(hugh grant is not that keen on boris johnson – eh..?..)
'Hugh Grant
@HackedOffHugh
· Aug 29
You will not fuck with my children’s future. You will not destroy the freedoms my grandfather fought two world wars to defend. Fuck off you over-promoted rubber bath toy. Britain is revolted by you and you little gang of masturbatory prefects'.
So HG is all worked up because The Boris has decreed that parliament will sit 3 days LESS in October than originally planned. ( its party conference break time)
He fails to see the the bonus of a new session of parliament, after the Queens speech its standard for MPs to vote on a no confidence motion on the government.
If its a majority against its bye bye Johnson.
They can even do that next week. but its a bit more difficult procedurally
Its more ore that it will end in a general election. Luckily for all right thinking people labour is lead by corbyn who is unelectable- this it will result in happy Boris with an increased majority.
I saw an item on either BBC or the Guardian yesterday where Johnston was poised to make an announcement on Education budget – or some such subject. Maybe a distraction from Brexit? I think that might be what HG is responding to.
I think you are all missing the bigger picture going forward that Hugh is foaming about. People seem so fixated on procedures that they forget about the effects on the UK politicians and financials treating the country's doings as if it was a reality show, dropping off the unwanted. Is anyone a follower of the Alex cartoons I have mentioned before. He is such a twisted character, always sorting out a way of profiting from any setbacks, wholely money and status oriented. The creators are so clever they will cut themselves.
A corporate raider like Brierley would undoubtedly approve Boris Johnson's raid on Britain in the best traditions of Caesar, Scandinavians, and Normans.
Just seen in our local paper requests for nominations for the national party for candidates for the the West Coast/Tasman electorate for the 2020 election.
Does national do this every election cycle, it's just I've never noticed it before. Or is it an indication that nat members are unhappy with their current list MP who stands in that electorate?
I wish they would do it here in Tauranga as we have the one clinging on to everything like a limpet – it saying that though I had a local Labour branch one yesterday outlining the local body candidates, all of them not specifically how they were backed and many say they are "independents" so a lot of careful reading to do to see who to back.
There are obvious reasons why I wouldn't know that but it is rather a surprise I haven't seen a thing in the news to suggest, at this stage anyway, it would be anything other than the incumbent.
Anyway I hopped onto another roll when it was open last year just because I could and because my candidate vote will now matter.
Neither did I but found that press release in a quick google. I have now had a better look at the National Party Constitution and Rules etc and the latter are quite specific in the process for selection of candidates – in particular Rules 86 -118.
Rule 87(c) specifies in a general way that the Electorate Committee must advertise for candidate and Rule 92 is then much more specific, ie:
Electorate Committees shall give to members not less than 14 days notice, by newspaper advertisements and other means, of the place, date and time fixed for the receipt of nominations. In the case of by-elections, the notice shall be not less than 7 days. In special circumstances these time limits may, with the approval of the Regional Council, be reduced.
Lots more specific information about the full process in the Constitution and Rules here for anyone interested … (I'm not except on an academic level, LOL)
Last night The Chairman raised the issue of the state of affairs in our Emergency Departments.
He raised a couple of good points: lack of insightful questioning by journalists and a perceived lack of action by the minister.
Because it was TC a pile-on ensued.
The issue remains, causing stress for staff and the public and a high turnover of workers.
From a senior emergency nurse in Mid Central DHB area I have 4 things that can be done alleviate the strain.
A mandatory patient care ratio of 3 patients per nurse (currently it can get up to 6, and some can be very sick).
Increase the capacity on the surgical, medical and orthopedic wards by 5 beds each.
On the night shifts increase the number of doctors on from 3 to 4.
Put 10 more beds in the department. At Palmy, they are in a newish department, one that was woefully under prepared for the growing needs of its population.
Yes, it costs money (cough cough surpluses) so it seems to be a lack of will is where the problems start.
"All enrolled children aged 13 and under won’t be charged a fee for a standard visit with a doctor or nurse, or:
an after-hours fee at participating clinics or pharmacies
the regular $5 prescription fee.
Putting the extra money where its needed is better than funding the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff.
The Chairman is just pushing the employment case for Junior doctors .
As for Nurses in the ED , maybe some people are better suited for the steady rythyms of wards or clinics rather than the busy peaks and slow troughs of the ED
When Jacinda was vying to win the elections she touted 8 dollar GP fees while National were promising 18 dollar visits.
Labour have yet to deliver on that $8 charge.
Knowing more resources to Primary Care is needed but failing to deliver it's no wonder ED's are overflowing and doctors are speaking out.
As a result, clearly Labour haven't put a sufficient amount of funding where it is initially needed. Moreover, due to Nationals under funding haven't put a sufficient amount into hospitals themselves. Keeping them on the back foot and under pressure while ensuring (by failing to deliver on cheaper GP visits) growing numbers, thus further pressure with larger workloads. Putting lives at greater risk.
I'm not merely pushing the employment case for junior doctors. As indicated last night, I was highlighting there is an actual problem which the Minster hasn't denied and in fact acknowledged.
If this was National doing this, I'm sure the outcry here would be massive, but as it is occurring under a Labour led Government it seems it's OK and I'm the problem for highlighting it. If we want better, we can't continue to defend Labour's shortfalls. We need to put the acid on them and let them know we won't accept their shortcomings and failure to deliver.
Excerpts from The 'lefty" "more left than most" Chairman's comment today @3.1.1 – from one comment FFS. If is wasn’t for The Chariman‘s self-declared ‘friend of the left‘ status, one could be forgiven for forming the impression that they were in cahoots with the National party!
"Jacinda… touted"
"Labour have yet to deliver"
"failing to deliver"
"clearly Labour haven't put a sufficient amount of funding where it is initially needed"
"[Labour] haven't put a sufficient amount into hospitals"
"Keeping them [hospitals] on the back foot and under pressure"
"failing to deliver"
"ensuring… growing numbers, thus further pressure with larger workloads"
"Putting lives at greater risk."
"Labour's shortfalls"
"put the acid on them [Labour]"
"their [Labour's] shortcomings and failure to deliver"
Got no answers, Drowsy M. Kram. Funny that, because neither have Labour so it seems.
Just because I (and others such as a number in the health profession) are concerned about this and are seeking answers doesn't mean we are part of National.
And Labour need to understand this. People (i.e. voters) have a genuine concern about this. Any one of us could at anytime get caught up in this, having our lives put at risk.
Claiming they/we are Nats does Labour no favours. Hence you are doing Labour no favours taking this attack approach.
And seeing as National played a big part in creating this mess, thus risk, their press release is a bit rich and a joke if it weren't so serious.
Don't know – it's a curious coincidence. If I wanted to avoid suspicion, I'd wait more than one day before replicating a National party spokesperson's talking points here. So maybe he is a genuine "lefty" – but there's so little evidence.
I'm sure you are not just interested in what should happen, "The Chairman", but also in what needs to happen to enable more money to be spent. After all, we all know that money does not grow on trees. Now there are a few things that do have to be considered first. You have talked about a "promise" by Jacinda; I am not familiar with it, but you have not provided any evidence that it was indeed a promise – remember that Labour was not elected to govern alone – budgetary aims may well be influenced by other partners in government.The second is that we are only two years into a three year term – clearly any government will assess priorities, as after all, money is not limitless. Now we do know that a lot has been allocated to the health budget – directly settlement of nurses pay negotiations, and some advances on doctors pay. Also there are payments for mould found in some hospital wards – the millions required had to come from somewhere. Then there have been costs in increasing staffing in various areas, but perhaps particularly in mental health, and costs of children;s visits to GPs have been reduced. The recent announcement of meals in schools is relatively small, but could be regarded as assisting both health outcomes as well as education goals. So the question back to you "The Chairman," is where is the money coming from? We can be thankful that National's tax cuts were not allowed to reduce government income; and it is a shame that capital gains taxes were left unchanged. Overall there has been a big increase in health spending over that of the previous government, doubtless funded in part by not having given the cuts to income tax planned by National, and also by increased tax receipts by the improvement in business profits following the increase to minimum wages and benefits. So while your question may be reasonable, it is partly answered by saying that priorities will have affected different areas of spending, but also it is fair to ask you, and the National Party spokesperson raising similar issues – what spending would you defer to achieve this aim more quickly, or how would you raise additional money to enable the higher level of spending?
