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November 1, 2021 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 01 November 2021

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General Debate

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artemisia

Not sure if this from Dr Brash has been mentioned already. Under the heading

GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN FOLLOWING SOME PRETTY SHONKY ADVICE ON THE PANDEMIC

is this short but startling paragraph quoting Dr Martin Lally about how the government has been ‘following the science’ (down new and improved rabbit holes) –

Firstly, the views of Baker and Wilson markedly fluctuated: they favoured lockdown and were against ex-ante CBA on 19 March 2020, then favoured CBA along with urging the government to complete their CBA on 23 March, then favoured mitigation after completing their own CBA on 17 June 2020, and then reverted to favouring elimination without any CBA on 17 July 2020.

An apparently simple analysis like that actually needs dedication and a big brain. Thanks Dr Lally. I guess that is why we have not seen it refuded in the MSM, on the podium or by the protagonists.

http://www.bassettbrashandhide.com/post/government-has-been-following-some-pretty-shonky-advice-on-the-pandemic
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November 1, 2021 8:01am
- Cinematic
  
  The conclusion is obvious to many but not all. Please read Mr Mapp, and hopefully understand.
  
  “There may still be those who want to argue that the Government has done a good job handling the pandemic measured by the number of those who have died of Covid-19. But of course that number in isolation is meaningless. If a low number of Covid-19 deaths has been bought at the cost of more suicides, more cancelled cancer operations, more domestic violence, more mental health distress, and more failed businesses – leading to the reduction in average life expectancy found by Dr Gibson – it’s not an achievement to be proud of at all.”
  
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  November 1, 2021 8:18am
  - Andrew Worth
    
    Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
    “If a low number of Covid-19 deaths has been bought at the cost of more suicides, more cancelled cancer operations, more domestic violence, more mental health distress, and more failed businesses”
    
    There’s that false dichotomy again, in NZ suicide numbers went down, if the hospital’s had been swamped with covid cases the number of operations and the level of treatment for non-covid conditions would have decreased by far more, as was the case in other countries and likely there would have been more mental health issues. Businesses in NZ were affected, most of them severely for relatively brief periods, in countries with endemic Covid businesses were also greatly affected, possibly less severely but for longer periods.
    
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    November 1, 2021 8:37am
    - ClanMcleod
      
      It’s impossible to prove a negative, but there is no doubt that the negative outcomes around Ardern’s measures over covid are greater than any minor gains or lives saved. The only disagreement is the magnitude of the damage done. Whatever the final figure is, it is immense. Financially, physically and mentally, the scale of the damage is astonishing. The virus couldn’t have came anywhere near this level of destruction.
      
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      November 1, 2021 8:47am
      - Simon
        
        Ardern gubermint fails on implementation alone, even if the “experts” are right which they have proven not to be.
        
        NZ isnt at half time with this covid nonsense but already the negative outcomes far out weight any good the clown show have achieved with zero covid.
        
        The economic wreckage alone will play out for years long after Ardern has fled to the UN.
        
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        November 1, 2021 8:59am
      - Andrew Worth
        
        Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
        “but there is no doubt that the negative outcomes around Ardern’s measures over covid are greater than any minor gains or lives saved.”
        
        First you have to ask: compared to what? The UK’s strategy? Sweden’s? Covid spreading through a community is hugely disruptive, everyone and all businesses are affected, hospital’s are stretched, people are stressed. We can all point to mistakes Ardern’s government has made, but I don’t think successfully keeping covid out of the country for most of the time over the last 20 months is one of them. Obviously that strategy needs to change now to one of reducing covids cost through vaccination. I see the difference as switching from the defense to the offense.
        
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        November 1, 2021 9:05am
      - thirteenstars
        
        “The virus couldn’t have came anywhere near this level of destruction.”
        
        Bingo. It’s simply a variation of the Broken Window Fallacy:
        
        https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/08/broken-window-fallacy.asp
        
        And it applies to most government interventions in the economy and in society. The immediate benefits are touted but the long-term liabilities go unexamined and are usually of far greater consequence, particularly the moral hazards as individuals and groups gain advantages at the expense of others and compound the negative effects by prolonging the intervention.
        
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        November 1, 2021 10:17am
    - Cinematic
      
      There’s that reaching for the false ‘false dichotomy’ again. As if CBA can’t be applied to covid responses.
      
      You’re suggesting it doesn’t matter what approach you choose, that the social and economic cost of dealing with covid will be the same either way. That’s plainly absurd.
      
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      November 1, 2021 8:48am
      - Andrew Worth
        
        “You’re suggesting it doesn’t matter what approach you choose, that the social and economic cost of dealing with covid will be the same either way. That’s plainly absurd.”
        
        What’s absurd is your conclusion that that’s the inference of what I’m saying and the argument that costs associated with covid equals government efforts to contain its spread. There are costs no matter the strategy, costs in health, government spending, mental health and to businesses. That doesn’t mean there’s no difference in the costs depending on the strategy.
        
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        November 1, 2021 9:14am
      - Cinematic
        
        So you’re basically saying nothing. Best you stop.
        
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        November 1, 2021 10:00am
    - kowtow
      
      During the first country wide lockdown the hospitals “prepared” to be “swamped” by emptying the wards and cancelling all manner of operations , but got hardly any cases of bat flu ; how the hell was that useful to anyone?
      
      Business ? Right now we see the ongoing effects of lockdowns in the supply chain disruptions , how long is that going to last .
      
      There’s so much that the gurnermunters reactions to the bat flu and the Media won’t discuss , not to mention what is going to be monumental very long term debt that must be repaid by all taxpayers.
      
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      November 1, 2021 8:50am
      - Andrew Worth
        
        You’re pointing to logistical mistakes, there’s no doubt been plenty of those, but those logistical mistakes aren’t valid as arguments against the larger strategy.
        As an analogy: there were plenty of logistical mistakes made by the allies after the Normandy landinds, those mistakes are not a reason for not beating the Germans in Europe.
        
        If we’d followed other countries strategies, the UK’S for example, there would still have been plenty of mistakes made, as there were in the UK.
        
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        November 1, 2021 9:23am
      - artemisia
        
        Private hospital capacity was also requested to be available. This came to light when the companies complained in the media they were not paid for the empty beds etc. Went quiet in the media so assume there was a scramble to pay up.
        
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        November 1, 2021 10:24am
      - Happy1
        
        Its an urban myth that hospitals were emptied to make way for a covid tsunami. Elective surgery was canceled for the same reason as hairdressers appointments, it wasn’t considered safe from spreading the virus. We were going, and achieved, elimination.
        
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        November 1, 2021 12:36pm
      - CJames
        
        Happy – it is not a myth. You need to stop parroting the Labour Party line.
        I was in hospital extensively during the first lockdown for cancer treatment. Even the onco ward was half full where normally is is overflowing. My daughter worked in another ward at the time and told me her ward had been emptied out. We had nurses from other wards in onco as they had nothing to do so we covering for those that had to stay home because of school aged children.
        And the bigger thing than the emptied out wards was all those outpatient clinic that were cancelled how many cancers got to Stage 4 because of that?
        
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        November 1, 2021 1:29pm
  - Happy1
    
    The simple fact is that total deaths in NZ and Australia since the pandemic began are well below the 5 year average. In the UK they are 140,000 and in the US they are 650,000 above expectations. A bit hard to say that lockdowns etc cause more deaths than they save.
    
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    November 1, 2021 11:41am
    - Cinematic
      
      Yeah because that’s what the article says. Not.
      
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      November 1, 2021 11:58am
- bronny1
  
  Lally is a super smart guy, worked with him a couple times. As an economic modeller I’d suggest he is among the best we have in NZ. Shame the gummint prefers for-hire hacks for its analysis.
  
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  November 1, 2021 8:25am
  - virtualmark
    
    I’d take the opposite on that one. Lally has long been the Commerce Commission’s go-to guy for corporate finance advice and the advice he’s provided has been hard to reconcile with commercial reality.
    
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    November 1, 2021 9:09am
  - Aquataur
    
    Actually, I think he’s in Australia
    
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    November 1, 2021 9:18am
    - bronny1
      
      Must have seen the light before the rest of us who are now stuck here.
      
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      November 1, 2021 10:04am
      - Happy1
        
        You are not stuck here. You are free to go anywhere that will have you. Just don’t think you can come back whenever you like.
        
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        November 1, 2021 11:44am
      - bronny1
        
        Actually Happy1 – I am stuck here. Tell me where I can go without taking the poison jab?
        
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        November 1, 2021 11:52am
      - Flossie
        
        Sorry Happy – accidental “Report”
        
        What I did want to reply was those in Auckland are not free to go anywhere. Try getting to Wellington without all kinds of special paperwork!
        
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        November 1, 2021 12:03pm
      - Happy1
        
        Bronny, I think con air is looking for a backload so Aussie is an option even from Auckland.
        
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        November 1, 2021 12:28pm
  - Stellaboxer
    
    They prefer the experts who say what they want to hear.
    
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    November 1, 2021 10:05am
- Mr_Blobby
  
  I say enough.
  
  As the ruler of the independent Republic of Blobby.
  
  I hereby declare 1 November as freedom day.
  
  All restrictions are removed with immediate effect.
  
  Life is to return to normal, all citizens are to ignore anything that resembles a level, a traffic light or any other such nonsense.
  
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  November 1, 2021 9:57am
  - Man Among the Ruins
    
    We are all sovereigns of ourselves.
    
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    November 1, 2021 11:24am
- solarsailer
  
  Its been both hilarious and sad to watch the government and its “experts” ignore what is obvious to anyone paying attention.
  
  When our first Delta case arrived, it was clear from around the world, and more closely NSW, that lockdowns were not containing Delta. Arden did them anyway and has repeated the Australian experience with Auckland which now finds itself in perpetual lockdown. Cases are at their highest levels since the pandemic began.
  
  The vaccine is not containing spread. Countries with high vaccination rates are experiencing the opposite. Ardern wants over 90%, in a thinly veiled elimination 2.0 strategy, and acts as if this wont happen here. It remains to be seen what the vaccine does other than minimize symptoms for a short period of time.
  
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  November 1, 2021 11:26am
  - Jim
    
    And Arden denying the ever building international evidence that natural immunity is performing better than Big P’s best efforts. Hell she might as well finish the job and have MoH approve Pfizer’s petition to vaccinate our otherwise healthy 5-11 year olds, but don’t forget to include them in the DHB 90% medical apartheid statistics.
    
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    November 1, 2021 7:29pm
- Graeme Hall
  
  CBA = Cost Benefit Analysis
  
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  November 1, 2021 2:47pm
Warren

I wonder how much money has been swiped from the Covid fund to fulfill the promises on Climate Change.
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November 1, 2021 8:03am
Cinematic

Bakers latest nutty quote:

“There’s almost a sense of disbelief in New Zealand, that we won’t see a thousand cases a day…people don’t think that will never happen here.”
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November 1, 2021 8:06am
- Benedict Yu
  
  “people don’t think that will never happen here.”
  
  Does that mean it will happen or not happen?..
  
  Yes we will get a thousand cases per day. So what?
  
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  November 1, 2021 8:12am
  - Cinematic
    
    Your guess is as good as mine BY.
    
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    November 1, 2021 8:19am
  - Nickc2
    
    Now that the emphasis has shifted to saving our Hospitals from overload (Andrew Little), shouldn’t we only be hearing about numbers Hospitalised and those in ICU.
    If what Little says is true, why don’t we free the Populus from lockdowns/mixing restrictions/travel restrictions and permit normal living and commerce to resume?
    
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    November 1, 2021 8:38am
    - Mr_Blobby
      
      Regardless it is far from being our biggest killer in new Zealand I doubt if it even makes the top 10.
      
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      November 1, 2021 11:34am
  - tedbear
    
    “..a thousand cases per day.”
    Three or less of that thousand a day requiring treatment similar to that for flu.
    So what? Apparently our hospitals cope ok with more than three flu patients a day every winter.
    
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    November 1, 2021 8:57am
  - Greg Ettridge
    
    Will the yearly influenza make a miracle return after being eliminated according to the CHO in Melbourne.
    The more I think about it, the more I think these two afflictions are like Siamese twins, but they have the miraculous ability to disappear and then return.
    
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    November 1, 2021 9:05am
    - sooty
      
      Aint we just so lucky that cindy saved 79,998 people and stuffed the country doing it!
      
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      November 1, 2021 9:56am
- Raphael
  
  It’s not that we don’t think it will happen, it’s that we think it will happen with or without people being vaccinated (based on the evidence from overseas) so we should no be suffering another lockdown and we should not be doing mandates
  
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  November 1, 2021 8:23am
  - ClanMcleod
    
    Exactly. If you are concerned and think it will help, get the jab. But more importantly, exercise, eat healthily, take Vitamin C and D and zinc.
    If you are unhealthy and with underlying health issues there are many illnesses that will mess you up. Covid is just one in a long list.
    
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    November 1, 2021 8:51am
- ClanMcleod
  
  The one thing I am looking forward to when this is over is never ever having to look at or listen to Baker, Hendy and Wiles ever again. Along with the others.
  As in the UK, these crystal ball gazers have much to be held responsible for.
  
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  November 1, 2021 8:49am
  - Flossie
    
    A dozen up ticks there ClanMcleod!
    
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    November 1, 2021 9:43am
    - Taieri
      
      Ditto.
      
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      November 1, 2021 10:18am
  - Nickc2
    
    Witches and Warlocks were burnt at the stake in days gone by. Maybe that practice is worth resurrecting?
    
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    November 1, 2021 11:31am
    - Harriet
      
      With her long hair going to and throw and arms thrown here and there, along with the mad predictions of her subservient bores, and with the hearing impaired interpreter [no offense, and she is just employed to be there live] and the repetitive vocabulary and overriding socialist narrative —- it looked like a season of Bewitched. 😎
      
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      November 1, 2021 12:04pm
- KevO'Brien
  
  Epidemiologists dreams.
  I note they never considered the mental health of the nation.
  I have two teenagers both now too scared to go to school. The announcement about the bus exchange has done its damage.
  
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  November 1, 2021 9:39am
Raphael

So Rumble and Locals have merged.

Looks to be interesting (Locals is what Dave Rubin started when Patreon decided to wade into the culture wars, Rumble is an alternative to YouTube)
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November 1, 2021 8:08am
- dcrane
  
  I’m on a Locals group. It’s encouraging how non-toxic social media can be when a site isn’t designed to exploit and inflame emotions, and when the people are self-selected around a common theme of community.
  
