Open mike 29/06/2021
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6:00 am, June 29th, 2021 - 76 comments
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- Make China great again!
This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler As readers of this Substack will know, I've been increasingly concerned about the destruction of one of America’s greatest competitive advantages: our university research system. Recently, the Trump administration announced that they were going to cut university overhead rates to ...4 hours ago - No Russia in Papua: Indonesia’s quiet diplomacy speaks loudly
Indonesia’s low-key rejection of reported Russian interest in military basing in Papua says more than it appears to. While Jakarta’s response was measured, it was deliberate—a calculated expression of Indonesia’s foreign policy doctrine of non-alignment, ...6 hours ago - Australia (still) needs a dedicated and public-facing national security adviser
In the week of Australia’s 3 May election, ASPI released Agenda for Change 2025: preparedness and resilience in an uncertain world, a report developed for the next government and to promote public debate and understanding ...7 hours ago
- Vietnamese reunification 50 years later: ‘let bygones be bygones’
On 27 January 1973, the conflict in Vietnam was brought to an end with the formal signing in Paris of the Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring the Peace in Vietnam by four parties: ...10 hours ago
- A “secret” that wasn’t
Back in 2018, Aotearoa was in the midst of the Operation Burnham inquiry. During this, it emerged that key evidence was subject to a US veto under an obscure and secret treaty. Part of the Five Eyes arrangement, this treaty was referred to by a number of different names in ...10 hours ago - Nicola Willis’ Austerity Threatens New Zealand’s Future
I hate to sound the alarm, but New Zealand’s economy is teetering on the edge, and Finance Minister Nicola Willis is wielding her austerity axe with a reckless abandon that could plunge us into a prolonged recession. The 2025 Budget, with its brutal $1.1 billion reduction in baseline spending, is ...11 hours ago - Nicola Willis’ Austerity Threatens New Zealand’s Future
I hate to sound the alarm, but New Zealand’s economy is teetering on the edge, and Finance Minister Nicola Willis is wielding her austerity axe with a reckless abandon that could plunge us into a prolonged recession. The 2025 Budget, with its brutal $1.1 billion reduction in baseline spending, is ...11 hours ago
- Punish That Criminal !
Crime Pays for the PoliticiansThis morning, Paul Goldsmith, the Minister who wants Te Reo Maori scrubbed, announced that prisoners who are serving terms of less than 3 years be barred from voting. From left, Police Minister Mark Mitchell, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith & Mental Health Minister Matt DooceyNZ’s Electoral Review ...12 hours ago - Four Walls
Well, I can't see and I can't hearThey've burnt out all the feelingsAnd I never been so crazy, and it's just my second yearFour walls, wash basinFour walls, wash basinFour walls, wash basin, prison bedSongwriter: Don Walker.The coalition parties are mulling the austerity budget they will soon put to the ...12 hours ago - The Left Must Rally Behind Andrew Little
First, hats off to Tory Whanau. Her decision to bow out and run for the Māori ward instead, putting the city’s future above her personal ambition, is commendable. Facing a torrent of personal abuse and a council mired in chaos, she still delivered on water investment, cycleways, and housing reforms. ...12 hours ago
- Progressive Resurgence
Trump Kills A Sure-Thing In Canada, the Conservatives fell from a 21 point lead a few months ago to a decisive loss yesterday. The Canadian Liberals are ~ 2 to 3 seats short of a majority, which means PM Mark Carney but will still need to work through opposition parties ...12 hours ago - Defence and Trump shape Australia’s election
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- Waitākere Ranges Ruckus: Unpacking the Anti-Māori Hysteria
The Waitākere Ranges, a stunning natural taonga west of Auckland, are at the heart of a brewing controversy that’s exposing the ugly underbelly of New Zealand’s political discourse. A proposed deed of acknowledgement, grounded in the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area Act 2008, aims to establish a joint decision-making committee with ...13 hours ago
- National says “fuck the BORA”
That's the only way to describe their plans to reinstate the prisoner voting ban. In case anyone has forgotten, this is a law that was explicitly found to be inconsistent with the BORA by the Supreme Court, in Aotearoa's first ever declaration of inconsistency. The solution that was eventually hashed ...14 hours ago
- Interview: Shamubeel Eaqub on an even tighter Budget for 2025/26
I spoke last night with Simplicity Chief Economist and Head of Policy about the Government's latest budget policy tightening, the risks for infrastructure investment and a potential dampening of GDP growth.He points out that the Government has cut capital expenditure so far in the current financial year, rather than ...15 hours ago - Ukraine’s air force has survived. Taiwan’s almost certainly couldn’t
The Ukrainian air force went to war against invading Russian forces in February 2022 with just 125 combat aircraft concentrated at around a dozen large bases. Given Russia’s overwhelming deep-strike advantage—hundreds of deployed warplanes and ...15 hours ago
- Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes on Wednesday, April 30
Briefly this morning: Nicola Willis rules out charities tax or any tax hike to reduce budget deficit. She’s focused instead on spending cuts. There are 1,000 at-risk kids without a social worker, NZ Herald reports.Housing shortages are a factor in high-risk sex offenders being put out early into uncontrolled community ...16 hours ago - Gordon Campbell On Our Austerity Fixation And Canada Staying Centre-left
Truly, these are tough times for our nation’s leaders. In future, how on earth are they going to find the sort of money they’ve been happy to throw at landlords, tobacco companies, and wealthier New Zealanders ever since they got elected? On Defence, how are they going to find those ...23 hours ago - Bad advice on public sector discount rates
