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March 16, 2020 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 16 March 2020

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General Debate

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Maggie Pie

Early Mass yesterday. As i entered the church and went to bless myself with the Holy Water , i was horrified to find the Font empty and a pump bottle of Microshield Antimicrobial hand sanitizer had been placed inside.

God save us.
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March 16, 2020 8:00am
- Captain Mainwaring
  
  If you keep going to Mass, he just might. Me, I’ll take my chances by staying away from the sky fairy.
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:14am
  - Maggie Pie
    
    REPENT! THE END IS NIGH.
    
    https://i.imgflip.com/3spxd8.jpg
    
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    March 16, 2020 9:28am
- Aunty
  
  Think of it as holy sanitiser and proceed as before.
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:23am
  - Paulus Gnome
    
    Drink the sanitiser rather than the wine offered, maybe sneak in a mixer . . .
    
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    March 16, 2020 1:37pm
- pdm
  
  Maggie would you like me to contact my very good friend Cardinal John Dew to see if he can rectify that. Doubt it was his idea.
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:36am
- projectman
  
  Why should church-goers stay away or be worried. God will be looking after them surely.
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:45am
- alloytoo
  
  Holy water is only useful against vampires (should prove effective against NZ1st MPs too).
  
  Sacramental wine is however alcohol and that is useful for many, many things.
  
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  March 16, 2020 10:22am
  - curry4me
    
    alloytoo: Not in the Mormon church. They use bread and water. Nearly fell out of the pew when I heard that at my first and last Mormon service.
    
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    March 16, 2020 3:37pm
- Sacha
  
  Imagine all the dirty hands that have handled the bottle.
  Sorry.
  But I did laugh.
  
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  March 16, 2020 7:00pm
Vallager

One issue which has not been addressed in the coronavirus crisis is prisons.

What happens when a prisoner tests positive for the virus, and all the other prisoners decide they don’t want to be around them?
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March 16, 2020 8:01am
- [email protected]
  
  They can go into self isolation.
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:14am
  - gravedodger
    
    Would that be cellf isolation?
    
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    March 16, 2020 10:37am
- coge
  
  In Australia, those failing to self isolate, in some cases will be sent to prison.
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:19am
- SGA
  
  Perhaps they have some place where they can put a prisoner away from the others? Some sort of solitary confinement, maybe. If it is too widespread, just let it rip through the place (most will cope fine – what’s the average age of the prison population?).
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:24am
- sooty
  
  They all go into lockdown!
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:25am
MT_Tinman

There is a virus going around.

No, not a computer virus although this one will probably attack your savings as well.

Experts advise that while the virus is new it will probably be with us for many years to come.

Scientists world wide are trying to create a vaccine for the virus. How they will get this vaccine to 7.7 billion people I haven’t been able to discover.

You may have heard of this virus.

Because of it I’m working from home.

As I give guided tours to tourists I doubt I’ll be overly busy.

The virus attacks people from all walks of life in a particularly viscous way, symptoms have been described by 80% of known sufferers as between “nothing” and “a very minor cold’.

For a few older people and the already sick it can be serious – as can crossing the road, driving, sprinting, going out in the mid-day sun, living on the pension and a myriad of other activities.

Terrifying stuff I’m sure you’ll agree.

Thank god the powers that be are taking it seriously.

They’ve shut down the world!
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March 16, 2020 8:02am
- Charmaine Hawke
  
  Totally agree with you Timman and as far as I am concerned when this passes, and it will, the media needs to be made to pay for their hysteria.
  If you have a marketing budget find somewhere else to use it because those clowns don’t deserve any of it.
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:46am
Misha Beattie

I see Australia is now also now isolating new arrivals for 14 days. The state governments are responsible for enforcement. Scanning the press this morning it is apparent that they are taking enforcement more seriously than the New Zealand government. Queensland has announced police checks and 13000 dollar fines.

The other thing that has happened in Australia is that one of the major supermarkets has suspended delivery services indefinitely as they can’t cope with demand. I’m pleased I ignored our Prime Minister’s advice of 2 weeks ago and stocked up on additional food.
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March 16, 2020 8:02am
- Paulus Gnome
  
  Get fined (haha) in New Zealand for talking on the mobile while driving, $80.00.
  
  Get fined in Australia for talking on the mobile while driving, $1,000.00.
  
  We do not have laws with consequences in New Zealand, we have advisories and hugs and feelz and poi . . .
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:13am
- SGA
  
  I see Australia is now also now isolating new arrivals for 14 days.
  
  Interesting, isn’t it. Australia has 300 reported cases (11.8 per million) and 5 deaths. New Zealand has 8 reported cases (1.7 per million) and 0 deaths. Australia is only now following what NZ has done in terms of restrictions at the border. Looking around the world, I get the impression that we are being quicker to trigger the “next response” to levels of infection than many other places. Is that a fair assessment?
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:18am
  - septic skeptic
    
    They should have done one of two things.
    1 Close the borders, use our geographic isolation and keep this thing out of NZ until a vaccine or therapy is ready. OR
    2 Started to add considerable numbers of emergency ICU beds, mobile and drive through testing facilities. Temperature checks on arrivals, quarantine of cases (not self isolation) and introduce serious and unpleasant consequences for any suspected/precautionary cases that aren’t complying with self isolation.
    
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    March 16, 2020 9:47am
    - SGA
      
      In my honest opinion, I think that any NZ government would be, in general terms, doing very similar to what we are doing now. Most countries seem to following a fairly standard playbook in response to levels of infection – if anything we have been a little quicker to respond than many other places.
      
      My guess is that the government has been advised that the chances of preventing the virus getting into NZ in the long term is remote, and that they are better to plan for containing outbreaks and minimising stress on the health system.
      
      Shutting down the country for a long time (no one knows how long a vaccine may take), even if possible, could just mean causing considerable economic and social hardship trying to prevent the inevitable.
      
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      March 16, 2020 10:27am
      - septic skeptic
        
        Disagree. COL is showing signs of panic rushed and poorly thought decisions
        
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        March 16, 2020 11:16am
      - SGA
        
        To me it looks more like they are responding to public pressure and instigating plans a little before they intended to based on the playbook. Why is Australia, whose outbreak is more advanced than us, following us?
        
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        March 16, 2020 12:04pm
      - Paulus Gnome
        
        ‘COL is showing signs of panic rushed and poorly thought decisions’
        
        Well colour me surprised!
        
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        March 16, 2020 1:39pm
      - sam green
        
        They have, and will be following, a pandemic plan. This plan is not created by politicians – its created by people with expertise in pandemics. It will have many many layers. Any NZ government will follow it.
        
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        March 16, 2020 1:46pm
      - Ian Hawthorn
        
        A general pandemic plan should be modified to address the level of a specific threat. I don’t think they’ve done that.
        
        The economic cost of closing the borders until a vaccine is developed would be considerably less than the economic cost of dealing with community spread. Shutting the borders causes massive damage to the tourism industry which teh rest of us can support until the crisis is over. If this thing gets away on us just about everything will be shut down.
        
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        March 16, 2020 2:39pm
- Ruawai
  
  #me too
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:31am
LTA1955

Miss Bobble head trying her besties across the media this morning, could someone gently remove her from frontline, she’s looking and sounding like General Sir Anthony Cecil Hogmanay Melchett
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March 16, 2020 8:04am
- fightingtemeraire
  
  Yes but Stephen Fry is a brilliant man
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:11am
- Simon
  
  Yep she aint coping. The over reaction and panic is taking a life of its own. The panic is the new virus and Ardern is effected.
  
  Calm the fuck down.
  
  National need to step up – delay the election until March or April next year. Joint National Labour taskforce to handle the virus = the panic around the virus. United front not politicking.
  
