Open mike 25/02/2021
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The case for mandatory legislative review
You can’t read legislation for very long without finding instances of weird edge cases. But is also why we have kids trying to walk or bike on gravel roads with no sidewalks to get to school. When modern cars travel these narrow lanes at up to 100km/hour. Parliament has no systematic way to review obsolete legislation.
Who’s the wokester?
Simon Bridges has repeated claims that Police Commissioner Andy Coster is “wokester” and has underlined how weak National’s caucus discipline is.
Open mike 24/02/2021
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Time to do something about poverty
In recent news Standard and Poors has improved New Zealand’s credit rating because of its success in handling Covid, and a vast majority of kiwis support the Goverment increasing income support for those on low wages or not in paid work. The Government has the budget space and the majority’s backing to do something about poverty.
Open mike 23/02/2021
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What if other countries had Jacinda as their president?
From Project Nightfall. Truth is, no government is perfect but Jacinda Ardern showed outstanding leadership in the recent years and put New Zealand on spotlight. There’s still a lot to do and she calls on her people to work with her and work together.
Greenpeace: Another win for the movement against deep sea oil exploration
The announcement comes with little fanfare, but marks another huge moment for people power, for iwi, hapū, environmental groups, and the hundreds of thousands of people who for the last decade have maintained one of the most relentless campaigns of the modern era to put an end to deep sea oil exploration in New Zealand.
V for vaccine
The Covid pandemic is entering into an interesting stage with vaccinations being administered at an increasing rate and infection rates declining. The opportunities for politicising the issue continue however.
Open mike 22/02/2021
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Open mike 21/02/2021
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We must resist US pressure on China that could lead to war
In February 2002 I was at a union-NDP conference in Ottawa watching US television in my hotel room. Back home I reported on the conference to the Labour Party caucus and stated as an aside that the US was going to war with Iraq. Helen Clark stood up straightaway and said “we won’t be going with them.” Jacinda Ardern needs to do the same now.
Cruz’s Cancun crisis
What should a Texan representative do when the state is frozen over following an extreme weather event? How about take a trip across the Mexican border for a holiday in a beach resort?
Open mike 20/02/2021
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Zucked in
For a while the Australian Federal Government has been proposing legislation requiring Facebook and Google to compensate Australian media interests for posting links to local media stories. Facebook has just replied by giving the Australian Government the middle finger.
Open mike 19/02/2021
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Texas’s power crisis
Over in the US of A in the great state of Texas and in surrounding states locals are experiencing unusually cold weather and are suffering from the effects. But instead of blaming their not fit for purpose electrical systems they are blaming the Green New Deal, even though it has not been implemented.
Open mike 18/02/2021
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The unlucky New Zealand
The first New Zealand study to look at the effects of food hardship on pre-schoolers’ nutrition has found that nearly half of families struggle to access healthy food in their child’s first year of life.
The Very, Very Lucky Country
While Australia is rightly branded The Lucky Country, it looks like we can reasonably be called the Very, Very Lucky Country.
Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi …
Yesterday Jacinda Ardern chose to use decidedly undiplomatic speech to address Australia’s removal of its citizenship from a Jihadi bride leaving her as New Zealand’s problem, even though her link to New Zealand was tenuous and she was for all intents and purposes Australia’s problem. And even though Ardern had previously asked Scomo to be careful with the issue.
Open mike 17/02/2021
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Open mike 16/02/2021
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Life Without Mainstreet
Are our main cities becoming too big for a single civic promenade, and is the multicellular world of mall dominance just the way things are developing?
Open mike 15/02/2021
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Ending discrimination against Māori wards
The Government has introduced under urgency a bill that will change current law that allows for discriminatory attacks on the creation of Māori Wards.
Will Technology Solve Climate Change?
What if we actually planned to reduce energy usage significantly while revamping the economy to promote happiness and well-being? Then it would be far easier to replace our remaining energy usage with renewable sources. – Richard Heinberg
Open mike 14/02/2021
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Pandemic to endemic covid-19
Back in May, I wrote a post “Covid-19: may be endemic“. That is looking like it is more and more likely. The depth of infection in world populations means that recombinant variants are likely. Vaccines and previous immunity will reduce the death rates and infection rates. But won’t stop reinfection. Human behaviour will keep covid-19 as an endemic disease.
Open mike 13/02/2021
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Managed isolation cleaners should be paid a living wage
Managed isolation facility cleaners, who the country desperately relies on, are struggling to survive on low wages while performing an absolutely vital role.
Not wearing ties bad, denigrating MPs and breaching Standing Orders fine
Without a hint of embarrassment National associated entities yesterday criticised Trevor Mallard’s decision to loosen tie wearing requirements as a lowering of standards while at the same time circulating a heavily doctored video in an attack on Labour MP Anna Lorck.
Open mike 12/02/2021
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We Must Resist China
New Zealand should continue to protest against China’s massive oppression of Uighur peoples. It’s what a country with a conscience ought to do.
Open mike 11/02/2021
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Elizabeth Kerekere take a bow
One of the most personal and enjoyable celebrations of a maiden speech came from the Green’s Elizabeth Kerekere. It made me happy as a Kiwi to watch this. Sit back and enjoy.