Covid death rate of 8 per million compared to Australia’s 76, Japan’s 146, Germany’s 1,191, the UK’s 2,146 and America’s 2,316?
Covid infection rate of 200 per hundred thousand compared to Australia’s 777, Japan’s 1,372, Germany’s 6,457, the US’s 14,327 and the UK’s 14,677?
A vaccination rate of 145 doses per hundred residents, behind the UK at 167, Japan at 156 and Australia at 150 but ahead of the US at 135 and Germany at 142?
Debt to GDP ratio of 28% compared to 41% for Australia, Germany 57%, the UK 86%, the US’s 107% and Japan’s 238%?
An unemployment rate of 3.4% compared to Australia’s 5.6%, the UK’s 4.4%, the US’s 4.4% although Japan’s rate is 2.9%?
It seems to me we should continue to have a woman in charge although not Judith.
Shades of whatever have the Romans ever done for us.
Well even given the infrequent polls, it still seems that roughly 70% over 30% favour the Govt. handling of this awful COVID scenario.
Auckland business bleating again on RNZ this morning. Whinged about lockdowns, now lockdowns are being phased out Service Industry and petit bourgeoisie are whingeing about the non lock down regime!
I at least have some good news for some of these brats and poseurs–will be wearing a mask in public and avoiding cafes and crowds for some time to come. Have a nice day.
Power an it indicates misogyny is alive and well. Women are far more likely to receive abuse, threats and pornographic imagery than others. Sorry no reference there, but have read it many times. If you have evidence to the contrary far enough.. in the words of Germaine Greer, women don’t realise how much men hate them…..I know, I know Not all men……..I am happily married to one of the best, just to set the record straight
During my 24 years in a Public Service agency, dominated by men at the time, here are my experiences:
Initially refused permission to upgrade my qualifications on the grounds that I would marry and have babies and so it would be a waste of time.
Continued to refuse permission to upgrade etc. on the grounds I would never be able to pass the exams. I eventually passed with pleasing results.
Frequent attempts to harass and bully me for trumped up misdemeanours I never committed.
Attempted to discredit my work by changing a vital calculation. Fell flat on their faces because they forgot it was my job to send a copy to Wellington H.0. which was correct. Interfered with my computer in an attempt to prove incompetency. I was ahead of them on that one so it failed.
Arranged for colleagues to report any [supposed] misstep that could be used to dismiss me. None eventuated. I was told about that one by a former colleague – who had refused to cooperate – some time after it happened.
The basis of their hostility was political. I was a member of the Labour Party and after the Lange government came to power they convinced themselves I was spying on them and reporting their activity back to my 'handlers' in the Party – whoever they were supposed to be. Hard to believe but it was true. I had dropped out of politics about two years previously but these idiots knew better.
Shades of rabbit holes and false conspiracies. đ
2015? six years ago? Our son on Gold Coast has had their property go from S480 000 to $700 000 in one year. So Australia and several other countries assets have sharply revalued because of governments' cheap capital. This now changing back to more normal interest rates.
So in the midst of a housing affordability crises a government we elected to fix; average house prices went from $490k to $930k and the government did nothing extra?
The flu kills 500-600 people each year in NZ. I’m not sure that focusing on one virus while ignoring the other is good policy.
Of course any health policy’s effect on life expectancy and quality of life are factors which need to be taken into account. Our life expectancy has been somewhat lower than that of Australians. That seems set to continue.
The flu kills 500-600 people each year in NZ. I’m not sure that focusing on one virus while ignoring the other is good policy.
We have a vaccination programme for seasonal flu that targets at risk people. That's not ignoring. You're argument would hold more water if you put up some strategy ideas of lowering the flu rate.
As far as I can tell the covid response has lessen spread of influenza. Haven't seen the figures on flu deaths in NZ in past year though, does anyone know?
Of course any health policy’s effect on life expectancy and quality of life are factors which need to be taken into account. Our life expectancy has been somewhat lower than that of Australians. That seems set to continue.
So? From your first link,
Healthy life expectancy in Australia and New Zealand – the number of years a person can expect to live in good health – has increased steadily over the past three decades to 70 years in Australia and 69.4 in New Zealand, according to new research, but has not risen as much as overall life expectancy(82.9 and 81.8, respectively), indicating that people are living more years in poor health.
We have a vaccine available for the flu, a vaccine that many health professionals including doctors and nurses don’t use. What we don’t have is those professionals losing their jobs over their reasonable decision not to be vaccinated. That is very different to the vaccination programme for Covid.
Also the Government doesn’t borrow billions of dollars each flu season as such largesse would be unsustainable. We realise that people will die from the flu but the at-risk can get vaccinated if they wish. We don’t have restrictions imposed despite the possibility of harm including death.
It’s been predicted that lockdowns will have a negative effect on life expectancy. As I explained, we already have a lower life expectancy than those living in Australia. I suspect that gap will widen given our Government’s short-sighted decision to lockdown, a policy failure that will be felt for years to come.
I have to listen to loud old pale stale males everyday at work in a large smoko room.
It annoys me, to have these blockheads spouting off about Jacinda Ardern and many other woman MP's just to get laughs from other blockheads. Pretty sickening really.
I could say something but misogynists are so widespread in the community that it is futile and would get me offside with so many. I can't be bothered with most men, fullstop. No wonder there is so much family violence in Aotearoa.
Having said that, there are a lot of situations that women are best kept away from, for their own safety. Toxic aggressive male company is very prevalent in work and social settings. Once again, the older males are the most common, and their misogynist beliefs are being passed down to their young. It needs to stop.
I call it the little willy syndrome. These people desperately need to grow up.
Like a space time warp, some of these shit for brains seem to operate as if it is 1921 not 2021! Pathetic bravado in many cases. But silence is condoning…
I am a man and no problem with that personally, but I disown fully half of the others. Can’t stand them in my personal space, much prefer womenâs company and insight.
The fucking horrendous violent intimidation & extreme anti-social behaviour over the past 4 years in my parents' street (& their wider neighbourhood) is 100% Underclass Male MÄori … middle-aged & older Pakeha (both men & women, but particularly men) are the ones who have intervened to try & stop Male MÄori violence against both women & men.
No wonder there is so much family violence in Aotearoa.
Once again, disproportionately MÄori … around 5X the average [& to a somewhat lesser extent, Pasifika]
If that cold hard reality doesn't dovetail with your Woke dogma … then tough shit.
The patriarchal system fucks men over too, and allows everyone else to be fucked over, including your parents. Although I'd point to neoliberalism there, because wtaf that the various agencies can't sort that and other situations out, it's not rocket science.
Was the reason because they'd disconnected their heads from their hearts?
This is a lovely train of thought. We can see that in hunter/gatherer societies men do/did have hearts connected to their heads. Think aroha, manaakitanga, kaitiakitanga concepts in MÄori cultures.