This is a major issue that is putting lives at risk, therefore I'm sure there is more out there that hold concerns over this. Leading me to suspect a good number here get put off by the detractors and don't want to come under attack from this mob running wild. Thus, remain silent.
It's not their looks or nationality that is of concern, Marty. It's that they are shutting down genuine political discussion putting others off from partaking.
Witnessing the pile-on that ensued turns others off IMO. Why do you think no one but gsays thus far has partaken (in support) in this serious discussion.
Do you really believe no one on this site has a concern about this apart from us two?
Never fear, The Chair is here – and ‘concern’ is building.
Since the vast majority of NZers rely on the NZ public health service for their medical needs, I would think that the vast majority of NZers would have some interest in the state of that service and whether it has been and is being adequately funded/resourced.
I remain unconvinced that the current government are doing an awful job on public health, but this critical service certainly faces increased challenges.
This the second day running this ‘topic’. I gave it a shot yesterday on Daily review but it was an exercise in futility. All I can see is your anti-Labour bias that comes through strongly in almost every comment of yours. Others can see this too and hence the ‘pile on’.
For some reason you cannot accept that your MO is the main obstacle for serious discussion.
This the second day running this ‘topic’. I gave it a shot yesterday on Daily review but it was an exercise in futility.
Ditto.
All I seem to get from you is defence of Labour's shortcomings.
With Labour failing to live up to their namesake coupled with all their shortcomings, of course I have a bias against them. They no longer really represent the left and haven't really since 84. They haven't even apologised for that, let alone done much to correct it. You get more real lefties over at the daily blog than you get here.
Instead of piling in on me for highlighting Labours failures (my MO) you lot (if you are genuine lefties) should be piling in with me against them to help bring about change for the better.
Do you support and want this risk of life in our health system? Doctors are speaking up, why aren't the left here joining in?
All the people on the left I know do have a bias against Labour apart from the so-called left here. What is up with that?
As for Rosemary's unsubstantiated, bold assertion the other day, I have a post coming that will clearly show she is incorrect.
This place is like the twilight zone, where poverty has nothing to do with suicide and doctors speaking out about lives being put at risk musters no support, bloody unreal. Come on you lot, surely you lot are better than this.
All I seem to get from you is defence of Labour's shortcomings. [my italics]
Assuming that was directed at me, you are incorrect and have missed my point(s). I was not defending Labour – and with you it always is just Labour – against your criticism, I was criticising your criticism of Labour, the way you go about it, i.e. your style.
At last, we have some clarity about your bias, which is helpful indeed. Unfortunately, your bias is so strong, it has become a binary of polar opposites of either pro- or anti-Labour. Many (of us) are still somewhere in between these two extremes and view it as a spectrum rather.
So, please don’t box in people based on whether you judge them pro- or anti-Labour (or Left or Right, Black or White, et cetera). It gets you nowhere, evidently.
The rest of your comment is trying to reduce “[t]his place”, i.e. the people who write here, to a collection of simplistic souls without any acknowledgment of nuance and context. This may fit and suit your one-eyed single-minded view of (NZ) politics and this political blog but it is grossly inaccurate and does the TS community no justice.
So, instead of trying to pull or force us into your rabbit hole you may want to reconsider your contribution and presence here because something has got to give.
It may be there – the anti Labour bias – he never seems to make criticisms of the Gnats. But most of his critiques are pretty solid, unlike the run of trolls. I think he's playing the game functionally, which is more than can be said for Shadrach, James, or the entire Opposition come to that.
The Chairman has racked up 1000s of comments on The Standard.
If he could cite half a dozen of his comments made during the last long period of National-led ‘governance’ that were critical of National party policies/MPs, then I'd be less triggered by his modus operandi.
But he can't, because those comments don't exist.
Just to be clear: 1000s of comments by The Chairman on this site during that period, ALL exclusively critical of left-leaning opposition parties/MPs. His comments here comprise a broken record, IMHO.
But he doesn't commit the major troll faults – putting words in people's mouths, RW wishful thinking (except for a few spurious criticisms that won't fly), outright lying, or personal abuse.
He finds pointed but often real grounds to critique the coalition – there is a place for it.
Again, I disagree. Misinterpreting other’s words coupled to a strong bias can lead to comments that essentially have the same effect as deliberately putting words in people’s mouths. The Chairman does come close to this, on occasion, and I moderated (warned) him recently for telling people how they should or should not feel about something they disagreed on with him. I don’t believe he does these things deliberately, unlike malicious trolls, because he would have been long gone if that were the case.
You see, I don’t want him gone here, I want him to change his communication style that he seems so fond of …
As far as I am concerned, The Chairman can criticise the Government all he likes, hold them to account, and foster serious debate here. But he’s not accomplishing that if he keeps up his style!
This happens all the time! When the Government does something wrong or fails to do something right or at all in the eyes ofThe Chairman, it will trigger an attack on Labour and on Labour only. Generally. Often.
Although he does occasionally offer good points, the overall impact of his comments is heavily geared towards negative and they kill any serious discussion. Thus, in practice, the impact is as bad as of trolls.
The sad thing is though, and I give The Chairman the benefit of doubt, he does not intend to troll us but to force (?) the Government to do (much) better, if I may paraphrase The Chairman. Unfortunately, his MO is largely counter-productive to the cause he wants to promote …
@Incognito fair enough – sorry if I queered the pitch. I do think TC overdoes it, with consequent loss of gravitas, but some of his stuff is surprisingly good.
Thank you for the useful feedback, Stuart, and no need to apologise for that.
I’m trying to look at the bigger picture and figure out whether and how, on the balance of their comments, a commenter is or makes a positive contribution to serious and robust debate on this site or not. If not, I’d like find a way to improve the situation so that we all can reap the benefit of their contribution. I believe everyone has got something to offer and some commenters blow me out of the water at times (in a good way) …
Witnessing the pile-on that ensued turns others off IMO. Why do you think no one but gsays thus far has partaken (in support) in this serious discussion.
Personally and as a moderator watching patterns of behaviour (yours and others'), it's very obvious that a big reason others don't partake is because your style of arguing is incredibly frustrating to engage with. I don't like the tone of the pile on and will keep an eye on that, but ime generally they happen because regulars in an online community are at the end of their patience with someone behaving badly.
This has been a long standing problem with how you present your arguments.
As a suggestion, let’s do an experiment. You choose a new pseudonym and start commenting with a clean sheet (track record). If you get no traction with serious discussion on your comments, we could assume that the TS community does not agree with you and/or that your MO is the reason. To suggest that only hardened Labour sycophants frequent TS who won’t want to hear anything bad about Labour is pushing it but you’re free to have that opinion and stick with it, if you must. In fact, there are quite a number of commenters here that are less enamoured with Labour.
Yes, your comments are idiosyncratic but it never seems to occur to you that your style could be the issue. I thought I’d give you a suggestion to overcome the stalemate but you stubbornly refuse to change your ways. In fact, you ignore your role in any pile on saying:
I don’t accept that at all.
However, you do follow immediately with this question:
What exactly is wrong with the way I present my arguments in your mind?
Indeed, we have been over this so many times and nothing changes.
His constant barking-at-every-passing-car and relentless negativity (without proposing alternative solutions) is problematic and his hyper-critical, carping style is a major turn-off with voters.
I am not suggesting you should not comment here or criticise the Coalition Government (not just Labour). Though I am suggesting that you change how you do these things. It is a subtle difference in the way you communicate the same thing.
FWIW, I do believe you genuinely consider yourself a leftie. However, this does nothing for your MO here.
Is it? I thought I just described a dynamic I am observing that involves multiple people in a community.
"Next you''l be saying it is better for the site to remove me."
The site is a machine, have a look at the Policy and hope Lynn isn't reading the comments.
What can remove you is moderation, and that is done by real live people. You've now had two moderators give you feedback and do that with the courtesy of comment rather than bolded moderation. I'm not aware of anyone saying you should be removed from the site.
Where banning tends to happen is when someone is causing blatant problems for the site owners (eg posting something defamatory), or causing problems for the community or authors (see the bit in the Policy about tone and exclusion, also flaming), or causing problems for moderators (wasting our time, or behaving in ways that use up our time).
"What exactly is wrong with the way I present my arguments in your mind?"
