along with some seriously dubious claims about other partys. Oh PS, miss you already Pulya. lololol.
It's winter. The wood is wet and produces too much smoke. Illegal. Keep the wood drying out before using so it's fit for purpose. Shut the door on the Woodhouse, for a number of months and then maybe the winter of our discontent will be over.
Croaking Cassandra has an interesting piece on the Chinese Communist Party spy-trainer politician in the National Government. He has been able to get in on the National List. It would be hard for this man to be objective. Apparently he refuses any English-speaking media contact to explain how he does this herculean task. I wonder if he unburdens himself to the NZ Chinese language newspaper – I think it is published in Auckland, home-away-from-home for many Chinese housing investors.
We live in interesting times – too late to say 'May you'. (Wikipedia – Despite being so common in English as to be known as the "Chinese curse", the saying is apocryphal – doubtful origin.)
…he’d lied about his past in his application for New Zealand residency and citizenship. In fact, challenged on the point he was quite open about it: he’d actively misrepresented his past because his CCP bosses had insisted on it when he first left the PRC.
Faux news backed the mayor of Amity when he said the town had to get those tourists back in the water…
The data is in: Fox News may have kept millions from taking the coronavirus threat seriously
It’s another one of those Trump Era realities best described as unsurprising but nevertheless shocking.
Three serious research efforts have put numerical weight — yes, data-driven evidence — behind what many suspected all along: Americans who relied on Fox News, or similar right-wing sources, were duped as the coronavirus began its deadly spread.
Dangerously duped.
The studies “paint a picture of a media ecosystem that amplifies misinformation, entertains conspiracy theories and discourages audiences from taking concrete steps to protect themselves and others,” wrote my colleague Christopher Ingraham in an analysis last week.
A choir of more than 100 people performed without masks at a robustly attended event in Texas at the First Baptist Church on Sunday that featured a speech by Vice President Mike Pence.
Nearly 2,200 people attended the "Celebrate Freedom Rally," in the Lone Star State, according to rally organizers, which has seen a severe surge in coronavirus cases since easing restrictions. The venue capacity for the indoor event was close to 3,000 attendees, organizers say.
Throughout the service, the members of the choir sang at full volume, behind an orchestra. Between songs, the choir members put their masks back on when they sat down, according to pool reports from the event. The members of the choir had space between them, but it was not clear if it was the recommended six feet.
The data is in: Fox News may have kept millions from taking the coronavirus threat seriously.
Rewrite, "The data is in: Woodhouse may have kept thousands from believing that the coronavirus threat in NZ is under better control than anywhere else in the World.
Jack Vowles has done it again. He must be the sane one in a country of the insane Media.
On the one hand, if mistakes and errors are made, there is a responsibility to expose them, and those who are responsible. On the other, in a crisis there is always a danger of making things worse by exaggeration or generating misunderstanding, particularly if this destroys confidence in those who are in charge, making it harder for them to do their jobs. This is a particularly acute dilemma with an election looming in less than three months.
Most people probably understand the distinction between hard news, often based on careful investigative reporting, and so-called tabloid coverage that is shrill, emotional, and unbalanced.
I'd really love the news media to stop hounding the government over the pressure on the border and go and get stuck into the airline CEO's and scorch them. They hide behind press releases. They seem to be not erring on the side of caution instead just chasing the every last dollar. And it appears that American airlines are just going to start flying here (unilateral decision ?) as have other airlines. This puts pressure on us to provide extra quarantine regardless. According to the stories we don't even know who is coming until the plane is in the air athough I thought immigration had warning before boarding. We need to start charging for it and I' d start with the permanent residents who haven't been here for the last two years before Jan 2020. They have not contributed and are just using us as a bolthole or welfare backup.
So after the whole SNAFU around my managed isolation and being set free without any testing (which I have mentioned) I got my results back from MoH and, unsurprisingly, I am COVID free. Still no community transmission which is a great result even after the problems regarding managed isolation.
And please the next time if/when you are in quarantine again (lets hope this will never be the case) with requirements of 2 m distance to others and isolation ,, don't use a public elevator to go get a cigarette in a public smoke cubicle.
Be upfront and askhow you can safely leave the building, go to a balcony, smoking room, roof top etc in order to have your cigarette.And if you can't ask for Champix or Nicotine patches if getting through the day without a fix is too hard.
You using an elevator to go the smokers cubicle to get your fix was not the governments fault that is all on you and if you had been a carrier you could have infected people.
The elevator wasn’t an issue as you were only allowed in there with others from your room – by myself in my case. I did ask them about smoking outside but weirdly you couldn't smoke AND social distant. So what I did after the 4th day I’d only go for cigarettes after 10pm when you could smoke outside
Maybe all on me and others but everyone was just doing as we were told.
Today's presser. I got the feeling the media teeth were not so sharp. As usual he is very clear, and when he addresses the question of over 360 people they are trying to contact, and have not responded to calls, texts, and emails he absolutely nails it.
Precis: He is disappointed and expects them to play their part.
What on earth are these people thinking by not responding – they are part of the problem, not part of the solution.
It is well worth listening to this, it provides sanity from the scaremongering by the media and opposition politicians.