Our long evolution from apes to Homo sapiens to Homo destructicus included tribe/whÄnau as the primary unit of existence ie connection. How men become disconnected from that is worth exploring. Women remained more connected because having babies does that. It's not hard to draw a line from that to why women leaders have managed covid better (although I think the reasons are multiple and complex).
Evolution in humans clearly is an interaction of the biological, environmental and social. Female humans evolving the menstrual cycle and menopause are obvious ones. Might be good if men worked out how those interactions work for them and fit into the picture, eh (I'm sure there are men that have figured this out).
no. I've thought about it (for a very long time) and yes there are obviously reasons why male and female humans evolved differently in relation to size and strength.
for some strange reason Red has this idea that we were all biology and evolutionary denialists.
that there are evolutionary reasons why female and male humans evolved differently with regards to strength and size (that's why I said obviously, because it's obvious and I get why this is even a question).
So why would one sex evolve to occupy the role of being more aggressive, more exposed to physical risk and to be more disposable? What benefit does have for them?
And why does all the research on this theme tell us that women sexually select for men who are taller, more physically powerful, more socially capable and self-confident – almost every single time? What benefit would this have for them?
As you seem to have noticed recently – biology matters.
"So why would one sex evolve to occupy the role of being more aggressive, more exposed to physical risk and to be more disposable? What benefit does have for them?"
Alternately, why would one sex evolve to occupy the role of being less aggressive, less exposed to physical risk and to be less disposable?
No, let's be clear … the common denominator in my parents neighbourhood … & it seems in most of the other cases that are beginning to finally see daylight around New Zealand … as hard as it may be for a self-interested socially-detached Woke to hear .. is Underclass MÄori Men (in terms of violent intimidation) … & Underclass MÄori of both sexes (in terms of anti-social behaviour … including both lower level intimidation & inflicting severe sleep deprivation throughout the night on neighbours).
We're talking about a policy in which the most hardcore anti-socials are casually dumped on unsuspecting neighbourhoods. Many, but by no means all, are gang-affiliated.
If we're going to head down this increasingly dangerous road of hyper-racial awareness demanded by CRT dogmatists … then I will certainly be naming the precise demographic the perpetrators of this violence belong to … Sunlight's always the best infectant.
Meanwhile, as I've suggested, the middle-aged & older Pakeha of the neighbourhood (esp men) have intervened at certain points to try to end the on-going violence … including (to take just one example) trying to stop one these guys from forcing a woman into a car just outside my Parents' house … she was terrified & screaming … everyone (including my elderly parents) rushed out to help … the MÄori guy was violently swearing his head off at everyone & threatening two of the (Pakeha male) neighbours with violence if they tried to intervene … "Fucking come here, you little fuck !!!" etc … courageously they persisted to help the woman … and it certainly takes real courage.
Not putting up with the Woke Fantasy World anymore. Bears precisely zero resemblance to cold hard reality … just an Upper-Middle Vanity Project … where those on lower incomes are systematically scapegoated in the most brutal way (by the very people who disproportionately inherited the wealth from Colonisation) … essentially the antithesis of the genuine trad Left … Zero patience with the rank cowards, covert sadists & morally posturing hypocrites who casually throw others to the wolves for their own prestige enhancement among their little clique (and that includes the more dogmatic Woke minority on this site … though, I hasten to add, most people here are more than decent).
I was pointing to the common denominator in your situation and Greenbus's situation. In both case there are men behaving badly, in quite different ways. I'm suggesting that how men are socialised is part of that.
But also, obviously in your parents's neighbourhood, class is a major factor. You put any group of men into the lives those men are leading and many will turn out like that.
I don't have a problem with you naming them as MÄori underclass men, so long as Greenbus can point to the descriptors in their situation as well. It's what meaning we attach to that that determines the politics.
Swordfish I completely feel for you and your parents and feel outraged by this situation. Bet if this was happening to a politician the rules would change by lunchtime. Boot out the anti social tenants and let someone else on the waiting list have a home.
read that Kai Orangi were offering tenants in this situation a security guard and counselling ffs
Read between the lines mate. Some things are best left unspoken. As for old whities, many many are terrible racists and misogynists and if you don't know that then you need to get out more.
All of the people I'm talking about are in management positions from bottom to top. They are the real scum of society. I hang out with battlers, shun most of the men that are being dicks and associate with the young people – who don't display this dimwit behaviour.
Many friends have said "We have to learn to live with it." At first I, like many others resisted that idea, and would come back with "Die with it more like".
After reading listening and discussing the fact that Delta is not able to be eradicated, I like many now see vaccination plus masks social distancing and good hand washing practice as necessary methods of minimising the transmission of this now endemic disease.
We have completely changed how we do certain things. We follow the numbers every day flinching when they are over 200. We no longer "pop" to see friends, we now call and set times for visits. Shopping has changed with a great deal of online click and collect or delivery to the door by masked staff. After reading up on effective hand cleaning we went back to our cakes of soap. We have always aired our home, but we are much more aware of access to and use of fresh air when visitors come, now the gardens is full of roses and the weather more settled.
We have Auckland family we have not seen for twelve months since we lunched on the Lakeland Queen for my 79th birthday, and sadly that tourist business has folded. Our eldest son was over for a day visit as soon as their lockdown ended, as he like us was at home almost full time.
I don't know if the management of these challenges were improved by the current PM, but all countries led by women appeared to do well initially, though Germany looks very scary now. Our PM manages crises well rising to all the challenges of covid.
Let's use the guides to the new system with sensitivity, and stay safe in a covid world.
You might not want to celebrate the day before night has fallen.
Maybe you want to wait until say, December 29th before writing such celebratory nonsense in regards to Covid – which would be about three weeks after Freedom Day.
While I don't think we will ever get to the unbelievable death rates of the UK and the US, in many ways we are only just about to start living the way they have been since March 2020. Living with the virus becomes our reality on Freedom Day and as a consequence of that we will see deaths on an almost daily basis from Christmas onwards.
Those who keep back slapping our current rates remind me of George Bush and his infamous Mission Accomplished speech on the USS Abraham Lincoln. Thankfully our government isn't really like that, but some of its cheerleaders certainly are.
The test isn't whether we end up in a mess, but whether we end up in as bad a mess as other countries whose leaders have taken a less compassion stance.
Labour were always going to have to go back to being economics focused at some point. The question here is how much the compassion and feminism will mitigate that.
so being a mess as a country is acceptable if the responses of other countries led to more of a mess? the cult of managerialism is strong in that answer.
What you've said, as I read it, is akin to "there is no point doing anything about climate change in NZ as india and china still use coal"
Why can't we just be good? or great? instead of the relavatism of "better" relying on the worsening of our fellow countries for us to achieve anything
Also, you missed my point. Sabine is pointing to the problem of letting covid out into the rest of NZ. I'm saying this is Labour, it was inevitable given delta, and the measuring stick isn't whether it's bad or not (people are doing to die, people are going to be disabled), it's whether it's a shitshow or whether we are able to mitigate the worst of it.
