The right politicising the coronavirus

Written By: - Date published: 2:38 pm, February 26th, 2020 - 113 comments
Categories: act, david seymour, national, same old national - Tags: ,

Newshub are helping run reporting David Seymour’s politicised fearmongering lines over COVID-19 (the new coronavirus).

I’d go further and say not only is it desperate but it’s also reckless. Politicising a potential pandemic creates a contentious political and social atmosphere that we really don’t want if we end up in an emergency that requires actions like quarantining large numbers of people.

Leaving aside the blatant feeding of the right wing ‘absent PM’ meme, and reading between the lines in the article, I have to wonder now if Seymour’s press work is based not only in political opportunism but in panic.

It comes as world stock markets tumbled amid investor concerns over the spreading virus, which has so far killed more than 2600 people worldwide and infected more than 80,000. 

Jacinda Ardern is currently in Fiji where she met with her counterpart Frank Bainimarama to discuss matters including climate change, thwarting Pacific drug trade routes, and business cooperation. 

Seymour said Fiji is a “nice place” but its economy is “20 times smaller than New Zealand’s” making it “not an important trade partner and certainly not a place for the Prime Minister to spend three days as a crisis emerges”.

He said the PM has “prioritised a trip to Fiji over dealing with coronavirus” when the New Zealand economy is “at a tipping point”, which he said is when Ardern “should be here dealing with the potential fallout”.

Looks like ACT and National have been sharing talking points. Simon Bridges tweeted this this morning,

With coronavirus, drought & slowing growth, NZ needs a comprehensive economic plan not tinkering from Ardern & Robertson. National’s 5 point plan on tax, regulation, infrastructure, small business & families will ensure we have a stronger economy with more money in your pocket.

If it’s not climate change or rising fascism that has NACT showing the whites of their eyes, or even lots of people dying from an emerging viral epidemic, maybe it’s the existential fear born of the understanding that ultimately money will not save us.

Or maybe it’s just the position of people who really do believe that money is god. Seymour’s not so stupid as to not understand New Zealand’s moral obligation to our South Pacific neighbours over infectious diseases, particularly after the measles deaths in Samoa. To dismiss Fiji in this way because they don’t make enough money speaks to a deep social blindness. If anything is going to help us during a global pandemic, having good relationships with our neighbours would be high on my list.

Update: Russell Brown on twitter,

It further appears that nether he or any of his staff have bothered to check her diary. She’s already leaving Fiji tomorrow – to go and talk to ScoMo about coronavirus. These people are such fools.

113 comments on “The right politicising the coronavirus ”

  1. Robert Guyton 1

    Every opportunity to sow discord will be embraced.

    • Ross 1.1

      Seymour might be stirring but then he might not be. Does the PM have to be in Fiji? Probably not. (Remember the NZ cricket coach taking time off during the India series? What awful timing.) And think of those emissions! Coronavirus is potentially far reaching but hysteria could be the bigger problem. We have seen hysteria with regards to other issues (eg Y2K bug) and they have typically been overblown.

      • weka 1.1.1

        Does the PM have to be anywhere? Maybe she could just stay at home.

        • Sacha 1.1.1.1

          Kitchen is OK, apparently.

        • Ross 1.1.1.2

          Weka

          I was highly critical of John Key when he went to the US to watch his son play baseball. A memorial for a fallen soldier was held which Key failed to attend.

          There are various ways for the PM to communicate with her counterpart in Fiji without hopping on a plane.

          • Sacha 1.1.1.2.1

            Key went for a crucial meeting with top film industry people in LA, on the way to his boy's sportsball game. We can speculate on which motivated him most to spurn being there for the soldier..

    • Sanctuary 1.2

      When the pandemic emergency is declared, Seymour can be rounded up with the other suspects.

  2. Enough is Enough 2

    Coronavirus is going to have a very sharp shock which I do not think the the public quite appreciates yet.