A couple of months ago now I wrote a post about the new set of discount rates government agencies are supposed to use in undertaking cost-benefit analysis, whether for new spending projects or for regulatory initiatives. The new, radically altered, framework had come into effect from 1 October last year, ...1 day ago - Indonesia is hooked on Huawei
Huawei dominates Indonesia’s telecommunication network infrastructure. It won over Indonesia mainly through cost competitiveness and by generating favour through capacity-building programs and strategic relationships with the government, and telecommunication operators. But Huawei’s dominance poses risks. ...1 day ago
- Bookshelf: The myth of American liberalism
Democracy and the liberal tradition have long been seen as among the most basic tenets of the American way of life. They are also the main reason the West has for the past 80 years ...1 day ago
- Cutting even deeper against the grain
Nicola Willis continues to compare the economy to a household needing to tighten its belt to survive. Photo: Getty Images The key long stories short in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, April 29 are: Nicola Willis today announced a cut in the Government’s new spending ...1 day ago - Gas is dead
The Herald had another announcement today about a new solar farm being officially opened - this time the 63MW Lauriston solar farm in Canterbury. It is of course briefly "NZ’s biggest solar farm", but it will soon be overtaken by Kōwhai park at Christchurch airport (168MW) and Tauhei (202MW), both ...1 day ago
- Shoving the future aside
I woke this morning to the shock news that Tory Whanau was no longer contesting the Wellington mayoralty, having stepped aside to leave the field clear for Andrew Little. Its like a perverse reversal of Little's 2017 decision to step aside for Jacinda - the stale, pale past rudely shoving ...1 day ago
- A pre-Budget speech
In a pre-Budget speech this morning the Minister of Finance announced that this year’s operating allowance – the net amount available for new initiatives – was being reduced from $2.4 billion to $1.3 billion (speech here, RNZ story here). Operating allowance numbers in isolation don’t mean a great deal (what ...2 days ago
- Weak tax revenue is a national security issue
Of the two things in life that are certain, defence and national security concern themselves with death but need to pay more attention to taxes. Australia’s national security, defence and domestic policy obligations all need ...2 days ago
- Chris Penk’s Leaky Homes 2.0
The Coalition of Chaos is at it again with another half-baked underwhelming scheme that smells suspiciously like a rerun of New Zealand’s infamous leaky homes disaster. Their latest brainwave? Letting tradies self-certify their own work on so-called low-risk residential builds. Sounds like a great way to cut red tape to ...2 days ago
- Assumed Competence
Perfect by natureIcons of self indulgenceJust what we all needMore lies about a world thatNever was and never will beHave you no shame don't you see meYou know you've got everybody fooledSongwriters: Amy Lee / Ben Moody / David Hodges.“Vote National”, they said. The economic managers par excellence who will ...2 days ago - The ADF isn’t nearly fast enough. It must rush into the cheap-drone revolution
The Australian Defence Force isn’t doing enough to adopt cheap drones. It needs to be training with these tools today, at every echelon, which it cannot do if it continues to drag its feet. Cheap drones ...2 days ago
- “You and me need to hang out. As in, just us 2!”
Hi,Just over a year ago — in March of 2024 — I got an email from Jake. He had a story he wanted to tell, and he wanted to find a way to tell it that could help others. A warning, of sorts. And so over the last year, as ...2 days ago
- National Has Mismanaged The Economy
Back in the dark days of the pandemic, when the world was locked down and businesses were gasping for air, Labour’s quick thinking and economic management kept New Zealand afloat. Under Jacinda Ardern and Grant Robertson, the Wage Subsidy Scheme saved 1.7 million jobs, pumping billions into businesses to stop ...2 days ago
- Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes at 6am on Tuesday, April 29
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- Atlas Network Makes Australian Mainstream
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- Bernard’s Dawn Chorus & Pick ‘n’ Mix for Monday, April 28
An official briefing to the Health Minister warns “demand for acute services has outstripped hospital capacity”. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāThe key long stories short in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Monday, April 28 are: There’s a nationwide shortage of 500 hospital beds and 200,000 ...3 days ago - Deep sea mining is the new front in Pacific competition
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Now that the formalities of saying goodbye to Pope Francis are over, the process of selecting his successor can begin in earnest. Framing the choice in terms of “liberal v conservative” is somewhat misleading, given that all members of the College of Cardinals uphold the core Catholic doctrines – which ...3 days ago
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Let’s rip the shiny plastic wrapping off a festering truth: planned obsolescence is a deliberate scam, and governments worldwide, including New Zealand’s, are complicit in letting tech giants churn out disposable junk. From flimsy smartphones that croak after two years to laptops with glued-in batteries, the tech industry’s business model ...3 days ago
- In Loving Memory Of Kyle Whorrall
When I first saw press photos of Mr Whorrall, an America PhD entomology student & researcher who had been living out a dream to finish out his studies in Auckland, my first impression, besides sadness, was how gentle he appeared.Press released the middle photo from Mr Whorrall’s Facebook pageBy all ...3 days ago - National’s Betrayal of Renters and First-Time Buyers
It's definitely not a renters market in New Zealand, as reported by 1 News last night. In fact the housing crisis has metastasised into a full-blown catastrophe in 2025, and the National Party Government’s policies are pouring petrol on the flames. Renters are being crushed under skyrocketing costs, first-time buyers ...4 days ago
- Would I Lie to You?