We've been through this too many times in the past for me to spend more time explaining it. What I'm not seeing is you taking *any responsibility for your part in the dynamic. When I see that change I'll be more willing to engage.
If you genuinely want to not have a negative impact here (I'm not talking about your politics), then try listening to what people are already saying about how you debate.
TC was using it for political gain to blame Labour.
There is serious need for more nurses, residents, and specialists. There is serious need for more space in ED around the country. There is serious need for better facilities in those spaces – from management systems to radiology. There is serious need for ward space to admit patients from ED. There is serious need for reviewing whether or not we really want residents working 18 hour shifts, or paying off $80k loans while they do it.
There is serious need for increasing access to primary health care so people don't end up at ED.
As do I but I already raised yesterday that the govt has commissioned a major health system change process, so what can we reasonably expect them to do in the meantime before they know where to best put the investment?
It seems likely to be in primary care rather than more big hospitals, and hopefully in proper joined-up IT systems rather than only more people and machines that go ping.
"so what can we reasonably expect them to do in the meantime before they know where to best put the investment?"
From a senior emergency nurse in Mid Central DHB area I have 4 things that can be done alleviate the strain.
A mandatory patient care ratio of 3 patients per nurse (currently it can get up to 6, and some can be very sick).
Increase the capacity on the surgical, medical and orthopedic wards by 5 beds each.
On the night shifts increase the number of doctors on from 3 to 4.
Put 10 more beds in the department. At Palmy, they are in a newish department, one that was woefully under prepared for the growing needs of its population.
That is straight forward, simple to introduce solution for a local hospital that can happen in very short time, before the current review meanders to its conclusions.
I'm sure most issues in the health system are impacted by inadequate funding (and managerial approaches, I've heard of some really daft stuff). I was meaning more that the govt can't really do much about the situation at your local hospital in terms of staffing and capacity, that would need to be part of the funding round.
Workforce planning is handled nationally but yes any extra budget would have to be allocated through the DHBs, PHOs and NGOs who fund and provide health services. Alphabet soup. 🙂
Which takes us back to the fiscal responsibility pledge, which was part of getting elected in the first place.
NZ did not elect a revolutionary government. It elected an incrementalist change government, with a significant social conservative streak and fiscal constraints.
You want more change? Get enough people to vote so we have a labgrn government.
Which takes us back to the fiscal responsibility pledge, which was part of getting elected in the first place.
While their fiscal responsibility pledge has curtailed them somewhat so has their unwillingness to tax the top 1%.
Additionally, it also comes down to spending priorities. $20 billion on defence in a wellbeing budget doesn't bode well when New Zealanders lives are being put at risk in our hospitals.
No, don't try to play government departments off against each other. NZDF saves lives as well, and protects our EEZ. So does housingNZ, while we're at it. Surprise surprise, everything is underfunded. Has been for years if not decades. This isn't going to be fixed in three years, even if funds were unlimited.
No, don't try to play government departments off against each other.
It's about prioritisation of expenditure and what (in a wellbeing budget) will better increase our wellbeing. $20 billion being spent on defence isn't going to do anything for the wellbeing of your average New Zealander.
And seeing as we agree there has been massive under funding, clearly that money needs to be spent here on improving the deficit thus our wellbeing, even if it doesn't go far enough in 3 years. It's a far better start than blowing it on defence.
In an alternate reality you're complaining that our severeignty and ability to honour international agreements are compromised because NZDF equipment is falling apart and the government is doing nothing about it.
You have some very unreal expectations where this government, given it's composition, is concerned. McF has it correct, in that if you (we) want more socially conscious governance, you (we) have to vote for it.
Having said all that, and even though we're not getting the type of outcomes we may want, life is considerably better than it was/would be, under a national party led regime. Remember what that was like?
2 years is never going to be enough time to reverse 9 bollock ones, so instead of the $8 jobs, I'll settle for the $18, down from $45 doctor visits I use to have and wait for the country to mandate any sweeping changes most of us genuine left voters want but realise can't happen and retain electability without one.
On a personal note, I still don't believe you're very left at all.
If you (we) want more socially conscious governance, you (we) have to vote for it.
We did. National are out but unfortunately a number of their policies remain (such as the defence spend and no CGT)
Now that Jacinda is in charge she changed their stance (opposed to Little's position) and decided to blow the funding on defence. Moreover, through away a CGT (delivering on National’s promise in Labour's year of delivery) that would have produced a massive increase in tax revenue. It was only forecast to be tax neutral for the first 5 years.
No we didn't, we almost did, but have to rely on NZ1st to take over the reins.
Next time, without the need for Winston, things could get much better for the left as a genuine mandate would have been given.
Change the numbers in that new coalition to 60:40 red/green, instead of 90:10 and the mandate for real change, from the people, would be undeniably one to turn left and fast.
2 years is never going to be enough time to reverse 9 bollock ones,
You're surely not forgetting the nine bollock ones before the last nine bollock ones?
Simply put, undoing the last two decades of 'let the shit trickle down' policies is going to take more than the aspirational SSDD twaddle this lot is going to be remembered for.
The mood was right for real transformation…boat missed, ship sailed.
Without appearing selfish, I did alright out of HC's term in office. Student free loan, a job starting at $10 an hour which was enough to live on and start a family, then a 100% mortgage with kiwi bank when the family thing didn't work out as intended.
Compared to the near 20 years of Thatcher and Major I had before Helen, it was fucking dream.
This is the thing about Labour. They *do do good things too. This is why I disagree with the line that they're the same as National. They're really not.
Yep, of course they're not. Sure they're nowhere near perfect, and far from the old union days, flat caps and full on socialism, but they're certainly not the same as national.
It's a harsh reality for some to take, but we don't live in the 60s and 70s anymore. Our political leanings may, but the majority of the rest of the voting public obviously doesn't. There's a left of labour party right now, and they only pull 6%. I party voted them the last two times and probably will again, but expecting labour to start going for the hard left vote is unrealistic when the reality is it's the centre who currently decide elections, and if the left greens can't pull the numbers, why would labour?
I'm sure, with climate change the driver, when the realities hit home for mum and dad, there will be a real movement for radical change, but until that happens, if it has to be incrementally, then so be it.
Win when you can, but ffs, don't give the game away by knee capping yourselves.
I see it similarly although I think a faster way to get there is ore people voting Green. A L/G govt with more Green MPs than now will be quite different from what we have now.
Back to the beginning, but that's what people have been saying to the chairman for quite a while now, how if you want the left stuff you have to vote for it.
Well done "The Chairman" for advocating a way of funding an $8 fee for GP visits (which has been more than met for those up to 13 of course) – to break a pledge made by one of the government parties not to raise income taxes in the first term (I don't have the exact wording, if that's wrong I'm sure someone will correct). I guess advocating meeting one election aim by breaking another is a value judgement you think the government should do, but at least you must appreciate that it is not clear-cut. Righting the wrongs on nine years of neglect by the previous government may take some time – all we can do is point out the reasons why difficult decisions can affect outcomes, and keep voting for a Labour/Green government next time.
And while it is not directly relevant to the thread, "The Chairman," can I ask what you are the Chairman of? or perhaps why you chose that name?
Do you get that while what yrself and Sacha are saying isn't incorrect, it comes across as being apologists.
Especially to those of us with our nearest and dearest bearing the brunt of chronic underfunding. To hear 'just wait, we will do a review', 'get more people to vote Green', and the excuse I despise the most – 'fiscal responsibility'.
That last one is all about getting re-elected. Because clearly as they are being fiscally responsible business confidence is sky high. #sarc.
It really reeks of drinking too much of that neo liberal raro
People are really hurting: health professionals, public, police and ambos.
Hiya gsays. Agree…more nurses. More experienced HCAs. Doctors with enough time to get a bit of a patient history rather than assuming… or worse…judging. My recent trip via ambulance to the local ED was an eyeopener. Hopefully, now I have a stash of Trammies in case The Pain returns, I will never have to impose on them at ED again.
There are efficiencies that could be made in the system…especially around the availability of ultrasounds and other diagnostic scanning…but hey, keep giving out the opioids and send those pesky patients on their merry way.
You are correct to say less non-emergency patients in EDs by using GPS.
Yes poverty is one of the drivers of the high numbers presenting.
So are the co-morbidities the elderly are living with.