  The crashing economy is the virus not the handful of people with a slight cough.
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:31am
  - oob
    
    No. This is a national crisis and Ardern is not up to it.
    
    She must resign and if not, be removed.
    
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    March 16, 2020 9:48am
    - Simon Gotlieb
      
      Good grief. Put your partisan bullshit aside for a minute. Let’s all work together for a solution, instead of constantly picking and trying to score points. You ain’t helping.
      
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      March 16, 2020 10:47am
      - LTA1955
        
        Unions don’t play nice especially with rich pricks. However, colour me surprised if they could put down their hammer, sickle and latte, switch on a smartphone/PC, and join the 21st century!
        
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        March 16, 2020 11:26am
  - KevO'Brien
    
    Is this a COL teaser to delay the election?
    The Selection was bad enough–the present lot need to be removed as soon as possible.
    
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    March 16, 2020 10:29am
  - Nickc2
    
    We can’t wait that long to get rid of this government!
    
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    March 16, 2020 11:14am
Prince

More proof of the incompetence of the Coalition.

What Ardern says. Nurses, instructions, follow ups…
As part of enforcing that self-isolation, people entering NZ would have to fill in a form when they arrived at the border, Ardern said. This would then be handed over to an airport nurse, who would then talk through the process and requirements of self-isolation.Healthline would follow up with them. “Spot checks” for those required to self-isolate were on the table.
What actually happens. A one page sheet is handed to passengers…
https://www.rnz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=2018738582
The most rigorous regime said Ardern, in full bobblehead mode yesterday. What a joke.
Like everything else these clowns do, from Kiwibuild and tree planting to Comprehensive Tax Reviews, it’s all bullshit. There is no carry through. They live in their own little bubble, moving from one media event to another with costume changes. There is no background of achievement, no management experience, only a desperate hope that the media will not dig into the detail or do any fact checking. At least Radio NZ has done some digging here.
Their time is nearly up.
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March 16, 2020 8:06am
- Misha Beattie
  
  Seems there is more enforcement in Australia.
  
  https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-15/coronavirus-queensland-schools-not-cancelled/12054306
  
  “People in Queensland who have been told to self-isolate for reasons related to coronavirus will be fined $13,000 if they don’t comply, the state’s Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says.
  
  Police will conduct random checks on people in Queensland who are self-isolating due to coronavirus.”
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:14am
Tempist

Media still parroting the decisive action on closing the borders, except they’re still open on a promise.

Not so much as a travel ban, so much as a travel hope-they’ll-play-by-the-rules
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March 16, 2020 8:06am
- MCos
  
  If there is blatant disregard for the current regulations I wouldn’t be surprised if deportations don’t follow for foreigners.
  It’s a difficult problem dealing with NZ residents. Concentration camps would hardly be a good look.
  
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  March 16, 2020 10:57am
  - Nickc2
    
    Gimme a break, we can’t even deport those who have been classified for deportation. dotcom and some kick boxer spring readily to mind.
    
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    March 16, 2020 11:18am
    - sooty
      
      Don’t forget miss Gollys Manus Island overstayed!
      
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      March 16, 2020 12:20pm
      - Nickc2
        
        Cheers Sooty.
        
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        March 16, 2020 12:52pm
  - Loddenthinks
    
    If you wouldn’t be surprised if deportations don’t follow, that means you’d be surprised if they did.
    
    I’d be surprised too, this government can’t even deport the people with a valid legal reason to be deported.
    
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    March 16, 2020 4:18pm
Happychappy

Coronavirus: Foreign backpackers arriving in NZ say they won’t self isolate and will keep traveling.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/03/coronavirus-foreign-backpackers-arriving-in-nz-say-they-won-t-self-isolate.html
So what will Jacinda do about this have the police arrest them and how much damage from the virus can they do.
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March 16, 2020 8:06am
- Than
  
  Seems likely they will be visiting under a visa-waiver. Can’t those be rescinded basically on the governments whim?
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:15am
- Captain Mainwaring
  
  I heard Cindy this morning saying she could use her powers of deportation.
  Wonder if she will.
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:18am
  - Captain Mainwaring
    
    What about Winston? He’s been unusually silent.
    
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    March 16, 2020 9:19am
    - sooty
      
      Maybe, he’s got it!
      
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      March 16, 2020 9:28am
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      I reckon he’s having a wee dram or two and a bit of a relax now that the media have forgotten about his Foundation.
      
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      March 16, 2020 9:30am
    - John Warren
      
      Winston’s quaffing a single malt and doing a little victory shuffle – Covid 19 has pushed his nefarious dealings off the front page.
      
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      March 16, 2020 10:35am
      - Tony Stuart
        
        Just as long as he keeps his distance from Tracey Martin, given he is in the age bracket for an adverse outcome from COVID-19.
        
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        March 16, 2020 10:56am
  - Aunty
    
    It would serve a useful purpose if she made an example of a couple of them. The message would soon get around the back packing community if she did.
    
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    March 16, 2020 9:30am
  - Paulus Gnome
    
    [ Mod : nope ]
    
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    March 16, 2020 9:35am
  - fisho
    
    How’s she going to deport them if there are no flights coming in or out. Airlines won’t come here if they can’t fill planes, people won’t come here if they have to self isolate for two weeks. Toothy Muppet.
    
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    March 16, 2020 6:02pm
- Sir Cullen's Sidekick
  
  Shane’s coussies will be on their trail. So no need to panic.
  
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  March 16, 2020 11:59am
Bill felt

Has anyone heard from Julie Ann Genter? She had the measles outbreak under control so I thought she would be all over this Corona thing! 🙂
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March 16, 2020 8:07am
- fightingtemeraire
  
  She’s looking after her little friend Chloe
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:11am
- kowtow
  
  The Greens consider ‘umans to be a virus on legs ,so this thing is doing Gaia’s work ,cleaning the planet out. So the Greens will be happy to sit back and watch……
  
  Problem for them though is this is a real crisis , unlike “Climate Catasrophe” , so hopefully when the dust settles on this one , voters might take stock of what pollies are constantly pushing and taxing us on and wake up to the dangers of “globalisation”.
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:24am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Yep,
    
    Quite a few folks In Germany are running with this theme:
    
    https://notrickszone.com/2020/03/15/german-public-television-satire-corona-virus-is-good-because-its-ravaging-the-elderly/
    
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    March 16, 2020 10:05am
- Aunty
  
  Never fear! Genter and Twyford are here! Our futures are secure!
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:32am
- Nermal
  
  All they need to do is call it KiwiVirus and it will dwindle into nothing
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:44am
- Nickc2
  
  The minister for stupid ideas?
  
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  March 16, 2020 11:26am
oldpark

Watched and heard the Peters selected NZs PM Ardern expose her total Narcissistic Personality as here is me, and who is like me, on the week-end Travel Ban announcement . Yes she went solo on the announcement as if all of it was her own work .
There was no one else on the podium. Not a good look at all . In fact she came across as too sweet to be wholesome as she completely denied her support,who had worked so hard in the backround.
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March 16, 2020 8:07am
- Charmaine Hawke
  
  That is true, love him or hare him but Trump had support and every time Pence speaks there are medical people there to answer the questions he can’t.
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:49am
Engelbert Humperdink

Regional Sitrep

Liquor stores in Pennsylvania set to close amid coronavirus outbreak

Sunday, March 15, 2020 10:21AM

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania — State run liquor stores are set to close in areas outside of Philadelphia.

All fine wine and spirits stores will close Tuesday until further notice, causing long lines as people rushed to stock up.

“They’re closing? The last thing I want to be when the end of the world comes is sober,” said one customer.

The governor of Pennsylvania has also ordered all non-essential businesses, including bars, recreation centers, salons and golf courses to close until further notice.