    As new cases pop in Italy, Iran, South Korea and Japan, it is quite clear that it is a matter of when, not if, this thing spreads to New Zealand.

    The human toll is the most important thing. To slow its spread containment measures are going to ramp up over the next few weeks, which will mean a huge slow down in the international movement of people and goods.

    The consequences are obvious. We will struggle to get our good to market. Our manufacturers will struggle to import goods they need. We may soon be struggling to purchase simple products from the store.

    Lets not underestimate how bumpy this is going to be.

    • weka 2.1

      those are all good things to discuss. That's not really what NACT are doing though. National are using the coronavirus to promote their economic policy, and ACT are using it to diss JA/Labour. What I would expect from adults in this situation is for the opposition (whoever it is) to raise the issues in ways the build confidence not sow discord.

    • A 2.2

      I did wonder what was said by ACT, but didn't want to click. It's not really obvious from the post either.

      If it's so important to keep NZ COVID free then we need to stop all flights from affected countries with more than say 20 cases, not just China. I appreciate that many on this site see me as alarmist, and therefore would see multiple border controls such as flight bans from Italy, Iran, Thailand (hey, UAE and Kuwait blocked them…let's assume they know something), and South Korea. The US isn't testing but I'm certain they have spread there, and Canada refuses testing without travel history to China so it might be lurking in the population there too.

      ACT is a bit of a weird duck. I don't think this would get them new supporters, but it is going to confuse or distract people from keeping themselves safe which is monumentally irresponsible.

      • RedLogix 2.2.1

        It seems that on the evidence of the past week, this virus as already spreading well beyond China. While I've seen no-one attempt to calculate an R0 value recently, it's behaviour and infectivity tells me that it's pretty much unstoppable. I'm working with the assumption that everyone is going to be exposed sooner or later.

        In this case the best bet is slowing down the rate of new cases so that the medical system can cope with the critically ill patients. At this point it seems that if the ICU system is intact and people are treated it has about a 1% fatality rate, and if not this rises to about 3.5%

        It also buys us time for the various teams around the world to develop a vaccine. The University of Queensland is already growing it's first test batch of a candidate.

        • A 2.2.1.1

          Interesting, thanks

        • Enough is Enough 2.2.1.2

          Unless we completely close our ports and airports (and prevent the 1 million New Zealand passport holders abroad from coming home) the virus will get here.

          We don't want to starve, so closing the borders is not an option. We need to prepare for the inevitable.

          This isn't alarmist. This is just the way it is.

        • Paddington 2.2.1.3

          Hi Red…I'm currently travelling extensively in Asia (Dhaka, Bangkok, Hong Kong). I am a frequent traveller to HK and I've never seen anything like it. The streets are deserted. The Hotel is deserted. My Cathay flight from Auckland to HK was on a 777 and there were around 30 people on it. Of course there are memories of SARS here, but the fear is palpable.

        • Poission 2.2.1.4

          If china didnt inact lockdown and travel restrictions it would be far worse.

          https://twitter.com/yaneerbaryam/status/1232761456657125377

    • gsays 2.3

      I am not being cynical or dismissive when I ask this: when does the price of cheese, lamb, milk, beef start to drop?

  3. adam 3

    Gotta wonder when the right will realise there is no Planet B.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtTi_uyYynA&ab_channel=FlightlessRecords

  4. AB 4

    They simply know that Ardern is Labour's trump card and they will turn any event or issue into an attack on her no matter how implausibly. They have no sense of the public good – only of private advantage. It'll keep happening through to September.

  5. RedLogix 5

    In the meantime Australia is finally pulling finger and has published it's detailed plan. I agree with the OP that politicising this is a very bad move … but there is a fine line between that and challenging the govt to be upfront on what their actual plans are.

    • McFlock 5.1

      That "detailed plan" was mostly a load of extracts from "infectious disease control 101".