You are simply being insulting or proroundly ignorant to suggest the nurses aren't up to it. The idea of a trough on a night shift shows how ill (see what I did there?) informed you are.
Sorry but it helped me. I am so sick of hearing dukeofurl's opinion on everything that actually doesn't add to the topic. However I will give you a break from my opinion.
There will always be busy periods. The issue is whether overloaded staff redlining themselves to exhaustion is becoming the norm, and the quiet periods are becoming fewer and fewer.
The thing of value to learn from what Māori did and experienced is to think through what it would be like living on an island and watching your food sources disappear slowly over time when there is literally no other way to replace them. Māori adapted.
Yeah nah, resorting to cannibalism probably isn’t a vote winner
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Yeah nah, resorting to cannibalism probably isn’t a vote winner
Best you familiarise yourself with cannibalism and the great famines in Western Europe, the New World Jamestown famine cannabilism and cannabilism during twentieth century famines in Eastern Europe and Asia.
Read a thing about the Donner Party (settlers in the US 19th century who got trapped in the Sierra Nevadas over winther and et each other).
The local First Nations tribe repeatedly tried to give the Donner Party food, but as soon as they got in sight the settlers would open fire. They took to leaving food at night, but eventually pulled back when the settlers started eating each other. So yeah, bad situation made worse by racism…
I've just been reading this and besides an earlier reference to Winston this said all and confirms everything NZers owe him in the past and now
Political Animals – Jane Clifton pages 260-261 (2009) "Tamihere is almost the anti-Winston. Where Winston is paranoically scrupulous in his personal, financial and political dealings, Tamihere seems reckless. Where Winston would rather wear a polyester shell suit from Postie Plus than accept a golden handshake, or any lump sum, tax-paid or otherwise, Tamihere seems unabashed about his right to be given money, cars, jobs, attention – whatever. Where Winston hyper-researches everything, and be-labours his work rate as a towering virtue, Tamihere rejoices in the impression of coasting, winging it, not getting into a lather because, hey, life is easy for him. He's a natural. Winston is alive, to the point of mania, to any hint, suggestion, situation which might make him look venal or assuming. "
Theres rumour/bullshit around that Tamiheres real aim is to stand for Tamaki Makaurau for the Maori party next year, win or lose and even be Mayor/MP at the same time ?
Martyn does seem to be stretching things a bit lately doesn't he? On another posting he seems to be claiming that he alone was responsible for getting Peter Dunne to retire.
"I worked hard on pushing the Feed the Kids Bill and not getting it through Parliament because of Peter Fucking Dunne is the greatest regret of my life (although the strategy to remove him from Ohariu in the 2017 was the perfect vengeance),"
In the case of Winston I think he is simply copying Trotter's story about Ardern dying.
With Winston I am tempted to paraphrase Dorothy Parker's quip about Calvin Coolidge.
If someone was to tell me that Winston was dead the appropriate comment would seem to be "How could they tell?"
New Zealand is again having to reconcile conflicting pressures from its military and its trade interests. Should we join Pillar Two of AUKUS and risk compromising our markets in China? For a century after New Zealand was founded in 1840, its external security arrangements and external economics arrangements were aligned. ...
The ‘50 Shades of Green’ farmers’ protest in 2019 was heavy on climate change denial, but five years on, scepticism and criticism about the idea that pine forests can save us is growing across the board. File photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate ...
This morning the sky was bright.The birds, in their usual joyous bliss. Nature doesn’t seem to feel the heat of what might angst humans.Their calls are clear and beautiful.Just some random thoughts:MāoriPaul Goldsmith has announced his government will roll back the judiciary’s rulings on Māori Customary Marine Title, which recognises ...
In 2003, the Court of Appeal delivered its decision in Ngati Apa v Attorney-General, ruling that Māori customary title over the foreshore and seabed had not been universally extinguished, and that the Māori Land Court could determine claims and confirm title if the facts supported it. This kicked off the ...
Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Carereport released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced$802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Carereport in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquirypublished its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone iconon the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive:Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloittereport for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’sOliver LewisScoop:Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announcedthe Board of Te Whatu Ora-Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Orderimage, ...
Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
Waiting In The Wings:For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSAannounced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
Open access notablesImproving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society:To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
A late change to charter school legislation will cheat educators out of fair pay and negotiating power proving charter schools are just a vehicle to make profit out of our education system. ...
In 2004 te iwi Māori rallied against the Crown’s attempt to confiscate our coastlines and moana with the Foreshore and Seabed Act. This led to the largest hīkoi of a generation and the birth of Te Pāti Māori. 20 years later, history is repeating itself. Today the government has announced ...
It has been five and a half years since the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care was established to investigate the abuse of children, young people, and vulnerable adults within state and faith-based institutions. Yesterday, the final report - Whanaketia through pain and trauma, from darkness to light ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to take action off the back of the International Court of Justice ruling on Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine. ...
On Friday the International Court of Justice reaffirmed what Palestinian’s have been telling us for decades: that the occupation and colonisation of Palestinian lands by Israel is illegal and must end immediately. They also called for reparations for Palestinian’s who have lived under Israeli occupation since it began in 1967. ...
Labour calls on the Government to act after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Territories is illegal. ...
The 53.7 percent rise in benefit sanctions over the last year is more proof of this Government’s disdain for our communities most in need of support. ...
Aotearoa could be a country where every child grows up feeling safe, loved and with a sense of belonging in their whānau and community. But for some of our children, this is far from reality. Instead, they are trapped in a maze of intergenerational harm that they can’t escape on ...
Te Pāti Māori are calling for David Seymour to resign as Associate Health Minister in response to his call for Pharmac to ignore the Treaty of Waitangi. “This announcement is just another example of the government’s anti-Tiriti, anti-Māori agenda.” Said Co-leader and spokesperson for health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. “Seymour thinks it ...
The soaring price of renting is driving the rise of inflation in this country - with latest figures from Stats NZ showing rents are up 4.8 per cent on average while annual inflation is at 3.3 per cent. ...
National’s Emissions Reduction Plan will take New Zealand further from the economy we need to ensure the next generation has a stable climate and secure livelihoods. ...
Following consultation with named parties and thorough consideration of privacy interests, the Green Party is in a position to release the Executive Summary of the final report from the independent investigation into Darleen Tana. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon should be asking serious questions of his Minister for Resources Shane Jones now it’s been revealed he misled the public about a dinner with mining companies that he didn’t declare and said wasn’t pre-arranged. ...
Te Pāti Māori have submitted to the Justice Select Committee against the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill. The bill will further entrench racism in our justice system and fails to focus on rehabilitation. “Reinstating Three Strikes will empower a systematically racist system and exacerbate the overrepresentation of Māori in ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee is set to make a determination on the Residential Tenancies Amendment (RTA) Bill in the coming weeks. “This legislation will give landlords the power to kick our whānau out onto the street for no reason” said Housing spokesperson, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “Their solution to the housing ...
“National’s campaign was about tackling crime and the best they can do is a two-year long Ministerial Advisory Group,” Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
“There are more examples of charter schools failing their students than there are success stories. The coalition Government is driving to dismantle our public school system and instead promote a privatised, competitive structure that puts profits before kids,” Jan Tinetti said. ...
“This government is choosing to deliberately mislead and withhold information, keeping our people in the dark about this government’s agenda and the future of our mokopuna,” said co-leader and spokesperson for Health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. The call comes after the demand from the Chief Ombudsman that Associate Minister of Health, Casey ...
“Today’s climate announcement by Simon Watts makes clear the National Government is simply paying lip service to meeting its climate change targets,” Megan Woods said. ...
National is choosing to make life harder for workers by taking away the rights our communities have fought hard for. Here's how they’re taking workers backwards. ...
Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue. We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views. “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
Tēnā tātou katoa, Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts. “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet. “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks. “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. At the heart of this report are the ...
For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024. “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane. “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says. “This will be our third visit to ...
Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today. “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
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(hugh grant is not that keen on boris johnson – eh..?..)
'Hugh Grant
@HackedOffHugh
· Aug 29
You will not fuck with my children’s future. You will not destroy the freedoms my grandfather fought two world wars to defend. Fuck off you over-promoted rubber bath toy. Britain is revolted by you and you little gang of masturbatory prefects'.
