Announce protest actions, general chit chat or give your opinion on issues we haven’t covered for the day.
Moderation rules are more lenient for this section, but try and play nicely.
EDITORS NOTE: – By the way, here’s a list of shit that will get your comment dumped. Sexist language, homophobic language, racist language, anti-muslim hate, transphobic language, Chemtrails, 9/11 truthers, climate deniers, anti-fluoride fanatics, anti-vaxxer lunatics and ANYONE that links to fucking infowar.
kiwi mogul gone global , sean Simpson coined carbon hero , recapturing and recycling waste into ‘ecco friendly fuel’ , on
▸tv one’s ‘sunday’
Only 10 percent reduction in CO2, it won’t stop the climate crisis, more wannabe smart stuff needing lots of energy to work.
there’s nothing wannabe about a 10 percent reduction in CO2 or waste to energy. BS can’t be called out where there isn’t
What does it cost, how large is the CO2 footprint to make the equipment and machinery needed, and to build the infrastructure, how does it compete with fossil fuel resources and energy? NO clear answers provided:
https://www.lanzatech.com/#section-carbonsmart
Bore use restricted as Northland coastal aquifer levels plummet
“As Northland’s big drought continues to deepen, concerns are growing that aquifers could dry up or be rendered undrinkable by salt water intruding from the sea.
Unlike rivers and rainwater tanks, which are replenished in the first heavy rain after a drought, aquifers can take years to recharge with fresh water.”
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503450&objectid=12313798&fbclid=IwAR2ZVporeOZXQB687qpBw6sJiOkZoEdFvNIqbR5ANtkDObClCyk6CctprjQ
Why are our RMA laws not environmental laws but profit driven laws? Could it be that RMA policy is done by lawyers and lobbyists and any public interest is laughed out of town and written out of law, due to the ‘consultation’ which is heavily determined by paid ‘experts’ telling everyone to keep extraction, development and pollution escalating.
We are allowing our water aquifers to be drained by overseas water bottling literally for free, https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/118255435/appeals-against-chinese-water-bottling-plant-dismissed, intensive farming is on the rise, and there is zero interest (and near zero MSM articles) or concern about on going resource management with NZ’s development boom. Often with the infrastructure being in the never never, and understanding of issues like water aquifers / waste water / council drainage and how many people they sustain going forward in place BEFORE the developments are consented including schools, hospitals, etc and migration figures to take into account whether that is possible at the present time https://www.stats.govt.nz/news/population-growth-fastest-in-northland-auckland-and-waikato
I know the neoliberal government policy seems to think that we can all prosper with another Thirsty Liquor types store popping up in the provinces with 10 employees and their families on temp visas being robbed and underpaid there, but seriously I think the practise of low wage and fake business and intensive farming business is causing some serious issues going forward.
As well as the roads, schools, drains, sewerage and hospitals that can’t cope, there is now evidence that the aquifers are not going to miraculously refill when rain comes and other measures are going to be necessary – which sounds very expensive. Who is going to pay for that in our low wage economy? https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10847947
I have zero issues with farming in fact I think it is essential for food and hate the woke beat up on that industry, however when you see larger operators who have too many stock and expecting to pollute the sea https://www.odt.co.nz/rural-life/dairy/dairy-firm-wants-ocean-wastewater-outfall, it makes you angry, and where is the water coming from for their intensively farmed stock? I
ntensive farming which has become fashionable in the last 8 years due to Theo Spiering types, takes a lot more water and is more polluting on single sites…
Allowing 35 year water/sand resource consents is wrong too. There should also be a clause that they can be revoked and lowered significantly or stopped in a drought, climate change, or is they are causing any adverse effect or more effect than they were deemed previously in their application.
Unless the government looks at ALL the issues together aka population growth, urban development, intensive farming and water/natural resource consents together in a holistic and sustainable way, things will get worse and worse!
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018737228/islamic-women-tell-royal-commission-warnings-were-dismissed
AND
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/411047/immigration-health-rules-hit-new-parents-not-having-any-whanau-here-broke-us
Its like we’re in a time warp. It won’t be long before we’re parachuting in Sir Bernard Fergusson to be the next Guv and the crew from Yes Minister to run the public service. Well we’re half-way there.