“The silliest decision to make, because the state would make so much money… because people have nothing to do, so they would come to the liquor store,” said another customer.

Heh (TM)
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March 16, 2020 8:09am
- sooty
  
  Pubs in Ireland are shut.
  Two days before St Paddys day.
  With March cancelled.
  Hope they all stocked up on sex toys!
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:31am
  - kowtow
    
    ‘Pubs in Ireland are shut.’
    
    Now dat really is a disaster.
    
    And the problem with sex toys in Ireland is dey have a tendency to crack your teeth.
    
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    March 16, 2020 12:59pm
Maxx

Trump offers ‘large sums’ for exclusive access to coronavirus vaccine
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/mar/15/trump-offers-large-sums-for-exclusive-access-to-coronavirus-vaccine

If this turns out to be true (and it’s being reported in a number of places) this is abhorrent
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March 16, 2020 8:09am
- Charmaine Hawke
  
  It’s in the Guardian safe to ignore
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:50am
  - Maxx
    
    Reuters
    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-germany-usa/germany-tries-to-halt-u-s-interest-in-firm-working-on-coronavirus-vaccine-idUSKBN2120IV
    
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    March 16, 2020 10:56am
    - Loddenthinks
      
      “anonymous source” from Germany says Trump wants it all for the US.
      
      US Ambassador to Germany is “wrong” and “wildly over-played” – I know who I’d rather believe, and it’s not the anonymous source, and it definitely isn’t The Guardian.
      
      Apart from the transparent bias, the begging puts me right off.
      
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      March 16, 2020 4:47pm
- the deity formerly known as nigel6888
  
  C’mon, it’s from the Guardian.
  
  Orange Man Bad! All day every day from the Guardianistas!
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:55am
- Inandout
  
  Maxx, look at the source.
  
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  March 16, 2020 10:07am
- mikenmildagain
  
  Surely Trump would not back such an inhumane move.
  
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  March 16, 2020 10:15am
- Pete George
  
  It”s not just the Guardian reporting this.
  
  CNBC: Germany tries to stop US from luring away firm seeking coronavirus vaccine
  
  Germany’s Health Ministry confirmed a report in newspaper Welt am Sonntag, which said President Donald Trump had offered funds to lure the company CureVac to the United States, and the German government was making counter-offers to tempt it to stay.
  
  “The German government is very interested in ensuring that vaccines and active substances against the new coronavirus are also developed in Germany and Europe,” the newspaper quoted a Health Ministry official as saying.
  
  “In this regard, the government is in intensive exchange with the company CureVac.”
  
  Contacted by Reuters, a spokeswoman for the German Health Ministry said: “We confirm the report in the Welt am Sonntag.”
  
  Welt am Sonntag quoted an unidentified German government source as saying Trump was trying to secure the scientists’ work exclusively, and would do anything to get a vaccine for the United States, “but only for the United States.”
  
  https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/15/coronavirus-germany-tries-to-stop-us-luring-away-firm-seeking-vaccine.html
  
  Also from Die Welt: https://www.dw.com/en/germany-and-us-wrestle-over-coronavirus-vaccine/a-52777990
  
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  March 16, 2020 10:52am
  - All_on_Red
    
    “ quoted an unidentified German government source as saying”
    
    Uhuh
    But since ‘multiple’ sources are repeating this then it must be legit eh!
    So funny
    No wonder you guys are ignorant.
    
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    March 16, 2020 1:03pm
sooty

How’s that Kiwisaver working out?
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March 16, 2020 8:09am
- Tall Man
  
  Capital Guaranteed …. fine thanks 🙂
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:14am
  - pdm
    
    `Capital Guaranteed – fine thanks.’
    
    You missed a hell of a lot of growth over the last 10 years then.
    
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    March 16, 2020 9:39am
    - Tall Man
      
      Not really. The kiwisaver is a small fraction of our total investment and was designed to basically collect the tax credit and be a small backstop of cash should everything else melt down.
      
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      March 16, 2020 12:33pm
- Paulus Gnome
  
  Mine matures on Wednesday.
  
  Another shit sandwich package from China as a present.
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:17am
  - Tall Man
    
    Not compulsory to exit so maybe wait a bit.
    
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    March 16, 2020 1:58pm
- Albert_Ross
  
  Horrible! But so would any savings account unless it were configured for maximum safety and minimal returns. This too shall pass.
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:19am
- Nermal
  
  Dropped a bit but still way ahead of my contributions. It will be back up in a few months as long as they can invest freely without govt restrictions
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:42am
slightlyrighty

It’s been a surreal couple of days to be sure.

There needs to be a hell of a support package from the government. The Rise in the Minimum wage needs to be postponed.

The level of discretionary spending in the government needs to be slashed. The Provincial Growth Fund needs to be repurposed, and now. Our Tourism Industry, which is our biggest Forex Earner, and will be affected to the tune of 10 Billion according to some estimates, needs support.

Our debt to GDP ratio is about to surge.

Buy shares in Netflix and Uber Eats!
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March 16, 2020 8:12am
- Tony Stuart
  
  I agree wholeheartedly about delaying the rise in the minimum wage. Instead of 1 April, it should be deferred to at least 1 July and preferably 1 October.
  
  Businesses which pay the minimum wage, or just above, to their staff are going to be some of those most affected by the economic recession that is on the horizon. To force them to pay their staff more, when their revenues are crashing and customers are staying away is totally wrong, and it will cost jobs; large numbers of jobs.
  
  This won’t affect me, as all our staff are paid significantly more than minimum wage. However I’ve already had one staff member ask for a pay rise based on her son, who is not employed by us, is getting the wage rise on 1 April, and she believes she is worth XYZ dollars an hour more than him, which she probably is. However our coffers are bare, and we simply can’t afford wholesale pay increases at the moment, or for the foreseeable future.
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:21am
  - Lance
    
    That’s because Labour are ideologically opposed to tax cuts. They would rather chew off their right arm than give tax cuts.
    Instead they will just give more and more of our money to the lowest earners.
    Which is another way of saying middle income NZers are shit under their shoes.
    
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    March 16, 2020 9:28am
    - Ian Boag
      
      Much better to give tax cuts. The people at the top get much more money that the ones at the bottom. They deserve it, particularly when times are hard and the drop in the $$ is pricing that Beemer out of reach ….
      
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      March 16, 2020 3:20pm
  - Nickc2
    
    I think it’s pointless to raise the minimum wage at a time when the ability to employ affected people are being diminished by the day thanks to COVID 19.
    
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    March 16, 2020 11:36am
Maggy Wassilieff

Looks like UK will be going hard in a couple of weeks

Coronavirus: Isolation for over-70s ‘within weeks’
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-51895873
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March 16, 2020 8:14am
- igm
  
  If that is introduced here will PIs be exempt?
  
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  March 16, 2020 8:19am
- All_on_Red
  
  I see manufacturers in the UK and US have been asked to ramp up production of Ventilators etc
  Has our Govt spoken to F and P Healthcare about this?
  https://www.fphcare.com/nz/hospital/adult-respiratory/invasive-ventilation/
  
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  March 16, 2020 8:36am
  - fightingtemeraire
    
    Also they are in talks with private hospital groups to be able to take over and run them if needed.
    
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    March 16, 2020 8:57am
  - cmm
    
    The government has the powers to have these treated as goods of national importance and ONLY allow export when NZ has enough.
    
    Of course, they are very unlikely to do anything useful.
    
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    March 16, 2020 9:25am
  - madamezucchininz
    
    …..you could have several million ventilators….but you need specialized staff to operate them ….of which we have very few…..speaking to a friend last night who works at a hospital…..she seemed to think we were more prepared for the SARS outbreak and that tho they have a couple of isolation rooms at the hospital it amounts to four beds in the ER….FFS…..this is in Christchurch….
    