Would I lie to you? (oh yeah)Would I lie to you honey? (oh, no, no no)Now would I say something that wasn't true?I'm asking you sugar, would I lie to you?Writer(s): David Allan Stewart, Annie Lennox.Opinions issue forth from car radios or the daily news…They demand a bluer National, with ...4 days ago - Fact brief – Do the 31,000 signatures of the OISM Petition Project invalidate the scientific c...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Do the 31,000 signatures of the OISM Petition Project invalidate the scientific consensus on climate change? Climatologists made up only 0.1% of signatories ...4 days ago
- A culture of cruelty.
In the 1980s and early 1990s when I wrote about Argentine and South American authoritarianism, I borrowed the phrase “cultura del miedo” (culture of fear) from Juan Corradi, Guillermo O’Donnell, Norberto Lechner and others to characterise the social anomaly that exists in a country ruled by a state terror regime ...4 days ago - Northern Australia: fortress, gateway and resource powerhouse
In the week of Australia’s 3 May election, ASPI will release Agenda for Change 2025: preparedness and resilience in an uncertain world, a report promoting public debate and understanding on issues of strategic importance to ...5 days ago
- Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to April 26
Chris Bishop has unveiled plans for new roads in Tauranga, Auckland and Northland that will cost up to a combined $10 billion. Photo: Lynn GrievesonLong stories short from Aotearoa political economy around housing, poverty and climate in the week to Saturday, April 26:Chris Bishop ploughed ahead this week with spending ...5 days ago - Debt Is A Form Of Government Control
Unless you've been living under a rock, you would have noticed that New Zealand’s government, under the guise of economic stewardship, is tightening the screws on its citizens, and using debt as a tool of control. This isn’t just a conspiracy theory whispered in pub corners...it’s backed by hard data ...5 days ago
- The 2025 Budget in a World of Trade Warfare
The budget runup is far from easy.Budget 2025 day is Thursday 22 May. About a month earlier in a normal year, the macroeconomic forecasts would be completed (the fiscal ones would still be tidying up) and the main policy decisions would have been made (but there would still be a ...5 days ago - EGU2025 – Presentation about our translation activities
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- Rest easy, my friend.
He shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old.Age shall not weary him, nor the years condemn.At the going down of the sun and in the morningI will remember him.My mate Keith died yesterday, peacefully in the early hours. My dear friend in Rotorua, whom I’ve been ...6 days ago - The Hoon around the week to April 25
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- Military denial: the basis of deterrence, and of response if deterrence fails
A strategy of denial is now the cornerstone concept for Australia’s National Defence Strategy. The term’s use as an overarching guide to defence policy, however, has led to some confusion on what it actually means ...6 days ago
- Join us at 5pm for this week’s Hoon
Photo by Beth Macdonald on UnsplashKia oraCome and join us for our weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat with myself, and regular guests climate correspondent and on climate ...6 days ago - Fiscal failure
The IMF’s twice-yearly World Economic Outlook and Fiscal Monitor publications have come out in the last couple of days. If there is gloom in the GDP numbers (eg this chart for the advanced countries, and we don’t score a lot better on the comparable one for the 2019 to ...6 days ago
- Climate Change: Fucking the ETS again
For a while, it looked like the government had unfucked the ETS, at least insofar as unit settings were concerned. They had to be forced into it by a court case, but at least it got done, and when National came to power, it learned the lesson (and then fucked ...6 days ago
- What’s secret? When is it secret? Well, that’s complicated
The argument over US officials’ misuse of secure but non-governmental messaging platform Signal falls into two camps. Either it is a gross error that undermines national security, or it is a bit of a blunder ...6 days ago
- Today’s Headlines: David Seymour’s ECE Risks & Coalition Government Lies
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- When in Rome
'Cause you and me, were meant to be,Walking free, in harmony,One fine day, we'll fly away,Don't you know that Rome wasn't built in a day?Songwriters: Paul David Godfrey / Ross Godfrey / Skye Edwards.I was half expecting to see photos this morning of National Party supporters with wads of cotton ...7 days ago
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The National Party’s announcement to reinstate a total ban on prisoner voting is a shameful step backwards. Denying the right to vote does not strengthen society — it weakens our democracy and breaches Te Tiriti o Waitangi. “Voting is not a privilege to be taken away — it is a ...13 hours ago
- Release: Closure of North Shore Women’s Centre a huge loss
Today’s confirmed closure of the North Shore Women’s Centre after losing government funding is a huge loss for women in Auckland. ...1 day ago - Release: Simeon Brown hid Dunedin Hospital downgrade
Simeon Brown needs to come clean to the people of Dunedin about why he hid plans to downgrade their new hospital’s Intensive Care Unit. ...1 day ago
- Release: Govt cuts will cost jobs, health, and homes
Nicola Willis announced that funding for almost every Government department will be frozen in this year’s budget, costing jobs, making access to public services harder, and fuelling an exodus of nurses, teachers, and other public servants. ...1 day ago
- Right-Wing Government Strips Māori Health Safeguards and Pretends Colonisation Never Happened