So HG is all worked up because The Boris has decreed that parliament will sit 3 days LESS in October than originally planned. ( its party conference break time)
He fails to see the the bonus of a new session of parliament, after the Queens speech its standard for MPs to vote on a no confidence motion on the government.
If its a majority against its bye bye Johnson.
They can even do that next week. but its a bit more difficult procedurally
”If its a majority against its bye bye Johnson”
no.
Its more ore that it will end in a general election. Luckily for all right thinking people labour is lead by corbyn who is unelectable- this it will result in happy Boris with an increased majority.
yeah – i know – luvvie throws a tanty – who cares..?
but i liked the air of exasperation..
and the creative-heft that went into: 'you over-promoted rubber bath toy'.
(and the tory-definition:..)
'little gang of masturbatory prefects'.
(sez it all – really..)
I saw an item on either BBC or the Guardian yesterday where Johnston was poised to make an announcement on Education budget – or some such subject. Maybe a distraction from Brexit? I think that might be what HG is responding to.
I think you are all missing the bigger picture going forward that Hugh is foaming about. People seem so fixated on procedures that they forget about the effects on the UK politicians and financials treating the country's doings as if it was a reality show, dropping off the unwanted. Is anyone a follower of the Alex cartoons I have mentioned before. He is such a twisted character, always sorting out a way of profiting from any setbacks, wholely money and status oriented. The creators are so clever they will cut themselves.
Well said.
Fewer, dookydooky. A fairly strategic three days.
A corporate raider like Brierley would undoubtedly approve Boris Johnson's raid on Britain in the best traditions of Caesar, Scandinavians, and Normans.
Good morning, I've a question please……
Just seen in our local paper requests for nominations for the national party for candidates for the the West Coast/Tasman electorate for the 2020 election.
Does national do this every election cycle, it's just I've never noticed it before. Or is it an indication that nat members are unhappy with their current list MP who stands in that electorate?
I wish they would do it here in Tauranga as we have the one clinging on to everything like a limpet – it saying that though I had a local Labour branch one yesterday outlining the local body candidates, all of them not specifically how they were backed and many say they are "independents" so a lot of careful reading to do to see who to back.
Seems to be normal practice under National's rules and procedures for the selection of electorate candidates.
https://www.national.org.nz/national_2020_candidate_selection_process_begins
Rapunzel, apparently this has already taken place in Tauranga during the two weeks, 12 – 26 August.
There are obvious reasons why I wouldn't know that but it is rather a surprise I haven't seen a thing in the news to suggest, at this stage anyway, it would be anything other than the incumbent.
Anyway I hopped onto another roll when it was open last year just because I could and because my candidate vote will now matter.
Neither did I but found that press release in a quick google. I have now had a better look at the National Party Constitution and Rules etc and the latter are quite specific in the process for selection of candidates – in particular Rules 86 -118.
Rule 87(c) specifies in a general way that the Electorate Committee must advertise for candidate and Rule 92 is then much more specific, ie:
Lots more specific information about the full process in the Constitution and Rules here for anyone interested … (I'm not except on an academic level, LOL)
https://elections.nz/assets/Party-files/national-party-rules-and-constitution.pdf
Thanks VV.
Last night The Chairman raised the issue of the state of affairs in our Emergency Departments.
He raised a couple of good points: lack of insightful questioning by journalists and a perceived lack of action by the minister.
Because it was TC a pile-on ensued.
The issue remains, causing stress for staff and the public and a high turnover of workers.
From a senior emergency nurse in Mid Central DHB area I have 4 things that can be done alleviate the strain.
A mandatory patient care ratio of 3 patients per nurse (currently it can get up to 6, and some can be very sick).
Increase the capacity on the surgical, medical and orthopedic wards by 5 beds each.
On the night shifts increase the number of doctors on from 3 to 4.
Put 10 more beds in the department. At Palmy, they are in a newish department, one that was woefully under prepared for the growing needs of its population.
Yes, it costs money (cough cough surpluses) so it seems to be a lack of will is where the problems start.
The answer is to devote MORE resources to Primary Care ( GPS) as its the people who DONT need emergency care that are clogging up the ED.
Lower cost general practice visits
We have changed things to make visits to general practices more affordable for you, your family and whānau.
https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/primary-health-care/primary-health-care-subsidies-and-services/lower-cost-general-practice-visits
Especially good news for children
"All enrolled children aged 13 and under won’t be charged a fee for a standard visit with a doctor or nurse, or:
Putting the extra money where its needed is better than funding the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff.
The Chairman is just pushing the employment case for Junior doctors .
As for Nurses in the ED , maybe some people are better suited for the steady rythyms of wards or clinics rather than the busy peaks and slow troughs of the ED
@Dukeofurl
When Jacinda was vying to win the elections she touted 8 dollar GP fees while National were promising 18 dollar visits.
Labour have yet to deliver on that $8 charge.
Knowing more resources to Primary Care is needed but failing to deliver it's no wonder ED's are overflowing and doctors are speaking out.
As a result, clearly Labour haven't put a sufficient amount of funding where it is initially needed. Moreover, due to Nationals under funding haven't put a sufficient amount into hospitals themselves. Keeping them on the back foot and under pressure while ensuring (by failing to deliver on cheaper GP visits) growing numbers, thus further pressure with larger workloads. Putting lives at greater risk.
I'm not merely pushing the employment case for junior doctors. As indicated last night, I was highlighting there is an actual problem which the Minster hasn't denied and in fact acknowledged.
If this was National doing this, I'm sure the outcry here would be massive, but as it is occurring under a Labour led Government it seems it's OK and I'm the problem for highlighting it. If we want better, we can't continue to defend Labour's shortfalls. We need to put the acid on them and let them know we won't accept their shortcomings and failure to deliver.
Excerpts from The 'lefty" "more left than most" Chairman's comment today @3.1.1 – from one comment FFS. If is wasn’t for The Chariman‘s self-declared ‘friend of the left‘ status, one could be forgiven for forming the impression that they were in cahoots with the National party!
Knowing more resources to Primary Care is needed but failing to deliver it's no wonder ED's are overflowing and doctors are speaking out.
When are Labour going to deliver on those $8 charges, Drowsy M. Kram?
Moreover, when will they sort out the trouble in our hospitals and reduce the lives currently being put at risk?
National’s Health spokesperson Michael Woodhouse press release
https://www.national.org.nz/dhb_performance_going_backwards_under_clark (29 August 2019)
Spot the difference between Woodhouse’s 29 August press release and The Chairman's comment @3.1.1.1.1.
Party vote Labour/Green for a more progressive tax system to better fund NZ’s excellent public health service.
Got no answers, Drowsy M. Kram. Funny that, because neither have Labour so it seems.
Just because I (and others such as a number in the health profession) are concerned about this and are seeking answers doesn't mean we are part of National.
And Labour need to understand this. People (i.e. voters) have a genuine concern about this. Any one of us could at anytime get caught up in this, having our lives put at risk.
Claiming they/we are Nats does Labour no favours. Hence you are doing Labour no favours taking this attack approach.
And seeing as National played a big part in creating this mess, thus risk, their press release is a bit rich and a joke if it weren't so serious.
Keep digging![laugh laugh](https://cdn.ckeditor.com/4.11.3/full-all/plugins/smiley/images/teeth_smile.png)
Party vote Labour/Green for a more progressive tax system to better fund NZ’s excellent public health service.
Where, when?
All we got from this lot is more regressive tax.
You mean the last lot as that describes National.
You think Chemmy might not be a stranger to the Woodlouse's office?
Don't know – it's a curious coincidence. If I wanted to avoid suspicion, I'd wait more than one day before replicating a National party spokesperson's talking points here. So maybe he is a genuine "lefty" – but there's so little evidence.
