Pandemic: a flourishing enterprise. Business needs to get real.
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- Date published:
9:49 am, July 28th, 2020 - 40 comments
Categories: australian politics, covid-19, Economy, health, International -
Tags: canada, north korea, pandemic, quarantine, somalia, student protests, universities, USA, WHO
Earlier this month, I saw a Reuters article that had the snag paragraphs (my bold). That was written on July 17th and based on stats up to July 13th.
(Reuters) – Global coronavirus infections passed 14 million on Friday, according to a Reuters tally, marking the first time there has been a surge of 1 million cases in under 100 hours.
The first case was reported in China in early January and it took three months to reach 1 million cases. It has taken just four days to climb to 14 million cases from 13 million recorded on July 13.
Reuters: “For first time, world records one million coronavirus cases in 100 hours: Reuters tally”
What it does point to for NZ is that we can’t open our borders any time soon. The world outside NZ has a active and escalating pandemic. We’re having problems containing just the small volumes of returning kiwis to the point that we’re having to ration places in hotels – let alone confine the self-righteous idiots who can’t wait.
Personally I have no sympathy for any of these dangerous fools. Please judges – just throw the book at them and jail them as an example. If anyone dies from their exploits – charge them with murder or even manslaughter.
There is no way that we could contain the tourists, overseas students, part-time workers, immigrants, or even Covid-19 refugees that would want to come here or to go through quarantine. We don’t have the places, the guards,
Now we are at over 16 million confirmed cases world wide. The confirmed cases and the confirmed deaths have been drastically under reported. North Korea being a prime example. They are claiming their first Covid-19 case yesterday – a re-defector climbing back into North Korea from South Korea.
There is almost a sport amongst journalists these days having a morbid look at ‘excess’ deaths by countries, regions, and even cities. Even places with transparent and good medical systems like Canada have pieces like this.
Nearly 3,000 more bodies than usual were cremated in Ontario during the height of the first wave of COVID-19, according to coroner’s office data that provide the first glimpse into how the pandemic has affected overall mortality in Canada’s most populous province.
Ontario coroners authorized 2,941 more cremations in April and May of this year than they did, on average, during the same months in the previous three years. Of those additional cremations, about half – 1,460 – were recorded as COVID-19 deaths, according to the Office of the Chief Coroner.
The rest of the extra cremations could reflect the underreporting of coronavirus deaths, an increase in deaths among people who couldn’t access medical care during the lockdown and a preference for cremation at a time when funerals were curtailed, said Dirk Huyer, Ontario’s chief coroner.
The Globe and Mail: “Spike in Ontario cremations could reflect underreporting of COVID-19 deaths“
I have no idea of the scale of this worldwide, but I’d suspect the reporting of confirmed cases being no more than half of the actual cases. Even in NZ we current have a cumulative total of 1206 confirmed cases, and 350 probable cases. We’re not war torn Somalia, a country of around 15.4 million with less than 100 confirmed cases – where gravediggers are reporting that cemeteries are filling up fast in recent months. Nor are we the United States where the chaotic health system has often been getting covid-19 test results in more time than is required to quarantine.
Cris Julian and son Ethan emerged Friday from their two-week coronavirus quarantines in New London, Iowa.
It took less time to wait it out than it did to get their results back. As of Friday night, they were still waiting.
Youngest son Alexander was tested at the same time but got his positive test results back within 48 hours. He was exposed by another student during an open gym workout at his school. Because the state lab was closed July 3, Julian’s doctor’s office sent the tests to Quest Diagnostics.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said COVID-19’s incubation period is up to 14 days, so Julian said that means her test is “worthless now.”
“We will never stop the spread if we can’t get reliable and timely results,” Julian said.
USA Today: “‘States duking it out for supply’: Lack of federal plan leads to coronavirus testing delays“
Because many of the test results being returned are not timely, doctors and people who are concerned enough to get tests will often not quarantine when they should. This makes them probable spreaders if they go out to work or in public. This is one of the many causes of flaring of the pandemic in the USA at present.
But if you really don’t want more bad news about Covid-19, then don’t look at the graphs of the confirmed cases and confirmed deaths. Because they’re still rising fast world wide. I took these graphs from the WHO site this morning. It looks as though world wide, we’re finally getting a handle on how to prevent quite so many people dying from Covid-19. However no real handle on how to prevent people from getting infected.
And if you think that is bad, then the cumulative growth in confirmed cases is showing a classic exponential curve – in the early phases. At present, there is no indication that the rise will not increase in its infection rate worldwide.
That 2 week period that is required to be sure that someone doesn’t have the disease is a real problem. The only effective way of dealing with it without having significiant numbers of casualties has been to have rigid lock downs to suppress the disease spread and stiff rigid borders.
Pretty much what we, and many of Aussie states did. In our case we controlled our borders better than Aussie states now being reinfected from Victoria did. But in Victoria, the cases haven’t been dropping even in the areas in lock down. If you want control Covid-19, then dithering politically simply isn’t a good idea. It is better to have a short sharp control and then to maintain it strongly. And Victoria shows this clearly. After foolishly allowing the spread of Covid-19 from quarantined travellers, they have lock down fatigue issues on a second pass at it.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says “far too many people” are going to work while sick, instead of getting tested and staying home while waiting for a result, labelling it “the biggest driver” of coronavirus transmission in the state.
The problem has been particularly prevalent in aged care, the Premier says.
Julie Leask, a social scientist who specialises in risk communication and nursing at the University of Sydney, says this reluctance to call in sick is largely linked to how financially stable people feel.
“For example, for casual workers …isolation after a test could mean no work, less chance you will get a shift in future, and considerable financial stress. In that situation, it’s easy to rationalise a scratchy throat as just being a bit of a cold,” she says.
Professor Leask says casualisation and presenteeism — working while ill — was already a problem in the health industry so we couldn’t expect it to be resolved overnight.
ABC: “Coronavirus cases aren’t coming down despite Victoria’s lockdowns. Experts seek to explain why“
While there is some good news with potential vaccines entering Phase 3 testing in various high Covid-19 infection locations world wide, none of them are likely to be entering widespread production and release until mid next year.
The world’s biggest COVID-19 vaccine study got underway Monday with the first of 30,000 planned volunteers helping to test shots created by the U.S. government ― one of several candidates in the final stretch of the global vaccine race.
There’s still no guarantee that the experimental vaccine, developed by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc., will really protect.
The needed proof: Volunteers won’t know if they’re getting the real shot or a dummy version. After two doses, scientists will closely track which group experiences more infections as they go about their daily routines, especially in areas where the virus still is spreading unchecked.
“Unfortunately for the United States of America, we have plenty of infections right now” to get that answer, NIH’s Dr. Anthony Fauci recently told The Associated Press.
Several other vaccines made by China and by Britain’s Oxford University earlier this month began smaller final-stage tests in Brazil and other hard-hit countries.
But the U.S. requires its own tests of any vaccine that might be used in the country and has set a high bar: Every month through fall, the government-funded COVID-19 Prevention Network will roll out a new study of a leading candidate ― each one with 30,000 newly recruited volunteers.
