It's foolish to try to look to history for any kind of guide for the likely outcome of the current impeachment drama:
So, what precedent do these impeachment cases provide? Johnson’s removal from office was possible but probably not justified (and thus ill-advised). Nixon’s was both possible and justified (and thus effective). And Clinton’s was neither possible nor justified (and thus farcical). Removing Trump from office over the Ukraine scandal would be different from all of these cases. Unlike in Clinton’s case, the constitutional argument for it looks increasingly powerful: We have fairly damning evidence from the White House itself of a direct conversation between Trump and the Ukrainian president about going after Biden. But unlike in Johnson’s and Nixon’s situations, removal is all but guaranteed never to happen—owing to the Republicans’ strong majority in the Senate and a disciplined tribalism of a ferocity that simply didn’t exist in the Nixon era.
I can't yet tell whether impeachment will on balance be negative for Trump's re-election, or will give him a surge of profile and Republican defence that will help him win.
I totally get why Pelosi was so loathe to pull this trigger at all.
I see the principal benefactor as Biden, marginally, because it takes the spotlight completely off Warren.
It's gone beyond the point where realpolitik considerations matter anymore. The turd tornado has become so blatantly outrageous that impeachment proceedings have to begin if there's to be any chance of the rule of law and constitutional oaths continuing to mean anything.
But she finally acted this week because the latest outrage was one outrage too many and to not begin an impeachment investigation would mean that actually, nothing matters anymore.
Worse, to not act would mean that the impeachment remedy built into the US Constitution – as divisive and bloody as it may be – is as good as dead.
It is not dead. And even if impeachment is political suicide for Democrats, they have done the right thing by holding power to account. And that is worth losing everything for.
Surely it's still very likely that he will be impeached, but not be convicted by the Senate, and still run as the only Republican Presidential candidate.
Well, yeah, I've got higher hopes of winning Powerball than seeing Benedict Donald removed from office via conviction in the senate. And the risk of his re-election remains terrifyingly high.
But Nixon was re-elected before any formal impeachment proceedings began in the House. The resolutions calling for impeachment introduced in his first term never went anywhere, and the Watergate break-in didn't happen until June 1972 in the heat of the 1972 election campaign.
I think you are confused over Nixon. You mean Clinton who won after being impeached but not convicted in the Senate.
Impeachment enquirys didnt start for Nixon till after his re-election. It was the break in ( Watergate Blg) before the election that was the trigger issue
"early hours of 17 June 1972, five men attempted to break-in to the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate complex
The election was Nov 1972 , which Nixon won in one of the biggest landslides in US presidential history. but the full details wernt availble till the next year
Nixon didn't last long after he was re-elected. As more evidence came in of his and his team's malfeasance he/they soon became a cropper. He resigned before they pushed him. I predict that is what will happen when it is Trump's turn.
It will happen because he is a dangerous crook in every sense of the word. The problem is… when?
Edit: I see Andre beat me to it. Will leave it here.
I predict that is what will happen when it is Trump's turn.
But if he resigns he loses the shield of the presidency that’s allowed him to dodge indictment on other matters.
He probably wants to cut and run with the excuse that I’m too good for this shit, they don’t deserve me but he doesn’t want the legal woes that come with it.
The Pumpkin Pinochet won't resign until he gets convinced his future includes a lot of orange jumpsuit unless he gets himself a pardon from President Pence. And that's a conversation that will end with "Don't forget to give us all our pardons before you resign, OK Daddy?".
However, the threat of imprisonment for his shoats has faded with the inaction following the Mueller report, and the current crisis is around gross violations of his constitutional oath and obligations of office that require a political remedy, but don't appear to be directly criminally punishable. So that "when" isn't even on the horizon at the moment.
The Democrats, meanwhile, have been pilloried from start to finish: for not impeaching, for impeaching, for impeaching the wrong way or for the wrong reasons. But the truth is that we are in uncharted seas, and there is no easy way to remove a president. In hindsight, it is hard not to conclude that in biding her time Pelosi was waiting to reel Trump in.
…Trump’s pattern of grandiosity, delusions of superiority, profound entitlement, desperate need for admiration, and bitter spite all but guaranteed the outcome: he wouldn’t be able to resist abusing his power, and didn’t. Trump loves to brag that he’s the most successful president in US history – but if he is actually convicted by the Senate and removed from office that will make him, officially, the least.
In hindsight, it is hard not to conclude that in biding her time Pelosi was waiting to reel Trump in.
That imo is precisely what she was doing.
Even if the Senate choose to stymie the process, it will have served to alert the majority of American citizenry (excluding the Trump camp of course) to the extent of the awful corruption inside the White House and the president in particular. In other words it's a good way for the Dems to start their campaign for next year.
Maybe it is the American way,but the Biden's do not pass the sniff test.
"Biden was one of the most vocal champions of anticorruption efforts in the Obama administration. So when this same Biden takes his son with him to China aboard Air Force Two, and within days Hunter joins the board of an investment advisory firm with stakes in China, it does not matter what father and son discussed. Joe Biden has enabled this brand of practice, made it bipartisan orthodoxy. And the ethical standard in these cases—people’s basic understanding of right and wrong—becomes whatever federal law allows. Which is a lot. "
In a general sense, the fact that access to those holding high office is such a lucrative commodity freely sold is indeed unacceptably corrupt.
However, the first point of difference between Drumpfelthinskin and Collins, and Hunter Biden and a Max Key hypothetical, is the former have their trotters directly on the levers of power while the latter do not. That's kinda the difference between a deep dive into the offal pit, a la Black Sheep, compared to just the whiff of dead rat in the wall cavity.
Second, allegations against the Bidens have already been thoroughly investigated, and determined to be non-criminal, both for China and Ukraine. Again, that activity is indeed corrupt, but it was at the less smelly end of the scale that has long been routine in the corridors of power almost everywhere. Furthermore, it's useful to remind ourselves that Stable Genius Junior in particular is still busy leveraging daddy's position to advance Trump Organisation interests all around the world while daddy benefits directly from that activity. In contrast, it’s arguable that the pressure Joe Biden put on Ukraine was in fact detrimental to Hunter’s interests, not beneficial.
" it’s arguable that the pressure Joe Biden put on Ukraine was in fact detrimental to Hunter’s interests, not beneficial"
.It certainly is arguable Andre.
Your sequence of events is at odds with what the prosecutor of the time recollects.
"In a newly sworn affidavit prepared for a European court, Shokin testified that when he was fired in March 2016, he was told the reason was that Biden was unhappy about the Burisma investigation. “The truth is that I was forced out because I was leading a wide-ranging corruption probe into Burisma Holdings, a natural gas firm active in Ukraine and Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, was a member of the Board of Directors,” Shokin testified.
No doubt this will get further investigated, and the accuracy or not of this report should help inform Dem primary voter choices starting February 3 next year.
In the meantime, something to consider is: how reliable a source is John Solomon? From wikipedia:
John F. Solomon is an American journalist who is an investigative reporter, a media executive, and a conservative political commentator. He is an editorialist and executive vice president of digital video for The Hill. He was formerly employed as an executive and as editor-in-chief at The Washington Times. While he has won a number of prestigious awards for his investigative journalism, he has also been accused of magnifying small scandals and creating fake controversy.
An affidavit from someone widely reputed to be awesomely corrupt, with an obvious motive for vengeance on someone who played a role in getting him canned. And the affidavit is disputed by a senior Ukrainian who quit, allegedly in disgust because of the corruption.
keep on cherry picking. Andre knows which Ukrainian prosecutors are the good guys and which are the deeply corrupt.The good guys back up his favourite story.
When in fact Ukraine has been riddled with corruption, since for ever,and US administrations of both stripes have found lucrative pickings
The concern must be that impeachment proceedings against Trump maintain the focus on how loathesome he is as individual. This might persuade the electorate that merely getting rid of him and reverting to BAU is sufficient. If that's the case, an historic opportunity will be lost. That opportunity is not merely to implement clever technocratic regulation of capitalism (Warren), but to achieve a re-configuration and democratisation of economic power (Sanders). There is daylight between Sanders and Warren in this respect.
There is precedent for Dems thinking they have a historic opportunity to achieve re-configuration by electing a radical to put up against a personally loathsome and demonstrably criminal Repug president.
That was George McGovern in 1972. How'd that turn out?
I was a teenager when McGovern lost – and I remember the disappointment. The disappointment was compounded shortly after by the end of the Kirk/Rowling government and the ousting of Whitlam. The disappointment did not extinguish the hope.
Sanders will I think be the worst affected out of this.
Warren is weakened but less than Sanders. She needed the cleaner and undisturbed media focus through all the primary challenges.
But I'm not even sure Biden benefits. Maybe he gets more airtime, maybe this stabilizes him at this support level, as people just go for the guy to take Trump out.
No other candidates matter.
The killer is this:
Trump's awesome survival skills over three years have raised the level of damage needed to be politically fatal to higher and higher and higher – so he may well survive impeachment just fine.
"Sanders says as president he would impose a moratorium on nuclear plants as part of his $16.3 trillion climate-change plan. But critics of Sanders say he is ignoring science, so I reached out to James Hansen, the climate scientist whose testimony before the U.S. Senate in 1988 about greenhouse gases causing global warming put the issue on the map.
“It’s time for Bernie Sanders to retire,” Hansen responded in an email. “He truly doesn’t get it. India and China have no prayer of phasing out coal without the help of nuclear power. We burned much of their share of the global carbon budget, and yet we refused to help them with modern nuclear power. Thousands of people PER DAY are dying in India from the pollution…. Not only is he killing people in India, he is screwing my grandchildren,” Hansen wrote. "
"….We have fairly damning evidence from the White House itself of a direct conversation between Trump and the Ukrainian president about going after Biden. "
Anyone who has read the conversation transcript with some impartiality would know that it isn't about "going after Biden", but investigating Russiagate.
This media heading sounds interesting. I haven't read it yet but even the heading is a thought that should get out and continue to exercise people's minds. (Saw it on TDB).
Mr Hosie said there was growing concern that Mr Johnson may find a way of circumventing the so-called “Benn Bill” which requires him to seek an extension to the UK’s departure date if no deal has been agreed.
The aim of a no-confidence vote would be to install an interim prime minister who would secure a short Brexit delay and then call a general election.
“We have to do that because there is now no confidence that the prime minister will obey the law and seek the extension that Parliament voted for only a few weeks ago,” he told the Today programme.
“If we are serious about the extension that is the only game in town.”
(Though the Lib Dems still demur from Corbyn – too divisive FGS.)
Old news on Brexit from 24 September – but has a flow chart that pins down options and gives facts about process.
Brexit: What happens now? https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-46393399
JUST IN: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been referred to a police watchdog over his alleged relationship with an American businesswoman when he was Mayor of London. https://t.co/lZNd6zMvy0
Boris ( amyor of London at the time) nor his friend are police and the work involved was something around 'promoting London'
As well the GLA who did the recommending is a 25 person Assembly with a labour majority. The real strings are pulled by Londons Executive Mayor Sadiq Khan, also from Labour.
In neolib capitalism, when the poor that its systems and (lack of) principles create, they get hated for their discomfort and its outlets of violence and decadence and depression. So the political system doubles-down on the discomforts which increase to unsatisfactory levels for the ones who have and want to keep, so they move out to better climes. In this example of Indianapolis, USA, the people who have – are whites, and those without – are blacks. Which is common I would think; a colour barrier seems to arise. It's time to put effort into helping blacks and enabling all the good things about them to flourish in a background of security, regular work and wages, and to have a lifestyle that can be enjoyed with home, food, medical help, friends, community. What was held up as being the outcome of the modern world.
It’s perhaps America’s largest city with a “Republican” mayor.
Only 20 years ago, the city was nearly 80 percent white.
Only 10 years ago, the city was 67.5 percent white.
Today, it’s roughly 56 percent white.
The reason is simple: the quality of life in Indianapolis regresses to the mean of the majority racial group living in neighborhood, community, zip code… and Indianapolis is quickly regressing to the black mean, with whites fleeing the crime, depreciating property values, failing schools, and higher taxes (because blacks = poverty, someone has to pay for all the entitlement programs) that the black community contributes to the city.
That is an example of the real ‘mean’ of modern political
systems.
Its a common mistake in US and Europe to think the central city council covers the whole urban area. Its more like Auckland was before the first round of amalgamations in 1988 with lots of smaller councils surrounding the 'city'
Los Angeles 'City' is only a large portion of the LA urban area and so on through out the US
What a shameful day, where ignorant children disrespected their elders, cheered on by fools
What a shameful day in our history, where mainly children and young people “protested” about something they have no understanding of and that is mostly nothing but a hoax of proportions never seen before in human history.
Googling "www.averagekiwi.com" brings up a load of old results that appear leftie from the snippets displayed by google, but none of the actual posts appear cached by google. Just a few index pages are cached. Can't be arsed teaching myself one of the internet archiving services to check further on that.
It appears that a few months ago all the old stuff was wiped and these new climate denier trolling posts started coming. Maybe Hosking hijacked the site?
"He was a fattish but active man of paralyzing stupidity, a mass of imbecile enthusiasms—one of those completely unquestioning, devoted drudges on whom, more even than on the Thought Police, the stability of the Party depended."
Had Corbyn had said it, the media knives would’ve been out pdq.
/
Police said they have been "looking into" comments made by Nigel Farage at a Brexit Party rally in Newport last week.
