Open mike 30/11/2021
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6:00 am, November 30th, 2021 - 118 comments
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- Bernard’s pick ‘n’ mix 6 @ 6:06am on Sunday, May 19
TL;DR: Here’s six links that stood out to me in the last day in Aotearoa’s political economy to 6:06am on Sunday, May 19:Aotearoa-NZ is the seventh worst in the OECD’s homelessness rankings, just behind the United States and just ahead of Australia. BlackRock thinks rate hikes actually worsen inflation because ...3 hours ago - Lords of the flies
3 hours ago - Fact Brief – Does breathing contribute to CO2 buildup in the atmosphere?
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David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: KiwiRail’s seemingly endless requests for more money is damning. At one point, KiwiRail assured Robertson when he was the Finance Minister that the worst-case scenario would be an extra $300 million before requesting $1.2 billion a few months later. Not what most people ...23 hours ago - Behind Blue Eyes.
No one knows what it's likeTo be the bad manTo be the sad manBehind blue eyesNo one knows what it's likeTo be hatedTo be fatedTo telling only liesHave you ever wondered what life must be like for Mike Hosking? Seeing things in black and white through blue tinted specs? In ...24 hours ago - Road food
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past two week’s editions.Share More Than A FeildingBike bling, London Read more ...1 day ago - Some Reader Feedback For Your Weekend
Hi,I think we all made it through another week — congratulations. I’ve been digesting the new Arab Strap record, which is astonishing. In other news, I’m going to be doing a Webworm popup in Auckland, New Zealand on Saturday July 13. I’ll bring a bunch of merch, and some other ...1 day ago - Thinking About the Property Rights in Resource Decisions As Well As Transaction Costs.
The Fast-Track Approvals Bill enables cabinet ministers to circumvent key environmental planning and protection processes for infrastructure projects. Its difficulties have been well canvassed. This column suggests a different way of thinking about the proposal. I am going to explore the Bill from the perspective of its proponents with their ...2 days ago - Bryce Edwards: Can Shane Jones be trusted in making Fast-track decisions?
New Zealand First Cabinet Minister Shane Jones has become the best advertisement against the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill. In selling the radical new resource consenting processes, in which ministers can green light any mine, dam, or other major development, Jones seems to be shooting the proposal in the foot. ...2 days ago - Seymour appeals to PPTA to call off meetings on charter schools – but does he seriously believe he...
Buzz from the Beehive Associate Education Minister David Seymour is urging the PostPrimary Teachers Association to put learning ahead of ideology. He wants the union leaders to call off their teachers meetings around the country where they hope to muster the strength to undo the government’s plans to establish several ...2 days ago - Police don’t fight crime
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Graham Adams writes that 20 years after the land march, judges are quietly awarding a swathe of coastal rights to iwi. Early this month, an hour-long documentary was released by TVNZ to mark the 20th anniversary of the land-rights march to oppose Helen Clark’s Foreshore and Seabed Act. The account ...2 days ago - The missing Green MPDavid Farrar writes – The Herald reports: Suspended Green MP Darleen Tana has passed an unpleasant milestone: she has now been absent for as many parliamentary sitting days as she has been present for this year. Tana is on full pay while she is suspended, and will benefit from a ...2 days ago
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- The thrilling possibilities of charter schools
You can be all negative about these charter schools if you want, but I’m here to accentuate the positive. You can get all worked up, if you want to, by the contradiction of Luxon saying We’re going to make sure that every school in the country is teaching exactly the same ...3 days ago - This Unreasonable Government.
Losing The Room: One can only speculate about what has persuaded the Coalition Government that it will pay no electoral price for unreasonably pushing ahead with policies that are so clearly against the national interest. They seem quite oblivious to the risk that by doing so they will convince an increasing ...3 days ago - Supreme Court weighs in on name suppression
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- This is what corruption looks likeWhen National first proposed its Muldoonist "fast-track" law, they were warned that it would inevitably lead to corruption. And that is exactly what has happened, with Resources Minister Shane Jones taking secret meetings with potential applicants: On Tuesday, in a Newsroom story, questions were raised about a dinner Jones ...3 days ago
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Hi,I wanted to check in and ask how you’re doing.This is perhaps a selfish act, of attempting to find others feeling a similar way to me — that is to say, a little hopeless at the moment.Misery loves company, that sort of deal.Some context.I wish I could say I got ...4 days ago - The Rings of Power: Season Two Teaser Trailer
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- Potaka's Private Universe.
And it's a pleasure that I have knownAnd it's a treasure that I have gainedAotearoa’s coalition government is fragile. It’s held together by the obsequious sycophancy of Christopher Luxon, who willingly contorts his party into the fringe positions of his junior coalition partners and is unwilling to contradict them. The ...5 days ago - Our slow regional councilsThe Select Committee hearing submissions on the fast-track consenting legislation is starting to become a beat-up of regional councils. The inflexibility and slow workings of the Councils were prominent in two submissions yesterday. One, from the Coromandel Marine Farmers Association, simply said that the Waikato Regional Council’s planning decisions were ...5 days ago
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- Release: Chris Hipkins’ speech: New Zealand in 2040 – A vision worth fighting for
...14 hours ago - Release: 4,500 jobs lost – and countingMore than 4,500 jobs are set to go as the National Government continues its deep cuts to services to pay for irresponsible and ill-timed tax cuts. ...2 days ago
- No-cause evictions leave no hope for renters
The Government’s introduction of legislation that would enable landlords to end tenancies with no reason marks a dark day for the 1.4 million people who rent their home in Aotearoa. ...3 days ago - Release: National winding back mental health workThe Minister for Mental Health has found the Suicide Prevention Office and mental health support for 111 calls slipping through his fingers, says Labour spokesperson for Mental Health Ingrid Leary. ...4 days ago
- Government ignorant of evidence in neglect of tamarikiToday’s justification from the Minister for Children for scrapping protections for our tamariki was either a case of ignorance or deliberate deception. ...5 days ago
- Gang policy setting communities up for failureThe Green Party says the Government’s misguided policy on gangs will fail, following the announcement of the establishment of a national gang unit and district gang disruption units to target gang activities. ...5 days ago
- Statement from police spokesperson Ginny Andersen“With Police pay negotiations still unresolved after six months in Government, Mark Mitchell has today rolled the Commissioner out for a rebrand of their approach to gang crime,” Labour police spokesperson Ginny Andersen said. ...5 days ago
- Charter schools not a serious solutionWe need serious investment and solutions into our education system, not a vanity project from David Seymour. ...5 days ago
- Release: Ideological charter schools won’t increase achievementThe Government bringing back 50 charter schools will not increase achievement and is a distraction from the core mission of the education system, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...5 days ago
- Release: Visas needed for Palestinians with family in New ZealandThe Government must show some compassion and create a special visa to allow Palestinians with family in New Zealand to be reunited with them here. ...5 days ago
- Release: Govt’s stubbornness will harm Māori childrenGovernment has remained stubborn and is ramming its Bill into the House today, which the Waitangi Tribunal has said will hurt vulnerable children. ...6 days ago
- ‘Lucky dip’ process too casual for hearing critical submissions on Fast Track approvals billTe Pāti Māori is showing extreme concern over the Environment Select Committees adoption of a lucky dip draw to determine hearings for the Fast Track Approvals bill. Of the 27,000 submissions, 2,900 requested to present. All organisations will be heard; however, the remaining 2,350 submitters will be subject to a ...6 days ago
- New Zealand First Member’s Bill to protect women’s spaces
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- Greens welcome cross-party approach to climate adaptationThe Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...1 week ago
- Release: Sexual violence prevention among hundreds of job cuts at ACCThe National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...1 week ago
- Government shows allergy to evidence in benefits crackdownThe Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...1 week ago
- Minister of Finance reheats austerity politicsThis morning’s pre-Budget speech from the Minister of Finance offered no “meaningful” news on the Government’s trickle-down economics based plans. ...1 week ago
- A win for Wellington – Greens welcome more housingThe Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Backtrack on school lunches a win for Kiwi kidsDavid Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Hon Willie Jackson to debate at the Prestigious Oxford UnionHon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...2 weeks ago
- Members Bill will prevent Māori land confiscationsGreen Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...2 weeks ago
- TIKANGA IS NOT LAW. IT IS CULTURAL INDOCTRINATION.A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...2 weeks ago