HuffPost: “Massive Coronavirus Vaccine Study Gets Underway In U.S.“
While the activity on the vaccines is incredibly fast by historical comparisons, the time scales are immense compared to the rate that the pandemic is escalating.
It takes a month just to get participants details, medical profile, test them and to inject them. It will take several months to run both the sample and the placebo groups through their lives to allow enough of them to be exposed to the virus and get a statistically valid sample. Analysing the data may take months both for the developers and for the regulatory bodies. And then if all goes well, it usually takes at least half a year to get production difficulties at scale dealt with.
If there is a viable and effective vaccine to be had (and there are still questions about that), then it will be found. It won’t take the 4 years of the previous record for a developing a new vaccine – the mumps vaccine back in 1967.
In the meantime, new treatments will be tested to reduce the death rate. But they won’t stop the spread of the disease, and probably won’t reduce the death rate much in those most vulnerable to getting severe symptoms.
All of the lobbyists in NZ who are currently producing puff material for journalists to republish on behalf of the clients can get stuffed. It may be of benefit for their clients and their employees. However it is not in the interests of the bulk of NZ citizens.
For instance, I can’t see any reason to bring in overseas students before we have a viable vaccination. The risk levels are simply too high.
Universities New Zealand chair Derek McCormack said talks with the government were going well until returning New Zealanders breached their isolation recently.
“The universities have got good ideas and we’re in a position where we need to wait on government to engage with us on what the regulations would be to satisfy everybody that it would be safe to bring in international students.”
McCormack said universities will need public trust before they can bring foreign students into the country.
But he said overseas students pose less risk than returning New Zealanders because they can be chosen from countries with few Covid-19 cases and will be deported if they break quarantine.
Foreign students are worth more than $5 billion a year to the economy and universities say they are getting more inquiries than usual from students wanting to study in in this country.
RNZ: “Universities want detail on student quarantine requirements“
It costs taxpayers billions per week to have lock downs. A single spreader could cause that, and deporting someone after they break quarantine is completely ineffectual. We’d be relying on luck that we’d be able to trace all of the contacts and to keep a outbreak contained.
What Victoria and the US have shown is that reimposing lock downs is far harder and less effective than not having problems in the first place. So this fatuous set of statements by McCormack is completely stupid. Perhaps if we imposed the full cost per instance of a breakout from quarantine on the universities (or other interested lobbyists), then they’d start to look at the actual cost / benefit ratios with a better attitude.
The same applies to tourists, seasonal workers, travel companies and all of the other lobbyists waffling out there then they will get the point as well.
Companies and organisations need to plan on vaccines arriving to NZ and in the countries that send people to NZ, at the earliest, in the second part of next year. That assumes that one of the vaccines undergoing phase 3 trials in the rest of this year provides an effective t-cell or antibody response.
In the meantime, we’re likely to use all of the available quarantine capacity for returning kiwis and for the other essential business that can’t do something remotely and need to send people offshore. It appears to be hard enough to contain them – and they have a stake in not bringing Covid-19 to NZ.
While the affected business models will suffer, it is less expensive for the country to support them as they scale back their businesses or shut them down. Support will be there for that from the rest of NZ, but there won’t be any widespread support for putting us at risk by opening our borders for their benefit.
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The mediocrity who stands to be a Prime Minister has a litany.He uses it a bit like a Koru Lounge card. He will brandish it to say: these people are eligible. And more than that, too: These people are deserving. They have earned this policy.They have a right to this policy. What ...7 days ago - More “partnerships” (by the look of it) and redress of over $30 million in Treaty settlement wit...Buzz from the Beehive Point of Order has waited until now – 3.45pm – for today’s officially posted government announcements. There have been none. The only addition to the news on the Beehive’s website was posted later yesterday, after we had published our September 26 Buzz report. It came from ...7 days ago
- ALEX HOLLAND: Labour’s spendingAlex Holland writes – In 2017 when Labour came to power, crown spending was $76 billion per year. Now in 2023 it is $139 billion per year, which equates to a $63 billion annual increase (over $1 billion extra spend every week!) In 2017, New Zealand’s government debt ...7 days ago
- If not now, then when?Labour released its fiscal plan today, promising the same old, same old: "responsibility", balanced books, and of course no new taxes: "Labour will maintain income tax settings to provide consistency and certainty in these volatile times. Now is not the time for additional taxes or to promise billions of ...7 days ago
- THE FACTS: 77% of Kiwis believe NZ is becoming more dividedThe Facts has posted – KEY INSIGHTSOf New Zealander’s polled: Social unity/division 77%believe NZ is becoming more divided (42% ‘much more’ + 35% ‘a little more’) 3%believe NZ is becoming less divided (1% ‘much less’ + 2% ‘a little less’) ...7 days ago
- Gordon Campbell on the cynical brutality of the centre-right’s welfare policiesThe centre-right’s enthusiasm for forcing people off the benefit and into paid work is matched only by the enthusiasm (shared by Treasury and the Reserve Bank) for throwing people out of paid work to curb inflation, and achieve the optimal balance of workers to job seekers deemed to be desirable ...7 days ago
- Wednesday’s Chorus: Arthur Grimes on why building many, many more social houses is so criticalNew research shows that tenants in social housing - such as these Wellington apartments - are just as happy as home owners and much happier than private tenants. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The election campaign took an ugly turn yesterday, and in completely the wrong direction. All three ...7 days ago
- Bennie Bashing.
If there’s one thing the mob loves more than keeping Māori in their place, more than getting tough on the gangs, maybe even more than tax cuts. It’s a good old round of beneficiary bashing.Are those meanies in the ACT party stealing your votes because they think David Seymour is ...7 days ago - The kindest cutsLabour kicks off the fiscal credibility battle today with the release of its fiscal plan. National is expected to follow, possibly as soon as Thursday, with its own plan, which may (or may not) address the large hole that the problems with its foreign buyers’ ban might open up. ...1 week ago
- Green right turn in Britain? Well, a start
While it may be unlikely to register in New Zealand’s general election, Britain’s PM Rishi Sunak has done something which might just be important in the long run. He’s announced a far-reaching change in his Conservative government’s approach to environmental, and particularly net zero, policy. The starting point – ...1 week ago - At a glance – How do human CO2 emissions compare to natural CO2 emissions?On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...1 week ago
- How could this happen?