      I might have missed the bits where it identified specific triggers for banning air travel or closing schools, areas outlined for burial/cremation of mass casualties, and when the army might be called out to enforce quarantines of small communities. Do you want that stuff made available for download, or should they just flip it straight to FB memes about the end of the world?

      • RedLogix 5.1.1

        I would expect them to start with the '101 Plan' and progress from there as events unfolded. It's the lesson learned from the 2003 SARS event that responses need to be proportionate to what is happening; over-reacting can be almost as detrimental as under-reacting.

        I read it as a baseline document listing all the various activities that need to be taken into consideration and at short notice may need to be authorised and funded. More details to follow ….

        • McFlock 5.1.1.1

          So what's wrong with the NZ ministry of health c-19 page?

          • RedLogix 5.1.1.1.1

            Well now is the time to front foot it with the media and start the public preparing seriously.

            The Chinese people are sacrificing a great deal to slow down the spread of this virus, and that is buying us some time. I would like to think that time is being used wisely.

            • McFlock 5.1.1.1.1.1

              Nah.

              There's already enough panic as it is. We might see a case tomorrow, but we might not see it until six months from now. That'll lead to pr fatigue before we actually need to engage the public.

              Looking through that c-19 page and the links, more specific information is easier to find than in the aussie 56-page "plan", including for members of public. How many negative pressure rooms we have, how many ICU beds, what large event organisers and attendees should look out for, who shouldn't attend large events, etc etc etc.

              It's still likely that the biggest impact by far for nz will be economic because China and one or two other countries get cut off from us.

  6. Poission 6

    Vulnerable pacific countries have banned travelers from China,Japan,and Korea eg.

    https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2020/02/ed6c53525c9a-7-countries-restrict-entry-from-japan-to-thwart-new-virus-spread.html

    What controls (strategy) has the NZ MOH have in place to protect the pacific people?.

    • weka 6.1

      Part of NZ's strategy in response to COVID-19 is in relationship to our Pacific neighbours. This was reported at the time.

  7. Not just the right politicising it. There's a supposedly left wing kiwi blogger who insists on calling the virus by the name of city where it was first found, presumably because he thinks it's daring to be borderline racist. Time he woke up, I reckon.

  8. dv 8

    May be this is what was meant

    Seymour said ACT is a “nice place” but its political impact is “20 times smaller than Labour” making it “not an important political partner and certainly not a party for the Prime Minister to spend three days as a crisis emerges”.

    • Muttonbird 8.1

      yes

      Strikes me that, as weka says, it’s a case of promoting the ‘absent PM meme’.

      Have to wonder whether the right-wing will ever let Ardern out of the country without passing comment that she should be at home.

      Reminds me of that old patriarchal saying, ‘a woman’s place is in the kitchen.’

  9. "NACT’s values are showing."

    What is NACT? Equivalent to NZ FLABOUR?

    Using a petty label is itself politicising and detracts from valid criticism of Seymour.

    Just more lame electioneering from Bridges, but that looks like it has nothing to do with ACT.

    • McFlock 9.1

      Probably more similar to "labgrn" than whatever "NZ FLABOUR".

      Reread the post – it starts with Seymour's electioneering.

    • weka 9.2

      Not sure what you are on about there Pete. NACT is a well known and long used term to refer to National and ACT eg when they've been in govt together. It's shorthand, not a pejorative.

      I did think there was a connection between what Seymour and Bridges said, and mentioned that in the post.

  10. Peter 10

    Bridges was on air this morning talking about the need for comprehensive plans. He's good at/they're good at those.

    Let's see, 'Comprehensive Plan.' I know what that is. It's what you've got when you have a housing crisis and you don't want it to be called a housing crisis. It's being positive about what you're going to do, so you wave those couple of words, 'comprehensive plan' around like a wand. It doesn't actually get rid of or properly address the housing crisis because it's just words, but it sounds good.

    You spend years helping create a bad situation and to sort it out you get a do nothing label.