- Release: National won’t commit to full Nelson Hospital upgradeThe Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour calls for fast track list to be releasedMinisters must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: National gaslights women fighting for equal payNational has scrapped the pay equity taskforce that fights for equal pay for women and looks at ethnic pay gaps. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: More job cuts, fewer houses under NationalThe Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Children fall deeper through the cracks in Govt cutsWith Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour honours memory of Sir Robert MartinThe Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: 130,000 cattle saved from live exportLabour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...3 weeks ago
- Central Bank makes clear Government is pouring fuel on housing crisis fireToday’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...3 weeks ago
- New unemployment figures paint bleak pictureThe Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: National’s job cuts already starting to bite as unemployment risesUnemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...3 weeks ago
- Release: National hiking transport costs for families and young New ZealandersWeekly expenses will grow for more than 1.6 million New Zealanders as the Government ends free and half price public transport fares tomorrow. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Labour welcomes EU free trade agreementThe New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...3 weeks ago
- Surprise: Landlord tax cuts don’t trickle downThe Green Party is renewing its call for rent controls following reports of rental prices hitting an all-time high. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: $1.7b for no increase in access to medicineThe National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...3 weeks ago
- Release: National should heed Tribunal warning and scrap coalition commitment with ACTThis afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: More accountability for preventable workplace deaths this Workers’ Memorial DayLabour is calling for more accountability for preventable workplace deaths because everybody who goes to work deserves to come home safely. ...3 weeks ago
- New measures to protect powerlines from trees
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced that the Government will make it easier for lines firms to take action to remove vegetation from obstructing local powerlines. The change will ensure greater security of electricity supply in local communities, particularly during severe weather events. “Trees or parts of trees falling on ...23 hours ago - Wairarapa Moana ki Pouakani win top Māori dairy farming awardWairarapa Moana ki Pouakani were the top winners at this year’s Ahuwhenua Trophy awards recognising the best in Māori dairy farming. Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka announced the winners and congratulated runners-up, Whakatōhea Māori Trust Board, at an awards celebration also attended by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Finance Minister ...1 day ago
- DJ Fred Again – Assurance report received"On the 27th of March, I sought assurances from the Chief Executive, Department of Internal Affairs, that the Department’s correct processes and policies had been followed in regards to a passport application which received media attention,” says Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden. “I raised my concerns after being ...2 days ago
- District Court Judges appointedAttorney-General Judith Collins has announced the appointment of three new District Court Judges, to replace Judges who have recently retired. Peter James Davey of Auckland has been appointed a District Court Judge with a jury jurisdiction to be based at Whangarei. Mr Davey initially started work as a law clerk/solicitor with ...2 days ago
- Unions should put learning ahead of ideologyAssociate Education Minister David Seymour is calling on the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) to put ideology to the side and focus on students’ learning, in reaction to the union holding paid teacher meetings across New Zealand about charter schools. “The PPTA is disrupting schools up and down the ...2 days ago
- Craig Stobo appointed as chair of FMACommerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly today announced the appointment of Craig Stobo as the new chair of the Financial Markets Authority (FMA). Mr Stobo takes over from Mark Todd, whose term expired at the end of April. Mr Stobo’s appointment is for a five-year term. “The FMA plays ...2 days ago
- Budget 2024 invests in lifeguards and coastguardSurf Life Saving New Zealand and Coastguard New Zealand will continue to be able to keep people safe in, on, and around the water following a funding boost of $63.644 million over four years, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Associate Transport Minister Matt Doocey say. “Heading to the beach for ...2 days ago
- New Zealand and Tuvalu reaffirm close relationshipNew Zealand and Tuvalu have reaffirmed their close relationship, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand is committed to working with Tuvalu on a shared vision of resilience, prosperity and security, in close concert with Australia,” says Mr Peters, who last visited Tuvalu in 2019. “It is my pleasure ...3 days ago
- New Zealand calls for calm, constructive dialogue in New CaledoniaNew Zealand is gravely concerned about the situation in New Caledonia, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The escalating situation and violent protests in Nouméa are of serious concern across the Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says. “The immediate priority must be for all sides to take steps to de-escalate the ...3 days ago
- New Zealand welcomes Samoa Head of StatePrime Minister Christopher Luxon met today with Samoa’s O le Ao o le Malo, Afioga Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II, who is making a State Visit to New Zealand. “His Highness and I reflected on our two countries’ extensive community links, with Samoan–New Zealanders contributing to all areas of our national ...3 days ago
- Island Direct eligible for SuperGold Card fundingTransport Minister Simeon Brown has announced that he has approved Waiheke Island ferry operator Island Direct to be eligible for SuperGold Card funding, paving the way for a commercial agreement to bring the operator into the scheme. “Island Direct started operating in November 2023, offering an additional option for people ...3 days ago
- Further sanctions against RussiaForeign Minister Winston Peters today announced further sanctions on 28 individuals and 14 entities providing military and strategic support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Russia is directly supported by its military-industrial complex in its illegal aggression against Ukraine, attacking its sovereignty and territorial integrity. New Zealand condemns all entities and ...3 days ago
- One year on from Loafers LodgeA year on from the tragedy at Loafers Lodge, the Government is working hard to improve building fire safety, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “I want to share my sincere condolences with the families and friends of the victims on the anniversary of the tragic fire at Loafers ...3 days ago
- Pre-Budget speech to Auckland Business ChamberKa nui te mihi kia koutou. Kia ora and good afternoon, everyone. Thank you so much for having me here in the lead up to my Government’s first Budget. Before I get started can I acknowledge: Simon Bridges – Auckland Business Chamber CEO. Steve Jurkovich – Kiwibank CEO. Kids born ...4 days ago
- New Zealand and Vanuatu to deepen collaborationNew Zealand and Vanuatu will enhance collaboration on issues of mutual interest, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “It is important to return to Port Vila this week with a broad, high-level political delegation which demonstrates our deep commitment to New Zealand’s relationship with Vanuatu,” Mr Peters says. “This ...4 days ago
- Penk travels to Peru for trade meetingsMinister for Land Information, Chris Penk will travel to Peru this week to represent New Zealand at a meeting of trade ministers from the Asia-Pacific region on behalf of Trade Minister Todd McClay. The annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade meeting will be held on 17-18 May ...4 days ago
- Minister attends global education conferencesMinister of Education Erica Stanford will head to the United Kingdom this week to participate in the 22nd Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM) and the 2024 Education World Forum (EWF). “I am looking forward to sharing this Government’s education priorities, such as introducing a knowledge-rich curriculum, implementing an evidence-based ...4 days ago
- Education Minister thanks outgoing NZQA ChairMinister of Education Erica Stanford has today thanked outgoing New Zealand Qualifications Authority Chair, Hon Tracey Martin. “Tracey Martin tendered her resignation late last month in order to take up a new role,” Ms Stanford says. Ms Martin will relinquish the role of Chair on 10 May and current Deputy ...4 days ago
- Joint statement of Christopher Luxon and Emmanuel Macron: Launch of the Christchurch Call FoundationNew Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and President Emmanuel Macron of France today announced a new non-governmental organisation, the Christchurch Call Foundation, to coordinate the Christchurch Call’s work to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online. This change gives effect to the outcomes of the November 2023 Call Leaders’ Summit, ...5 days ago
- Panel announced for review into disability servicesDistinguished public servant and former diplomat Sir Maarten Wevers will lead the independent review into the disability support services administered by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. The review was announced by Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston a fortnight ago to examine what could be done to strengthen the ...5 days ago
- Minister welcomes Police gang unitToday’s announcement by Police Commissioner Andrew Coster of a National Gang Unit and district Gang Disruption Units will help deliver on the coalition Government’s pledge to restore law and order and crack down on criminal gangs, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. “The National Gang Unit and Gang Disruption Units will ...5 days ago
- New Zealand expresses regret at North Korea’s aggressive rhetoricForeign Minister Winston Peters has today expressed regret at North Korea’s aggressive rhetoric towards New Zealand and its international partners. “New Zealand proudly stands with the international community in upholding the rules-based order through its monitoring and surveillance deployments, which it has been regularly doing alongside partners since 2018,” Mr ...5 days ago
- New Chief of Defence Force appointedAir Vice-Marshal Tony Davies MNZM is the new Chief of Defence Force, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. The Chief of Defence Force commands the Navy, Army and Air Force and is the principal military advisor to the Defence Minister and other Ministers with relevant portfolio responsibilities in the defence ...5 days ago