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  November 1, 2021 8:39am
Charmaine Hawke

I was listening to the Dark Horse podcast yesterday and the hosts Brett Weinstein and his wife Heather Heying were talking about vitamin D and it’s role in our overall health.
The darker our skin the longer the exposure we need to the sun to get the same level of vitamin D. That our public health “experts” are calling for us to stay inside our homes locked away with our families and not being outside in the sun and fresh air should be all the evidence we need they are no longer fit for purpose.
For all our reverence of the medical profession we forget it started out using leeches to cure people and some would argue some cures are little better now. When you look at documentaries on the Victorian Pharmacy you begin to suspect our modern practitioners are little better educated.
History will look at the 2020’s and laugh at our reaction to covid much the same way we look at some medieval responses to the plague with amazement they could be so stupid.
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November 1, 2021 8:09am
- dcrane
  
  And last time I looked vitamin D is still barely mentioned anywhere on the official covid government website. Unconscionable.
  
  https://www.google.com/search?q=%22vitamin+d%22+site%3Acovid19.govt.nz
  
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  November 1, 2021 8:42am
  - Man Among the Ruins
    
    Just another indicator, to add to all the others, that your health is not their concern at all.
    
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    November 1, 2021 11:28am
  - krazykiwi
    
    I’m taking D3 2000IU/day + Zinc + Quercetin + Ester C
    
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    November 1, 2021 11:54am
- mawm
  
  It has been obvious to many of us that the orders from on high have been destructive and planned to maximise the pandemic and force people like sheep to accept being inoculated by an untested “vaccine”. Add to that the threats of removing our livelihood and ridicule in the press for any public statement or offer of alternative treatment. The banning of the use of HCQ and IVM, both safe and both have been used extensively, by the various medicine regulation bodies, is astonishing and as far as I’m aware the first time this has occurred. Off-label use occurs with many medicines. So don’t throw out the baby with the bath water your doctors are still hardworking people who endeavour to provide good healthcare.
  
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  November 1, 2021 9:39am
iMP

Prediction. Jacinda’s brand is waning; next poll will be dramatic. Queue Aunty Hulun opening a UN door so protege can waltz into a soft trough option (C. Carter; C. Chauvel etc) and flee Aotearoaean criticism and critique which she is perennially allergic to. Snowflakes don’t like heat. They like gilded privilege.
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November 1, 2021 8:10am
- Benedict Yu
  
  Yeah I dunno. While I don’t like her Helen Clark has ability. She did have the ability to run an organisation at the UN with thousands of people and billions of dollars.
  
  Jacinda does not have that ability. The UN is not going to give her a real job with real money and responsibilities.
  
  You could be right. But an alternative plausible scenario is that she will hang on to the bitter end.
  
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  November 1, 2021 8:16am
  - Cinematic
    
    Agreed. HC runs intellectual rings around Jacinda.
    
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    November 1, 2021 8:21am
    - ClanMcleod
      
      If you combined Clark’s intellect and political nous with Ardern’s PR and media savvy it would be a real force. Though in saying that I don’t mean to talk up Ardern. I saw through her veneer very very early. I met both Ardern and Nikki Kaye at an Auckland event when they were both candidates for Auckland Central. At the time I was a Labour supporter and thought Ardern was great from what I had seen in the media. I spoke to her for 3 or 4 minutes and came away with a feeling of great unease. She was utterly fake and insincere. I spoke to Nikki for the same amount of time and it was the complete opposite. She genuinely engaged, even on things we disagreed with. She was honest and believable.
      I voted for Nikki as local MP that year.
      Ardern is a fraud and only the most desperate voter in NZ is refusing to see that.
      
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      November 1, 2021 8:58am
    - The Goblin
      
      My basset hound runs intellectual rings around her….
      
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      November 1, 2021 9:08am
      - sooty
        
        So would Neve!
        
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        November 1, 2021 9:59am
      - alloytoo
        
        @sooty
        So would Neve!
        
        Hence the need for a nanny.
        
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        November 1, 2021 11:41am
    - kowtow
      
      In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king.
      
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      November 1, 2021 9:19am
  - Justitia
    
    I can assure you Benedict from first hand experience of dealing with them over a number of years the UN has plenty of high-paying sinecures for the washed-up and never-weres from politics. It is a dumping ground for First World drones and inconvenient relatives of Third World despots, all provided a living under the UN dogma of “equitable geographic representation”. I think Jacinda would be well placed to head up some bailiwick in the UN’s climate catastrophism scam which is a nice little earner these days.
    
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    November 1, 2021 8:25am
    - jv
      
      “ABSOLUDELY”
      
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      November 1, 2021 8:45am
      - sooty
        
        But Helen Clark got spat out and came home crying, even with H2 gaurding her back!
        Can you imagine fishboy been any use?
        
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        November 1, 2021 10:02am
      - Flossie
        
        Probably not sooty. But here’s hoping wherever and whenever she goes she takes him with her.
        
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        November 1, 2021 11:06am
  - bronny1
    
    I’d love to see JA go F*** some other organisation rather than our country. But BY is right, I detested HC but at least she had a brain. I don’t think the UN will want the thicko we have running NZ.
    
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    November 1, 2021 8:29am
    - Warren
      
      Don’t wish too loud as the next cab off the ramp is this according to the experts.
      I heard last night that Grant Robertson was the next most trusted person in Poltics behind Jacinda Ardern our Prime Minister and likely to take the reins when the job takes its toll on our Prime Minister. So is this another reason why the media get behind him when talks up our economy being able to handle the massive debt he has run up leaving future Generations the task of paying for it.
      https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/454496/government-finances-take-billion-dollar-hit-in-latest-covid-19-outbreak
      I seriously think New Zealand has a problem with truth at the top in our great Country when people like Grant Robertson can manipulate the truth to con New Zealander’s into believing he is the best person to be in charge of our Finances.
      
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      November 1, 2021 8:48am
      - Aquataur
        
        Not so sure
        
        I think it will be the ‘Thick as 2 planks’ Mahuta – with the support she has from the Maori caucus that will be next.
        
        God help us
        
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        November 1, 2021 9:23am
      - Justitia
        
        Robbo is a seriously ideological leftist plonker who believes he was predestined to be PM, and he sees himself as David Lange reincarnated (but without the wit). It could well be a case of “out of the frying pan into the fire” in terms of governance. But he will not have Ardern’s “empathy” and pulling power with the female vote which is what keeps Labour up in the polls at present. So he would be unlikely to win in 2023.
        
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        November 1, 2021 9:47am
      - bronny1
        
        He wont win the election for labour though.
        
        This is totally not intended to be offensive to anyone but him, but the first time I ever saw GR on tv I thought he was intellectually handicapped.
        
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        November 1, 2021 10:08am
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        Mahuta has the Mere and Taiaha at the ready
        
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        November 1, 2021 2:27pm
    - ClanMcleod
      
      She “looks good” for the cameras. There’s always a place for those. Zero substance but smile and wave well.
      
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      November 1, 2021 9:01am
      - sooty
        
        Only if someone else dresses her!
        
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        November 1, 2021 10:04am
      - oldfella
        
        CM: Yes, she can sometimes ‘look good’ for the cameras, but has become so incredibly gaunt in recent times that Mrs Oldfella (who has personal knowledge of such things), believes our PM, who’s on record as suffering from anxiety, could well be suffering from an eating disorder.
        
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        November 1, 2021 11:09am
  - Geoff1
    
    “Helen Clark has ability. She did have the ability to run an organisation at the UN with thousands of people and billions of dollars”.
    But not very well.
    Report slams Clark’s UN programme
    https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/8180500/Report-slams-Clarks-UN-programme
    
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    November 1, 2021 8:43am
    - SoloView
      
      Geoff1 – After that report during her first term she did another term of 4 years and then resigned.
      
      https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/88794507/helen-clark-resigns-from-undp-according-to-reports
      
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      November 1, 2021 3:46pm
  - Nickc2
    
    She doesn’t have to do anything, just attend Cocktail Parties, etc. She could share an office with Gretta Thunberg. Oh, the bubble bubble toil and trouble that could be hatched from that office.
    Dual canonization without death perhaps?
    
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    November 1, 2021 8:56am
  - The Feed
    
    It will likely be a role as a lightweight PR front at the UN.
    
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    November 1, 2021 11:34am
  - Bob
    
    Helen Clark has ability…
    Benedict, I don’t recall Comrade Clarke being offered an extension of her appointment with the UN.
    She returned to NZ with her tail between her legs, and went into disgraced sulk mode for a couple of years.
    
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    November 1, 2021 11:43am
    - SoloView
      
      Bob – After two terms (8 years) Helen Clarke resigned.
      https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/88794507/helen-clark-resigns-from-undp-according-to-reports
      
      Extracts from the link above:-
      In 2016, Clark was alongside Oprah Winfrey in a list of the world’s most powerful women.
      
      Forbes magazine’s 100 “power women” ranked Clark at number 22.
      
      The UNDP administrator is appointed by the secretary-general and confirmed by the General Assembly for a term of four years.
      
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      November 1, 2021 3:49pm
  - Paulus Gnome
    
    I dunno, Tedros got a gig . . .
    
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    November 1, 2021 12:11pm
    - Paulus Gnome
      
      . . . and has just had the gig renewed I believe.
      
      Nice ‘work’ if you can get it . . .
      
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      November 1, 2021 12:12pm
  - Graeme Hall
    
    You might admire Helen Clark, but didn’t the UN slash the Economic Development budget she was in charge of for not accomplishing enough? Then, when she ran for top dog it spat her out. Her messianic drive for power always eclipsed her ability.
    
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    November 1, 2021 3:04pm
- Flossie
  
  Well we can hope she’ll head off out of here. Agree that she is no H Clark so perhaps not the UN, but so long as she goes somewhere that’s not our beehive.
  
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  November 1, 2021 8:22am
  - alloytoo
    
    I’m not sure she can return to Auckland, those few shopkeepers who remain may well refuse to serve her.
    
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    November 1, 2021 11:45am
- Tony Stuart
  
  Charles Chauvel? Wow; there’s a name we haven’t heard for a while! I believe he had a serious case of Entitleitis…
  
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  November 1, 2021 8:23am
  - plc
    
    Hey…it was appropriate that he had a publicly funded resident grape peeler
    
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    November 1, 2021 9:04am
    - The Real Tony
      
      IIRC, Finlayson, et. al. called him Champagne Charlie for a reason.
      
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      November 1, 2021 9:33am
- Paulus
  
  Am I wrong in that it has not been “announced” that Jacinda is going to the Glasgow conference this week as has been muted in hushed tones in Wellington ?
  Why the secrecy as it is perhaps that many people will object to the enormous costs for is a PR trip (and job interview) as part of 25,000 people there, and the associated aspects of this trip as already told to us by Shaw, with Ardern connivance.
  And new Zealand and Auckland are still well into lockdown as figures get worse daily.
  
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  November 1, 2021 8:24am
  - G152
    
    Maybe while shes gone they’ll change the locks ???
    
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    November 1, 2021 8:36am
    - The Real Tony
      
      Trying to channel a little Jenny Shipley killer instinct?
      
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      November 1, 2021 9:35am
      - sooty
        
        When was the last time she was seen in public?
        
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        November 1, 2021 10:07am
      - Jack5
        
        ?Jenny Shipley killer instinct …
        
        That’s a joke, isn’t it, Real Tony?
        
        How’s she getting on with the Mainzeal case?
        
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        November 1, 2021 10:42am
  - Flossie
    
    Surely she wouldn’t go? After saying on the AM breakfast show this morning that she cannot go to Auckland as that would mean taking her out of action for 4 or 5 days.
    Hmmmmm.
    
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    November 1, 2021 8:47am
    - Greg Ettridge
      
      Scumo can only go overseas and has very limited access to Australia. He can visit Scotland with a seven day rolling average of over 2,000 a day, but has bugger all access to Australian states.
      He can fly back into Australia no quarantine.
      If she is going she needs to get her skates on, it would tear her apart to not be at gab fest like this.
      
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      November 1, 2021 9:23am
      - mawm
        
        Do you think she’s going to sneak out like John Key sending Pita Sharples off to New York and hope that nobody finds out? All with a good excuse of course.
        
        11 1
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        November 1, 2021 9:48am
    - Bob
      
      Ardern is busy in ‘action’ campaigning for the yet to be announced snap election late summer/early Autumn 2022.
      
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      November 1, 2021 11:47am
  - KevO'Brien
    
    Where is Ardern? I suspect she is at a WEF meeting for their alumni receiving further instructions.
    
    Wherever did she get the 50% emissions reduction by 2030 from?
    
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    November 1, 2021 9:51am
  - Ed Snack
    
    Will she take a (the ?) 757 to attend, and if so, where on earth will they park it, there’s hundreds of private jets all competing for limited space locally.
    
    Amazing how much “carbon” can be released for a “good” cause.
    
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    November 1, 2021 10:20am
- Inandout
  
  IMP, Helen to her credit understood the grasping Maori foreshore ideals better than anyone.
  
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  November 1, 2021 8:57am
  - kowtow
    
    At that stage in its evolution the Labour Pardy sisters were still afraid of the possible reaction from the cloth cap worker element of the left movement.
    
    Today that has been swept away , in favour of the new support base of the Labour Pardy . The urban woke , tax payer subsidised middle classes. The green stone wearers , the identitarians , the public service , academics , the climate fearful , the huge new benefit dependant class etc
    
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    November 1, 2021 9:25am
  - chukar
    
    If the Three waters gets through watch for Mahuta as the new Labour leader!
    
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    November 1, 2021 9:29am
- Ruahine
  
  I read where Ardern says she cannot go to Auckland because she would then have to be ‘out of action’ for 5 days, which is just rubbish. However being the smart person that she is perhaps one of her advisors has pointed out to her that it would be unwise because she might catch Covid from one of her’ people. This of course would be very embarrassing because of the narrative that she and the paid media are trying so hard to put across. Having claimed to have received two doses of the vaccine and then be infected by the virus would blow a big hole in the efficacy narrative that the media is trying to put out. However if she did catch the virus would the media report it. I think not.
  
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  November 1, 2021 9:01am
  - The Real Tony
    
    If it bleeds it leads.
    
    If the PM caught COVID, they would be all over it like flies on shit.
    
    That’s not to say that the coverage wouldn’t be sympathetic, but it would be wall to wall coverage.
    
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    November 1, 2021 9:37am
  - Ehlana
    
    I just saw a news item where the PM explains that going to Auckland, because of the quarantine requirement on return, would leave her isolated for four or five days. She has to chair Cabinet and be available to the media, you see. Besides, she is hearing from people from Auckland, by Zoom.
    
    Do you suppose technical genius could find a way to make Zoom work in both directions – so the PM could meet with Cabinet by Zoom from Auckland, or from isolation on her return from Auckland? Perhaps even take questions from journalists via Zoom?
    
    Perhaps Judith Collins could explain how she is managing to be in both places and still do her job.
    
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    November 1, 2021 11:42am
    - alloytoo
      
      Because Judith actually does her job.
      