Eurocentrism doesn’t begin to describe it.
I’m waiting for the dawn raids. Actually we’ve already had one or two of those – just not at dawn
I’ve had the feeling we are regressing for some time. All that sophisticated education and people-oriented laws for betterment of mankind were just a veneer. At the base of the NZ psyche is getting enough money to do what each individual likes, not being part of a co-operative community, where everyone has a place and a gift of self and skill to build a reciprocating society. NZ has been individualistic in its preference from the first; doesn’t like babies and children except for one’s own, they appear to be cherished as gestures to sentimentality.
Caring about one another enough to assist those who have had troubles integrating into a society that is two-faced and drives people potty with its inconsistencies, is not the prevalent driving force. That is land and resources, money and style. Land, and the ability to squeeze all its resources to provide money that gets wafted away on personal satisfactions are the ideal of this country. Every generosity and sharing is done on a grace-and-favour basis. Can a significant group establish a different approach to life of reasonable freedom and reciprocal values respecting all with all contributing something wanted by society and make that a core approach that is more cohesive than now, yet not cult-like in its absolutes and lines of authority?
The Islamic women who have spoken about the lack of real help given to them have brought these traits to the fore. They were promised all the help at the time of crisis, but within six months there were barriers to bringing family members to help in raising children. They refer to many meetings, out of which nothing of real importance has happened and of which no record is kept. https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/insight/audio/2018737122/ignored-by-the-state-how-muslim-women-tried-to-warn-of-impending-danger
It seems that those we call our public servants are anything but. And while we maintain our belief that we can manage our way out of our crises, with our present tranche of people trained from the neolib economic textbook, we will continue to have no agency in our own country, no purchase on the outcomes of policies. We are neutered by politicians who fit with the neolib bureaucracy, or vice versa, and while this exclusive game continues as primarily a National sport, Labour is following a too similar regime and it appears they will never be working people’s heroes again. The greens and dissatisfied others splinter off into disagreeable factions with energy mostly wasted, which will result in only occasional positive outcomes, usually remedial work for matters on the edge of decay and dissolution.
Get rid of our bureaucracy I think, slim it down to the minimum. Citizen thinkers get informed, gather round intelligent academics to draw on expertise and then formulate plans to use all or only part of their understandings and learnings. For instance, some genetic modification, some use of CRSPR, may be of great value with very little negative resulting, but restraint on change must be carefully maintained. Work through local government with central government very slimmed own, and meeting with local government for debriefings and decision-making.
We must understand that the marriage of environment and people is essential, like a rope with each strand joining with others and wrapping together strongly. But at present we must break open the traditions of all carried from last to this century, and examine what is good and what needs to be changed. This requires reflection followed by discussion, and from each discussion some small change must emerge, be monitored, reported on and entered into a sort of tapestry-chart in its relevant place and viewed to see if it has moved our methods along a line that is sustainable and humane.
If we don’t adopt an intelligent plan, life will continue happening while we are frittering time away sipping our wine, overlooking a shining sea, in our lazy-boys – those who have the time and money to set something going. And those who haven’t are going gradually more disillusioned angry and nasty.
Yep, absolutely.
And the sad thing is, that just as happened during the last cycle, we’ve reinroduced
neo-cargo cultism.
I mean —– Oranga Tamariki for starters. A fancy job title or some other treat or trinket is sufficient for some to sign up to an agenda.
Elsewhere. merely a high viz jacket and the ability to exercise a little control is sufficient.
Personally, I’m just going to sit back and watch – que sera sera after SO MANY missed opportunities for transformation and kindness that didn’t and wouldn’t require actual law change.
And there’s another thing I find a little bothering.
We’ll surely agree that the pace of change is increasing exponentially.
And while democracy isn’t meant to be easy or without checks and balances. sure as shit the collective progressive left are going to have to learn how to be a lot more nimble than the past two years have shown us they’re capable of
@OnceWasTim Probably due to NZ not have the hospital resources to cope with the tourists (White Island/tourist bus crashes) and all the temp and new resident visas and their visiting whanau hospital treatments!