    When Bridges regurgitated his nonsense this morning the timid or unaware interviewer should have laughed in his face and asked him how their last big comprehensive plan went.

    I'm surprised David Seymour's into it boots and all and is missing Ardern leading us into battle from the steps of Parliament with a big sword or syringe. I thought he'd be too busy doing the serious stuff like organising himself to be a replacement for Hannah Tamaki in that dance thing.

  11. I have been following the whole coronavirus thing very closely and I have confidence that Jacinda Ardern and the Ministry of Health really do have this in hand. On the MoH website – which is being updated at least daily – they state: "The likelihood of an imported case in New Zealand is high, however the likelihood of a widespread outbreak is low-moderate."

    Looking at exactly who is getting Covid-19 and recovering as compared to those who get progressively worse and die gives a reasonably clear picture of what is happening.

    Proportionately more men than women are going on and getting pneumonia and subsequently dying. Most of those who have died were already compromised in some way – and let's face it, living in almost any one of China's large cities is enough to compromise anyone's health. The levels of pollution – air and otherwise – is extreme. Wuhan is bitterly cold at this time of year, but not only that, it's cold and wet. It's not surprising that their lungs can't cope. Many Chinese people – men in particular – are also smokers. Heavy smokers at that.

    Here in NZ we don't have the same climate, we don't have the same level of pollution and nor do we have the density of population. Wuhan has 11 million people. I've not been to Wuhan but I have been to several other Chinese cities. Beijing has a population of 20 million. Those of you who have been there will be familiar with the ring-road system that fans out from the Forbidden City in the centre. The entire population of NZ would fit within the 6th ringroad in Beijing. That's about 15km from the centre of the city. As a comparison, if the cathedral at the top of Tafalgar St in Nelson was the centre, then the 6th ringroad would cut through Richmond. That's an enormous number of people in a very tight area. Little wonder the virus is easily transmitted from person to person.

    The other reason it is unlikely to be too much of a problem here is that we do not have squat toilets. In recent days it has been identified that in addition to the aerosol transmission from coughing and sneezing, Covid-19 can be transmitted via the fecal-oral route. Anyone who has used the squat toilets in almost any part of China would not be surprised that this is a likely source of infection. They are not pretty.

    So essentially it comes down to basic hygiene. Wash your hands after going to the toilet and before handling food. Good cough/sneeze etiquette – into a tissue that is immediately binned. Respect that your immune system works better if you are well nourished and well rested so eat well and regularly, get enough sleep and don't push yourself to your limits.

    We've got this. Yes, many may get sick. Fortunately the vast majority will recover after 5-6 days. There is no need to lose the plot over it.

    • RedLogix 11.1

      A lot of the points you make are good ones. In addition there is good reason to expect like other corona virus' that it doesn't like summer temperatures, humidity and sunlight.

      But to counter your points around conditions in China we need to watch what is happening in Italy very closely. This will indicate what happens in a developed country.

      • Prickles 11.1.1

        Indeed. I'd be picking that the numbers contracting the virus will continue to increase but the majority will recover. It will be interesting to watch – and learn from.

        • RedLogix 11.1.1.1

          Even a 'best case' death rate of 1% is still pretty damned horrendous on a global scale … that's potentially 75m people. More than WW2.

          • Prickles 11.1.1.1.1

            But still not as many as die from influenza every year. Pretty tough if your own number comes up though, regardless of how many others are going with you.

            • RedLogix 11.1.1.1.1.1

              But still not as many as die from influenza every year.

              Seasonal flu (scroll down to find it) kills between 290,000 and 650,000 people a year and has a death rate of 0.1% of those that it infects. (Case Fatality Rate).

              But because we have vaccine programs and most people's immune system has encountered an influenza before, it only infects between 5- 15% of the world population annually.

              By contrast CV19 has a death rate at least 10 times higher and everyone is vulnerable to it.