Yes there are still 367 people who the Ministry of Health is having trouble getting in touch with. Director-general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield made a fresh appeal for these people to get in touch with authorities.
Maybe some are to be found at National Party electorate meetings, by not getting tested they are keeping Mullers belief that there might be community spread alive.
Muller is trying to expolit the might be to open up borders – he believes in zombie economics. Money before lives, and he has the gall to claim to oppose euthansia from a moral position.
what a shambles! my kids mum got her test results back, negative, so she can go back to work. Such a shambles, to live in a country without community transmission, to be able to go to the Drs and get tested if you need to get one, bloody shambles,, no one has died from Covid in weeks, ICU beds empty, toilet paper for everyone, the Health Minister should resign!!! (sarc)
It is such a shambles that the Main Shambolic Media have to manufacture a shambles so they can ‘report’ on it and please the shareholders of the Main Shambles Manufacturers.
The day the pandemic total passes ten million might not be the best time to say you want NZ's borders to open up, but Todd Muller has done it anyway (Wellington business meeting).
To be fair, it is one kind of solution: there definitely won't be any quarantine bungles if there's no quarantine.
Is there method in Muller's madness? He suspects community transmission where there is none, and wants to open up our borders. If NZ's Covid elimination strategy had been less successful (say NZ now had the U.K.'s mortality rate of 642 deaths per million population, rather than the current 4.4 per million, then we'd have ~3,200 Covid-19 deaths), then would that have made it easier to open our borders?
Muller's been talking to the-man-in-the-street who wants everything easy and magic beans as well, and on quickly mulling it over, in about a second, has repeated it all as gospel. Being community driven and populist, he of course, bows down to the public. The country pays him to make judgments on vox pop; nice job if you can get it, and you can get it if you try. But maybe not just now Gnats, you imported, important pests.
It is clear that we are simultaneously doing too little (border bungles) and too much (border restrictions). For his next conjuring trick, Muller will disappear up his own fundament while simultaneously re-appearing at the other end.
The French Greens have made sweeping gains across the country as France shifts left in local body elections. Also (to my great delight) Anne Hidalgo the Socialist Mayor of Paris has had a big victory. Her bold plans to reinvent and regreen the capital will have repercussions for urban planning everywhere.
I swear, if you were a script writer for political satire, and you put these words in the mouth of a character who was only there for cheap laughs, you'd be told to go back and try again …
"Muller said there were several permutations of how some kind of border opening could work, particularly if passengers were able to prove they were Covid-19 free from overseas.
He said he didn't know exactly how this would work but he wanted some sort of clarity from the Government about their plan to open up."
Huh Observer? But, but, but Woodhouse said that the process is very simple. Anyone could do it and just get a competent (National) Government to run it all. Is Muller not speaking to Woodhouse?
Just got round to watching Campbell challenging Woodhouse on his homeless man myth. Pretty amazing. Note the "dry mouth" of Woodhouse and his failure to regain any credibility. (Sorry if this has already been covered.)
What's the background to this murder? Is this a young chap who should have been in enclosed, managed care because he was too erratically behaved when stressed. Has he shown signs of violence before?
Is this a result from people being out in the community, because it sounds nice. There was a great outcry in the UK in late 1980s about conditions in mental hospitals. So the only option was to close them all, not to really staff them well, and maintain the community standards to a high level, including those in institutions.
This process began with a wholescale transformation process known as deinstitutionalisation – that is, shifting care and support of people with mental health problems from psychiatric institutions into community based settings. At the start of the process, these institutions housed approximately 100,000 people; by the end, all had closed….
Politically, there was consensus among parties about hospital reconstruction, and further legislation set a vision for the provision of mental health services as part of this. Alongside this, Enoch Powell, then Minister for Health, announced the intention to halve the number of hospital beds for people with mental health problems.
Although there was little overt financial impetus for deinstitutionalisation, it was generally acknowledged that institutions were financially unsustainable and, in many cases, represented prime estate.
There were moral and medial reasons for looking at how many people could be treated in the community and perhaps better than in institutions. But note the above:
the right wing politician Powell was limiting mental health beds in hospital, and they were being regarded as financially unsustainable which is majorly a bean counter decision, and the last item they represented ‘prime; real estate.
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Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
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 ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
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Stones vs Trump: https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/music/300044352/rolling-stones-issue-cease-and-desist-notice-against-donald-trump
When it comes to breach of copyright, Trump seems to have established a track record as serial offender.
On kindness, by Charles Bukowski:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdV-T6FheVo
That is a narrow bitter view of kindness and far more about id.
What an arrogant little view of life from someone who has joined 'The Currrent Correctness and Infinite Fount of All Wisdom Cult'. I haven't registered this anywhere so offer it to anyone who has been looking for a group to start or a name for one they have joined. Be quick, grab it before someone else gets off with it.
My piece of wisdom is that we all contain the potential for all the faults we apprehend in others now and from the past; our job is to keep thinking, forgive ourselves with big efforts to do better, and when we come across perpetrators don't waste time hating them. Instead insist ask them to atone by attempting to change what they have done, and get the water of life running in a different direction so that everyone can access it.