Right‑wing ministers are waging a campaign to erase Māori health equity by tearing out its very foundations. ACT’s Todd Stephenson dismisses Treaty‑based nursing standards as “off‑track distractions” and insists nurses only need “skill and a kind heart,” despite clear evidence that cultural competence saves lives. Health Minister Simeon Brown’s funding cuts, hiring ...2 days ago
- Govt’s austerity Budget to cause real harm in communities
The Government’s Budget looks set to usher in a new age of austerity. This morning, Minister of Finance Nicola Willis said new spending would be limited to $1.4 billion, cut back from the original intended $2.4 billion, which itself was already $100 million below what Treasury said was needed to ...2 days ago - Ban on engineered stone essential to protect workers
The Green Party has renewed its call for the Government to ban the use, supply, and manufacture of engineered stone products, as the CTU launches a petition for the implementation of a full ban. ...3 days ago
- Release: Anzac Day a time to recommit to veterans
This Anzac Day, Labour recognises veterans and the service they have given to our country. ...5 days ago
- Education Should be Led by Experts-Not Economists
Te Pāti Māori are appalled by Cabinet's decision to agree to 15 recommendations to the Early Childhood Education (ECE) sector following the regulatory review by the Ministry of Regulation. We emphasise the need to prioritise tamariki Māori in Early Childhood Education, conducted by education experts- not economists. “Our mokopuna deserve ...6 days ago
- Release: Govt’s flagship cost of living policy a failure
After promising $250 a fortnight to many families, the Government has been forced to admit just a couple hundred families are receiving it. ...6 days ago
- Release: Transparency needed on changes to early childhood education
The Government is putting children at risk in early childhood education (ECE) by proposing to loosen the requirement for qualified teachers. ...7 days ago
- Release: Govt funding needed to combat invasive seaweed
The Government must support Northland hapū who have resorted to rakes and buckets to try to control a devastating invasive seaweed that threatens the local economy and environment. ...1 week ago
- New Zealand First Introduces Bill Defining ‘Woman’ and ‘Man’ in Law
New Zealand First has today introduced a Member’s Bill that would ensure the biological definition of a woman and man are defined in law. “This is not about being anti-anyone or anti-anything. This is about ensuring we as a country focus on the facts of biology and protect the ...1 week ago - Release: Labour marks the passing of Pope Francis
Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins joins those mourning the passing of Pope Francis. ...1 week ago
- Release: Boot camps blog post fails to provide clarity
After stonewalling requests for information on boot camps, the Government has now offered up a blog post right before Easter weekend rather than provide clarity on the pilot. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Inflation rises and families feel the squeeze
Inflation is rising again and it’s landing hardest on families already stretched thin. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Govt doesn’t know how to fund new hospitals
The Government’s health infrastructure plan is big on promises but coy on where the money is coming from. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: $10 million for only 215 students in charter schools
David Seymour is pouring $10 million into charter schools that only have 215 students enrolled. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Food prices further stretching the family budget
Families already stretched by rising costs will struggle with the news food prices are going up again. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Mental health staff and patients at risk without plan
More people could be harmed if Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey does not guarantee to protect patients and workers as the Police withdraw from supporting mental health call outs. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Driver licensing proposal doesn’t put safety first
The Government’s proposal to change driver licensing rules is a mixed bag of sensible and careless. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Students struggling as Govt sits on hands
The Government is continuing to sit on its hands as students struggle to pay rent due to delays with StudyLink. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: More must be done to stop children going hungry
More children are going hungry and statistics showing children in material hardship continue to get worse. ...3 weeks ago
- Greens continue to call for Pacific Visa Waiver
The Green Party recognises the extension of visa allowances for our Pacific whānau as a step in the right direction but continues to call for a Pacific Visa Waiver. ...3 weeks ago
- More children going hungry under Coalition govt
The Government yesterday released its annual child poverty statistics, and by its own admission, more tamariki across Aotearoa are now living in material hardship. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Longer wait for treatment under National
New Zealanders have waited longer to get an appointment with a specialist and to get elective surgery under the National Government. ...3 weeks ago
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Anyone know what the cheapest phone that is compatible with the app? Thinking I might just buy one of those customised stamps. Getting old.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/125588280/covid19-scanning-masks-to-become-embedded-in-daily-life-as-government-looks-to-mandate-use–experts
There's also Rippl which will run on Android 5.0 or later, that takes in a lot of cheaper and older phones.