- Government puts children first by repealing 7AALegislation to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act has been introduced to Parliament. The Bill’s introduction reaffirms the Coalition Government’s commitment to the safety of children in care, says Minister for Children, Karen Chhour. “While section 7AA was introduced with good intentions, it creates a conflict for Oranga ...5 days ago
- Defence Minister to meet counterparts in UK, ItalyDefence Minister Judith Collins will this week travel to the UK and Italy to meet with her defence counterparts, and to attend Battles of Cassino commemorations. “I am humbled to be able to represent the New Zealand Government in Italy at the commemorations for the 80th anniversary of what was ...5 days ago
- Charter schools to lift educational outcomesThe upcoming Budget will include funding for up to 50 charter schools to help lift declining educational performance, Associate Education Minister David Seymour announced today. $153 million in new funding will be provided over four years to establish and operate up to 15 new charter schools and convert 35 state ...5 days ago
- COVID-19 Inquiry terms of reference consultation results received“The results of the public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has now been received, with results indicating over 13,000 submissions were made from members of the public,” Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “We heard feedback about the extended lockdowns in ...5 days ago
- The Pacific family of nations – the changing security outlookForeign Minister, Defence Minister, other Members of Parliament Acting Chief of Defence Force, Secretary of Defence Distinguished Guests Defence and Diplomatic Colleagues Ladies and Gentlemen, Good afternoon, tēna koutou, apinun tru It’s a pleasure to be back in Port Moresby today, and to speak here at the Kumul Leadership ...6 days ago
- NZ and Papua New Guinea to work more closely togetherHealth, infrastructure, renewable energy, and stability are among the themes of the current visit to Papua New Guinea by a New Zealand political delegation, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Papua New Guinea carries serious weight in the Pacific, and New Zealand deeply values our relationship with it,” Mr Peters ...6 days ago
- Driving ahead with Roads of Regional SignificanceThe coalition Government is launching Roads of Regional Significance to sit alongside Roads of National Significance as part of its plan to deliver priority roading projects across the country, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The Roads of National Significance (RoNS) built by the previous National Government are some of New Zealand’s ...6 days ago
- New Zealand congratulates new Solomon Islands governmentA high-level New Zealand political delegation in Honiara today congratulated the new Government of Solomon Islands, led by Jeremiah Manele, on taking office. “We are privileged to meet the new Prime Minister and members of his Cabinet during his government’s first ten days in office,” Deputy Prime Minister and ...7 days ago
- New Zealand supports UN Palestine resolutionNew Zealand voted in favour of a resolution broadening Palestine’s participation at the United Nations General Assembly overnight, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The resolution enhances the rights of Palestine to participate in the work of the UN General Assembly while stopping short of admitting Palestine as a full ...1 week ago
- Speech to the 2024 Infrastructure SymposiumIntroduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...1 week ago
- $571 million for Defence pay and projectsDefence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...1 week ago
- Climate change – mitigating the risks and costsNew Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...1 week ago
- Getting new job seekers on the pathway to workJobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...1 week ago
- Accelerating Social InvestmentA new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...1 week ago
- Getting Back on TrackCheck against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...1 week ago
- NZ – European Union ties more critical than everYour Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...2 weeks ago
- Therapeutic Products Act to be repealedThe Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...2 weeks ago
- Iwi Leaders Group united against Oranga Tamariki scrapping Treaty obligations
If the government really wants Oranga Tamariki to continue working with Māori groups, it should leave the law as it is, leader says. ...1 hour ago - Government IT Systems Need A $800 Million Overhaul
The government is facing a bill of more than $800 million to overhaul back-office IT systems, and attempts to lessen its impact have hit delays. ...2 hours ago - Bolstering support for Asian personnel in the NZ Defence ForceThe founder of a Pan-Asian network in the New Zealand Defence Force hopes to support Asian personnel in their defence careers. ...3 hours ago
- 'Increasingly Activist' Waitangi Tribunal Faces Its Future Under Renewed Attack From Senio...David Seymour has renewed attacks on what he says is an 'increasingly activist' Tribunal as it faces questions about its future. ...3 hours ago
- An Ode to .. Shane Jones
Arawata Shane Arawata Shane had wandered long In the wild tangled hills of the West Coast. He came to a stop on the mighty range And looked down at the wide river flats. He breathed in the clean air, And he took in the shadows playing across The face of ...3 hours ago - Fiji’s Jo Nata reflects on the 2000 coup: ‘We let the racism genie out of the bottle’
SPECIAL REPORT: Islands Business in Suva Today is the 24th anniversary of renegade and failed businessman George Speight’s coup in 2000 Fiji. The elected coalition government headed by Mahendra Chaudhry, the first and only Indo-Fijian prime minister of Fiji, was held hostage at gunpoint for 56 days in the country’s ...8 hours ago - Rule change to protect powerlines from being hit by treesEnergy Minister Simeon Brown wants a 'clear to the sky' zone to prevent vegetation hanging over lines. ...13 hours ago
- New Caledonia riots: Tear gas, stun grenades used as protesters swarm airport runwayBy Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist and Kelvin Anthony, RNZ Pacific digital journalist Police have used tear gas and stun grenades on rioters at an airport near Nouméa as the chaos in New Caledonia stretched into its sixth day. Five people, including two police officers, have died and hundreds of ...15 hours ago
- Government faces further legal action over Māori Health Authority axingIt is the second High Court action into the government's policies affecting Māori. ...18 hours ago
- Kanaky New Caledonia: Amnesty calls on France to ‘uphold rights’ of indigenous peopleAsia Pacific ReportThe global human rights watchdog Amnesty International has called on France to not “misuse” a crackdown in the ongoing unrest in the non-self-governing French Pacific territory of Kanaky New Caledonia in the wake of a controversial vote by the French Parliament to adopt a bill changing the territory’s ...20 hours ago
- Revamped school lunches may be less healthy – principalA major provider of school lunches fears the government's new $3 limit for most students will see them eating more pre-packaged and processed food. ...23 hours ago
- ‘Stop laughing, I’m trying to kill someone’: Cohen Holloway on playing a serial murderer
The star of Dark City: The Cleaner takes us through his life in TV, including the VHS revolution and the John Campbell impression that started it all. Best known for his comedic roles, Cohen Holloway says he struggled at times to maintain the stone cold facade of serial killer on ...1 day ago - A life storyDavid Hill remembers an old friend, who you’ve probably never heard of. My friend Doug never travelled; he had little interest in the world beyond his own tiny rural town. I’ve rarely known anyone who radiated such contentment. Doug (I’ll call him that) died in March. You won’t know him. ...1 day ago
- Do you recognise anybody in these 150-year-old photographs?Some of the earliest photos of life in Aotearoa are on display at Auckland Museum right now – but the identities of some of the people in them are a mystery. What was it like to be one of the first people in New Zealand to have their photo taken? ...1 day ago
- The indie books fest bringing big ideas to small town WairarapaSince its founding almost a decade ago, Featherston Booktown has grown into one of the country’s most interesting and idiosyncratic literary events. Erin Banks reports from the audience. “Come in, have you had lunch? I’m about to make a cheese toastie.” Mary Biggs, operations manager of Featherston Booktown Karukatea Festival, ...1 day ago
- Enduring the voyage of the tatauAfter 33 years abroad, Loveni Enari recently returned to Aotearoa and Samoa in what a friend joked was an “existential crisis”. He learnt and re-learnt so much about his family, friends and both countries. Almost as an afterthought, he got a Samoan tatau. This is his story. (Accompanying it are ...1 day ago
- Bearing witness to a confession of murderNearly 30 years ago, two people told me they’d killed a woman they knew. I thought the truth would come out, that others would tell it. In the end, I had to. The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. Fact: in 1995, Angela Blackmoore ...1 day ago
- The Weekend: A landmark case for trans rights in AotearoaEditor Madeleine Chapman looks back at the week and shines a light on some increasingly rare longform journalism. Mōrena and welcome to The Weekend where there will sadly be no aurora to see. After a busy week last week of short, sharp pieces, this week we swung the other way, ...1 day ago
- Tourists trapped by New Caledonia unrest feel ‘abandoned’ by NZBy Lauren Crimp , RNZ News reporter New Zealanders stuck among riots and civil unrest in New Caledonia’s capital say they feel abandoned by their own country, having received little help from the government. Nouméa descended into chaos on Monday, with clashes between indigenous Kanak pro-independence protesters and French security ...1 day ago
- Kanaky in flames: Five takeaways from the New Caledonia independence riotsANALYSIS: By David Robie, editor of Asia Pacific Report Jean-Marie Tjibaou, a revered Kanak visionary, was inspirational to indigenous Pacific political activists across Oceania, just like Tongan anthropologist and writer Epeli Hao’ofa was to cultural advocates. Tragically, he was assassinated in 1989 by an opponent within the independence movement during ...1 day ago