I wonder if 'The Currrent Correctness and Infinite Font of All Wisdom Cult' is available
"Splitters!"
Well sounds like bull-kaka to me. Not helped by the emphasis on strange words that the would not normally be emphasised in the narration. So what if you have to give the benefit of the doubt or, heavens, be kind to someone older who may imperfect recall, wrong recall or who you think might actually be wrong. It does not mean that their whole life has been lived imperfectly or wrongly.
In the 70s there was an almost slavish following by some of the idea that you had to let people know their faults, that it was better for them to know their faults and for you to let them know…..a crock that I called the 'Goodness and Honesty policy' (sarc) as it was nothing of the sort. This sounds a bit like that.
This name is also up for grabs.
[Fixed error in user name again]
I see some folks last night disagreed with me about the existence of the quarantine shambles, and then this morning I encountered this: https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/28-06-2020/review-of-managed-isolation-reveals-system-under-extreme-stress/
So those folk now must face the fact that the govt's review confirms the existence of the shambles. Well, they could persist in denial by claiming that a mess is not as bad as a shambles, perhaps. But better to get real instead!
But they are right. I didn't see the word 'shambles' in that report … I don't think anyone denied there were no problems with the system.
Do we have community spread, Dennis, and if so, was this caused or compounded by the ‘shambles’ that you you’re so focussed on? It is simple big-picture-small-picture stuff but many folks, you included, seem to fret & sweat over the small stuff. Please notice that I haven’t mentioned one official or political party, as they are irrelevant to this question.
Well, I do agree that the folks who would rather call a spade an excavation implement have made relevant points.
My concern is that the PM seems to have lost the plot re political management. Public confidence in the govt is essential for re-election. She can't afford to maintain the ebb-tide effect in the polls. Chris Trotter gets it, I noticed this morning that he posted this on Friday: http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2020/06/sack-him-jacinda-sack-him-now.html
Keeping David Clark operating in his role as the Nats' secret weapon is loony. It just reinforces Muller as a viable alternative in the public mind. Why do that??
Sorry, Dennis, I seem to have somehow missed your answer. Was it a Yes or a No to community spread?
I put a comment here supporting someone who made the point re lack of community spread last week. That's not the issue.
And re those using Woodhouse as a red herring, he's just beating up. But when you use spin on the basis of a valid point you get traction, right? To me he's just like one of those wee yap yap yap dogs. Even someone with average intelligence gets it right half the time. David Clark has been ramping up his yap.
That odious little man Woodhouse is clinging to the hope there is community spread. He also clings to that canard about the homeless man, and doubles down by saying he has lots and lots of other anecdotes about errors in the system. Do tell, Michael, why hold back? in for one, in for all? after all, you have proved you have no interest in the public health response being successful.
____________________________________________
I think it's fair to say the system became 'unfit for purpose' owing to the rapid growth in numbers. It's clear the problems with isolating and quarantining people grow exponentially as numbers grow, and this has exposed the insane demands from opposition politicians to open up more quickly.
It’s also clear these issue were either not anticipated, or overwhelmed the ability to adapt to greater numbers. But I note that in the last two weeks in particular there is not an inch to be given to the overworked people involved in the covid response at all levels. They are expected to be perfect. Anything else is not good enough. So easy to be a sideline expert, all wind and no responsibility.
Fair enough, and something else worth considering is the conflation of testing and quarantine in the public mind. In retrospect, seems like reassurance from the specialists that two weeks quarantine removes the risk became questionable at some point.
So then we got a rush to try & test all those released without testing. I'm not clear on why and I expect many others aren't either…
What is the primary goal of the border quarantine measures? Arguably, the secondary one is to make the public feel safer AKA “spin”. Has the primary objective been met, so far? If not, what was the impact? If you only focus on the spin then the ‘issue’ is about spin on spin AKA yap yap doggies yelping at every passing car.
the real shambles here,is dennis dancing around the fact that he wouldnt know a shambles if he fell over one.
Sacking Clark now would be another mess in the making.
The reason for the quarantine shambles was not obvious, but SPC over the weekend has put up a clear case the PM can take to the country. The reasoning was really only obvious in hindsight, but it goes like this:
While the whole country was at Level 3, effectively everyone and everywhere was in quarantine, so while the border procedures were useful they were not essential. Cases could slip through, but they would be contained very quickly.
But when the country dropped to Level 1 it became essential to first increase the border process security. The mistake was in yielding to political pressure to go down from Level 3 to Level 1 so quickly, which meant that the border process, which is a two week process, did not have time to ramp up in an orderly fashion.
Take that to the country, explain that in the understandable desire to get back to Level 1, the subtle implications for border quarantine were not properly understood and managed. It was an honest mistake I believe, and an honest mea culpa will be accepted.
The the Ministry can get on with more important reforms that are in the pipeline. Sacrificing goats for mere public spectacle is medieval.
Nicely put RL.
Yes – and funnily enough, it's exactly what I was shouting at the telly and at everyone at home when it became apparent that we were moving to Level 1 so quickly – "make sure the border is secure first!" Leakage from the border into a community operating at level 1 being so much more potentially dangerous.
