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May 7, 2020 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 07 May 2020

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PhilBest

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/cortneyobrien/2020/05/05/tucker-politicians-who-felt-like-gods-during-pandemic-dont-want-country-to-reopen-n2568202
Some lawmakers have let their power go to their heads during the coronavirus pandemic, Fox News host Tucker Carlson concluded on his show Monday night. To the point where they’d like to see the pandemic prolonged. With several states at least entering Phase One of reopening plans, governors are going to have to start letting people live their lives again.
“It means their own power is dissipating, it’s slipping away,” Carlson argued. “And so they stamp their feet in frustration as they watch it. They pour their venom on to social media and red-faced hits on cable news.”
“They loved this pandemic,” Carlson said. “This tragedy. Every sad minute of it. It made them feel indispensable, omnipotent, like Gods. They desperately don’t want it to end.”
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May 7, 2020 8:00am
- fernglas
  
  Not just lawmakers. Busybodies, functionaries, police and media commentators. They’re the ones that will keep us stuck in this catastrophe.
  
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  May 7, 2020 8:30am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    And socialist politicians
    
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    May 7, 2020 9:01am
    - mandk
      
      Especially socialist politicians.
      
      Just look how snarky Ardern got when the leader of Her Majesty’s loyal opposition dared to suggest an alternative way forward.
      
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      May 7, 2020 9:04am
- PhilBest
  
  The new information being made available on here is making it clearer and clearer who was right all along about this pandemic:
  
  https://swprs.org/a-swiss-doctor-on-covid-19/#latest
  
  There is too much: look at the whole 6 May update.
  
  My pick for “most significant”, is the finding that the spread of infection was slowed most dramatically by initial distancing measures, and lockdowns themselves show no discernable added benefit.
  
  https://infekt.ch/2020/04/sind-wir-tatsaechlich-im-blindflug/
  
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  May 7, 2020 8:34am
  - Jack5
    
    Meanwhile a study asserts that as many as 6.3 million people will develop tuberculosis as cases go undiagnosed and untreated between now and 2025.
    
    The study says 1.4 million people will die of TB during this time.
    
    It expects the global coronavirus shutdown will to set back world efforts to fight TB by at least five years, and possibly by up to eight years.
    
    https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/06/coronavirus-millions-of-people-expected-to-fall-ill-with-tuberculosis.html
    
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    May 7, 2020 10:23am
  - JackRabbit
    
    The Hong Kong flu happened in 1968, starting during Woodstock and knocked off 100,000 Americans.
    
    The death toll for Covid-19 in the USA was 68,000 but has been downgraded by the CDC to 39,000, because they are now actually starting to determine actual cause of death, and not just assume it was Covid-19.
    
    “He/She died during the Covid-19 pandemic so cause of death must have been Covid-19.” About as lame as saying all that U2 fans attending a concert are smoking marijuana.
    
    https://www.aier.org/article/woodstock-occurred-in-the-middle-of-a-pandemic/
    
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    May 7, 2020 12:35pm
    - PhilBest
      
      Paul Joseph Watson has a hilarious spoof headline on his website: “man killed by shark found to have had COVID-19”
      
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      May 7, 2020 2:15pm
    - hookerphil
      
      That’s right – I went to a U2 concert in Berlin 2005 and didn’t smoke marijuana.
      
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      May 7, 2020 4:55pm
- Benedict Yu
  
  ““This tragedy. Every sad minute of it. It made them feel indispensable, omnipotent, like Gods.”
  
  This is unsurprising. I hear that was happening in an island nation east of Australia.
  
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  May 7, 2020 8:38am
- Critical Thinker
  
  China lied
  WHO complied
  Press denied
  People died
  ☠️??
  
  Michigan Health Centre Workers Stage Fake Patients in COVID19 Testing Line For CBS News
  
  https://youtu.be/oQWRCECbN-Y
  
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  May 7, 2020 8:43am
  - cmm
    
    Geez, that’s a bit worse than throwing lollies in the rubbish bin to get street kids picking through it.
    
    But of course nothing like that happens here… right? Right???
    
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    May 7, 2020 9:17am
- Chris Peace
  
  The feeling of omnipotence is not restricted to USA.
  Our PM is having to rethink her own omnipotence as lots of NZers are starting to question her. Today’s Level 2 announcements will tell us if she is waking up to commercial realities which can be more destructive than any virus if mismanaged.
  
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  May 7, 2020 8:44am
- PhilBest
  
  https://nopunchespulled.com/2020/05/06/simon-bridges-scores/
  
  Sir Bob Jones congratulating Simon Bridges for finally, at last, starting to go after Ashley Bloomfield, the “ringmaster of the absurdly OTT reaction to the pandemic”. I’m with Sir Bob on this. Stick to this mode, Simon.
  
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  May 7, 2020 8:56am
  - 103PapPap
    
    It’s interesting that Bloomfield told Ardern in early March to ‘Close the borders’. She didn’t, because it would cancel her promotional March 15 show.
    Now she is delaying the move to level 1 because ‘My advice from Mr Bloomfield is to wait’.
    Go figure.
    
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    May 7, 2020 10:29am
- Stephen Russell
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  I think the person with delusions here is Carlson.
  
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  May 7, 2020 9:02am
  - JackRabbit
    
    Delusion is where the truth and a person’s viewpoint of the truth do not match, yet that person keeps insisting that it is the same.
    
    Since Carlson is on the money, he is not deluded. Perhaps it is you that is deluded.
    
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    May 7, 2020 9:36am
    - mikenmildagain
      
      Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
      Well, it’s obvious whose money he is on.
      
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      May 7, 2020 10:12am
      - All_on_Red
        
        His advertisers?
        Apparently he gets $20 million a year
        
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        May 7, 2020 10:22am
      - mikenmildagain
        
        Millionaire shilling for billionaires while pretending to be the voice of ordinary Americans.
        
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        May 7, 2020 10:25am
      - Ed Snack
        
        Well, probably not Chinese money like the rest of the media companies, and Congress.
        
        And in talking “millionaires and billionaires”, you are of course talking of the Democrat supporting MSM I presume ? They do seem to have a great line in speaking for “Americans” while declaring everyone who doesn’t support them deplorable or worse. The Dems are these days the party of the Billionaires, and have been for the past 20-30 years.
        
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        May 7, 2020 1:50pm
PhilBest

If what this nurse is saying is true, the implications are shocking, just what is motivating this systematic malpractice in at least some NYC hospitals? COVID-19 victims dying because of wrong treatment, when the right treatment might have saved them?

http://www.stateoftoday.com/covid-stay-out-of-nyc-hospitals-tearful-nurse/
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May 7, 2020 8:02am
- Critical Thinker
  
  “Fact-checking sites including USA Today, Politifact, and Snopes have confirmed that hospitals get paid more money if a patient is coded for the novel coronavirus, even if they haven’t been tested in some states. Hospitals get a 20% add-on for COVID-19-coded patients and roughly three times as much if such patients are placed on a ventilator.”
  
  https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-top-aides-questioning-if-coronavirus-death-toll-inflated-report
  
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  May 7, 2020 9:14am
- cmm
  
  Part of the problem is that medical systems work with established protocols.
  