Kind of like climate change. We missed the boat on EVs saving the day, by some decades. There are still many critical things we need to do, but let's not pretend we're going to prevent catastrophe. What's on the table now is how much we can save and how much damage we can limit.
If we want to achieve some further maturity, acceptance, forgiveness, communication etc etc in NZ society (needed) discussions and debates, little digs like that (as seen in our Parliament?) need to be removed, it only pulls us all down to further immaturity. When it seems we actually need and want more maturity in NZ. let’s raise the level, just a little at a time at least
Some of us pale, male, stales manage to criticise a politician for their policies. I would happily mock Collins any day of the week, and yet somehow manage not to make it about her gender. It's not hard, is it?
I'd wager that to a Collins supporter your mockery of her would look just like 'misogyny'.
But then like 'racism' it's become one of those emotionally laden words that's been so twisted and stretched out of shape to have become virtually useless in any meaningful discussion.
It's a straightforward test. "Ardern = communist" is wrong, in my subjective opinion. "Ardern = pretty little communist" is gendered, in objective fact.
But you know this already, unless you carefully avert your eyes from all coverage of the anti-Ardern protests.
Collins is one of the women allowed into the boys' club because she agrees to play the game the way that the boys want it*. Probably agrees with that too. It's no uncommon for this to happen, think Shipley, Richardson, Thatcher. Or Clark for that matter. The women who want to change that system have tended to get out. Ardern has stayed and make some positive changes (I think the strong MÄori caucus is part of this too).
Women as a class are better leaders at this time on covid response, for a range of reasons. This doesn't mean all women are good leaders, it just means that as a group there is something that women are doing that is different from men. And it also means that some women would be just as bad as say Trump or Boris Johnson.
*for people having a reaction to that, understand that the boys club refers to the patriarchy, a system based on privileging men (and wealth, Caucasian ethnicity, male, fit body norms, etc). It doesn't mean that men are bad.
The real giveaway here is 'thinking time'. Not that much thinking goes on.
In conversation, somebody might mutter "stupid little woman" or some such, because in real time we all say things instantly and then regret them.
But these anti-Ardern signs are prepared. They have thought "What shall I write?" and then they have decided. And there's a little light bulb in our heads that should say "Good idea … no, maybe not." So we don't add swastikas and other idiocy because the light bulb suggests it's not a good idea. Not these guys.
What's more, after they've taken the time and trouble to make the sign about the "mad cow" or "horse face" or whatever, they've met up with their friends and their little light bulbsaren't working either. They haven't had pushback from fellow protesters saying "Do you really want that message? Isn't this about water or utes?" etc. After all, you can only hold up one placard at a time.
Think about the group mentality that says misogyny is not only acceptable, it's clever. With all of that thinking time … they still go ahead and make it their preferred message. Those are people (men) with major issues.
Those people making sexist hateful vicious attacks are envious of Arderns success.They can't beat her at virtually any level in honest debates.So are resorting to lowdown Dirty tactics/politics.
when was the last time we had a man in charge? I would suggest ,maybe mike moore, geoffrey palmer . key was NOT in charge, who has he ALWAYS worked for???.bolger was led by ruthless, then winston, then whatshername. maybe you could argue that the last time we had a man in charge was muldoon, and what a phuckup that was-is.
Our woman in charge did a good job in Parliament question time yesterday over their woman in charge. The PM was in charge of information and the issues as raised.
The best bit for me came when having just asked a question about what restrictions would take place at what level, the Leader of the Opposition asked a question about a particular instance,
Ardern cheerfully pointed out that the question showed that Collins already had a good understanding of the covid restrictions and her previous question was somewhat unnecessary.
For those questioning Ardern's leadership she showed in these exchanges a grasp of detail and a quick mind and wit, a command presence and a passion, logical thinking and clear expression.
On the other hand, Collins was asked to ask a question again when she could not control her feelings- "what the hell" was the phrase used.
Ardern very clearly told Cameron from ACT who asked why she did not talk to Groundswell that she spoke to a series of farmer and rural groups and listed them.
She also listed for Collins the good results we have had in NZ in a series of areas in these Covid times. It was very reminiscent of what the Romans have done for us-oiur version has low death rates, high business resilience, low unemployment, low infection rates, low hospitalisation rates.
I think Ardern is a great leader. Her response to Chch massacre and 1st round of covid outstanding.
re sacking people….David Clark, she rightly said she couldn’t sack in a pandemic, but did when the situation was less critical and second misdemeanour. Lees-Galloway gone by lunchtime as minister for work place relations. In interviews and question time mostly Ardern is quick witted and we’ll informed. She has seemed tired and under the weather this year, understandable for all she has had to deal with……….I think she is great, even though I have turned away from Labour and will not be voting for them next time
I think the guys who hold up these sexist signs, make themselves look so ridiculous that I can’t really take seriously. It is the men who threaten women, eg the likes of JK Rowling with rape and death threats that are dangerous and misogynistic
Ardern appeared to come out of nowhere in 2017. But her origin sits within the tight circle of Hipkins, King, and Robertson. King in particular worked caucus very hard to ensure that the transition from King to Ardern in the Deputy position was totally unanimous.
That's the positioning, ready for Shearer and then Little to fall.
That doesn't deny Ardern her own agency. The construction of the digital infrastructure with the "Burns Unit" was critical within the public campaign. Nor does it deny her popularity.
But the positioning had been occurring for years beforehand, and Robertson was not only key then, he now holds all the budget power.
Robertson is an intelligent, centrist, neoliberal with zero personality. Ardern is an intelligent, centrist, neoliberal with recognised empathetic personality. If JA decides to leave, or is pushed and Robertson takes over, it's hard to see any glimmer of anything mildly progressive on the agenda and even a depressed and chaotic oppositon looking well placed to do well in the next NZ GE.
I prefer Robertson since he is by a long way the most interventionist Minister of Finance we've had since Muldoon.
Labour's progressive agenda is primarily in the hands of this one Minister: all those big ticket items like Minimum Wage, Living Wage, $55b wage guarantee that kept unemployment under 4%, PGF, industry loans, sectoral wage increases, choking the banks, joining up ACC NZSuper and Govt Super funds together, increasing welfare, increasing tax on the very rich – that's on Robertson like no other.
No, that is not accurate Ad. "That's how she got there'.
Robertson chose her as his running mate in the Labour Party Election of a new Leader. Andrew Little won that and worked with the advice of Annette King, who suggested they train up Ardern as his deputy as Annette was retiring. When Andrew Little realised he lacked that special spark of "cut through" he nominated Jacinda Ardern to take the Party into the election, believing they would lose less seats that way. She was nominated by Little and was elected unanimously 6 weeks out from the election.
Ardern brought sparkle and wit to the campaign, and showed NZ a different political style. Her first test were the negotiations with Winston Peters. Bill English was a staid person and Winston accepted Jacinda Ardern as the PM, Winston as Deputy and Grant Robertson as Treasurer plus Jacinda gave Andrew Little a front row role and trust. He swallowed his pride and has served NZ well ever since as she knew he would.