I disagree on the basis of traditional morality: the doctrine of ministerial responsibility ought to be enforced. I believe the case you make, while seeming reasonable, would fail as a political strategy.
I think it will fly. Most voters are reasonable people and when the mistake is explained to them they will understand.
After all how many people here anticipated this peculiar problem at the time? I certainly didn't. And none of the clever media types calling for Clark’s resignation did either.
I think the government has been busy dealing with the real world issues being thrown at them as this pandemic and it's consequences escalate.
Too busy to deal with spot fires being deliberately lit by the media and national party, although Adern took early steps to to address these with her interview earlier this morning. She also sounded tired, like a parent who has been up 5 times during night with a restless infant….
Dennis Frank You remind me sometimes of a needle stuck in the groove of an old vinyl record. You may call me old-fashioned, but then so are you. Events are moving so fast requiring regular adjustments of opinions, policies, practices and implementation, to try to ensure practical and high-minded results. To carry on an argument that we should stop and get an exact record of outcomes during fast-changing events under our Covid-19 regs is futile time-wasting not helpful to the government or the left. Are you thinking at all? Do you want a Right-Wing government?
I would scorn you personally if you do. It would show that you are a democracy-destroyer, and not worthy of space on any realistic left-wing blog that has integrity and objectivity. We are in crisis in the world, let's think about it all not get stuck on the potty obstinately wailing. Life happens while we are planning (and commenting repetitively) other things!
Hear hear grey.
Issuing feeble excuses in an attempt to justify evasion of moral responsibility isn't a good idea. All that happens is that you reinforce the view of centrists that the political left is just as bad as the political right.
Ministerial responsibility was put into the system of representative democracy for a very good reason. You and Ian ought to reflect on that reason. It doesn't help Aotearoa when the left side of politics is just as keen to break the rules as the right.
I think you will find that Dr Ashley Bloomfield answers directly to Government and not the MoH because he has more power than the MoH in an emergency. That was my understanding way back in the mists of time when he was elevated, so yes responsibility bypasses Ministers all the way to Parliament.
Well said. Thanks RL.
I will repeat part of Jacinda Ardern's comments this morning to the 'one size fits all' idiot who goes by the name of Mike Hosking:
I watched the press conference live and Jacinda is right. Clark was fulsome in his praise of Bloomfield but how extraordinary that the media apparently missed it – not.
What utter bollocks Denis. I read the transcript of Ardern's interview with Hoskings this morning about why she hasn't sacked Clark……..as Ardern said earlier Clark is part of the solution.
A shambles is the United States, the UK, Brazil. Not NZ. The system here is/was under extreme stress.
A shambles is "a state of total disorder"….. Its just bollocks that you describe isolation facilities as total disorder.
BTW Denis you are starting to sound like those pathetic Nats saying “We’d do it better”
The govt review has confirmed that my view is correct. The fact that it is widely shared in the public mind is hurting Labour. Persisting in denial of the facts will not help their re-election prospects.
As for Nats doing better, not a chance. Obviously David Clark got set up by the officials who failed to do their job properly, and any Nat minister would have been set up similarly. Unless those officials did it deliberately to undermine the govt, due to being Nat supporters. Incompetence is the more likely explanation.
Denis, I don't think it is accurate to characterise isolation facilities as a shambles (dictionary definition of a shambles is state of total disorder).
Its very clear that any disorder in isolation facilities was not pervasive. Of course it has hurt Labour's polling. That is undeniable and the opposition has played politics with the system failures to score votes. You are buying into the oppositions memes.
The system of quarantining returnees has achieved what it set out to achieve i.e keeping Covid out of the community. To do that by definition the system was functional despite the issues.
Okay, put like that it is all reasoning I can accept as valid. Lots of folks nowadays lose words loosely in disregard of the dictionary meaning (racism for instance).
I'm not buying into Nat memes – I independently reached the same view in accord with widespread public perception of the consequences of the operational dysfunction. Did so before Woodhouse began bleating.
Assuming the public dance to the Nats' tune is a leftist syndrome. Sometimes it seems that way, but really it's a mistake to assume people can't form their own opinions from what happens…
When this story first broke I was just as angry at the apparent fuck up as anyone. I really wanted some heads to roll.
Now a few weeks later when the rather non-obvious reason why it happened is clear to me, I've changed my mind.
At the risk of introducing too much nuance; my primary issue is immoral protection of public service wrong-doers. 😇
There's a convention around this: Nat/Lab agreement that enforcement can only proceed via employment contract. I don't agree with this left/right weasel dance unison sham. It's immoral, because it is used to cover up wrong-doing.
To do so, David Clark had to disregard the parliamentary doctrine of ministerial responsibility. His leader has condoned that. So far.
So as regards culpability, DC is merely the secondary offender. Yet parliamentary democracy is supposed to make him take the rap. On that basis, my take on the stances adopted by Linda Clark & Richard Harman is as follows: LC is correct on the basis of how parliament is supposed to operate, RH is correct on the basis of natural justice.
Exactly, every country in the world is having huge fuckups on a scale far, far larger than this on an hourly basis. One in 5 months is a pretty good record which is why we are the safest place in the world being managed by the best and hardest working group on the planet. And I thank them every day. i have also along with many others have had a complete gutsful of whiner and finger pointers.