The Brexit Party leader said "we'll take the knife" to "the overpaid pen pushers in Whitehall".
Gwent Police said "following a thorough assessment" the comments do not constitute a criminal offence.
We have received a number of comments and concerns from members of the public regarding a video that is circulating on social media. We can confirm this video relates to a visit by Nigel Farage to The Neon in Newport as part of a Brexit Party rally on the evening of 21st September. We are aware of the heightened tensions that exist regarding use of language, and take all allegations and concerns from members of the public very seriously. However, following a thorough assessment, it is our view that the comments in the video, do not constitute a criminal offence. As such, Gwent Police will not be taking any further action.
– Assistant Chief Constable Rhiannon Kirk
Brexit Party leader made these comments at a rally last Saturday:
When the president of the port of Calais and the boss of the port of Dover tell you they're 100% ready for Brexit in whatever form it comes I suggest we listen to them and not the overpaid pen pushers in Whitehall who are not doing a neutral job and once Brexit's done we'll take the knife to them. I've had enough of all of it.
I saw a link on MSN to a news hub story item with the headline that claimed “Brides would take on Trump”. Clicked on the title changed to
“Bridges says he would have raised climate change with Trump”.
Unlike Jacinda Ardern, Simon Bridges says he would have raised climate change with Donald Trump – even though he doesn't think it's an emergency.
Bridges would not have had a moment to raise anything with Trump as it would be hard for him to talk while he is licking Trump’s shoes to shine them.
The whole story rings so hollow as he dismisses climate change in one sentence but makes out he would talk tough about it to Trump in another. The only person mentioned in the story that has less of a grip on reality than Bridges is Trump.
He would have said to Trump… I agree with you.This Climate Change thing is all a hoax. We need to stick together on this one because they'll ruin the oil and coal industries and that's where our votes come from.
"When she had the chance to raise it with the most important figure in the world, the leader of the free world, the President of the United States – she didn't."
The leader of the free world? God Almighty. I knew Bridges was dumb but that's beyond the pale. Especially after the revelations of the past couple of weeks! If he represents National's finest then heaven help us if they gain the treasury benches again.
When she had the chance to raise it with the most important figures in the world, the leaders of the free world, the members of the United Nations – she did.
FIFY, Mr Bridges. And while we’re on the topic of raising difficult issues with leaders of superpowers, did you raise issues of climate change or human rights during your recent trip to China? Oh, you didn’t, did you? In fact, you buttered them up. Your words sound hollow, Mr Bridges.
To be fair to China, they're doing a shitload more on tackling climate change than we are. So no matter how you look at it, Slimon really doesn't have an incentive to raise that as a topic with China.
Our renewables capacity is a happy accident of past history and geography. That we're not at more than 98% is utterly shameful given our abundant untapped resources. What are we doing now to reduce our GHG emissions? Dead fukn nothing.
Meanwhile, what's China doing? They are doing almost half of the worldwide installation of new renewable energy. Massive production and supply of photovoltaic panels (country with the largest installed capacity). Huge additions of wind power (country with the largest installed capacity). Electrification of their transport fleet (they're over 50% of the world market for electric vehicles, and some cities have converted their entire bus fleets to electric). R&D on zero-GHG nuclear power.
China's electricity consumption per capita is about 4000 kWhr pa, much of which goes to producing stuff consumed by other nations, including New Zealand. Over a quarter of that was renewably generated, including nukes nearly a third of that was zero-GHG. On an annual per-capita basis call it 1200 kWhr zero-GHG and 2800 kWhr fossil. New Zealand's per capita annual consumption is about 9000kWhr, 80% zero-GHG, of which only a relatively small part is exported (from Tiwai point). So we're at about 1800 kWhr per capita fossil generated.
Considering the where, when, and how the development history of New Zealand and China compare, I reckon we in New Zealand should be fukn ashamed of where we are, and China can at least hold their head up. Even if it's with a bright red blush about their continuing to add new fossil capacity.
Did you tell him that it was Bridges and Brownlee , while they were in charge of house business in 2017 who prevented any reform of the Standing Orders over use of edited tv scenes of MPs in the house ?
If you email him again can you point out that it bears no resemblance to "free speech and democracy" it is the opposite and has every thing to do with deception &/or promoting ridicule. Ridicule & deception in many ways are the basis of the bullying behaviours which NZ is and should be trying to combat & stop, National Party morality & ethics come from the bottom of the food chain not the top.
The free speech angle is kind of a moot point as according to standing orders it is forbidden to use footage from parliament.
I also see the upholding of democracy as a defence laughable, considering the sacking of Ecan occured without a murmur about democracy.
I understand being in opposition is frustrating and hard, but this action reeks of desperation and hypocracy.
Once again, thank-you for responding."
If I get a further response, I can explore your angles.
What I would hope would happen is all of y'all were to email their local Nat.
It isn't me sending an effective email that works, it is all of us sending an email/phoning/writing/visiting these MPs, and letting them know what we think that works.
I am looking to do just that I already took something that is pending re Magic Radio and will re misleading headlines, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Bernie Sanders believes in gun registration for AR-15 rifles, but he will not call for their ban or removal like some other Democratic party candidates for president.
Great mahi Michael I agree we have to stop the central control of our needs more like Central control of our hip pockets. We must catch our own rain water per household grow some of our own vegetables compost our own bio waste there is a system that use organic waste ie the toilet waste water goes in a you get 2 hours a day of low cost gas and fertiliser for your garden you get the bio digester and the toilet for $1050 that is a good buy I'm getting one soon Just Google it and you will find it. Use solar and wind to power our house the best wind turbine for the DIY person is the new vertical turbine as they don't need much wind to run + in urban setting the wind is disturbed ie its can hit the turbine at different angles at the same time that type of wind stalls the traditional turbine but the new vertical turbine will work better in those conditions.
Sustainability expert Michael Mobbs: I’m leaving the city to prep for the apocalypse.
The 69-year-old former environmental attorney who, in 1996, transformed his two-storey 19th century Sydney terrace into one of the most global’s first inner-city self-sufficient houses, is promoting his well-known hobby venture and shifting to a faraway coastal location to arrange for what he predicts can be coming near near societal cave in brought on by way of local weather exchange.
This is, he says, a complete breakdown throughout the subsequent 3 to 5 years.
Promoting his four-bedroom, off-grid Chippendale assets that he bought in 1978 for $23,500 and is now valued at $2.2m is proving tougher than he concept. He’s had it in the marketplace since March, however desires to promote it to any person who gained’t convert the again backyard right into a automotive house, who desires to care for the Saturday morning space excursions that experience attracted some 30,000 eco-curious guests, and who will respect the house’s distinctive perks: two resident Australorp chooks named Pesky and Blanche d’Alpuget; not up to $300 a 12 months in water and effort expenses for a circle of relatives of 4 and a leafy side road blooming with safe to eat verge gardens.
The home additionally has a water, sewerage and electrical energy device totally disconnected from the mains: it’s powered by way of sun panels and a battery garage device; blank ingesting water falls at the roof and is then filtered for garage in an underground tank; and an aerated waste remedy device recycles all gray and blackwater, making sure no uncooked sewage has left the premises in 23 years.
Mobbs is in no large hurry to promote – he’s but to obtain that an important plot of coastal land for his bolthole-to-be. Then again he does have a brand new domicile within the works this is due for of completion in December – a prefabricated, bushfire-proof, absolutely sustainable house built with recycled fabrics that he’s developing in partnership with Melbourne-based modular housing consultantsFairweather Houses and Lismore-based renewables corporate 24 Hour Sun Energy. Mobbs’ new house would be the prototype the trio use to take at the mainstream development marketplace, appearing that sustainable may also be each “gorgeous and sublime” and “less expensive than industry as standard”
“I wish to break out from the key towns as a result of I believe they’ll turn out to be unsafe. You have a look at what occurs in puts that get cyclones or tornadoes; when the meals runs out and it’s laborious to get energy and water, civil unrest occurs in about two or 3 days,” he says.
“Other people die with out meals and water in per week, and if there are a large number of other people demise or liable to demise, their behaviour will turn out to be uncontrollable
All the way through that 12 months Mobbs additionally took a four,352km teach go back and forth from Perth to Sydney, a adventure he describes as “simply 4 days of demise nation-state”. “I travelled thru Western Australia around the Nullarbor, thru South Australia, down thru Damaged Hill – the entire of the rustic is deserted and demise,” he says.
That the mighty, flood-prone Lachlan River of his formative years has now been projected by way of WaterNSW to run dry by way of March 2020 given no vital rain or govt intervention, fills Mobbs with a grave worry
Michael Mobbs along with his house’s inverter, which manages inputs from the sun panels and batteries. : Jessica Hromas/The Father or mother
When NSW premier Bob Carr opened Mobbs’ sustainable space on nine December 1996, he declared Sydney’s first self-sufficient house “a imaginative and prescient of the longer term”.
Certainly, ultimately depend, greater than 20% of Australian houses had been fitted with sun panels; this 12 months’s nationwide Sustainable Area Day noticed 252 houses open their doorways to the general public; and NSW now has a development sustainability index (Basix) that regulates the power and water potency of recent dwellings.
In the ones 20 years Mobbs has had vital wins towards the state, together with Sydney Water, which for years after he’d disconnected his house from the sewage and water mains persisted to ship him expenses (when he didn’t pay up, he says, they threatened to disconnect him). “[Eventually] they got here spherical and did a smoke check. And their faces fell,” he says, grinning.
However Mobbs remains to be locked in an ideological fight with Sydney Water, which he sees as prioritising desalination vegetation over house rainwater tanks and wastewater recycling methods. The dwindling H2O ranges in his personal underground garage device is a day by day reminder of town’s water lack of confidence – lately he’s needed to more and more depend on his neighbour’s lawn hose to most sensible up his tank. The newest worst-case situation projection from WaterNSW is that Warragamba Dam – Sydney’s number one water provide – will forestall flowing by way of January 2022.
“I’ve finished my best possible right here and it hasn’t been sufficient,” Mobbs says of his Sydney ecohome. “I see what I’ve finished as a failure. Now not a sad failure – I imply it’s modified issues corresponding to development laws … This space has introduced extra exchange than political argument has. I’ve given up political strategising. The political procedure is simply too sluggish for the issues we are facing. I’m hoping if we will be able to do a just right process with this [prefabricated sustainable home] venture, we will be able to succeed in exchange
That' fog cannon is a great way to stop idiots harming bottles shop staff.
Ngāti Rangi Iwi using A ap to help the tangata connect with their Iwi is great way to use social media. Our tipuna in couraged tangata to use the Westen now technology.
The story of Tupaia whom was with Cook when he first came to Aotearoa Its very interesting that the story of Cook and Tupaia landing in Aotearoa has two different stories from each side of the Awa. The Tupaia story shows that Pacific tangata had great navigation skills in those days. Its really awesome that natives from around Te Papatuanuku are joining the strike for our future climate. Kai kaha Whanau Climate change will affect us more than the wealth
Australian is not being fair on the issue with imagination they are just creaming it they put up BULLSHIT ban on our apples.
The Climate Change Strikes are going to change our society to a clean and green society Our government plans on mitergateing climate change will flow through the Behive easier because of the strikes people are changing the way they live to lower their carbon foot print. I agree if one already knows the answer there's NO NEED to ask the questions.
Papatuanuku day for our Kau matua '' I'' Whanau we must care and look after and RESPECT our Kau matua.
Sam the ANZ is hogging all the profits from Aotearoa and not providing service in the regions Whanau time to do the switch. I switched banks years ago.
The new tourist charge is needed so Aotearoa can provide excellent services to our guests ka pai
There you go that is why I won't be going to Australia they don't no how to respect other cultures they treat their Great ancient indigenous tangata very badly.
Yes I agree we need to provide tau toko for the deported tangata from Australia's Aussie Mulcom I have a Fishermen associate from back in the day named Aussie. And other Fisher people from Ausse I have some knowledge on the culture there.
Six60 new Tangata Whenua O Aotearoa version of one of there songs is cool.
Top less Women people would only want to see the younger people with out their tops on swimming big know let's have some respect for all women.
We have a rule no toy guns for Te pepi
I agree people go into the hinaki society change so fast now days and they don't know how to cope with the changes they end up sliding back into doing trouble again they need more support when they get out of jail put the Ambulance at the top of the moanga not the bottom it will achieve a better outcome for the people and our society.
I agree with Azias there is a place and time for top less women nood camps not in public domains . I can see this though creating heaps of problems in our society.
I am a Kiwi living in Jersey City, New Jersey. Jersey City is the second-largest city in the state and is located directly across the Hudson River from downtown Manhattan. Locals call it New York’s sixth borough. More than 350,000 New Jersey citizens, including myself, commute to New York daily ...
It’s a beautiful autumn afternoon, we need to get out of the house, and so our bubble sets off on a bike ride around our local neighbourhood, Cambridge Park. The bikes come out of the garage, and, being really certain we have a front door key, close the garage door ...
. . April 7: Day 13 of living in lock-down… and unlucky for those who are superstitious. A day when there was a ray of sunshine from an otherwise bleak day of worrying signs. Today, as RNZ reported; Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield reported 54 new confirmed and probable cases ...
So far, universal basic income policies, which see people given a regular income without any conditions, have been trailed only on a small scale. But now, Spain is introducing one nationwide as a response to the pandemic: Spain is to roll out a universal basic income (UBI) “as soon as ...