- When body positivity becomes problematicForget thin is in, apparently now bigger is better … or is it? After over a decade of body positivity, girls, teens and women are even more confused about what body positivity actually is. The movement began with women confronting unrealistic expectations of how their bodies should look. But sub-strands ...1 day ago
- Short story: Ruin, by Ockham winner Emma HislopGrace always sat at the bar at the back of The Cambridge, where she could watch who came in. A huge mirror ran the length of the pub, so you could sometimes watch people without them knowing. The mirror made the place seem a lot bigger than it really was. ...1 day ago
- The Secret Diary of .. Sheriff Mark MitchellMONDAY Sheriff Mark Mitchell rose at dawn. He had a long day’s ride ahead of him. He was headed for Waikeria. Waikeria! Even the name itself stirred his blood, and set root in his imagination. There was nothing and no one in Waikeria. But he would bend it to his ...1 day ago
- The Boy in the Water: A forensic examination, at lastThe first phase of the inquest into the death of Gore toddler Lachlan Jones finished this week, turning up plenty of revelations and few answers. But through all the confusion, heartbreak and antipathy on display, the simple fact at the heart of this case remains: if little Lachie’s body had ...1 day ago
- How Many Public Sector Roles Are Going, And From Where?Public servants' jobs are on the chopping block as the sector scrambles to meet the Finance Minister's cost-cutting targets. ...2 days ago
- Can you control your image? Gina Rinehart, King Charles and ‘moral portraits’Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Roger Benjamin, Professor in Art History, University of Sydney “She’s no oil painting”. Those were the unkind words of a colleague commenting on the subject of Vincent Namatjira’s acrylic painting, Gina. Every one of the prominent Australians and cultural heroes in Namatjira’s ...2 days ago
- Government plans for Māori wards breach The Treaty of Waitangi -TribunalGovernment plans to require local councils hold a referendum on whether to have Māori wards breaches the Treaty of Waitangi, a Waitangi Tribunal report has found. ...2 days ago
- Threatened species have declined 2% a year since 2000. Nature positive? Far from it.Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Megan C Evans, Senior Lecturer, Public Sector Management, School of Business, UNSW Sydney Martin Tobias Aakesson/Shutterstock Our government has great aspirations. It has committed to end extinctions and expand our protected areas to cover 30% of every Australian ecosystem by 2030. ...2 days ago
- Rugby league in Perth and Papua New Guinea? Here’s what could be next for the NRLSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Harcourt, Industry Professor and Chief Economist, University of Technology Sydney This year the National Rugby League (NRL) opened its season in Las Vegas. It was an audacious move by the league’s ambitious head honcho Peter V’Landys to showcase the game in ...2 days ago
- The budget has earmarked $8.6 million for live music. Is it enough to save the flailing industry?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Strong, Associate Professor, Music Industry, RMIT University Leading music organisations have praised the federal budget for its investment in the live music sector. The budget includes A$8.6 million for a program called Revive Live: to provide essential support to ...2 days ago
- The Week in Politics: Charter schools, special police units and a tricky problem for the governmentThe Week in Politics: ACT brings back a signature policy, while NZ First mulls how to fulfil a promise. ...2 days ago
- There’s $110 million for Indigenous education in the budget. But where’s the evidence it will wo...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marnee Shay, Associate Professor, Principal Research Fellow, The University of Queensland The 2024 federal budget contains A$110 million for Indigenous education. This includes funding for various different organisations to represent and help Indigenous people as well as scholarships in a bid to ...2 days ago
- New Caledonia’s Nouméa airport closed until Tuesday, says Air New ZealandAir New Zealand has confirmed Nouméa’s Tontouta International airport in New Caledonia is closed until Tuesday. The airline earlier told RNZ it would update customers as soon as it could. Earlier today, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters told RNZ Morning Report government officials had been working on an “hourly basis” ...2 days ago
- Cameras reveal wombat burrows can be safe havens after fire and waterholes after rainSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Grant Linley, PhD Candidate in Ecology, Charles Sturt University Grant Linley Australia’s unprecedented Black Summer bushfires in 2019–20 created ideal conditions for misinformation to spread, from the insidious to the absurd. It was within this context that a bizarre story ...2 days ago
- ChatGPT is now better than ever at faking human emotion and behaviourSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marcel Scharth, Lecturer in Business Analytics, University of Sydney OpenAI executive Mira Murati launching GPT-4o. OpenAI Earlier this week OpenAI launched GPT-4o (“o” for “omni”), a new version of the artificial intelligence (AI) system powering the popular ChatGPT chatbot. GPT-4o is promoted ...2 days ago
- Menopause can bring increased cholesterol levels and other heart risks. Here’s why and what to do ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Treasure McGuire, Assistant Director of Pharmacy, Mater Health SEQ in conjoint appointment as Associate Professor of Pharmacology, Bond University and as Associate Professor (Clinical), The University of Queensland Speedkingz/Shutterstock Menopause is a natural biological process that marks the end of a ...2 days ago
- The Friday Poem: ‘Xiāng’ by Hannah PattersonA new poem by Hannah Patterson. Xiāng There’s a pear tree in our backyard And Xiāng tells me She can’t eat them anymore Not after some things that have happened in her life. She tells me, in Mandarin The word for pear sounds the same as the word for disassociation ...2 days ago
- Cycle lanes are good for business, actually‘Cycling Works’ aims to show business support for citywide cycle infrastructure. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, supermarket giant Foodstuffs lost its attempt to block the construction of a cycle lane outside Thorndon New World in Wellington. The Spinoff’s Wellington editor ...2 days ago
- The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending May 17The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington. AUCKLAND 1 Slow Productivity by Cal Newport (Penguin, $40) Taking out the top spot in Auckland this ...2 days ago
- Nuclear subs are coming to Australia. Now the Coalition wants reactors, too. We’re not ready for i...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Lowe, Emeritus Professor, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University For decades, Australia has exported uranium – but not used it, other than in the Lucas Heights research reactor. But change is coming. We now face a rapidly deepening commitment to ...2 days ago
- After 180 years, new clues are revealing just how general anaesthesia works in the brainSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam D Hines, Research fellow, Queensland University of Technology Sergey Mironov/Shutterstock Over 350 million surgeries are performed globally each year. For most of us, it’s likely at some point in our lives we’ll have to undergo a procedure that needs general ...2 days ago
- 'I can do much better': Green MP Julie Anne Genter promises to improve conduct"In future I should walk away," Green MP Julie Anne Genter says after complaints over an exchange in Parliament and from two members of the public. ...2 days ago
- Call to protect asylum seekers who may arrive in New Zealand by boatA group of more than 40 refugees, charities and advocates want better protections for asylum seekers arriving by boat. ...2 days ago
- Homo Pentecostus: on queer intimacies, religion, ancestry and the human need for connectionSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Graffam, PhD Candidate in Theatre, Monash University Gianna Rizzo/Malthouse Music pumps; lights pulsate; two sweaty bodies sway together, touching, breathing in each other’s scent. A male body framed by downlight restlessly shifts between stances and gestures. He undresses. The intensity ...2 days ago
- Want to be buried on your own land, at sea or in a forest? A guide to unconventional send-offsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sandra van der Laan, Professor of Accounting, University of Sydney Mtaya/Shutterstock At some point, you or someone else will need to make a decision about your “send-off”. Most Australians die in an institution, such as a hospital or aged care facility. ...2 days ago
- Vanuatu, MSG chief reaffirms support for FLNKS, blames France over unrestAsia Pacific Report Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai — who is also Chairman of the Melanesian Spearhead Group — has reaffirmed MSG’s support of the pro-independence umbrella group Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS) stance opposing the French government’s constitutional bill “unfreezing” the New Caledonia Electoral Roll. It is ...2 days ago
- Blazing a trail: the Leonard family legacy in Māori televisionProducer Susan Leonard remembers her father Ernie, a pioneer of Māori television, and how his legacy lives on in Pathfinders. My father was a fabulous man. His name was Ernie Leonard and he started in TV in the 1970s when it was still glamorous – when TVNZ made behind the ...2 days ago
- Home detention for New Caledonia’s unrest ringleaders, Tiktok bannedBy Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk, and Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist The suspected ringleaders of the unrest in New Caledonia have been placed in home detention and the social network TikTok has been banned as French security forces struggle to restore law and order. The French ...2 days ago
- Review finds big increase in multi-year government spends, use not always justifiedMulti-year appropriations - which give the government authority to spend money without reapplying annually - are loosening Parliament's control of the public purse, auditor-general says. ...2 days ago
- $63.6m for Surf Life Saving and Coastguard in Budget 2024"New Zealand has a tragically high drowning toll," Transport Minister Simeon Brown said at the announcement. ...2 days ago
- Dr. Eric Chuah Standing For Mayor Of TaurangaDr. Eric Chuah who stood for a centrist NZ political party in the October 2023 NZ Elections for Maungakiekie Auckland will stand as a candidate for Tauranga City Council Ward of Matua-=Otumoetai and Mayor of Tauranga. ...2 days ago