She led the Labour Party to an historic second term win in an MMP Election and replaced a losing Winston with Grant Robertson as her Deputy. She has had loyalty from the 6th Labour Government consisting of 65 members. Real men are not threatened by her qualities.
Afraid not Patricia. Not going green. Huge family connection to the Labour Party, always voted Labour. Possibly won’t vote next year.
i have lost my respect for the party due to allowing themselves to be captured by gender ideology, the Greens more so. As well as this, both parties have attempted to bring in changes to laws by stealth. No mention of self ID in Labours election manifesto nor as a party member was I ever surveyed about it. I watched many submissions for SOP 59 and the Conversion Practices Bill and felt disgusted by the labour MPs and Dr E Kerekere’s behaviour.
Greens are even more ideologically driven and put ideology above evidence.
I do admire Labours Covid strategy and I think they have sincerely meant to address housing, poverty etc, but they haven’t achieved much there.
I can’t vote for a party who I believe are throwing women and girls under a bus. Not to mention all children who have been taught it is possible to change your sex and had medical transitioning enabled by the adults in their lives
i think its too early for congratulations….when Auckland/nth island hits the country i expect to see a surge in cases…just how high/how bad that will get is the question and what will more coming waves bring us? we have fared well through good govt and team play mostly and one can hope that we will be spared the mayhem that occurred overseas with opening up….the best of luck to us all.
Seems like Morgan Godfery (writing* an opinion piece in the Guardian) agrees with you, Micky. He's not usually that complimentary. I'm in Queensland, where the Premier is a woman. The Covid response (unlike JA the only crisis that Annastacia Palaszczuk has had to deal with) has been exemplary so far, with only 7 deaths, and each small Delta outbreak comeptently squashed. No real male/female pattern here, though. Gladys Berejiklian pursued a dangerous strategy in NSW, while Dan Andrews in Victoria did his best with Delta. All other states and territories have done a relatively good job – as good as Queensland all with male Premiers/First Ministers, Labor and Tory. Maybe the women worldwide who do make it to the top job are all by necessity exemplary, but not necessarily empathetic (Thatcher?)
Climate change is a rolling crisis that will require real time actions and long term plans.
Covid also will be a rolling crisis in the same manner, affecting all humanity.
We will seldom be free of this pressure now, as weather bombs rivers in the sky cyclones and easterly swells bring problems compounded with supply shortages caused by covid waves in our trading partners. Insurrection will be common, and as we have seen strange beliefs common. Security will be precious.
Insurance underwriters will have nightmares, policy planners need to be flexible and ready to meet the challenge of changing conditions.
Humans have caused such damage that we are all on runaway systems which could fail at any time. NZ has never faced food security challenges, how lucky are we, but with all these problems shopping online from overseas will get more difficult, and many treats may not be available.
Think that I am exaggerating? The second hand car market has been affected, building and construction also. Risk and reward behaviours will impact, as people live in denial. Jacinda Ardern has been honed by all these crises.
Hmm – if only it were that simple. I remember when Shipley was in charge – they were not halcyon days, and were Judith Collins in power I suspect the qualities of gynocracy might garner a much less sympathetic hearing.
It might be something to do with being a mature and decent human being – qualities that it seems parliament does not reliably cultivate. Then again our whole society has pretty much dropped the ball on that.
Against all odds, I still cherish the ideal of an enlightened society. It doesn't seem particularly realistic, nor does there seem to be much support for one. Nevertheless, I persist, because, although pessimists are always right, optimists have more fun.
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Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own governmentâs fiscal policies raised issues of substance. âToday in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media â sure enough â have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willisâ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra â that the Budget âwill deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing.  Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – Itâs becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-MÄori andâŚ. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you donât like and donât ...
Don Brash writes –Â As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
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 ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that countryâs mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isnât already pretty well-off? Itâs as if protecting landlordsâ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of Nationalâs ...
 Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, itâs that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxonâs ...
Robert MacCulloch writes –Â The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this yearâs Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran OâSullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm â a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon â note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinsonâs analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana â or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. Itâs a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealandâs highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes –Â Â Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – âIt is often said that behind every great man is a great womanâ. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their âLadies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxonâ. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Petersâ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes â If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshubâs closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
The Coalition Governmentâs plan to âget Auckland movingâ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities sheâs meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Governmentâs archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the Americaâs Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it wonât stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Memberâs Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labourâs change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand Firstâs State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared âco-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te PÄti MÄori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. âIâm calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to âtake back our countryâ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jonesâ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Governmentâs fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Governmentâs miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesnât act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. âIt was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. âThe Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend.  âThis travel will focus on a range of New Zealandâs traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,â Mr Peters says.  Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. âRoad safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. âOur relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliamentâs order paper. âThe Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,â Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams wonât be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. âThe coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. âDam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. âI have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. âThe Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023â24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the governmentâs finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Governmentâs Budget objectives. âThe coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says.                                        âThe Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says.  âThese changes are long overdue â the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealandâs growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Ministerâs Prizes for Space today. âNew Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealandâs concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. Â Â âThe Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Educationâs School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. âThere is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. âToday I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of Peopleâs Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. âThe use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,â Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. âWeâre sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealandâs ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. Â Â âI am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. âI have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commissionâs online consultation portal.â Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. âComprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. âI would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. âThis is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women donât ...
Good morning, itâs great to be here.  First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Governmentâs ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Governmentâs commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools MÄori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. âThe Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, Iâm proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of todayâs address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and Iâm sorry I canât be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the WhangÄrei site where the facility will be constructed. âNorthland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata MÄori 20 years ago, says MÄori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisationâs 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
Opposition MPs and unions are criticising a proposal by New Zealandâs Ministry of Pacific Peoples to cut staff by 40 percent. The countryâs largest trade union â The Public Service Association â says the ministry has informed staff that it is looking to shed 63 of 156 positions. Opposition MPs ...
A poem by Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook 2024 featured poet Carin Smeaton. Daughtr of the 90s when she gets promoted to usherette a baby blu eel carries her all the way up to mothership sheâs hovering high she lets the underaged in to see keanu reeves she lets the only lonely ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. My earlier article â Can ‘Good’ be the Greater Evil? â looked at the issue of how wars should end, and how Good versus Evil ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Booksâ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 AMMA by Saraid de Silva (Moa Press, $38)A stunning debut novel reviewed by Brannavan ...
From Steve Martin to Ricky Stanicky, a pickânâmix of things worth watching and listening to this long weekend. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If youâre at a loss for something to occupy yourself with this Easter, donât panic: The Spinoffâs got ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but letâs be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
The newly-promoted Northern League club is on a mission to return to the National League for the first time in two decades. Plenty about domestic football in New Zealand has changed in that time â but the sense that this amateur competition is not an entirely level playing field remains. ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
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Allan Simmons, partner of Sue Grey, an organiser of this rally is heard to call our PM "a silly girl". what does that indicate?
that's he's sexist and possibly misogynist.