          • Ross 11.1.1.1.2

            You seem to have plucked 75m out of the air. Meanwhile the United Nations were concerned that more than 60 million children could die over the next decade from preventable diseases.

            • RedLogix 11.1.1.1.2.1

              @Ross

              Assuming everyone of 7.5b eventually are vulnerable and a 1% CFR. It's a very first order crude calculation.

              No-one actually knows at this point.

            • Incognito 11.1.1.1.2.2

              If you want to go there again, please take it to OM, thanks.

      • Cinny 11.1.2

        There's a very cool interactive dashboard COVID19 tracker hosted by Johns Hopkins University,

        https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6

        It counts the cases, deaths and recoveries, also maps the countries 🗺️ Al Jazeera are referring to it.

    • weka 11.2

      Thanks Prickles, that's really interesting.

      If we look at NZ's cultural, social and economic vulnerability points re spread, I'd say our reliance on tourism is a big one, plus our hesitancy to restrict that. We're also loathe to restrict movement/travel, am not sure how people will respond to that if they personally feel restriction is unnecessary. Our 'she'll be right' attitude in the public might be an issue too. Not sure how well we would manage a period of uncertainty once the virus is here but not yet spread far.

      I'm hoping that if any party started politicising during such a time there's be widespread public and media condemnation, but maybe I am naive.

  12. A 12

    The reassurance that the PM and other relevant ministers are staying informed falls flat when you consider WHO might be giving them information.

    • Prickles 12.1

      WHO are not recommending travel restrictions yet we have imposed them and then extended them. Jacinda has also recommended that we treat the situation as though it had been already called as a pandemic (which as yet it has not been) so that all the right precautions and preparations can be made by the individual DHBs to ensure that if/when the virus does arrive they are well sorted. I don't see the PM and relevant ministers being puppets.

      • RedLogix 12.1.1

        I'm genuinely sorry to say that WHO have blown a great deal of credibility on this event. I've been getting most of my information from this guy the past three weeks. He's not sensationalist, but he does dig into what the logical implications of the data might be:

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IL7oGRKETZM

        • Prickles 12.1.1.1

          Interesting – thanks. I'll watch a few more of Dr Campbell's videos and see what he has to say.

        • swordfish 12.1.1.2

          Same here. Also Peak Prosperity & one or two others … but John Campbell is the main go-to guy for me … cool, calm, collected.

  13. Ad 13

    Note I did a post explicitly politicising it a week ago.

    • weka 13.1

      that's not what I mean by politicising.

      I've added coronavirus tags to your post so its easier to find.

  14. NZJester 14

    They want to politicise it, then lets hit them with the facts. The right weakened the two crucial things we need to help deal with this crisis in the past while they were the government. They weakened both our health system and or border security. This government has been rebuilding both since becoming the government and we hopefully have a better chance of dealing with any outbreak. But after years of mismanagement from the last NACT government, they still have a lot recovering to do from previous years of underfunding and losing a lot of staff to better offers and working conditions overseas.

    • Anne 14.1

      All in the name of tax cuts for the rich – lets remember.

    • Sacha 14.2

      I can't believe how the last Nat govt got away with reducing border security budgets when there were large-scale failures like kiwifruit PSA and Mycoplasma bovis. Dereliction of duty by media and opposition at the time.

  15. pat 15

    Chinese restaurants/takeaways are apparently doing it tough with turnover down by half (typically)….one has to wonder about the general publics intellect with zero cases of covid 19 in NZ

    • Anne 15.1

      Ignorance is bliss.

    • AB 15.2

      Don't think it's a lack of intellect. It's a risk calculation with a soupcon of racism. Moreover it's a risk calculation people can make for themselves instead of feeling completely helpless in the face of decisions made by other people. It's very human, and we all have a threshold where we will start behaving like that. Bad for the owners of the businesses – I'm not clear if there is any effective relief they can get of if they are just thrown to the wolves like outsourced/restructured workers, though somewhat unlike drought-stricken farmers.