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    March 16, 2020 9:26am
    - cmm
      
      I’m picking that a person of reasonable intelligence and a bit of understanding (eg. the thousands of medical students out there) could learn to run a ventilator, with a bit of supervision now and then, in less than 2 days.
      
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      March 16, 2020 9:40am
      - Engelbert Humperdink
        
        You’re picking wrong. The machine / pump is actually quite simple to hook up and switch on once you know what you are doing. BUT it’s changing all the myriad the settings to suit the improving or deteriorating patient, selecting the O2 to neither damage the lungs by excess nor the brain and other organs by deficiency, suctioning, turning, oral and other hygiene, sedatives and muscle relaxants as needed, so on so forth… it’s not just a fucking bag that pumps the lungs full of gas and then lets them empty. Sheesh.
        
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        March 16, 2020 10:10am
      - Ian Boag
        
        The simplest “ventilator” is a line with a nasal cannula. Blows oxygen up your nose and you breathe it. No chance of over-pressure into the lungs or anything like that.
        
        These are often run off an “oxygen concentrator” – a device that extracts oxygen continuously from the air. If you want to know how it works ask Wikipedia.
        
        If you want your own one it is about NZD500 give or take a bit. Available in quantity from China. Have a look on Aliexpress.
        
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        March 16, 2020 3:38pm
- MCos
  
  That’s ok for the likes of the Queen and Boris Johnson’s upper class mates with houses big enough to move in and out of their house and take a walk around the gardens.
  A lot of people over there live in tiny houses on postage stamp size pieces of land. I would go stir crazy in a very short time.
  It’s basically home detention without having committed a crime.
  Will these people be allowed to motor down to some lonely beach and watch the sun set on the Empire?
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:02am
  - Paulus Gnome
    
    Great idea!
    
    Pack the thermos and sandwiches and head out for the beach for the sunset with everybody else, end up self isolating on the M25!
    
    What a cunning plan! You could pin a tail on it and call it a weasel . . .
    
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    March 16, 2020 9:21am
  - Nickc2
    
    More than a touch of envy there I would say. We are what we are and a virus does not discriminate based on wealth.
    
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    March 16, 2020 11:41am
- SGA
  
  Looks like UK will be going hard in a couple of weeks
  
  Not sure what you mean by “going hard”. They have a different game plan. No school closures, etc. As I understand it, they are accepting that the virus is here to stay, and they aren’t going to get too obsessed trying to prevent it. Instead, they plan to protect the vulnerable (hence the isolation for over 70s) and let it run through much of the population where most will cope with it without too much distress. I am not sure that it will work (I think their health system may suffer chaos), but it is certainly an “interesting” approach. I suppose one can be a bit less sensitive to giving into public pressure when you’ve just won an election with a healthy majority.
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:05am
  - Tall Man
    
    It actually seems smart to me. The virus will be around forever now so get it while it’s mild but certainly, protect the vulnerable.
    
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    March 16, 2020 9:16am
    - SGA
      
      Agreed, it’s not necessarily batshit crazy, it’s the herd immunity idea. Once a lot of people are immune, it can’t spread as effectively. I do wonder about their health system coping with a tidal wave of serious cases all at once though.
      
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      March 16, 2020 9:43am
  - KevO'Brien
    
    It’s a sensible approach–we can’t be in fear of it long term.
    
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    March 16, 2020 10:41am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Yeah, I’m not too sure what “go hard” means…
    
    but hey, our PM likes to use the expression:
    
    Repeating several times during a press conference in Auckland that it was time to “go hard, and go early,” Ardern signalled there would be additional announcements on mass gatherings.
    
    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/120312021/coronavirus-prime-minister-jacinda-ardern-announces-details-on-mass-gatherings
    
    so I thought I’d give it a go…
    
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    March 16, 2020 4:37pm
- UrbanNeocolonialist
  
  UK seems to have a reasonable plan – keep most at risk isolated to reduce their impact on health system and let least at risk get sick to eventually establish herd immunity (once 60-70% have been infected and recovered).
  
  NZ is screwed. Given continued supine government response it’s just a matter of time until we are as badly affected as Europe. With a more proactive govt and proper quarantining and testing we could have prevented it taking hold here and kept on living as usual until vaccines arrives – just without tourism.
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:33am
  - SGA
    
    With a more proactive govt and proper quarantining and testing we could have prevented it taking hold here and kept on living as usual until vaccines arrives
    
    I’m not sure that “fortress NZ” is possible, and possibly not even desirable. If a vaccine takes 12-18 months to develop, we could be still sitting in our bubble while the rest of the world is going about their business because Covid-19 is so widespread. That’s not to say we should do nothing, a tsunami of cases is the worst scenario.
    
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    March 16, 2020 9:54am
    - UrbanNeocolonialist
      
      That’s not to say we should do nothing, a tsunami of cases is ~~the worst scenario~~ inevitable given current approach.
      
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      March 16, 2020 10:41am
      - SGA
        
        “inevitable”, we will see. It’s hard to compare with Italy, say. We have instituted tighter control before anything like their reported levels of community transmission, but also our population density is very different. For example, Lombardy, the region where it took hold, is about 3/4s the size of Southland. It has a population of 10 million.
        
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        March 16, 2020 11:24am
- Aunty
  
  This approach makes some sense. Since it is the elderly who are most at risk of the complications that require hospital treatment, whereas those who are younger, particularly those under 50, tend to have only a mild illness, quarantining the elderly in their own homes is one way to protect them while at the same time allowing herd immunity to build up in the wider population.
  
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  March 16, 2020 10:05am
Paulus Gnome

What the Corona conundrum is turning out to be.

For a decade, the clown car party now occupying the treasury benches, have vociferously complained how New Zealands debt climbed during the GFC with the Key, English and Joyce trifecta being the horsemen of the apocalypse.

The clown pardy never mention that during that period of sustained borrowing which navigated New Zealand through the GFC as well as the earthquakes in Christchurch and Kaikoura, nobody missed a benefit payment, not one. Nobody went hungry, no one missed out on anything.

My regret is that the horsemen did not use the opportunity to trim the Working for Families to give WfF a #2 haircut

Tomorrow the lead clown, will finally announce a ‘package’ of financial measures along with the announcement of a cut in the base rate of 0.75% (I thought 0.5 would have been enough) to steer us through this latest financial downturn.

We will see how easily they sail through this after all their mud slinging when they had to do nothing aside from turning up to eat their lunch for the past ten years, I wonder how easy they will find the task or will they fall at this hurdle.

I have money on the hurdle.

As a footnote, I have saved assiduously for forty plus years into pension schemes that all went into Kiwisaver that is due to mature on Wednesday. I am going out to stock up on toilet paper today as I see forty years effort kneecapped in less than forty days which is sure to have a bowel rumbling result.
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March 16, 2020 8:16am
- IC5000
  
  Haha maybe karma does exist.
  
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  March 16, 2020 10:46am
  - Tall Man
    
    As ardern will soon discover.
    
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    March 16, 2020 12:29pm
  - Paulus Gnome
    
    And there it is IC, the envy of the left.
    
    If karma gets me like this, I will survive. Your post makes you sound like Cullen, that is working out how?
    
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    March 16, 2020 4:01pm
Simon

Wuhan virus over reaction what a disgrace & embarrassment. The over reaction will kill the economy and hurt far more than the actual virus.

“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.”
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March 16, 2020 8:16am
- Tony Stuart
  
  The over reaction will kill the economy and hurt far more than the actual virus.
  