  We laypeople like to think that the medical profession is staffed by people who look at a problem, make an assessment, then decide what to do.
  
  Nope. Reality is different. Mostly they just operate from established protocols and procedures. They just do what the manual tells them.
  
  Of course the constant fear of medical malpractice also forces them to follow manuals and do the wrong thing. Don’t follow the manual and you can get sued.
  
  This system works great for well understood diseases when the procedures have been honed for years. It generally means that the doctors make fewer mistakes.
  
  But when something new comes along this does not work well. The system does not have the flexibility to operate differently.
  
  Doctors end up doing stuff that they know is wrong because they are just following procedures.
  
  As a result, we see massive numbers of people in NYC ending up on ventilators even though the doctors know, and can see, that this is the wrong thing to do. They put the patient on the ventilator because that is what the manual says.
  
  People speaking up get shut down or reassigned or whatever. The system takes care of its own and does not like change.
  
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  May 7, 2020 9:28am
  - Sacha
    
    “As a result, we see massive numbers of people in NYC ending up on ventilators even though the doctors know, and can see, that this is the wrong thing to do. They put the patient on the ventilator because that is what the manual says.”
    
    https://youtu.be/mZqNiQxJLSU
    
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    May 7, 2020 9:47am
  - JackRabbit
    
    “We laypeople like to think that the medical profession is staffed by people who look at a problem, make an assessment, then decide what to do.”
    
    cmm, this goes for any profession. That is why the ethical movers and shakers of the world are not state servants, and refused to be programmed what to think, but often relish the ability to think.
    
    “They put the patient on the ventilator because that is what the manual says.”
    
    As you say, they do what the manual says, because they lack any ability to think.
    
    “The system takes care of its own and does not like change.”
    
    Welcome to the Borg/Cybermen. If the advice did not come through your earpods, it ‘cannot’ be correct.
    
    Since all communications are monitored, the was one ‘benefit’ of banning group gatherings and ensuring people stayed in their bubble: It meant any off the ‘grid’ communications were stopped.
    
    Even standing at your gate talking to your neighbours 10m away over the road was banned. 10m distancing was lethal but wandering around a germ filled supermarket where Covid-19 hangs in the air for 12 hours was not?
    
    It has been a giant con from start to finish.
    
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    May 7, 2020 9:50am
    - cmm
      
      “cmm, this goes for any profession.”
      
      Yup, true. I’m certainly not saying doctors are worse than others, just saying they are subject to the same office politics and crap that everyone else is.
      
      Look at whatever industry you are in and see the dynamics of politics (power play, back stabbing, career enhancement, turf protection) and that goes on in all industries.
      
      People put scientists and doctors etc on pedestals. Nope. They play the same games. They are forced to or they are kicked out, shunned, whatever.
      
      The layperson believes scientists work according to the scientific method. Nope, they do what gets funding, enhances their standing, etc etc. Very few will go against the status quo.
      
      The layperson believes doctors put their patients first. Nope. Very few will stand up and say they are doing the wrong thing.
      
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      May 7, 2020 10:32am
      - JackRabbit
        
        The average GP has no time to do research, so they do everything on the basis of what is fed to them.
        
        The few doctors I have met that do research usually want to know causes, and eventually end up going down the path of nutrition and natural food.
        
        “The layperson believes scientists work according to the scientific method.”
        
        The scientific method is largely non existent. World wide the percentage of false or incorrect murder convictions is between 30-35%, caused by a failure to use the scientific method.
        
        Off the record, I had a top detetive cop confirm that figure. But your average detective will tell you they get it right 100% of the time.
        
        The world is full of amateurs that start with the “answer” and then go looking for evidence that supports that assumed answer.
        
        The unfortunate reality is that the majority of people we consider to be experts are just amateurs. You can put a monkey in a suit, pay it $200k, and hope it will turn into a man, but it never does.
        
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        May 7, 2020 1:07pm
      - cmm
        
        JR: Sure, the average GP is pretty much the same as everyone else. They go home, have a beer/wine, watch the telly and check on their kids’ homework etc etc.
        
        No different from your average engineer, scientist, businessman etc. Very few of them do extensive research off the clock either.
        
        There are some that are different, just as I know engineers who work a 40 hour week then spend another 10 hours a week researching and keeping current, there are medics that do that too.
        
        One of my medic mates lives in a house awash with medical journals and he’s always got his nose in one. I think he’s the exception though.
        
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        May 7, 2020 1:55pm
      - PhilBest
        
        Here’s another scary thought about lockdown. What if we all come out of it with reduced immunity to all the infections that go around at the best of times? It is possible for a bad “normal flu” season to be almost as bad as COVID-19 at the best of times.
        
        https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.23.20040501v3
        
        “…The strong relationship between local climate and Covid-19 growth rates suggests the possibility of seasonal variation in the spatial pattern of outbreaks, with temperate regions of the Southern Hemisphere becoming at particular risk of severe outbreaks during the austral autumn-winter…”
        
        And it might not just be COVID-19, it might be the co-infections that are one of the things that make it deadlier – because OF lockdown at the WRONG time. Like using up all your ammo on the enemies “skirmishers” and then having none left when the full assault starts.
        
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        May 7, 2020 2:30pm
      - JackRabbit
        
        cmm, I agree and that’s why I said average GP, and that’s what GP’s and ex GP’s have told me. Specialists, not so much.
        
        In some engineering fields 10 hours out of work hours can be very light. I and a few mates have the same practise of spending time in evenings and weekends researching and learning.
        
        I used to know a retired commercial pilot and he said he never worked anything less than 70 hours, even if he was only formally flying for 50. He was passionate about flying. He built a small single engine plane of his own, put himself through an engineering degree, and other courses.
        
        He was not just a pilot, but really understood aircraft. He said on a few occasions, that understanding got him out of scrapes that less experienced pilots would not have.
        
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        May 7, 2020 2:33pm
    - PhilBest
      
      Another indicator of so called “health experts” bad faith: their evident “fail” about the health BENEFIT of fresh air and sunshine. There is no evidence at all that viruses spread on a beach in hot sun. Virus half-life in direct sunlight is two to three minutes, versus 6+ hours otherwise! If summer crowds correlate with infections, it will be entirely about the bars, restaurants, parties etc happening indoors afterwards. NZ hasn’t been the country with the most bad-faith authorities on this but an honest approach would have been to educate people that sunshine and fresh air are MITIGATORS of viral infection!!!! Instead all sorts of unsupportable scare propaganda has been used to frighten at least some people into staying inside where they will get cabin fever and psychological problems.
      
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      May 7, 2020 2:26pm
  - Engelbert Humperdink
    
    I’ve been in the profession for four decades and I don’t know where you got the above diatribe from. We don’t do things that we think are wrong just because ‘the manual says’.
    