      I must say it was reassuring to see both Collins and Seymour in Auckland this weekend.
      
      Like seeing Churchill in London during the Blitz.
      
      Ardern by contrast if effectively hiding in the basement like Brandon.
      
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      November 1, 2021 11:53am
- Man Among the Ruins
  
  Oh, God….I’d forgotten about old Charlie Shovel. He positively oozed pompousness and a supercilious disdain for the masses.
  
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  November 1, 2021 11:31am
Raphael

I know several schools who are going to be missing teachers in a fortnight. Some none, some one or two, and some a number.

The Vaccine Mandate for Teachers is Wrong! Forcing people to choose being able to feed their families or have a medical treatment they don’t want is Evil!
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November 1, 2021 8:12am
- sooty
  
  If only the remaining teachers had to clean the toilets, sweep the floors and mow the lawns!
  
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  November 1, 2021 8:18am
- MCos
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  Which schools are they?
  
  Let’s have a list so I can see any that my family teach at are included and I can check your claim.
  
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  November 1, 2021 8:20am
  - Cinematic
    
    Heh, MCos the fact-checker.
    
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    November 1, 2021 8:25am
  - Raphael
    
    Do you actually doubt the statement that some schools are going to be missing teachers on the 14th November? As I said, some schools will be missing no teachers, some one or two teachers, and other schools a number of teachers.
    
    The schools in question are Tauranga based, and the folk are people I know personally, so for privacy reasons I am not going to share the information.
    
    The fact remains, forcing people to choose over being able to provide for their families or a medical treatment they don’t want (whatever their reasons, be they good or bad, brilliant or asinine) is exactly why it was part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and why it is part of our own Bill of Rights.
    
    (Note: I myself am not a teacher, and will be having my second jab in due course)
    
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    November 1, 2021 8:30am
    - MCos
      
      I expect there may be teachers, or other people for that matter, who are prepared to stand on principle and refuse to either be vaccinated or disclose they’ve been vaccinated, even if it costs them their career.
      
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      November 1, 2021 9:41am
    - Paulus
      
      Can I assume that Teachers who do not teach, because of their virus beliefs, still get Paid ?
      
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      November 1, 2021 1:49pm
- Tony Stuart
  
  The same applies to ECE, especially the Home Based ECE sector, where not only Educators need to have had their first vaccination by 15 November, but everyone 12 years of age and older in their household must be vaxxed as well. It’s putting the future of a number of businesses, the very same ones Hipkins and the MoE called on the provide care for essential workers in August, at risk.
  
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  November 1, 2021 8:30am
  - artemisia
    
    Family member (ECE centre manager) – two staff have just left. One for vax mandate, one for a different job. Really hard to recruit / keep staff in the sector. Thing is – what happens when staff reductions – for whatever reason – mean the sector must reduce the roll.
    
    Answer – some fully vaccinated working parents will have to stay home or find other day care in an increasingly difficult market. Flow on impacts to employers and then still further downstream as incomes drop (and mortgage payments / rents go the other way).
    
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    November 1, 2021 8:49am
    - Tony Stuart
      
      Yep; ECE teachers are a sought-after species at the moment. Even so, some feel strongly enough about vaccination mandates that they are willing to walk away from the profession.
      
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      November 1, 2021 9:13am
      - ClanMcleod
        
        We are losing 2 out of 4 teachers including the one who was likely to take over the head role when the current head retires early next year. We are losing the sole teacher aide. There are parents removing their children including us. This is a complete and utter clusterfuck and all of it is down to Labour and particularly Ardern. Never let anyone blame this on covid. It was Ardern who chose this tack.
        
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        November 1, 2021 11:43am
- bronny1
  
  My sister has not resigned due to legal advice but will not be vaxxed and can afford to make that choice. A second teacher in her dept has made same choice. School has around 1200 students now down two maths teachers at least for 2022
  
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  November 1, 2021 8:31am
- ClanMcleod
  
  Our local rural school is losing 2 teachers and 1 teacher aide. All excellent educators. We’re taking our daughter out of the school and will home school instead. We won’t be part of a system that destroys good people.
  
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  November 1, 2021 9:04am
  - mawm
    
    I cannot express my support for you strongly enough! I just hope that there are enough people like you in New Zealand who have the moral courage to stand up for their beliefs as you have.
    
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    November 1, 2021 9:54am
- Salacious Crumb
  
  Principle friend has told me he is going to lose 3 teachers and 2 special needs teacher aids. This in a small rural centers high school. Even with exemptions under the new Covid Amendment Act they cannot perform their core roles. Their union has been MIA over this and this principle is resigned to list them all. The teacher aids are not replaceable owing to their experience and lack of candidates in the region. Well done Labour.
  
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  November 1, 2021 9:05am
  - plc
    
    Imagine PPTA and NZEI if this had been under a National government.
    
    Unions failing in the first role – protecting the interests of individual members.
    
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    November 1, 2021 9:54am
- krazykiwi
  
  I know of an Early Childhood centre that will close because three staff have refused Pfizer’s gene therapy. They probably understand Section 11 of the Bill of Rights Act.
  
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  November 1, 2021 12:01pm
  - Tom Hunter
    
    My wife was going to retire at the end of this year anyway after being a one-on-one teacher of disabled kids for a decade now, but the vax mandates have brought that perhaps a month closer.
    
    Of course given the way the DOE is run they may just allow her to collect her pay cheques all the way up to Christmas while she does “online” work at home, as she has now for three months.
    
    I’ve told her she should not resign but force them to fire her and see if we can’t grind some more money out of the system. Seems to be the end-point for people in NZ nowadays.
    
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    November 1, 2021 12:52pm
Tauhei Notts

A couple of beers with a 48 year old hard nut yesterday afternoon. He is no paragon of virtue, but his comment about “P” concerned me.
“Where will our country be when those P heads reach my age and all of them have brains fried from that dope.”
He explained that P is so widely available and quite cheap; it is incredible how widely it is used.
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November 1, 2021 8:18am
- kowtow
  
  And the Media Pardy consistently tell us the pushers are just marginalised lads in search of loving father figures.
  
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  November 1, 2021 9:02am
- Frank the tank
  
  Look to Zimbabwe – that’s where. Our decent to the third world is getting swifter by the day.
  
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  November 1, 2021 9:06am
All_on_Red

I wondered if this would happen. Businesses ignoring the Vax Pass
https://www.theepochtimes.com/mkt_morningbrief/nyc-40-percent-inspected-businesses-noncompliant-with-vaccine-pass-mandate_4076368.html

I see SouthWest Airlines has walked back their requirements too.
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November 1, 2021 8:20am
- Cinematic
  
  Will happen in NZ too. Unenforceable and inconvenient. People are simply too lazy to bother with such things for any decent length of time.
  
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  November 1, 2021 8:23am
  - Benedict Yu
    
    I agree with you if there is no enforcement. But if there are (say) $10,000 fines for letting an unvaccinated person into your establishment, there will be compliance.
    
    Wait until you see the law. If it is a $50 fine you will be totally correct. Compliance will fade away. But if they build a regime along the lines of alcohol sales it will be 99.9 percent complied with. You don’t see liquor stores saying they can’t be bothered checking ID anymore.
    
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    November 1, 2021 9:28am
    - KevO'Brien
      
      Why encourage others to break the law about forcing people to take unwanted meds?
      
      The rule of law has to come first, not the attempted workarounds.
      
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      November 1, 2021 9:55am
    - Tom Hunter
      
      But liquor stores don’t check ID unless they think they’re dealing with an underage person.
      
      The only time you see “enforcement” occur is when a young person gets arrested and the cops can definitely trace it back to a place of purchase. Which all makes sense when you consider how law is enforced: the cops themselves know what the work/reward ratio is, which is why burglary has slipped so far down the chain. Vaccine mandates will be screamed about by the government for a while, and the MSM of course, but sooner or later people will get tired of trying to enforce it in situations like this.
      
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      November 1, 2021 12:45pm
      - Benedict Yu
        
        I guess we shall see. For hospitality venues it could be hit and miss.
        
        But for large events it will be enforced. They will just add a QR scanner next to the machine where you scan in your ticket. Concerts, rugby matches etc.
        
        If Air New Zealand bans unvaccinated from flying – which seems increasingly likely – they will just add the QR scanner as part of the current e ticket scan in process. No avoiding that.
        
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        November 1, 2021 1:29pm
- Jim
  
  Yep we’re statistically more likely to die from a head on crash with a (endemic) texting driver, yet enforcing that seems too hard. I guess the Jacinda’s covid pass will give a Squid Game green light (virtuous and healthy!) or red light (anti vaccine conspiracist) public shaming to drive home the veiled authoritarianism.
  
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  November 1, 2021 8:05pm
Yvette

Yes, it is boring, but Mahuta is not probably working on covid like Labour’s six other Ministers of Health (Ardern, Bloomfield, Robertson, Hipkins, Little, Ayesha Verrall, Siouxsie Wiles, and Peeni Henare) – shit! that’s eight!
But, Mahuta is working on something else …

Not “Lest we forget”, but “Lest we don’t note what is going on behind the smokescreen and mirrors of covid”

Māori co-governance and Three Waters boundaries an ‘historic’ step
The decision to align the new water authorities with generations-old iwi boundaries highlights the challenging role for iwi Māori in the new water authorities’ governance

There’s are things that Te Rūnanga a Rangitāne o Wairau general manager Corey Hebberd doesn’t agree with the local council on – like whether his iwi or neighbouring Ngāi Tahu has manawhenua [the right of a Maori tribe to manage a particular area of land] and manamoana [authority over the sea and lakes ] to oversee restrictions on vehicle access to Marlborough’s eastern coastline, uplifted by the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake. The Marlborough District’s mistaken acknowledgement of the neighbouring hapu was “deeply hurtful”, he told them.
… Aligning some of the boundaries of the new Three Waters authorities with established iwi boundaries highlights the critical and sometimes contentious role for iwi Māori in their governance.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/maori-co-governance-of-three-waters-a-historic-step

• A tribal dispute over manawhenua and manamoana of the “eastern coastline, uplifted by the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake”? Does Brian Tamaki know about this? How about anyone else?

• And another item already raised – is each entity balanced?
Entity A comprising Auckland with over 1,725,852 people to pay for water, and Entity D, Ngai Tahu, with around 864,351 people [1], so will that trigger the Top-Up Clause in Ngai Tahu’s Waitangi Tribunal final Settlement?

In particular, Cabinet has agreed that the boundaries of the southernmost water entity will match those of the big Ngāi Tahu takiwā – slicing a line through the more recent geographical creations that are the districts of Marlborough and Tasman.
In those districts, some ratepayers will pay their water bills to Wellington; their neighbours will pay them to Christchurch. An example is the Awatere Valley, fertile wine country across the hills to the east of Blenheim.
… Seddon will have its water services provided by the same lower North Island authority (“Entity C”) that also services Blenheim, Picton and Nelson. But all the surrounding farms and hamlets will be services by the South Island’s Entity D.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/maori-co-governance-of-three-waters-a-historic-step

Mahuta said the new entities would also be built in such a way that they would not return a dividend or any other financial incentive to their owners, making them very unattractive to future private buyers.

• But is the 50–50 percent role of Crown / iwi Māori in the new water authorities’ governance, not actually privatisation of 50 percent of control to an elite group representing (but likely with no payments trickling down to) a 16.5 percent ethnic minority?

• And – Dr Mike Joy: “The briefing document from the Department of Internal Affairs doesn’t mention sources or catchments, neither does the FAQ document or the MBIE report. The Water Infrastructure Commission of Scotland (WICS) final report – economic analysis of water services aggregation mentions groundwater once – but nothing about protecting their sources. “Missing this crucial ‘fourth water’ – the source water – seems odd.
I note that the summary report on the workshops held for the Three Waters Reform Programme, released in March 2021, showed that in polls held during the workshop, taking a catchment view of water ranked as the second most important objective by attendees.
“… I could find no mention of one of the emerging issues for New Zealand, that is nitrogen contamination of drinking water. There was no mention of it, nor just how expensive it is to remove nitrate from water.” [2]

[1] https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300345516/water-services-of-67-councils-to-be-amalgamated-into-4-water-entities-in-massive-shakeup
[2] https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO2106/S00023/three-waters-reform-could-cost-185-billion-expert-reaction.htm
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November 1, 2021 8:22am
- pdm
  
  There was always some doubt that Mahuta could cope with one task at a time when in opposition..
  
  Nothing seems to have changed.
  
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  November 1, 2021 9:15am
- KevO'Brien
  
  We don’t normally get our drinking water from rural creeks so nitrates are not a real issue.
  
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  November 1, 2021 9:58am
  - bronny1
    
    Seriously? We have a huge nitrates issue in Canterbury! The water in Lincoln for instance.
    
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    November 1, 2021 10:14am
    - KevO'Brien
      
      Lincoln is distinctly rural.
      
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      November 1, 2021 11:37am
      - bronny1
        
        Clearly you’ve not been there recently! It’s multiplied many times over since the earthquakes. Lincoln is now joined into chch essentially its spread so much!
        
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        November 1, 2021 11:57am
Scott

Like many people I was flummoxed when Alec Baldwin shot and killed a cinematographer on the set of a movie recently. How did this happen? Was it a real gun or a prop gun?

A couple of things come out of the article below. First of all it was a real gun. It was an Italian made replica of the Colt peacemaker. It had no safety features. To fire it one had to cock the hammer and then pull the trigger. To use the weapon properly requires a lot of practice.

So the conjecture is that Baldwin was practising with the gun and accidentally fired it. Some interesting points came out of the safety protocols that must’ve been overridden. One really struck me, “when you have a gun in your hand it is the only thing in the world”. That is you must give this gun your full attention.

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2021/10/stephen-hunter-the-shooting.php

The only matter that the writer does not address is what the heck was live ammunition doing on the set? How could the gun have been loaded with live ammunition?

One can only point to a cascade of failures. My speculation – hubris residing in Alec Baldwin. Maybe in his arrogance he overrode every safety protocol? We follow the story with interest.
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November 1, 2021 8:24am
- G152
  
  I have a feeling that the ‘shooting’ was a personal thing.
  There are basic rules to handling a firearm.
  Always treat them as loaded.
  Always check the load.
  And never point them at anything except the target.
  And if there is any doubt check
  
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  November 1, 2021 8:41am
  - ClanMcleod
    
    The simplest and most important of them all is never ever point at someone. EVER. That one alone is the gospel.
    
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    November 1, 2021 9:06am
    - Ed Snack
      
      There can be a problem with that on a live set. With all the lighting pointing at the actors, it isn’t always possible to be able to see who is outside the lights and where they are. That’s one reason why the safety checks on a set are supposed to be so stringent, with the armourer personally responsible for ensuring that each gun is safe when handed over, and the actor is also responsible for checking the same at handover.
      