  I expect the families of the thousands of people who have already died as a result of COVID-19 probably disagree with you Simon.
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:24am
  - Andrei
    
    For the vast majority of people who have died the death of their loved ones in the near future was expected in any case – that’s the bit that gets downplayed or totally omitted from the hyperbolic reportage.
    
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    March 16, 2020 9:31am
    - Aunty
      
      Rubbish! Absolute bullshit of the highest order!
      
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      March 16, 2020 10:12am
  - Tall Man
    
    I am no health expert and I doubt many on here are but, surely those that have lost their lives to this virus were already heavily compromised so wouldn’t they have been at risk from any serious cold or influenza virus.
    
    From what I have seen, the only reasonably healthy person to succumb to the disease was the Chinese “whistleblower”……..
    
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    March 16, 2020 9:35am
    - septic skeptic
      
      You ought to find some proper analysis and do a bit of research. Unless you are under 20 and figure that anyone over forty is near death already.
      
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      March 16, 2020 10:43am
      - Tall Man
        
        Neither but it has been made clear that the elderly and health compromised are the main people at risk.
        
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        March 16, 2020 12:27pm
      - Ed Snack
        
        In France and the Netherlands, the current majority of patients in ICU for Corona Virus are under 40.
        
        Elderly people with compromised immunity do seem by far the most exposed to complications, but it isn’t just them.
        
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        March 16, 2020 1:07pm
Happychappy

Just a thought on Pike River Mine.
Do you think the Minister Andrew Little and the Goverment are still pouring money into this mine to find a scapegoat like the National Party or former leader John Key when we have the beginning of a Health Disaster in the Coronavirus penetrating our shore at this moment , that could result in a major recession World wide .
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March 16, 2020 8:20am
- Paulus Gnome
  
  Pike River mine will be repurposed as an isolation centre . . .
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:24am
  - Tall Man
    
    Just for mps?
    
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    March 16, 2020 9:41am
  - KevO'Brien
    
    Could we isolate the COL–the people in Greymouth could leave food for them.
    
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    March 16, 2020 10:46am
- gravedodger
  
  All the time the most favoured nomination for Pike River Scapegoat was the Union rep for workers one Andrew “Angry” Little.
  A close second the Health and safety Manager and father of two mine workers one of whom died and the other one of two who staggered out of the mine “drift” after the explosion.
  
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  March 16, 2020 10:50am
secondcumming

We can only hope that ALL our *Port Border Controls* have been beefed up.
Particularly as they apply to freight arriving from China. The Chinese drug dealers are very smart people. They will look to take full advantage of the chaos ensuing from the Coronavirus outbreak as they export even greater death and destruction to the West.

It’s not the time to have Customs short staffed…..or asleep at the wheel.
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March 16, 2020 8:27am
- KevO'Brien
  
  A very good observation. I have been bitten by mislabelled Chinese computer parts.
  
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  March 16, 2020 10:48am
- Nickc2
  
  What about all those foreign workers we were going to employ on a temporary basis in order to service our newly announced infrastructure projects? I’m guessing that won’t happen now. Another failure of the CoL.
  Meanwhile, Shane’s nephs are still on the couch with no intention whatsoever of getting a job.
  
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  March 16, 2020 12:01pm
Tall Man

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/120246234/coronavirus-iphones-shortage-looms

Imagine, the worst effect of the covid 19 is ……… A shortage of new iPhones!
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March 16, 2020 8:30am
- SGA
  
  It is nearly as bad as if the EPL abandons the season and, as a result, Liverpool once again fails to win it /tongue-in-cheek
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:38am
  - Tall Man
    
    Evil 😉
    
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    March 16, 2020 2:00pm
Nukuleka

I am angry about the first South Island case of Corona virus. Surely this visitor from Denmark should have been detected at the point of entry to NZ. Or am I missing something here?
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March 16, 2020 8:35am
- cmm
  
  Not sure, but she had probably been here a while already.
  
  Her actions were irresponsible. I’m sure there are grounds to arrest her and deport her.
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:27am
  - MCos
    
    She arrived on Tues 10-March. Flew to ch’ch and drove to Queenstown before becoming crook & was tested.
    Somewhere prior to arriving in NZ she must have come in contact with someone who was infected. Could have been at an airport or anywhere.
    
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    March 16, 2020 9:42am
- Clyde
  
  I am also angry. Irresponsible behaviour that matched the Ozzie who travelled to NZ and then took an internal flight to Wn all the while knowing he had the symptoms and had been tested before leaving Oz. That Ozzie guy who is now in isolation in a Wn hotel should be deported by charter NOW as well as being liable for all costs. The Danish woman ditto as soon as she gets out of Qtown hospital.
  
  But it underlines yet again the lack of consequence or even compliance with these “rules” by visitors still arriving. Much stricter controls needed at the borders with NO visitors being allowed to enter without evidence on how they are going to isolate and be available for checks.
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:35am
  - septic skeptic
    
    So, announcing the self isolation requirement before thinking through the details wasn’t a smart idea? Maybe that sort of joined up thinking isn’t a in the syllabus for a Comms degree from Waikato.
    FFS, if they were going to do this there should have been some more notice period and a detailed plan as to how it would work.
    
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    March 16, 2020 10:51am
  - Captain Mainwaring
    
    What internal flight Clyde? He flew direct Brisbane-Wellington.
    
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    March 16, 2020 10:54am
  - MCos
    
    He arrived well before the new restrictions came into force.
    It was precisely because of people like him that the restrictions were introduced.
    
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    March 16, 2020 11:06am
  - Albert_Ross
    
    No, the Danish lass’s behaviour isn’t comparable to the Australian’s. She didn’t know, and had no reason to think, that she had the virus when she set out for New Zealand, nor when she arrived in Christchurch, nor when she travelled to Queenstown. The Australian did know that he was a possible-to-probable case and so his culpability is much greater.
    
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    March 16, 2020 5:35pm
Maggy Wassilieff

Some graphics on Covid-19 in Australia (as of 8:30pm, 15 March)

https://www.covid19data.com.au/
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March 16, 2020 8:36am
- Odakyu-sen
  
  New Zealand could show a similar curve to the Australians. We have 8 (?) cases in New Zealand now. This could rise to around 16 over the period of a month, and we could be lulled into thinking that everything is under control, and then WHAM, like Australia, the number of cases skyrockets exponentially and we go to a couple of hundred cases in the space of a week.
  It could happen.
  
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  March 16, 2020 5:06pm
Ruahine

This person should be put in the military establishment at Whangaparoa, like all those people who were flown back from Wuhan were for 14 days, and then he should be put on a plane back to OZ.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-15/new-zealand-covid-19-cases-include-traveller-from-australia/12057754
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March 16, 2020 8:38am
Wangas Feral

I hate this name COVID-19. Stupid name. In line with pretty much every virus or disease ever it should be identified geographically. For three months even the CCP called it Wuhan Pneumonia or some derivative. Calling it covid-19 is just sucking up to the Chinese communists who tried to cover it up for months.
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March 16, 2020 8:50am
- UrbanNeocolonialist
  
  Wuflu. Way less clumsy.
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:35am
- Melbury
  
  I respectfully disagree. An objective sounding name is more useful and precise than default names like SARS, MERS, swine flu, or even Spanish Influenza.
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:38am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  WHO has come out against using locations and animal names for the formal names of viruses and diseases.
  
  So, the International Committee on the Taxonomy of Viruses has given the virus the formal name:
  “Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2” (SARS-CoV-2).
  
  The disease name (which in many cases is different from the virus name) has been designated as COVID-19 by the WHO. The virus name, as suggested by the Coronaviridae Study Group is “severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2” (SARS-CoV-2). And the species to which the virus SARS-CoV-2 belongs is Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus.
  
  https://talk.ictvonline.org/
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:58am
  - curry4me
    
    Maggy Wassilieff: Let’s rename it the Presitator virus.
    
