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 post-Covid economy: is it in another long stagnation – and if so, why?Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...4 days ago
- On the LTP 2024 FeedbackA few weeks ago Auckland Council released the results of consultation on the Long Term Plan (LTP) that occurred in March. With almost 28,000 submissions, it received the most feedback of any LTP in Auckland. It covered a wide range of topics soliciting feedback on different areas of council funded ...4 days ago
- Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Monday, May 6
TL;DR: Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...4 days ago - Geoffrey Miller: New Zealand’s geopolitical friendly fire has its limitsThe gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...5 days ago
- I could be a Florist.
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...5 days ago - The Kaka’s diary for the week to May 12 and beyond
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...5 days ago - Willis on defenceThe price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...5 days ago
- 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #18A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...5 days ago
- A prerequisite for Vulture Capitalism.
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...5 days ago - Early evening, April 30
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...6 days ago - Do Newsroom’s staff think they’re culturally superior to the rest of us? Are they arguing that A...Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...6 days ago
- New Zealand First Member’s Bill to protect women’s spaces
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...5 hours ago - Release: Support for climate adaptation inquiry
Labour supports a Notice of Motion in the House today to move the Finance and Expenditure Committee to conduct an inquiry on climate adaptation. ...8 hours ago - Greens welcome cross-party approach to climate adaptation
The 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. ...14 hours 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 day 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 day 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 day 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 days 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 days 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 days 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. ...3 days 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 ...3 days 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. ...3 days 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. ...4 days 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. ...1 week 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. ...1 week 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. ...1 week 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. ...1 week 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. ...1 week 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. ...1 week 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. ...1 week 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 ...1 week 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. ...1 week 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 ...1 week 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. ...1 week 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 ...1 week 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. ...2 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. ...2 weeks ago
- Gaza: Aotearoa Must Support Independent Investigation into Mass GravesTe Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Working together on consistent support for veterans this Anzac DayOur two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Penny drops – but what about Seymour and Peters?Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...2 weeks ago
- Another ‘Stolen Generation’ enabled by court ruling on Waitangi Tribunal summonsTonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Budget blunder shows Nicola Willis could cut recovery fundingIt appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...2 weeks ago
- Further environmental mismanagement on the cardsThe Government’s resource management reforms will add to the heavy and ever-growing burden this Government is loading on to our environment. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: RMA changes will be a disaster for environmentThe Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour supports urgent changes to emergency management systemLabour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour calls for New Zealand to recognise PalestineThe Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Three strikes law political posturing of worst kindThe Government is bringing back a law that has little evidential backing just to look tough, Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Government cuts unbelievably target child exploitation, violent extremism, ports and airpor...Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...3 weeks ago
- Three strikes has failed before and will fail againResurrecting the archaic three-strikes legislation is an unwelcome return to a failed American-style approach to justice. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Environmental protection vital, not ‘onerous’The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...3 weeks ago
- Speech to the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium
Introduction 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 ...4 hours 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 ...9 hours 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 ...9 hours 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 day 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 day 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 day 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 days 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 days ago
- Decisions on Wellington City Council’s District PlanThe Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...2 days ago
- Rape Awareness Week: Government committed to action on sexual violenceRape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...2 days ago
- Smarter lunch programme feeds more, costs lessAssociate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...2 days ago
- Report provides insights into marine recoveryNew research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...2 days ago
- NZ to send political delegation to the PacificDeputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...2 days ago
- Low gas production threatens energy securityThere has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...3 days ago
- Defence industry talent, commitment recognisedDefence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...3 days ago
- Speech to the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for IndustryWelcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...3 days ago
- Speech to the Sixth Annual New Zealand Government Data SummitIt is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...3 days ago
- Ceasefire agreement needed now: PetersNew Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...3 days ago
- Daily school attendance data now availableA new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...3 days ago
- Ambassador to United States appointedForeign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...3 days ago
- New permit proposed for recreational gold miningThe Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...3 days ago
- NZ and the UAE launch FTA negotiationsMinister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...4 days ago
- New Zealand Sign Language Week an opportunity for anyone to signNew Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...4 days ago
- Next stop NASA for New Zealand studentsSix tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...4 days ago
- $1.9 billion investment to keep NZ safe from crimeNew Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...4 days ago
- OECD reinforces need to control spendingThe OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...4 days ago
- Agreement delivers Local Water Done Well for AucklandThe Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...5 days ago
- Gaza and the Pacific on the agenda with GermanyForeign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...6 days ago
- Decision allows for housing growth in Western Bay of PlentyThe Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...1 week ago