Paul Connet, head of the anti-fluoride propaganda group, Fluoride Action Network, claims that the IQ of children bottle-fed in fluoridated areas drops by 9 points. But he misrepresented the research. There is no observable effect. For earlier articles in this series see: Part 1: Anti-fluoridation propaganda now relies on only ...
The Queen’s coronavirus broadcast, with its overtones of Winston Churchill and Vera Lynn, prompted me to reflect on the tribulations my parents’ generation suffered during the Second World War – and I imagine that those parallels, given her own wartime experience, were very much in the Queen’s mind as she ...
Back in February, the Marlborough District Council increased the mount it charges for LGOIMA requests. I used the LGOIMA to poke into this, and it seems the case for increased charges is unjustified: the supposed increase in request volumes it rests on is an artefact of the Council suddenly deciding ...
. . April 6: Day 12 of living in lock-down… Another day of a near-empty Park N Ride carpark; . . And another day of near-empty Wellington streets; . . . Light traffic on the motorway. No apparent increase in volume. Commercial vehicles sighted; a gravel-hauling truck; McAuley’s Transport; a ...
Imagination By-Pass: Had the Communications Minister, Kris Faafoi (above) taken a firm stand with Bauer, reminding them of their obligations to both their staff and the wider New Zealand public, then a much more favourable outcome may well have ensued. He should have made it clear to the Bauer board ...
We all know that Simon Bridges has, at the best of times, an intermittent relationship with the truth. However you would think that during a pandemic and economic crisis the current opposition leader would pull his head in and start to do the right thing.Obviously leading by example should be ...
Connett promotes Riddell et al (2019) as one of the only four studies one needs to read about fluoridation. But he misunderstands and misrepresents the findings of this study. Image credit: Fluoride Action ...
Last month I wrote my blog on covid-19 pointing out the in our pre Alert Level 4 days that a subject no one had heard here months ago was now dominating the media. An amazing feature of this crisis is how quickly it has swept every other issue aside worldwide. ...
Nick Wilson,1 Ayesha Verrall,1,2 Len Cook,3 Alistair Gray,3 Amanda Kvalsvig,1 Michael Baker,1 (1epidemiologists, 2infectious disease physician, 3statisticians)In this blog, we raise ideas for how New Zealand might optimise testing to both identify cases in the community as part of the COVID-19 elimination strategy, and to confirm when the virus ...
Maybe you’ve seen the graph that says those countries where everyone wears a mask are the ones that have managed to keep Covid-19 under control? The first thing to say about that claim is that those countries also did lots of other things, too – they acted fast, with intense ...
Story of the Week... Editorial of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Claim Review... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week... North Atlantic's capacity to absorb CO2 overestimated, study suggestsResearch into ocean’s plankton likely to lead to ...
The Treaty on Open Skies is one of the most effective mechanisms for preventing war curently in force. By letting countries make surveillance flights over each others' territory, it eliminates fears that they are secretly preparing for war. So naturally, the US is planning to withdraw from it: The Trump ...
. . April 5: Day eleven of living in lock-down… My one day of rest for the week, and an opportunity to mow my lawns – which I’d been delaying for about three weeks. (On the plus side, the damp micro-climate in my back yard yielded three lovely fresh mushrooms ...
As far as anyone can say, New Zeaand still has a general election scheduled for September 19 this year. The election will be accompanied by two referenda, one of which will ask voters:Do you support the proposed Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill?The official campaign period for the cannabis referendum begins ...
The vast majority of tributes to the Listener hearken back to its glory days, with little reflection on the magazine as it was at its end.I wrote for it, for half the Listener’s life; I have known personally all the editors except the first (mythical) three. From 1978 to 2014 ...
As the world economy slides rapidly towards deep recession there are growing calls for a Universal Benefit coming from some leftists and rightists. Now Finance Minister Grant Robertson is saying it is on the table. This article by a French party Workers Struggle provides analysis of various forms of universal ...
This is the advice from the very top of the anti-fluoride movement – Paul Connett, director of the Fluoride Action Network (FAN). Don’t worry about reading up on all the scientific information “You only have ...
. . April 4: Day 10 of living in lock-down… I wake up to a fine Saturday morning which normally would be like an early Christmas. But it’s Day 10 of Level 4 Lock Down. What will my fellow New Zealanders be doing on a day like this – staying ...
Some time during the night we went over the 850,000 views mark. We might have had our millionth view by the end of this year – certainly by early next year. Most of the people involved in Redline spent years and years producing various small left-wing papers and selling them ...
Comfortably, in the very first round, with an impressive 56% of the votes.I wonder, did members of the Shadow Cabinet start tweeting their resignations during Starmer's victory speech, or is that only a trick the right pull?It is odd how all the talk of how the next leader "needs to ...
One of the key voices in this extraordinary time in which we live is that of University of Otago epidemiologist Professor Michael Baker. Philip Matthews did an an excellent job this weekend of capturing the way he became the man for this moment in a profile for The Press.But one ...
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern addressed the nation today about the decline in daylight New Zealand has been experiencing over the previous few months. She said “As many of you will notice, our attempts to stem the dwindling of the daylight over the last few months have been completely ...
Redline received this article from the KOE a Marxist party in Greece Our friends in the KOE describe here the mounting crisis in Greece and tensions on the Turkish border. As desperate people flee from their homelands which have been ruined after decades of imperialist wars and interventions the people ...
As the first week of Level Four lockdown unfolded, mounting questions grew as to just what was (and was not) allowed under its “rules”. Partly these were driven by some apparently contradictory messagesfrom different authority figures and explanations carried in the media. Partly they reflected a somewhat sketchy legal basis ...
. . April 3: Day 9 of living in lock-down… Another late-start to my work day. Everything is temporarily upended as clients are shuffled around so we can minimise our “bubble” by reducing the number of people we help. One of my colleagues has been removed from his clients; his ...
In order to meet our 2050 carbon target and do our bit to avoid making the Earth uninhabitable, New Zealand needs to decarbonise our economy, replacing fossil fuels with electricity in the energy, industrial and transport sectors. The good news is that it will mean cheaper power for all of ...
For those folk who find my other Lock-Down Diary versions too “negative” or otherwise unpalatable… Here’s a photo of a pretty flower, . . Better? Tomorrow’s Sanitised Version: a cute animal video. . . . =fs= ...
. . April 2: Day eight of living in lock-down… Today, my work day starts late. Our rosters and clients have been dramatically changed, lessening (theoretically) the number of people in our work “bubble”. If just one of us catches covid19 the impact could be considerable as Grey Base Hospital ...
As Aotearoa enters week two of lockdown, it’s clear we’re all still working out what our “bubbles” look like and how to stay in them to stop the spread of Covid-19. New to the government’s Covid-19 website is some good guidance for people living in apartment blocks. Recent decades have ...
“There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.” Lenin Don’t we all know that feeling now.
Prospect Magazine alerted me to this particularly apt quote. It is a much more evocative quote than Hemingway’s “gradually then suddenly” which is also doing ...
Yesterday was the day the consequences of the lockdown suddenly got very real for many. Firms have been closing and laying people off since the outset of the quarantine but this has mostly been happening out of the public eye. The mass closure of a number of iconic New Zealand ...
Brian Williamson1, Prof Nick Wilson2 (1Economic consultant, UK; 2University of Otago Wellington)In this blog, we outline how a win-win social contract could be forged to address the major dimensions of response to the COVID-19 pandemic when using a mitigation strategy: the particular need to protect older people from high ...
Resuming Normal Service: The Republican Party's nominee for in 1920, Warren Harding, promised the American people: “not heroics, but healing; not nostrums, but normalcy; not revolution, but restoration”. If she wishes to remain our prime minister, then Jacinda Ardern will offer New Zealanders the same.HOW EDUCATED AMERICA snickered when the ...
No Free Society Without A Free And Functioning News Media: If we are to surrender our civil rights to the broader cause of defeating Covid-19, then foreign corporations must, likewise, surrender their right to inflict immense economic and cultural harm on New Zealanders simply because it improves their bottom line.I’M ...
by Daphna Whitmore A third of the world is under lockdown and a clear assessment of this measure to curb the spread of COVID-19 is urgently needed. With any high-stakes decisions it has to be asked what are we dealing with here? Are the measures warranted? Will they achieve their ...
I haven’t done a huge amount in the last few days. I’m reading The Poppy War and I’ve sort of poked at a couple of games – I started SOMA but I’m a wimp and I quit while in the first room after the brain scan. I might try it ...
The swan politicians may be gliding on the water, occasionally snapping at one another. Meanwhile, as the Covid19 crisis illustrates, the officials are desperately paddling below providing the real locomotion. One of the most fatuous recent grandstanding comments (of about a week ago), adding to the public’s anxieties, was ...
Much has been written about the importance of discretion in an emergency situation, and the concerns raised by the potential for it to be exercised arbitrarily. Given the quality of the discussion, there seemed little point in adding to it at any length. In particular, I point to the evidence ...
Today has felt surreal. I was all set to touch base online with my science communication students when a colleague shared the news that Bauer Media would be shutting down its publications immediately. The first link I saw implied it was Woman’s Weekly affected, and even that shocked me. But ...
Bogeymen, Real And Imagined: Is the number of psychopathic and sociopathic individuals in any given society truly as vanishingly small as we like to tell ourselves? Isn’t it more likely that the mass-shooters and serial-killers filling the headlines represent only the tip of a much, much larger iceberg of frightfulness? ...
Outgoing Police Commissioner Mike Bush appeared before the Epidemic Response Committee today, who asked him for the rules police are using to enforce the lockdown. He refused:Police Commissioner Mike Bush has admitted the advice given to Kiwis about what they're able to do during the lockdown hasn't been clear enough. ...
For those folk who find my other Lock-Down Diary versions too “negative” or otherwise unpalatable… Here’s a photo of my cat, . . Better? Tomorrow’s Sanitised Version: a pretty flower. . . . =fs= ...
. . April 1: Day seven of living in lock-down… This morning I had a brief chat with one of my neighbours, “D” (social distance between us, a good three or four metres). I learned he had resigned from his previous job and had been hired by another company – ...
Funnily enough, my thought as I start this post is whether it will be well written enough. Or should that be well enough written? Because so much of what I know about good writing came from my two stints at The Listener, which this morning was shut down due to ...
With normal democratic procedures in abeyance, there were two ways to go. First, it was open for the government to dissolve itself and invite the National Party to join a ministry of national salvation. That would have lessened the democratic deficit of the times by having a team of rivals without ...
Dr Kirsty Ross Children and young people can respond differently in times of distress. This also varies by age and developmental stage, with younger children having more magical and imaginative thinking, and older children having more awareness and knowledge of the issues our communities are facing (which brings up ...
Hungary has been a virtual dictatorship for a decade now, as Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has gradually eroded its democracy. But now, its official, with the passage of an indefinite emergency law allowing rule by decree:Hungary’s parliament has passed a new set of coronavirus measures that includes jail terms for ...
While the economy is on pause under lockdown, the government is beginning to plan how to cope with the post-lockdown, post-tourism, post-export education world we will eventually find ourselves in. They're planning a lot of infrastructure spending as economic stimulus, and have asked for proposals which can start the moment ...
It's my distraction, setting up tiny scenes to photograph. I've got stuck on the Babushka dolls for now. Something about their bubble shape. Something about their never changing, smiling features, suggesting persistent equanimity. Can we get through everything that is being thrown at us and keep at least a tiny ...
. . March 31: Day six of living in lock-down… This time I managed to sleep a little longer and the alarm woke me at the pre-set time: 6.55am. Then remembered I was working a later shift and could’ve slept in. Oh well, there are things to do at home. ...
Image credit:Diamond Harbour School Blogs I notice a few regulars no longer allow public access to the site counters. This may happen accidentally when the blog format is altered. If your blog is unexpectedly missing or ...
Yesterday's Horizon poll showing support for a "Yes" vote in this year's cannabis referendum sliding into the majority for the first time in a year looked like good news for reformers – and it probably is. But the result warrants some scrutiny.The poll is the fifth in a series commissioned ...
For almost a week now, every one of us who isn’t an essential worker has been confined to their bubble. We are allowed to go shopping for groceries, to visit the doctor, and to get a bit of exercise if we stay local. The reason we are doing this is ...
The Covid-19 saga will no doubt produce many twists and turns for us before it is finally brought to an end. But one thing it has shown us – and what comfort it should bring us – is that our country’s government is in good hands. I am not thinking ...
In the absence of a vaccine or a cure for a deadly disease, staying home in your bubble is what you do, the concept is not new. To the best of my knowledge last time we did this in NZ was for polio, in the years before a vaccine came ...
The following statement was released on March 28 by the National Network on Cuba, a coalition of 40 groups, based in the United States. In recent weeks, Cuba has deployed hundreds of medical providers to over a dozen countries in Europe, Asia, as well as to their neighbors in Latin ...
This has been a terrible summer for Hector’s dolphins. The first indication was very low numbers of dolphin sightings during late spring and early summer. The Otago University Marine Mammal Research Team has carried out routine dolphin surveys at Banks Peninsula for more than 30 years. In all that time, ...
On March 17, Finance Minister Grant Robertson was quick out of the blocks with an economic rescue package to help businesses through the inevitable recession resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. Robertson had pulled together a scheme in short order that so far seems to have saved many jobs. In his ...
The purpose of the lockdown is to save lives, by reducing the spread of covid-19. We won't know if its really working for another week, but given the devastation that will result if it doesn't - 14,000 dead is the optimistic scenario - its definitely worth trying. But pausing the ...