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    March 16, 2020 3:59pm
- MCos
  
  Spanish flu didn’t originate in Spain
  
  Maybe that measles that killed all the kiddies in Samoa last year should be called NZ measles, or the 1918 flu that killed 20% of Samoans in the blink of an eye called the Kiwi flu.
  Both came from here.
  
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  March 16, 2020 11:15am
  - ross411
    
    No objection. Perhaps we can even NZify it some more and call it the “Jacinda dividend”
    
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    March 16, 2020 1:12pm
  - Jack5
    
    It was only Western Samoans who died. American Samoa, then as now under the colonial control of Washington, escaped the Spanish flu.
    
    A bungling New Zealand administrator gets the blame for the flu arriving in Western Samoa. Whether Western Samoa, more populous and bigger than American Samoa, could have escaped the flu entirely is another question.
    
    Naming the more recent epidemic in Samoa NZ measles is unfair. The disease was probably transmitted to Samoa from the under-vaccinated ethnic community in Auckland. The vaccination rate in Western Samoa had fallen to about a third, and likely would have been low in the ethnic Samoan community in Auckland.
    
    NZ is generally helpful to the Pacific Islands in health. Scores of Pacific Islanders will be in Auckland right now on taxpayer-funded dialysis machines, and Islanders’high rates of diabetes also cost the NZ health system.
    
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    March 16, 2020 9:29pm
- gravedodger
  
  Guess the brewery wanted to get distance from “Corona Beer”
  
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  March 16, 2020 3:36pm
Liberty

So why was Steven Joyce’s article removed from stuff within a couple of hrs yesterday.
Too close to the bone for the Government ? A phone call from the ninth floor?

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/120280988/the-government-needs-to-step-up-on-coronavirus-before-its-too-late–steven-joyce
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March 16, 2020 8:50am
- Ruawai
  
  I also noticed this article disappeared very quickly even though some articles seem to stay in the top of the news feed for weeks. Sure sign of a socialist Government.
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:26am
- Paulus Gnome
  
  Because Joyces’ opinion was better than their policy on the virus so they are now cribbing his advice that will now be announced tomorrow after they have found someone to read it slowly and loudly to them.
  
  Mr Joyce, the best mayor Auckland never had, says; ‘One of the hard parts of government in a crisis is letting go of things you want to do to deal with the things you have to do. Inaction on the minimum wage suggests the government hasn’t yet worked out that it will have to change as much as it requires change from everyone else.’
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:32am
  - Swifty
    
    We were lucky to have Joyce, in my view, and we don’t realise yet how much the poorer we all are as a result of the outcome of the 2017 election.
    
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    March 16, 2020 9:56am
- sooty
  
  Don’t be so hard on her.
  Her head can only bobble so fast!
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:37am
- igm
  
  Andrew Little’s union-controlled editorial chiefs would have been told to bin it. He controls media via his union connections.
  
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  March 16, 2020 9:41am
  - mikenmildagain
    
    Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
    That’s quite a case of paranoia you have there. probably more damaging than any coronavirus.
    
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    March 16, 2020 10:33am
    - Libertarians are right
      
      Is IGM wrong?
      Little and ILG are the Unions’ biggest puppets in Government.
      Between them they have Courts, Justice, NZSIS, Workplace Relations, ACC, Immigration and Deputy Leader of the House.
      
      That’s a lot of power for the Unions and don’t think for a second that they didn’t ask (require) for their puppets to have those specific positions. Little wouldn’t need to ask the Unions to exert power on the editors as they would happily protect their own puppets. Why do you think ILG still has the Immigration role? Competence clearly isn’t the reason.
      
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      March 16, 2020 3:32pm
      - mikenmildagain
        
        Don’t you think he should support his outlandish fantasy of union control of the news through Andrew Little with just a tiny bit of evidence?
        
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        March 16, 2020 4:12pm
- Brian McDonald
  
  From the article: “As I understand it the strategy is to slow down the rate of transmission to allow health systems to cope better and give time to come up with better treatments including, eventually, a vaccine.”
  I didn’t hear mention of a vaccine. But the rest certainly. When that measure of slowing the rate of transmission is achieved I imagine NZ would open up again. It seems to have flown under the radar but Samoa announced a travel ban apart from those that had in a period of not greater than 3 days passed a test showing they were free of Covid 19. Good idea, so the next step would be for people to test both before leaving their home countries and arriving in another, also taking into the population of the disease where they are traveling from. That may seem like a lot of testing and would need gearing up to meet the demand but it would lead to opening the gates again internationally – hopefully with minimum inconvenience. Remembering the whole world is in the same boat.
  Steven is right about the ad hoc progress, but that will smooth out following the steps taken yesterday. I think NZ is actually in a very good position and will be more so in a couple of weeks with more information on new cases of infection (but hopefully less – to show the plan is working). The good work done around this hasn’t been appreciated. The MOH has tracked every infection, for the moment that will be rare in the developed world.
  If NZ could achieve ‘opening’ again to virus-free visitors the country will be seen as a safe place and our exports safe. I don’t think any reasonable person would object to testing, and in reality, it may become commonplace in international travel anyway.
  Obviously, I say this with absolutely no experience to do so.
  
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  March 16, 2020 10:11am
  - Ruahine
    
    NZ would have been in a better position if this had all been done at the beginning of the month instead of trying to push these measures out past 15th March for the PMs big moment for the worlds media. These measures and even more should have been put in place as soon as the first case turned up off the plane. An Iranian I believe returning from Iran.
    
    21 1
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    March 16, 2020 10:32am
- Morphyoss
  
  Hardly a conspiracy theory, the link to the opinion piece works just fine.
  
  But hey, believe what you want.
  
  Did anyone actually click the link, or just assume the comment was true?
  
  1 9
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  March 16, 2020 11:36am
DeepBlue

The world is definitely ending…

” Ireland to close its pubs

The Irish government has called for all bars in the country to close for the next two weeks to help curb the spread of coronavirus.
A government statement says all public houses and bars including those in hotels are asked to close until at least 29 March.

Tomorrow is St Patrick’s Day.” RNZ
18 0
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March 16, 2020 9:07am
- lifesgood
  
  We should take a leaf out of the Italians book and play Irish music full blast out our windows tomorrow. Yeah, nah, that’s not going to happen but it would be fun, wouldn’t it?
  
  8 2
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  March 16, 2020 11:05am
BeaB

If every country is borrowing billions to get through this crisis, where is the money coming from?
15 0
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March 16, 2020 9:08am
- cmm
  
  Where is all comes from… printing more.
  
  They don’t borrow it from other people, they borrow from future generations.
  
  15 0
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  March 16, 2020 9:37am
- UrbanNeocolonialist
  
  Lenders. Everyone with a brain is heavily in cash at the moment so there is vast pool of money that can be borrowed.
  
  10 0
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  March 16, 2020 9:39am
  - oldfella
    
    The Labour gummint could borrow it from some of their voters. I’m thinking of the bikie gangs (sorry, Maori benevolent societies), who are always flushed with cash from their drug deals.
    
    14 0
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    March 16, 2020 11:23am
Ruawai

If the banks go to negative interest and we have savings in the bank will the banks charge us interest??
19 0
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March 16, 2020 9:25am
- Tall Man
  
  Good question.
  
  Possible but unlikely here in NZ.
  
  Some overseas banks have been charging to hold funds for some time.
  
  12 0
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  March 16, 2020 9:39am
  - Paulus
    
    The usual reason to charge for holding money is because it is money from leaders of nefarious countries around the world eg Mugabe and Russians stolen funds.
    