Well even given the infrequent polls, it still seems that roughly 70% over 30% favour the Govt. handling of this awful COVID scenario.
Auckland business bleating again on RNZ this morning. Whinged about lockdowns, now lockdowns are being phased out Service Industry and petit bourgeoisie are whingeing about the non lock down regime!
I at least have some good news for some of these brats and poseurs–will be wearing a mask in public and avoiding cafes and crowds for some time to come. Have a nice day.
Yes women do cop it, remember Judith Collins’ husband posting some pretty awful images of Jacinda Ardern on social media? He seemed to get off that pretty lightly. Have linked to a milder post of Wong-Tung’s here, others had “Porn Hub” associations.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/424885/judith-collins-husband-shares-anti-ardern-facebook-posts
Germaine was right too.
Yes, women do cop it TM.
During my 24 years in a Public Service agency, dominated by men at the time, here are my experiences:
Initially refused permission to upgrade my qualifications on the grounds that I would marry and have babies and so it would be a waste of time.
Continued to refuse permission to upgrade etc. on the grounds I would never be able to pass the exams. I eventually passed with pleasing results.
Frequent attempts to harass and bully me for trumped up misdemeanours I never committed.
Attempted to discredit my work by changing a vital calculation. Fell flat on their faces because they forgot it was my job to send a copy to Wellington H.0. which was correct. Interfered with my computer in an attempt to prove incompetency. I was ahead of them on that one so it failed.
Arranged for colleagues to report any [supposed] misstep that could be used to dismiss me. None eventuated. I was told about that one by a former colleague – who had refused to cooperate – some time after it happened.
The basis of their hostility was political. I was a member of the Labour Party and after the Lange government came to power they convinced themselves I was spying on them and reporting their activity back to my 'handlers' in the Party – whoever they were supposed to be. Hard to believe but it was true. I had dropped out of politics about two years previously but these idiots knew better.
Shades of rabbit holes and false conspiracies. đ
Same here Anker. Him indoors snorted at some comments and called them "The trouser brigade"lol.
That's great, but Labour still gets a big fail for this
https://twitter.com/zbigdu/status/1463057058878529538?s=20
2015? six years ago? Our son on Gold Coast has had their property go from S480 000 to $700 000 in one year. So Australia and several other countries assets have sharply revalued because of governments' cheap capital. This now changing back to more normal interest rates.
Imagine how bad it is now after 40% house price growth since 2018
That was 46% this year DukeEll.
So in the midst of a housing affordability crises a government we elected to fix; average house prices went from $490k to $930k and the government did nothing extra?
that’s crazy
Covid death rate of 8 per million
The flu kills 500-600 people each year in NZ. I’m not sure that focusing on one virus while ignoring the other is good policy.
Of course any health policy’s effect on life expectancy and quality of life are factors which need to be taken into account. Our life expectancy has been somewhat lower than that of Australians. That seems set to continue.
https://researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz/handle/10289/14388
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10834804/
https://www.scimex.org/newsfeed/life-expectancy-across-australia-and-nz-on-the-rise-as-latest-global-disease-estimates-revealed
"I’m not sure that focusing on one virus while ignoring the other is good policy."
Hmmm.
I think you missed the point.
The focus is on the POTENTIAL of the virus if let loose like the common cold.
Compare apples with apples and you may just get it.
ps. The FLU is NOT ignored, by the way.
We have a vaccination programme for seasonal flu that targets at risk people. That's not ignoring. You're argument would hold more water if you put up some strategy ideas of lowering the flu rate.
As far as I can tell the covid response has lessen spread of influenza. Haven't seen the figures on flu deaths in NZ in past year though, does anyone know?
So? From your first link,
my bold.
Weka
We have a vaccine available for the flu, a vaccine that many health professionals including doctors and nurses don’t use. What we don’t have is those professionals losing their jobs over their reasonable decision not to be vaccinated. That is very different to the vaccination programme for Covid.
Also the Government doesn’t borrow billions of dollars each flu season as such largesse would be unsustainable. We realise that people will die from the flu but the at-risk can get vaccinated if they wish. We don’t have restrictions imposed despite the possibility of harm including death.
It’s been predicted that lockdowns will have a negative effect on life expectancy. As I explained, we already have a lower life expectancy than those living in Australia. I suspect that gap will widen given our Government’s short-sighted decision to lockdown, a policy failure that will be felt for years to come.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13571516.2021.1976051?journalCode=cijb20
Ross the Aboriginal % of the Australian population is is between 1 and 3%, Their life expectancy is very low. 45% have died by 40, 70% have died by65.
So Australia's figures are hardly influenced by that small %
NZ has 16.5 % Maori.
Come on, if we had The Man in charge then NZ would be getting global coverage from the BBC and New York Times …
The good old days, when men were men and hair was nervous
That guys an avid standard reader then?
I have to listen to loud old pale stale males everyday at work in a large smoko room.
It annoys me, to have these blockheads spouting off about Jacinda Ardern and many other woman MP's just to get laughs from other blockheads. Pretty sickening really.
I could say something but misogynists are so widespread in the community that it is futile and would get me offside with so many. I can't be bothered with most men, fullstop. No wonder there is so much family violence in Aotearoa.
Having said that, there are a lot of situations that women are best kept away from, for their own safety. Toxic aggressive male company is very prevalent in work and social settings. Once again, the older males are the most common, and their misogynist beliefs are being passed down to their young. It needs to stop.
I call it the little willy syndrome. These people desperately need to grow up.
Like a space time warp, some of these shit for brains seem to operate as if it is 1921 not 2021! Pathetic bravado in many cases. But silence is condoning…
I am a man and no problem with that personally, but I disown fully half of the others. Can’t stand them in my personal space, much prefer womenâs company and insight.
.
The fucking horrendous violent intimidation & extreme anti-social behaviour over the past 4 years in my parents' street (& their wider neighbourhood) is 100% Underclass Male MÄori … middle-aged & older Pakeha (both men & women, but particularly men) are the ones who have intervened to try & stop Male MÄori violence against both women & men.
Once again, disproportionately MÄori … around 5X the average [& to a somewhat lesser extent, Pasifika]
If that cold hard reality doesn't dovetail with your Woke dogma … then tough shit.
maybe the common denominator there is men.
The patriarchal system fucks men over too, and allows everyone else to be fucked over, including your parents. Although I'd point to neoliberalism there, because wtaf that the various agencies can't sort that and other situations out, it's not rocket science.
maybe the common denominator there is men.
Did it never occur to you that men evolved to be bigger, stronger and meaner for a reason?
Was the reason because they'd disconnected their heads from their hearts?
What purpose would that serve? From an evolutionary pov that is.
None that's useful – us blokes panicked, lost faith in our women and bulked-up.
Big mistake.
Can be fixed though đ
How?
Perhaps, brothers, we could pay more attention to the guidance offered to us by…women?
In my experience most women despise men who lack agency. Besides what would women know about being male?
And where does this fit in with the question I asked?