- How to enjoy a comedy festival in your own loungeIf you can’t get to the comedy fest, let us bring the comedy fest to you. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. The New Zealand International Comedy Festival is in full swing at the moment, with a veritable smorgasboard of comedy treats ...2 days ago
- Poll Shows Three Quarters Of Wellingtonians Oppose Airport SaleA new poll commissioned by Unions Wellington shows an overwhelming majority of Wellingtonians oppose the Council’s plan to sell the 34% public stake in Wellington Airport. ...2 days ago
- $63.6m boost for Surf Life Saving and Coastguard in Budget 2024"New Zealand has a tragically high drowning toll," Transport Minister Simeon Brown said at the announcement. ...2 days ago
- Nearly 1300 homes on hold amid government reviewNewly released documents show building has been paused on 690 KiwiBuild homes and 593 market homes. ...2 days ago
- At the heart of the budget is the sad truth the economy is weak. That’s one reason inflation will ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Aruna Sathanapally, Chief Executive, Grattan Institute, Grattan Institute A central focus of this week’s budget is the treasury’s forecast for inflation. By this time next year, inflation is projected to be back within the Reserve Bank’s 2-3% target range. Inflation has ...2 days ago
- Denser housing can be greener too – here’s how NZ can build better for biodiversitySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yolanda van Heezik, Professor of Ecology, University of Otago Getty Images Cities across Aotearoa New Zealand are trying to solve a housing crisis, with increasing residential density a key solution. But not everyone is happy about the resulting loss of natural ...2 days ago
- Clean energy slump – why Australia’s renewables revolution is behind schedule, and how to fix itSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alison Reeve, Deputy Program Director, Energy and Climate Change, Grattan Institute WDG Photo/Shutterstock For years, the electricity sector has been the poster child for emissions cuts in Australia. The sector achieved a stunning 26% drop in emissions over the past 15 ...2 days ago
- It’s OK to ask a loved one if they’re feeling suicidalIt’s often the last thing people want to do, but asking someone if they’re having suicidal thoughts is a critical first step to helping them. Content warning: this story discusses suicide and suicidal ideation. For a list of resources that can help if you or someone you know is feeling ...2 days ago
- Watch live: Transport Minister makes pre-Budget announcementSimeon Brown and Matt Doocey are set to reveal another bit of next week's budget. ...2 days ago
- We mapped a lost branch of the Nile River – which may be the key to a longstanding mystery of the ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy J. Ralph, Associate Professor, Macquarie University The pyramids at Giza, like dozens of others, are located several kilometres west of the current path of the Nile. Alex Cimbal / Shutterstock The largest field of pyramids in Egypt – consisting of 31 ...2 days ago
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[deleted quote without link]
Here's how to link to tweets:
This also embeds the tweet so people can see the whole thing, and it will automatically include a live link so people can see the tweet in context if they want to.
eg this URL https://twitter.com/max_tweedie/status/1465167205641850883
becomes this tweet embed,
https://twitter.com/max_tweedie/status/1465167205641850883
Thanks (for all the fish) 🙂
🐬
After 6 weeks of New Lynn and Glen Eden having six deaths and a whole suite of neighbourhoods terrorised, and four Police injured, the PM finally promises to ask for a briefing on a massive crimewave:
Glen Eden police shooting: Gunman killed, four police officers in hospital after 11 hours of mayhem – NZ Herald
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern yesterday said she had not been briefed on the shooting but planned to speak to Police Minister Poto Williams.
She did not believe police had lost control of law and order in Auckland and said police had been working to get weapons out of the hands of criminals and clamp down on firearms "designed to cause mass devastation".
"We have taken direct action to try and reduce the access and nature of firearms that are being accessed in the wider community," Ardern said.
"You'll see that we've moved on licencing, we've removed those weapons that are military-style.
"The efforts of police have also been very focused on the seizure of both firearms and criminal assets."
Looking forward to other agencies stepping in to assist our outstanding Police men and women in this total societal failure.
So she has not been briefed on the rampage in West Auckland?
Oh well.
but to her credit, she used all her good words.
And i don’t think this is ‘societal’ failure, if anything society is suffering for the absence of political leadership. I mean she is still waxing on lyrically of removing weapons from law abiding citizens as if the gangs that she and her government are treating so kindly, really gave a fuck about legal weapons and her good words.
Anyone feel safer?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/christchurch-shooting/111594950/gangs-bosses-say-weapons-wont-be-handed-back-after-christchurch-mosque-shooting
'According to O'Reilly, Black Power members use guns to hunt for food to feed their families and to defend themselves. He admits many obtain their guns illegally.'
But don't worry, they got issued a stern warning:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/111712728/police-minister-warns-gangs-hand-over-guns-or-the-police-will-come-after-you
The reality though:
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA2007/S00022/minister-wont-take-guns-from-gangs.htm
Why, because the gangs said the word Labour and all those on the left fear the most…they said racism and Labour backed off:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/439150/gang-gun-ownership-ban-bill-racist-politics-mongrel-mob-tells-mps
Talk about Spin PR.
National removed legislation requiring every firearm to be registered making it easier for firearms to be stolen harder for police to trace.
National cut proper investigation into gun owners suitability. Allowing retired police to do background checks that weren't carried out
National cut police numbers by 20% in 9 yrs .with low numbers police stopped checking gun owners safe storage of guns.especially in rural ares where 40% of guns are stolen from a very small percentage of the population who leave firearms lying around instead of in a lock up with firing mechanisms stored separately.
The govt put new legislation in place very similar to Nationals proposed bill.
Plus every gun will have to be registered like in Australia plus background checks more stringent plus shorter licence periods with those background checks revised in case of changes in mental or criminal status.
Not like your 1/2 truths
Police hadn't been running checks on gun club membership for years let alone checking safe keeping .
The Milton gun club had effectively been taken over by far right skin heads.Practicing terror tactics.
Talk about Spin PR.
'National removed legislation requiring every firearm to be registered making it easier for firearms to be stolen harder for police to trace.'
– I'm not opposed to a registry however given the breaches of police security I would want reassurances that the information isn't leaked
– Someone with access to the registry leaking details of who owns what weapons and where is something we should all be concerned about
'National cut proper investigation into gun owners suitability.'
– Link please
'Allowing retired police to do background checks that weren't carried out'
– Is it the retired police doing the checks thats the problem or that the checks weren't carried out, something I've also talked about
'National cut police numbers by 20% in 9 yrs'
– National hasn't been in power for over 4 years
'With low numbers police stopped checking gun owners safe storage of guns.especially in rural ares where 40% of guns are stolen from a very small percentage of the population who leave firearms lying around instead of in a lock up with firing mechanisms stored separately.'
– Thats up to the police to sort is it not
– Also link please
'The govt put new legislation in place very similar to Nationals proposed bill.'
– Link please
'Plus every gun will have to be registered like in Australia plus background checks more stringent plus shorter licence periods with those background checks revised in case of changes in mental or criminal status.'
– I agree with this (in regards to the registration, see above)
'Not like your 1/2 truths'
– I posted links, don't like what the links say thats your issue
'Police hadn't been running checks on gun club membership for years let alone checking safe keeping.'
– Again, if true, thats an issue with the police not doing their jobs, I see plenty of police sitting on the sides of roads holding speed cameras
'The Milton gun club had effectively taken over by far right skin heads.'
– Link please
'Practicing terror tactics.'
– Hyperbole but, again, the police once again dropped the ball
'As a result, Breidahl says he spoke to another firearms club, who agreed the matter needed to be taken to the police.'
"I went to the arms officer, laid out my concerns and I was told they're a bunch of silly old duffers down those ways, don't worry about them, it's all good."
– Its why I've said in previous posts that firearm licencing needs to be run seperately though in conjunction with the police
The 1983 gun reform under National. Police no longer required to hold every guns serial number
The Bruce gun club herald Police investigating found fascist leaning members and confederate flags etc 2019
The recent legislation on gun ownership hansard.
Looking at NZ stats Police funding and numbers remained the same even though the population increased by 20% and 501's had already been intensifying gang violence.
Not to mention the P epidemic had gotten out of Control.
Remember John Key was going to get rid of the scourge of P it grew exponentially under his watch while he underfunded Police so the well off could get tax cuts just before each election.election bribes
'The 1983 gun reform under National. Police no longer required to hold every guns serial number'
– Heres why:
https://theconversation.com/comprehensive-gun-register-part-of-next-stage-of-firearms-law-reform-post-christchurch-shootings-125082
Gun register history
'For most of its history, New Zealand had a gun register. This emerged during the 1860s and the Land Wars when the government was trying to control a free flow of firearms into the country. But some 120 years later, in a very different context, the pre-computer registration system was unfit for purpose. Only about 7% of all registered firearms could be located.'