      It is quite clear that those protocols were breached by Baldwin on his set. The amourer was not the person obtaining and passing on the weapon, and it was not checked before nor during handover. Straight negligence.
      
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      November 1, 2021 10:28am
      - mikenmildagain
        
        I can see why people want to put it all on Baldwin, of course. He’s a Hollywood luvvie, so an eminently suitable target for a hate-fueled pile on.
        
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        November 1, 2021 12:15pm
      - GJM
        
        Baldwin is a very anti gun Hollywood luvvie, who wants to ban guns and thinks they are evil.
        Alec Baldwin has killed more people than my AR15 ever did, yet it was confiscated and went into the crusher.
        
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        November 2, 2021 9:01am
- Flossie
  
  He’s an adult. He was handling the gun. Buck stops right there whatever excuses are trotted out about not knowing it was loaded etc
  
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  November 1, 2021 8:52am
  - Greg Ettridge
    
    Problem is he maybe an adult but may have never sat through a gun handling course.
    If you do this, you know what is acceptable, and it appears he broke all the rules.
    One would wonder if he had a gun license?
    If he did, he definitely should be charged.
    
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    November 1, 2021 9:30am
    - Flossie
      
      I have never been through a gun handling course but if in the unlikely event I were ever to be handed a gun my commonsense would say –
      Is it loaded? Check that.
      Don’t point it at anyone.
      Don’t fire it.
      And it’s not as if he did not expect there would be guns on set (real or otherwise) due to the script.
      
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      November 1, 2021 9:49am
    - Raphael
      
      If it was some new unknown actor maybe.
      But Alec Baldwin has been in enough action movies over the years that he has to have gone through several gun handling courses.
      
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      November 1, 2021 11:40am
- kowtow
  
  First world issue .
  
  Wot’s with this obsession of a Hollywood mishap ?
  
  The amount of air time and ink given to it !
  
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  November 1, 2021 9:05am
- doggone7
  
  “The conjecture is that Baldwin …”
  
  The fact is that conjecture is not fact. The trouble is that conjecture becomes fact in the minds of some.
  
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  November 1, 2021 9:48am
- KevO'Brien
  
  I would expect if an armourer is appointed to oversee on set safety others can expect that safety.
  
  Did you ever see John Wayne stop to check to see if his gun was loaded with blue or red ammo?
  On set everyone has assigned duties which they have to be expected to carryout. It’s not possible to have continuity in a performance otherwise. Any production member would know that.
  
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  November 1, 2021 10:06am
  - Flossie
    
    I’d be fairly confident that not too many of us ever watched John Wayne prepare for filming a scene so all we know of him and guns is what the director/editor/whoever decides these things allowed on screen.
    
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    November 1, 2021 10:43am
    - KevO'Brien
      
      I was thinking of such scenes in a movie. Imagine the filming nuisance if that was needed. It would also be destructive of the performance as the cast have to be in “character” and that can be easily broken.
      Prop hands and others are vital background assistants to promote the required flow. I expect an armourer to perform that duty with safe provisions.
      
      4 2
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      November 1, 2021 11:44am
  - Raphael
    
    I’ve seen a number of comments from other actors, Kirstie Alley, Adam Baldwin (no relation) to name a two, that that normal gun safety protocol on set includes the actor confirming, with visual inspection and vocal confirmations between each person handling the gun that is has no live ammo as it is handed to them.
    
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    November 1, 2021 11:43am
Mike

Happy Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome Awareness Day!
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November 1, 2021 8:28am
- Ed Snack
  
  Heck Mikey, had to look that one up, and it sounds depressing. I guess the awareness day is to support sufferers, but not something to wish on anyone.
  
  Where DO you get these factoids ?
  
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  November 1, 2021 10:31am
  - mikenmildagain
    
    I get them from fairly obvious sources. there are lots of helpful sites providing daily information, trivia, etc,
    
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    November 1, 2021 12:18pm
lifesgood

What a load of cobblers Bird of the Year is. Seriously, who believes the public voted for a bat?!!!
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November 1, 2021 8:34am
- Salacious Crumb
  
  Perhaps it identified as a bird?
  
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  November 1, 2021 9:08am
- Yvette
  
  Are those, who voted “Bird of the Year” to be a bat, vaccinated or not?
  I wonder if that will cross Jacinda’s mind?
  THEY are out there – a lot of them …
  
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  November 1, 2021 9:30am
  - Suze Wainwright
    
    I wouldn’t be surprised if a number of Green Party of Aotearoa/New Zealand voters were anti-Vaxxers by nature
    
    3 2
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    November 1, 2021 10:19am
- Yvette
  
  Those who voted “Bird of the Year” to be a bat –
  Has other people read THE ACCIDENTAL POPE by the former US Ambassador to the Vatican, Ray Flynn, and the bestselling author of THE FRENCH CONNECTION, Robin Moore?
  
  Ardern should think about this …
  
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  November 1, 2021 9:36am
- Hard Cheese
  
  The bat was always going to win, because the fact that a bat was entered is the only thing interesting about Bird of the Year. If a dog was entered people would vote for the dog.
  
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  November 1, 2021 11:35am
  - mikenmildagain
    
    True dat. Imma nominate the freshwater crayfish for next year.
    
    4 3
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    November 1, 2021 12:22pm
Over Taxed Worker

November 1st – NSW and Victoria open a travel bubble with New Zealand, which means we can get out but unless you win the MIQ lottery you cannot get back in. Cannot have the door open or Jacinda’s subjects might find out the rest of the world is rapidly moving back towards normality. Amazing how quickly those Aussies got the jab when a set date was announced for opening up.
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November 1, 2021 8:34am
- Ruahine
  
  That is because in NSW an adult is now in charge.
  
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  November 1, 2021 9:05am
Maggie Pie

Tis the season to be jolly….

We watched a Xmas episode of ‘UNDERCOVER BOSS’ last night.
Got us thinking…we haven’t seen or heard from ‘Andy the Cap’ for a while.

Then my partner remembered….Stuffed had reported the Porirua Mongrel Mob were holding their ’50th Anniversary’ bash this month, and thousands of members from across the country are expected to descend on Wellington – The Commissars home patch!!
Coincidence? Hmmm….

https://youtu.be/A30VPyeXVv4

“Andy see’s you when you’re drinking
And he knows when you’re awake
He knows if you’ve been good or bad
So be good for goodness sake”
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November 1, 2021 8:37am
G152

If Shaw and his acolytes get their way there will be little cropping as it takes a tractor to drag the various implements through the ground to prepare for the crop, maintain the crop and finally to reap the crop.
Horses did an acre a day one furrow.
Tractors, around 10 acres with the larger 8-10 furrow and rotary hoeing under 20 acres a day..
So there will be a shortage of peas, barley, potatoes, turnips, Swedes maize and winter stock food for animals.
And so on
No coal so no backup to the power generation. Expect the return of the 50s with the blackouts and power cuts.
Which will impact upon industries
And so on.
A comedy of unfunny errors
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November 1, 2021 8:41am
- Ruawai
  
  China will take up all the production dropped off from stupid countries that follow Greta’s rules.
  
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  November 1, 2021 9:49am
  - Ed Snack
    
    Doesn’t have the land, but will be able to obtain same from third world countries in exchange for $$$ no doubt. With Chinese workers in a sealed enclave probably.
    
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    November 1, 2021 10:34am
- westernScientest
  
  Thats not even a 10th of it. No more irrigation, no more nitrogen or other fertilisers, no more herbicides, fungicides, insecticides. If they had their way, NZ would not be able to feed its self.
  
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  November 1, 2021 11:19am
  - Nickc2
    
    Australia’s looking good eh?
    Their PM is telling them (COP26) that Aust will wait for new technology and then reassess.
    Why did we get the runt of the litter when it came to PMs?
    
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    November 1, 2021 11:55am
    - mawm
      
      It’s a close competition with Justin Trudeau.
      
      3 0
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      November 1, 2021 2:52pm
  - Ehlana
    
    Probably time to start re-running Little House on the Prairie and Ann of Green Gables, so we can all get an idea of how we live in future. Also Grimms Fairy Tales, so we can see spinning in action.
    
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    November 1, 2021 11:57am
- Raphael
  
  I saw a comment from someone that exciting new future green industry we don’t have yet will be able to pay for halving our emissions in 9 years.
  
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  November 1, 2021 11:45am
fernglas

Two people in ICU and you have shut down the country? Thanks, New Zealand, you have given us all a huge laugh, yet again. Not so funny for those of your citizens who have missed out on their mammograms, basal cell carcinoma surgery, chemo and ante-natal appointments, but hey, that’s the price of being a world leader.
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November 1, 2021 8:42am
- ClanMcleod
  
  I had to go for an eye procedure last week. It was like the movie Zombieland. Queueing outside the hospital, screening and a sticker put on your arm to say you had been checked and approved. Nobody talking, eyes mainly cast down. It was horrific.
  The doctor inside was wonderful by the way.
  
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  November 1, 2021 9:10am
  - MCos
    
    Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
    So
    What’s your problem?
    Or wasn’t there a problem?
    
    4 39
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    November 1, 2021 9:50am
    - Fuzzysnuggleduck
      
      Queuing for bread, waiting in line for essential services.
      Do not talk to your neighbour, Jacinda literally tells us. Wear face coverings in public. Mandates, different classes of citizens (which Jacinda literally admits to us).
      Can’t travel internally within our own country. Soon enough, upon entry to facilities; “Show us your papers”.
      The new normal.
      Aside from the face coverings, a Soviet wet dream.
      Yeah, what’s not to love?
      
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      November 1, 2021 10:30am
    - ClanMcleod
      
      The fact you can’t see a problem with that scenario is the problem.
      
      9 2
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      November 1, 2021 11:50am
- KevO'Brien
  
  As a clown.
  
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  November 1, 2021 10:07am
- doggone7
  
  Two people in ICU? And as some guy said in one of the protests the other day, only 28 dead. That apparently shows there is nothing to worry about, there is no pandemic.
  That consequently means doing stuff like wearing masks, social distancing, lockdowns, vaccinations, the whole lot of strategies, are not needed.
  
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  November 1, 2021 12:05pm
- alloytoo
  
  CT, MRI, scans….
  
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  November 1, 2021 12:09pm
dcrane

Four “Let’s Go Brandon” songs in the iTunes Top 10, including the top two hits. LOLOLOLOL

And rap/hiphop to boot. Democrat strategist heads will be exploding.

http://www.itunescharts.net/us/charts/songs/2021/10/29
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November 1, 2021 8:44am
I remember when

Wayne Mapp yesterday:
“There will be fewer deaths or hospitalisations compared to those nations with lower vaccine targets.”
No. The number of deaths will be the same whether you are vaccinated or not, regardless of the percentage vaccinated, 100%.
Hands up everyone who thinks we should put the last two years on a continuous loop.
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November 1, 2021 8:56am
- ClanMcleod
  
  That was an uptick, don’t mistake it for a hands up!
  
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  November 1, 2021 9:11am
- virtualmark
  
  Playing devils advocate … if the base of your argument is that the death rate for every generation is 100% then you start down a path towards “Don’t bother with any medical treatments, any safety improvements, because we’re all going to die anyway”.
  
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  November 1, 2021 9:13am
  - Fletch
    
    The problem is that we know these “vaccines” are “leaky” and don’t do much – not against Delta, anyway. As has been mentioned before, they say that the vaccine is 95% effective at reducing infection. It turns out that is RRR (relative risk reduction). The Absolute Risk Reduction (ARR) with the Pfizer vaccine is only 0.7%. But they neglected to tell us all that.
    
    Relative risk reduction and absolute risk reduction measures in the evaluation of clinical trial data are poorly understood by health professionals and the public. The absence of reported absolute risk reduction in COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials can lead to outcome reporting bias that affects the interpretation of vaccine efficacy. The present article uses clinical epidemiologic tools to critically appraise reports of efficacy in Pfzier/BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 mRNA vaccine clinical trials. Based on data reported by the manufacturer for Pfzier/BioNTech vaccine BNT162b2, this critical appraisal shows: relative risk reduction, 95.1%; 95% CI, 90.0% to 97.6%; p = 0.016; absolute risk reduction, 0.7%; 95% CI, 0.59% to 0.83%; p < 0.000. For the Moderna vaccine mRNA-1273, the appraisal shows: relative risk reduction, 94.1%; 95% CI, 89.1% to 96.8%; p = 0.004; absolute risk reduction, 1.1%; 95% CI, 0.97% to 1.32%; p < 0.000. Unreported absolute risk reduction measures of 0.7% and 1.1% for the Pfzier/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, respectively, are very much lower than the reported relative risk reduction measures. Reporting absolute risk reduction measures is essential to prevent outcome reporting bias in evaluation of COVID-19 vaccine efficacy.
    
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7996517/pdf/medicina-57-00199.pdf
    
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    November 1, 2021 11:16am
    - virtualmark
      
      Fletch, that’s bullshit.
      
      The vaccines are 90%-95% effective against *hospitalisation*. That was the end-point in the Phase III trials. Real life experience has overwhelmingly verified that.
      
      Yes there are still breakthrough infections. I recall hearing Pfizer tell us in 2020 that that would be the case. There are also breakthrough infections with the flu vaccine. The reality is that that seems to be the best that medical science can achieve against influenza and coronaviruses. That’s not a conspiracy from the Government, or Pfizer, or the New World Order. It’s just the reality.
      
      But perfect is the enemy of good. I got vaccinated because I can clearly see that:
      * my risk of infection is reduced to about a third of being unvaccinated,
      * my risk of hospitalisation is reduced to about a tenth of being unvaccinated,
      * my risk of death is reduced to about one twenty-fifth of being unvaccinated.
      
      Sure, I’m in a demographic that has a relatively low absolute risk even if unvaccinated. But what rational reason would you have for not wanting to reduce even that risk by the amounts shown above.
      
      You are free to make your own choices about vaccination. I really don’t care if you, or anyone else, is unvaccinated. But if you make stupid choices you may win stupid prizes.
      
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      November 1, 2021 11:30am
      - virtualmark
        
        Far too many people in this forum create unrealistic or idealistic straw-men and then when reality doesn’t conform to their delusion they say that’s the government’s fault, or a conspiracy, or you’re being lied to.
        
        Be an adult. No one promises you a rose garden with a unicorn. Make the best *realistic* and *adult* choices you can, even if the options you have available aren’t perfect.
        
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        November 1, 2021 11:32am
      - virtualmark
        
        And before anyone mis-reads my position, I think:
        * we have needed a better balance between the health and economic factors,
        * the Auckland lockdown should have been lifted weeks ago,
        * we should accept that Covid will become endemic and accept we will have to live with it,
        * that will mean accepting something like 10-15 deaths per day for the next year or so,
        * but we should not hold back re-opening our society because 10% or so are vaccine hesitant.
        