If by 'shambles' you mean 'not up to the Woodlouse/Munter seal of approval', well you're still wrong.
Better to fix it Frank. Which they have, smartly with no excuses. As to "get real instead" Instead of what? Lying like Woodhouse? scaremongering about "Community transmission?"
Prime Minister Ardern said we would get cases coming in at the border. No one then thought the numbers returning would become a flood. Very quickly the system was almost overwhelmed by returnees from areas where the pandemic is raging.
"Shambles" means no parts of the border controls were working. That is patently untrue, as we would have community transmission.
I hope some one doesn't sneak the virus through somehow, as was done with the rabbit Khaleesi virus, because politically they believe they would be better off.
We need to stop navel gazing and start working at how to maximise health and future opportunities. Scare mongering is another road to austerity and a loss of confidence.
Fisher and Paykel Health saw a 37% growth and 5000 employees is a case in point.
I agree on the need to "start working at how to maximise health and future opportunities". FPH as you point out is a great example.
https://www.fphcare.com/nz/our-company/investor/news/fy21/fph-fy20-annual-results/
And schools educating young people for the higher wage jobs such companies offer. More companies like FPH and more school leavers fit to work in them.
Rather than getting the so-called 'real oil' from an article complete with 'spin,' the actual press release and the report itself and project plan present a clear and sober picture. ( I thought we had all had it confirmed/learned during the lockdown 1.00pm pressers and seeing the articles that resulted that journos often don't get the slant correct or even the facts.)
Here is a link to the press release from Hon Megan Woods
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/government-strengthens-managed-isolation-system
On this there are links to the report and to the action plan.
Good news from the "Horizon Research survey of nearly 1600 Kiwis. It found 56 per cent of respondents plan to vote for legalising cannabis for personal use on September 19." https://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=12343541
There's been a 60/40 yoyo effect:
The intra-party breakdowns are fascinating too, with only Nat dinosaurs holding the line against progress:
Yeah I'll be voting to legalise even though I know that it's bad for the body. However, we have spent millions through the cops and justice system for about zero result. Give a fraction of that money to the health system and I reckon they will have nagged most people into submission within the decade. They did a basically good job on the fags- much more cost effective than the cops.
Heck I'd even run an ad asking if people wanted to be arrested or nagged.
neither, some will simply bake cookies, or make a tincture, tea, gummi bears (with or without permission form the Greens) and will never smoke a single leave.
But yes, i will vote for it as i am sick and tired of seing lives fucked over for a joint, or 'possesion with intend to sell' even tho its literally just an ounce for private use.
And thus i will also be voting for new businesses, new agricultural projects, jobs and increased tax revenue.
Take that naggers.
same here, voting for it, not a drug taker & barely drink alcohol (the odd beer), but I hate the hypocrisy.
I was actually thinking of things like short term memory loss ? not the actual smoke which I assume is as bad as fag smoke. But is this an issue with non smoke forms of delivery?
Well that all depends, if sometimes the main…., a lot of time you will find that when the.., sorry, what was the question again?
Chuckle great reply
Hmmm, Kate Hawkesby, the paragon of personal freedom and responsibility, seems to advocate for forced COVID-19 tests for people coming into the country. Nek minit, she will call for forced vaccination too.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=12343734
And sterilisation can't be far away!
Gee Goldsmith is getting himself into all sorts of trouble on Morning Report.
Every time he's interviewed he embarrasses himself, he simply has no idea what's real and what's not, perfect for a finace minister of the National Party, basically full of shite
Yes Suzie nailing Goldsmith to the post. He sounded ridiculous.
Woodlouse has admitted he has no proof of homeless person jumping into the cue at isolation hotel.
He has admitted it was anecdotal and is still looking.
A lie by any other name …
John Cambell interviewd him this morning, he kept reiterating the story came from a reliable source but would not name the source or state that the story was TRUE.
Why do Nat MPs think Kiwis are stupid
“Why do Nat MPs think Kiwis are stupid”
They suffer from Dunning Kruger syndrome which, in a nutshell, means that stupid people who don't know they are stupid like to believe that everyone else is stupid.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
It's a belief that has served them well.
And just prior to Goldsmith’s shambles of an interview Woodhouse was still pushing the Nat’s line that there was likely to be community transmission of Covid in Aotearoa although (like the fabled Homeless Man) there is absolutely no evidence to support the claim.
True, no evidence. However risk management is the underlying rationale. One would not expect Woodhouse to be able to explain that sophisticated concept, eh?
Greens warning of climate change in the nineties used that as the basis of their advocacy. I'm not saying they did it well – it seems in retrospect to have been tacit rather than made explicit. However since it is the basis of the insurance industry, and used even more widely throughout capitalism, it does deserve articulation.
Yeah, but the Greens have a basis in reality where as the assumption of potential community spread doesn't, just an exaggerated lie.
Woodhouse the boy who cried Wolf but the Wolf blew his house down for telling Porkies
RNZ reporting Paula Bennett is standing down at the election.