Canada is in uproar after the exposure that its parliament on September 22 provided a standing ovation to a Nazi veteran who had been invited into the chamber to participate in the parliamentary welcome to Ukrainian President Zelensky. Yaroslav Hunka, 98, a Ukrainian man who volunteered for service in ...1 week ago
- Release: Support for new retailers to increase supermarket competition
Labour will assist new retailers to set up business in New Zealand as part of its drive to cut the price of groceries and increase competition. ...2 days ago - Labour Manifesto 2023Labour is in it for you. This election Kiwis will decide what kind of country they want New Zealand to be, who they trust to have their back, and how we can be better, together. This election matters. View our full Manifesto below. ...3 days ago
- Release: National's water U-turn will drive up New Zealanders' rates billsThe National Party's U-turn on water reform has left local councils high and dry and will drive up Kiwi's rates bills, Labour Party Local Government Spokesperson Kieran McAnulty says. ...3 days ago
- Labour's Rainbow ManifestoA re-elected Labour Party will continue to tackle discriminations still faced by members of the Rainbow community in areas ranging from surrogacy and adoption to blood donation. ...4 days ago
- Release: National’s plan means more cuts, more kids in povertyNational’s fiscal plan has failed to fill the massive fiscal hole in its dodgy tax scheme, it will mean more cuts to public services, more children being put into poverty and an end to action on climate change. ...5 days ago
- Release: Labour will continue to back Kiwis when the going gets toughLabour’s Social Development Plan will build on the social welfare safety net, rather than strip it back. ...5 days ago
- Policy Announcements: Law & Order and Justice, Courts & Corrections
New Zealand First Policy Announcement: Law and Order New Zealand First believes that keeping society safe should be the priority of law-and-order policies. Every New Zealander deserves to feel safe, secure, and have their person and property respected. That is why New Zealand First continues to fix the flaws in ...6 days ago - Labour's Dirt Campaign Exposed With Media HelpIn last night’s leaders debate Labour Leader Chris Hipkins referred to a quote without giving any explanation of its content, which was about the ‘disease of co-governance’ that is perpetuated by the Māori elite, and he said it was racist. Then, without even examining the content, National leader Christopher Luxon agreed with ...6 days ago
- Labour's Dirt Campaign Exposed With Media HelpIn last night’s leaders debate Labour Leader Chris Hipkins referred to a quote without giving any explanation of its content, which was about the ‘disease of co-governance’ that is perpetuated by the Māori elite, and he said it was racist. Then, without even examining the content, National leader Christopher Luxon agreed with ...6 days ago
- Chris Hipkins: Speech Progressing TogetherToday, Chris Hipkins delivered a speech about Labour’s relationship with and ongoing commitment to Māori. ...6 days ago
- Release: National out of ideas on law and order, copies Labour’s policies and costingsAfter years of criticising the Government on law and order, National have embarrassed themselves by conceding they have no new ideas and instead copied Labour’s Police policy announced three weeks ago, Labour Police spokesperson Ginny Andersen says. ...7 days ago
- Release: Labour releases balanced, costed and credible fiscal planLabour’s fiscal plan will continue its focus on carefully managing the books while protecting critical public services like health and education and investing to deliver high wage jobs and a low carbon economy. ...7 days ago
- Policy Announcement: Capped Time-Period For Job Seeker BeneficiariesNew Zealand First today is announcing a policy on adjusting the rules and restrictions around access to the Job Seeker Benefit. New Zealand First’s policy is to introduce a capped time-period for any person to access the Job Seeker Benefit during their lifetime. Any individual will have the ability to access the Job Seeker ...1 week ago
- Policy Announcement: Capped Time-Period For Job Seeker BeneficiariesNew Zealand First today is announcing a policy on adjusting the rules and restrictions around access to the Job Seeker Benefit. New Zealand First’s policy is to introduce a capped time-period for any person to access the Job Seeker Benefit during their lifetime. Any individual will have the ability to access the Job Seeker ...1 week ago
- Release: National’s traffic light system has child poverty reduction stallingNational’s cuts to funding for beneficiaries will once again leave children and their parents with less, Spokesperson for Social Development and Employment Carmel Sepuloni said. ...1 week ago
- Green Party will end child poverty
The Green Party will double the Best Start payment and make it available for every child under three years of age - and it will be paid for with a fair tax system. ...1 week ago - Release: Labour pledges billion-dollar medicines boostLabour will fund more medicines for more New Zealanders by investing over $1 billion of new funding into Pharmac if re-elected, Chris Hipkins announced today. ...1 week ago
- National's welfare policy is cruelThe National Party’s job seeker policy announced today is heartless. ...1 week ago
- Labour's PHARMAC Policy A PlaceboLabour has just announced a policy to increase Pharmac funding by $1billion over four years to fund additional medicines. With the current Pharmac budget of $1.2billion per year and needing a further $213million, by Minister Verrall’s own admission, just to keep up with current costs - then this is nothing ...1 week ago
- Labour's PHARMAC Policy A PlaceboLabour has just announced a policy to increase Pharmac funding by $1billion over four years to fund additional medicines. With the current Pharmac budget of $1.2billion per year and needing a further $213million, by Minister Verrall’s own admission, just to keep up with current costs - then this is nothing ...1 week ago
- Re: The Call For Corporate Manslaughter LegislationThis matter begins with the Pike River investigation being inadequate, inexplicably lengthy, and after millions of dollars, the evidence that should have been placed before the public still has not been. We have always believed that Pike River is a crime scene, and that a proper investigation would have come to that conclusion. Blue ...1 week ago
- Re: The Call For Corporate Manslaughter LegislationThis matter begins with the Pike River investigation being inadequate, inexplicably lengthy, and after millions of dollars, the evidence that should have been placed before the public still has not been. We have always believed that Pike River is a crime scene, and that a proper investigation would have come to that conclusion. Blue ...1 week ago
- Release: Labour releases New Zealand’s first climate manifestoNew Zealand faces a stark choice this election – vote for Labour to continue to confront the climate emergency with eyes wide open or bury your head in the sand alongside Christopher Luxon. ...1 week ago
- Green voice crucial for climate actionThe Green Party is today welcoming Labour’s climate manifesto, but is clear that much more will need to be done to tackle the climate crisis. ...1 week ago
- Speech: Chris Hipkins – Wellington Rally, 24 September...1 week ago
- People need a government that will build many more homesLabour’s plan to build more homes is a welcome step forward, but it lacks ambition. ...1 week ago
- Release: Supercharging public housingLabour is supercharging its plan to solve the public housing shortfall created by National, promising another 6,000 homes on top of what has already been committed says Labour Housing spokesperson Dr Megan Woods. ...1 week ago
- Release: New Super Visa for migrants’ parents and rights for Dawn Raid victimsLabour will back migrant working families by introducing a 10-year multiple-entry parents’ and grandparents’ Super Visa, and make good on the Dawn Raids apology by providing a one-off visa for overstayers who have been in the country ten years or more, Labour’s Immigration Spokesperson Andrew Little says. ...1 week ago
- Only the Greens will deliver a fair amnesty for overstayersThe Green Party is today welcoming Labour coming to the table to ensure an amnesty for overstayers, but only the Greens will ensure immigration settings actually reflect the reality of people who have been failed by our immigration system. ...2 weeks ago
- Climate future of communities on the line this electionGreen Party co leader James Shaw attended a South Dunedin Future street meeting today to discuss local responses to climate change. ...2 weeks ago
- Green Party calls for stronger action by Auckland Council to protect urban trees and native forestThe Green Party is calling on Auckland Council to do more to protect urban trees and housing developer Aedifice Property Group to restore and replant the native forest it cleared, and protect all the remaining trees on Ngahere Road in Pukekohe after a significant number of native trees were cut ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Ram Raids drop to two-year lowLatest Police data shows monthly ram raids have hit a two-year low, laying waste to Christopher Luxon’s false claim that there are two ram raids a day says Labour’s Police Spokesperson Ginny Andersen. ...2 weeks ago