    When HIV started up and no one really knew what it was or how it was transmitted, it took a while to figure out what worked and what did not.
    
    But actually, if you really think that doctors do things we know are wrong because we’re following procedures to deliberately harm our patients, then feel free to stay away from us entirely. By your logic everybody will benefit.
    
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    May 7, 2020 12:21pm
    - Ed Snack
      
      Doctors engaged in research though do have a certain reputation for being statistically incompetent, along with climate scientists.
      
      And as has been demonstrated a number of times, a significant proportion of published medical research is faulty, and comes to conclusions not supported by the data. That’s not exclusive to medicine, but as a prolific field, it is well represented. Like all fields, received dogma is often very hard to overturn. Insert all the standard examples here like ulcers, salt, statins/cholesterol, fats in diet, and even second hand smoke effects.
      
      Mostly the motivation is innocuous or even intended to be good, after all who wouldn’t want their research to show a positive effect that will help manage illness and protect lives ? But ego’s, money, and fame also intrude.
      
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      May 7, 2020 1:56pm
    - PhilBest
      
      I would be pleased to know what you think of the specific instances that nurse discussed, that upset her. I don’t claim to know whether she is right.
      
      I do know, though, that the world is becoming a tougher and tougher place for people who still have logic, reason, competence, and integrity. That is no way to get ahead in a world increasingly run by “the swamp”.
      
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      May 7, 2020 2:19pm
    - cmm
      
      That is cherry picking what I said.
      
      And I certainly DID NOT say that they are doing it to “deliberately harm their patients”.
      
      Medics very much do operate from prescribed protocols. Log on to the the healthlink website (or whatever it is called) and there’s a standard procedure to assess everything from coughs to broken collar bones and medics are expected to follow those protocols. And, for the most part they do.
      
      I’ve sat there as a patient, or observer, as they actually do this so please don’t tell me they don’t do that.
      
      As I said, there is nothing wrong with that for well established and understood conditions. It is a great way to ensure that important diagnostic steps are not missed and that one doctor can take over from another and understand what is going on with the patient.
      
      What I said, and what you acknowledge, is that the system struggles when something new comes along. You used the case of HIV. I used the case of CV19.
      
      Doctors frequently do things they know are wrong or disagree with because to challenge the system can get them into trouble.
      
      This is not due to slackness, but is forced on them by other pressures (eg. insurance). Many medics prescribe drugs that they know won’t do anything because that is what the patient expects or because they are worried about being sued if they don’t do something.
      
      How many doctors know that the reason a patient has problems is because they are obese but fails to raise that directly with their patient due to “cultural sensitivity” or some such tosh? Much easier to treat the symptoms than the problem. Again, this is often forced on them by the system. I am sure that many doctors would like to tell their obese patient that they are too fat, but they are pressured into issuing drugs instead.
      
      Some doctors in NYC are pushing back hard against the norms of ventilation but have been getting huge resistance. You can deny that if you want but there is ample evidence that is happening.
      
      GPs are not all good, just like engineers are not all good, or bakers or whatever. Some are great. They are gems.
      
      The GP who recently failed to spot my Atrial Fibrilation (because I also had some viral cold symptoms) was crap. The GP who spotted it a few days later is excellent.
      
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      May 7, 2020 2:21pm
  - KevO'Brien
    
    Medicine is very bureaucratic with a lot of ticket clipping paying well.
    
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    May 7, 2020 12:45pm
Than

I wrote a couple of weeks back that while the concept of the coronavirus alert level system is a good one, the implementation has been an incompetent mess. Nothing that has come out since has done anything to change my mind on this.

Today we got further evidence that the alert level system is nothing but meaningless slogans to generate headlines – article on Stuff Here’s what we know about Covid-19 alert level 2 so far. A few quotes;

With many decisions yet to be made…

Under the initial guide, gatherings of up to 100 people indoors and 500 outdoors are allowed while maintaining physical distancing and contact tracing requirements. However, Ardern said on Wednesday they were taking a closer look that and may decide they are still not allowed at level 2.

Specific details for schools operating under level 2 are still being hashed out, and further information on this is expected later in the week.

There are still a lot of unknowns when it comes to businesses and services that provide close-contact, such as beauty appointments.

Seriously, the alert system was announced over a month ago. The fact we would be stepping back down to level 3, 2, and eventually 1 is obvious (or should have been). How the hell has this stuff not all been figured out weeks ago?

Typical of this laughable mess of a government. Great on promises and slogans. Utterly useless on delivering.
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May 7, 2020 8:03am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  The Government is rewriting the Levels on the hoof.
  
  Level 2 at the start of the pandemic will differ from the Level 2 we are about to experience.
  
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  May 7, 2020 8:31am
  - alex Masterley
    
    Agreed. The government has been reacting instead of being proactive.
    A clear example of the absence of prior proper preparation leading to piss poor performance.
    
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    May 7, 2020 8:35am
    - KevO'Brien
      
      How could they be proactive with no prior experience in most things. By international comparisons out amateur muddlers haven’t done too badly so far.
      Most countries chose lockdown, but not deferment for Mar 15 Ardern Hijab Day. The re-start will be their real test. Greening NZ is just another way of closing down NZ. More wetlands will be much appreciated by the bereaved without funerals.
      
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      May 7, 2020 12:53pm
  - alloytoo
    
    Quick get your level 2 wish list to the PM now.
    
    Submissions in wax crayon will get preference.
    
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    May 7, 2020 8:35am
    - Benedict Yu
      
      I want to be able to travel to other regions. But I am not hopeful.
      
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      May 7, 2020 8:51am
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        When we went into Lockdown, we received a Fold-out information sheet in our letter box explaining the Level System.
        
        If you look at what was and wasn’t possible at the different levels, At Level 3 travel was only restricted in areas that had clusters or community transmission still occurring.
        
        Clearly we were fed certain information at the start of the Lockdown which has since been severely modified to curtail basic freedoms.
        
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        May 7, 2020 9:36am
      - JackRabbit
        
        “When we went into Lockdown, we received a Fold-out information sheet in our letter box explaining the Level System.”
        
        Maggy, isn’t it odd that they were able to design, layout, print and distribute at very short notice. Yet after all these weeks they still cannot get specifics as to the actual mortality rate, the lock down was based on.
        
        Almost as if they were pre-printed.
        
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        May 7, 2020 10:10am
  - Random T Person
    
    I was considering that this morning- how come after we’ve already had Level 2, do we need Level 2 explained to us again?
    Fuck this lot. I am staying at level 0 and enjoying another BBQ with friends this weekend, like I did last weekend and the weekend before that. Up and down the country, I expect people are by and large doing the same. I have had enough of this ridiculous nonsense.
    
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    May 7, 2020 8:37am
    - Benedict Yu
      
      Because Level 2 will be different this time. Under the last L2, inter-regional travel was “discouraged”. I fear under the new L2, non-essential regional travel will be banned.
      