Press conference live now. I feel sick listening to her. Gloating how she did wonders reforming the welfare system.
Good riddance
Past the lifeboats, over the rail (fur flying!) and into the drink; Paula's abandoned ship!
Check out Tom Sainsbury doing Bennett on her resignation .He was quick off the mark!
Or Paula tipped him off
The piece ends with Tom and Paula outrageously dancing in real life
I have to confess this is the one time I'll admit to Bennett being a good sport and she deserves credit for it
Na walked the plank more like . Good riddance to the scurvy dog.
More evidence of party spread of ‘resignovirus‘ – yet another Nat MP Toddles off.
https://thestandard.org.nz/will-the-last-remaining-national-mp-please-turn-off-the-lights/
They have lights?? Won't those sear their palid skin and blind their pinky eyes?
(Said in jest).
Lets hope its got an R.O of about 50.4.
Don’t just go Paula–piss off! You will be remembered as a revolting Rebstock trained, ladder pulling, beneficiary bashing, woman undermining, confidence breaking mockery of what MPs should aspire to.
Wow! Praise indeed!
Pullya Benefit quiting politics .National looking like a ragtag bunch of misfits.
Goldsmith lacks knowledge of economics or basic maths.
Woodhouse cries wolf
Muddler has a caucus of incompetents .
Collins tries to sterilize her dodgy past and dumps on everyone.
Luxton will be Nationals new leader in January.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
While I'm normally in favour of error or mistake as the default assumption for political screw-ups, I'd caution that there is a LONG history of malicious misinterpretation of other parties' more progressive policies from National finance spokespeople, so let's not be TOO charitable to Goldsmith and rule out entirely the idea that he knows damn well how marginal taxes work and what the language that describes them looks like, but he's mischievously trying to muddy the waters.
Luxon might be looking at National's sorry bunch of no-hopers and grifters and having second thoughts.
Maybe Luxon will join the people driving a fleet of Motorhomes for the new ONE Party that I talked to in the Far North today. They believe they are the only true Christian Party, along with some seriously dubious claims about other partys. Oh PS, miss you already Pulya. lololol.
Nostradamus (Tr-down) we salute you.
lol !
https://twitter.com/antihobbes/status/1277393808766824451?s=20
I guess this has been put up before but good to get reminder;
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2020/06/29/alternative-aotearoa-election-2020-seminar-update/
Alternative Aotearoa – a one-day seminar to provide solutions for the environmental, social and economic transformation of Aotearoa.
Saturday 25 July, 8.30am Pipitea Marae, Wellington…
Registration is free but people need to register for catering purposes. A koha will apply for lunch. Register via email to bronwensummers@gmail.com…
The Social Solutions section has been extended by half an hour due to the wide range of groups keen to contribute.
The seminar will be live-streamed on The Daily Blog…
Keynote speakers:
Laura O’Connell Rapira – Director of Action Station
Efeso Collins – Pasifika community activist and Auckland City Councillor
Co-chairs:
Julia Whaipooti – Justice Advocate
Martyn Bradbury – Editor of The Daily Blog
Recorders/Collators/Final presenters
Tamatha Paul – Wellington City Councillor
Jane Kelsey – Law Professor University of Auckland
"Who needs facts? Who needs evidence? Who needs logic. That's for leftie academic woosses.
I believe. I have an opinion and I am entitled to it, even if I'm wrong, and I'm not.
I'm saying there must be community cases out there. I was right a month ago. It's just that you haven't found them. You're at fault.
Just like you never found the homeless man….. You wasted all that money looking for him, and never found him.
Look, if the President of the US is allowed to be sarcastic, then I'm allowed to be anecdotal and not reveal my sources.
No, I'm not going to ask questions in Parliament tomorrow because all those leftie academic woosses will make fun of me.
Oh, look. Paula’s leaving. You should be talking to her because Judith was nasty to her when she laughed at Nikki’s opinion that Paul was Maori.
What? Of course, he’s Maori. You just haven’t found the evidence!”
The Woodhouse Reports.
Well observed – Woodhouse sounding more presidential by the day.
It's winter. The wood is wet and produces too much smoke. Illegal. Keep the wood drying out before using so it's fit for purpose. Shut the door on the Woodhouse, for a number of months and then maybe the winter of our discontent will be over.
A tick for each of your points mac 1.
Bennett gripped it, blipped it, flipped it, lipped it and has finally zipped it. Good bloody riddance.
A Winston Peters' tribute in Parliament would be a treat.
Snappy – nailed it.
Nailed it! More than John Key could….
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11414883
What is it with Nats and billboards?
P B will probably get a job on Newshub. Suit her down to the ground.
Croaking Cassandra has an interesting piece on the Chinese Communist Party spy-trainer politician in the National Government. He has been able to get in on the National List. It would be hard for this man to be objective. Apparently he refuses any English-speaking media contact to explain how he does this herculean task. I wonder if he unburdens himself to the NZ Chinese language newspaper – I think it is published in Auckland, home-away-from-home for many Chinese housing investors.
We live in interesting times – too late to say 'May you'. (Wikipedia – Despite being so common in English as to be known as the "Chinese curse", the saying is apocryphal – doubtful origin.)