It works a bit differently to the offical app, you need to scan out as well, but is integrated with the MOH system.
THANKS!! I replaced my previous phone because it wasn't compatible, only to find out the new one has the same issue.
FWIW about a year ago I went to an Oppo fone. It was around $80.
I am on prepay with 2 Degrees.
Good camera, storage for music etc.
Our back up phone when living in the Bus and the Spark didn't work was one of these… Doro.
Designed for older folks by the Scandinavians and ridiculously easy to use. Clamshell type so you're not risking pocket calls. The newer ones might be a bit more expensive. A smartphone averse relative now has our because it is so delightfully stupid.
Stupid is perfect!
MoH have a list of compatible phones somewhere.
Cheers. Will search around in case I can't get Rippl working as needed.
Western media completely ignores new revelation that a primary witness in the US case against Assange has admitted to lying and inventing his evidence against Assange in return for immunity….including our own media and specifically RNZ, whom it seems don't have access to the in internet, so can only report world events that are faxed to them by Reuters.
"By August 2011, the game was up, and Thordarson was being pursued by WikiLeaks members, along with $50,000 in merchandise sales he had diverted into his bank account by impersonating Assange. It was then that Thordarson, apparently, emailed the FBI and offered to provide them with information."
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2021/06/28/assa-j28.html
This shows how free the Press is, or, is not. Selective News only to appease the Western Masters. So much for Journalists supporting each other.
Yep, just don't call it fake news, no matter how well it fits into that category.
Just watched democracy now report on this story and amy cops quite a bit of flak in the comments for her non reportage of JA up to this point i guess either shes a hillary fan or an establishment tool or both which might partly explain why a supposedly progressive media outlet like hers would take so long to make a sound about him ?.She also said "many people believe "assange exposed war crimes…?? anyway she at least interviewed his lawyer .
'Actually', empty houses are an important part of a 'healthy' housing market, if you are a speculator.
And if by 'healthy' you ‘actually’ mean very sick.
Very soon now, as happened overseas, when the Ghost House market grows to big, we are approaching a time when brand new unsold and empty houses, and sometimes even whole new housing developments, are bulldozed, in an effort ot keep house prices up.
To prevent this atrocity occurring in this country…We need to have legislation in place right now to make it illegal to demolish new unsold houses.
Empty housing must be 'explained away' as if it wasn't the claim that time and space to construct more housing to alleviate homelessless and affordability loses its credence.
It's zoned residential, not capital gains!! Some explaining is in order.
The explanations will be spurious…..those who have real time data (the private sector RE and banks) hold that data closely for this very purpose….ambiguity.
The housing ratio now is significantly better than it was in the 1990s when there was no hint of a housing shortage but since then we have seen the growth of holiday homes, Air BnB and capital growth at rates that facilitate holding property empty….and then theres money laundering.
Given the number of properties in NZ it is apparent the problem is one of misallocation rather than quantity but changing that allocation requires politically difficult decisions and so we have various false narratives applied….shortage being the main one.
2018 Census data. 16% of that area could have been out of the country on business. What is needed is data from water use which of course Wellington can't get because there are no water meters (thankfully).
WCC could door knock and see if they are empty, or use their database to find the property owners and enquire what they are doing with their property
With the upcoming 17% rates increase, and hellicious jumps in insurance premiums for Wellington these are incredibly expensive properties to let sit idol.
I have often thought there could be a citizens science approach taken to this whereby members of the public do local surveys to ascertain how many local properties are vacant over a period of time and that data is collated and made public….if it presents as expected it could be used to apply pressure to the politicians
From the Sydney Morning Herald live blog this morning
Maybe the Australian authorities will be detaining these illegal cross border immigrants on Christmas Island.
I have two nominees for Darwin awards. How stupid do you have to be to go out on Wellington Harbour this morning in a kayak?
I feel sorry for the helicopter pilot who had to fly in this weather and look for them.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300344346/severe-weather-kayakers-found-after-battling-southerly-swells-in-wellington-harbour
Heh. Given the windage of kayaks there wouldn't have been much 'battling' going on. Simply trying not to broach and roll over as they rode the swell and chop all the way to Petone.
Would have been revelling in the moment, with all that excess testosterone. Until he gets the bill for the chopper.
Doubt they will, experienced kayakers with appropriate equipment for the journey… prob should have lodged a trip report given the conditions but not a legal requirement…
Perhaps the bill is split with whomever contacted the chopper?