- Speech to New Zealand China CouncilThank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...1 week ago
- Modern insurance law will protect Kiwi householdsThe Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...1 week ago
- Government recommits to equal payThe coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...1 week ago
- Transforming how our children learn to readStructured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...1 week ago
- NZ not backing down in Canada dairy disputeTrade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...1 week ago
- Stronger oversight for our most vulnerable childrenThe rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...1 week ago
- Streamlining Building Consent ChangesThe Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...1 week ago
- Minister acknowledges passing of Sir Robert Martin (KNZM)New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...1 week ago
- Speech to New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, Parliament – Annual Lecture: Challenges ...Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...1 week ago
- Accelerating airport security linesFrom today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...1 week ago
- Community hui to talk about kina barrensPeople with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...1 week ago
- High Court dismisses key challenge to indefinite immigration detention. What does it mean?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Dehm, Senior lecturer, international migration and refugee law, University of Technology Sydney The High Court unanimously ruled today that the Australian government can keep asylum seekers in immigration detention indefinitely in cases where they do not “voluntarily” cooperate with their own ...28 mins ago - A brief history of found footage video art – and where Macklemore’s Hind’s Hall fits inSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Munro, Lecturer, Creative Industries and Digital Media, University of South Australia Twenty-four hours after the release of Macklemore’s pro-Palestine protest song Hind’s Hall on social media on May 7, the video had already notched up over 24 million views. In ...28 mins ago
- Transmission Gully could need new bulider – Infrastructure Commission review
Failing to anticipate the complexity of the consenting system is being cited as the the current builder's shortcomings, an Infrastructure Commission review says. ...41 mins ago - Proposed repeal of Oranga Tamariki Act section 7AA breaches Treaty of Waitangi – TribunalThe government is planning to repeal Treaty obligations from the Oranga Tamariki Act. ...48 mins ago
- Committee Silences Majority Of Submitters On Fast-track Bill
350 Aotearoa is calling the Environment Select Committee’s decision to allow oral submissions from just 40% of individual, unique submitters who asked to speak to the committee ‘a disgraceful blight to democracy’. ...53 mins ago - Sky-high vanity: constructing the world’s tallest buildings creates high emissionsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Helal, Assistant Dean (Sustainability), The University of Melbourne Dubai skyline AleksandarPasaric/Pexels Since ancient times, people have built structures that reach for the skies – from the steep spires of medieval towers to the grand domes of ancient cathedrals and mosques. Today ...2 hours ago
- How can we measure the size of Australia’s illegal cannabis market – and the billions in taxes t...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jenny Williams, Professor of Economics, The University of Melbourne Canna Obscura/Shutterstock At the end of this month, a senate inquiry by the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee is due to hand down its report on a bill to legalise cannabis. ...2 hours ago
- Wearable devices can now harvest our brain data. Australia needs urgent privacy reformsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edward Musole, PhD Law Student, University of New England Girts Ragelis/Shutterstock Recent trends show Australians are increasingly buying wearables such as smartwatches and fitness trackers. These electronics track our body movements or vital signs to provide data throughout the day, with ...3 hours ago
- Labour Up, Greens Down But Centre-Right Remains AheadThis is the first time since February that voters have had a net positive view of the country direction. ...4 hours ago
- RNZAF Hercules, NZDF Personnel Arrive In Papua New Guinea To Help Distribute Relief SuppliesPapua New Guinea experienced a significant earthquake on 24 March in East Sepik and there has also been recent flooding there and in surrounding provinces. ...4 hours ago
- Sleep wrinkles are real. Here’s how they leave their markSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yousuf Mohammed, Dermatology researcher, The University of Queensland Maridav/Shutterstock You wake up, stagger to the bathroom and gaze into the mirror. No, you’re not imagining it. You’ve developed face wrinkles overnight. They’re sleep wrinkles. Sleep wrinkles are temporary. But as your ...4 hours ago
- Week in Politics: Triumph and disaster, but no austerityAnalysis - A big announcement about Auckland's water woes was overshadowed by a chaotic press conference about prisons, Peter Wilson writes. ...4 hours ago
- Community Groups Furious That Government Silencing Hundreds In Fast-Track HearingsThe Environment Select Committee has just announced that 60 percent of individuals who asked to speak at the hearings will not be heard. This equates to almost 700 people who made individual submissions and more than 1000 more who made a form submission. ...5 hours ago
- Review: Swan Lake is a reminder of how much work it takes to look effortless
The Royal New Zealand Ballet is performing Swan Lake around the country. What kind of dream does the ballet sell? Before going to see the Royal New Zealand Ballet perform Swan Lake, I had about as much familiarity with the plot of this ballet as could be expected from having ...5 hours ago - The Friday Poem: ‘High Tide at Local Maxima’ by Eamonn TeeA new poem by Auckland poet Eamonn Tee. High Tide at Local Maxima It is only going to get worse. The streams will be narrow and fickle. The week will bend and buckle like a pot-bellied waist. You will make it to the weekend with one ...5 hours ago
- The plastic-heavy drinks industry is in for a shake-upThe New Zealand entrepreneur behind beauty business Ethique is gearing up to launch a new eco-venture. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Our thirst for a tasty bevvy is insatiable, but it comes with a hefty plastic price for the planet: 580 billion ...5 hours ago
- The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending May 10The 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 James by Percival Everett (Mantle, $38) A retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from ...5 hours ago
- Puna calls for Pacific ‘journalistic vigilance’ in face of climate crisisBy Kamna Kumar in Suva Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General Henry Puna stressed the importance of media freedom and its link to the climate and environmental crisis at the 2024 World Press Freedom Day event organised by the University of the South Pacific’s journalism programme. Under the theme “A Planet for ...5 hours ago
- Downsizing Of ERO Inconsistent With Govt Priority Of Lifting Student AchievementThe PSA is concerned that Government spending cuts have forced ERO to downsize at a time when student achievement is a significant challenge. ...6 hours ago
- Education Review Office set to cut 13 jobs, union saysThe Education Review Office is set to cut 13 jobs, the Public Service Association says. ...6 hours ago
- Judith Collins announces $571 million Defence spend-upAn extra half a billion dollars is going to Defence in this year's Budget for pay and equipment upgrades, the Defence Minister has announced. ...7 hours ago
- This new TVNZ anthology is Motherhood as you’ve never seen it beforeTara Ward previews a new local TV series offering alternative visions of motherhood. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. A woman is clambering up the side of her two-story house, clinging desperately to a drainpipe. Nearby, her child is perched on the ...7 hours ago
- LGNZ Supportive Of Cross-party Approach To Climate AdaptationLocal Government New Zealand (LGNZ) is supportive of the cross-party approach to climate adaptation announced by the Minister of Climate Change today. ...7 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.