      There will still be social distancing so you can have your bbq but you will all need to stay 2 metres apart and avoid sharing utensils.
      
      Hospitality will be allowed to “open” but the restrictions in place will be such a pain in the arse that most customers will stay away, meaning that for many establishments, it will be cheaper to close rather than open. And many of them will close forever.
      
      In short there will be more commerce, but under L2, our ability to travel and socialise will still be curtailed to a high degree.
      
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      May 7, 2020 8:43am
      - Engelbert Humperdink
        
        Well perhaps the so-far useless Minister of Tourism could come up with some ideas so the whole tourism sector is not on the dole. Here you are Kelvin, to get you started
        
        1. For any international tourists who still want to come, tour operators could work with each other to provide government-supervised quarantine locations in places with great views
        
        2. Similarly, domestic tourists can be accommodated as a bubble of one or more people who live and travel together, in specifically designated tourist hotels and motels at different price ranges along a set route, where they self- cater and change their own linen, and the rooms are deep-cleaned before and after.
        
        3. Tourist countryside attractions and parks can be reopened with a bubble of people let through every 20 minutes or so, each member of the party has a iPad which describes things that tour guides would otherwise be saying.
        
        4. Domestic and international tourists could be tracked by their phones to ensure they stay where and when designated.
        
        5. If the two-week quarantine period does have to be continued, specific videos and tutorials and history and geography lessons specifically applicable to overseas tourists could be a daily feature.
        
        6. Tourism operators could team up with boaties and run a two-week ‘Quarantine Coast Trip’ for those of just landed,where people who have tested positive for coronavirus antibodies (there will be ever more of these) would crew the boats; not on a cruise ship scale of course but definitely an outdoor trip in full viricidal ultraviolet!
        
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        May 7, 2020 12:24pm
    - David Garrett
      
      Random: Good thing you use a pseud mate (I don’t normally approve of them at all) otherwise you might get a visit from a person who normally screens bags at the airport but who now has the full powers of the state to coming into your house…
      
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      May 7, 2020 8:45am
      - Benedict Yu
        
        Lawyer question for you: Do the police have the power to demand that DPF disclose the identity of Random T Person, as he has disclosed that he is breaching social isolation rules?
        
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        May 7, 2020 8:53am
      - Random T Person
        
        Indeed, David, indeed.
        As it happens I have a number of policeman neighbours, two of whom are detectives (married) and their kids and ours are the same age. Well guess what, they are busy and their boy comes to play out ours regularly. And he is most welcome, any time. Level 0.
        Other stories from the regions:
        1. PW: In my street, I have a neighbour who has had an ankle fusion, which is now infected. He urgently needs surgery or he will lose his foot. The local hospital is empty, and PW can’t get his surgery. Until, apparently, Level 2,whatever the actual fuck that will look like.
        2. DC: Another in our street needs a hip op. She’s in constant excruciating pain. No op. Lots of opiates. Empty hospital. Be kind, now! Or wait to Level 2
        3. TH and the DIY: Yesterday I helped TH move lumber into his yard for a DIY project. Three of us working together. Level 0, will help again today.
        4. GW, his wife, their kids and ours: Had a marvellous BBQ last weekend with pizza on the weber. Such miscreants. Level 0. 10/10 would do again.
        
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        May 7, 2020 8:55am
      - All_on_Red
        
        Random
        To add to that. Currently outside our house is a Fulton Hogan crew repaving our footpaths.
        You know, the usual, 7 guys putting out Cones while 2 do the actual work.
        There’s no social distancing going on.
        Seems an odd double standard that we remain locked up while they mix it up.
        We may as well be at Level 0
        
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        May 7, 2020 10:04am
    - Alex13
      
      Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
      Frankly, you are a [del.] idiot. Sadly, it may be true that you are not alone at this. Hopefully, a pathetic minority.
      
      2 36
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      May 7, 2020 9:53am
      - Random T Person
        
        Thanks Alex, a fucking idiot I may well be, but stupid and a sheep I am not. Many of us, potentially my wife and one of our friends, may well have had COVID 19 already and quietly recovered from it as we would any other ordinary flu.
        Best wishes to you, friend.
        
        26 1
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        May 7, 2020 10:07am
      - Brian Marshall
        
        Alex, is that a pseudonym for ‘Karen’?
        My Facebook feed has been flooded with women telling me what I should and shouldn’t do, and I think they’re enjoying their little power trips and virtue signalling.
        
        13 2
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        May 7, 2020 11:14am
      - tf78
        
        I think Alex13 your pathetic minority are commonly known as grown ups – try it.
        
        5 1
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        May 7, 2020 12:06pm
    - EuropeanCanon
      
      Yes. All New Zealanders need to have this attitude.
      
      10 1
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      May 7, 2020 9:54am
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      It will be Level 2, Mark 2.
      As I keep on saying, socialists will not relinquish their power easily. It is like drug addiction.
      Look at history. Easy ti implement socialism, but you have to shoot your way out.
      
      14 1
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      May 7, 2020 10:41am
  - Than
    
    Absolutely.
    
    For there to be any point to having alert levels, the restrictions in force should be defined for each level and always the same when the country is at that level.
    
    If the rules are just going to be “whatever the government decides on the day” and can be different in one instance of Level X from another, then declaring the country to be at Alert Level X is meaningless waffle.
    
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    May 7, 2020 8:48am
  - PhilBest
    
    The evidence now is that measures like our own Level 2 – a sufficiently scared population doing social distancing and hygeine – achieved almost all the statistically significant reduction in infections (i.e. reproductive rate). Lockdowns a week or two or three later showed no discernible increase in effect.
    
    All the epicentres of pandemic were late with the most basic measure: social distancing. Because it takes 3 to 8 weeks for COVID-19 to actually kill people, their curve of deaths didn’t flatten until well into lockdown. But those places that were socially distancing for a period prior to lockdown, experienced a timing of the flattening of the curve that has to be due to the social distancing, not to the lockdown.
    
    The overlooking of the “3 to 8 weeks to kill people” factor is one that shows loss of logic to be indeed one of the things that will bring about the collapse of civilization as we know it. Kiwis are probably the world’s most illogical and gullible to have not noticed this.
    
    26 6
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    May 7, 2020 8:49am
  - Suze Wainwright
    
    Are they practicing ‘agile’ management Maggy…?
    
    13 1
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    May 7, 2020 8:58am
    - rouppe
      
      No, because if they were, there would be more open and honest communication, we would all know the “why”, there would be a whole of business negotiation about priorities, and alternative points of view would be welcomed and form part of the acceptance criteria.
      
      What we have is a government department version of Agile. Daily standups. And then the product owner gets pissy because things aren’t going as fast as they put in their project plan (4 months ago). And everyone has to work overtime so that the ELT gets their quarterly bonus.
      
      9 2
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      May 7, 2020 9:41am
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      Alas no,
      
      It’s ploddingly ponderous.
      