    4 0
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    March 16, 2020 2:00pm
- cmm
  
  The interest that banks charge is always a few % above the reserve bank rate. It needs to be to cover their costs, risks and make them profitable.
  
  If you think the reserve bank is going to drop rates to -4%, dream on!
  
  7 0
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  March 16, 2020 10:19am
- KevO'Brien
  
  They have overseas.
  
  5 0
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  March 16, 2020 10:53am
- Nickc2
  
  I believe so. This was talked about in an Australian news program I saw a couple of weeks ago.
  Please consider, we have wages, pensions and benefits etc deposited in our banks by compulsion. You can’t get paid in cash anymore and because of this, the banks use this money to make money and give us an interest payment (such as it is) for the privilege. When the OCR is in a negative status, we have to pay the banks to use and store our money. The banks will love this.
  Will we go back to collecting our wages etc in cash? Doubt it, the push is on for a cashless society and all the benefits that gives to the banks such as additional charges on transactions.
  The banks have us screwed whichever way we go.
  
  11 0
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  March 16, 2020 12:30pm
kevn

@Liberty… Compliant suckup media. Sickening isn’t it?
14 0
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March 16, 2020 9:32am
tf78

The only thing that’s first world about NZ is the sunrise thanks to these clowns
16 0
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March 16, 2020 9:32am
Clyde

Can’t believe that these pro sports people are portraying this global health crisis as something that they need to receive assistance with. FFS these people are in the entertainment business and being entertained is probably about the bottom of society’s concerns at the moment.
15 0
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March 16, 2020 9:41am
- Albert_Ross
  
  Don’t follow. Yes, people are going to put a lower priority on going out for the purposes of entertainment. This means that people who make a living out of providing entertainment, such as professional sports people, are going to find it much harder, if not impossible, to maintain income during the shut-down.
  
  Certainly, they’re not the only ones, but if there is to be assistance to help people who would otherwise not be able to support themselves through the crisis, I see no reason why it shouldn’t also be available to people who support themselves by providing entertainment.
  
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  March 16, 2020 5:42pm
coge

This Govt is determined to get your nephs back on the couch.
16 0
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March 16, 2020 9:55am
Tony Stuart

Air New Zealand’s response to COVID-19 and the Government’s travel restrictions is to cut international capacity by around 85%. And it won’t be long before the axe falls on large numbers of staff:

As a result of the downturn in travel Air New Zealand continues to review its cost base and will need to start the process of redundancies for permanent positions.

“We are now accepting that for the coming months at least Air New Zealand will be a smaller airline requiring fewer resources, including people,” he said.

The airline’s wage bill is about $1.3 billion a year.

The airline had deployed a range of measures, such as leave without pay and asking those with excess leave to take it, but these only go so far, said Foran, who started work at the airline on February 3.

”We are working on redeployment opportunities for some of our staff within the airline and also to support other organisations”.

Foran said the airline was working constructively with the heads of the four main unions, E tū, AMEA, NZALPA and Federation of Air New Zealand Pilots, representing more than 8000 of its workforce, to ensure the right outcome for all staff.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12316909

Labour showed little sympathy to Key, English and Joyce when unemployment grew during the Global Financial Crisis. Now the worm has turned, and what goes around is about to come around.
36 1
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March 16, 2020 10:19am
- Swifty
  
  The shoe’s on the other foot now KS!
  
  19 0
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  March 16, 2020 10:26am
  - Tony Stuart
    
    Whilst I expect the Opposition to hold the Government to account, I hope National MP’s can resist the temptation to gloat. Playing politics over people who have lost their jobs is not appealing.
    
    20 1
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    March 16, 2020 11:19am
    - Swifty
      
      Oh I quite agree – we must never stoop to Labour’s level.
      
      19 0
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      March 16, 2020 11:26am
- fightingtemeraire
  
  Talk about being dropped in the deep end!!!! Sympathy to Mr Foran
  
  17 0
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  March 16, 2020 10:47am
- Odakyu-sen
  
  If Air New Zealand sheds 3,000 staff, how are these people going to keep up their mortgage payments? There could be a lot of unhappy families in the next couple of months.
  
  5 0
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  March 16, 2020 5:08pm
Cobolt24

RBNZ cuts the cash rate by 75 bps to 0.25%
https://www.interest.co.nz/news/104063/ocr-reduced-025-percent-next-12-months
US federal reserve cuts rates to zero
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/15/federal-reserve-cuts-rates-to-zero-and-launches-massive-700-billion-quantitative-easing-program.html
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March 16, 2020 10:22am
- Odakyu-sen
  
  “Wow. $700 billion. Will we ever see this money again?”
  
  “Yes. In wheelbarrows.”
  
  5 0
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  March 16, 2020 5:09pm
RW Capitalist

my musings on Covid 19
1. Since Covid 19 is being isolated, by 2 weeks isolation from planes and cruise ships, maybe we should also stop other long tubes of mass transit like
……………….Buses and trains.
Conclusion:best for of isolation to prevent spread and still keep the country running….drive to work.
2. With all this panic around covid 19 and it’s impact on the economy, they appear to have forgotten a much more wide spread effect.
Contractors, who repair equipment, travel to all kinds of business. If they stop, eventually ALL business’ stop.
3. Since the average age for dying of this is 81yrs.
a: Why are we spreading our attention equally to ALL age groups?
b: What is the demographic of those most effected, ie are they sick already with something else or was it really covid 19 that killed them? Would they have died anyway, were they weakened already? These things would help fight this thing.
c: What is the age group most badly effected
0-10yrs
10-20yrs
etc
focus on that and the resources my be better used.
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March 16, 2020 10:24am
- Misha Beattie
  
  If this thing breaks out I won’t be going near public transport. In fact I would expect public transport to cease. A crowded Wellington bus in rush hour? No thanks.
  
  17 0
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  March 16, 2020 10:44am
- KevO'Brien
  
  That would spoil the wild journos who ramp up anxiety fro profit.
  
  11 0
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  March 16, 2020 10:58am
  - brett68
    
    Rout 2020 seems no more.
    No chance of National winning the election?
    
    3 16
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    March 16, 2020 11:04am
    - Captain Mainwaring
      
      Will there be an election or will we be doing what happened during WW2?
      
      9 1
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      March 16, 2020 12:15pm
brett68

I recommend watching this video

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/how-a-country-serious-about-coronavirus-does-testing-and-quarantine-80595013902
4 5
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March 16, 2020 10:36am
- Tall Man
  
  Never coming to a town near you. ardern knows what to do, Simon told her ?
  
  6 2
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  March 16, 2020 12:19pm
- Two fish and a scoop thanks Cindy
  
  Maddow is fake news.
  
  5 6
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  March 16, 2020 12:20pm
  - brett68
    
    For fucksake dimwit, she was interviewing the New York Times health reporter who was describing how the Chinese managed to get ontop of coronavirus.
    
    4 2
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    March 16, 2020 12:54pm
    - Two fish and a scoop thanks Cindy
      
      Maddow is still fake news.
      
      2 2
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      March 16, 2020 2:55pm
      - curry4me
        
        Two fish and a scoop thanks Cindy: And one can’t beleive a thing that comes from a Chinese state media source.
        
        0 0
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        March 16, 2020 4:07pm
      - mikenmildagain
        
        You’re still a dimwit.
        