. . March 30: Day five of living in lock-down… Woke up still in darkness. Alarm hadn’t gone off. Turn to radio clock; it’s a few minutes after 6am… I lie there in the dark, waiting to drift off to sleep… but it ain’t happening. Clock ticks over to 6.55 ...
The story of Les Gray, the public sector psychologist who told the truth about his use of cannabis and set off a storm, has a special place in the lore of cannabis reform in New Zealand.When Paul Shannon interviewed Gray for the 'Dope and Hope' issue of Planet magazine in ...
by Phil Duncan For Marxists, a key concern about social trends is their context – not just their causes, but why they happen when they do. Events and phenomena have causes, but they also are time or period-specific. While much of the left have capitulated recently to postmodernism, most notably ...
Since the lockdown began, we've all suddenly been reminded who the actually essential workers in our society are: not the people at the top who pay themselves the big bucks and rort the perks, but the people at the bottom they screw over and squeeze: cleaners, warehouse staff, truck drivers ...
Kia ora! As I've watched nearly all my remaining work vanish over the past couple of days, it has occured to me that one good way to keep me away from arguing with fools on Twitter all the time (in the knowledge that all we're really doing is processing our ...
Aotearoa New Zealand has committed to trying to extirpate the virus that causes COVID-19 from its shores. To do that, as a society we’ve moved to “Level 4”. That means adapting to unprecedented restrictions on our personal freedoms, particularly to our rights to move freely and associate with friends and ...
When the Prime Minister declared a state of emergency last week, she handed the police powers to enforce it. And almost immediately, we started hearing about heavy-handed, arbitrary "enforcement" by police who (at best) cared more about order than law, or (more likely) had no idea what the rules were ...
. . Lock Down: Day 4 – A photo essay with observations . March 29: Usual wake up routine as RNZ snaps on my radio-clock. Jim Mora’s voice slowly enters my conciousness; there’s talk of a second wave of covid19 taking hold in South Korea; the week in Parliament – ...
Rt. Hon. Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced that New Zealand will enter into transit arrangements with a range of countries to make it easier for each other’s citizens to get home. “There are millions of people around the world stranded ...
From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, our Government has striven to provide calm, clear and consistent communication, including daily press conference updates from the Prime Minister. ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters says getting New Zealanders back home and other travellers out of the country is "a nightmare for our embassies, consuls, and staff around the world".Speaking to NewstalkZB's Mike Hosking, the Foreign Minister said that he gave a clear message to people travelling overseas that they ...
The domestic travel ban has been lifted for stranded foreign tourists trying to get to international airports to fly home, after the Coalition Government announced a plan to help the tens of thousands of foreigners stranded here. Foreign Minister Rt. Hon. Winston Peters spoke with RNZ's Susie Ferguson said foreign ...
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters believes the country is rediscovering its resilience and self-reliance through its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.He says he is heartened that the mass majority of New Zealanders are following lockdown rules and that the government looking at the future, including paying to keep much ...
New Zealand can emulate the success of the US after the Great Depression by exploiting our own resources to turn the economy around quickly, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters says. Mr. Peters told Magic Talk that New Zealand has an opportunity to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic a "superior, ...
All 45 New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel are either on their way back to New Zealand, or already in the country, according to Defence Minister Ron Mark."Twenty-eight personnel arrived back in New Zealand last week and are in isolation at the Royal New Zealand Air Force base in ...
The COVID-19 situation in New Zealand is moving fast - and to avoid what we've seen overseas - the Government's response must be to move fast too. We're committed to keeping New Zealanders safe and well-informed every step of the way. ...
We know people are feeling anxious about COVID-19. While the situation is serious, New Zealand has a world-class health system and we’re well-prepared to keep New Zealanders safe. ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is encouraging New Zealanders overseas to stay where they are amid the COVID-19 pandemic. "We are reaching a point where the best option for most New Zealanders offshore is to shelter in place, by preparing to safely stay where they are.” "This includes following the instructions ...
Rt. Hon. Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Foreign Minister Winston Peters is encouraging the tens of thousands of New Zealanders travelling overseas to consider sheltering in place, in light of COVID-19. “Since 18 March, we have been warning New Zealanders offshore that the window for flying ...
Communities stepping up to help New Zealanders stay at home to break the transmission of COVID-19 and save lives have received Government support, said Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni. “Delivering groceries for the elderly who can’t shop online, providing data packs for low income families to keep them connected, and being ...
Across New Zealand 120 sites are taking samples to be tested for COVID-19. 68 community based assessment centres (CBACs) have been established to take samples from people with COVID-19 symptoms. Alongside this, 52 other centres including designated general practices, swabbing centres, and mobile clinics are now testing people for ...
The Ministry of Education is working with partners to develop a package of options so that students can learn at home when Term 2 begins on 15 April, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said today. Supports are also being prepared for households with children under five, to help parents and whānau ...
Māori Television to begin educational te reo programmes Ki te Ao Mārama – a new online learning space Thousands of hard copy learning packs ready for distribution Helpdesk and advice service for kōhanga, kura and wharekura Television, the internet and hard copy learning packs are some of the ways whānau ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced an initial package of support to help the people and the Government of Vanuatu respond to the impact of Tropical Cyclone Harold. “Our Pacific neighbours have been hit by a Category 5 Cyclone at the same time as dealing with the economic impacts ...
Tourism New Zealand to lead work reimagining the way tourism operates in post-COVID-19 world. Ministers to review International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy investment plan. The Government, industry and business are working together to develop a plan for how tourism will operate in a post-COVID-19 world, Tourism Minister Kelvin Davis ...
More New Zealanders are taking up the chance to work in horticulture as the sector keeps New Zealanders fed and in jobs during the COVID-19 Alert Level 4 lockdown. “Our horticulture sector has long been one of New Zealand’s export star performers, contributing around $6 billion a year to our ...
The Provincial Development Unit is working through applications and projects to see where Provincial Growth Fund money can be repurposed for initiatives deemed more critical to fighting the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones says. “We need to be throwing everything we have at ...
The Government’s wage subsidy to protect jobs and keep workers and businesses connected during the lockdown has now supported over a million New Zealanders, with $6.6 billion already paid out. “We’re supporting businesses to pay wages, and stay connected with their workers so that we are all in a better ...
The Government is stepping up efforts to help protect New Zealand’s Pacific communities in the fight against COVID-19. Cabinet has agreed that $17 million will be allocated to support a COVID-19 Pacific Response Package, which will: Support Pacific health and disability services facing increased demand; Ramp up public health messaging ...
“Yesterday evening the Health Minister advised me of his trip to a beach during the lockdown and offered his resignation,” Jacinda Ardern said. “Under normal conditions I would sack the Minister of Health. What he did was wrong, and there are no excuses. “But right now, my priority is our ...
Last night as part of my preparation for the Epidemic Response Committee, I provided the Prime Minister with a complete picture of my activity outside my home during Alert Level 4. That included the fact that on the first weekend of the Alert Level 4 lockdown I drove my family ...
A range of support is being rolled out across New Zealand to help people look after their mental health during COVID-19 Health Minister David Clark said this morning. “COVID-19 has brought a lot of uncertainty into our lives and many of us will be feeling some level of distress or ...
The New Zealand Government has made arrangements to charter a flight for New Zealanders stranded in Peru to depart the country, following agreement with the Chilean government to allow the necessary transit through Chile, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters announced today. “Like many travellers around the world at the moment, ...
Hospital preparations for COVID-19 are well advanced says Health Minister David Clark. “Hospitals across New Zealand are repurposing buildings and training staff to get ready for COVID-19 patients. This gives me confidence that we are well prepared for any potential increase in COVID-19 patients needing hospital level care,” said David ...
The Government will be introducing legislation to make changes to the Companies Act to help companies facing insolvency due to COVID-19 to remain viable and keep New Zealanders in jobs. The temporary changes include: Giving directors of companies facing significant liquidity problems because of COVID-19 a ‘safe harbour’ from insolvency ...
The Government’s plan to cushion the blow of COVID-19 by supporting incomes, jobs and businesses, and position the economy to recover has been backed by another international report. International credit rating agency Moody’s today reaffirmed its highest Aaa credit rating on New Zealand, saying the economy is expected to remain ...
National sports organisations have been given certainty of funding to ensure they can remain viable through the COVID-19 pandemic, Sport and Recreation Minister Grant Robertson announced today. “The global spread of COVID-19 has had a significant impact on sport and recreation in New Zealand, including the cancellation or postponement of ...
Changes have been made to allow butchers to process pork, only for supply to supermarkets or other processors or retailers that are open, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor has announced. “We carefully weighed the risk of allowing butchers to open their shops for retail customers, but the risk of spreading COVID-19 ...
Essential workers who take leave from work to comply with public health guidance are being supported with a leave scheme to ensure they will continue to receive income, say the Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety Iain Lees-Galloway and Minister for Social Development, Carmel Sepuloni. A number of essential businesses ...
A Government WhatsApp channel has been launched to help make information more easily accessible and shareable in the fight against COVID-19. Govt.NZ, which is free to use on any mobile device, will carry information and news for the public, businesses, healthcare providers, not for profits and local government. It can ...
The Government has announced a plan to enable the safe, orderly exit of tens of thousands of stranded foreign nationals from New Zealand during the current COVID-19 Alert Level 4 restrictions, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters has said. “When we moved into lockdown a week ago, the ...
Health Minister Dr David Clark says the Government is delivering on its commitment to support general practice doctors and nurses, and pharmacies on the front-line of our fight against COVID-19. "For us to overcome COVID-19, we need community health services such as general practice and community pharmacy to step up ...
Justice Susan Thomas has been appointed Chief High Court Judge, Attorney-General David Parker announced today. She replaces Justice Geoffrey Venning who has resigned from the position. David Parker paid tribute to Justice Venning, who he said had stewarded the High Court very capably over the last five years. “On behalf ...
Businesses can start applying to their banks for loans under the Business Finance Guarantee Scheme set up to support the New Zealand economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We’re moving quickly to protect New Zealand businesses, jobs and the economy during this unprecedented global economic shock,” Finance Minister Grant Robertson said. ...
Work is underway looking at measures to speed up consents for development and infrastructure projects during the recovery from COVID 19, to provide jobs and stimulate our economy. Environment Minister David Parker said the COVID-19 pandemic is a serious global crisis that will have a wide ranging and lasting impact ...
Advance payments will be made to transport construction industry contractors to retain the workforce and ensure it is ready to quickly gear up to build projects which will be vital to New Zealand’s COVID-19 economic recovery, Transport Minister Phil Twyford announced today. He said keeping the workforce required to build ...
The Government has tasked a group of industry leaders to seek out infrastructure projects that are ready to start as soon as the construction industry returns to normal to reduce the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Economic Development Minister Phil Twyford and Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones say. The Infrastructure ...
Work to scale up the health system in preparation for COVID-19 was today outlined by Health Minister David Clark, as he reported back to the new Epidemic Response Committee. “We are well placed to contain the spread of COVID-19. We have taken early and decisive action at our borders, and ...
The Government is refining its COVID-19 essential business guidance to include the distribution of news publications for communities which are hard to reach. The Minister of Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media, Kris Faafoi, said the move was in recognition of the importance for New Zealanders who might be harder to ...
The Government is ensuring supermarkets can open on Easter Sunday so we can buy groceries, but stay closed on Good Friday allowing workers to take a break. This provides a balanced approach and ensures we avoid large queues that two days closure may cause. “Supermarkets will be able to open ...
Following the successful conclusion of the Building Partner Capacity (BPC) mission at Taji, New Zealand defence personnel are returning to New Zealand from Iraq, in accordance with the Cabinet decision made in June 2019, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Ron Mark announced today. “New Zealand is very ...
The State of National Emergency to help stop the spread of COVID-19 has been extended for a further seven days, Minister of Civil Defence Peeni Henare said. The initial declaration on March 25 lasted seven days and can be extended as many times as necessary. “Since we went into isolation ...
New Zealand’s ability to go hard and go early in the fight against COVID-19 has been underpinned by strong Government finances and the growing economy heading into this global pandemic, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. The Treasury today released the Crown financial statements for the eight months to the end ...
Health Minister Dr David Clark says 36 new intensive care beds at Christchurch Hospital’s new Hagley building are being fast tracked so they are available for treatment of COVID-19 patients. The Ministry of Health is working with contractor CPB and Canterbury DHB to enable access to the hospital’s ICU, ...
The Government has fast-tracked up to $1 million to help Air New Zealand move urgent freight to and from New Zealand, with the first flight to Shanghai leaving tonight, Transport Minister Phil Twyford announced today. Phil Twyford says it’s crucial that trade in vital goods such as medical supplies and ...
New Zealand will temporarily remove tariffs on all medical and hygiene imports needed for the COVID-19 response. Trade and Export Growth Minister David Parker and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Kris Faafoi said today that the New Zealand Customs Service will apply tariff concessions to all diagnostic reagents and testing ...
Minister of Finance Grant Robertson has clarified that the changes to the wage subsidy scheme announced yesterday mean that employers should be passing on the full subsidy to workers, except in the case where the person’s normal income is less than the level of the subsidy. “We still want employers ...
Medical face masks from the national reserve supply are now being distributed to District Health Boards, while at the same time local production is being ramped up. Yesterday more than 640,000 masks were sent to DHBS – that is an immediate two week supply, with more to follow in coming ...