…he’d lied about his past in his application for New Zealand residency and citizenship. In fact, challenged on the point he was quite open about it: he’d actively misrepresented his past because his CCP bosses had insisted on it when he first left the PRC.
https://croakingcassandra.com/author/mhreddell/
That baby on Marama's knee looks like Tova just asked a question.
Faux news backed the mayor of Amity when he said the town had to get those tourists back in the water…
The data is in: Fox News may have kept millions from taking the coronavirus threat seriously
It’s another one of those Trump Era realities best described as unsurprising but nevertheless shocking.
Three serious research efforts have put numerical weight — yes, data-driven evidence — behind what many suspected all along: Americans who relied on Fox News, or similar right-wing sources, were duped as the coronavirus began its deadly spread.
Dangerously duped.
The studies “paint a picture of a media ecosystem that amplifies misinformation, entertains conspiracy theories and discourages audiences from taking concrete steps to protect themselves and others,” wrote my colleague Christopher Ingraham in an analysis last week.
Here’s the reality, now backed by numbers:
http://archive.li/FZTf2 (wapo)
Fast tracking the rapture.
A choir of more than 100 people performed without masks at a robustly attended event in Texas at the First Baptist Church on Sunday that featured a speech by Vice President Mike Pence.
Nearly 2,200 people attended the "Celebrate Freedom Rally," in the Lone Star State, according to rally organizers, which has seen a severe surge in coronavirus cases since easing restrictions. The venue capacity for the indoor event was close to 3,000 attendees, organizers say.
Throughout the service, the members of the choir sang at full volume, behind an orchestra. Between songs, the choir members put their masks back on when they sat down, according to pool reports from the event. The members of the choir had space between them, but it was not clear if it was the recommended six feet.
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/28/politics/mike-pence-dallas-choir-no-masks-church-event/index.html
The data is in: Fox News may have kept millions from taking the coronavirus threat seriously.
Rewrite, "The data is in: Woodhouse may have kept thousands from believing that the coronavirus threat in NZ is under better control than anywhere else in the World.
Jack Vowles has done it again. He must be the sane one in a country of the insane Media.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/1255825/in-the-absence-of-calm
(I put Jack up because he says what I think but he can say it so much better than I.)
I'd really love the news media to stop hounding the government over the pressure on the border and go and get stuck into the airline CEO's and scorch them. They hide behind press releases. They seem to be not erring on the side of caution instead just chasing the every last dollar. And it appears that American airlines are just going to start flying here (unilateral decision ?) as have other airlines. This puts pressure on us to provide extra quarantine regardless. According to the stories we don't even know who is coming until the plane is in the air athough I thought immigration had warning before boarding. We need to start charging for it and I' d start with the permanent residents who haven't been here for the last two years before Jan 2020. They have not contributed and are just using us as a bolthole or welfare backup.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/news/121973624/coronavirus-questions-raised-over-international-aircrew-rules
I tidied up your link; the question mark and anything behind it can usually be deleted.
Another good read by Vowles.
So after the whole SNAFU around my managed isolation and being set free without any testing (which I have mentioned) I got my results back from MoH and, unsurprisingly, I am COVID free. Still no community transmission which is a great result even after the problems regarding managed isolation.
Long may it continue
So John I take it that you are very pleased to be free of infection after being cared for by the people who run the system?
The nurses at the hotel were wonderful. Very kind and dedicated
And please the next time if/when you are in quarantine again (lets hope this will never be the case) with requirements of 2 m distance to others and isolation ,, don't use a public elevator to go get a cigarette in a public smoke cubicle.
Be upfront and askhow you can safely leave the building, go to a balcony, smoking room, roof top etc in order to have your cigarette.And if you can't ask for Champix or Nicotine patches if getting through the day without a fix is too hard.
You using an elevator to go the smokers cubicle to get your fix was not the governments fault that is all on you and if you had been a carrier you could have infected people.
Welcome home.
The elevator wasn’t an issue as you were only allowed in there with others from your room – by myself in my case. I did ask them about smoking outside but weirdly you couldn't smoke AND social distant. So what I did after the 4th day I’d only go for cigarettes after 10pm when you could smoke outside
Maybe all on me and others but everyone was just doing as we were told.
Today's presser. I got the feeling the media teeth were not so sharp. As usual he is very clear, and when he addresses the question of over 360 people they are trying to contact, and have not responded to calls, texts, and emails he absolutely nails it.
Precis: He is disappointed and expects them to play their part.
What on earth are these people thinking by not responding – they are part of the problem, not part of the solution.
It is well worth listening to this, it provides sanity from the scaremongering by the media and opposition politicians.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/300044724/live-ashley-bloomfield-announces-latest-coronavirus-figures
Yes there are still 367 people who the Ministry of Health is having trouble getting in touch with. Director-general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield made a fresh appeal for these people to get in touch with authorities.
NAME them the team of 5 mil will deliver them.
Maybe some are to be found at National Party electorate meetings, by not getting tested they are keeping Mullers belief that there might be community spread alive.
Muller is trying to expolit the might be to open up borders – he believes in zombie economics. Money before lives, and he has the gall to claim to oppose euthansia from a moral position.