Has anyone read the story in the pay-walled Herald about the popularity of Jacinda Arderns trip to the Fieldays, if true it really is trouble for the Nats? Still couldn’t bring myself to pay for it even if it is good news.
Beloved by the Federation, our pretty communist!
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/jamie-mackay-jacinda-arderns-fieldays-popularity-a-problem-for-national/QJ75QB7OMB62TUKMM5S52A4VJA/
Written by 'Tory bastard' Jamie MacKay, and most of it is a wander down memory lane to 2012, or 13, when a fog bound hamilton Airport had himself and co sharing their rental car from Auckland with David Shearer.
In a somewhat sanctimonious gesture straight from the Green Party playbook, David declared he was going to selflessly take a bus. We were having none of that and invited him to take the last remaining seat in our newly-acquired rental vehicle.
He obliged, and what followed for us was two hours in the company of a well-travelled, well-storied, charming and charismatic man.
The Nats owned Mystery Creek. It was their Tūrangawaewae.
Which makes Ardern's Fieldays popularity all the more perplexing. Farmers don't love Labour. And there's plenty of reasons for farmers to not feel the love from Jacinda's lot. Not the least, the latest slap in the face in the form of tone-deaf Ute Tax.
Then there's the prospect of overly-penal reforms around zero-carbon, freshwater, winter grazing and livestock numbers. Farming, which is doing all the heavy lifting in the economy, is fast becoming the sacrificial lamb on the altar of climate change.
And therein lies the problem for Judith Collins and the Nats. With all the political fodder they have to feast on, they should be having a field day. Fieldays proved otherwise. The only thing they're feasting on is themselves. It's called cannibalisation.
Actually a fairly civilised and interesting read. Considering. Would never have read it had you not asked about it. Thanks.
"tone-deaf Ute Tax" "overly-penal reforms" "political fodder they have to feast on"
MacKay is most likely talking through his hat. Farmers are not monolithically of one mind and plenty of them know that change is needed. Maybe they are grateful it's coming piecemeal and gradually from someone who shows signs of caring about them as citizens and human beings? From someone who's actually not a socialist at all and will leave their business models mostly intact? And their periodic whining is just a negotiating position, not a rejection of the direction of travel?
Sadly there is a tendency to lump all farmers in together when in reality there is a big difference between industrialized dairy and your avg hill country farmer who typically cares deeply about both the land and their animals…
Yep
As environmentalism and especially climate change, becomes more mainstream farmers can not remain aloof.
The devastation wreaked by the recent Southland floods would have been pretty shocking to most farmers.
An administration and a leader prepared to take the science of climate change seriously is guaranteed to get a hearing amongst farmers.
Good points.
Hazarding a guess that fielddays farmers and what we see in the MSM esp Fed Farmers don’t have as big an overlap as FF and MSM would have us believe.
Monolithically one mind MacKay.
Thanks Rosemary
Adrian, same !! Lol.
Hey, anyone who so clearly respects David Shearer is well worth a read.
This is causing a bit of a stir… The Safety of COVID-19 Vaccinations—We Should Rethink the Policy
The statistics experts can take a critical deep dive, but the researchers conclude that…
Result: The NNTV is between 200–700 to prevent one case of COVID-19 for the mRNA vaccine marketed by Pfizer, while the NNTV to prevent one death is between 9000 and 50,000 (95% confidence interval), with 16,000 as a point estimate. The number of cases experiencing adverse reactions has been reported to be 700 per 100,000 vaccinations. Currently, we see 16 serious side effects per 100,000 vaccinations, and the number of fatal side effects is at 4.11/100,000 vaccinations. For three deaths prevented by vaccination we have to accept two inflicted by vaccination. Conclusions: This lack of clear benefit should cause governments to rethink their vaccination policy.
Unsurprisingly, there is a big yellow warning notifying readers of Concern about this peer reviewed paper.
The authors also strongly advise against vaccinating children.
Interesting, but surely those who have the strongest reactions may well be those likeliest to suffer higher mortality rates if they contract Covid. Or is my cod-epidemiology all bullshit. I didn't get the sore arm but 2 days later I was uncharacteristicly grumpy ( my dear wife claims she couldn't tell any difference, as far as she is concerned I'm always grumpy ). Talking to others it appears that this is very common and no surprises there, it is just the dose doing its job. So is this considered an adverse reaction ?.
Would like to see some critical analysis of that and haven’t read the full article but first thoughts are that the issue isn’t just deaths, but deaths, disability, health system overload (and flow on effects), psychological trauma and societal impact. Looking at all of those on both sides.
It seems unusual that a journal's editorial office would issue an expression of concern about an article that they themselves accepted for publication. I'm guessing that the review process was not up to scratch.
The only analysis I could find so far is a reddit thread. One of the main concerns is that the authors of the study have taken data on deaths AFTER vaccination (could be from other pre-existing conditions, especially in a frail population) and considered them deaths DUE to vaccination.
https://www.reddit.com/r/COVID19/comments/o7l5sr/the_safety_of_covid19_vaccinations_we_should/
In so far as medical journals ie Lancet some of the published stuff re Covid has been absolute garbage some based on made up data. These have then been quietly withdrawn. Sadly made up info from the withdrawn studies is still being referenced and published as fact in new papers.