The Government has made modifications to the wage subsidy scheme to ensure people don’t lose their jobs during the national lockdown. These changes will soften the impact of COVID-19 on workers, families and businesses, and position them to exit the lockdown and look to recovery, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brian Oliver, Research Leader in Respiratory cellular and molecular biology at the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research and Professor, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney Harry Potter author JK Rowling says a breathing technique has helped her coronavirus-like respiratory symptoms, a ...
8 April 2020 This media release summarises changes to the operation of the courts entering week of COVID-19 alert level 4. It also looks ahead to how the courts will operate in the short and medium term under alert restrictions. Courts to function ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Glasziou, Professor of Medicine, Bond University Should members of the public be wearing face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic? It’s a controversial question, with different countries and authorities giving different advice. We have reviewed the results of more than a dozen ...
The Government is moving to safeguard businesses from insolvency with 'safe harbour' legislation for directors’ liabilities and a business debt hibernation regime. Practically, the business debt hibernation regime will see company directors seeking ...
This Passover, we won’t be attending synagogue, we won’t be participating in large raucous dinners and sharing our food with our extended family and friends, we won’t be welcoming strangers into our homes, as Jewish people are instructed to do, writes Juliet Moses.Tonight, on what is hopefully the halfway point ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brad Elphinstone, Lecturer in psychology., Swinburne University of Technology The same week social distancing measures were announced in Australia (March 16 – March 22), sales of game consoles leaped 285.6%. Prior to this, sales were declining month on month. We’ve also seen ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Harris, Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, UNSW As part of the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, all elective surgeries across Australia have been temporarily cancelled. Elective surgery is non-urgent surgery people choose (elect) to have: things like cataract surgery, joint replacement, ...
Infratil and Wellington Council are preparing to lend Wellington Airport funds to help it cope with a traffic collapse because of Covid-19 restrictions, DIleepa Fonseka reports from Infratil's update to investors Wellington City Council and listed investment firm Infratil are preparing a loan to support Wellington Airport, which has seen ...
The latest in our new series of charts, graphics and data visualisations by Chris McDowall.This work is entirely funded by the generosity of The Spinoff MembersThese posts collate the most recent statistics and present them as charts and maps. The Ministry of Health typically publishes data updates in the early ...
After two weeks of lockdown, police are no longer taking "I didn't know the rules" as a valid excuse, Marc Daalder reports Two weeks into the nationwide lockdown, the police are starting to take non-compliance seriously. The number of prosecutions nearly tripled in 24 hours and 76 new breaches of ...
As the Ministry of Social Development struggles to cope with unprecedented inquiries due to Covid-19, Child Poverty Action Group is calling for the Government to fix our broken welfare system and redesign it so all New Zealanders, but particularly ...
Fijian authorities are scrambling to ensure Cyclone Harold doesn’t make the country’s Covid-19 crisis worse, Teuila Fuatai reports. As Cyclone Harold hits Fiji, authorities have issued physical distancing and sanitation guidelines for evacuation centres. Lashing rain and strong winds caused widespread flooding, power outages and damage to homes and buildings ...
The Government has announced a $88 million package to help students adjust to the new normal of learning from home Thousands of modems and internet-ready devices are being sent to households around the country, in a bid to bridge the digital divide before children resume their studies at home next ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christine Jenkins, Professor, Respiratory Medicine, UNSW Sydney and Clinical Professor at the University of Sydney, George Institute for Global Health The new respiratory coronavirus COVID-19 is particularly worrying for the 2.7 million Australians who already suffer from asthma. That’s roughly one in ...
By Maggie Boyle of FBC News Fiji disaster authorities have put the whole of Viti Levu island on restricted movement due to TC Harold. Director for National Disaster Management Vasiti Soko confirmed the step had been taken as a precautionary measure. Soko said everyone except emergency services were to ...
By Wansolwarastaff Fiji now has 15 coronavirus cases after a single new case has been confirmed by Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama. The new case was one of 25 samples that were tested at the molecular lab and is the husband of an existing patient from Lautoka – the Zumba ...
Māori will likely make up the worst unemployment figures in the forthcoming economic recession. Things can’t go back to the way they were, writes Joshua Hitchcock.Our world has changed. While it is too early to know with any certainty what the full impact of this crisis will be on Māori, ...
‘New Zealand leads world in public perception of Covid-19 response,’ says pollster Colmar Brunton.Public support for the official New Zealand response to the Covid-19 outbreak remains high, and well ahead of the world’s richest coutries, new polling suggests.The numbers show New Zealanders’ backing for measures “far outstrips the response in ...
People waiting a week or longer for the results of their Covid-19 tests say the delays are making them anxious, even as the Government says they're nothing to worry about, Marc Daalder reports Anand Rama says the worst part wasn't the waiting, it was that he had no idea how ...
In any crisis, large or small, people usually rally round those in control so long as they convey a sense of knowing what they are doing. If those in charge lose that sense, start to waver, or are otherwise deflected, then their authority quickly starts to erode, warns Peter Dunne ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Melissa O’Donnell, Senior Research Fellow, University of Western Australia Tackling a health crisis such as COVID-19, with society in lockdown can’t help but place families under strain. It’s been reported family violence notifications to police nearly tripled in some areas of China’s ...
A new study released today by Colmar Brunton shows the public’s response to Government measures to tackle COVID-19 far outstrips the response in any of the G7 nations. The Colmar Brunton COVID Times is a study of over 600 New Zealanders surveyed from ...
Launching a new series, 60 Seconds with Siouxsie, the inimitable Dr Wiles has a few sharp words for anyone thinking they might catch up with neighbours for a drink or a chat, even at a couple of metres apart.In our first video, made possible by the support of Spinoff members, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bekessy, Professor in Sustainability and Urban Planning, Leader, Interdisciplinary Conservation Science Research Group (ICON Science), RMIT University Intriguing things sometimes happen in places deserted by people. Plants creep back, animals return, and slowly, birdsong fills the air. The coronavirus pandemic means ...
What’s an Ōamaru sweet maker doing giving away a product remarkably similar to the late, lamented Snifter? Amanda Thompson searches for the truth behind a minty mystery.I’m not in this for laughs, people. I’m not playing. At the time of writing, things are bad, they don’t seem to be getting ...
The Tūpuna Maunga Authority is calling for a total ban on the private sale of fireworks following the latest fire at Maungarei / Mt Wellington on Tuesday 7 April. Fire and Emergency crew in attendance advised Authority management they received reports of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Geetanjali Saluja, Lecturer, University of Technology Sydney Governments everywhere face the challenge of getting people to stay home so they can limit the spread of coronavirus. In order to make their messages more effective, governments must ensure these appeals resonate with the ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the Government has no plans to end New Zealand’s four-week lockdown ahead of schedule, despite acknowledging there are signs the country is “starting to turn a corner” in its fight against coronavirus. Ardern’s comments came as Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield reported there had been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Blakely, Professor of Epidemiology, University of Melbourne Australia is on track to flatten the curve of coronavirus cases, which will allow our health system to cope with increasing demand for intensive care unit (ICU) beds, recently released modelling confirms. The modelling, ...
Today, dozens of peace groups, academics and human rights campaigners are calling on Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to withdraw from RIMPAC, the world’s largest, US-led military exercise due to begin in June. The text of the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meredith Rossner, Professor of Criminology, Australian National University In the past, the courts were ideal breeding grounds for spreading disease. In what became known as the “Black Assize”, a deadly fever that swept through prisons and courts in England in 1586, 11 ...
Returning nutrients to the soil was once part of every culture, and now, more than ever, it’s time we restore its valuable role in everyday life.Like keep cups, organic cotton tote bags and eco-friendly cleaning products, composting can at times seem like a new trend latched on to by sustainability-obsessed ...
How is Covid-19 spreading within the country? Newsroom is collating information as it's available to paint a picture of what's happening.The following charts are based on numbers shared at the daily press conference. These may vary from the full day's numbers released in the Ministry of Health's spreadsheet ...
The Prime Minister’s chief science adviser Juliet Gerrard says the next few days will be key to determining when the country can come out of lockdown at the end of four weeks. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Trauer, Senior Research Fellow, Monash University Australia is effectively in lockdown. Public gatherings of more than two people are banned and people are only permitted to leave home for a limited set of reasons. The recent tough measures appear to be ...
She’s not a teacher or a fluent speaker – she just wants to practise with you. Join Leonie Hayden as she works through the first four weeks of Scotty Morrison’s Māori Made Easy.Today we’re asking and answering: how many?E hia te roa o te rāhui e toe ana? How long have ...
Jacinda Ardern has pushed back on calls to lift New Zealand out of lockdown early - but businesses say we need a roadmap for how and when we come out the other side Business leaders have urged the Government to provide greater clarity about how New Zealand will move out ...
It looks like troughers should go back to the drawing board before submitting – or re-submitting – their claim to a serving from the Provincial Growth Fund. Shane Jones, the Minister of Munificence, has announced that the Provincial Development Unit is working through applications and projects ” … to see ...
E tū members at Fletcher Building Ltd are opening up about how they expect their pay cut to affect them and their families. The company has announced that most workers are in line for a wage cut of up to 70%, while the top executives on millions of ...
A simple, long overdue change in New Zealand’s policy for blood donations would benefit everyone, writes Dr. Oliver Armstrong-Scott. The New Zealand Blood Service recently pleaded for Kiwis to continue donating blood during the Covid-19 lockdown to ensure supplies do not run out. As a medical doctor, I have seen ...
Tonight New Zealand marks the halfway point of alert level four. Assuming, that is, it ends on schedule. What will determine the decision to lift the strictest restrictions, and what comes next? Kate Newton of RNZ asks the experts.Covid-19 researchers in New Zealand are optimistic that the level four restrictions ...
If crisis point was met, there is little doubt that the Bay of Plenty regions District Health Boards and hospitals could not cope with a severe outbreak of COVID-19. Medical staff would be stretched to their limits, resulting in deaths, and iwi and hapu in ...
The creators of a commercial property clause that may exempt tenants from paying all or some of their rent say it is working as intended. Clause 27 of the Auckland District Law Society (ADLS) Deed of Lease includes a "no access in emergency clause", which the Property Councilwarned could lead ...
As New Zealand enters day 14 of a scheduled four-week lockdown, director general of health Ashley Bloomfield says New Zealand can be ‘increasingly confident’ . ...
The On the Rag team meet one more time to talk about how the Covid-19 crisis affects women and what you can do to cope. It’s our last podcast for a little while so crack open a bottle of something fizzy and join us as we undergo what is basically a ...
Former Chief Justice Sir Arnold Amet … emergency powers up to controller alone. Video: EMTV NewsBy Martha Louis in Madang Papua New Guinea’s former Chief Justice Sir Arnold Amet says the state of emergency (SoE) in the country means that no other authority has any ability or powers ...
By Florencio Miranda Ximenes and Antónia Gusmão in Dili Timor-Leste’s Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak has explained the decision to dismiss the vice-health minister, saying he lost trust in her to do the job. The President dismissed Élia António de Araújo dos Reis Amaral from her post on Friday, following ...
Farrowing crates, which confine mother pigs kept on factory farms, violate the Animal Welfare Act 1999, and for the first time in New Zealand history the Act will be tested in court. SAFE and the New Zealand Animal Law Association (NZALA) filed court proceedings ...
‘Yes, it’s endearing that the PM said that the Easter Bunny is an essential service but I wondered how many kids had a hope in hell of seeing three good meals a day let alone a chocolate egg.’Read more Lockdown Letters here.Bob Dylan’s latest, Murder Most Foul, is an interesting ...
Covid 19 coronavirus: Expert professor says no blanket quarantine at border risks a longer lockdown; and Covid-19: 387 Air NZ pilots look set to lose jobs. ...
Amid COVID-19, New Zealanders disregard privacy concerns for convenience – 1.2m affected by cybercrime, 600k by identity theft Over a third of New Zealanders estimated to have experienced cyber crime in the past 12 months Highlights: More than half ...
The National Party leader intends to continue commuting between Tauranga and Wellington so he can do his job effectively in an unprecedented situation. ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand. Today’s contentPublic health strategy, exiting lockdown Thomas Manch (Stuff): A path out of lockdown is being charted, but experts say ...
US death toll catching Italy's fast; Johnson on oxygen in ICU, but not intubated; US threatens India, Canada over mask and drugs; Germany accuses America of 'piracy' as China, Russia send supplies to New YorkUS cases spiral: The United States leads the world in total cases, but not yet ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meead Saberi, Senior lecturer, UNSW Traffic jams may have disappeared from our roads as people stay home during the COVID-19 pandemic, but we can be confident they will be back. Scientists have studied traffic and congestion for decades. We know a lot ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Lindsey, Malcolm Smith Professor of Asian Law and Director of the Centre for Indonesian Law, Islam and Society, University of Melbourne Almost no one thinks Indonesia is handling the COVID-19 pandemic well. Until early March, the government claimed it had no ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rod Lamberts, Deputy Director, Australian National Centre for Public Awareness of Science, Australian National University Good news: COVID-19 is not the only thing going on right now! Bad news: while we’ve all been deep in the corona-hole, the climate crisis has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julian Waters-Lynch, Lecturer Entrepreneurship and Innovation, RMIT University If you’re working from home for the first time, you might be asking yourself why you didn’t get to do this years ago. The benefits of remote work have been discussed for nearly half ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Roslyn Petelin, Course coordinator, The University of Queensland When a literary luminary such as Thomas Kenneally declares so early in 2020 that he is certain a “more original” novel “will not be published this year”, the reviewer faces a challenge. The book ...