The government needs to stop issuing visas to everybody in the world to come to NZ, get sick and have major accidents here, have kids here and start looking after our own people.
Why there is an issue with aged visitors coming to NZ to visit relatives!
ACC approved for the “Not-Botulism” Kochumman Family
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK1801/S00585/acc-approved-for-the-not-botulism-kochumman-family.htm
Two with carbon monoxide poisoning after using brazier in bedroom at Papatoetoe home
https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/114070065/two-with-carbon-monoxide-poisoning-after-using-brazier-in-bedroom-at-papatoetoe-home
Locals can’t access their own hospitals due to the demand and are dying or becoming disabled because of the waiting times!
Counties Manukau DHB told to improve systems after girl’s missed appointments lead to eye disease
https://healthcentral.nz/counties-manukau-dhb-told-to-improve-systems-after-girls-missed-appointments-lead-to-eye-disease/
174,000 Kiwis left off surgery waiting lists, with Cantabrians and Aucklanders faring worst
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/78698068/hundreds-of-thousands-of-people-left-off-surgery-waiting-lists
No room on surgery wait list
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/9837891/No-room-on-surgery-wait-list
Waiting times for bowel cancer tests in Northland excessive
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12128679
Pensioner’s painful 14-month wait for hip surgery continues
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/health/119061447/pensioners-painful-14month-wait-for-hip-surgery-continues
Lack of psychologists leads to 12-month waiting list for Taranaki children to be assessed
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/health/117204478/lack-of-psychologists-leads-to-12month-waiting-list-for-taranaki-children-to-be-assessed
Many NZ maternal deaths avoidable – study
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=10812793
ED waiting times to be addressed
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/ed-waiting-times-be-addressed
Birthing unit in Ōpōtiki reopened but not staffed overnight
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/409165/birthing-unit-in-opotiki-reopened-but-not-staffed-overnight
Even if all the visitors have health insurance, (which surprise, surprise, most don’t have anyway) any injury from a visitor puts another operation off the waiting list for someone else, and NZ clearly is getting worse, not better.
Not only that, NZ is also spending LESS per person on health care than they used to, so our entire system is now getting worse because medicine like everything else, has inflation and so new medicines and so forth are not being made available per person (instead being secretly LESS funded per person) under our massive demand.
Straws. Much. Clutch?
I could possibly believe it at a pinch if it weren’t for the fact that this sort of shit has been going on (accelerated over) for a decade or so.
And it’s not as if I care where people come from. It’s more to do with people (from WHEREEVER, but usually from the Empire) being parachuted in without having any cultural understand of thgis lil ole nashun that punches above its weight) , and telling us how things should be, and giving us their expert learnings going forward.
But no matter – I won’t be overseas after the next election as far as I know, but if I am, I’ll make sure I partake in a little Chardonnay, or maybe a Whiskey iutside the post election shindig in Marinborough.
Bloody sure it’ll be gorgeous.
I’ll re-read your comment again when I get a bit more time – hopefully I’ve “mis”-read it and I’ve “mis”-spoken, and as a result, “mis”-commented.
But you’ll have to admit, that whatever we agree, or disagree on, there’s some pretty severe muppetry going on with the administration, and it’s all being sanctioned by our elected representatives.
Comes a time when the least worst option isn’t in our best interests and a stake needs hammering in the ground. (RIP Jeanette! – hopefully not the last of the brave)
Apologies …. I did misread.
But when we do issue visas for those we need and are willing to make a commitment and contribution, it needs to be done on that basis and without prejudice or priority.
That clearly hasn’t been happening.
@OnceWasTim Absolutely disagree. We have people dying in NZ or in pain because they keep being bumped off the waiting lists for surgery. When someone comes to NZ that gets sick and need urgent care, they bump everyone else off. That’s how our medical system works, the sicker you are the quicker you get seen and emergencies take the beds. They don’t care what nationality you are, you get treatment in NZ if you need it, no matter what. I don’t have an issue with that.