    • Ian 15.3

      One can only imagine all that spare capacity available to launder cash.

      [In future, please don’t make stupid comments like that; they are not funny and they are not ok – Incognito]

  16. SHG 16

    A total freebie served up to the Opposition. Global crisis, Jacinda's touring Pacific resorts again. Not a good look, and so easily avoided.

    • Sacha 16.1

      Yes, we should let uptight Nat fanbois in the media set the PM's international programme. Funny how relaxed they were about JonKey's travels..

      • SHG 16.1.1

        A bit of situational awareness in the PM's office would not go astray. Someone having the professionalism to say "hey, it's looking like a pandemic with massive international and domestic impact and we haven't done anything to show we have a plan for it, this trip won't look good, you know the Opposition will make a song and dance about it"

        • Sacha 16.1.1.1

          I'd say this trip to Australia via Fiji has been set for some time. Soothing numpties fearful of being too far away from the apron-strings seems like a poor rationale for managing anything. Let little Simon and his twerking chum beat their puny chests a bit. Mummy will be home soon.

          • SHG 16.1.1.2.1

            Everything there is advice for travellers regarding something happening Somewhere Else. That information will be irrelevant when the virus gets here, and the information that we need to know about that eventuality is nowhere to be found.

            The government does have a pandemic plan.

            It isn’t communicating anything from it.

            Under what conditions will schools be closed?

            What provisions will be in place to support those placed under quarantine, and their employers?

            What penalties will apply to workers and employers who allow breaching of quarantine?

            What facilities is the government putting in place for quarantine for those who are ill?

            How much isolation-ward capacity do the hospitals have, and what happens if that becomes overwhelmed? Do we know whether the spread to almost all patients in the psychiatric ward in one South Korean hospital was a function of the perhaps greater difficulty of hygiene control in a psychiatric ward, or something more endemic to hospitals in places that are not Singapore?

            Has the government sought assurances from providers of critical infrastructure that they are prepared for potential loss of critical workers and for breaks in supply chains?

            A lot of GPs require people to show up in person for a re-up on a regular scrip, probably because that’s how they get the fees. Might the government consider requiring that regular scrips be issued on request in the lead up to and during a pandemic so as to reduce the number of people showing up at the GP? Like, maybe there’s some sense in having the GP check that my daughter still has asthma and that the meds are appropriate, but making people show up at the doctor’s right now seems silly to dangerous.

            There seems to be a lot of stuff that could be being sorted out during this brief respite in which it feels like we’re just waiting for the Mask of the Red Death to make his appearance. If the government is onto it, I haven’t heard about it.

            https://offsettingbehaviour.blogspot.com/2020/02/ready-up.html

            • weka 16.1.1.2.1.1

              "Everything there is advice for travellers regarding something happening Somewhere Else"

              The first two links I see are for travel safety, but the next lot are MoH, info for exporters, MoE, general Govt advisory and so on.

              Here's the MoH page about COVID-19, and that takes you to the Pandemic Plan, a 193 page document about NZ's plan for *any pandemic. I suspect it answers a lot of the questions above.

              McFlock points out elsewhere in the thread,

              There's already enough panic as it is. We might see a case tomorrow, but we might not see it until six months from now. That'll lead to pr fatigue before we actually need to engage the public.

              People have questions, and that's legitimate. I'd like to see some solid journalism covering some of this, people who have the time to read the 193 pages and put it in the context of COVID-19 and then translate that into useful, non-inflammatory information.

              • SHG

                I'd like to see some solid journalism covering some of this, people who have the time to read the 193 pages and put it in the context of COVID-19 and then translate that into useful, non-inflammatory information.

                Me too.

            • Cinny 16.1.1.2.1.2

              Schools informed parents of their COVID19 plan at the start of the school year.