      Slow to start and difficult to turn.
      
      12 2
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      May 7, 2020 9:50am
  - DeepBlue
    
    It is logical that waxing alert levels differ entirely from waning levels.
    
    Level 2 wax was get ready, prepare for lockdown etc. Level 2 wane should be stand down Team, restart business, keep on with social distancing etc.
    
    11 3
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    May 7, 2020 9:13am
    - Than
      
      We seem to have different ideas as to what the purpose of the alert level system is.
      
      That the government should be taking different actions going into a pandemic versus coming out of one, sure, absolutely agreed.
      
      But the alert level system isn’t a memo from the government to itself, it’s not the government reminding itself what it should be doing. It’s supposed to be a way of communicating with the public. It’s supposed to be telling people both recommended behaviours, and (critically) what actions are and aren’t legally allowed at each level.
      
      Behaviour and restrictions for the public will be the same at level 2 waxing and level 2 waning. Or if for some reason they aren’t then they shouldn’t both be called level 2.
      
      4 1
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      May 7, 2020 12:05pm
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        The influenza Pandemic Plan was much more logical as it had 2 specific stages for the post-peak phase of the pandemic:
        
        Manage it: Post Peak
        Recover from it.
        p. 92-97
        
        https://www.health.govt.nz/system/files/documents/publications/influenza-pandemic-plan-framework-action-2nd-edn-aug17.pdf
        
        It seems ridiculous that the Government is trying to reinvent a system within the midst of a pandemic.
        
        9 1
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        May 7, 2020 12:48pm
  - cmm
    
    We should never have been in Level 4 according to how it was originally written.
    
    Level 4 is supposed to be for when then hospitals are completely swamped by CV19 cases and all other services need to be reprioritised to deal with CV19.
    
    We didn’t get to that point. Not even close.
    
    At the most we had around 20 CV19 patients in hospital and 3 or 4 in ICU – less than 1% of hospital capacity. Way, way less.
    
    So why the hell did we ever go to Level 4?
    
    Even Level 3 was pushing it. We should never have gone higher than Level 2.
    
    27 2
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    May 7, 2020 9:34am
    - Engelbert Humperdink
      
      I thought we jumped into Level IV only because the Sainted Princess talked to ‘some people’ in London who told her to lock the country down?
      
      13 1
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      May 7, 2020 12:26pm
      - KevO'Brien
        
        It’s NOT Ardern’s R. call it’s the Chief MOH under the act who has that power. It’s HIS order which is being enforced.
        
        What pressure is Ardern putting on Public Servants?
        
        8 1
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        May 7, 2020 1:04pm
      - cmm
        
        I don’t know how we got there. No doubt the prescribed process was not followed and PriNZess at least implied she was part of the decision making.
        
        But what I do know is that Level 4 is supposed to be for when the medical system is under huge stress and that never happened.
        
        Outpatient service etc have been put back and will take months to catch up, even though they are dumping much of their work.
        
        9 1
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        May 7, 2020 2:34pm
  - Ruawai
    
    In level 3 on the way in we were still flying but not under level 3 on the way down.
    
    9 1
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    May 7, 2020 9:37am
- Tony Stuart
  
  My wife was on a Zoom call with others in the education sector yesterday which she described as hugely frustrating. That’s because the Ministry of Education staff, who are doing their best to pass information on to the sector in a timely way, still can’t give a proper steer as to what will happen in Level 2, because the Ministry of Health are still working it out. The information vacuum is proving really debilitating for those who just want to get back to educating our children.
  
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  May 7, 2020 8:34am
  - MrTips
    
    This is what I don’t understand. When our MoH botched and contributed to the severity of the measles outbreak just LAST YEAR, what makes you think they have ANY idea how to handle this? Ayesha Verrall’s contact tracing report is damning because it highlights that after ONE YEAR, Ashley Bloomfield and the MoH DIDN’T take any notice of the deficiencies and criticism.
    
    Its not the virus holding us back. Its our own incompetency personified in our Ministry and COL.
    
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    May 7, 2020 8:43am
    - cmm
      
      What credentials or experience does David Clark have that would cause anyone to expect anything else?
      
      23 1
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      May 7, 2020 9:36am
  - Philview
    
    I think this is starting to take a mental toll on our teenage children. They need to be back at school fast with a normal structure and social life. If they are still out of school in Level 2 then parents will need to take some action.
    
    28 1
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    May 7, 2020 8:56am
    - rouppe
      
      My nearly 15 yo son is loving being at home. Can sleep in later, eats better…
      
      He’s getting through all the work being set by the teacher staff at Coll, still getting assessments that 90% start with an A.
      
      16 1
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      May 7, 2020 9:49am
    - Sacha
      
      Wise parents will be teaching their teenage
      children that patient forbearance is a great virtue in times where a giddy government is creating a mess. They will be saying ‘this is what happens when an intent to ‘be kind’, becomes overbearing interference’.
      Sort of like teaching them to mind their own business . . . . . . .
      
      10 2
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      May 7, 2020 9:56am
    - Random T Person
      
      People like me and several of my neighbours, one of whom is a parole officer and the policeman/woman, another who is a computer programmer for a kiwifruit packhouse, are absolutely struggling. I have worked from home for 20 years; it got WAY harder when we had our children, and now having them home while trying to work is a total fiasco. This is impacting our children, our productivity and our wellbeing. It is a HUGE stuff up. And for what?
      
      17 1
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      May 7, 2020 10:10am
  - LTA1955
    
    I wonder what smiley, fluffy, frownie, crayon enhanced crap are we going to get from the Mt Albert Muddler this sarvo. Schools should all be open so “she” should be getting withdrawal symptoms by now?
    
    5 1
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    May 7, 2020 12:18pm
TWEEDSE

I keep thinking this must all be a dream. The destruction of freedom and the economy in New Zealand by “capitalism has failed” Cindy.

Surely New Zealanders won’t stand for the destruction of their lives. And yet it carries on. Just what does it take for New Zealanders to revolt? Nothing it seems. A heard of sheep.
83 3
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May 7, 2020 8:11am
- PhilBest
  
  https://nopunchespulled.com/2020/04/25/a-nation-of-sheep/
  
  17 2
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  May 7, 2020 8:50am
  - redeye
    
    Todays post is a better one
    https://nopunchespulled.com/2020/05/07/now-is-the-winter-of-our-discontent/
    
    22 1
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    May 7, 2020 9:42am
- Alex13
  
  Out of interest: what’s your definition of freedom?
  
  1 15
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  May 7, 2020 9:56am
  - Random T Person
    
    If you have to ask…
    
    14 1
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    May 7, 2020 10:59am
    - TWEEDSE
      
      Thank you Random T.
      
      7 1
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      May 7, 2020 11:45am
- LTA1955
  
  They haven’t experienced real poverty and hardship…..like a Venezuelan brunch from a black trash sack.
  