Agency? A person or thing through which power is exerted or an end is achieved ?
Something like that.
As to what women know about being male; gestation, birth, infancy, puberty…you know, those motherly-things.
So, a considerable amount.
What do males know about being male?
Interesting how you left fathers out of that.
Please go into bat for the fathers. Are we helping or hindering?
One of the single biggest predictors of being in prison, is not having a stable father in your life.
But still you seem determined not to answer my original question – so I'll leave it here.
This question "Did it never occur to you that men evolved to be bigger, stronger and meaner for a reason?"
No, it did not never occur to me.
This is a lovely train of thought. We can see that in hunter/gatherer societies men do/did have hearts connected to their heads. Think aroha, manaakitanga, kaitiakitanga concepts in MÄori cultures.
Our long evolution from apes to Homo sapiens to Homo destructicus included tribe/whÄnau as the primary unit of existence ie connection. How men become disconnected from that is worth exploring. Women remained more connected because having babies does that. It's not hard to draw a line from that to why women leaders have managed covid better (although I think the reasons are multiple and complex).
Evolution in humans clearly is an interaction of the biological, environmental and social. Female humans evolving the menstrual cycle and menopause are obvious ones. Might be good if men worked out how those interactions work for them and fit into the picture, eh (I'm sure there are men that have figured this out).
Sexual dimorphism is extremely common across many species – which I think more or less rules out Robert's somewhat fanciful explanation.
most other animals haven't evolved such large brains or had such difficulty managing that.
Sexual dimorphism lends support to Robert's idea (other wise he would have said humans not men).
yes, obviously.
?
Yes, it never occurred to you to ask?
no. I've thought about it (for a very long time) and yes there are obviously reasons why male and female humans evolved differently in relation to size and strength.
for some strange reason Red has this idea that we were all biology and evolutionary denialists.
4 weka: https://www.facebook.com/shesmagicandmidnightlace/photos/a.1585050185113419/3072317476386675/
đ You got it đ
I mean, look at the progression of Le Guin's Earthsea series, and most of the books with dragons written by men. It's all there.
And the answer you arrived at was?
that there are evolutionary reasons why female and male humans evolved differently with regards to strength and size (that's why I said obviously, because it's obvious and I get why this is even a question).
So why would one sex evolve to occupy the role of being more aggressive, more exposed to physical risk and to be more disposable? What benefit does have for them?
And why does all the research on this theme tell us that women sexually select for men who are taller, more physically powerful, more socially capable and self-confident – almost every single time? What benefit would this have for them?
As you seem to have noticed recently – biology matters.
"So why would one sex evolve to occupy the role of being more aggressive, more exposed to physical risk and to be more disposable? What benefit does have for them?"
Alternately, why would one sex evolve to occupy the role of being less aggressive, less exposed to physical risk and to be less disposable?
That is: women.
don't know what you are on about mate, why not just get to the point.
.
No, let's be clear … the common denominator in my parents neighbourhood … & it seems in most of the other cases that are beginning to finally see daylight around New Zealand … as hard as it may be for a self-interested socially-detached Woke to hear .. is Underclass MÄori Men (in terms of violent intimidation) … & Underclass MÄori of both sexes (in terms of anti-social behaviour … including both lower level intimidation & inflicting severe sleep deprivation throughout the night on neighbours).
We're talking about a policy in which the most hardcore anti-socials are casually dumped on unsuspecting neighbourhoods. Many, but by no means all, are gang-affiliated.
If we're going to head down this increasingly dangerous road of hyper-racial awareness demanded by CRT dogmatists … then I will certainly be naming the precise demographic the perpetrators of this violence belong to … Sunlight's always the best infectant.
Meanwhile, as I've suggested, the middle-aged & older Pakeha of the neighbourhood (esp men) have intervened at certain points to try to end the on-going violence … including (to take just one example) trying to stop one these guys from forcing a woman into a car just outside my Parents' house … she was terrified & screaming … everyone (including my elderly parents) rushed out to help … the MÄori guy was violently swearing his head off at everyone & threatening two of the (Pakeha male) neighbours with violence if they tried to intervene … "Fucking come here, you little fuck !!!" etc … courageously they persisted to help the woman … and it certainly takes real courage.
Not putting up with the Woke Fantasy World anymore. Bears precisely zero resemblance to cold hard reality … just an Upper-Middle Vanity Project … where those on lower incomes are systematically scapegoated in the most brutal way (by the very people who disproportionately inherited the wealth from Colonisation) … essentially the antithesis of the genuine trad Left … Zero patience with the rank cowards, covert sadists & morally posturing hypocrites who casually throw others to the wolves for their own prestige enhancement among their little clique (and that includes the more dogmatic Woke minority on this site … though, I hasten to add, most people here are more than decent).
I was pointing to the common denominator in your situation and Greenbus's situation. In both case there are men behaving badly, in quite different ways. I'm suggesting that how men are socialised is part of that.
But also, obviously in your parents's neighbourhood, class is a major factor. You put any group of men into the lives those men are leading and many will turn out like that.
I don't have a problem with you naming them as MÄori underclass men, so long as Greenbus can point to the descriptors in their situation as well. It's what meaning we attach to that that determines the politics.
read that Kai Orangi were offering tenants in this situation a security guard and counselling ffs
Cheers, Anker … appreciate the support.
Read between the lines mate. Some things are best left unspoken. As for old whities, many many are terrible racists and misogynists and if you don't know that then you need to get out more.
Maybe you need to keep better company rather than making generic claims about people based on their skin colour.
All of the people I'm talking about are in management positions from bottom to top. They are the real scum of society. I hang out with battlers, shun most of the men that are being dicks and associate with the young people – who don't display this dimwit behaviour.
As they say Micky, "So far so good"
Many friends have said "We have to learn to live with it." At first I, like many others resisted that idea, and would come back with "Die with it more like".
After reading listening and discussing the fact that Delta is not able to be eradicated, I like many now see vaccination plus masks social distancing and good hand washing practice as necessary methods of minimising the transmission of this now endemic disease.
We have completely changed how we do certain things. We follow the numbers every day flinching when they are over 200. We no longer "pop" to see friends, we now call and set times for visits. Shopping has changed with a great deal of online click and collect or delivery to the door by masked staff. After reading up on effective hand cleaning we went back to our cakes of soap. We have always aired our home, but we are much more aware of access to and use of fresh air when visitors come, now the gardens is full of roses and the weather more settled.
We have Auckland family we have not seen for twelve months since we lunched on the Lakeland Queen for my 79th birthday, and sadly that tourist business has folded. Our eldest son was over for a day visit as soon as their lockdown ended, as he like us was at home almost full time.
I don't know if the management of these challenges were improved by the current PM, but all countries led by women appeared to do well initially, though Germany looks very scary now. Our PM manages crises well rising to all the challenges of covid.
Let's use the guides to the new system with sensitivity, and stay safe in a covid world.
You might not want to celebrate the day before night has fallen.