              It spread so rapidly in China due to a lack of media coverage and shutting down those who tried to inform others.

  17. ianmac 17

    Pity that when the first case appears in NZ the NACTers will howl, "There you are. This incompetent disorganised Government has failed to protect the people! Told you so. Shame on Jacinda!"

    • McFlock 17.1

      Yeah, you don't need a telescope to see what those arseholes are building.

      • weka 17.1.1

        what do you think the public response will be to that? Or the MSM response?

        • McFlock 17.1.1.1

          oh the msm will plug it hook, line, and sinker. The entitled commentariat will be outraged, shiocked, and stunned at the horrendous repercussions of govt "inactivity". Whakaari "20minute helicopter ride" all over again.

          Only way to avoid it is for our exposure to be demonstrably mild – which probably won't be too far off the mark, given China's situation. But it's largely a matter of luck, depending on how badly the inevitable imported cases transmit the disease into the local population. If it gets a foothold in Counties Manukau, that'll be a problem.

          Public, probably not so much. Usual FB bleating. It could be well-established by the election, though, and that will affect general satisfaction.

          But if we get our first imported case a month or so after vaccine development, no worries. Case comes in, keep 'em isolated, jab everyone within five miles, job done. (that's the very short answer for a vaccine-available environment)

          • weka 17.1.1.1.1

            So in an emergency people will vote more conservatively?

            Do you think there will be an issue with people breaking quarantines?

            • McFlock 17.1.1.1.1.1

              As for voting, I suspect reluctance to get out and vote and an increased susceptibility to fear-based electioneering. But that's not really a priority in a worst-case situation. States of emergency might be a bigger barrier to voting.

              Quarantine issues: historically, most people understand the reasons behind quarantines and, to be frank, most of them are too sick or too worried for their home-mates to really give a shit. There might be a few idiots, but jail is also a good way to isolate people. And it's not like a movie virus – quarantining doesn't need to be perfect to be effective. Just good enough to lower the practical R0 below 1.

  18. Anker 18

    This is one of Nacts more ridiculous attacks of Jacinda Ardern. Maybe hoping to work up the sentiment of Australian’s when Scomo was on holiday in Hawaii.

    this govt seems to be covering all the basis with boarder control, health resource preparedness, meeting with tourism chiefs with financial support, trying to find alternative work for the logging industry workers.

    i suppose Ms Ardern could stay at home and as someone else suggested stand on parliament steps with a syringe or else be seen in her office pacing and wringing her hands….but actually what is needed right now by the leader is a steadying of the ship,

    carrying on, business as usual. Ffs she is only going to Fiji (no known cases) Australia (limited number of cases). She’s not flying commercially.

  19. Anker 19

    Not sure what your point is shg about no bushfires in Hawaii.

    jacinda will be working her but off in fiji and Aussie and that will include working on the threat of the coronavirus to us and our neighbours.

    meanwhile Clark, Robertson and Davis and their officials are at home continuing to work on this emerging situation. Think Peters and Parker have gone to China over this. Boarder control minister working on it. They are doing an excellent proactive job over this

  20. The Right is stirring up hatred and fear and wants Jacinda to announce some idiotic draconian plan that they can then denounce self-righteously.

    The Chinese embassy is accusing the NZ Government of racism for enacting travel restrictions (when China itself has imposed very strict quarantine on Wuhan).

    Seems to me the NZ government is taking sensible precautions but isn't plunging into a panic. But the usual suspects are taking advantage to push their own hypocritical BS and disinformation. Public safety and common sense do not matter to these people.

  21. bwaghorn 21

    Its hardly a right wing left wing thing . its a political thing.

    Scott Morrison got an absolute bollocking during the fires .

    • Sacha 21.1

      For not caring. Now whose values are more commonly aligned with that, the left or the right?

      • Ross 21.1.1

        How do you know he doesn’t care?