  5 1
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  May 7, 2020 1:12pm
mjw

Sad tweet trending on #nzpol

“Tonight I resigned as Vice President of Young ACT. For months I have been sexually harassed, slutshamed, and ignored.”

“I am not the only victim of this behaviour in our ranks.”
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May 7, 2020 8:15am
- Tony Stuart
  
  I hope the Act Party takes this seriously, and learns from the mistakes made by Labour in failing to take past complaints seriously.
  
  48 1
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  May 7, 2020 8:35am
  - Maggie Pie
    
    Sadly, it sounds like you are spot on there TS 🙁
    
    https://twitter.com/Salty_tbh/status/1258001665346732032
    
    11 1
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    May 7, 2020 8:47am
    - notrotsky
      
      I see that sad old media ghoul is the first to try and get more information no doubt in order to throw dirt around in response to the tweet from the young woman.
      
      17 1
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      May 7, 2020 9:06am
      - Swifty
        
        No doubt Mau will go after this story with furious vengeance – unlike her behaviour during the Labour Party and Labour Drunken Sex Camp criminal offending.
        
        32 2
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        May 7, 2020 9:30am
      - Tony Stuart
        
        I presume you mean this one:
        
        Alison Mau @Alisonmau
        
        Ali, coul you follow me back so I can direct message you? I’d be keen to follow this up
        
        https://twitter.com/Alisonmau/status/1258110179838586880
        
        If only she had been so proactive when Labour Party members were sexually assaulted, harassed or bullied.
        
        44 1
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        May 7, 2020 9:36am
- Benedict Yu
  
  Can you post a link?
  
  6 1
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  May 7, 2020 8:49am
- Surely Knott
  
  From Stuff, “ Stuff understands the ACT Party will also be investigated the claims.“ (sic) Obviously Stuff was so excited with their negative story about Act that they forgot to proofread again. So what did they mean: the Act party will be investigating the claims , or the Act party will also be investigated for the claims? The first implies the Act party will do an internal investigation, the second implies the Party itself is under suspicion and is being investigated.
  
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  May 7, 2020 8:58am
- Pete George
  
  From NZ Herald:
  
  President of Young Act, Felix Poole, said the youth wing had failed Gammeter and that they did not have a system in place to deal with complaints.
  
  Young Act said this morning “prevalent and systematic incidents of harm have occurred within its organisation”.
  
  Also, there was justified criticisms about how members and those using its platforms interact with each other.
  
  “We have failed a standard of care that we owe our members, and for that we apologise. We can and will do better.”
  
  “Those responsible will be held accountable within the organisation itself and higher if that is the action victims want to go ahead.”
  
  https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12330137
  
  David Seymour said the Act Party will put out a statement later in the day.
  
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  May 7, 2020 11:10am
Simon

Ardern – the perfectionist, has trapped herself in her own lock down. What a fucking clown.
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May 7, 2020 8:19am
- KevO'Brien
  
  Yeah, right young tui.
  
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  May 7, 2020 8:31am
- kowtow
  
  Now that she’s being confronted , finally , by the Media with some of the terrible personal consequences of her severe lock down ( people dying alone , mothers miscarrying alone etc) she has said these things are not “reasonable” implying that the health authorities have failed in some way .
  
  My problem with this is she as the Glorious Leader has proudly and publicly proclaimed on many an occasion that we’re Going Hard and Going Early , no apologies , we’re saving lives and the health system.
  
  The tone for a severe , unapologetic lockdown was set by her and the public service followed with gusto , the police and health authorities in particular .
  
  But now the consequences of Go Hard , the tone ,set by her ( or was it Guerin Topham) are coming home and she’s saying there’s a need for “reasonableness”
  
  Can you have your cake and eat it ?
  
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  May 7, 2020 9:01am
niggly

I’ve noticed the (almost) daily media briefings at 1pm with the DG of Health reveal something ‘interesting’ about the Prime Minister.

When the press gallery journalists shout out questions to the PM (hoping they will be picked), Jacinda swivels her head (very fast) from the side of the room she was talking to, to the other side of the room (to respond to another journalist) but I don’t get the impression that she is seeking out the ‘loudest’ voice!

Instead, she calls the journalist by name (on a first name basis, of course) eg “Jessica” (TVNZ), or “Tova” (TV3), pretty sure I’ve heard “Andrea” (if so, Stuff) and usually some chap from Maori media.

Is this normal? (I would have thought, judging by the other stand up interviews in Parliament the PM talks to the ‘loudest’ i.e, whomever is in front of her face etc).

Assuming that is normal (at the 1pm briefings), the ‘trouble’ is it comes across to me like the PM is the ‘teacher’ and if the reporters ‘behave’, then the PM will exclusively pick them to hear their questions, which of course is ‘gold’ for the reporters because they can frame their stories around their questions (and the PM’s answers).

So is the moral of the story, be good boys and girls journalists, don’t ask too many difficult questions of me (Jacinda), otherwise I won’t look at you to hear your questions! Oh and bonus points (I will hear two questions) if you sledge the Leader of the Opposition!

Am I way off or is this close to the truth?
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May 7, 2020 8:22am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  I’ve noticed she has variously referred to Dr Bloomfield as Ashley or Dr Bloomfield….
  
  Mood setting signals, I suspect.
  
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  May 7, 2020 8:33am
- plasticbags
  
  Its a carefully picked subset of “Journalists”.
  There is only about 8 sitting in the room.
  
  Its total theatre!
  
  42 2
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  May 7, 2020 8:38am
  - G152
    
    And all handpicked ‘reporters’ from a compliant media.
    The hard questions dont get asked
    
    29 1
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    May 7, 2020 9:43am
- alloytoo
  
  As with any normal socialist state, questions are handed out before hand.
  
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  May 7, 2020 8:38am
  - Gravelroad
    
    @alloytoo: And the answers – usually streaming onto the iPad on the PM’s podium.
    
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    May 7, 2020 9:44am
    - niggly
      
      Heh! So Labour can be “innovative” after all then – instead of senior Ministers whispering answers to Jacinda like in the past (and hard to do with social distancing nowadays) they instead beam answers to her device! No wonder she is always looking down at her ‘script’ when making a statement!
      
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      May 7, 2020 11:29am
- doggone7
  
  If it is as you describe, is it reflecting how the world works? The loudest voice calls the tune, the buddies of the head cerang get what they want?
  
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  May 7, 2020 8:39am
  - niggly
    
    Agree, I would have thought the loudest got asked first (as you state)!
    
    But I see I wasn’t very clear in what I wrote above – I meant it’s like the PM is not going to the loudest, she is disregarding the loudest and singling out someone (friendly) to ask a question instead.
    
    But perhaps it’s a tv viewers perception thing, if as plasticbags comments above there are only 8 journos in there, I guess everyone will get a turn! But if that’s the case why are the journos shouting then!
    
    Still seems strange and somewhat contrived whichever angle you look at it!
    