I'm sure you are not just interested in what should happen, "The Chairman", but also in what needs to happen to enable more money to be spent. After all, we all know that money does not grow on trees. Now there are a few things that do have to be considered first. You have talked about a "promise" by Jacinda; I am not familiar with it, but you have not provided any evidence that it was indeed a promise – remember that Labour was not elected to govern alone – budgetary aims may well be influenced by other partners in government.The second is that we are only two years into a three year term – clearly any government will assess priorities, as after all, money is not limitless. Now we do know that a lot has been allocated to the health budget – directly settlement of nurses pay negotiations, and some advances on doctors pay. Also there are payments for mould found in some hospital wards – the millions required had to come from somewhere. Then there have been costs in increasing staffing in various areas, but perhaps particularly in mental health, and costs of children;s visits to GPs have been reduced. The recent announcement of meals in schools is relatively small, but could be regarded as assisting both health outcomes as well as education goals. So the question back to you "The Chairman," is where is the money coming from? We can be thankful that National's tax cuts were not allowed to reduce government income; and it is a shame that capital gains taxes were left unchanged. Overall there has been a big increase in health spending over that of the previous government, doubtless funded in part by not having given the cuts to income tax planned by National, and also by increased tax receipts by the improvement in business profits following the increase to minimum wages and benefits. So while your question may be reasonable, it is partly answered by saying that priorities will have affected different areas of spending, but also it is fair to ask you, and the National Party spokesperson raising similar issues – what spending would you defer to achieve this aim more quickly, or how would you raise additional money to enable the higher level of spending?
Thanks for not being scared to speak up, gsays.
You are the only one thus far.
This is a major issue that is putting lives at risk, therefore I'm sure there is more out there that hold concerns over this. Leading me to suspect a good number here get put off by the detractors and don't want to come under attack from this mob running wild. Thus, remain silent.
yeah that mob has a real UN look about it I agree
It's not their looks or nationality that is of concern, Marty. It's that they are shutting down genuine political discussion putting others off from partaking.
Who are “they” and how are they shutting down debate and putting off participation?
Is this an attempt at irony? If so, it almost succeeded, almost …
Witnessing the pile-on that ensued turns others off IMO. Why do you think no one but gsays thus far has partaken (in support) in this serious discussion.
Do you really believe no one on this site has a concern about this apart from us two?
“They” can be found in the pile-on that ensued.
Never fear, The Chair is here – and ‘concern’ is building.
Since the vast majority of NZers rely on the NZ public health service for their medical needs, I would think that the vast majority of NZers would have some interest in the state of that service and whether it has been and is being adequately funded/resourced.
I remain unconvinced that the current government are doing an awful job on public health, but this critical service certainly faces increased challenges.
This the second day running this ‘topic’. I gave it a shot yesterday on Daily review but it was an exercise in futility. All I can see is your anti-Labour bias that comes through strongly in almost every comment of yours. Others can see this too and hence the ‘pile on’.
For some reason you cannot accept that your MO is the main obstacle for serious discussion.
As Rosemary would say, SSDD.
Ditto.
All I seem to get from you is defence of Labour's shortcomings.
With Labour failing to live up to their namesake coupled with all their shortcomings, of course I have a bias against them. They no longer really represent the left and haven't really since 84. They haven't even apologised for that, let alone done much to correct it. You get more real lefties over at the daily blog than you get here.
Instead of piling in on me for highlighting Labours failures (my MO) you lot (if you are genuine lefties) should be piling in with me against them to help bring about change for the better.
Do you support and want this risk of life in our health system? Doctors are speaking up, why aren't the left here joining in?
All the people on the left I know do have a bias against Labour apart from the so-called left here. What is up with that?
As for Rosemary's unsubstantiated, bold assertion the other day, I have a post coming that will clearly show she is incorrect.
This place is like the twilight zone, where poverty has nothing to do with suicide and doctors speaking out about lives being put at risk musters no support, bloody unreal. Come on you lot, surely you lot are better than this.
Assuming that was directed at me, you are incorrect and have missed my point(s). I was not defending Labour – and with you it always is just Labour – against your criticism, I was criticising your criticism of Labour, the way you go about it, i.e. your style.
At last, we have some clarity about your bias, which is helpful indeed. Unfortunately, your bias is so strong, it has become a binary of polar opposites of either pro- or anti-Labour. Many (of us) are still somewhere in between these two extremes and view it as a spectrum rather.
So, please don’t box in people based on whether you judge them pro- or anti-Labour (or Left or Right, Black or White, et cetera). It gets you nowhere, evidently.
The rest of your comment is trying to reduce “[t]his place”, i.e. the people who write here, to a collection of simplistic souls without any acknowledgment of nuance and context. This may fit and suit your one-eyed single-minded view of (NZ) politics and this political blog but it is grossly inaccurate and does the TS community no justice.
So, instead of trying to pull or force us into your rabbit hole you may want to reconsider your contribution and presence here because something has got to give.
It may be there – the anti Labour bias – he never seems to make criticisms of the Gnats. But most of his critiques are pretty solid, unlike the run of trolls. I think he's playing the game functionally, which is more than can be said for Shadrach, James, or the entire Opposition come to that.
The Chairman has racked up 1000s of comments on The Standard.
If he could cite half a dozen of his comments made during the last long period of National-led ‘governance’ that were critical of National party policies/MPs, then I'd be less triggered by his modus operandi.
But he can't, because those comments don't exist.
Just to be clear: 1000s of comments by The Chairman on this site during that period, ALL exclusively critical of left-leaning opposition parties/MPs. His comments here comprise a broken record, IMHO.
Yeah I know.
But he doesn't commit the major troll faults – putting words in people's mouths, RW wishful thinking (except for a few spurious criticisms that won't fly), outright lying, or personal abuse.
He finds pointed but often real grounds to critique the coalition – there is a place for it.
Again, I disagree. Misinterpreting other’s words coupled to a strong bias can lead to comments that essentially have the same effect as deliberately putting words in people’s mouths. The Chairman does come close to this, on occasion, and I moderated (warned) him recently for telling people how they should or should not feel about something they disagreed on with him. I don’t believe he does these things deliberately, unlike malicious trolls, because he would have been long gone if that were the case.
You see, I don’t want him gone here, I want him to change his communication style that he seems so fond of …
As far as I am concerned, The Chairman can criticise the Government all he likes, hold them to account, and foster serious debate here. But he’s not accomplishing that if he keeps up his style!
I disagree.
For example, yesterday Drowsy M. Kram said:
https://thestandard.org.nz/daily-review-29-08-2019/#comment-1650763
The Chairman replied quoting verbatim and then responded with a straight-out attack on Labour!
https://thestandard.org.nz/daily-review-29-08-2019/#comment-1650824
This happens all the time! When the Government does something wrong or fails to do something right or at all in the eyes of The Chairman, it will trigger an attack on Labour and on Labour only. Generally. Often.
Although he does occasionally offer good points, the overall impact of his comments is heavily geared towards negative and they kill any serious discussion. Thus, in practice, the impact is as bad as of trolls.
The sad thing is though, and I give The Chairman the benefit of doubt, he does not intend to troll us but to force (?) the Government to do (much) better, if I may paraphrase The Chairman. Unfortunately, his MO is largely counter-productive to the cause he wants to promote …
@Incognito fair enough – sorry if I queered the pitch. I do think TC overdoes it, with consequent loss of gravitas, but some of his stuff is surprisingly good.
Thank you for the useful feedback, Stuart, and no need to apologise for that.
I’m trying to look at the bigger picture and figure out whether and how, on the balance of their comments, a commenter is or makes a positive contribution to serious and robust debate on this site or not. If not, I’d like find a way to improve the situation so that we all can reap the benefit of their contribution. I believe everyone has got something to offer and some commenters blow me out of the water at times (in a good way) …
Personally and as a moderator watching patterns of behaviour (yours and others'), it's very obvious that a big reason others don't partake is because your style of arguing is incredibly frustrating to engage with. I don't like the tone of the pile on and will keep an eye on that, but ime generally they happen because regulars in an online community are at the end of their patience with someone behaving badly.
This has been a long standing problem with how you present your arguments.
I see, it's all my fault, of course. Next you''l be saying it is better for the site to remove me.
I don't accept that at all.
What exactly is wrong with the way I present my arguments in your mind?
As a suggestion, let’s do an experiment. You choose a new pseudonym and start commenting with a clean sheet (track record). If you get no traction with serious discussion on your comments, we could assume that the TS community does not agree with you and/or that your MO is the reason. To suggest that only hardened Labour sycophants frequent TS who won’t want to hear anything bad about Labour is pushing it but you’re free to have that opinion and stick with it, if you must. In fact, there are quite a number of commenters here that are less enamoured with Labour.
Yes, and they tend to cop it too
Regardless if I changed my handle, my writing style is unique, hence identifiable, so that is a no go. Thus, I’ll stick with it, thanks.