- Every party needs to step up on school lunchesLabour has finally said it would continue free school lunches - and the Green Party is calling on every party to step up. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: School lunches on the line this electionFree and healthy school lunches will be here to stay if Labour is re-elected, guaranteeing food for our kids who need it most and significant cost saving for parents. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour commits to a new hospital for the people of Hawke’s BayThe next Labour Government will build a new hospital in Hawke’s Bay, Labour leader Chris Hipkins and Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall announced. ...2 weeks ago
- Govt changes fall short of what’s needed for migrant protectionThe Green Party will keep up the fight to support exploited migrant workers, including pushing to end single employer visas, after the government picked up Green recommendations to improve immigration settings. ...2 weeks ago
- Clean Power Payment the smartest way forward to reduce emissions and billsGreen Party co leader James Shaw visited a home in Auckland today that has been upgraded with a wide range of energy improvements, similar to those that would be supported through the Green Party’s Clean Power Payment. ...2 weeks ago
- Foreign Minister's Action – A Contempt For “Caretaker Government” ConventionThe Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta’s presence in New York today at the United Nations General Assembly is a contempt of New Zealand’s “caretaker government” convention. Despite the long-standing caretaker convention, Minister Mahuta is today at the UN to sign a highly contentious “Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement”, delivering a ...2 weeks ago
- Back To Black ResponsiblyThe Pre-Election Fiscal Update Changes Everything Within an hour of this speech there is going to be a debate between the political parties that the media, under MMP, still think are the only parties that matter in this campaign. Both of those parties are riddled with inexperience, as evidenced by ...2 weeks ago
- Stop the cuts before they start – Labour launches new TV adNational and ACT's tax plans don't add up, and that means deep cuts to the public services New Zealanders rely on, says Labour Campaign Chair Megan Woods. ...2 weeks ago
- Youth justice programme expands to break cycle of offending
The successful ‘Circuit Breaker’ fast track programme designed to stop repeat youth offending was launched in two new locations today by Children’s Minister Kelvin Davis. The programme, first piloted in West and South Auckland in December last year, is aimed at children aged 10-13 who commit serious offending or continue ...16 hours ago - Major milestone with 20,000 employers using Apprenticeship BoostThe Government’s Apprenticeship Boost initiative has now supported 20,000 employers to help keep on and train up apprentices, Minister for Social Development and Employment Carmel Sepuloni announced in Christchurch today. Almost 62,000 apprentices have been supported to start and keep training for a trade since the initiative was introduced in ...18 hours ago
- Government supporting wood processing jobs and more diverse industryThe Government is supporting non-pine tree sawmilling and backing further job creation in sawmills in Rotorua and Whangarei, Forestry Minister Peeni Henare said. “The Forestry and Wood Processing Industry Transformation Plan identified the need to add more diversity to our productions forests, wood products and markets,” Peeni Henare said. ...19 hours ago
- Government backing Canterbury’s future in aerospace industryThe Government is helping Canterbury’s aerospace industry take off with further infrastructure support for the Tāwhaki Aerospace Centre at Kaitorete, Infrastructure Minister Dr Megan Woods has announced. “Today I can confirm we will provide a $5.4 million grant to the Tāwhaki Joint Venture to fund a sealed runway and hangar ...19 hours ago
- Updated forestry regulations increase council controls and require large slash removalLocal councils will have more power to decide where new commercial forests – including carbon forests – are located, to reduce impacts on communities and the environment, Environment Minister David Parker said today. “New national standards give councils greater control over commercial forestry, including clear rules on harvesting practices and ...20 hours ago
- New Zealand resumes peacekeeping force leadershipNew Zealand will again contribute to the leadership of the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) in the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, with a senior New Zealand Defence Force officer returning as Interim Force Commander. Defence Minister Andrew Little and Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta have announced the deployment of New Zealand ...2 days ago
- New national direction provides clarity for development and the environmentThe Government has taken an important step in implementing the new resource management system, by issuing a draft National Planning Framework (NPF) document under the new legislation, Environment Minister David Parker said today. “The NPF consolidates existing national direction, bringing together around 20 existing instruments including policy statements, standards, and ...2 days ago
- Government shows further commitment to pay equity for healthcare workersThe Government welcomes the proposed pay equity settlement that will see significant pay increases for around 18,000 Te Whatu Ora Allied, Scientific, and Technical employees, if accepted said Health Minister Ayesha Verrall. The proposal reached between Te Whatu Ora, the New Zealand Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi ...2 days ago
- 100 new public EV chargers to be added to national networkThe public EV charging network has received a significant boost with government co-funding announced today for over 100 EV chargers – with over 200 charging ports altogether – across New Zealand, and many planned to be up and running on key holiday routes by Christmas this year. Minister of Energy ...3 days ago
- Safeguarding Tuvalu language and identityTuvalu is in the spotlight this week as communities across New Zealand celebrate Vaiaso o te Gagana Tuvalu – Tuvalu Language Week. “The Government has a proven record of supporting Pacific communities and ensuring more of our languages are spoken, heard and celebrated,” Pacific Peoples Minister Barbara Edmonds said. “Many ...3 days ago
- New community-level energy projects to support more than 800 Māori householdsSeven more innovative community-scale energy projects will receive government funding through the Māori and Public Housing Renewable Energy Fund to bring more affordable, locally generated clean energy to more than 800 Māori households, Energy and Resources Minister Dr Megan Woods says. “We’ve already funded 42 small-scale clean energy projects that ...6 days ago
- Huge boost to Te Tai Tokerau flood resilienceThe Government has approved new funding that will boost resilience and greatly reduce the risk of major flood damage across Te Tai Tokerau. Significant weather events this year caused severe flooding and damage across the region. The $8.9m will be used to provide some of the smaller communities and maraes ...6 days ago
- Napier’s largest public housing development comes with solarThe largest public housing development in Napier for many years has been recently completed and has the added benefit of innovative solar technology, thanks to Government programmes, says Housing Minister Dr Megan Woods. The 24 warm, dry homes are in Seddon Crescent, Marewa and Megan Woods says the whanau living ...7 days ago
- Te Whānau a Apanui and the Crown initial Deed of Settlement I Kua waitohua e Te Whānau a Apanui me...Māori: Kua waitohua e Te Whānau a Apanui me te Karauna te Whakaaetanga Whakataunga Kua waitohua e Te Whānau a Apanui me te Karauna i tētahi Whakaaetanga Whakataunga hei whakamihi i ō rātou tāhuhu kerēme Tiriti o Waitangi. E tekau mā rua ngā hapū o roto mai o Te Whānau ...1 week ago
- Plan for 3,000 more public homes by 2025 – regions set to benefitRegions around the country will get significant boosts of public housing in the next two years, as outlined in the latest public housing plan update, released by the Housing Minister, Dr Megan Woods. “We’re delivering the most public homes each year since the Nash government of the 1950s with one ...1 week ago
- Immigration settings updatesJudicial warrant process for out-of-hours compliance visits 2023/24 Recognised Seasonal Employer cap increased by 500 Additional roles for Construction and Infrastructure Sector Agreement More roles added to Green List Three-month extension for onshore Recovery Visa holders The Government has confirmed a number of updates to immigration settings as part of ...2 weeks ago