Maybe you want to wait until say, December 29th before writing such celebratory nonsense in regards to Covid – which would be about three weeks after Freedom Day.
Show where I was "celebrating covid" ??? Or are you speaking to Micky???
Indeed.
While I don't think we will ever get to the unbelievable death rates of the UK and the US, in many ways we are only just about to start living the way they have been since March 2020. Living with the virus becomes our reality on Freedom Day and as a consequence of that we will see deaths on an almost daily basis from Christmas onwards.
Those who keep back slapping our current rates remind me of George Bush and his infamous Mission Accomplished speech on the USS Abraham Lincoln. Thankfully our government isn't really like that, but some of its cheerleaders certainly are.
The test isn't whether we end up in a mess, but whether we end up in as bad a mess as other countries whose leaders have taken a less compassion stance.
Labour were always going to have to go back to being economics focused at some point. The question here is how much the compassion and feminism will mitigate that.
so being a mess as a country is acceptable if the responses of other countries led to more of a mess? the cult of managerialism is strong in that answer.
What you've said, as I read it, is akin to "there is no point doing anything about climate change in NZ as india and china still use coal"
Why can't we just be good? or great? instead of the relavatism of "better" relying on the worsening of our fellow countries for us to achieve anything
Don't look at me, I don't vote the neolibs in.
Also, you missed my point. Sabine is pointing to the problem of letting covid out into the rest of NZ. I'm saying this is Labour, it was inevitable given delta, and the measuring stick isn't whether it's bad or not (people are doing to die, people are going to be disabled), it's whether it's a shitshow or whether we are able to mitigate the worst of it.
Kind of like climate change. We missed the boat on EVs saving the day, by some decades. There are still many critical things we need to do, but let's not pretend we're going to prevent catastrophe. What's on the table now is how much we can save and how much damage we can limit.
The last line speaks volumes to the article: "It seems to me we should continue to have a woman in charge although not Judith".
Just not any woman? Because its NOT JUST ABOUT male vs female. Come on humans, get over this!
Lighten up, it's just mocking the misogynist protest signs (see image in OP).
Simply removed the veil.
If we want to achieve some further maturity, acceptance, forgiveness, communication etc etc in NZ society (needed) discussions and debates, little digs like that (as seen in our Parliament?) need to be removed, it only pulls us all down to further immaturity. When it seems we actually need and want more maturity in NZ. let’s raise the level, just a little at a time at least
The OP is not about women – it's about signaling the original sin of "pale, male, stales."
It's really not.
Some of us pale, male, stales manage to criticise a politician for their policies. I would happily mock Collins any day of the week, and yet somehow manage not to make it about her gender. It's not hard, is it?
I'd wager that to a Collins supporter your mockery of her would look just like 'misogyny'.
But then like 'racism' it's become one of those emotionally laden words that's been so twisted and stretched out of shape to have become virtually useless in any meaningful discussion.
Rubbish.
It's a straightforward test. "Ardern = communist" is wrong, in my subjective opinion. "Ardern = pretty little communist" is gendered, in objective fact.
But you know this already, unless you carefully avert your eyes from all coverage of the anti-Ardern protests.
For the political tribalist everything is very straightforward.
You're not engaging with anything here, just shoehorning in preconceived lines.
Is it possible to criticise Collins without misogyny, yes or no?
Have you seen plenty of misogyny on the anti-Ardern signs, yes or no?
Collins is one of the women allowed into the boys' club because she agrees to play the game the way that the boys want it*. Probably agrees with that too. It's no uncommon for this to happen, think Shipley, Richardson, Thatcher. Or Clark for that matter. The women who want to change that system have tended to get out. Ardern has stayed and make some positive changes (I think the strong MÄori caucus is part of this too).
Women as a class are better leaders at this time on covid response, for a range of reasons. This doesn't mean all women are good leaders, it just means that as a group there is something that women are doing that is different from men. And it also means that some women would be just as bad as say Trump or Boris Johnson.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/18/female-led-countries-handled-coronavirus-better-study-jacinda-ardern-angela-merkel
*for people having a reaction to that, understand that the boys club refers to the patriarchy, a system based on privileging men (and wealth, Caucasian ethnicity, male, fit body norms, etc). It doesn't mean that men are bad.
The amen beyond the prayer.
Actually, women and men do tend to organise things differently.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/18/female-led-countries-handled-coronavirus-better-study-jacinda-ardern-angela-merkel
The real giveaway here is 'thinking time'. Not that much thinking goes on.
In conversation, somebody might mutter "stupid little woman" or some such, because in real time we all say things instantly and then regret them.
But these anti-Ardern signs are prepared. They have thought "What shall I write?" and then they have decided. And there's a little light bulb in our heads that should say "Good idea … no, maybe not." So we don't add swastikas and other idiocy because the light bulb suggests it's not a good idea. Not these guys.
What's more, after they've taken the time and trouble to make the sign about the "mad cow" or "horse face" or whatever, they've met up with their friends and their little light bulbs aren't working either. They haven't had pushback from fellow protesters saying "Do you really want that message? Isn't this about water or utes?" etc. After all, you can only hold up one placard at a time.
Think about the group mentality that says misogyny is not only acceptable, it's clever. With all of that thinking time … they still go ahead and make it their preferred message. Those are people (men) with major issues.
Those people making sexist hateful vicious attacks are envious of Arderns success.They can't beat her at virtually any level in honest debates.So are resorting to lowdown Dirty tactics/politics.
when was the last time we had a man in charge? I would suggest ,maybe mike moore, geoffrey palmer . key was NOT in charge, who has he ALWAYS worked for???.bolger was led by ruthless, then winston, then whatshername. maybe you could argue that the last time we had a man in charge was muldoon, and what a phuckup that was-is.
Our woman in charge did a good job in Parliament question time yesterday over their woman in charge. The PM was in charge of information and the issues as raised.
The best bit for me came when having just asked a question about what restrictions would take place at what level, the Leader of the Opposition asked a question about a particular instance,
Ardern cheerfully pointed out that the question showed that Collins already had a good understanding of the covid restrictions and her previous question was somewhat unnecessary.
For those questioning Ardern's leadership she showed in these exchanges a grasp of detail and a quick mind and wit, a command presence and a passion, logical thinking and clear expression.
On the other hand, Collins was asked to ask a question again when she could not control her feelings- "what the hell" was the phrase used.
Ardern very clearly told Cameron from ACT who asked why she did not talk to Groundswell that she spoke to a series of farmer and rural groups and listed them.
She also listed for Collins the good results we have had in NZ in a series of areas in these Covid times. It was very reminiscent of what the Romans have done for us-oiur version has low death rates, high business resilience, low unemployment, low infection rates, low hospitalisation rates.
Anker going Green?
They definitely are not women – and as far as I'm concerned they aren't men either.
Looks more like Robertson is in charge and Ardern communicates.
It's how she got there.
Oh Ad…….that's a big claim. What's your evidence?
Because if you don't have any, you do realize that this makes you look a tiny bit sexist?
How tiresome.