NZIER says confidence survey suggests 100 percent of businesses now have negative outlooks; 596 kiwi pilots laid off by Air NZ and Virgin; RBNZ confirms will buy $3b of council bondsGloomy outlook: The March quarter survey of business opinion from the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER) made for ...
Op-Ed by Armida Salsiah AlisjahbanaArmida Salsiah Alisjahbana is the United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP. The unprecedented public health emergency triggered by the COVID -19 pandemic and its multi-faceted impact on people’s lives around the world is taking a heavy toll on Asia and the Pacific. ...
Kiwi Wealth’s Customer Services Manager Matt Beach zooms in from his home in Whitby to talk to Bernard Hickey about how his team worked remotely to answer questions from Kiwi Saver customers Matt Beach has been in tricky situations before, but reconfiguring Kiwi Wealth’s call centre to work remotely and ...
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Dire warnings about water levels, tentative good news on Covid-19 case numbers, and local government struggles for funding.The seriousness of this issue has largely gone unnoticed amid everything else, but if we don’t address it now things could get pretty ...
For all The Spinoff’s latest coverage of Covid-19 see here. Read Siouxsie Wiles’s work here. New Zealand is currently in alert level four. The country is shut down, apart from essential services. For updated official government advice, see here.The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is funded by The Spinoff Members. To support this work, join The ...
There is a trade-off: how many lives will be taken by Covid-19 and how many lives will be lost due to our attempts to prevent loss of lives from Covid-19, writes Professor Ananish Chaudhuri of the University of Auckland In his book “Risk Savvy”, the behavioural scientist Gerg Gigerenzer notes that, ...
Like countless local events and businesses, the Vineyard Half in Blenheim is about so much more than money. It’s about the often hidden ties that bind communities together, writes Allan Ramsay. Week two of lockdown and now the layers of what holds all our rural communities together are slowly being ...
Open mike 29/09/2019 
I am a Kiwi living in Jersey City, New Jersey. Jersey City is the second-largest city in the state and is located directly across the Hudson River from downtown Manhattan. Locals call it New York’s sixth borough. More than 350,000 New Jersey citizens, including myself, commute to New York daily ...2 hours ago
It’s a beautiful autumn afternoon, we need to get out of the house, and so our bubble sets off on a bike ride around our local neighbourhood, Cambridge Park. The bikes come out of the garage, and, being really certain we have a front door key, close the garage door ...3 hours ago
. . April 7: Day 13 of living in lock-down… and unlucky for those who are superstitious. A day when there was a ray of sunshine from an otherwise bleak day of worrying signs. Today, as RNZ reported; Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield reported 54 new confirmed and probable cases ...5 hours ago
So far, universal basic income policies, which see people given a regular income without any conditions, have been trailed only on a small scale. But now, Spain is introducing one nationwide as a response to the pandemic: Spain is to roll out a universal basic income (UBI) “as soon as ...6 hours ago
Paul Connet, head of the anti-fluoride propaganda group, Fluoride Action Network, claims that the IQ of children bottle-fed in fluoridated areas drops by 9 points. But he misrepresented the research. There is no observable effect. For earlier articles in this series see: Part 1: Anti-fluoridation propaganda now relies on only ...9 hours ago
The Queen’s coronavirus broadcast, with its overtones of Winston Churchill and Vera Lynn, prompted me to reflect on the tribulations my parents’ generation suffered during the Second World War – and I imagine that those parallels, given her own wartime experience, were very much in the Queen’s mind as she ...10 hours ago
Imagination By-Pass: Had the Communications Minister, Kris Faafoi (above) taken a firm stand with Bauer, reminding them of their obligations to both their staff and the wider New Zealand public, then a much more favourable outcome may well have ensued. He should have made it clear to the Bauer board ...1 day ago
We all know that Simon Bridges has, at the best of times, an intermittent relationship with the truth. However you would think that during a pandemic and economic crisis the current opposition leader would pull his head in and start to do the right thing.Obviously leading by example should be ...1 day ago
Connett promotes Riddell et al (2019) as one of the only four studies one needs to read about fluoridation. But he misunderstands and misrepresents the findings of this study. Image credit: Fluoride Action ... 1 day ago
Last month I wrote my blog on covid-19 pointing out the in our pre Alert Level 4 days that a subject no one had heard here months ago was now dominating the media. An amazing feature of this crisis is how quickly it has swept every other issue aside worldwide. ...2 days ago
Story of the Week... Editorial of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Claim Review... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week... North Atlantic's capacity to absorb CO2 overestimated, study suggests Research into ocean’s plankton likely to lead to ...2 days ago
As the world economy slides rapidly towards deep recession there are growing calls for a Universal Benefit coming from some leftists and rightists. Now Finance Minister Grant Robertson is saying it is on the table. This article by a French party Workers Struggle provides analysis of various forms of universal ...3 days ago
This is the advice from the very top of the anti-fluoride movement – Paul Connett, director of the Fluoride Action Network (FAN). Don’t worry about reading up on all the scientific information “You only have ... 3 days ago
Comfortably, in the very first round, with an impressive 56% of the votes.I wonder, did members of the Shadow Cabinet start tweeting their resignations during Starmer's victory speech, or is that only a trick the right pull?It is odd how all the talk of how the next leader "needs to ...3 days ago
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern addressed the nation today about the decline in daylight New Zealand has been experiencing over the previous few months. She said “As many of you will notice, our attempts to stem the dwindling of the daylight over the last few months have been completely ...4 days ago
We must root out the traitors among us! ...5 days ago
I haven’t done a huge amount in the last few days. I’m reading The Poppy War and I’ve sort of poked at a couple of games – I started SOMA but I’m a wimp and I quit while in the first room after the brain scan. I might try it ...6 days ago
Image credit: Diamond Harbour School Blogs I notice a few regulars no longer allow public access to the site counters. This may happen accidentally when the blog format is altered. If your blog is unexpectedly missing or ... 1 week ago
The following statement was released on March 28 by the National Network on Cuba, a coalition of 40 groups, based in the United States. In recent weeks, Cuba has deployed hundreds of medical providers to over a dozen countries in Europe, Asia, as well as to their neighbors in Latin ...1 week ago
Rt. Hon. Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced that New Zealand will enter into transit arrangements with a range of countries to make it easier for each other’s citizens to get home. “There are millions of people around the world stranded ...1 day ago
From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, our Government has striven to provide calm, clear and consistent communication, including daily press conference updates from the Prime Minister. ...3 days ago
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The scale of what we face right now is unlike anything we have ever seen before. Overcoming it is our common purpose. ...2 weeks ago
Communities stepping up to help New Zealanders stay at home to break the transmission of COVID-19 and save lives have received Government support, said Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni. “Delivering groceries for the elderly who can’t shop online, providing data packs for low income families to keep them connected, and being ...2 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brian Oliver, Research Leader in Respiratory cellular and molecular biology at the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research and Professor, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney Harry Potter author JK Rowling says a breathing technique has helped her coronavirus-like respiratory symptoms, a ...21 mins ago
8 April 2020 This media release summarises changes to the operation of the courts entering week of COVID-19 alert level 4. It also looks ahead to how the courts will operate in the short and medium term under alert restrictions. Courts to function ...22 mins ago
Schools around the country will be given help to make sure students can still learn at home under lockdown, when term two officially starts. ...58 mins ago
This Passover, we won’t be attending synagogue, we won’t be participating in large raucous dinners and sharing our food with our extended family and friends, we won’t be welcoming strangers into our homes, as Jewish people are instructed to do, writes Juliet Moses.Tonight, on what is hopefully the halfway point ...1 hour ago
Infratil and Wellington Council are preparing to lend Wellington Airport funds to help it cope with a traffic collapse because of Covid-19 restrictions, DIleepa Fonseka reports from Infratil's update to investors Wellington City Council and listed investment firm Infratil are preparing a loan to support Wellington Airport, which has seen ...2 hours ago
After two weeks of lockdown, police are no longer taking "I didn't know the rules" as a valid excuse, Marc Daalder reports Two weeks into the nationwide lockdown, the police are starting to take non-compliance seriously. The number of prosecutions nearly tripled in 24 hours and 76 new breaches of ...2 hours ago
Fijian authorities are scrambling to ensure Cyclone Harold doesn’t make the country’s Covid-19 crisis worse, Teuila Fuatai reports. As Cyclone Harold hits Fiji, authorities have issued physical distancing and sanitation guidelines for evacuation centres. Lashing rain and strong winds caused widespread flooding, power outages and damage to homes and buildings ...3 hours ago
The Government has announced a $88 million package to help students adjust to the new normal of learning from home Thousands of modems and internet-ready devices are being sent to households around the country, in a bid to bridge the digital divide before children resume their studies at home next ...3 hours ago
People waiting a week or longer for the results of their Covid-19 tests say the delays are making them anxious, even as the Government says they're nothing to worry about, Marc Daalder reports Anand Rama says the worst part wasn't the waiting, it was that he had no idea how ...3 hours ago
In any crisis, large or small, people usually rally round those in control so long as they convey a sense of knowing what they are doing. If those in charge lose that sense, start to waver, or are otherwise deflected, then their authority quickly starts to erode, warns Peter Dunne ...3 hours ago
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the Government has no plans to end New Zealand’s four-week lockdown ahead of schedule, despite acknowledging there are signs the country is “starting to turn a corner” in its fight against coronavirus. Ardern’s comments came as Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield reported there had been ...4 hours ago
How is Covid-19 spreading within the country? Newsroom is collating information as it's available to paint a picture of what's happening. The following charts are based on numbers shared at the daily press conference. These may vary from the full day's numbers released in the Ministry of Health's spreadsheet ...5 hours ago
The Prime Minister’s chief science adviser Juliet Gerrard says the next few days will be key to determining when the country can come out of lockdown at the end of four weeks. ...5 hours ago
Jacinda Ardern has pushed back on calls to lift New Zealand out of lockdown early - but businesses say we need a roadmap for how and when we come out the other side Business leaders have urged the Government to provide greater clarity about how New Zealand will move out ...6 hours ago
In which we gaily rip-off the fun quarantine-house thing on the internet and adapt it to NZ authors ...6 hours ago
It looks like troughers should go back to the drawing board before submitting – or re-submitting – their claim to a serving from the Provincial Growth Fund. Shane Jones, the Minister of Munificence, has announced that the Provincial Development Unit is working through applications and projects ” … to see ...6 hours ago
The creators of a commercial property clause that may exempt tenants from paying all or some of their rent say it is working as intended. Clause 27 of the Auckland District Law Society (ADLS) Deed of Lease includes a "no access in emergency clause", which the Property Councilwarned could lead ...7 hours ago
As New Zealand enters day 14 of a scheduled four-week lockdown, director general of health Ashley Bloomfield says New Zealand can be ‘increasingly confident’ . ...7 hours ago
Covid 19 coronavirus: Expert professor says no blanket quarantine at border risks a longer lockdown; and Covid-19: 387 Air NZ pilots look set to lose jobs. ...8 hours ago
US death toll catching Italy's fast; Johnson on oxygen in ICU, but not intubated; US threatens India, Canada over mask and drugs; Germany accuses America of 'piracy' as China, Russia send supplies to New York US cases spiral: The United States leads the world in total cases, but not yet ...10 hours ago
NZIER says confidence survey suggests 100 percent of businesses now have negative outlooks; 596 kiwi pilots laid off by Air NZ and Virgin; RBNZ confirms will buy $3b of council bonds Gloomy outlook: The March quarter survey of business opinion from the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER) made for ...10 hours ago
Kiwi Wealth’s Customer Services Manager Matt Beach zooms in from his home in Whitby to talk to Bernard Hickey about how his team worked remotely to answer questions from Kiwi Saver customers Matt Beach has been in tricky situations before, but reconfiguring Kiwi Wealth’s call centre to work remotely and ...11 hours ago
There is a trade-off: how many lives will be taken by Covid-19 and how many lives will be lost due to our attempts to prevent loss of lives from Covid-19, writes Professor Ananish Chaudhuri of the University of Auckland In his book “Risk Savvy”, the behavioural scientist Gerg Gigerenzer notes that, ...13 hours ago
Like countless local events and businesses, the Vineyard Half in Blenheim is about so much more than money. It’s about the often hidden ties that bind communities together, writes Allan Ramsay. Week two of lockdown and now the layers of what holds all our rural communities together are slowly being ...13 hours ago
It's foolish to try to look to history for any kind of guide for the likely outcome of the current impeachment drama:
I can't yet tell whether impeachment will on balance be negative for Trump's re-election, or will give him a surge of profile and Republican defence that will help him win.
I totally get why Pelosi was so loathe to pull this trigger at all.
I see the principal benefactor as Biden, marginally, because it takes the spotlight completely off Warren.
It's gone beyond the point where realpolitik considerations matter anymore. The turd tornado has become so blatantly outrageous that impeachment proceedings have to begin if there's to be any chance of the rule of law and constitutional oaths continuing to mean anything.
From Danielle McLaughlin via stuff:
Surely it's still very likely that he will be impeached, but not be convicted by the Senate, and still run as the only Republican Presidential candidate.
Nixon we re-elected.
Well, yeah, I've got higher hopes of winning Powerball than seeing Benedict Donald removed from office via conviction in the senate. And the risk of his re-election remains terrifyingly high.