- Poroporoaki: Tā Patrick (Patu) Wahanga HohepaTangi ngunguru ana ngā tai ki te wahapū o Hokianga Whakapau Karakia. Tārehu ana ngā pae maunga ki Te Puna o te Ao Marama. Korihi tangi ana ngā manu, kua hinga he kauri nui ki te Wao Nui o Tāne. He Toa. He Pou. He Ahorangi. E papaki tū ana ...2 weeks ago
- Renewable energy fund to support community resilience40 solar energy systems on community buildings in regions affected by Cyclone Gabrielle and other severe weather events Virtual capability-building hub to support community organisations get projects off the ground Boost for community-level renewable energy projects across the country At least 40 community buildings used to support the emergency response ...2 weeks ago
- COVID-19 funding returned to GovernmentThe lifting of COVID-19 isolation and mask mandates in August has resulted in a return of almost $50m in savings and recovered contingencies, Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. Following the revocation of mandates and isolation, specialised COVID-19 telehealth and alternative isolation accommodation are among the operational elements ...2 weeks ago
- Appointment of District Court JudgeSusie Houghton of Auckland has been appointed as a new District Court Judge, to serve on the Family Court, Attorney-General David Parker said today. Judge Houghton has acted as a lawyer for child for more than 20 years. She has acted on matters relating to the Hague Convention, an international ...2 weeks ago
- Government invests further in Central Hawke’s Bay resilienceThe Government has today confirmed $2.5 million to fund a replace and upgrade a stopbank to protect the Waipawa Drinking Water Treatment Plant. “As a result of Cyclone Gabrielle, the original stopbank protecting the Waipawa Drinking Water Treatment Plant was destroyed. The plant was operational within 6 weeks of the ...2 weeks ago
- Govt boost for Hawke’s Bay cyclone waste clean-upAnother $2.1 million to boost capacity to deal with waste left in Cyclone Gabrielle’s wake. Funds for Hastings District Council, Phoenix Contracting and Hog Fuel NZ to increase local waste-processing infrastructure. The Government is beefing up Hawke’s Bay’s Cyclone Gabrielle clean-up capacity with more support dealing with the massive amount ...2 weeks ago
- Taupō Supercars revs up with Government supportThe future of Supercars events in New Zealand has been secured with new Government support. The Government is getting engines started through the Major Events Fund, a special fund to support high profile events in New Zealand that provide long-term economic, social and cultural benefits. “The Repco Supercars Championship is ...2 weeks ago
- There is no recession in NZ, economy grows nearly 1 percent in June quarterThe economy has turned a corner with confirmation today New Zealand never was in recession and stronger than expected growth in the June quarter, Finance Minister Grant Robertson said. “The New Zealand economy is doing better than expected,” Grant Robertson said. “It’s continuing to grow, with the latest figures showing ...2 weeks ago
- Highest legal protection for New Zealand’s largest freshwater springsThe Government has accepted the Environment Court’s recommendation to give special legal protection to New Zealand’s largest freshwater springs, Te Waikoropupū Springs (also known as Pupū Springs), Environment Minister David Parker announced today. “Te Waikoropupū Springs, near Takaka in Golden Bay, have the second clearest water in New Zealand after ...2 weeks ago
- More support for victims of migrant exploitationTemporary package of funding for accommodation and essential living support for victims of migrant exploitation Exploited migrant workers able to apply for a further Migrant Exploitation Protection Visa (MEPV), giving people more time to find a job Free job search assistance to get people back into work Use of 90-day ...2 weeks ago
- Strong export boost as NZ economy turns cornerAn export boost is supporting New Zealand’s economy to grow, adding to signs that the economy has turned a corner and is on a stronger footing as we rebuild from Cyclone Gabrielle and lock in the benefits of multiple new trade deals, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. “The economy is ...2 weeks ago
- Funding approved for flood resilience work in Te KarakaThe Government has approved $15 million to raise about 200 homes at risk of future flooding. More than half of this is expected to be spent in the Tairāwhiti settlement of Te Karaka, lifting about 100 homes there. “Te Karaka was badly hit during Cyclone Gabrielle when the Waipāoa River ...2 weeks ago
- Further business support for cyclone-affected regionsThe Government is helping businesses recover from Cyclone Gabrielle and attract more people back into their regions. “Cyclone Gabrielle has caused considerable damage across North Island regions with impacts continuing to be felt by businesses and communities,” Economic Development Minister Barbara Edmonds said. “Building on our earlier business support, this ...2 weeks ago
- New maintenance facility at Burnham Military Camp underwayDefence Minister Andrew Little has turned the first sod to start construction of a new Maintenance Support Facility (MSF) at Burnham Military Camp today. “This new state-of-art facility replaces Second World War-era buildings and will enable our Defence Force to better maintain and repair equipment,” Andrew Little said. “This Government ...2 weeks ago
- Foreign Minister to attend United Nations General AssemblyForeign Minister Nanaia Mahuta will represent New Zealand at the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York this week, before visiting Washington DC for further Pacific focussed meetings. Nanaia Mahuta will be in New York from Wednesday 20 September, and will participate in UNGA leaders ...2 weeks ago
- Midwives’ pay equity offer reachedAround 1,700 Te Whatu Ora employed midwives and maternity care assistants will soon vote on a proposed pay equity settlement agreed by Te Whatu Ora, the Midwifery Employee Representation and Advisory Service (MERAS) and New Zealand Nurses Association (NZNO), Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. “Addressing historical pay ...3 weeks ago
- New Zealand provides support to MoroccoAotearoa New Zealand will provide humanitarian support to those affected by last week’s earthquake in Morocco, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced today. “We are making a contribution of $1 million to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to help meet humanitarian needs,” Nanaia Mahuta said. ...3 weeks ago
- Government invests in West Coast’s roading resilienceThe Government is investing over $22 million across 18 projects to improve the resilience of roads in the West Coast that have been affected by recent extreme weather, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed today. A dedicated Transport Resilience Fund has been established for early preventative works to protect the state ...3 weeks ago
- Bought out and sold down the river
The government subsidised pine on the East Coast for nearly 30 years, huge tracts of which ended up in the hands of foreign companies known for environmental damage ...45 mins ago - What Act will use its 'stronger brew' to do
Seymour says Act will be National’s 'economic conscience' ...45 mins ago - Vaping promises up in smoke
Vaping rates, particularly among young people, have rapidly risen. Our political parties are starting to take notice, but the next government must turn proposals into policies Opinion: I knew the message about problem vaping was getting out there when the latest National Party election flyer appeared in my letterbox last week. It ...45 mins ago - Bishop may just knock over the Minister in Hutt South
Although Labour's Ginny Andersen looks set to hold her seat, it could be tight ...45 mins ago - Disability is this year's forgotten issue
Advocates say disability issues are at a "crossroads of regress" with neglect from political parties caught up in electioneering This election cycle, burning issues such as climate change, housing and migration have taken a back seat to the new hot topics of crime and the cost of living. But ...45 mins ago - Debates pull in audience despite TV decline
New polling shows televised leaders’ debates are still reaching many eligible voters despite the decline in those watching linear television A Talbot Mills Research poll seen by Newsroom reveals just under 40 percent of eligible voters watched some or all of the first two leaders’ debates. TVNZ’s 90-minute debate on September ...45 mins ago - Bola and badass gullies: the science of East Coast erosion
Scientist Mike Marden has spent decades researching the East Coast's erosion and knows the local soils like few others – and he also knows things have to change. Aaron Smale continues a series on the slow destruction of Tairāwhiti. Everywhere he looks he can see the risks and vulnerability in the landscape. ...45 mins ago - Politicians' fear of asking for sacrifices comes at a price
This is the dancing Cossacks election of a new era. But we'll pay later. ...45 mins ago - Defining issues: 'I don’t think we have a rural divide, I really don't' – dairy f...