'The replacement Arms Act of 1983 did away with the general register and put more emphasis upon ensuring all firearms users were “fit and proper”. Only pistols and military style semi-automatics had to be registered.'
Interesting isn't it.
So why have the Police been lobbying the govt for years for a firearms register.
Looking at Australia they have a gun register and much lower gun violence.
Lower maybe but much lower
– Link please
You only highlighted the parts of your link that suits your agenda.
Reading the whole article it says that having a register would help on many fronts.
Finding how the supply of guns go from legal owners into criminal hands.
Read your own link not something about the 1860's but about the Thorpe enquiry and onwards.
John Banks police minister at the time of the Aromoana massacre regretted not reforming gun ownership legislation .
I'm not against a gun register (see my discussion with McFlock yesterday) I do however have concerns
My preference is, as stated previously, is proper funding and run by a new set up, in conjunction with, but not by the police
'The Milton gun club had effectively been taken over by far right skin heads.Practicing terror tactics.'
'The Bruce gun club herald Police investigating found fascist leaning members and confederate flags etc 2019'
– Not quite the same is it
It's known as the Milton gun club locally as the District is called Bruce County read the herald and other articles on how this gun club was infiltrated by criminals who openly displayed fascist leanings .
Not to mention how police volunteers did nothing to investigate the background of the ChCh shooter effectively rubber stamping this nut jobs gun licence.
Police cost cutting by outsourcing.
Which again backs up my point about the police not being in charge of the register
'Looking at NZ stats Police funding and numbers remained the same even though the population increased by 20% and 501's had already been intensifying gang violence.'
– I have no issue with increasing police funding so maybe the current government, the government thats into its second term, could look into it?
'Not to mention the P epidemic had gotten out of Control.'
'Remember John Key was going to get rid of the scourge of P it grew exponentially under his watch while he underfunded Police so the well off could get tax cuts just before each election.election bribes'
– Think you're starting to get a little over excited and off track, you might want to consider pulling it a back a bit
National left the building 1 August 2017 when Labour won their first round. They then won another round – a landslide no less – 17/10/2020.
Labour ran on 'fixing' things, and i am sure that they thought an over abundance of kindness is gonna fix things, but then there is always the one rotten apple that rots all the other apples.
So any day now Labour can start fixing things. They tried kindness and coddling the gangs and as always when dealing with abusers that did not work. So now throw the fucking book of law against them.
As for the MP for New Lynn, Deborah Russel, can someone please call her on her courtesy phone, give her some pain meds for her back aches and ask her to finally actually do something to earn her wage and perks.
Reading what you wrote, looks like you’re the perfecr person to do that job & make the call.
🙄 *perfect
Last i "spoke" to her i asked her if she thought that 'fuck off' was a considered and kind Labour speak to say to people whom she did not consider worthy of her attention, and i also asked if her back was better now after having watched the sorry spectacle she made out of herself during the submissions in regards to the "Men are women and women are to shut the fuck up bill", and if her back was better now could she finally do her job as fwiw, she is on full pay and perks, and if not, she should consider leaving hte job to someone in better health and with more stamina.
The dame did not answer.
But then maybe you have good words that you can use? See where i am right now i would simply tell her to fuck off, when there fuck off some more, when there continue to fuck off, until no one has ever got to deal with that useless None Male Member of Parliament, courtesy of the Labour Party ever again..
Vote Labour 2023 = our MPs will vote Aye, never ask never tell, cause its money for nothing and perks for life. Courtesy of the taxpayer, dead or alive.
"men are women and women are to shut the fuck up bill". Lol.
But right now in Cananda gender critical views such as biology matters and its not possible to change your sex and if you are born male, then you are a man are about to be outlawed as hate speech. So although I laugh, it is serious.
Sabine lol lol.
I thinkwe might find that Deborah is re-reading an article in Scientific America and therefore she is oblivious to everything going on in New Lynn.
Oh. I see. You are probably NOT the right person to call her then.
Mutual exchanges of fuck offs seem most unlikely to achieve anything worthwhile in the area of crime reduction & increased policing & security for local residents.
Do you know anybody who is capable of polite discourse with her who you might perhaps ask to contact her instead?
The above is @ Sabine.
Replied in wrong place. Soz.
She is very good at telling people to fuck off.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2021/09/david-seymour-decries-labour-mp-deborah-russell-s-disgraceful-tweet-voicing-frustration-after-sex-self-id-submission.html
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2020/04/22/what-on-earth-was-deborah-russell-thinking/
maybe you need to address your concerns about good language with the MP rather then me.
Who said I had concerns about it? It’s just logical two people telling each other to fuck off aren’t likely going to agree on a course of action as they’re not even attempting to communicate.
You seem a permanently aggrieved & angry individual to me whenever I take the time to read what you write here. Have I got that wrong?
Geeza, I really appreciate your contributions on this site.
But it is not really Sabine's job to talk to Deborah R or get her to do her job.
I am not sure what if anything Deborah has done to date about the ghastly situation in New Lynn. But a I haven't heard her say anything. This doesn't seem good enough to me.
I remember when the Roast Busters came to light and David Cunliffe who was the member for New Lynn, said he had regular meetings with the police and had not been made aware of RB
I understand that it’s no one here’s “job” to talk to Deb Russell about doing her job of raising some kind of public ruckus with the media, within the government, and/or with the police about the dreadful & now deadly crime wave in New Lynn, her electorate, Anker.
But when someone complains on a blog that she should be doing SOMETHING, & she apparently isn’t – and she’s not – as far as we know – reading this blog, then what is the point of just moaning about it on a blog?
It’s easy enuf to find out her parliament contact email address & send an email asking her to do something, or asking what she IS DOING . In fact if you KNOW what you want her to do you can even spell it out as a suggestion.
If we all confine ourselves to whining on TS & no one chases her up she can always say “No one ever contacted me about it!”
She sounds like a big disappointment to her electors. So kick her butt into action, even if it’s just to reply to an email (copied to PM’s office). But choose your language carefully. One catches more bears with honey than with vinegar. I know how to shame a politician into action with a very polite request. It just requires a bit of contemplation before hitting “Send”.
I think Sabine may seem perfectly aggrieved and angry, but I nearly always appreciate the content of what she has to say. Lets face it there is a lot to be angry about. I also very much appreciate your contribution on this blog, especially the wee video clips of birds.
I guess for me the point of The Standard is to share political views and opinions about things we are concerned about and to become better informed about issues. It may or may not lead to political action. I suspect most of us are politically active in someway, but of course its not compulsory.
Some of us got to see Ms Russell in action on recent select committees and to be frank with you her contact was most unprofessional including a FB post where she posted ever wanted to tell people to f..k right off and when asked about this she replied that she had been listening to submissions on BMDRR.
But maybe she is the perfect person to sort out West Aucklands violence problems. She could tell them all to fuck right off.
But maybe she is the perfect person to sort out West Aucklands violence problems. She could tell them all to fuck right off.
Well, Anker, it’s nice to see you can still find some humour in the situation, instead of just always looking at the black side of things. That’s very witty. 🙂
A perusal of the Report of the Royal Commission shows a completely different take on the 'Milton' (Bruce) Rifle Club incident [26] and indeed upon Breidahl [29] and the Conclusion [46] With far more comprehensive information at the Link.
https://christchurchattack.royalcommission.nz/the-report/part-6-what-public-sector-agencies-knew-about-the-terrorist/bruce-rifle-club-allegations/
26
Based on the evidence we have reviewed, we think it more likely than not that the individual did not attend the competition at the Bruce Rifle Club on 19 November 2017. Accordingly, we conclude that he was not there. It follows that we also conclude that any complaint Peter Breidahl may have made to New Zealand Police about the Bruce Rifle Club was not about the individual. This conclusion may be enough to address the requirement in our Terms of Reference but, for the sake of completeness, we think it appropriate also to address whether such a complaint was made.
29
The former Dunedin District Arms Officer had dealt with Peter Breidahl on two earlier occasions. On 27 June 2017, the former District Arms Officer and a sworn police officer met with Peter Breidahl. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss whether Peter Breidahl’s firearms licence should be revoked, after New Zealand Police had received evidence that he had stored a firearm in the boot of his car secured by a cable. In a statement to New Zealand Police and in evidence to us, the former District Arms Officer recalled Peter Breidahl being “agitated” and “swearing repeatedly” to the point where the sworn police officer told him to calm down.
46
We conclude that:
the individual was not present at a competition held by the Bruce Rifle Club on 19 November 2017; and
Peter Breidahl did not complain to New Zealand Police about the culture of the Bruce Rifle Club on 20 or 21 November 2017.