75 new cases in Victoria today.
https://www.twitter.com/covidliveau/status/1277410745630638080
what a shambles! my kids mum got her test results back, negative, so she can go back to work. Such a shambles, to live in a country without community transmission, to be able to go to the Drs and get tested if you need to get one, bloody shambles,, no one has died from Covid in weeks, ICU beds empty, toilet paper for everyone, the Health Minister should resign!!! (sarc)
It is such a shambles that the Main Shambolic Media have to manufacture a shambles so they can ‘report’ on it and please the shareholders of the Main Shambles Manufacturers.
The day the pandemic total passes ten million might not be the best time to say you want NZ's borders to open up, but Todd Muller has done it anyway (Wellington business meeting).
To be fair, it is one kind of solution: there definitely won't be any quarantine bungles if there's no quarantine.
Is there method in Muller's madness? He suspects community transmission where there is none, and wants to open up our borders. If NZ's Covid elimination strategy had been less successful (say NZ now had the U.K.'s mortality rate of 642 deaths per million population, rather than the current 4.4 per million, then we'd have ~3,200 Covid-19 deaths), then would that have made it easier to open our borders?
Coronavirus: How lockdown is being lifted across Europe
https://www.bbc.com/news/explainers-52575313
So many reasons for National party supporters to hope that our Government's border controls fail (but please keep the agricultural pests out.)
Natsys have a bit of a track record of 'accidentally' letting nasties in, so if they were doing more than hope, it wouldn't be a massive surprise.
Muller's been talking to the-man-in-the-street who wants everything easy and magic beans as well, and on quickly mulling it over, in about a second, has repeated it all as gospel. Being community driven and populist, he of course, bows down to the public. The country pays him to make judgments on vox pop; nice job if you can get it, and you can get it if you try. But maybe not just now Gnats, you imported, important pests.
It is clear that we are simultaneously doing too little (border bungles) and too much (border restrictions). For his next conjuring trick, Muller will disappear up his own fundament while simultaneously re-appearing at the other end.
Another imported pest. Tomato spider mite.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/420088/tomato-red-spider-mite-pest-discovered-in-new-zealand-for-first-time
The French Greens have made sweeping gains across the country as France shifts left in local body elections. Also (to my great delight) Anne Hidalgo the Socialist Mayor of Paris has had a big victory. Her bold plans to reinvent and regreen the capital will have repercussions for urban planning everywhere.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/28/voters-stay-away-from-second-round-french-local-elections
I swear, if you were a script writer for political satire, and you put these words in the mouth of a character who was only there for cheap laughs, you'd be told to go back and try again …
"Muller said there were several permutations of how some kind of border opening could work, particularly if passengers were able to prove they were Covid-19 free from overseas.
He said he didn't know exactly how this would work but he wanted some sort of clarity from the Government about their plan to open up."
Huh Observer? But, but, but Woodhouse said that the process is very simple. Anyone could do it and just get a competent (National) Government to run it all. Is Muller not speaking to Woodhouse?
Just got round to watching Campbell challenging Woodhouse on his homeless man myth. Pretty amazing. Note the "dry mouth" of Woodhouse and his failure to regain any credibility. (Sorry if this has already been covered.)
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300044663/national-mp-michael-woodhouse-wont-say-homeless-man-tale-was-true
Stürmer, the King of Nothing, is about to be hoist by his own petard.
At least his fellow shills for apartheid Sacha Baron Cohen and Maureen Lipman have the redeeming quality of being funny occasionally.
https://skwawkbox.org/2020/06/27/skwawkbox-editor-lodges-formal-antisemitism-complaint-against-keir-starmer-for-conflation-of-jewish-people-with-actions-of-israeli-government-in-breach-of-ihra-code/
Tied up in knots.
Edit
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/420094/otautau-teen-jailed-at-least-11-years-for-murder-of-9yo
What's the background to this murder? Is this a young chap who should have been in enclosed, managed care because he was too erratically behaved when stressed. Has he shown signs of violence before?
Is this a result from people being out in the community, because it sounds nice. There was a great outcry in the UK in late 1980s about conditions in mental hospitals. So the only option was to close them all, not to really staff them well, and maintain the community standards to a high level, including those in institutions.
https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/publications/making-change-possible/mental-health-services
This process began with a wholescale transformation process known as deinstitutionalisation – that is, shifting care and support of people with mental health problems from psychiatric institutions into community based settings. At the start of the process, these institutions housed approximately 100,000 people; by the end, all had closed….
Politically, there was consensus among parties about hospital reconstruction, and further legislation set a vision for the provision of mental health services as part of this. Alongside this, Enoch Powell, then Minister for Health, announced the intention to halve the number of hospital beds for people with mental health problems.
Although there was little overt financial impetus for deinstitutionalisation, it was generally acknowledged that institutions were financially unsustainable and, in many cases, represented prime estate.
There were moral and medial reasons for looking at how many people could be treated in the community and perhaps better than in institutions. But note the above:
the right wing politician Powell was limiting mental health beds in hospital, and they were being regarded as financially unsustainable which is majorly a bean counter decision, and the last item they represented ‘prime; real estate.