From the big city to the farm, we measure the rural-urban divide ...45 mins ago - Daily crossword, Wednesday 4 October
...45 mins ago - The rock stars have arrived
The one about the house where a Prime Minister supposedly locked his deranged son in the basement 212 The Terrace, Wellington! Nowadays it just looks like any of the big white wooden colonial piles next to each other on The Terrace, that long, anxious nerve centre of central Wellington ...45 mins ago - Rolling back the red wave in Whangārei: 'I've got the strongest ground game'
In a seat where we expect the unexpected, Dr Shane Reti is quietly confident: 'I've got the strongest ground game' ...45 mins ago - Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 4 October
Loading...(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. ...2 hours ago - Even platypuses aren’t safe from bushfires – a new DNA study tracks their disappearance
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emily McColl-Gausden, Research fellow, The University of Melbourne When the Black Summer bushfires swept across eastern Australia in 2019–20, thousands of animal species lived in the path of these megafires. You’d be forgiven for thinking water-dwelling animals like platypuses were spared. ...4 hours ago - France to host Pacific defence ministers in New Caledonia ‘hub’ meetingBy Patrick Decloitre, RNZ French Pacific correspondent Defence ministers from several Asian and Pacific states are scheduled to meet in New Caledonia for two days during the first week of December, French Armed Forces in New Caledonia (FANC) commander General Yann Latil announced at the weekend. He added that French ...7 hours ago
- NEW POLL: Statistical Tie Between National And ACT In Race For Tāmaki
A new Taxpayers Union – Curia poll in the Tāmaki electorate shows ACT’s Brooke van Velden mounting a strong challenge to incumbent National MP, Simon O’Connor. The two major candidates for the seat are locked in a statistical tie with 35% of ...8 hours ago - Labour-friendly turf Christchurch throws up some testy exchanges for Carmel Sepuloni
The Cabinet Minister was challenged on her party's record on crime, the cost of living, veterans and beneficiaries during a visit to territory normally considered a Labour heartland. ...8 hours ago - Australia’s emissions must decline more steeply to reach climate commitment: OECDSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Australia’s emissions need to decline “on a much steeper trajectory” if it is to meet its declared commitment of a 43% reduction by 2030 and net zero by 2050, the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and ...8 hours ago
- Tāmaki Is Ready For A Fresh New Voice“Tonight at the Taxpayer’s Union Tāmaki debate I put forward to voters why I should be the next advocate for their community in Parliament,” says ACT Deputy Leader and Tāmaki candidate Brooke van Velden. “After 63 years being represented ...9 hours ago
- Against All Odds In Hauraki-WaikatoThe youngest candidate in this year’s election is closing in on the Labour stronghold of Hauraki-Waikato. A Whakaata Māori exclusive poll has revealed that Te Pāti Māori newcomer, Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, is just four percentage points behind Labour’s ...9 hours ago
- General election 2023: Nanaia Mahuta facing serious challenge in Hauraki-Waikato, poll showsThe incumbent MP is just four points ahead of one of the youngest candidates in this year's general election, a poll conducted for Whakaata Māori is revealing. ...10 hours ago
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Spot on opening borders at this point would be sheer madness!
"Support will be there for that from the rest of NZ, but there won’t be any widespread support for putting us at risk by opening our borders for their benefit."
lprent nails it right there. Self-interest has to be suspended for the collective good, and we will collectively tide-over anybody too badly affected by that fact.
Unfortunately I have loved one, a dearly loved one, stuck outside NZ borders and it is a really bitter pill to swallow…
It is a problem and it will take a while to get everyone home who wants to. The international flights are slowly resuming. But they’re still trying to increase capacity on the quarantine, with limits from NIMBYs and raising the capacity to guard the fools who want to get out of quarantine early.
Personally I’m just glad I got back from a business trip to the UK in December and didn’t head away again in February.
It's hard for people out of jobs, and trying to match visas, flight times and connections on different days, and borders opening and closing overseas at random. Life like being a concertina player!
Here's some Irish concertina music. This player Tim Hill really knows his Irish.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2M8P97N0Is
This lovely woman gives tuition.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axi6TrtNd_4
Perhaps people could learn while they wait at airports. Result could be that you would be put on first flight out. But then perhaps you might just get thrown out. So better not.
There is every indication that Covid-19 will become endemic, just like influenza.
And don't hold your breath for a vaccine – that will probably never eventuate. Not 100% effective, at least.
But the world is getting better at understanding this scourge and how to treat it. Soon we will find a good combination of drugs which, if applied early, will mitigate the disease.
Ultimately, we may just have to learn to live with this problem.
Treatments yes. Endemic yes. Living with it yes. The real trick if they don't get a vaccine will be to trickle the disease in over a few years.
This best indications that I can see are that they're get a vaccine into widespread production, but it will only have a limited time of effectiveness. 2-3 years maybe. But that will be hugely expensive because you'd have to provide capacity for medical support for the worst cases beforehand. The better the treatments are, the easier that gets. So the later we leave it the better off and less expensive it will be.
If they get a vaccine, then vaccinate the bulk of the population – which will take a while, then open up again.
We have had continuous calls from National and business leaders from the beginning of lockdown to open our borders by July for overseas students or from Australia who were doing alright until only 1 or 2 idiots broke quarantine.
That;s all it takes we are just going to have to tough it out the new norm will be that we are going to be worse off for the first time since WW2.
Govt needs to help reprioritise the economy train locals to fill up Universities ,polytechs teacher training etc.
Build more houses fix bottlenecks in the economy.