        I see no reason that we couldn’t be where NSW is today.
        
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        November 1, 2021 11:35am
      - dcrane
        
        virtualmark: What good is the 90–95% value if it lasts only a few months, necessitating a re-booster, especially when mortality associated with the vaccine (the first two weeks) was removed from those calculations in the trials? If I have to take the vaccine every 5–6 months those numbers aren’t going to look so hot.
        
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        November 1, 2021 11:58am
      - ClanMcleod
        
        “What rational reason would you have for not wanting to reduce even that risk” – same as my first reason before the vaccine even appeared. It’s experimental.
        There is no long term data available. The evidence now shows the vaccine has very short term protection. More evidence is showing concerning data around potential adverse effects. There is no data around the impact of boosters which now seem to be inevitable for those who have begun the process.
        
        https://dailysceptic.org/2021/10/28/new-lancet-study-from-sweden-shows-vaccine-effectiveness-against-infection-dropping-to-zero-and-sharp-decline-against-severe-disease-as-well/
        
        I am totally in favour of doing whatever I can to help me live a healthy, fruitful life. If I was sure this vaccine would help me do this I would have had it by now. I still might do at some point in the future as more and more real world evidence emerge.
        I have weighed up the risk/benefit for many months and this is the “rational” decision I have arrived at. We won’t know the reality for possibly another 5 years.
        One thing I totally agree with – “if you make stupid choices you may win stupid prizes”. It remains to be seen what was stupid, what was misinformed, what was political opportunism and what was medical malpractice. It will undoubtedly be one of the historical events of this century. Get more popcorn.
        
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        November 1, 2021 12:00pm
      - virtualmark
        
        Clan,
        
        How experimental are vaccines that have been injected into billions of people? We have more real-life evidence for these vaccines than we do for most other medicines.
        
        Again. Perfect is the enemy of good.
        
        Sure, it would be nice to have ten years of efficacy information. But do you want to have either (a) your economy locked down for 10 years while we gather that or (b) make a ritual sacrifice of at least 2%-3% of your population over the next 10 years???
        
        Stop looking for unicorns at the bottom of the garden. You sound like a Green Party candidate talking about carbon free nirvanas.
        
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        November 1, 2021 12:04pm
      - virtualmark
        
        Clan,
        
        Also, just a quick note on how long the protection lasts.
        
        With Pfizer we receive two doses of 30 micrograms of vaccine, spaced at least 3 weeks apart. That was the protocol used in the Phase III trials so naturally you start by sticking with that process.
        
        But you learn a lot more information as you roll out the vaccine to bigger cohorts than just the 30,000 or so in the Phase III trial. So you improve your understanding and your process over time.
        
        What we’re learning though is:
        * Moderna appears to provide noticeably longer protection,
        * Moderna’s vaccine is two doses of **100** micrograms of vaccine, spaced at least 3 weeks apart,
        * Under 25yo probably only need one dose of Pfizer to get medium-term (2yr or so) protection … their immune systems are strong, hold an immune response well, and anyway their medical risk is quite low,
        * 25yo-60yo adults probably only need two doses of Pfizer to get medium-term (2yr) protection … immune systems not as strong, but still hold a response,
        * Over 60yo probably need three doses of Pfizer to get medium-term protection … immune systems getting progressively weaker, less able to hold an immune response, and their medical risk is higher.
        
        I suspect we will find that:
        1) The Moderna experience will show we should probably be giving adults more than 60 micrograms of Pfizer vaccine,
        2) The “booster” will be less of a “booster” than just the third shot in a 3-shot process.
        
        Again. Not a conspiracy. Not Pfizer jacking us up. Just sensible people trying to do their best and learning more information as they go.
        
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        November 1, 2021 12:13pm
      - Reid
        
        vm your argument falls to bits once your false premise that the vax is the only solution is ruled out by data, science and evidence.
        
        The data, the science and the evidence all says ivermectin is safe, effective and it works both prophylactically and therapeutically. I repeat, the data, the science and the evidence says that. India, Indonesia and Japan all have datasets that prove its effectiveness.
        
        Don’t keep buying into the propaganda. You’re only helping them enslave you and your family.
        
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        November 1, 2021 12:26pm
      - ClanMcleod
        
        Also the point being made is that 95% efficacy is completely misleading. As was stated, that is Relative Risk Reduction. It’s very poor form to give that without also giving Absolute Risk Reduction.
        
        “The absence of reported absolute risk reduction in COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials can lead to outcome reporting bias that affects the interpretation of vaccine efficacy.”
        
        This is exactly as intended by Pfizer and the NZ government and everyone else screechingly insisting that this wonder drug is the be all and end all for treatment of this virus. It isn’t.
        
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        November 1, 2021 12:41pm
      - virtualmark
        
        Reid, you’re welcome to put your faith in Ivermectin. I believe every individual has the right to make their own decisions, good or bad.
        
        But let’s agree that:
        * Ivermectin is not broadly endorsed by any credible medical authorities,
        * The required dosages suggested from in-vitro tests are well above levels normally given to humans, and
        * Ivermectin has some very disagreeable side effects.
        
        Personally I am very happy to take the vaccine rather than Ivermectin. But your mileage may vary.
        
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        November 1, 2021 1:06pm
      - virtualmark
        
        Clan,
        
        Here’s a thought experiment on absolute vs relative risk reduction.
        
        I don’t know exactly what my risk of being in a terrible car accident is, but I’ll say that so far I’ve driven well over 1 million km without having one. So my absolute risk is low.
        
        But I still wear a seatbelt.
        
        The seatbelt is a sensible *relative* risk reduction. Even though my absolute risk is low I still look to reduce it further through simple precautions.
        
        I’ll wager you too wear a seatbelt while you’re driving. Why? Your absolute risk of a fatal car accident is low.
        
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        November 1, 2021 1:12pm
      - Show me the evidence
        
        What seems to be missing from your statements about the efficacy of the vax is what timeframe after 2nd dose you are talking about. The VE is great if you are only 2 weeks post 2nd jab but drops away after that. One of the latest studies covered by a preprint in The Lancet (https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3949410) looks at VE for infection, hospitalisation and death. VE for hospitalisation/death (all vaccines) was 89% at day 15-30, 74% by day 121-180, and from day 181 there was no detectable associated effectiveness (i.e. VE =0%). Other real world studies also showed waning VE but only went up to 6 months. UK weekly data does not even show as protective an effect as what you state above. Actually the latest PHE report shows at the moment people in their 30s currently have 6 times death rate if you are unvaxxed vs unvaxxed (same age), 4 times chance hospitalisation vaxed vs unvaxxed – but this will decline with time unless they introduce boosters. These are based on rates not absolute numbers so I have accounted for Simpsons Paradox. If you are actually following the data rather than NZ media you will be aware that some countries with adults in charge have rolled out Ivermectin and other cheap therapeutics – this was covered recently in an article written in NZCPR by a leading clinical immunologist in Australia (yes that’s right) where they have also used IVM with great results https://www.nzcpr.com/robert-clancy-the-covid-enigma/#more-35829
        There is no need for a vax if we have cheap, safe, effective treatments. The reason you don’t mind taking the vax is because you believe there is close to zero risk from the vax so of course why would you not. But there are plenty of clinicians that have been sounding a safety alarm since at May when the data started coming through regarding vax deaths and serious adverse events. To be clear, this is not the first time in history a vax has been released to market quickly with claims that “it’s perfectly safe” and in the end it clearly isn’t (look up Pandemrix lawsuits). Unfortunately it can take years before this comes to light with all the politics of it all and the $ involved. In the UK for this reason (risk balance not justified) the Immunisation Council recommended NOT giving 12-15 yrs the vax but they went ahead and did it anyway, with a compromise of only giving (to most) 1 dose of Pfizer. At least this has some semblance of rational, evidence based decision making. It wouldn’t surprise me if, despite currently the bulk of cases being in children, the UK decides not to vax all under 12s (except the vulnerable).
        
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        November 1, 2021 3:42pm
      - Reid
        
        et’s agree that:
        * Ivermectin is not broadly endorsed by any credible medical authorities,
        * The required dosages suggested from in-vitro tests are well above levels normally given to humans, and
        * Ivermectin has some very disagreeable side effects.
        
        vm, are the medical advisors to the Japanese govt “credible?” Just that they advised on IVM and got miraculous results.
        
        I get my dosage data from doctors who’ve collectively prescribed it to hundreds of thousands of covid patients over the last two years and received similar aforesaid miraculous outcomes. I think you’re probably getting your invitro story from medical “authorities” who are pretending IVM hasn’t been used on humans extensively, which anyone can disprove with a simple search, so I’ll leave you to do that.
        
        The same medical “authorities” who like to pretend they have to work out proper human dosage using invitro studies also like to pretend there are significant risks toward using IVM. However the 64 studies on the US NIH site (just type ivermectin study into the search bar don’t report such but 9 do, however those nine used methodology that is questionable, in that they give treatment late when the patient is close to death, stuff like that. It’s a bit like what they did with the first cure, HCQ. They did a fake study for that too, the Lancet had to withdraw it a few months ago. Did you know who the editor of the Lancet’s Covid Editorial Board was at the time that fake study on HCQ came out? Geoffrey Sachs. Sound familiar, he’s a globalist economist who was of Milton Friedman’s Chicago Boys and is in bed with the Party of Davos. What’s an economist doing heading the Lancet’s Covid editorial board?
        
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        November 1, 2021 4:30pm
      - virtualmark
        
        evidence,
        
        Vaccine effectiveness is very age dependent. Or, rather, the strength of your immune system and its ability to hold an immune response is very age dependent.
        
        Complicating that is that the mass vaccination programmes that began in early-2021 naturally prioritised older people first. So the “whole population” data we have is skewed by that age effect. I will predict that a “total population” 9 month study will be affected by that … the only people who’ve had the vaccine for 9 months are very old people who aren’t physically able to hold an immune response. Whether that study is in Sweden, or Israel, or …
        
        The pharma companies correct for that in their submissions. The clearest example I’ve seen is on slide 23 of the presentation the CDC used when deciding on whether to approve Pfizer boosters ( https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/meetings/downloads/slides-2021-08-30/09-COVID-Oliver-508.pdf ). You can clearly see that for 18-74yo the vaccine effectiveness stays pretty constant, but for over-75yo it wanes.
        
        That’s not the *vaccine* waning. That’s just a medical reality of our immune systems. We’re just seeing it more clearly now because we have a mass vaccination programme that includes those older age groups. Normally our vaccination programmes target young people.
        
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        November 1, 2021 5:00pm
      - virtualmark
        
        Reid,
        
        A simple Google search suggests Japan *has not* approved Ivermectin for Covid. For example see:
        https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2021/japan-has-not-approved-ivermectin-as-a-covid-treatment-and-its-still-using-the-moderna-vaccine/
        and
        https://southasia.report/has-japan-endorsed-ivermectin-as-covid-19-treatment-a-fact-check
        
        And note that Merck, who own Ivermectin, say not to use it for Covid. https://www.merck.com/news/merck-statement-on-ivermectin-use-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/
        
        Look, if you want to take Ivermectin then be my guest. You are an adult and you should make your own choices (provided those are legal and don’t adversely impact on others). But personally I think you would be making a bad choice, and I won’t be following you.
        
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        November 1, 2021 6:04pm
      - Reid
        
        vm in my previous time here I used to waste a lot of time providing people like you with “evidence” which would satisfy you of what I was saying, but the only evidence people like you would ever accept is evidence from the very authorities against which I’m levelling my accusations.
        
        For example if I’d say something like how awful it was Israel deliberately shoots Palestinian rock throwers in the limbs with full jacket rounds so they need to be amputated people like you quickly demand proof which I’d dutifully provide but people like you would decide it wasn’t because it wasn’t coming from a “reputable source.” I used to waste a lot of time chasing that cat, but I’ve changed my approach now.
        
        It’s because people like you fail to appreciate therefore refuse even to entertain in your mind, the possibility that your “reputable sources” are in fact lying to you. If you haven’t noticed for example Fox News has a number of glaring blindspots in its coverage of things like the election fraud. People like you should notice that and start asking yourself why. Tucker’s and Levin’s and Bongino’s shows are the only things I bother watching on there, these days, tho people like Jesse Waters are also on our side, with us. It’s their silence on certain things not how they spin any particular issue, where you spot the treason.
        
        I don’t frankly know why so many of us are people like you, Most of my own family are people like you. I think there’s a certain group psychology too, I think if you look at the commenters here those few who see what I see are, I suspect, like me, completely oblivious to the point of not even being conscious of any pain associated with standing apart from the collective opinion of the group they happen to be in, all the time.
        
        Perhaps that’s what you need at times like these, less group think and more discussion. But people like you have granted the power of the correct guidance on all matters covid over to a tiny handful of in my read extremely lightweight people with no sufficient training in the skills and mission they currently manage and direct, disastrously, to date. Yet people like you are quite happy, evidently, to continue believing their way is the best way in every way, and any dissent isn’t allowed because we must just all shut up and take the suggested cure the people who have driven us into this is now suggesting is the magic bullet. It’s like watching a giant Dumb and Dumberer movie play out, I tell you.
        
        So if you chose to open one’s mind, by all means retype your search and find the articles that are there, but they won’t be from what you claim is reputable unless and until you do open your mind. Also bear in mind the 64 studies on the NIH site which prove it’s effective enough to be seriously considered a contender, but they point blank refuse to. Think that’s normal medical procedure for a potential cure in the teeth of a deadly pandemic?
        
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        November 1, 2021 7:23pm
I remember when

A waste water firm worker was lamenting the lack the lack of anything except essential maintenance, as Councils sit on their hands and their money.
Another group of employers suffering from unintended consequences.
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November 1, 2021 9:03am
- Ehlana
  
  And yet this would be a perfect time to do disruptive works that involve digging up roads, for example.
  
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  November 1, 2021 11:59am
  - Paulus
    
    Tauranga CBD is currently just causing havoc on main road, and about to intensify by chopping down many old established trees and planting natives, so they can put cycle lanes in.
    The CBD is dead empty anyway.
    
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    November 1, 2021 2:00pm
Frank the tank

WokeCoster is probably building up the courage to tell dear leader that a vax mandate for the coppers will lead large holes in the force.

He told the minister but she was too engrossed in drawing with the new set of crayons she got.
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November 1, 2021 9:04am
Chuck Bird

This is a few weeks old but worth listening as he interviews Muriel Newman.