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    May 7, 2020 11:24am
    - chiz
      
      You clearly aren’t watching the same media briefings as me. The PM does usually go to the loudest voice – at the start – and she will sometimes do it on other occasions too. Why is she singling people out? Do you really need to have this explained to you? She is going round the room and giving everyone a chance to ask a question rather than letting, say, Tova or Jessica hog all the questions.
      
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      May 7, 2020 3:31pm
- Scott
  
  What I’ve noticed is that the media have turned into a bunch of scolds, telling us off for some infraction of the lockdown or another.
  Last night on TV3 news was the worst. The opening story about us not taking the lockdown seriously enough and two “experts” telling us the lockdown should go on for longer and longer and longer.
  
  Then they had this report –
  “NEW ZEALAND
  Former Civil Aviation Authority director told colleague to ‘have a joint’ to relax
  EXCLUSIVE
  06/05/2020
  Former Civil Aviation Authority director told colleague to ‘have a joint’ to relax
  Michael Morrah
  
  Newshub has obtained a video of the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) former director telling a colleague to “have a joint” to relax if they’re getting frustrated with computer issues during the COVID-19 lockdown.
  
  Graeme Harris, who resigned suddenly on Tuesday, made the comments in a weekly video update to staff.
  
  CAA employees and a man who lost his daughter in an aviation crash linked to drug use say they’re both appalled and astonished.
  
  Harris had been using video updates to keep his staff informed during the pandemic. In one weekly catch up, leaked exclusively to Newshub, he offers some advice to a staff member.
  
  “Don’t take it out on other people. If your IT system is not working at the moment, then if you can, just walk away, have a joint. Sorry, I was just joking then,” he says.
  
  Harris was chatting with senior safety advisor Pen Mackay when he made the comment.
  
  “Ok, Graeme, thank you very much. I’m just going to get rid of my frustration with a little puff. You said I could,” Mackay says.
  
  “Okay clock off before you do it won’t you and clock back on again,” Harris replies.”
  
  Now I am not in favour of the legalisation of marijuana but even I can tell this guy was making a light joke, which everyone knew on the call was a joke and he is being vilified by the media for it!
  
  As I say, our mainstream media has turned into a bunch of humourless scolds. I’m starting to think that if they went out of business then the world would be a better place?
  
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  May 7, 2020 8:43am
  - rouppe
    
    ” a man who lost his daughter in an aviation crash linked to drug use say they’re both appalled and astonished.”
    
    There’s the key. Someone was offended. There is literally nothing you can make a joke of anymore because someone, somewhere would have had a bad experience with the subject matter.
    
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    May 7, 2020 10:03am
- rangitoto
  
  The whole thing is staged.
  
  17 2
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  May 7, 2020 8:59am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  A select few have pre written questions to be asked. Can’t have anything difficult, up, er, er um, I don’t agree – next question
  
  17 2
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  May 7, 2020 9:14am
- Paulus
  
  Are not only Press Gallery women as invited persons allowed to the briefings ?
  -eg no finance people or economists are permitted.
  
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  May 7, 2020 11:03am
Happychappy

Is it probable that Winston is still playing games with electoral law or has he really got the law on his side concerning NZ First Party and the NZ First Foundation.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/416012/foundation-donations-not-named-on-nz-first-electoral-return
I actually wonder whether the Powers to be whether on the electoral commission or the serious fraud office have the balls to show Justice will be served after listening to two separate Police Commissioners seem to be doing everything in their power to see Labour and the Coalition returned to power at the 2020 General Election.
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May 7, 2020 8:23am
Maggie Pie

It was pretty wild how we used to eat cake after someone had blown on it.
Those were fab times.
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May 7, 2020 8:23am
- PhilBest
  
  And we used to sing our lungs out while sitting or standing crammed together!
  
  24 1
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  May 7, 2020 8:25am
- Inandout
  
  Maggie, prepare to see ‘caring’ people wearing masks which will morph into a fashion statement. I smile benignly at people sporting their masks and they can’t smile back; so satisfying. Jacinda may see us moving quietly from masks to burkas.
  
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  May 7, 2020 8:31am
  - Maggie Pie
    
    Yes it was really really funny the other day.
    When i was at the Tai Ping supermarket, the Chinese girl stacking the shelves was wearing a blue surgical mask. I asked her if she could show me where the Pasta was? When she started speaking, her glasses completely fogged up.
    Talk about larf!!
    
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    May 7, 2020 9:04am
    - Inandout
      
      Maggie, humourous that. I searched for relative Confucius quotes, but in vain I am afraid.
      
      6 3
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      May 7, 2020 9:41am
      - Maggie Pie
        
        I found one…..
        Confucius say: “Woman whose glasses fog up during oral sex make spectacle of herself”
        😛
        
        14 2
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        May 7, 2020 10:15am
    - oldfella
      
      I’d like a mask with really big teeth printed on it. Make me look like Mr Ed, or…. whats-er-name-again?
      
      13 3
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      May 7, 2020 9:54am
  - tf78
    
    I saw Nancy Pelosi the other day wearing around her chin, a very stylish mask – navy blue and white to match her outfit. She would have looked better with it over her mouth.
    
    3 1
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    May 7, 2020 12:52pm
- Fletch
  
  And the cops telling us to blow on our pies if they were too hot…. ?
  
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  May 7, 2020 10:49am
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Getting tired of the so called experts. Psychologists/head doctors telling us how sad/sorry we should feel. The glass half empty, half full types.
My way of thinking is you have a drink in a glass. Be thankful, stop whining, STFU and drink it. Just get on with it instead of being a little bitch.
Rant over.
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May 7, 2020 8:29am
- Random T Person
  
  Yes I am getting on with it. Without these stupid rules from stupid people in a stupid government.
  
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  May 7, 2020 8:39am
- Groggy
  
  Yet you come on here daily to have a whine about it? Maybe take your own advice?
  
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  May 7, 2020 10:01am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    I don’t like fuckwits trying to mess with my head. They think they are doing good, but they are part of the problem
    
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    May 7, 2020 10:47am
Philview

We are getting used to Putin style media reporting in NZ where the Opposition rather than the Government are held to account. However, the ODTs editorial today supporting the right of Russian hackers to try and and steal research on a Covid-19 vaccine from Oxford University is taking it too far.

https://www.odt.co.nz/opinion/editorial/hacking-exposes-unpalatable-truth
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May 7, 2020 8:31am
- Joe Kerr
  
  Bit different as our media present the facade that all New Zealanders love Jacinda and back everything she does despite her forming the CoL with just 36% of the vote for Labour in the last election, whereas in Russia the vast majority of the population actually do adore and support Putin.
  
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  May 7, 2020 8:46am
  - oldfella
    
    As if the average Russian has a choice… Putin controls the media by letting the so-called opposition own a few newspapers, but no TV channels so they can’t show ‘unhelpful’ images like his thugs beating up citizens who protest. Works for him.
    Our govt just waves 50 million dollars at the media and it achieves the same result.
    