Online business has a massive potential especially the likes of game development.
This will be the new reality until a vaccine is very widely available .Health research another area with huge potential.
Austerity will lead to huge damage to our economy National have the dog swagger ACT barking mad at its heels Seymour the career Party grovellar only understands how to get paid for being a complete idiot who keeps pumping out failed economic policies while trying to appeal to the far right and conspiracy theorists is wagging Nationals tail.
More as National support declines.
We will have to go back to what happened in the 1930s print money to keep our internal economy afloat.
But only for productive purposes ie education,housing,agricultural productivity improvements,transport,and a massive boost to our health system which would have failed had Covid got out of Control.
Judarth Collins said in her maiden speech we have a World class health system is that why we were 30th equal to the US in lack of health infrastructure to cope with Covid at the bottom of the OECD.
Years of cuts the sinking lid firefighting mentality by National when health costs inflate at 7% plus while only funding increases of 1% under the National less than inflation less the 20% population growth.
Massive cuts employing immigrants at lower wages .
This should be reset of the NZ economy to cope with the massive changes that we will have to make to stay Covid free.
Online business has a massive potential especially the likes of game development.
It does – but the competition is fierce. Although we have generated success stories like Grinding Gear Games, we are underepresented in the market. A good task for a clued-up minister to take on.
"Business needs to get real"….with a picture of a University.
There's the problem right there..certain so called 'businesses' should be re Nationalised..fully funded..if the UK Tories can re Nationalise the railways, after months of warning the voter that Corbyns railway plans would be disastrous..then surely our progressive NZ Labour 're Nationalise' the Universities..at the very least for the duration
(On my facebook this piece was accompanied with a photo of the Old Arts Building…)
I was having this discussion with my partner this morning after I wrote this.
Auckland University (that is their clock tower in the photo), has been effectively transformed into a business dependent on overseas students.
In 2019, they had 8,678 overseas students out of about 34,500 – close to a third. They had costs of ~$1.2 billion and a revenue that looks slight higher. Just under a quarter of their revenue was (probably) from overseas students.
If you look at page 45 of their annual report, you'll see the financial breakdown.
I haven't looked through the report for more than a glance and I couldn't see a breakdown of tuition fees by local vs overseas students. However there is some material about the compulsory tuition fee that local student have to pay further up. It looks minimal compared to the tuition fees. Even the direct subsidy (presumably for local students) is only about a quarter larger than the tuition fees revenue.
The reason for this is obvious. Successive governments, especially National ones, have been skimping on the support for local students for decades while the number of local students has risen and the percentage of the population gets tertiary education.
To my MBA educated eye, the Auckland University looks just like a business, and one that is highly exposed to the business risks of disruptions to international travel.
Not to mention the numbers of private colleges and schools around that have very high numbers of overseas. And the high schools etc.
McCormack describes the sector as having a total revenue of $5 billion. It sounds a bit inflated. But effectively it is drastically diminished without air travel. Same as incoming overseas tourism.
If you look at the budget for Auckland University, you'll see an awful lot of fixed plant as well as staff in there that can't easily be changed on a dime. Unlike the UK Rail, it isn't just a matter of picking up a smallish deficit relative to the revenue. It is picking up a *lot* of deficit and a significiant level of rather gross restructuring.
Personally, I'm not that sure that the government should be used as the bank of the universities – right now they have more important things to do than going through the exercise of restructuring something that is so malformed financially. Auckland University should have never taken on the level of risk that they have – that is so dependent on a single point of failure.
I don't know of many large businesses who would have without taking out quite a lot of contingency planning to limit the risk. Which is why I picked them as an exemplar.
The tourism sector businesses have been rapidly restructuring. I'm less sure about the overseas education industry.
it may be a stupid question, why isnt the education business pivoting quickly to educating online ? having to move humans around the world to do things that can be done quicker,cheaper and more efficiently online, seems so last millenium.
they pivoted during lockdown, level three and two.
just in case you missed that.
"Online only" has been the wet dream of educational institutions for decades. It would be so much cheaper than having lecture theatres and tutorial rooms.
But the fuzzy stuff about education doesn't go well online. And then the assessment is also not so hot – there are ways to game the system.
Online tool are excellent for some aspects of teaching and learning, but detecting when students just aren't getting it – and teaching them – isn't as effective as being there.
There are already too many students who battle through a degree without having the basic vibe of the discipline they studied. They can do technically-defined problems in a sterile environment, but have no idea when seeing the same issues in the real world.
so, those of us who want to learn something, find a Utube video, watch a couple of times, then go out, practise , and teach ourselves, without having our pockets picked and out hands held ,are doing it all wrong? well ,there goes my do it yourself brain surgery. guess I will go back to rocket science(yes, you can learn rocket science from Utube).
Some can. Others can pick up just enough knowledge to blow themselves up, because they missed a fundemental principle and no teacher was there, fully engaged, to pick that up.
I do a lot of learning about a couple of crafts from youtube. Been doing them for ten years or more. But those are hobbies, and neither my livelihood nor my life depend on that training. I can make some nice things. But I also know what real training for those crafts can involve, and I know I'm not anywhere near the level of a journeyman in those fields.
It's fun to learn when nobody's life depends on it. But Dr Google as primary care physician has likely killed as many patients as saved.
Some very interesting korero on Natrad re tertiary on- line learning…this one featuring Nat MP Nicola Willis, going out to bat for those students seeking the fuzzies of face to face education. Ironic, because wasn't it the Nats who had an agenda to cut down on the 'wasted' acreage associated with universities and poly techs?
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/419722/victoria-uni-faces-call-for-students-to-be-compensated-over-continued-online-learning
There was talk back when they were downsizing AUT in 2016 (https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11620635) that one very real possible outcome of more online learning would be the effective destruction of the 'student body'…and the stifling student political activity.
nice juxtaposition
The most basic reason is that it is very expensive and very front-loaded to develop online course material. It be in the order of 10x-100x harder to develop online course material than it is to have a few slides and a lecturer. You then need to monitor the material to fine tune it.
Of course once you have the material working, then it is a lot easier to modify over time. Right up until you decide to change the course.
But once created usually the running costs are pretty low
After that you get into issues about having server farms, backup systems, etc.
Online enrolment systems aren't cheap either, and notoriously hard to get right.
None of it is hard to do. It is pretty hard to do right and very hard to do during a pandemic.
That's an interesting angle. Raises the question of bankruptcy from lack of turnover, eh? I presume the uni is somehow protected though – residual effect of originating as a non-business – but I wonder how. Is a govt bail-out likely?
If their governance bodies have genuine business expertise incorporated, then we'd expect operational costs to be trimmed as the number of foreign students drops. Is there any other way of achieving that other than shedding operational staff. Will professors have to walk the plank?
Pretty hard to argue with that. So where was the business planing around risks to the business and insurance or other mitigation of that risk? Certainly not hard questions to ask, especially for an organisation with that intellectual grunt.
Or did the management ask the questions, didn't like the answers and expected to be bailed out. Would be interesting to see how the senior management employment contracts were incentivised.