Bolt: Ardern’s ‘woke politics’ leading New Zealand towards ‘a form of apartheid’

https://www.skynews.com.au/opinion/andrew-bolt/bolt-arderns-woke-politics-leading-new-zealand-towards-a-form-of-apartheid/video/827393fdb1c67863fe8931349939ff44
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November 1, 2021 9:04am
Maggie Pie

Coming to a ‘THEATRE’ near you…..

https://twitter.com/FQ_Labour/status/1454702590717882372
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November 1, 2021 9:38am
Local Miller

While this is a long interview, the first 15 minutes present a very interesting and compelling point:

https://youtu.be/uLDpZ8daIVM
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November 1, 2021 9:42am
- Reid
  
  Yes. All of this in the name of a disease with an infection fatality rate of 0.25%. This means a death rate from people infected with the virus is 1 in every 400 people. This is the average of all the covid datasets around the world and it comes from the WHO.
  
  How many know that? 399 people infected with Covid live, 1 dies. That’s what this whole thing is for, all over the world.
  
  And we have 2 people in the ICU (because we have many treatments for Covid now, how often does the media talk about those, give us hope?) and the whole country shuts down.
  
  It’s an interesting lesson in governing through fear, watching people react to this thing. Because if you have 399/400 survivors of Covid for every one death from it, why are people responding as they are, if not through fear?
  
  So wake up everyone, you’re all being played like violins.
  
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  November 1, 2021 10:01am
  - mawm
    
    And the average age of the person who dies is 84 and has 3 coexisting morbidities.
    
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    November 1, 2021 3:01pm
Ruawai

Interesting points from this mornings radio interviews:
Des Gorman says only count hospitalisations, ICU numbers and deaths. Sensible and logical, open up now!
Jacinda Ardern said she does not think we need a Royal Commission on inquiry into the Covid response. Surely the biggest $ cost and infringement of rights on NZ ever needs to be looked into.
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November 1, 2021 9:45am
- Tricati
  
  Ardern doesn’t want a Royal Commission of Inquiry as she knows she and her Ministers have stuffed it up ‘royally’ – Its when reality catches up with the spin, it turns to crap.
  
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  November 1, 2021 10:01am
  - Reid
    
    She hasn’t stuffed up Tricati, she’s implementing the NZ flavour of the same plan most other Western world countries are also now implementing.
    
    Your consent to it clearly isn’t required. She doesn’t care about the polls, because they’re not relevant.
    
    The end target is the Great Reset with a social credit system tracking everyone’s daily life and finances, ready to be withdrawn if for example you don’t get your latest booster. Just like the Chinese people now have. That’s the intended future for everyone in the Western world.
    
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    November 1, 2021 11:09am
  - Tony Stuart
    
    A Royal Commission of Inquiry surely would be what one would expect from the most open and transparent government New Zealand has ever seen.
    
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    November 1, 2021 11:17am
- Reid
  
  They can’t have one because even the dumbest judge couldn’t hide the fact that beneath every major decision lies a tissue of lies and cherry-picked data leading to a pre-determined conclusion. Such as the way Bloomfield et al have played ivermectin. Imagine a Royal Commission report that listed all the favourable human studies available on the US NIH site on the very same day Bloomfield was explaining there aren’t any.
  
  Imagine the report telling people stuff like that, which it would have to, since it’s so obvious it can’t be covered up.
  
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  November 1, 2021 10:06am
  - KevO'Brien
    
    A commission of inquiry into what?
    A commission cannot review the govt as such. Like a Court they recognise that govt is superior and not under their review–that is a job for the voters. Us voters badly need a recall facility.
    
    Administrative decisions by public officials are where such a commission can operate. (The govt makes Executive ones or in Ardern’s case regal ones–she being a law unto herself.)
    
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    November 1, 2021 11:57am
    - KevO'Brien
      
      The Fraser House Basement Dwellers seem to be out today.
      
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      November 1, 2021 5:53pm
- kowtow
  
  With this bat flu even deaths are largely meaningless .
  
  It’s well documented now that it “harvests” principally those sick elderly folk with any number of co morbidities , in a process called “displaced mortality” ie those who were gonna die within days , weeks or months .
  
  So wot’s it all been about ?
  
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  November 1, 2021 10:52am
  - Chuck Bird
    
    What bat flu? You mean the Wuhan flu surely.
    
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    November 1, 2021 11:53am
- Tony Stuart
  
  Absolutely there needs to be a Royal Commission of Inquiry, not just into the Delta outbreak, but on the Government’s response since Covid first emerged in early 2020.
  
  And if the PM thinks that she can get away from being blamed for any failings in our response by not convening a Royal Commission, then she is deluded. Royal Commissions are reserved for “the most serious matters of public importance”, and it would be hard to argue that New Zealand’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic does not come under this classification. To date 28 people have died, one fewer than Pike River, into which a Royal Commission was held. The Covid pandemic has resulted in widespread lockdowns, business closures, job losses, a massive increase in mental health issues, significant delays to non-Covid health matters, the cessation of jury trials for extended periods, and perhaps most significantly, the most significant government expenditure on any single issue in New Zealand’s history. If that doesn’t constitute a “most serious issue of public importance”, I don’t know what would.
  
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  November 1, 2021 11:15am
  - cmm
    
    “Absolutely there needs to be a Royal Commission of Inquiry”
    
    Those are now so woke they are useless.
    
    On top of that the frames of reference are normally set up to exclude anything interesting being looked at.
    
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    November 1, 2021 11:18am
    - Benedict Yu
      
      I disagree with you. The next Government will commission a RC with wide ranging ToR.
      
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      November 1, 2021 12:01pm
      - cmm
        
        I hope you are correct, but let’s just look at the last few:
        * Chch EQ.
        * Historic sex abuse.
        
        Both of those got mangled to the extent that they were near useless.
        
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        November 1, 2021 12:10pm
      - Taieri
        
        I admire your optimism…
        
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        November 1, 2021 12:13pm
      - alloytoo
        
        FSM! I hope so.
        
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        November 1, 2021 12:13pm
- Flossie
  
  She would say that of course
  
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  November 1, 2021 11:35am
Reid

The 81 million vote getter holds a special G20 video session on supply chain resilience, gets 181 views.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/10/wow-joe-biden-holds-special-event-g20-supply-chain-resilience-181-tune-watch-video/
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November 1, 2021 10:20am
Scooter

Wow after gang shootings etc Auckland just gets more good news, we’ll done Jacinda, looking after your city.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/auckland-toddler-dies-in-hospital-after-non-accidental-injuries/YWFG65J3VWJCJF2V4ZTEN4GSCI/
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November 1, 2021 10:41am
fernglas

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/auckland-toddler-dies-in-hospital-after-non-accidental-injuries/YWFG65J3VWJCJF2V4ZTEN4GSCI/
Six times more likely to happen to a kid near you than dying from Covid. Does Michael Baker have a vaccine to cure this disease?
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November 1, 2021 10:44am
- Fuzzysnuggleduck
  
  Yes.
  A copper-jacketed lead pill, into the back of the neck – if enough of these are given out to serious offenders and dangerous and unredeemable scum, then all round security would improve in NZ society.
  
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  November 1, 2021 12:13pm
- Lucia Maria
  
  Notice this?
  
  The occupants at the address were currently self-isolating, Adkin said.
  
  Could the stress of having to self isolate on top of 10+ weeks of lockdown, contributed to death of this poor child?
  
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  November 1, 2021 1:21pm
  - Scooter
    
    No they bash and kill their kids regardless of lockdowns
    
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    November 1, 2021 1:49pm
I remember when

How much extra electricity are we going to need.
* Rapid increase in electric car numbers.
* Conversion of our transport fleets to green technology (trucks, buses and trains).
* What happens to road work and commercial machinery?
* Electric mowers, chainsaws grass trimmers, etc.
* Additional requirements because of higher density housing – ventilation, heating, laundering, etc.
* What are emergency generators going to run on.
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November 1, 2021 11:09am
- Reid
  
  Exactly, and not just generating capacity but is the grid capable of handling the load when everyone gets home and plugs their electric vehicle in?
  
  Of course not.
  
  It’s such an obvious point with no public announcements as far as I know on any infrastructure working group that is addressing this highly predictable and obvious major and critical upcoming issue. Instead, the idiots set emissions targets which will eliminate our global leadership in dairy thus crippling our ability to pay for any needed upgrades, and the morons in the public who hallucinate the planet’s going to explode unless something happens fast, cheer them on, as if that’s a good thing.
  
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  November 1, 2021 11:52am
  - Nickc2
    
    Given the cost of EVs, how many people are prepared to write off the vehicle every five to six years depending on battery recharges?
    IMO, there will be no resale value without a battery replacement, and how many battery manufacturers will still be producing direct change-out batteries for 5-6-year-old technology vehicles.
    
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    November 1, 2021 12:14pm
- bronny1
  
  Maybe that why they are doing their utmost toshut down businesses at present?
  
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  November 1, 2021 12:00pm
- KevO'Brien
  
  NZ to reduce emissions by 50% by 2030.
  https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/govt-increases-contribution-global-climate-target
  
  Two smiley faces now. Wait till they try to effect this. Perhaps they can wreck faster than they build, which is close to zero.
  
  Europe is already showing the troubles of cutting off current energy supply without replacements in place. They are going to freeze this winter out of folly.
  Meanwhile the WEF plans to extend lockdowns to assist this peculiar program. The richest of the world’s baronial class will “privately partnership” with the UN and agencies to loot and re-arrange as required to effect their Transhuman vision.
  So where will the replacement energy come from or are we expected to do nothing while they plan?
  
  Some have actually discovered new elegant, safe energy sources, including the use of the hydrogen bound in water. That hydrogen can now be made to release energy in situ, without problems and power everything from homes and cars to ships. The research into the former cold fusion has paid off after 30 years. But will the new barons allow its use as it competes with their present control over resources?
  
  Ardern and Shaw are both out of their depth. Ardern insists being queen in the NZ 5 million dolls house.
  
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  November 1, 2021 12:28pm
  - rangitoto
    
    It’s a scam.
    
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    November 1, 2021 1:01pm
    - KevO'Brien
      
      Thirty years of research throughout the world universities has has shown how collaboration bears fruit. The early years of computing were like that too.
      It’s only in the past year or so has the nut been cracked. The problem has been tackled in segments and they have each yielded experimental data which re-applied in another scenario has been useful.
      The cold fusion concept of bashing two atoms or their parts together has partly worked but it is the catalysts that enabled that which have become the real key to something useful.
      Hydrogen is the basis of the process with a metal catalyst, a small plasma and a low controlled pulsed voltage fed through that in their presence. It has been proven that the required hydrogen can be obtained directly from regular water.
      
      What has shown up is replicated energy in excess of the inputs. This is probably being repeated now in most uni. physics lab world wide. There has been sufficient sharing so the knowledge is readily available to test. That is not the world in which scams survive.
      
      The explanations are still diverse particularly as one is challenging the Quantum Mechanics with a new GUT-CP. However, they are making samples of their outputs available to other universities to justify their theories.
      
      The commercial race is on now. Whether the present energy supply people are happy or not I expect this will be unstoppable. Some of the big players are already involved. There are commercial proposals to have these sources available in the next 1-3 years.
      
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      November 1, 2021 6:22pm
- virtualmark
  
  Realistically it’s a combination of:
  
  1) Ongoing incremental investment in large-scale generating plant, plus
  2) A big programme of solar+storage on every roof.
  
  The Electricity Authority is captured by the large gentailers so they will drag their feet on (2).
  
  But I suspect at some point a Government will be elected that has a policy programme of subsidised solar+storage in the same way that the 2008 National Government subsidised a nation-wide fibre rollout.
  
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  November 1, 2021 1:35pm
Nickc2

Eight Steps to Communism
This was raised on the Hosking Show this morning but it’s more relevant to read the text that goes with it here:
https://www.mininggazette.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2014/03/the-8-steps-to-communism/
In just four short years, Cindy and her merry band of Marxists have ticked every box, including owning the Media.
How many Woman’s Tennis Circles and Latte Slurpers are prepared to debate this with open minds?
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November 1, 2021 11:44am
- Reid
  
  Yes. I wonder how many people have noticed that our middle class is under attack with this covid strategy. Our independant small business owners are being decimated across the board. The big chains and the supermarkets are fine, online is keeping them going, but it’s the small shops, cafes, other businesses, who won’t be around much longer.
  
  All part of the Great Reset. What they’re going to do is offer people the chance to become debt free, but that’s on one condition. You’ll have to agree to forfeit your right to own private property forever. They’ll probably put lipstick on the offer by saying that your current property – home and household goods – is yours forever until you die at which point the state will take it over. So as Klaus Schwab (Chair of the WEF) says: “You’ll own nothing, and you’ll be happy.”
  
  Wake up people, look around you. If they really wanted to do the right thing they’d distribute IVM to the whole population on a prophylactic dose and we could open the borders and behave as if we are back to normal. That’s all they have to do, and the data, the science and evidence backs that up, just look at Japan and India.
  
  But they aren’t doing that, are they. Not even anything close to that.
  
  Think that’s accidental? Think that nobody in the Health Dept is aware of the Indian and Japanese (and Indonesian) datasets? Just never heard of it?
  
  Come on.
  
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  November 1, 2021 12:02pm
  - Nickc2
    
    TKS Reid. All so very true. Even America (Land of the Free, Home of the Brave) among others are into it as well.
    People like Putin, Xi Jinping, and Kim Jong-un must be sitting back asking themselves “what took you so long, even NZ achieved it in less than four years?”.
    
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    November 1, 2021 12:27pm
  - KevO'Brien
    
    It’s malfeasance following another nations skulduggery in high places. Why should big pharma be allowed to supply without responsibility?
    Why should officials to be allowed to promote such when they have shares in the profitable outcomes?
    
    The NZ Govt has a duty to its people not to be taken in by such foreign ratbags. There are antivirals actively in use and other desirable basic health measures. What’s wrong with sunlight being promoted for Vit D. Vit C is readily available. Ivermectin we knew from TV as a sheep dip but it has numerous other uses.
    World wide there are a large number of preparations which help individual populations. There is no reason to reject those. I use some ancient oils, the seeds of one was found in King Tut’s tomb. These are put down as big pharma cannot make money readily from them but their healing power remains. I found them from research papers where their properties were affirmed. Without them I would not have been able to walk or be free of arthritis pain for the past 5 years. The ancient remedies may allow for modern use.
    
    Health care can get too formalised and restricted. Elderly in nursing homes need extra care but most of the community doesn’t. Risk is always present but can we be certain that the risk occasioned by intervention is less than the natural risk of enjoying our lives to their fullest in freedom. Transmission scares can be unfounded and their damage far exceed their value. I’ve got kids now scared to go to school and partly dropping out. The lack of freedom creates mental health problems also lack of productivity resulting in lower tax revenues.
    