Interesting
Even that is not the full story!
A great result last night.
New Zealand cricket team grabbed a draw from the jaws of defeat.
Ravindra in his first test and Patel batting at 11 held a dominant Indian bowling attack at bay to salvage a draw. Second test starts on Friday @ Mumbai.
From Stuff: "The Times of India noted the result was the first time that New Zealand had gone 10 test matches undefeated (eight wins, two draws) with the current streak starting against India at the start of 2020."
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/sport/456840/black-caps-hold-on-for-draw
Yes very well done to the Black Caps.
The only real issue is the inability of spinners to make meaningful contributions to the wicket taking.
3 wickets combined from 102 overs, just not good enough in these conditions
The NZ cricket board has done fantastically well of late.
Getting rid of the 'biomechanics' fetish down at Lincoln and marshalling the resources they have to produce the best all round team in the game means they should be a shoo in for admin of the year
But
Our dearth of quality spinners is holding us back.
So I would suggest that the NZ cricket specify that each province will always play one specialist spinner per team (not counting all rounders or such like) and that one province (Otago makes sense) prepares spinning friendly tracks
Having said that this Black Caps team is the greatest NZ cricket team ever assembled.
If one of the Big Three had the overall success this team had the media would be all over them, calling them one of the greatest teams ever.
Halcyon days indeed
Our wickets aren't generally conducive to spin.
Not dry enough.
Molyneux Park in Alexandra, with the right soil and preparation could be our best bet, maybe McLean in Napier
We need to encourage spin bowling in NZ as its our one glaring weakness, although a proper opening partner for Latham wouldn't go amiss either
Molyneux Park is to far away for large numbers of budding young cricketers.McClean Park slightly better.
'Molyneux Park is to far away for large numbers of budding young cricketers'
– Is it though, whatever location is chosen players would have to travel there ie Christchurch to Napier, Westport to Wanganui, Wellington to Whangarei etc
– Its only a 2.5 hour drive from Dunedin
– The younger players would just be attending camps so not like its full time and if Otago was to be mandated to "spinners' location I'm sure they wouldn't have any issues attracting top class spinners
– Hell I'd probably mandate Otago (or whatever province was chosen) play two spinners (one can be an all rounder)
That's a 5 hrs round trip 15 hrs for 2 practices and a 1 day game 20hrs for a 2 day game.
My son a top cricketer was offered coaching in Alexandra when he was at highshool. But the cost and time was to much a teenager needs a life to.
Dunedin wickets are not usable in some years one year only 2 outdoor games were played.because of wet outfields being to dangerous.
I wasn't suggesting the wickets in Dunedin but the wickets in Alex and as for cost well thats, unfortunately, thats just how it is.
Bottom line is we need to get our spinners to improve.
Spin bowlers are like base players no wants to be them and girls dont want to date them 😉
Shane Warne respectfully disagrees
PR Peter Petherick,he was from there,very good spinner,I would sell pies at the Brook for free admission so I could watch the man.
Its not that we can't produce spinners, we just don't have the grounds to support them
One of the commentary team observed, regardless of conditions, your best bowlers will take the wickets.
On that note, they must play Wagner in Mumbai. Who replaces Taylor is another story.
Yeah I'd go with Wagner, hind sights 20/20 and all that but Wagner in place of Somerville (heroics with the bat aside) probably would have meant a better chance of victory for NZ
Taylor stays until Taylor decides to retire!
However Daryl Mitchel would be the next cab of the rank
I've long been a fan of Taylor, what are the chances he stands aside for the team's benefit? He has looked out of sorts for the last few appearances.
Somerville stays, Wagner in and everyone moves up a position in the batting order.
Halcyon days indeed. To think Conway may struggle to get back in the team if Young keeps showing his worth.
Covid has disrupted sport amazingly the blackcap have handled conditions extremely well.being away from family going through multiple MIQ and performing amazing feats on the wicket.
He doesn't need to step aside for anyone.
The last game he played (before this one) was last June, the Word Test final against India, he scored 47 no in that last innings
The test before that, against England, he scored 80.
The problem with everyone moving up is our batting line up becomes a bit weaker and thats not good against an Indian team at home
Somerville goes , Wagner in, test team unchanged for me
OK, well put, Taylor stays.
I will let the other selectors now what we have decided.
Agree about Taylor PR. And Wagner, yes please, bring him back
3 spinners channeling their MR, ordinary bowling but hard to get rid of.
With the NW sticking around to lunch it is was inevitable the other two would be there at stumps.
Love the Black Caps. The worlds best team at anything. Kane W full of integrity and dignity and a love of the game.
As for the nail bitting finish with Ajaz and Rivandra versus the light! Ripping great stuff.
Can't wait for Mumbai.
Something profound to start Tuesday with-
'Personally, I always welcome this conversation starter as a chance to explain that a swimsuit is an expression of a woman’s sensual soul'
Do not comment on your girlfriend's thong bikini | Stuff.co.nz
lol, your link came to mind when I saw a young guy doing it right this evening.
The couple were walking past me and there's a maccas across the road and down the block a bit. She vaguely mentions that she feels like having a burger and fries – more thinking out loud than anything. He goes "anything else?" and then trots over the road while she continues on.
Almost at the level of "your wish is my command". If that's a typical action from him, he's a keeper lol
The other guy from your link needs to lift his game. But some guys are doing it right.
The report describes how this problem was identified 30 years ago but nurdles still are "not deemed hazardous under the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO’s) dangerous goods code for safe handling and storage." Another example of the legal establishment's sociopathic nature. No compulsion upon industry and shipping corps to operate safely. Delinquent behaviour institutionalised.
a booster every three month? and is it then still a booster or just a regular top up?
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/29/covid-booster-jabs-to-be-offered-to-all-uk-adults-after-three-month-gap
oh well….its a brave new world.
That's an early call, if the new variant gets around the vaccine (which fades by 6 months with delta) why would boosters at 3 months achieve anything?
Pfizer have already said they will develop a new vaccine quickly if necessary (the thing is it takes months to trial them).
No it doesn't take months as it is just a tweek to an existing vaccine that's the beauty of mRNA vaccines .It may take a couple of months to ramp up enough doses to treat large populations.
But even that has improved with more manufacturing facilities being developed.
Will regulatory authorities allow them to "tweek" and mass produce without safety data?
mRNA vaccines have been around for 20 years they are much quicker to develop than older vaccines.
Safety is a concern but in these times to keep ahead of Covid 19 we have to make sacrifices as the other option of leaving the virus go rampant is thousands of times more deadly.
New ways of administering the vaccines are being trialled in Switzerland now and are expected to be widely available by the middle of next year.A high tech patch worn on the arm slowly releases the vaccine which will last 6 times longer.36 months immunity compared to 4 to 6 months now.
Technology around antivirul treatments has also lead to breakthroughs with between 60 to70% efficacy combined with high vaccination rates this could be good for those antivaxxers although they may turn that down as well.Most of the retrovirul medicines need to be administered in the early stages to stop the virus multiplying and doing irreparable damage.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/28/health/covid-omicron-vaccines-immunity.html
Booster Shots every two months according to Australia
they sure do seem to know what they do, right?
I think they just want to give the under 60's confidence to participate in normal economy/society – it suggests a new effort at herd immunity (quick mass infection with omicron).
As I read that article they aren't calling for "Booster Shots every two months" as you say. They are calling for a single booster shot two months after your second dose.
There is a great difference.
Aren't calling for it yet
It is already illegal under MARPOL to dump any plastics at sea. They do not have to be a hazardous substance in the IMDG code.
Note shipping companies have already been prosecuted several times for the release into the oceans, intentional or otherwise of nurdles, and many other cargo's.
Laws against dumping off ships, deliberate or accidental, are much more stringent than dumping from land, which is the source of most ocean pollution.
Laws against dumping off ships, deliberate or accidental, are much more stringent than dumping from land
Unhappily, they are rarely enforced. NZ laws were just as strict before we signed Marpol, but rarely enforced, except against those vessels so incompetent they leaked oil in harbour or the like.
Not true.
Unless you mean laws against farmers polluting rivers?
In the years I was fishing, the only vessels I saw prosecuted spilled oil in port. Out of sight of land there is no enforcement.
Fishing vessels, like farming, seem to be sacred cows, if you can pardon the expression.
Commercial ships it is a different story.
Though the emphasis is more on avoiding pollution in the first place, rather than "after the fact".
I was rather disgusted about the almost complete lack of concern, when a shore installation had a fairly large spill, compared with the atitude to ships and boats.
The NZ law is pretty clear – you can be done for an orange peel.