Good read below…
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021/01/many-scientists-citing-two-scandalous-covid-19-papers-ignore-their-retractions
Given the money (profit) involved for big pharma and the horrendous track record of deciet etc I'ts very likely they are actively attacking any negative info re the vaccines or alternate existing treatments…
They're no different to oil and tobacco in the way they behave.
Given the money (profit) involved for big pharma and the horrendous track record of deceit etc
A source of great mirth in some circles. It is not the antisocialantivaxxerarseholes that are causing all the vaccine hesitancy…Big Pharma's track record stands on it's own merits. They are most definitely their own worst enemy.
So, with 1.02M NZ's having received the Covid vaccination do we have these sorts of numbers of adverse reactions?
1.02million doses given not a million people… anecdotally my partner does emergency relief in the healthcare sector. The employer arranged a mass vaccination onsite they had enough adverse reactions that they had to pull in all available relief staff the next day and were still short.
No serious harm done but obviously made more than a few unwell not sure how or if this was recorded.
Disclaimer ..just realised in my rush I may sound a bit confrontational (the perils of asking questions while "working"….these are just genuine questions…
So 'adverse reactions' ..does that mean something medically notable and recordable ..or does it include someone feeling a bit "off" ..which may or may not be psychosomatic? And or..if the reaction is so mild as to not be recorded should it even be used in the debate on whether to vacinate or not?
Really, anyone in the health sector getting a reaction bad enough to stop them working the next day should be reporting it. (edit: everyone should report it, but healthcare workers should have the means and motivation to do so more than others)
There's a lag in the covid vax adverse event publication (currently only to 22 May / half a million doses), but the reactions they're getting are :
These are all things that happened around the same time as the vaccination. Many might not have anything to do with it at all, or be psychosomatic. But it's fair enough to be oversensitive on this count, especially if even by that measure it saves lives.
Total adverse events seem to be in the ballpark.
Deaths appear much lower than the study suggests (0.8/100k rather than 4/100k), and are reportedly lower than the expected death numbers w/o vax or covid anyway.
Has this paper been peer reviewed? Peer review exists to validate the conclusions and assess the quality of the research presented.
Yes it was but peer review isnt what it used to be…
I call "bullshit".
For example, they claim you need to vaccinate 16,000 people to prevent one Covid death. Which means vaccinating 100% of the USA (with vaccines that are proven >90% effective at preventing death) would, by their calculations, only prevent 20,000 deaths! But the USA has already seen over 600,000 deaths so far.
One problem in the article is they don't seem to be taking into account the infection pressure – you will see few deaths prevented by vaccination if you only study places that already have low rates of Covid infection (they mostly looked at Israel).
Disgracefully – they attribute all deaths following a vaccination as being caused by the vaccination!! And of course a lot of elderly are being vaccinated. To quote their paper
" approximately four people will die from the consequences of being vaccinated per 100,000 vaccinations
"
To quote the source of their mortality data (Dutch, translated) – this is written directly above the table the authors took their data from:
"Death after vaccination does not mean that a side effect of the vaccine is the cause of death."
Expression of Concern is worth reading, although it won't be everyone's cup of tea.
Alas, the damage is done. Unsurprisingly, 5th columnists (Walach et al.) are acting to undermine the global public health vaccination program which aims to reduce COVID transmission, disability and death.
I'm no statistician but I suspected there was some over- simplification of available data going on. There's been a lot of that going around recently.
There's precedent set already for doing this with respect to Te Virus, with many commentators expressing concern that some countries are including people who were already gasping their last as being deaths caused by Covid. Dying within 28 days of a positive PCR test…even if asymptomatic…will get you on the List. I don't understand why the WHO or the UN did not insist on a worldwide standard on what exactly constitutes a Death by Covid 18 months ago.
Sadly, suggesting that a person was clearly dying of advanced old age or cancer or diabetes or COPD, and a positive PCR Covid test was irrelevant with relation to what ultimately caused them to shuffle off their mortal coil has been considered a heartless attitude. We can have none of that 'they were going to die anyway' rubbish.
Yet its now OK to cite old age and pining for the fjords when it comes to death following vaccination. Confusing that.
Rosemary, enjoyed your “pining for the fjords” reference, although, while laugher is the best medicine, I prefer not to make light of the tragic COVID-19 death toll.
Some analyses indicate that deaths due to COVID-19 infection have been under-estimated, quite significantly in various countries. "Fill your booties"
Fun fact: Christopher Murray, current director of the IMHE [The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation is an independent global health research center at the University of Washington], "was born to a New Zealand-born scientist father".
“…deaths due to COVID-19 infection have been under-estimated, quite significantly… ”
Yep, I've read that. But I've also read accounts that with more people being vaccinated…some communities now seeing more serious illness/deaths shortly after Covid the vaccination than they ever saw from Covid the Disease.