    Attempting to micromanage a country and an economy simply does not work. The WEF has plans to go even further and micromanage us humans with indivual microchips. Your food may be rationed that way.
    
    Freedom has cost too much to be given away.
    
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    November 1, 2021 12:57pm
Benedict Yu

Question for those who live in Auckland.

In the real world, so ANY of you refer to Auckland as Tāmaki Makaurau?

I see this in the media, and I am regularly being alerted by a couple of clients to events in Tāmaki Makaurau.

But is this just a fiction? Do any of you refer to your home town by this name? And if it is never used in the real world, what is the point?
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November 1, 2021 12:03pm
- alloytoo
  
  I’ve heard of this Tamaki Makaurau thing on the telly, thought it was Tauranga way.
  
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  November 1, 2021 12:16pm
- graham
  
  In the real world, do ANY of you refer to Auckland as Tāmaki Makaurau?
  
  Nope. This is something I have commented on previously; I have never heard anybody in the ‘real world’ refer to Tāmaki Makaurau. If I’m talking to colleagues or friends, they talk about how the traffic is in Auckland, how they look forward to being able to once again drive out of Auckland for a long weekend, etc. It’s always Auckland.
  
  The use of Tāmaki Makaurau, as you allude to, is a fiction. It nearly always comes across as fake and plastic, and is only ever used in the media and by virtue-signalling wannabes. I find it hugely telling that, after several years of mass saturation on the TV news, in online newspapers, in Government and non-Government publications, in council propaganda, on the radio, on social media – pretty much everywhere – the uptake of this name in the real world appears to be virtually non-existent. But still they insist on trying.
  
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  November 1, 2021 12:21pm
- Fuzzysnuggleduck
  
  Yes, in corporate social media, there are such creatures.
  Just like those that add their pronoun to their email signature, to make Rainbow colleagues feel ‘safe’.
  Another workmate of mine pointed out that at least such virtue signalling displays tell you which people to give wide berth to/do not engage with
  
  There are plenty of people who thing the wokery and SJW stuff is wankery, even when testing out thoughts of managers.
  But in such times, who wants to be burnt at the stake by going to war, when the board of the company is pushing this, and there are jobs created to promote “diversity” – and the pious followers of the doctrine are looking out for heretics for re-education?
  I already stuck my neck out very clearly on this, and was told I had ‘exec level visibility, for the wrong reasons’.
  So anyone who knows me, knows what I think in no uncertain terms – but I aren’t going to be calling the cult leaders directly out on audio calls, or rebutting gender pay-gap or “equity” facts via online company forums anymore.
  Nosiree. I talk with people one on one instead.
  
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  November 1, 2021 12:26pm
- Nickc2
  
  I never use that newly invented mumbo jumbo language. There was a time that whenever I opened a letter or e-mail and the first words to greet me were in that language, the letter or e-mail was binned immediately before reading. Now, one can’t do that in case there are late fees attached for not paying on time.
  Now, almost all Govt Depts have mumbo jumbo names and unless there is an English Title included, one is fucked so to speak.
  
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  November 1, 2021 12:42pm
- Ehlana
  
  No. Auckland is shorter and easier to spell – especially since English doesn’t use the lines and dots on letters in spelling and most of us have our keyboards set to American English.
  
  The media insistence on not using it makes me feel like daring them to say it, just to see if the sky does fall in on them.
  
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  November 1, 2021 12:42pm
  - dcrane
    
    Only the neoracism cult would think it makes sense to replace a well-known, disyllablic, easy-to-pronounce, popular and globally unique city name with an unfamiliar, identity-politics-constructed, two-word, six-syllable name of uncertain pronunciation, origin, spelling, and meaning.
    
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    November 1, 2021 12:57pm
Maggie Pie

On SKYNEWS now….

Just been preparing dinner and watching a bit of the Berejiklian corruption inquiry.

Poor old Gladys….honestly, that ICAC Prosecutor is such an ARSEHOLE!!
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November 1, 2021 12:13pm
- Nickc2
  
  ICAC doesn’t have the power to prosecute anyone. ICACs job is to establish if there are charges that can be bought. Then, all evidence is handed over to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to bring/decline charge(s) before an Open Court as required.
  IMO, ICAC is nothing more than a self-regulating assassin. Even if there are no charges to answer, one’s reputation is tarnished forever and the media (depending on which side of the fence they are on) have a field day with their scribblings.
  To cut a long story short Maggie, whenever ICAC gets involved, someone’s reputation is going to be screwed.
  
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  November 1, 2021 12:56pm
- virtualmark
  
  Lawyers aren’t there to be nice. You’re not paying them for cuddles.
  
  Good lawyers are Rottweilers.
  
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  November 1, 2021 1:37pm
- Maggie Pie
  
  Although I think that ICAC guy might be a bit thick TBH.
  Gladys has told him dozens of times “she can’t recollect”….but he keeps asking her the same sort of questions.
  
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  November 1, 2021 2:09pm
  - mikenmildagain
    
    Reminds me of this classic satirical clip re Alan Bond:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTQ0QyQ9sDY
    
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    November 1, 2021 2:46pm
Taieri

In the real world, so ANY of you refer to Auckland as Tāmaki Makaurau?
————

Not sure about Tamaki Makaurau. But I refer to Dunedin as Otepoti. Even though there’s never an Otepoti.
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November 1, 2021 12:15pm
- BeaB
  
  I like Otepoti too. A gracious reference to the Scottish love of porridge and their oat pots.
  I can’t understand why the Maori king doesn’t insist Hamilton is renamed Waikato City. A much better name than gravel pit.
  Or even Tainui City.
  I’d prefer either of those to Hamilton, which is really no more than another boring English surname belonging to a nonentity. Though I’d like his statue back because it was cute.
  
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  November 1, 2021 3:10pm
  - Fuzzysnuggleduck
    
    Not sure why you think Captain Hamilton was a non-Entity.
    Naval commander, of a 21 gun corvette, served in the 1st Opium War & Crimean war. Died in combat in NZ leading a storming party against pa fortifications, was well regarded by his fellow officers, so they honoured him by naming the new settlement after him.
    
    Kirikiriroa is a name for a single pa site within the boundary of the current city. The settlement was always an East and West bank river settlement, so the Maori name is a poor approximation in many ways for the modern river city.
    
    It is odd that someone can be a so-called war criminal (utter unfounded garbage), excite so much strong emotion (in the angry & retarded) and then others (or the same people?) call him a ‘non-entity’.
    What have YOU dont with your life?
    
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    November 1, 2021 3:58pm
    - BeaB
      
      Calm down. He was obviously important to his family and you but he was in NZ for five minutes, led a charge and was killed by Maori who were clearly better marksmen than he was. He has no connections at all with the founding and building of Hamilton.
      Your last sentence doesn’t make sense.
      
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      November 1, 2021 4:52pm
      - mikenmildagain
        
        In Fuzzysnuggleduck’s defence, might I observe that at least Hamilton had the good grace to visit Te Ika-a-Māui for a brief time before leading his suicidal assault against the heavily armed and well entrenched locals. So at least Hamilton (city) can have pride in that vague association, unlike Auckland, Wellington, Napier, Palmerston North, Gisborne, etc.
        
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        November 1, 2021 6:26pm
      - Fuzzysnuggleduck
        
        Maori at the battle of Pukehinahina(Gate Pa) were not marksmen. It was not how they fought, ever.
        They were inside trenches and covered ways, so that they were firing from ground level and point blank.
        The roll of wounded includes serious groin wounds.
        The weapon to choice was a ‘tupara’, or double barrelled shotgun.
        They had few rifle-muskets, only where captured from British soldiers (like those lost, when they attacked the 40th regiment on the Great South road).
        My last sentence is a mispelling obviously.
        
        You don’t seem to know history too well. Around ‘connections’, why is it relevant when place names in NZ are alluding to localities in Hawaiiki for instance – purge those too?
        The argument is disingenuous.
        When the 4th Waikato military settlers arrived her, and founded a new settlement, they named it to something meaningful to THEM.
        Looking it through a lens today, or critique it on some logic like you are attempting is weak stuff.
        
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        November 1, 2021 7:01pm
      - Fuzzysnuggleduck
        
        Mike, reported in error.
        Well armed – you don’t know jack. It just sounds clever to say as much.
        The fortification at Pukehinahina, and the leadership of Rawiri and the moral/Christian principles of the Maori there are all notable, but nobody claims it was superior arms that EVER bought victory to Maori on those instances they repelled assaults.
        And there are many successful assaults on pa, they were not suicidal by default.
        That is only what people might believe if they only know the cherry picked examples [victories for Maori] that James Belich used in his very questionable thesis that became the ‘NZ wars’ TV series.
        The Maori were massively outgunned in pretty much EVERY contest.
        They won some battles through skill, or fought successful delaying campaigns, but in the end they lost out.
        History in NZ doesnt make much sense if you only know a version where Maori won every fight….and yet, they were driven back, and forced to hand over their arms in the Waikato & the Bay of Plenty in those largest and critical campaigns 1863-1864.
        
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        November 1, 2021 7:06pm
      - mikenmildagain
        
        I do indeed know Jack. He is frequently commenting here about the deficiencies of Maori as a language, macrons, etc, etc.
        Don’t get too hung up on imagining what I do or do not know. Your assertion of superior knowledge is as worthless as any Kiwiblog comment (mine included).
        
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        November 1, 2021 9:16pm
  - KevO'Brien
    
    The name Otepoti is The angle.
    O te is grammar preceding a singular noun.
    Poti mean angle, likely referring to the local geography. (There is a sharp turn over the hill and down on arrival in Dunedin from the North.)
    
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    November 1, 2021 6:31pm
    - BeaB
      
      Shame about porridge pot.
      
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      November 1, 2021 7:51pm
oldfella

For anyone looking for an antidote to today’s political/covid doom and gloom, take this musical site for a spin.
http://thenostalgiamachine.com/
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November 1, 2021 12:40pm
oldfella

Story in today’s stuffed.
Māori climate activist India Logan-Riley has spoken at the opening of the UN climate summit in Glasgow representing indigenous communities.
In her address at the opening of the two-week summit, known as COP26, Logan-Riley said warnings of sea-level rise and wildfires has gone unheard.
“This is an invitation to you. Learn our histories, listen to our stories, honour our knowledge and get in line or get out of the way,” Logan-Riley said.
Not sure the young wahine is making much sense. But it is Cop26 after all so she’s in good company.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/climate-news/300442558/honour-our-knowledge-mori-climate-activist-india-loganriley-speaks-at-cop26-summit-opening
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November 1, 2021 1:07pm
- rockape
  
  Does that knowledge include their slash and burn tactics to clear for agriculture and their eating of species to extinction in the short time they had before whitey arrived?
  
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  November 1, 2021 2:02pm
- All_on_Red
  
  There’s some marvelous groupthink going on there at COP26
  And of course the Politicians are just there to suck up for the Votes
  Its one big mutually beneficial feast on free money and political power
  
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  November 1, 2021 2:13pm
- fightingtemeraire
  
  India Logan Riley now there is a good Maori Name!!!
  
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  November 1, 2021 5:06pm
- KevO'Brien
  
  I hope the NZ taxpayer is not paying for her being in Glasgow.
  
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  November 1, 2021 6:33pm
graham

Following on from Benedict’s question, asking if anybody who lives in Auckland actually uses the name ‘Tamaki Makaurau’ in the real world.

Is there anybody in New Zealand who refers to:
– Parliament as Paremata
– Hamilton as Kirikiriroa
– Wellington as Te Whanganui-a-Tara
– Christchurch as Otautahi
– or Dunedin as Otepoti?

I continually hear Simon Dallow refer to these places on One News, and can’t help but wonder if TVNZ is having any success in encouraging the uptake of the Maori language in everyday use by beating us over the head with these names …

Although I strongly suspect the answer is ‘no’.
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November 1, 2021 1:37pm
- Ehlana
  
  The only Parremata I’ve ever heard of is in Sydney.
  Can’t say I’ve noticed even our wokesters using it as a name for Parliament.
  
  Come to think of it, we could probably replace half our current Parliament with a random selection of Parremata folks. They couldn’t do any worse, surely.
  
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  November 1, 2021 2:08pm
  - mikenmildagain
    
    I think you mean Parramatta in Sydney. Someone else might know the difference between Paremata (placename) and paremata (parliament).
    
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    November 1, 2021 3:00pm
    - Nickc2
      
      There was a Maori group in NSW that tried to claim part of Parramatta through so-called historic occupation etc. Needless, to say, they were told to get on their bikes. [Deleted – Grossly offensive generalisations are not acceptable. Mod.]
      
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      December 1, 2020 3:06pm
    - graham
      
      Indeed. And some may even know the difference between Parramatta in Sydney, Paremata in Porirua, Paremata who is buried at Moutoa, Paramata Lodge near Hokitika, and paremata (parliament) – or indeed, Pāremata Aotearoa (aka the New Zealand Parliament).
      
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      November 1, 2021 3:35pm
- Fletch
  
  Everytime I hear the name on the news, I’m like, “it’s AUCKLAND..” ?
  
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  November 1, 2021 3:23pm
  - dcrane
    
    Every time I hear that name on the news, I turn off the news.
    
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    November 1, 2021 3:56pm
- Flossie
  
  I am somewhat perplexed by the lines above some vowels in that language. There never was even a written language
  When and why did the macrons become part of it?
  
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  November 1, 2021 7:36pm
curry4me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYB8j8gq5vo

Anarchy descends upon Beijing.

Xi Jinping is in trouble. With only a year left for the 20th National Party Congress – during which his political future will be decided, Jinping has gone paranoid and is resorting to jingoist machinations to make the cut for another term as the Chinese president. Coupled with the current economic state of China and its unforgiving energy crisis, Xi Jinping, fearing an anti-CCP uprising, is ready to repeat the infamous ‘709 crackdown’ of 2015. [6:09]
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November 1, 2021 1:42pm
- virtualmark
  
  Although the prevailing narrative is that Xi is entrenching himself as a dictator-for-life the facts on the ground suggest that there is a real tussle for control in China and that Xi fears for his position.
  
  Simple example: Xi hasn’t left China in 18 months. Maybe he fears what would happen if he were out of the country?
  
  In a parallel vein … I think we will look back and say that China peaked in 2019-2021, and that rather than China taking over the world we will see a long slow decline in China’s relative power over the coming 10 years.
  
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  November 1, 2021 1:57pm
  - fightingtemeraire
    
    It will be a FAST decline.
    
    China is losing 3 million worker p.a as the population ages and the birth rate is about 1.0. Companies are leaving China for India, Bangladesh etc
    
    China will collapse internally and then we may see it revert to Factions as of old conytrolled by War Lords.
    