However the issue is, we have so much demand now, and health care beds and care is not keeping up with tourism, immigration levels and natural population growth… something has to give and I don’t think that a tourist visiting someone or someones parent who never lived in NZ, should be more important than a kid in NZ’s going blind due to constant screw ups and delays, or a pensioner who lived all his life in NZ and now is in pain because their surgery wait is years and often cancelled at the last minute if an emergency occurs. You can’t even get a midwife because of the amount of demand from people on temp permits having kids in NZ which also then helps them get residency by claiming the kids will be effected if they leave!
So true savenz. That’s how it is. Put simply so anyone who gives a damn or is being paid to administer something within the present political/civil system, and the revolving door that spins and spits out more entries into NZ all the time, can understand. The tourists get lost, fall off things, park/drive in the middle of narrow scenic roads, turn automatically to the wrong side of the road, go on buses with untrained drivers and have smashes, are caught in events that should not have been as severe if proper precautions were taken eg White Island.
They come in as tourists, workers, aspirational social climbers, to step up the ladder in NZ which has crumbling footholds. They bring more crime, graft, need, and many are wonderful people who have much praise of NZ, which I know because I chat with some and get to know them.
But this pushing the envelope of advantage has gone too far, the envelope is over-stuffed; the cattle cars on the train tracks are full to bursting and hygienic conditions and social respect, are not being maintained. Think along those lines if you need to have your brain sharpened. There is an analogy there.
Huge loss to the country with the passing of Jeanette Fitzsimons. She’s an example of the integrity and mana of what a good NZ politician should be. There are not many equal to her in parliament over the years.
RIP Jeanette Fitzsimons.
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson said that it was the “heaviest heart” that we mourn the passing of the first female co-leader of the Green Party, Jeanette Fitzsimons.
“I would like to first and foremost pass on my deepest condolences to Harry, Jeanette’s children and their grandchildren,” Davidson said in a statement.
“We have a deep amount of love for her and her family. People across the country and the world will be feeling the loss as we all are.
“I was privileged to know Jeanette once I became an MP and then co-leader. I leaned on her mana as a rangatira of the Green Party, she helped guide my thoughts and affirm what my role is as co-leader.”
Davidson said Fitzsimons was what she calls “a taonga of the green movement”.
“Jeanette leaves behind a remarkable legacy. She brought the climate change conversation into Parliament, and had transformative ideas around greening our electricity sector.
Stuff Jeanette Fitzsimons
Actually this is stuff with a lengthy item honouring Jeanette Fitzsimons.
The memorial for Erebus in a lovely green park looks stark and out of place. If what was wanted was something hard-edged and obtrusive – why not bring home a largeish bit of the plane. That would be a real memorial.
It would be a more sensitive monument to take away the windows, at present one for each dead passenger, rather ghoulish I feel. Have the curving pathway to the sky with swings underneath all the same length going up at suitable spacings to the end with a metal walk beneath them. A seat on a swing floating in the air would tie that experience in with those looking around at Antarctica. Someone would inevitably fall off and hurt themselves. But a country that can allow bikes to be ridden through pedestrians and motorised scooters along footpaths shouldn’t be concerned about possible mishaps like that. The time of real concern should have been to have kept the responsible plane controllers aware of alterations to their information flight map.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/411119/no-public-submissions-on-erebus-memorial-consent
Not sure there were too many ‘large bits’, but yes I wonder whether the tail is/was intact somewhere.
I’d be happy for it to be something/anything the families of those lost could agree on.
I remember it all like it was yesterday along with all the bullshit and jellybeans that went with it.
There are parallels to the kind of stuff we were thinking about (above)
How can citizens have confidence in private medical clinics or those contracted out from government?
It is so easy to say that matters are commercially sensitive and tie people up in secrecy. That even happened with the NZ weather service saying that Dr Jim Salinger spoke out of turn about something quite small.
In this case the operator of a clinic didn’t like honest information getting to the public through media. It seems that most organisations, even government, have PR people to put a spin on stuff.
ProCare clinical director Dr Allan Moffitt told Checkpoint it was still possible that people could walk into a clinic without seeing the sign.
“In that case actually people aren’t greatly at risk because the virus – you need close contact over about 15 minutes to be at risk. Obviously different if they’re coughing actively in front of people.
“That’s why we like them to phone first so we can arrange for a mask to be fitted.”