        0 4
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        March 16, 2020 4:14pm
RW Capitalist

reaction to covid 19
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIKMbma6_dc
“The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself”
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March 16, 2020 10:46am
Littletramp

Mother Nature has sent us the Corona Virus to adjust a supply and demand imbalance that we struggled to solve termed “unfunded pensions”. The virus is reducing demand through claiming more victims in the aged community and increasing supply via the resultant baby boom (future tax payers) that will eventuate as we all have no events to keep us away from home. Just one perspective?
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March 16, 2020 11:00am
curry4me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kC6qtXQWMQU

Hardest Hit Coronavirus Regions Reveal Intimate Ties With Beijing. I guess this isn’t particularly shocking news. Reason # 958 to leave the Made in China stuff on the shelf. Non Chinese drop shippers can usually fill the gap.
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March 16, 2020 11:19am
curry4me

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/03/15/turks-jailed-killing-boy-whose-drowning-sparked-2015-16-migrant-crisis/

What a surprise. /Sarc off.
7 0
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March 16, 2020 11:19am
KevO'Brien

Govt at it again:
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/new-zealand-unexpectedly-slashes-rates-75bps-record-low-025-warns-kiwi-qe-coming
6 0
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March 16, 2020 11:33am
lifesgood

I wonder how long it will take until people say “Stuff it” and just go about their business as normal. Everyone is in panic mode now but how long can that last?
7 1
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March 16, 2020 12:33pm
Lance

I get updates from AliBaba every now and then (as a side effect of doing business through that site).
Surgical face masks popped up. All pretty much the same, except the prices ranged from 65 cents ea to US$26 ea.
Entrepreneurs or assholes?
3 0
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March 16, 2020 12:48pm
BeaB

It is bad enough having ubiquitous Siouxsie Wiles popping up in the media every five minutes without Radio NZ allowing her to push her very leftwing political views.
Too many NZ academics spout polemic when they should stick to their areas of expertise.
She is even more irritating with her silly pink hair. Can’t she attract enough attenti0n without it?
In a time of national crisis I want gravitas.
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March 16, 2020 1:30pm
- MrTips
  
  To be fair, she is a microbiologist and knows about 70% alcohol and making bugs glow.
  
  The more annoying one is Nanogirl, Dickinson. She’s not a biologist, not a doctor, doesn’t even know what a spike protein is. And yet she’s lapping up the attention because…she likes it. I for one am ignoring her.
  
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  March 16, 2020 6:04pm
Misha Beattie

Yet another example of unhelpful vagueness:

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/120305558/live-coronavirus-update-from-ministry-of-health

“If they weren’t able to convince officials, authorities MAY make arrangements to sent them back to the country they flew in from.”

“May” – not “will”. So is this a discretionary decision? What criteria? Drives me nuts.
10 1
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March 16, 2020 2:12pm
aquataur

Impact of stupid Govt decisions – and world wide emissions will be up as a result

https://www.energynews.co.nz/news-story/coal/49496/nz-coal-imports-hit-13-year-high-2019
9 1
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March 16, 2020 3:14pm
Kiwi

Article by Bevan Rapson – “Should the Prime Minister harden up and show NZ First who’s in charge?”
https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/national/should-the-prime-minister-harden-up-and-show-nz-first-whos-in-charge/ar-BB11dKSR?li=BBqdg4K
9 1
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March 16, 2020 3:41pm
- Paulus Gnome
  
  Good read, thank you
  
  6 0
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  March 16, 2020 4:20pm
Jack5

A special programme for Pacific Islands school children in New Zealand, raises the whole issue of maths teaching in all NZ schools.

Jenny Salesa, Associate Minister of Education and Ethnic Communities Minister, announced last week that $7.2 million will be spent over four years to help improve maths skills for Pacific Islands children in NZ schools. This is under the “Developing Mathematical Inquiry Communities’ programme. The maths work will include workshops in school holidays.

Salesa said:

“DMIC draws on students’ Pacific culture and heritage to support their success in maths. For example, students will use traditional Pacific crafts like tivaevae (Cook Islands quilt making) and ta’ovala (Tongan weaving) to engage better with complex mathematical thinking and algebraic patterns.”

This strategy fits the strategy of “ethnomathematics”. Such work
in Hawaii is at the second link below.

It will be interesting whether this approach matches the ways Chinese, Indians, and Japanese are learning maths, and learning it well. Also, if, as in Britain, white male children become the tail end of the education system, what will be an ethnomaths strategy for them?

The NZ programme:

https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/72m-pacific-maths-programme-launches-schools

From Hawaii:

https://www.maa.org/publications/periodicals/maa-focus/ethnomathematics-shows-students-their-connections-math
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March 16, 2020 3:53pm
MrTips

According to the master of hysteria and shadow living, the MoH have fired their communications team and the cops have told Nash they have no idea how to enforce quarantine on tourists.
https://twitter.com/hamishpricenz?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
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March 16, 2020 3:55pm
- Happychappy
  
  Seems like Jacinda should have brushed up on the law before threatening to deport people that won’t obey her.
  https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12317090
  I agree they should have isolate but make sure you have right before you trout mouth what you will do , another case of grandstanding by Jacinda.
  
  8 1
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  March 16, 2020 5:59pm
RW Capitalist

Did I hear correctly, did our little communications expert (aka PTPM), effectively say that, if people won’t self isolate, we will make them.
Something about a policeman outside their door.
9 0
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March 16, 2020 5:47pm
MrTips

The PM says leave before you are deported . Really? Does that include Bouchani, the Iranian overstayer?
18 0
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March 16, 2020 5:56pm
- rangitoto
  
  Or Sroubek.
  
  12 0
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  March 16, 2020 6:06pm
- Tall Man
  
  He’s special…………….
  
  2 0
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  March 16, 2020 6:51pm
Colville

Just put $400 of doomsday supplies in the garage…

that doesnt include the 200 rounds for the .223 that I got just incase this turns bad and people try to raid my wine cellar!
8 1
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March 16, 2020 5:56pm
- mikenmildagain
  
  Just checked the supplies of gold, baked beans and ammo – all good.
  
  3 5
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  March 16, 2020 7:03pm
  - Harriet
    
    Ya gold is probably Nescafe, and firing off rounds of nerf pellets from your kids Christmas present while farting is about all we expect you to be doing Milky! 😎
    
    Anyway I hope you and yours are all good Milky.
    
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    March 16, 2020 10:48pm
Surely Knott

Dome valley woman was subjected to two vicious assaults where she was bound, tasered and had her hair cut, sexually violated, beaten with cricket wickets and a cricket bat, had two of her fingers broken and her head bashed with a hammer.” Woman was left for dead on the side of the road.

And now a woman involved is claiming her mental health wasn’t adequately considered. Yes her daughter had previously committed suicide, is a fair thing to take into consideration. But the woman was high on meth is her choice and you shouldn’t get the sympathy of the court because you were drunk or high. What a horrific thing to do to another human being.
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March 16, 2020 6:54pm
- Harriet
  
  It’s a fair stretch to go from having your child kill themselves to justify why you are hitting someone on the head with a hammer, tasering them, breaking their fingers, and then leaving them for dead. It’s too prolonged. Sure she might not be herself but have you ever heard of anything like this before? I haven’t. I have heard of guys being frustrated and lashing out – punching something or someone. She’s got a poor excuse.
  
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  March 16, 2020 10:58pm
MrTips

Was waiting for this. China is sending medical supplies, materials, gear and equipment to Italy because the EU is abandoning them. Germany can mouth off all it likes about Trump and “buying” the vaccine pharma, but when the Schengen area doesn’t give a stuff about its own member state in their hour of need, well, they can get fucked.
https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/03/14/coronavirus-eu-abandoning-italy-china-aid/

China are also helping Spain, so it’s going to be very interesting politically in the next 12 months. Britain may end up on the right side of the coin in more ways than one. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3075320/coronavirus-china-vows-help-spain-amid-questions-over-eu
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March 16, 2020 7:37pm
Engelbert Humperdink

Chins is charging above the going rates for this so-called aid.
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March 17, 2020 11:22am

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