But a hell of a lot of old net and plastic strapping gets deep sixed.
“At least half of […ocean plastic waste] is not consumer plastics, which are central to much of the current debate, but fishing gear.”
https://twitter.com/PlaguePoems/status/1465351196470820869
How many letters are left? Asking for the strain that will be discovered in NZ say in January?
New Zealand will need to ban any use of Mu.
We've seen off mu and thus sustained the sovereign independence of nu xi land – just have to do the same with omicron.
Plenty more Hebrew and Cyrillic characters if we need to go that far. And then there's like 100,000 Unicode "variants"
Neil didn't have global vaccinations in mind when he wrote this … the title of the song now has relevance in a much wider sense. Less damage to mankind through disease, but a fragmentation on the fringes of social cohesion.
At one point in your adolescence there is a moment when you hear music for the first time. It was this album for me.
And oddly enough the circumstances – which I cannot retell here – had a dire culmination spoken of in this song decades later.
Was probably the U2 album "The Unforgettable Fire" in my case. The title song spoke to some deep longing in my soul. Or maybe it just triggered some hormones in teenage me 😛
I haven't listened to it before – but it sure has an unusual drum groove.
.
Slightly off your main point … but older brother Dennis & my good-self were Biiiiggggg Neil Young fans through the late 70s (me = early-mid teens) … had virtually all his albums … before we both discovered Punk / New Wave / Tom Waits / Blues & Modern Jazz (Davis / Coltrane) in the early 80s … & finally got our hair cut.
Ha – indeed. My tastes are pretty mainstream for the most – Mark Knofler is still my all time hero. And I’ve been listening to a hell of a lot of these guys lately.
And now I'm no longer corporate you might be surprised at how long my hair has become
I got into a twitter argument the other day as to whether Heavy Metal was "good". The guy was saying that he only listens to classical. So I showed him this.. How Classical Music Influenced Modern Metal Music (projectrevolver.org)
https://youtu.be/Q93n3dvaaTI
You remind me of this gem:
Includes that lovely line “a long walk down a windy beach to a cafe that’s closed” .
You like history, you like Swedish Metal heavily influenced by British Heavy Metal?
Well have I got a treat for you…Sabaton.
With Sabaton you get music and history.
https://www.youtube.com/c/Sabaton/featured
https://www.youtube.com/c/SabatonHistory
For example want to know how the Swiss Guards came about?
@Puckish Rogue yeah that's a cool genre.. see also Iron Maiden's "Run to the Hills", and Led Zep's "Immigrant Song"
Very good songs indeed
Sweden has reversed course on child medical transitioning.
This hour long Swedish investigation programme explores why.
(Now with English subtitles)
Good news, maybe the tide is starting to turn
I certainly hope so. Do people generally know the impact puberty blockers, cross sex hormones and subsequent surgery on young bodies. Impacts fertiliy and sexual pleasure. Gives young women deep voice Adams apple body and facial hair. Not all these changes can be reversed especially the removal of the womb.
22.000 plus of these destransitioners.
Spin bowling is the darkest, hardest art. At 17 my youngest took 7 for 27 in a senior 20/20, the victims included two ex-internationals ( NZ and Canada ), 3 Hawke Cup players and some bloke who should have been a Black Cap but went over to the dark side to be an AB fullback and ease into retirement coaching a bunch of Jafas. He was unplayable that night, it was the pitch, the light the humidity the temperature and luck, and I don't think he has taken 7 wickets in a season since, ( thats a bit unfair he has had some success ), as much as he would love too. How do you coach to get that form back.? You can try but it needs everything to aline.
I think if Wagner had been roughing up the Indian tail in their second innings 190 would have easily been enough to win.
Experience is the answer taking young prospective bowlers to the sub continent.Or Australia.paying Shane Warne to tour schools and set up spin coaches to widen the skill set of deliveries.NZ spinners tend to be very one dimensional.
We also need to get them playing on spin-friendly pitches as well. Remember when NZ bowling tracks used to be made for 'Dibbly, Dobbly, Wibbly and Wobbly" medium pacers, just bowl it on a length and let the pitch do the work?
Well they got found out, time and time again, overseas, the tracks then became more conducive to pace and after getting rid of the biomechanics fascination:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/blogs/4433845/Eh-What-is-Simon-Doull-on-about
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket/149552/Crowe-Blame-biomechanics
Now the cricket board need to do the same with spinners
'Remember when NZ bowling tracks used to be made for 'Dibbly, Dobbly, Wibbly and Wobbly" medium pacers, just bowl it on a length and let the pitch do the work?' Yep, I so remember Jeremy Coney's 'dark art' of bowling wibbly wobbly balls pretty successfully at times.
I think they are just freaks of nature., you’ve just got to wait for the next one to come around like Dan Vettori.
Naah I don't think so, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka are producing very good spinners all the time
The difference, to me, is the pitches they play on
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/127131673/convicted-murderer-scott-watson-denied-parole-for-the-fourth-time
Sometimes the justice system works
Interesting PR. Can you say anymore? About Scott Watson that is?
Guys a major a-hole
interesting re Scott Watson. Do you think he is guilty? Don't answer if you feel you can't.
this is like a deja vu of a deja vu that was already deja vu'ed
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/127117381/covid19-unions-home-care-providers-and-workers-ask-for-ppe
These are the same vinyl gloves that i wear when painting my molds. They are shitty little one use only gloves and i go trhough a box in a week, they rip easily, fit badly – regardless the size, and barely cover the wrists. Seriously what is wrong with the Ministry of Health.
This is the same shit that Rosemary already complained about several times over the last year.
Rosemary read that and wept whilst banging her head repeatedly on the desk.
SSDD literally.
For a while, early last year, all we could source in the way of gloves were said food grade gloves from the supermarket. Oh how I remember the raggedy handy look as they tore and shredded. (We got one box of 100 gloves supplied through the DHB per month. Not enough by a long chalk.)
And when we moved North…the local DHB wold only supply latex gloves…totally unsuitable for our purposes. But good news in that thanks to Te Virus I was now being paid as Peter's carer and could afford to buy our own good quality vinyl gloves through a medical supply house. Yay! (We have also had to purchase pretty much all of his supplies, as the time from request to delivery was increasing considerably…not to mention the quality being poor)
Not so good news is that owing to our reluctance to avail ourselves of the Pfizer Product I am no longer being paid as Himself's carer.
Just deserts for we refusniks y'all cry…and well and good…but some of you might just have an inkling why we are a little less than impressed with the credibility of our Ministry of Health. Still can't decide if its incompetence or malice.
Malicious incompetence seems true to me.
Decisions are made by bureaucrats who have never actually done the job, performed the task, spent time in the trenches…and yet they claim authority.
A Ministry of Health spokesperson said the workers’ concerns were raised with its Infection Prevention and Control Technical Advisory Group who advised the gloves were safe for personal care use – like showering or bathing.
“As previously discussed and communicated with the sector, such work does not always indicate a need for gloves. Gloves are only required if there is potential for exposure of the hands to blood and body fluids, mucous membranes, or broken skin,” the spokesperson said, adding that hand hygiene remains the most important step to prevent infection.
I'm hurled through the timewarp back to last year as we were told that PPE was not required by homecare workers unless they came within a metre of their client. I remember Peter commenting 'Do you think they think we get scrubbed with a yard broom in the shower?'.
Malicious incompetence…yes indeedy.
There comes a point were repeated instances of 'incompetence' turn into malice.
Bureaucratic inertia has a leviathon like stubborness.
Back in the day we truly believed that our pleas for recognition from the Miserly of Health of Peter's high care needs were being rejected due to innocent ignorance.
We naively thought that if we could speak kanohi ki kanohi to The Person Who Can Make Decisions we could explain the whys and the wherefores, give examples of other MOH;DSS clients we knew with very similar care needs who had miraculously got the supports they needed, offer a rational explanation why Peter had been shunted into the margins in comparison and voilla! All would be sorted and equity would reign. (Back then we still had some expectations that they did actually want to do right by disabled people…put that person 'in the center'.)
There was a level of incompetence….but it had morphed into malice long since.
It took years of legal wranglings, the HRC and OHRP, feral attacks by the Misery of Health ably aided and abetted by Crown Law, two changes of government and a slew of media articles before some of us had some financial relief. Enough, I might add, to fund the necessaries that the Miserly refused to fund. Like an accessible bathroom and decent fucking gloves.
Maybe you need to join a gang, or even better create one? That seems to do the trick in getting what you want with no consequences to what ever you may or may not do.
Seriously, worth considering in my books.
I'm pushing for industrial action when we have our meetings, bit of an uphill battle though
How's your union for things like that?