Dr Moffitt said he was surprised and disappointed a medical centre staff member spoke to media.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/411053/coronavirus-medical-centres-could-close-if-patients-ignore-advice
Yet again, Israeli elections show the strength of the fairly hard-right Zionist political forces in Israel. And Trump has backed them up with his ‘deal of the century’. Even if it had’ve ever been desirable, which I don’t think it was, the two-state option is off the agenda.
A few days back we interviewed veteran British Palestine solidarity campaigner Tony Greenstein on both the current state of play in Israel/Palestine and also the Zionist campaign in Britain to isolate and silence Palestine solidarity supporters (and also get rid of Corbyn).
https://rdln.wordpress.com/2020/03/03/an-interview-with-palestine-campaigner-tony-greenstein/
Persistent smells from a breakdown in good sewage treatment. Something that is more unpleasant than persistent potholes in the roads. And a contractor is running Wellington’s in obedience to central government’s directive to open government services to private companies, for efficiency’s sake.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/411148/wellington-sewage-spill-smell-hitting-regularly-residents-say
Ōwhiro Bay’s Eugene Doyle said a strong, offensive smell continued to plague the coast, and residents were rapidly losing patience.
“What we’ve noticed, since the pipe failure and the turd taxis started rolling, that that foul, pestilential smell has popped up regularly.”
He said the smell was compounding frustrations about high levels of fecal contamination in the Owhiro stream and marine reserve.
Crampton said Wellington Water had discovered five cross connections in the Ōwhiro area – where wastewater pipes had been connected to stormwater.
Note that ‘Wellington Water had discovered five cross connections in the Ōwhiro area – where wastewater pipes had been connected to stormwater.’ How on earth did that happen? Who is responsible for that – and who is going to pursue the evidence and then take these people to law? Is someone looking into this particular disgraceful situation? Or is it just an established fact tossed in as an example of the difficulty of the problem?
There are people getting away with many crooked things – I would like to see them taken to Court and if found guilty spending some time in stocks in public. Crimes against the person are treated fairly severely, but fraud and malfeasance, shoddy incompetence – people can slide away from being held to account, even structural engineers causing death. Let’s see them shamed in the public eye, not hiding behind the curtain of respectability.
The USA Physicians group sued the government to get important action on food information out to the public.
And something got done.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_ONFix_e4k
May 2019 – people have been advising higher prices to cut down numbers of tourists. This led to DoC having less international tourists on the Great Walk but MORE income, AND more NZ visitors who had a lesser price.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/388842/price-hike-for-great-walks-more-money-fewer-tourists
Increased pricing for tourists on some of the Great Walks tracks this past summer has meant far fewer tourists but an extra $2.4 million for the Department of Conservation.
The 2018/19 season had 31 percent fewer international adult visitors to the tracks, but 37 percent more adult New Zealanders compared to the previous year.
DOC introduced a trial of differential pricing over the summer, with overseas visitors paying $140 a night for a hut on the Milford track, $130 on the Kepler and Routeburn, and $75 a night on the Abel Tasman track.
New Zealanders paid roughly half that, and under 18-year-olds stayed free of charge.
One expat called the move a “money grab from tourists”…
…the fee more fairly reflected the true value of these experiences – had a more mixed response. New Zealand residents generally supported it but international visitors less so. While we want to ensure access for New Zealand residents on these walks, it’s also important we listen to our international guests. Next season’s results will inform how we price our experiences longer term.”
Considering that international people have come to our land, and are using facilities that we have built, they should be prepared to pay a fee for that, and not start complaining about NZs having the chance to enjoy their own amenities built at the taxpayers’ cost. Those of us who can’t afford to travel overseas should get the chance to enjoy our own country. And many of us cannot afford to even do that, the entitled all over the world who have managed to get into the money stream, have in NZ brought wages so low and housing so high that it is a luxury for many to get to travel in our own land.
So what is happening with the transformational change, why has Jacinda not invited Greta Thunberg to NZ yet?
And what is happening with Ihumatao?
How many Kiwi Build homes have now been built, and will the first light rail tram travel up Dominion Road some time late next year? When do we get real benefit increases?
It seems the new Corona Virus has got all the attention now, all else has been put on the backburner, that is if it has indeed ever been considered by this government.
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