That was essentially what I was saying to my partner.
It is also why I am less worried about the larger players in the tourism industry.
You can understand it in tourism, the game is all marketing, so players start to believe their own bullshit. But universities, come on….
But yeah, most of the bigger players in tourism will be ok, tourism does this and they are generally ready for it. There's a couple that might be a bit exposed but also expect them to make it through with a few bruises.
Mid level, and especially newer operations, I'm not so sure about. They tend to be seduced by the bright lights.
I won't be shedding any tears for Auckland University. They seem to have plenty of money to spare when they choose to:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/119122778/auckland-university-buys-5m-parnell-mansion-for-incoming-vicechancellor
Reluctantly agree LP.
Incredible surges.
WHO warnings are so dark now.
It was pretty obvious to me from Feb/March that was what we could expect – exponential slow growth in populations with 'sudden' surges. My musing from the start have been somewhat darker than the WHO – who after all are still mostly politicians who don't want to scare the horses too much.
Damn thing is a high population density endemic that is partially adapted to humans. It is a stealth virus for human populations. It will outbreak wide into populations whenever conditions are right and it will do it nearly silently and show up as a outbreak well after it has already happened. Most of the time our disease control systems will only catch it well after it has already re-established itself into a population.
We just got lucky that we closed up so early. Also that our export economy isn't that dependent on overseas travel. Our internal economy will have a bit of tortuous reshuffle over the next year or two. Hopefully it will settle into something that is a little less risky than relying on air-travel.
To prove that their overseas student enterprise isn't just clipping the ticket on cheap imported labour and backdoor ctizenship, maybe the vicechancellor could explore opening a campus or two in the target countries.
Heh. It's selling residency under the guise of education (most of the students I see already have superior degrees to the Diplomas they get here), price-gouging the students’ families, passing a highly vulnerable and therefore docile workforce on to exploitative employers (sometimes from the same country as the student), and externalising the infrastructure costs of high immigration onto taxpayers and ratepayers. A truly elegant example of "accumulation through dispossession"- rather than through producing anything useful. The very definition of ‘privilege’ is to be able to get yourself into a position when you can run such schemes.
Yep and they can start by repurposing salaries and perks of the top layer – that will plug a lot of the holes. Push some of the accommodation into flats – some of the hotels have.
Then further down offer up and coming staff permanent doable jobs that are a mix of teaching and research – let the various staff bid for the research hours according to their interests at the time. Government could be happy to fund some of the research with the appropriate controls. The research, if good, ups rankings and then can charge large sums for for genuine top quality post grad students if so inclined. We want to be McGill not the warehouse
Train locals and for heavens sake have understandable lecturers. heavy accents take more than a few lectures to get used to them.
Hiring understandable lecturers would cost more money meaning the universities would have less to pay the Vice-Chancellor's KPI bonus. Therefore, not going to happen.
the only ones currently putting us at risk are returning kiwis who can not abide by their tax payer funded stay in some rather nice hotels to quarantine.
maybe that is our problem, we should bring people in that a. would happily pay for the quarantine, and b. would happily abide by the rules cause……Covid Free.
are these the same students, who when caught breaking laws, do the sergeant shultz shuffle? sounds like another, privatize the profits, socialise the loses ,routine.
Our education providers should stop bitching about how they cannot bring in international students, and start focusing on educated NEW ZEALANDERS. Which is what they were built for in the first place.
And some idiot at WHO should stick to their knitting – trade and work are possible with a closed border, the only affected industries we have are tourism and the overseas education visa scam market. When the numbers come in over time I'm picking that we may find some very real economic benefits from smaller border traffic.
And WHO’s executive director of the health emergencies programme, Dr Mike Ryan, said on Monday that international travel bans aren’t sustainable in the long term.
“It’s going to be almost impossible for individual countries to keep their borders shut for the foreseeable future,” he said.
“Economies have to open up, people have to work, trade has to resume.
“We do believe that it is possible to identify and minimise the risk associated with international travel.”
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/122265072/coronavirus-who-director-general-says-new-zealands-apt-covid19-response-prevented-a-largescale-outbreak
I guess he must mean the people trade.
Sure – however I suspect that Dr Ryan was referring mostly to the business travel. It is a pretty essential part of travel market. There is only so much that can be done with zoom.
As an example – over the last 4 years, I've averaged about a quarter of each year working as an software engineer in other countries delivering bespoke systems that I've written the code for to customers. The code that I write comes in large > 40kg and little hand held boxes – all connected with large complex wide area networks.
It is really hard to deliver systems and get them up and working without hooking them into the systems on the ground. Training people to use those systems is almost impossible without doing hands-on.
And I’m just the end of the chain. There are other people who go to the clients and determine what they need, fight their way to get contracts signed. And get the programmes delivered.
Even amongst the authors at The Standard, I’m not alone with this kind of task. One of our former authors used to (and probably still does) spend a lot of time delivering installations world wide. Completely different industry. Same essential set of tasks. Virtual worldwide market niches employ a hell of a lot of people in NZ. And even more indirectly.
There is a limit to how little long term we can travel and still fulfil the needs of customers.
It is (as usual) instructive to see what is happening in China. They showed the world how to control the disease, but they also showed that it is impossible to keep it from popping up occasionally.
I also am skeptical about the vaccines being tested. The level of side effects in healthy volunteers are a concern. It is likely that in the population as a whole the overall damage from side effects will rival the damage from natural infection. Of course this will abate as more development produces safer vaccines, but NZ will not want to be first (or even second) in line.
So the answer is, do whatever is required to keep it out, and aggressively control any outbreaks. China has less damage to its economy than most other places, in spite of lockdown and travel bans.
I would like to know how health insurance would work with foreign students
I was listening to a discussion on the radio about foreign students being allowed back into NZ perhaps by the start of next year. My own views run along these lines – if the institution importing the students can set up appropriate quarantine facilities (be it hotels or students dorms or whatever) which are self funded and can guarantee public safety to the same level as the govt sponsored facilities then I would be reasonably ok with a rationed return of overseas students. Some appropriate and fairly robust criteria established and the institutions apply for the ability to import students.
As for foreign workers on various types of fixed term visas. My views may be a little tough however things have dramatically changed. For those on super essential skilled lists yes, welcome them. Those who are not super essential workers sorry but you are probably not going to be able to return. When your visa expires its time to return home. If you cannot make it back to NZ before the visa expires, sorry, but you will either need to be on that super essential list to come back. As an example, and it's not representative on many situations I acknowledge, a business management student working in a suburban bottle shop is not an essential worker and there is not a labour shortage there we need to fill with foreign workers.
An excellent programme on the ABC “QandA” on U-Tube last night about reopening the boarders, a must see for all National party MPs & any others in NZ who think that it will be easy to control.
The programme also illustrates the vast difference between what we are dished up by TVNZ Current affairs & what the Aussie’s get, ours is similar to a visual fluff rubbish on a par with what you see in the Women’s Weekly or No Idea, most of it is brain dead rubbish.