        He was probably well aware that there were bush fires, just as there had been in previous years. And let’s not forget that Christine Nixon, a female police chief, had previously been demonised because she had the temerity to go out for dinner during a bushfire. The media and the public can be crass.

        “OK, so Christine Nixon went out for dinner. By doing so, did she endanger any lives or properties? If so, how? Does anyone have evidence that, for instance, the rostered officers made the wrong call because Nixon was too busy ‘washing down’ her dinner to guide them?“

        https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2010-04-20/33730

        • Sacha 21.1.1.1

          He got an 'absolute bollocking' on that basis. What I know or don't is irrelevant.

          • Ross 21.1.1.1.1

            In other words he might be very caring but meh.

            Christine Nixon got a bollocking too.

            • Sacha 21.1.1.1.1.1

              Misunderstood saint, if that's what you need him to be.

            • Sacha 21.1.1.1.1.2

              Ross, why is your avatar a different colour above?

              Are you logging in from more than one device? Or is there more than one 'Ross'?

              • Incognito

                Same Ross but with a minor typo in the e-mail address, which unfortunately was approved and now the systems treats this as two different commenters 🙁

                • weka

                  Did you fix the typo?

                  • Incognito

                    No, no point; it has already been approved, some time back.

                    • weka

                      So has Ross fixed it? The name and email look identical to me.

                    • Incognito []

                      No, he hasn’t either. Look carefully at the e-mail addresses; there’s a one-letter difference.

                      Basically, he is using two e-mail addresses that differ by one letter because of a typo (it happened when we had that shit storm with him IIRC).

                    • weka

                      ah, thanks (must be going blind). I've fixed the typo now because I wanted to see what happened, so they're both blue now (in case anyone is still looking).

                    • Incognito []

                      There are 20 instances with the other e-mail address. I have unapproved one of them and then approved with probation so that next time it’ll end up in the Moderation Queue and we can correct the typo and release it. This will hopefully avoid confusion among other commenters. I don’t know if this will ‘lift’ the probation though. There are better things to spend time on though 😉

                    • weka

                      Ok, will be interesting to see what happens. I was thinking it's an issue of the form being now prefilled on two different devices (which is something Ross will have to fix).

                    • Incognito []

                      We have ways to ‘persuade’ him 😉

                • Sacha

                  Ah, thanks for clarifying.

              • Ross

                My avatar looks the same throughout…not sure what you mean. I wasn’t aware that you could type any old email address and still get access.

                • Incognito

                  No, it didn’t. You made a minor typo in your e-mail address and this was approved and recognised by the system. There are now 20 instances with this slightly altered e-mail address; the first time it showed up was on 24 Sep 2018. The system treats these as two different users and thus there are two different avatars, obviously.

                  Weka has changed the e-mail address in your comment under this post, which is why all your comments under this post now look the same with the same avatar.

                  It would be great if you could avoid this little typo in future to avoid confusion 😉

                  If you have more than one e-mail address, e.g. an old one that you used to use here, it would also help to void using the old one and stick to the new one. We do weed out sockpuppets and you may end up caught in the dragnet if you continue using that old/different e-mail address.

  22. Ross 22

    I use only one address and I don’t know what typo youre referring to.

    • Incognito 22.1

      What old e-mail address were you referring to then??

      There is one “d” in your regular e-mail address and in 20 instances this has changed to an “e”.

      For obvious reasons, I cannot spell out your e-mail address here.

    • weka 22.2

      Ross, are you using more than one device to comment on TS? eg a computer and phone, or a home computer and work computer?

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  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Government moves to quickly ratify the NZ-EU FTA
    "The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago
  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    12 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
    The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
    Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government lowering building costs
    The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Trustee tax change welcomed
    Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister’s Ramadan message
    Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness.  It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister appoints new NZTA Chair
    Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
    Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology.  It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Progress continues apace on water storage
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government agrees to restore interest deductions
    Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister to attend World Anti-Doping Agency Symposium
    Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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