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    November 1, 2021 5:05pm
    - virtualmark
      
      Yes, I suspect China will start to fall back due to:
      * demographics means the working age population will fall quickly,
      * financially their balance sheet is screwed, mainly because they’ve borrowed heavily to over-invest in housing & infrastructure that will never make a commercial return,
      * they prioritise state owned enterprises, which are less productive, and act against successful private enterprises because those threaten CCP control and influence,
      * their best-and-brightest are leaving or are unmotivated, because unless you are politically connected there are better opportunities overseas.
      
      Not a recipe for long-term success.
      
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      November 1, 2021 6:14pm
    - virtualmark
      
      I’ll also point out that when countries with authoritarian rulers peak and start to decline then those authoritarian rulers tend to start sabre-rattling and becoming increasingly belligerent, as a way to distract a restless population.
      
      So while China might start an economic decline, that doesn’t mean it will be peaceful.
      
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      November 1, 2021 6:26pm
      - mikenmildagain
        
        It’s danger time for Chinese-rules other ethnicities and neighbouring states.
        
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        November 1, 2021 7:40pm
curry4me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQMtjDh0yIM

Ending Anonymity Online: Britain’s Plans to Change the Internet – TLDR News.

An idea is currently floating through Parliament known as David’s Law, a proposal which if successful could end anonymity online. So in this video we explain what the law would do, why politicians have an appetite for this kind of thing at the moment & what the internet would look like in a post ‘David’s Law’ world. [10:11. Probably won’t happen.]
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November 1, 2021 1:42pm
Scooter

So the south Auckland household that the 2 year old died in is is now self isolating. Does that now count that she died of covid? You couldn’t make this shit up.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/auckland-toddler-dies-in-hospital-after-non-accidental-injuries/YWFG65J3VWJCJF2V4ZTEN4GSCI/#
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November 1, 2021 1:43pm
Truman lodge

I wonder if 3 waters is secretly a way to turn the taps off on farmers?
9 2
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November 1, 2021 1:43pm
- All_on_Red
  
  I bet they are going to effectively Tax them by placing further Regulatory burden on them. Lots of Fees, Fines and extra compliance costs.
  Nice little earners for the robbing bludgers.
  Ironically this will just assist Corporate Farming, which may care less about water quality and also drive further farm land into Carbon Forestry scams.
  
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  November 1, 2021 2:06pm
Handyman

Andrew Little says we must remain in lockdown to protect the health system.
He has had 22 months and $55 billion dollars to get the health system ready to protect us. FAIL!
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November 1, 2021 1:55pm
- Suze Wainwright
  
  @Handyman, I have this nagging feeling that aotearoa’s msm won’t report it that way – all in the interests of authentic public interest journalism, of course…
  
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  November 1, 2021 3:22pm
- Simon
  
  Get ready for tent hospital next winter.
  
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  November 1, 2021 5:52pm
- KevO'Brien
  
  He didn’t protect Pike River.
  
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  November 1, 2021 6:35pm
Nickc2

Victoria (Aust) Police rebel against their Govt.
https://www.michaelsmithnews.com/2021/11/victoria-and-the-madmans-private-army.html
This would have to be a first for Victoria.
IMO, Things are going to get ugly in Victoriastan.
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November 1, 2021 2:05pm
- Reid
  
  Imagine you’re back in December 2019 and a new movie comes on and it starts with a demonstration like that in Melbourne where an ex-cop is pleading with his colleagues to stop working with the Aussie govt on this, and the crowd is chanting “Stand with us.”
  
  … Seriously, this whole thing is so desperately sad, to see our whole ways of life on both sides of the ditch be torn apart by what, at the end of the day, is a psyop. Covid is real, but its easily treatable, and everything we see around us today is focused on keeping us from knowing that truth, until it’s all too late for any of us to do anything about it.
  
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  November 1, 2021 4:56pm
  - Nickc2
    
    Divide and conquer, it’s the Marxist way.
    Turn friend against friend, its Cindy’s way.
    Turn Maori against Non-Maori, its Mahuta’s way.
    
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    November 1, 2021 8:14pm
bennerg

Message to our revered host:

When is the next political poll for preferred Prime Minister?

A Poll right now would be very telling.
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November 1, 2021 2:14pm
- Suze Wainwright
  
  I think various pollsters would have framed some suitable questions to cope with that
  
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  November 1, 2021 3:19pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Don’t mess with US Marines. “I was just going to take control of his head and the gun at the same time”
Imagine a NZ Cop doing this????
https://rumble.com/vo36yb-marine-who-took-down-armed-robber-in-seconds-speaks-out.html?
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November 1, 2021 3:07pm
- Fuzzysnuggleduck
  
  NZ police would warn him for the use of the bag of drinks as a weapon.
  
  Seriously – like the shop owner a couple of years back who chased off thugs with a wooden pole, and then got warned by one of the filth about using a weapon.
  They don’t like shop owners arming themselves.
  
  Another example of the twisted priorities which increasingly affect NZ society.
  NZ police will rush onto a woman having a glass of wine in the driveway for sure, but they won’t pull over a car load of Mongrel Mobsters driving outside of accepted norms.
  They are restrained from, and perhaps even fear the gangs – but I suspect what they REALLY hate is the public taking any sort of control themselves, be if a glass of wine or a heavy stick.
  
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  November 1, 2021 4:29pm
  - mikenmildagain
    
    It’s always saddening to read blog comments from people who hate the police.
    
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    November 1, 2021 6:16pm
    - Jim
      
      Agree 100% but trust works both ways. As such it’s equally saddening to see multiple acts of public disorder and traffic offences performed by ‘patched citizens’ that are not immediately tackled by the authorities. The perpetrators know they act with impunity and play up to intimidate the lawful citizens.
      
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      November 1, 2021 8:35pm
    - wilderbeast
      
      Even if their opinion has substance? Or you just have blind faith?
      
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      November 1, 2021 10:55pm
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      Who said I hate them Mike? Fact is they are a bunch of woke sooks
      
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      November 2, 2021 7:56am
    - Fuzzysnuggleduck
      
      I don’t hate the police. They are a critical part of society. Sadly, increasingly politicised.
      I have a good friend who tell me interesting stories about policing, as he was in the police force until recently (former military).
      The guidelines they have to follow, critical race theory influence and crim-hugging leadership mean their collective direction is wrong.
      Police as an institution have certainly gone down in many peoples eyes in recent years, the gun-grab, the hand-holding of gangs, etc.
      
      I haven’t heard anything positive about Coster when chatting with my mate: the ‘special people’ theory, and money to gangs – he thinks it is utter madness, just like any right thinking people would.
      
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      November 2, 2021 8:28am
Fletch

Ozzies can now get rapid antigen testing kits in their supermarkets…

https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/coronavirus/rapid-antigen-tests-available-for-purchase-in-supermarkets-and-pharmacies-from-today/news-story/52eb9049e557bc0f41211af1ad011db1
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November 1, 2021 3:21pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  NZ will not get them. Jaspinda will never allow it. Destroys her bullshit
  
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  November 1, 2021 4:08pm
  - Jim
    
    Natural immunity isn’t worth a cent, so it’s almost rendered a conspiracy theory, as the Beehive MSM press gallery never mention it. Why is the OECD wasting vaccines on healthy young people who have achieved natural immunity?
    
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    November 1, 2021 8:47pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Candace Owens on pronouns.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkKzmE8e7TU
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November 1, 2021 3:36pm
waripori

Doubtless DPF will open a thread about Lets get Wellington Moving’s 4 options but I have just read something Wellingtonians among Kiwibloggers might find interesting. I was puzzled by the Minister’s extolling light rail to Island Bay as providing for 21,000 additional homes. How can they magic that I wondered.

Turns out the District plan allows for 6 story development within 10 minutes walk of a railway station. Every stop on the light rail will count as a station so we will see a solid block of six story buildings extending from Wellington station to Island bay about 2 kilometers wide.

Makes 3 3 story dwellings per section look like amateur hour. Should go down well in Mt Vic. They don’t even like flyovers much.
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November 1, 2021 3:55pm
- Mike
  
  Classify every bus stop as a potential railway station.
  
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  November 1, 2021 5:25pm
Cinematic

The great Labour cave in has started. Spineless wimps who are changing tack only because they need to be liked.
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November 1, 2021 4:31pm
ngatimozart

See the Bromley shit ponds in Christchurch are on fire. She’s a bit of a shitty smell downwind for some strange reason. The fire’s in the treatment complex itself before the sewerage goes to the settling ponds. Looks like some of the siloes are fairly well involved which will be a job to put out because of the methane fuel. She’s a right pyromaniacs wet dream. Apparently contractors were working on the roof of one of the buildings.
4 1
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November 1, 2021 4:50pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  4 more days would have been perfect
  
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  November 1, 2021 4:56pm
  - Mike
    
    Gunpowder, treason and plop?
    
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    November 1, 2021 5:22pm
Fletch

I see the govt has said in their 4pm presser that we will move to step 2 of Level 3 next week.

The Government has released modelling of the Auckland Delta outbreak that suggests cases will rise to 1400 a week by the end of month.

This would result in 150 new hospitalisations a week, with 11 of them needing intensive care.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern also announced two step changes for the Waikato and Auckland on Monday.

Waikato will go into “Step 2” of level 3 on Tuesday at 11.59pm, which would allow retail to open and allow outdoor gatherings of up to 25 people.

Cabinet has decided in principle that the following Tuesday at 11.59pm Auckland will move to same step

Health Director General Ashley Bloomfield unveiled the modelling at Ardern’s post-cabinet press conference on Monday afternoon.

The assumption is based on a “median scenario” with a transmission rate of “R value” of between 1.2 and 1.3 That means, on average, every person who got the virus would pass it on to between 1.2 and 1.3 people.

The figures would be roughly double the number of cases seen in the last week of October.

They suggest that by the end of November 20 ICU beds would be occupied, and 86 non-ICU hospital beds.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300443300/covid19-nz-official-modelling-suggests-1400-cases-a-week-by-end-of-month-21-hospitalisations-a-day
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November 1, 2021 4:56pm
- Fletch
  
  At Step 2:
  * Retail can operate, with customers able to enter premises, wearing face coverings and keeping 2 metres apart
  * Public facilities like libraries and museums can reopen, with face coverings and 2-metre physical distancing required
  * Outdoor gatherings of up to 25 people can go ahead.
  
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  November 1, 2021 5:02pm
  - Cinematic
    
    Sweden was doing all this stuff without a vaccine .
    
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    November 1, 2021 8:40pm
70andstilllearning

Oh dear – go stand in the corner Barry until you can learn to read the handout questions like your colleague (Toxic)!

What a condescending (your choice of noun).
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November 1, 2021 5:01pm
ecco

Ardern doing her level best to tank Auckland retail. This must be deliberate making the poor Auckland retailers wait another TEN days before they can reopen. Beggars belief. Truly useless prime minister. The worst we have seen. Will drive a lot of NZers offshore.
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November 1, 2021 5:04pm
greybeard

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/126849497/wellington-college-principal-gregor-fountain-resigns

Dodgy political affiliations.
Dodgy haircut.
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November 1, 2021 5:14pm
- mikenmildagain
  
  Wellington College parents seemed to like him.
  
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  November 1, 2021 6:12pm
- ecco
  
  That’s a shame. Gregor is a pretty awesome teacher. Wonder why he’s leaving.
  
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  November 1, 2021 8:01pm
  - mikenmildagain
    
    Explained in the article linked above.
    
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    November 1, 2021 8:15pm
Inthe09

I don’t know if anyone has told the PM or the doom and gloom ‘experts’ but a very large chunk of Auckland have been socialising for weeks at each others homes – what the hell else has there been to do?

We’re not interested in your rules, we’re not following them, we haven’t been for weeks.

If you think Aucklanders are going to forget how you’ve completely ruined our city you’re in for a wake-up call.
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November 1, 2021 6:09pm
- dcrane
  
  Looking forward to a nice “outing” at the Domain this weekend. Maybe a stroll around the city streets…
  
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  November 1, 2021 7:36pm
- Cinematic
  
  Forgiveness isn’t on the way if that’s what they’re hoping for.
  
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  November 1, 2021 7:46pm
- Prince
  
  Her massive intellect was on display tonight on the news.
  Paraphrasing, ‘over the next week, more people will be vaccinated, so more will be protected.’
  Hard to argue against that little pearl of wisdom.
  
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  November 1, 2021 8:30pm
mandk

I’m not so sure about that.

Roger Moses, and Harvey Rees-Thomas before him, built Wellington College into an outstanding school, based to a large extent on Christian principles. Coll was so good that the private school down the road couldn’t keep up and needed to go co-ed to try to maintain the roll.

Fountain abandoned the culture (went inclusive) and essentially fell over.

Go woke, go broke.
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November 1, 2021 7:17pm
wilderbeast

Anyone caught up with this?

https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/world/cop26-maori-climate-activist-india-logan-riley-gives-stern-warning-to-g-20-leaders/

Who is India Logan Reilly and exactly who was she representing? Was she part of James Shaw’s 15 person delegation?

I’m kind of interested, because as a Kiwi I hope she wasn’t attempting to represent my views because she certainly doesn’t. I’ve never heard of her and apart from everything else, if the article is accurate, she asserts that colonial forces stormed NZ in 1769! Obviously doesn’t know her history. There were a couple of early skirmishes, but not matching her description.

This sort of gross misrepresentation and brazen theft of the narrative is exactly why people have lost faith in government, media etc the western world over. I tried to google this person and she has no digital footprint or credentials. And here she is poking the stick at Boris Johnson and speaking for “Aotearoa” (at a global event no less!) The social compact is being stolen from under our noses. It’s a bloody crime.
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November 1, 2021 8:31pm
Jim

Just Ardern playing up to her UN controllers.
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November 1, 2021 8:51pm
krazykiwi

Brilliant speech in the Victorian parliament:

https://youtu.be/c9VOXbMpeus

If only we had leaders with that clarity of thought
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November 1, 2021 10:19pm
ClanMcleod

Sobering reading. I don’t vouch for accuracy, I believe there is merit in the thesis. But time will tell.

https://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/the-jab-makes-it-easier-for-the-virus-to-spread-who-will-stop-this-madness/
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November 1, 2021 10:31pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Batman will be along to lecture you about dubious sources not connected with CNN, MSNBC, Herald, Waikato Times, etc etc.
  Opinions from other bogs are not reliable, unless it is an opinion of someone with influence on Kiwiblog.
  
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  November 4, 2021 4:26pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    I bang heads with Batman, it is OK, it works both ways. At least Batman debates ……………
    
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    November 4, 2021 4:27pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

I think it is time the soft cocks in NZ made a stand too.
https://redrightdaily.com/the-vax-rebellion-begins-to-sting-from-boeing-to-mercedes-workers-arent-budging/
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November 4, 2021 4:18pm

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