Yes, your comments are idiosyncratic but it never seems to occur to you that your style could be the issue. I thought I’d give you a suggestion to overcome the stalemate but you stubbornly refuse to change your ways. In fact, you ignore your role in any pile on saying:
However, you do follow immediately with this question:
Indeed, we have been over this so many times and nothing changes.
https://fmacskasy.wordpress.com/2019/08/30/national-and-petrol-taxes-when-journalists-gets-it-right/
I was thinking of you when I read that.
I am not suggesting you should not comment here or criticise the Coalition Government (not just Labour). Though I am suggesting that you change how you do these things. It is a subtle difference in the way you communicate the same thing.
FWIW, I do believe you genuinely consider yourself a leftie. However, this does nothing for your MO here.
This says it more succinctly than most of us can muster: https://wondermark.com/1k62/
Ha!
"I see, it's all my fault, of course."
Is it? I thought I just described a dynamic I am observing that involves multiple people in a community.
"Next you''l be saying it is better for the site to remove me."
The site is a machine, have a look at the Policy and hope Lynn isn't reading the comments.
What can remove you is moderation, and that is done by real live people. You've now had two moderators give you feedback and do that with the courtesy of comment rather than bolded moderation. I'm not aware of anyone saying you should be removed from the site.
Where banning tends to happen is when someone is causing blatant problems for the site owners (eg posting something defamatory), or causing problems for the community or authors (see the bit in the Policy about tone and exclusion, also flaming), or causing problems for moderators (wasting our time, or behaving in ways that use up our time).
"What exactly is wrong with the way I present my arguments in your mind?"
We've been through this too many times in the past for me to spend more time explaining it. What I'm not seeing is you taking *any responsibility for your part in the dynamic. When I see that change I'll be more willing to engage.
If you genuinely want to not have a negative impact here (I'm not talking about your politics), then try listening to what people are already saying about how you debate.
TC was using it for political gain to blame Labour.
There is serious need for more nurses, residents, and specialists. There is serious need for more space in ED around the country. There is serious need for better facilities in those spaces – from management systems to radiology. There is serious need for ward space to admit patients from ED. There is serious need for reviewing whether or not we really want residents working 18 hour shifts, or paying off $80k loans while they do it.
There is serious need for increasing access to primary health care so people don't end up at ED.
No.
I was highlighting a problem (one of many) we need to press Labour on.
I acknowledge all those clear needs, and with there being surpluses I come back to a deficit of change.
While not wanting to fan flames, I have some empathy for TCs criticism of inaction.
As do I but I already raised yesterday that the govt has commissioned a major health system change process, so what can we reasonably expect them to do in the meantime before they know where to best put the investment?
It seems likely to be in primary care rather than more big hospitals, and hopefully in proper joined-up IT systems rather than only more people and machines that go ping.
"so what can we reasonably expect them to do in the meantime before they know where to best put the investment?"
From a senior emergency nurse in Mid Central DHB area I have 4 things that can be done alleviate the strain.
A mandatory patient care ratio of 3 patients per nurse (currently it can get up to 6, and some can be very sick).
Increase the capacity on the surgical, medical and orthopedic wards by 5 beds each.
On the night shifts increase the number of doctors on from 3 to 4.
Put 10 more beds in the department. At Palmy, they are in a newish department, one that was woefully under prepared for the growing needs of its population.
That is straight forward, simple to introduce solution for a local hospital that can happen in very short time, before the current review meanders to its conclusions.
I saw that earlier, thanks. I respect the hard work you all do in our hospitals but the usual questions arise when we take a broader view:
– How long would it take to get the extra staff?
– How much would that extra capacity cost across all the hospital wards in NZ?
– Are there other improvements in the health system that could rapidly improve the population's health more for the same money?
The staff are needed, having to know how long it takes is kind of irrelevant.
Employing them is better than delaying or not employing them.
The cost of increasing capacity is the cost needed to do the job.
As for other initiatives, sure give them a go, it doesn't have to be one or the other.
Perhaps see it as a workplace safety issue or responding to society's needs rather than an accounting issue.
Wouldn't that be for the DHB or hospital to sort out?
True, I am not able to speak about their motivations/priorities.
Our local DHB is in the red.
I'm sure most issues in the health system are impacted by inadequate funding (and managerial approaches, I've heard of some really daft stuff). I was meaning more that the govt can't really do much about the situation at your local hospital in terms of staffing and capacity, that would need to be part of the funding round.
Workforce planning is handled nationally but yes any extra budget would have to be allocated through the DHBs, PHOs and NGOs who fund and provide health services. Alphabet soup. 🙂
Is that good that workforce planning is done nationally? Why do they do that?
Can extra funding be allocated at any time if there is sufficient need?
The whole of NZ is the size of a medium world city so having 20 DHBs do their own planning at that level makes little sense. Hence, https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/health-workforce
Funding needs to be in a Budget appropriation approved by parliament. Expect more next year.
Which takes us back to the fiscal responsibility pledge, which was part of getting elected in the first place.
NZ did not elect a revolutionary government. It elected an incrementalist change government, with a significant social conservative streak and fiscal constraints.
You want more change? Get enough people to vote so we have a labgrn government.
While their fiscal responsibility pledge has curtailed them somewhat so has their unwillingness to tax the top 1%.
Additionally, it also comes down to spending priorities. $20 billion on defence in a wellbeing budget doesn't bode well when New Zealanders lives are being put at risk in our hospitals.
No, don't try to play government departments off against each other. NZDF saves lives as well, and protects our EEZ. So does housingNZ, while we're at it. Surprise surprise, everything is underfunded. Has been for years if not decades. This isn't going to be fixed in three years, even if funds were unlimited.
It's about prioritisation of expenditure and what (in a wellbeing budget) will better increase our wellbeing. $20 billion being spent on defence isn't going to do anything for the wellbeing of your average New Zealander.
And seeing as we agree there has been massive under funding, clearly that money needs to be spent here on improving the deficit thus our wellbeing, even if it doesn't go far enough in 3 years. It's a far better start than blowing it on defence.
In an alternate reality you're complaining that our severeignty and ability to honour international agreements are compromised because NZDF equipment is falling apart and the government is doing nothing about it.
You have some very unreal expectations where this government, given it's composition, is concerned. McF has it correct, in that if you (we) want more socially conscious governance, you (we) have to vote for it.
Having said all that, and even though we're not getting the type of outcomes we may want, life is considerably better than it was/would be, under a national party led regime. Remember what that was like?
2 years is never going to be enough time to reverse 9 bollock ones, so instead of the $8 jobs, I'll settle for the $18, down from $45 doctor visits I use to have and wait for the country to mandate any sweeping changes most of us genuine left voters want but realise can't happen and retain electability without one.
On a personal note, I still don't believe you're very left at all.
We did. National are out but unfortunately a number of their policies remain (such as the defence spend and no CGT)
Now that Jacinda is in charge she changed their stance (opposed to Little's position) and decided to blow the funding on defence. Moreover, through away a CGT (delivering on National’s promise in Labour's year of delivery) that would have produced a massive increase in tax revenue. It was only forecast to be tax neutral for the first 5 years.
No we didn't, we almost did, but have to rely on NZ1st to take over the reins.
Next time, without the need for Winston, things could get much better for the left as a genuine mandate would have been given.
Change the numbers in that new coalition to 60:40 red/green, instead of 90:10 and the mandate for real change, from the people, would be undeniably one to turn left and fast.
This is just simple common sense stuff.
2 years is never going to be enough time to reverse 9 bollock ones,
You're surely not forgetting the nine bollock ones before the last nine bollock ones?
Simply put, undoing the last two decades of 'let the shit trickle down' policies is going to take more than the aspirational SSDD twaddle this lot is going to be remembered for.
The mood was right for real transformation…boat missed, ship sailed.
Two decades? Isn't it three and a half? (since the mid 80s).
SSDD?
SSDD?
Same Shit Different Day
Like déjà vu only smelly.
It really stinks.
And yes…it is three and a half decades but I fear many here don't have memories going back that far.![wink wink](https://cdn.ckeditor.com/4.11.3/full-all/plugins/smiley/images/wink_smile.png)
Lol, true. They need reminding.
Without appearing selfish, I did alright out of HC's term in office. Student free loan, a job starting at $10 an hour which was enough to live on and start a family, then a 100% mortgage with kiwi bank when the family thing didn't work out as intended.