But Nixon was re-elected before any formal impeachment proceedings began in the House. The resolutions calling for impeachment introduced in his first term never went anywhere, and the Watergate break-in didn't happen until June 1972 in the heat of the 1972 election campaign.
The point is Nixon won, with that kind of story breaking as you say in the heat of the campaign.
And then a Republican took over from him.
I think you are confused over Nixon. You mean Clinton who won after being impeached but not convicted in the Senate.
Impeachment enquirys didnt start for Nixon till after his re-election. It was the break in ( Watergate Blg) before the election that was the trigger issue
"early hours of 17 June 1972, five men attempted to break-in to the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate complex
The election was Nov 1972 , which Nixon won in one of the biggest landslides in US presidential history. but the full details wernt availble till the next year
I am aware of the sequencing, and was so before Andre's correction.
Every historic parallel has limited value.
But, like Trump, Nixon was a deeply maimed candidate who secured the White House for the Republicans.
Nixon didn't last long after he was re-elected. As more evidence came in of his and his team's malfeasance he/they soon became a cropper. He resigned before they pushed him. I predict that is what will happen when it is Trump's turn.
It will happen because he is a dangerous crook in every sense of the word. The problem is… when?
Edit: I see Andre beat me to it. Will leave it here.
But if he resigns he loses the shield of the presidency that’s allowed him to dodge indictment on other matters.
He probably wants to cut and run with the excuse that I’m too good for this shit, they don’t deserve me but he doesn’t want the legal woes that come with it.
The Pumpkin Pinochet won't resign until he gets convinced his future includes a lot of orange jumpsuit unless he gets himself a pardon from President Pence. And that's a conversation that will end with "Don't forget to give us all our pardons before you resign, OK Daddy?".
However, the threat of imprisonment for his shoats has faded with the inaction following the Mueller report, and the current crisis is around gross violations of his constitutional oath and obligations of office that require a political remedy, but don't appear to be directly criminally punishable. So that "when" isn't even on the horizon at the moment.
yep – the straw is a back breaker
That imo is precisely what she was doing.
Even if the Senate choose to stymie the process, it will have served to alert the majority of American citizenry (excluding the Trump camp of course) to the extent of the awful corruption inside the White House and the president in particular. In other words it's a good way for the Dems to start their campaign for next year.
Maybe it is the American way,but the Biden's do not pass the sniff test.
"Biden was one of the most vocal champions of anticorruption efforts in the Obama administration. So when this same Biden takes his son with him to China aboard Air Force Two, and within days Hunter joins the board of an investment advisory firm with stakes in China, it does not matter what father and son discussed. Joe Biden has enabled this brand of practice, made it bipartisan orthodoxy. And the ethical standard in these cases—people’s basic understanding of right and wrong—becomes whatever federal law allows. Which is a lot. "
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/09/hunter-bidens-legal-socially-acceptable-corruption/598804/
Would this be acceptable in NZ?
What would we be saying if it was Max Key?
What was said about Collins when she visited China on an official capacity,then undertook some unofficial meetings.
In a general sense, the fact that access to those holding high office is such a lucrative commodity freely sold is indeed unacceptably corrupt.
However, the first point of difference between Drumpfelthinskin and Collins, and Hunter Biden and a Max Key hypothetical, is the former have their trotters directly on the levers of power while the latter do not. That's kinda the difference between a deep dive into the offal pit, a la Black Sheep, compared to just the whiff of dead rat in the wall cavity.
Second, allegations against the Bidens have already been thoroughly investigated, and determined to be non-criminal, both for China and Ukraine. Again, that activity is indeed corrupt, but it was at the less smelly end of the scale that has long been routine in the corridors of power almost everywhere. Furthermore, it's useful to remind ourselves that Stable Genius Junior in particular is still busy leveraging daddy's position to advance Trump Organisation interests all around the world while daddy benefits directly from that activity. In contrast, it’s arguable that the pressure Joe Biden put on Ukraine was in fact detrimental to Hunter’s interests, not beneficial.
https://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2019/09/the-hunter-biden-timeline/
" it’s arguable that the pressure Joe Biden put on Ukraine was in fact detrimental to Hunter’s interests, not beneficial"
.It certainly is arguable Andre.
Your sequence of events is at odds with what the prosecutor of the time recollects.
"In a newly sworn affidavit prepared for a European court, Shokin testified that when he was fired in March 2016, he was told the reason was that Biden was unhappy about the Burisma investigation. “The truth is that I was forced out because I was leading a wide-ranging corruption probe into Burisma Holdings, a natural gas firm active in Ukraine and Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, was a member of the Board of Directors,” Shokin testified.
https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/463307-solomon-these-once-secret-memos-cast-doubt-on-joe-bidens-ukraine-story
No doubt this will get further investigated, and the accuracy or not of this report should help inform Dem primary voter choices starting February 3 next year.
In the meantime, something to consider is: how reliable a source is John Solomon? From wikipedia:
Forget about Solomon
Here we have the prosecutors affidavit
Nice try at deflection
An affidavit from someone widely reputed to be awesomely corrupt, with an obvious motive for vengeance on someone who played a role in getting him canned. And the affidavit is disputed by a senior Ukrainian who quit, allegedly in disgust because of the corruption.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-07/timeline-in-ukraine-probe-casts-doubt-on-giuliani-s-biden-claim
https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2019/may/07/viral-image/fact-checking-joe-biden-hunter-biden-and-ukraine/
keep on cherry picking. Andre knows which Ukrainian prosecutors are the good guys and which are the deeply corrupt.The good guys back up his favourite story.
When in fact Ukraine has been riddled with corruption, since for ever,and US administrations of both stripes have found lucrative pickings
Francesca and Andre You keeping track of this USA chain of corruption and insider advancement is invaluable.
More about John Solomon:
https://www.thedailybeast.com/leaked-memo-colleagues-unload-on-john-solomon-the-reporter-who-kicked-off-trumps-ukraine-conspiracy?ref=home
The concern must be that impeachment proceedings against Trump maintain the focus on how loathesome he is as individual. This might persuade the electorate that merely getting rid of him and reverting to BAU is sufficient. If that's the case, an historic opportunity will be lost. That opportunity is not merely to implement clever technocratic regulation of capitalism (Warren), but to achieve a re-configuration and democratisation of economic power (Sanders). There is daylight between Sanders and Warren in this respect.
There is precedent for Dems thinking they have a historic opportunity to achieve re-configuration by electing a radical to put up against a personally loathsome and demonstrably criminal Repug president.
That was George McGovern in 1972. How'd that turn out?
I was a teenager when McGovern lost – and I remember the disappointment. The disappointment was compounded shortly after by the end of the Kirk/Rowling government and the ousting of Whitlam. The disappointment did not extinguish the hope.
Sanders will I think be the worst affected out of this.
Warren is weakened but less than Sanders. She needed the cleaner and undisturbed media focus through all the primary challenges.
But I'm not even sure Biden benefits. Maybe he gets more airtime, maybe this stabilizes him at this support level, as people just go for the guy to take Trump out.
No other candidates matter.
The killer is this:
Trump's awesome survival skills over three years have raised the level of damage needed to be politically fatal to higher and higher and higher – so he may well survive impeachment just fine.
James Hansen says its time for Sanders to retire.
"Sanders says as president he would impose a moratorium on nuclear plants as part of his $16.3 trillion climate-change plan. But critics of Sanders say he is ignoring science, so I reached out to James Hansen, the climate scientist whose testimony before the U.S. Senate in 1988 about greenhouse gases causing global warming put the issue on the map.
“It’s time for Bernie Sanders to retire,” Hansen responded in an email. “He truly doesn’t get it. India and China have no prayer of phasing out coal without the help of nuclear power. We burned much of their share of the global carbon budget, and yet we refused to help them with modern nuclear power. Thousands of people PER DAY are dying in India from the pollution…. Not only is he killing people in India, he is screwing my grandchildren,” Hansen wrote. "
https://www.thedailybeast.com/top-climate-scientist-to-bernie-sanders-youre-killing-people-in-india
"….We have fairly damning evidence from the White House itself of a direct conversation between Trump and the Ukrainian president about going after Biden. "
Anyone who has read the conversation transcript with some impartiality would know that it isn't about "going after Biden", but investigating Russiagate.
The words you use appear to come from the English language, but you appear to ascribe completely different meanings to them.
This media heading sounds interesting. I haven't read it yet but even the heading is a thought that should get out and continue to exercise people's minds. (Saw it on TDB).
https://asiapacificreport.nz/2019/09/22/ethics-needed-in-computing-and-tech-to-stop-robber-barons-says-lecturer/
Beautifully photographed article on the post-quake Chch red zone returning to nature: https://interactives.stuff.co.nz/2019/09/christchurch-red-zone-to-green/
Edit
Meanwhile Brexit…
Lately: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-49863544 Boris Johnson no-confidence vote could be next week, says SNP MP Stewart Hosie
Mr Hosie said there was growing concern that Mr Johnson may find a way of circumventing the so-called “Benn Bill” which requires him to seek an extension to the UK’s departure date if no deal has been agreed.
The aim of a no-confidence vote would be to install an interim prime minister who would secure a short Brexit delay and then call a general election.
“We have to do that because there is now no confidence that the prime minister will obey the law and seek the extension that Parliament voted for only a few weeks ago,” he told the Today programme.
“If we are serious about the extension that is the only game in town.”
(Though the Lib Dems still demur from Corbyn – too divisive FGS.)
Manipulation! A sort on mansplaining politics to the vulnerable?
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/sep/28/boris-johnson-invoke-civil-emergency-powers-brexit-deal
Johnson ‘whipping up riot fears to avoid Brexit extension’
Labour claims that PM is aiming to invoke emergency powers using the Civil Contingencies Act
Old news on Brexit from 24 September – but has a flow chart that pins down options and gives facts about process.
Brexit: What happens now? https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-46393399
Boris, tRump and Netanyahu are all under the gun.
Not a good week for wannabe right wing strongmen.
London Police watchdog ?
Boris ( amyor of London at the time) nor his friend are police and the work involved was something around 'promoting London'
As well the GLA who did the recommending is a 25 person Assembly with a labour majority. The real strings are pulled by Londons Executive Mayor Sadiq Khan, also from Labour.
A bit of a non event dont you think?
In neolib capitalism, when the poor that its systems and (lack of) principles create, they get hated for their discomfort and its outlets of violence and decadence and depression. So the political system doubles-down on the discomforts which increase to unsatisfactory levels for the ones who have and want to keep, so they move out to better climes. In this example of Indianapolis, USA, the people who have – are whites, and those without – are blacks. Which is common I would think; a colour barrier seems to arise. It's time to put effort into helping blacks and enabling all the good things about them to flourish in a background of security, regular work and wages, and to have a lifestyle that can be enjoyed with home, food, medical help, friends, community. What was held up as being the outcome of the modern world.
https://www.unz.com/sbpdl/rearranging-deck-chairs-on-titanic/
It’s perhaps America’s largest city with a “Republican” mayor.
Only 20 years ago, the city was nearly 80 percent white.
Only 10 years ago, the city was 67.5 percent white.
Today, it’s roughly 56 percent white.
The reason is simple: the quality of life in Indianapolis regresses to the mean of the majority racial group living in neighborhood, community, zip code… and Indianapolis is quickly regressing to the black mean, with whites fleeing the crime, depreciating property values, failing schools, and higher taxes (because blacks = poverty, someone has to pay for all the entitlement programs) that the black community contributes to the city.
That is an example of the real ‘mean’ of modern political
systems.
Very disturbing link and comments, grey. Along with the article, the whole site seems a bit sketchy.
What was the point you were trying to make? I got sidetracked after reading the article, which I don't think was your intention.
Racist AF Unz article written by a rabid white supremacist who hasn't got the balls to uses his real name.
Really?
How do you even find yourself on such a site? Very icky.
US "cities' arent what you think they area
The Metropolitan area is 1.5 mill people, while within the central core municipality is 860,000
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indianapolis_metropolitan_area
Its a common mistake in US and Europe to think the central city council covers the whole urban area. Its more like Auckland was before the first round of amalgamations in 1988 with lots of smaller councils surrounding the 'city'
Los Angeles 'City' is only a large portion of the LA urban area and so on through out the US
Why is this trash in the sidebar?
Googling "www.averagekiwi.com" brings up a load of old results that appear leftie from the snippets displayed by google, but none of the actual posts appear cached by google. Just a few index pages are cached. Can't be arsed teaching myself one of the internet archiving services to check further on that.
It appears that a few months ago all the old stuff was wiped and these new climate denier trolling posts started coming. Maybe Hosking hijacked the site?
Whois inquiry tells me the author is a cowardly fuck hiding behind a proxy.
Mr Blair knew.
Oh, it's just Nige being Nige.
Had Corbyn had said it, the media knives would’ve been out pdq.
/
Police said they have been "looking into" comments made by Nigel Farage at a Brexit Party rally in Newport last week.
The Brexit Party leader said "we'll take the knife" to "the overpaid pen pushers in Whitehall".
Gwent Police said "following a thorough assessment" the comments do not constitute a criminal offence.
– Assistant Chief Constable Rhiannon Kirk
Brexit Party leader made these comments at a rally last Saturday:
– Nigel Farage
https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2019-09-28/police-looking-into-nigel-farage-s-take-the-knife-to-them-comments-at-newport-brexit-party-rally/
I saw a link on MSN to a news hub story item with the headline that claimed “Brides would take on Trump”. Clicked on the title changed to
“Bridges says he would have raised climate change with Trump”.