Ardern appeared to come out of nowhere in 2017. But her origin sits within the tight circle of Hipkins, King, and Robertson. King in particular worked caucus very hard to ensure that the transition from King to Ardern in the Deputy position was totally unanimous.
That's the positioning, ready for Shearer and then Little to fall.
That doesn't deny Ardern her own agency. The construction of the digital infrastructure with the "Burns Unit" was critical within the public campaign. Nor does it deny her popularity.
But the positioning had been occurring for years beforehand, and Robertson was not only key then, he now holds all the budget power.
And in turn is perfectly positioned himself.
Robertson is an intelligent, centrist, neoliberal with zero personality. Ardern is an intelligent, centrist, neoliberal with recognised empathetic personality. If JA decides to leave, or is pushed and Robertson takes over, it's hard to see any glimmer of anything mildly progressive on the agenda and even a depressed and chaotic oppositon looking well placed to do well in the next NZ GE.
Each to their own.
I prefer Robertson since he is by a long way the most interventionist Minister of Finance we've had since Muldoon.
Labour's progressive agenda is primarily in the hands of this one Minister: all those big ticket items like Minimum Wage, Living Wage, $55b wage guarantee that kept unemployment under 4%, PGF, industry loans, sectoral wage increases, choking the banks, joining up ACC NZSuper and Govt Super funds together, increasing welfare, increasing tax on the very rich – that's on Robertson like no other.
I am sure it is very tiresome for you Ad to be challenged.
I'll let you know.
No, that is not accurate Ad. "That's how she got there'.
Robertson chose her as his running mate in the Labour Party Election of a new Leader. Andrew Little won that and worked with the advice of Annette King, who suggested they train up Ardern as his deputy as Annette was retiring. When Andrew Little realised he lacked that special spark of "cut through" he nominated Jacinda Ardern to take the Party into the election, believing they would lose less seats that way. She was nominated by Little and was elected unanimously 6 weeks out from the election.
Ardern brought sparkle and wit to the campaign, and showed NZ a different political style. Her first test were the negotiations with Winston Peters. Bill English was a staid person and Winston accepted Jacinda Ardern as the PM, Winston as Deputy and Grant Robertson as Treasurer plus Jacinda gave Andrew Little a front row role and trust. He swallowed his pride and has served NZ well ever since as she knew he would.
She led the Labour Party to an historic second term win in an MMP Election and replaced a losing Winston with Grant Robertson as her Deputy. She has had loyalty from the 6th Labour Government consisting of 65 members. Real men are not threatened by her qualities.
You've only added minor colouring on my description of her reliance on Robertson and King from the outset.
There's plenty of books and articles describing the same thing in more detail.
Reliance? Ability to work with others?
I can’t vote for a party who I believe are throwing women and girls under a bus. Not to mention all children who have been taught it is possible to change your sex and had medical transitioning enabled by the adults in their lives
Anker, I am sorry that has caused you to consider cutting ties. All the best.
Have you looked into Social Credit?
They will probably never get in but their policies are all good. They've been around a long long time
i think its too early for congratulations….when Auckland/nth island hits the country i expect to see a surge in cases…just how high/how bad that will get is the question and what will more coming waves bring us? we have fared well through good govt and team play mostly and one can hope that we will be spared the mayhem that occurred overseas with opening up….the best of luck to us all.
Indeed – all beginning to sound like deliberate infection of the South for political gain in the North?
Seems like Morgan Godfery (writing* an opinion piece in the Guardian) agrees with you, Micky. He's not usually that complimentary. I'm in Queensland, where the Premier is a woman. The Covid response (unlike JA the only crisis that Annastacia Palaszczuk has had to deal with) has been exemplary so far, with only 7 deaths, and each small Delta outbreak comeptently squashed. No real male/female pattern here, though. Gladys Berejiklian pursued a dangerous strategy in NSW, while Dan Andrews in Victoria did his best with Delta. All other states and territories have done a relatively good job – as good as Queensland all with male Premiers/First Ministers, Labor and Tory. Maybe the women worldwide who do make it to the top job are all by necessity exemplary, but not necessarily empathetic (Thatcher?)
* https://www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2021/nov/24/in-a-crisis-you-want-jacinda-ardern-thats-why-her-poll-numbers-will-remain-robust
Labour and Ardern will probably get their third term just on crisis management.
At some point the country will realise we need a wee bit more than crisis management.
Crisis is where we are at!
Climate change is a rolling crisis that will require real time actions and long term plans.
Covid also will be a rolling crisis in the same manner, affecting all humanity.
We will seldom be free of this pressure now, as weather bombs rivers in the sky cyclones and easterly swells bring problems compounded with supply shortages caused by covid waves in our trading partners. Insurrection will be common, and as we have seen strange beliefs common. Security will be precious.
Insurance underwriters will have nightmares, policy planners need to be flexible and ready to meet the challenge of changing conditions.
Humans have caused such damage that we are all on runaway systems which could fail at any time. NZ has never faced food security challenges, how lucky are we, but with all these problems shopping online from overseas will get more difficult, and many treats may not be available.
Think that I am exaggerating? The second hand car market has been affected, building and construction also. Risk and reward behaviours will impact, as people live in denial. Jacinda Ardern has been honed by all these crises.
Good comment. I should have gotten to saying something similar myself – this narrative of man bad, women good skates on some pretty thin ice.
Don't worry. Chris Hipkins has just blown a massive hole in the first two points.
Hmm – if only it were that simple. I remember when Shipley was in charge – they were not halcyon days, and were Judith Collins in power I suspect the qualities of gynocracy might garner a much less sympathetic hearing.
It might be something to do with being a mature and decent human being – qualities that it seems parliament does not reliably cultivate. Then again our whole society has pretty much dropped the ball on that.
What?…logic!…are you lost?
Against all odds, I still cherish the ideal of an enlightened society. It doesn't seem particularly realistic, nor does there seem to be much support for one. Nevertheless, I persist, because, although pessimists are always right, optimists have more fun.
lol…or believe they do
Every day you're still alive is a good day, every meal – a feast, every paycheck – a fortune.
And every asshole is just another obstacle to level up overcoming.
A great sci-fi/horror/action movie with both a strong feminist and family values message
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woB1zvaSXag
Every formation – a parade.
One of the rare instances where Hollywood did a bit of research on military culture – worked for Avatar too, though not as well.
I really don't get how you go from Aliens to Avatar…I thought Alita was a decent little movie, well worth a sequel I'd have thought
Marines PR – Aliens & Avatar had a bunch of them and their sassy banter.
Fear not, Alita is returning. Let's hope they do not make of it what the fans are saying about Cowboy Bebop.
Not going to watch it, I'll stick with the original
We need more women: https://imgur.com/gallery/P0jYWyt
Sweden's first female PM resigns hours after getting the job.
Sweden's first female PM resigns, hours after getting the job | Stuff.co.nz
What happens when you put a women in charge who can't count.
Yup . Our blessed Mickey's luck ran out with his timing on this one.