Compared to the near 20 years of Thatcher and Major I had before Helen, it was fucking dream.
Can't edit.
Interest free student loan.
20 years of Thatcher and Major I had before I came here.
This is the thing about Labour. They *do do good things too. This is why I disagree with the line that they're the same as National. They're really not.
Yep, of course they're not. Sure they're nowhere near perfect, and far from the old union days, flat caps and full on socialism, but they're certainly not the same as national.
It's a harsh reality for some to take, but we don't live in the 60s and 70s anymore. Our political leanings may, but the majority of the rest of the voting public obviously doesn't. There's a left of labour party right now, and they only pull 6%. I party voted them the last two times and probably will again, but expecting labour to start going for the hard left vote is unrealistic when the reality is it's the centre who currently decide elections, and if the left greens can't pull the numbers, why would labour?
I'm sure, with climate change the driver, when the realities hit home for mum and dad, there will be a real movement for radical change, but until that happens, if it has to be incrementally, then so be it.
Win when you can, but ffs, don't give the game away by knee capping yourselves.
I see it similarly although I think a faster way to get there is ore people voting Green. A L/G govt with more Green MPs than now will be quite different from what we have now.
Back to the beginning, but that's what people have been saying to the chairman for quite a while now, how if you want the left stuff you have to vote for it.
Exactly. The perfect is the enemy of the good, etc.
"so has their unwillingness to tax the top 1%."
Well done "The Chairman" for advocating a way of funding an $8 fee for GP visits (which has been more than met for those up to 13 of course) – to break a pledge made by one of the government parties not to raise income taxes in the first term (I don't have the exact wording, if that's wrong I'm sure someone will correct). I guess advocating meeting one election aim by breaking another is a value judgement you think the government should do, but at least you must appreciate that it is not clear-cut. Righting the wrongs on nine years of neglect by the previous government may take some time – all we can do is point out the reasons why difficult decisions can affect outcomes, and keep voting for a Labour/Green government next time.
And while it is not directly relevant to the thread, "The Chairman," can I ask what you are the Chairman of? or perhaps why you chose that name?
A
sackedresigned former chairman of a DHB comes to mind. Werent there a few that got the jobs for mates scheme Key and Ryall was runningYou'll recall Ryall leaving in a hurry..
The 1% who can buy elections? Damn straight they won't be taxing them fairly.
Don't take this personally…
Do you get that while what yrself and Sacha are saying isn't incorrect, it comes across as being apologists.
Especially to those of us with our nearest and dearest bearing the brunt of chronic underfunding. To hear 'just wait, we will do a review', 'get more people to vote Green', and the excuse I despise the most – 'fiscal responsibility'.
That last one is all about getting re-elected. Because clearly as they are being fiscally responsible business confidence is sky high. #sarc.
It really reeks of drinking too much of that neo liberal raro
People are really hurting: health professionals, public, police and ambos.
Rant over, again, not personal.
Thank you, well said.
Hiya gsays. Agree…more nurses. More experienced HCAs. Doctors with enough time to get a bit of a patient history rather than assuming… or worse…judging. My recent trip via ambulance to the local ED was an eyeopener. Hopefully, now I have a stash of Trammies in case The Pain returns, I will never have to impose on them at ED again.
There are efficiencies that could be made in the system…especially around the availability of ultrasounds and other diagnostic scanning…but hey, keep giving out the opioids and send those pesky patients on their merry way.
You are correct to say less non-emergency patients in EDs by using GPS.
Yes poverty is one of the drivers of the high numbers presenting.
So are the co-morbidities the elderly are living with.
You are simply being insulting or proroundly ignorant to suggest the nurses aren't up to it. The idea of a trough on a night shift shows how ill (see what I did there?) informed you are.
Not insulting nurses. ED have busy and quiet periods. I know Ive been at 3 am.
Clinics and wards are more steady , but of course patients needs can vary at any time.
Highly paid professionals in difficult jobs…its never going to be any different
DukeofUrl –
Travels NZ, surveys everything, knows everything. Been there, done that, you all know diddley-squat.
Please move on; this is not helpful in any way.
Sorry but it helped me. I am so sick of hearing dukeofurl's opinion on everything that actually doesn't add to the topic. However I will give you a break from my opinion.
Ok, I wish you a good weekend and hopefully we’ll see you soon again here.
highly paid profeessionals….so, in denying an insult you add a barb.
get over your self . Are you one of those outsiders the review of the Nurses Union said piled on in on social media trying to upset the apple cart.
Maybe a Tuesday night, was it?
There will always be busy periods. The issue is whether overloaded staff redlining themselves to exhaustion is becoming the norm, and the quiet periods are becoming fewer and fewer.
The only people disappointed will be the doom and gloom merchants saying “well, that wasn’t so bad after all. Y2K? No problem.
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/Y2K-bug/
[I don’t allow climate change denial under my posts. See older posts for statements on this – weka]
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
The Australian Government spent $12 billion on Y2K and took it very seriously.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/howard-government-feared-slow-y2k-bug-preparations-cabinet-documents-reveal-20181230-p50ot1.html
mod note above for you.
For some much-need counter-balance: Child and Youth Strategy a good start – Plunket, College of Midwives
http://www.voxy.co.nz/politics/5/346630
Yeah nah, resorting to cannibalism probably isn’t a vote winner
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Best you familiarise yourself with cannibalism and the great famines in Western Europe, the New World Jamestown famine cannabilism and cannabilism during twentieth century famines in Eastern Europe and Asia.
/
Siege of Leningrad pops to mind
Read a thing about the Donner Party (settlers in the US 19th century who got trapped in the Sierra Nevadas over winther and et each other).
The local First Nations tribe repeatedly tried to give the Donner Party food, but as soon as they got in sight the settlers would open fire. They took to leaving food at night, but eventually pulled back when the settlers started eating each other. So yeah, bad situation made worse by racism…
I dont particularly like Winston..but even i think this is a bit much..https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2019/08/30/so-what-would-happen-if-a-political-leader-suddenly-died-lets-say-winston/
lol Winston tweeted a video yesterday…
I've just been reading this and besides an earlier reference to Winston this said all and confirms everything NZers owe him in the past and now
Political Animals – Jane Clifton pages 260-261 (2009)
"Tamihere is almost the anti-Winston. Where Winston is paranoically scrupulous in his personal, financial and political dealings, Tamihere seems reckless. Where Winston would rather wear a polyester shell suit from Postie Plus than accept a golden handshake, or any lump sum, tax-paid or otherwise, Tamihere seems unabashed about his right to be given money, cars, jobs, attention – whatever. Where Winston hyper-researches everything, and be-labours his work rate as a towering virtue, Tamihere rejoices in the impression of coasting, winging it, not getting into a lather because, hey, life is easy for him. He's a natural. Winston is alive, to the point of mania, to any hint, suggestion, situation which might make him look venal or assuming. "
Theres rumour/bullshit around that Tamiheres real aim is to stand for Tamaki Makaurau for the Maori party next year, win or lose and even be Mayor/MP at the same time ?
That maybe his svengali, Matt McCartens big dream
Martyn does seem to be stretching things a bit lately doesn't he? On another posting he seems to be claiming that he alone was responsible for getting Peter Dunne to retire.
"I worked hard on pushing the Feed the Kids Bill and not getting it through Parliament because of Peter Fucking Dunne is the greatest regret of my life (although the strategy to remove him from Ohariu in the 2017 was the perfect vengeance),"
In the case of Winston I think he is simply copying Trotter's story about Ardern dying.
With Winston I am tempted to paraphrase Dorothy Parker's quip about Calvin Coolidge.
If someone was to tell me that Winston was dead the appropriate comment would seem to be "How could they tell?"
Dorothy Parker ?
Many times other people have said she said that, but she doesnt seem to have done so.
Wilson Mizner , a raconteur seems to be the real origin
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilson_Mizner
Good grief, that's a low point for Bradbury.
This was the real low point, to which (little brother) Martyn was merely paying homage:
What If Jacinda Was Suddenly Taken From Us – Like "Big Norm"?
https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2019/08/what-if-jacinda-was-suddenly-taken-from.html
that was bad too. I think Bradbury's was worse.
At least Colonel Trotter has an excuse for misty nostalgia..