Bridges would not have had a moment to raise anything with Trump as it would be hard for him to talk while he is licking Trump’s shoes to shine them.
The whole story rings so hollow as he dismisses climate change in one sentence but makes out he would talk tough about it to Trump in another. The only person mentioned in the story that has less of a grip on reality than Bridges is Trump.
https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/national/bridges-says-he-would-have-raised-climate-change-with-trump/ar-AAHZzs1?li=BBqdg4K
He doesn't say what he would have said. Probably just "climate change" and offer the guy a high five.
He would have said to Trump… I agree with you.This Climate Change thing is all a hoax. We need to stick together on this one because they'll ruin the oil and coal industries and that's where our votes come from.
From the link:
The leader of the free world? God Almighty. I knew Bridges was dumb but that's beyond the pale. Especially after the revelations of the past couple of weeks! If he represents National's finest then heaven help us if they gain the treasury benches again.
FIFY, Mr Bridges. And while we’re on the topic of raising difficult issues with leaders of superpowers, did you raise issues of climate change or human rights during your recent trip to China? Oh, you didn’t, did you? In fact, you buttered them up. Your words sound hollow, Mr Bridges.
To be fair to China, they're doing a shitload more on tackling climate change than we are. So no matter how you look at it, Slimon really doesn't have an incentive to raise that as a topic with China.
Okidoki.
"To be fair to China, they're doing a shitload more on tackling climate change than we are."
Really ? We have our electricity system at 80% renewables , while China is building how many new coal power stations per month
I think you will find that you are seriously misinformed
https://unearthed.greenpeace.org/2019/03/28/china-new-coal-plants-2030-climate/
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-climate-change-china-coal/china-plans-226-gw-of-new-coal-power-projects-environmental-groups-idUSKBN1W40HS
Our renewables capacity is a happy accident of past history and geography. That we're not at more than 98% is utterly shameful given our abundant untapped resources. What are we doing now to reduce our GHG emissions? Dead fukn nothing.
Meanwhile, what's China doing? They are doing almost half of the worldwide installation of new renewable energy. Massive production and supply of photovoltaic panels (country with the largest installed capacity). Huge additions of wind power (country with the largest installed capacity). Electrification of their transport fleet (they're over 50% of the world market for electric vehicles, and some cities have converted their entire bus fleets to electric). R&D on zero-GHG nuclear power.
China's electricity consumption per capita is about 4000 kWhr pa, much of which goes to producing stuff consumed by other nations, including New Zealand. Over a quarter of that was renewably generated, including nukes nearly a third of that was zero-GHG. On an annual per-capita basis call it 1200 kWhr zero-GHG and 2800 kWhr fossil. New Zealand's per capita annual consumption is about 9000kWhr, 80% zero-GHG, of which only a relatively small part is exported (from Tiwai point). So we're at about 1800 kWhr per capita fossil generated.
Considering the where, when, and how the development history of New Zealand and China compare, I reckon we in New Zealand should be fukn ashamed of where we are, and China can at least hold their head up. Even if it's with a bright red blush about their continuing to add new fossil capacity.
I decided to email Ian McKelvie, the local Mat MP. I asked about the reasoning behind the defiance of the speakers ruling.
He responded that it was about free speech and democracy.
I have replied that the actions reek of desperation and hypocrisy.
Did you tell him that it was Bridges and Brownlee , while they were in charge of house business in 2017 who prevented any reform of the Standing Orders over use of edited tv scenes of MPs in the house ?
I haven't yet. I am fairly confident he already knows.
If you email him again can you point out that it bears no resemblance to "free speech and democracy" it is the opposite and has every thing to do with deception &/or promoting ridicule. Ridicule & deception in many ways are the basis of the bullying behaviours which NZ is and should be trying to combat & stop, National Party morality & ethics come from the bottom of the food chain not the top.
Hi Rapunzel, here is what i did write:
"
Thank you for your response.
The free speech angle is kind of a moot point as according to standing orders it is forbidden to use footage from parliament.
I also see the upholding of democracy as a defence laughable, considering the sacking of Ecan occured without a murmur about democracy.
I understand being in opposition is frustrating and hard, but this action reeks of desperation and hypocracy.
Once again, thank-you for responding."
If I get a further response, I can explore your angles.
What I would hope would happen is all of y'all were to email their local Nat.
It isn't me sending an effective email that works, it is all of us sending an email/phoning/writing/visiting these MPs, and letting them know what we think that works.
If your local Nat MP has influence over their party's communication decisions, yes. I suspect that might be a handful.
Problem No 1 Bridges is the local "Nat" MP – I moved to the Maori roll to make my vote more productive.
I am looking to do just that I already took something that is pending re Magic Radio and will re misleading headlines, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Bernie's still looking after his NRA mates.
Bernie Sanders believes in gun registration for AR-15 rifles, but he will not call for their ban or removal like some other Democratic party candidates for president.
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/bernie-sanders-against-banning-removing-191200466.html?
Hes got to think about the rural voters in Vermont who elect him.
Some states have assault weapons bans after Federal one expired in 2004.
Unlike what most think the Supreme court has only ruled on removing restrictions for hand guns stored in the home
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assault_weapons_legislation_in_the_United_States
Scalia , as he did many times, forgets about his 'original intent of the founders' doctrine and switches to a modern evolving constitution
Great mahi Michael I agree we have to stop the central control of our needs more like Central control of our hip pockets. We must catch our own rain water per household grow some of our own vegetables compost our own bio waste there is a system that use organic waste ie the toilet waste water goes in a you get 2 hours a day of low cost gas and fertiliser for your garden you get the bio digester and the toilet for $1050 that is a good buy I'm getting one soon Just Google it and you will find it. Use solar and wind to power our house the best wind turbine for the DIY person is the new vertical turbine as they don't need much wind to run + in urban setting the wind is disturbed ie its can hit the turbine at different angles at the same time that type of wind stalls the traditional turbine but the new vertical turbine will work better in those conditions.
Sustainability expert Michael Mobbs: I’m leaving the city to prep for the apocalypse.
The 69-year-old former environmental attorney who, in 1996, transformed his two-storey 19th century Sydney terrace into one of the most global’s first inner-city self-sufficient houses, is promoting his well-known hobby venture and shifting to a faraway coastal location to arrange for what he predicts can be coming near near societal cave in brought on by way of local weather exchange.
This is, he says, a complete breakdown throughout the subsequent 3 to 5 years.
Promoting his four-bedroom, off-grid Chippendale assets that he bought in 1978 for $23,500 and is now valued at $2.2m is proving tougher than he concept. He’s had it in the marketplace since March, however desires to promote it to any person who gained’t convert the again backyard right into a automotive house, who desires to care for the Saturday morning space excursions that experience attracted some 30,000 eco-curious guests, and who will respect the house’s distinctive perks: two resident Australorp chooks named Pesky and Blanche d’Alpuget; not up to $300 a 12 months in water and effort expenses for a circle of relatives of 4 and a leafy side road blooming with safe to eat verge gardens.
The home additionally has a water, sewerage and electrical energy device totally disconnected from the mains: it’s powered by way of sun panels and a battery garage device; blank ingesting water falls at the roof and is then filtered for garage in an underground tank; and an aerated waste remedy device recycles all gray and blackwater, making sure no uncooked sewage has left the premises in 23 years.
Mobbs is in no large hurry to promote – he’s but to obtain that an important plot of coastal land for his bolthole-to-be. Then again he does have a brand new domicile within the works this is due for of completion in December – a prefabricated, bushfire-proof, absolutely sustainable house built with recycled fabrics that he’s developing in partnership with Melbourne-based modular housing consultantsFairweather Houses and Lismore-based renewables corporate 24 Hour Sun Energy. Mobbs’ new house would be the prototype the trio use to take at the mainstream development marketplace, appearing that sustainable may also be each “gorgeous and sublime” and “less expensive than industry as standard”
“I wish to break out from the key towns as a result of I believe they’ll turn out to be unsafe. You have a look at what occurs in puts that get cyclones or tornadoes; when the meals runs out and it’s laborious to get energy and water, civil unrest occurs in about two or 3 days,” he says.
“Other people die with out meals and water in per week, and if there are a large number of other people demise or liable to demise, their behaviour will turn out to be uncontrollable
All the way through that 12 months Mobbs additionally took a four,352km teach go back and forth from Perth to Sydney, a adventure he describes as “simply 4 days of demise nation-state”. “I travelled thru Western Australia around the Nullarbor, thru South Australia, down thru Damaged Hill – the entire of the rustic is deserted and demise,” he says.
That the mighty, flood-prone Lachlan River of his formative years has now been projected by way of WaterNSW to run dry by way of March 2020 given no vital rain or govt intervention, fills Mobbs with a grave worry
Michael Mobbs along with his house’s inverter, which manages inputs from the sun panels and batteries. : Jessica Hromas/The Father or mother
When NSW premier Bob Carr opened Mobbs’ sustainable space on nine December 1996, he declared Sydney’s first self-sufficient house “a imaginative and prescient of the longer term”.
Certainly, ultimately depend, greater than 20% of Australian houses had been fitted with sun panels; this 12 months’s nationwide Sustainable Area Day noticed 252 houses open their doorways to the general public; and NSW now has a development sustainability index (Basix) that regulates the power and water potency of recent dwellings.
In the ones 20 years Mobbs has had vital wins towards the state, together with Sydney Water, which for years after he’d disconnected his house from the sewage and water mains persisted to ship him expenses (when he didn’t pay up, he says, they threatened to disconnect him). “[Eventually] they got here spherical and did a smoke check. And their faces fell,” he says, grinning.
However Mobbs remains to be locked in an ideological fight with Sydney Water, which he sees as prioritising desalination vegetation over house rainwater tanks and wastewater recycling methods. The dwindling H2O ranges in his personal underground garage device is a day by day reminder of town’s water lack of confidence – lately he’s needed to more and more depend on his neighbour’s lawn hose to most sensible up his tank. The newest worst-case situation projection from WaterNSW is that Warragamba Dam – Sydney’s number one water provide – will forestall flowing by way of January 2022.
“I’ve finished my best possible right here and it hasn’t been sufficient,” Mobbs says of his Sydney ecohome. “I see what I’ve finished as a failure. Now not a sad failure – I imply it’s modified issues corresponding to development laws … This space has introduced extra exchange than political argument has. I’ve given up political strategising. The political procedure is simply too sluggish for the issues we are facing. I’m hoping if we will be able to do a just right process with this [prefabricated sustainable home] venture, we will be able to succeed in exchange
Ka kite Ano link below.
https://theworldbreakingnews.com/sustainability-expert-michael-mobbs-im-leaving-the-city-to-prep-for-the-apocalypse/
Some Eco Maori Music For The Minute.
Kia Ora Newshub.
If the big banks are making billions then they should provide their services in our rural communities.
Spacex is doing amazing things kia pai I see Tesla is filing new patent for their new battery tech to Kia Kaha.
I wonder why all the state employees strives.
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.
That' fog cannon is a great way to stop idiots harming bottles shop staff.
Ngāti Rangi Iwi using A ap to help the tangata connect with their Iwi is great way to use social media. Our tipuna in couraged tangata to use the Westen now technology.
The story of Tupaia whom was with Cook when he first came to Aotearoa Its very interesting that the story of Cook and Tupaia landing in Aotearoa has two different stories from each side of the Awa. The Tupaia story shows that Pacific tangata had great navigation skills in those days. Its really awesome that natives from around Te Papatuanuku are joining the strike for our future climate. Kai kaha Whanau Climate change will affect us more than the wealth
Ka kite Ano.
Kia Ora The Am Show.
Australian is not being fair on the issue with imagination they are just creaming it they put up BULLSHIT ban on our apples.
The Climate Change Strikes are going to change our society to a clean and green society Our government plans on mitergateing climate change will flow through the Behive easier because of the strikes people are changing the way they live to lower their carbon foot print. I agree if one already knows the answer there's NO NEED to ask the questions.
Papatuanuku day for our Kau matua '' I'' Whanau we must care and look after and RESPECT our Kau matua.
Sam the ANZ is hogging all the profits from Aotearoa and not providing service in the regions Whanau time to do the switch. I switched banks years ago.
The new tourist charge is needed so Aotearoa can provide excellent services to our guests ka pai
There you go that is why I won't be going to Australia they don't no how to respect other cultures they treat their Great ancient indigenous tangata very badly.
Yes I agree we need to provide tau toko for the deported tangata from Australia's Aussie Mulcom I have a Fishermen associate from back in the day named Aussie. And other Fisher people from Ausse I have some knowledge on the culture there.
Six60 new Tangata Whenua O Aotearoa version of one of there songs is cool.
Top less Women people would only want to see the younger people with out their tops on swimming big know let's have some respect for all women.
We have a rule no toy guns for Te pepi
I agree people go into the hinaki society change so fast now days and they don't know how to cope with the changes they end up sliding back into doing trouble again they need more support when they get out of jail put the Ambulance at the top of the moanga not the bottom it will achieve a better outcome for the people and our society.
I agree with Azias there is a place and time for top less women nood camps not in public domains . I can see this though creating heaps of problems in our society.
Ka kite Ano
Some Eco Maori Music For The Minute.
A New Zealand director has a crack at Thomas Piketty's work in "Capital in the 21st Century":
Not telling us anything new, but certainly telling it afresh.