Like here in NZ for instance. We know of two seventy year olds (one ridiculously fit and the other managing post heart bypass issues) who caught the Covid on the way back from South America. That was early when you went into self isolation. Both felt crooksh and tested positive. Both recovered within a couple of days after what they measured as a medium impact cold.
OTOH we know of a couple in their fifties who broke land speed records to get Pfizer vaccinated, despite not being in Groups 1,2 or even 3. Both felt quite flu ridden for about a week…and the one who got their flu jab after two weeks is still sick as a dog more than a fortnight later.
We've been here before; maybe it comes down to who and/or what you choose to believe. I prefer to (continue to) put my trust in consensus expert opinion, often even when that opinion is at odds with my personal PoV, because (typically) that trust has been rewarded. Individual results may vary.
gentle Zephyr from the south,and energy demand surges.
https://www.transpower.co.nz/power-system-live-data
spot electricity pass $500mw during daylight.not good.
Spot pricing has been really high for a while now wonder at what point the retailers will need to negotiate new rates…
Could be huge household cost increases if it keeps up…
New commercial contracts can be between 43-75% increase.
Ouch, if that holds true for retailers purchasing in bulk the flow on could easily bring a govt down or force heavy regulation…
recent article here.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/soaring-power-prices-drive-firms-to-invest-in-solar-energy
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/440135/manufacturing-companies-question-hike-in-power-prices
Increases by stealth are in the retail sector with the removal of prompt payment discounts forced by the ERA.
The downstream effects into supermarket prices will also be high, and will also affect the rate of inflation since it affects many items in the 'basket' of items they evaluate for changes. And with a powerful oligopoly, they won’t hold back.
What will the National caucus decide and when?
Todd Muller seeing out term depends on National's caucus Judith Collins
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/445763/todd-muller-seeing-out-term-depends-on-national-s-caucus-judith-collins
Does the National caucus get any lower. Muller is on leave until the end of July to look after his partner who is having a significant medical procedure.
Interesting comment from Nash this morning on One Zb. Apparently Muller voted against increasing sick leave and yet here he is taking time off again.
Muller probably needs the time off for himself as well.
Muller will exit before the next election due to being the scape goat by the National caucus.
'
Lessons for NZ
Let us learn from the mistakes of others.
Reckless to have a trans Tasman bubble as the situation in Australia is still unfolding. Any announcement to resume travel from any state in Australia without a 14 day quarantine period is premature.
MIQ has its risks, what the hell is the NZ government thinking?
Are they thinking? First we were hailed as the "near perfect" example and that lead to a seemingly complacency to follow through. All the stories about vaccines, how the orders were made as one of the first etc… I don't believe a thing they say. Meanwhile, we are opening boarders to infected people because the industry is so blip blip greedy that they cannot contain themselves. I have no respect for the businesses or the current government. Lots of BS, no action in key areas but a lot of political correct blah blah and slowly eyebrows raise whether we are being told porkies all the way.
Aren’t you running a business?
You would not believe how many business owner want the bubble closed.
In fact, you would maybe have a hard time believing how many business owner never wanted one open.
But then the government can either support those businesses that truly depend on overseas tourism because they priced NZ'lers out or they can open a bubble, endanger everyone in NZ and get some much needed foreign currency coming in.
But not all business owner in this country want a bubble or want to see Kiwis coming back from OZ going all 'well be right' and besides its MY RIGHT to travel.
There are good, bad, and ugly business owners. You wouldn’t believe it, but they are linked in what’s called society by some and economy by others. In fact, Government can only act in a binary way, i.e. for or against, black or white, damned or doomed, good or bad, et cetera.
Simple as that.
who knew?
So why then ask someone if he or she has a business? if it has nothing to do with anything?
But yeah, just like anything in the world, our government, the labour party, the national party etc, they all have the good the bad and the ugly.
Good to see you understand that, simple as. 🙂
It has a lot to do with it, but you don’t want to understand that, which I can fully understand, as you have the right to remain ignorant, which I fully respect, of course, as you can tell, you know.
You don’t even know the function of contact tracing. Do you scan or does that have nothing to do with anything either?
Bliss.
Are they thinking? No not how they need to think with keeping out more infectious strains and the management of outbreaks.
Telling the difference between a cold and a Covid infection at this time of year is dependent on testing.
A make it up as we go attitude simply will not do. The best defence against Covid's more infectious mutations is lock out and not lockdown.
Lockout would avoid the health system being pressured with cluster outbreaks. The health system is already being pressured through contact tracing and testing.
Judith Collins dismisses Finlayson criticisms: 'He left two leaders ago'
Love that statement.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300345536/judith-collins-dismisses-finlayson-criticisms-he-left-two-leaders-ago
Sorta supports Finlayson criticisms.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300345536/judith-collins-dismisses-finlayson-criticisms-he-left-two-leaders-ago