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    May 7, 2020 9:59am
    - Joe Kerr
      
      If you are talking about footage like that depraved communist agitating band Pussy Riot getting some light sticking, then I’m sorry I thought that it was the right amount of force to use.
      
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      May 7, 2020 7:03pm
- Libertarians are right
  
  Those people are so stupid.
  When someone robs your house one of the things you’re supposed to do is restock your food because you don’t know what’s been tampered with.
  It’s the same thing here. Those countries don’t just want the vaccine. They also don’t want the west to have it. If they’re stealing data they’re also going to be trying to corrupt it. Simply by getting access to the data they’re forcing the scientists to go backwards and double check everything to ensure there’s been no tampering.
  
  How stupid is the writer of that article?
  
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  May 7, 2020 9:06am
  - Libertarians are right
    
    To the downtickers: What was wrong with what I wrote? Is there a single point where I was wrong?
    Are you saying that Iran and Russia don’t want continued weakness in the West?
    Are you saying that if someone takes something there’s no risk they won’t do damage to what they leave behind?
    
    Or are you just incapable of admitting that someone with different ideological beliefs could possibly be right? The name for that is bigotry by the way.
    
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    May 7, 2020 10:52am
    - Brian Marshall
      
      Data will be backed up, so I don’t think the data would be tampered.
      
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      May 7, 2020 11:39am
- Akarak
  
  Further evidence that the msm just doesn’t get it!!
  
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  May 7, 2020 9:23am
Swifty

Time for scorn to be heaped upon Jason Walls, Political Reporter for The Herald and the team around him.

His headline and accompanying text:

“Covid 19 coronavirus: Simon Bridges lashes out at Ashley Bloomfield”

Gee, lashed out did he? That sounds, to me, like he lost his marbles temporarily and attacked Bloomfield with a spiteful verbal tirade.

What actually did Bridges say?

“”Here’s the point, the Government suspended the OIA [Official Information Act] and we’ve been waiting over two weeks for your department to answer written questions,” Bridges said.

“Why don’t you answer simple health questions to the one parliamentary committee on this remarkably significant issue?

“I’ll be quite frank with you, I don’t think it’s a resourcing issue.

“I think it comes down to one simple thing. You don’t want to answer because you want to control the information flow and do this in a time and a way convenient to you and the Government,” Bridges said.

Was that a ‘lashing out’ by Bridges? Of course it wasn’t. It was merely the Leader of the Opposition doing his job and holding the Government and its mandarins to account.

Still, when the news media have their futures now dependent on the Labour Party handing them millions of dollars – of course they’re going to play ball.

Shame on you Jason Walls and the Herald team.
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May 7, 2020 8:42am
- Swifty
  
  *link
  
  https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12329880
  
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  May 7, 2020 8:43am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  The lead up to Bridges’ question seems to have been omitted…
  Simon Bridges stated that the Min of Health and the All of Government Control section which is assisting the Min Of Health with communications, etc have over 50 highly paid comms staff working on pandemic matters.
  He then queried as to why is it that he and his committee can’t get simple replies to their questions in a timely fashion.
  
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  May 7, 2020 9:22am
  - Swifty
    
    Thanks Maggy.
    
    Come to think about it – why in hell isn’t Jason Walls asking the questions Bridges is valiantly asking?
    
    Walls is the Herald’s Political Reporter – it’s his job to be holding our representatives to account.
    
    How many times have we been told by NZ reporters that theirs is a vital service (in ‘speaking truth to power’ – FFS) so much so that they now openly call for the public funding of their lifestyles in the interests of democracy?
    
    Jason Walls, get off your arse and start doing your job. You may even find you win a few more customers prepared to pay you for your work.
    
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    May 7, 2020 9:47am
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      No MSM reporter is going to upset Comms staff in Government Departments as they know that’s likely where they’ll be applying for a job in the not too distant future.
      
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      May 7, 2020 10:00am
- JibberJabber
  
  Jason got an apology from the Taxpayers Union….
  https://twitter.com/TaxpayersUnion/status/1257962721472991232
  
  L O fucking ..L
  
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  May 7, 2020 9:30am
  - Brian Marshall
    
    That’s a great apology. LOL.
    
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    May 7, 2020 11:42am
- Tony Stuart
  
  That’s an appalling piece of journalism. Sure, sub-editors write headlines, not journalists, but Walls’ piece actually talks about Bridges “lashing out” during the questioning of Dr Bloomfield.
  
  Walls of course is one of the select few journalists invited to the daily 1pm pressers. Is it any surprise he writes as he does?
  
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  May 7, 2020 9:56am
  - UrbanNeocolonialist
    
    That’s the language demanded by the hunt for clicks. People are enticed to read by hyperbolic emotive wording to describe normal interactions or criticism.
    ‘slams’, ‘wrecks’,’ shocking’…
    
    ‘Tis all bollocks.
    
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    May 7, 2020 10:24am
    - Tony Stuart
      
      The media mantra; “If it bleeds, it leads”
      
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      May 7, 2020 12:31pm
hookerphil

I keep feeling that if Ardern was the captain of a rugby team she would never change her tactics after halftime and the wind died away.
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May 7, 2020 8:44am
- kowtow
  
  If she were a captain of a sports team they’d have flogged their guts out in the first 15 minutes , decided they’d won the game , and have nothing left for the rest of the game.
  
  Covid ain’t goin’ away and what’re we gonna do when it comes back ?
  
  We’ve shot our bolt and there’s nothing left in the tank.
  
  Interestingly an article in yesterday’s UK DT says Denmark that locked down hard and early now has a higher R # , .9 than Swe which didn’t and has an R # of .85.
  
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  May 7, 2020 9:19am
  - Tarquin North
    
    Look on the bright side, everyone would get player of the day.
    
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    May 7, 2020 9:52am
- Nickc2
  
  The coach would have to write her a note and tell her the wind had died away. There would also have to be a hand sanitizing station close by where she could wash her hands before opening the note.
  
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  May 7, 2020 11:23am
fernglas

I see that in California, Pasifika people have been dying at 12 times the rate of others. What will happen here when this virus perks up with the arrival of winter and decides to pass through South Auckland?
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May 7, 2020 8:52am
- Inandout
  
  fern, obese people have a 40% more chance of dying of this flu than slim people; perhaps this may explain.
  
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  May 7, 2020 9:01am
  - kowtow
    
    And it won’t just be pacifics, it’ll be any people living in relatively crowded conditions . Plenty of poor whites in this country who never seem to be counted by the “equalisers” who are so quick and relentlessly trot out ” Maori and pacific ” as a deprived minority .
    
    Someone needs to stand up for our red necks.Used to be Labour , but they’ve embraced diversity , which doesn’t include white trash , cos they’re not diverse enough.
    
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    May 7, 2020 9:24am
  - Jack5
    
    Vitamin D deficiency may also prove a factor in higher Polynesian danger from coronavirus – as in California, recently out of winter.
    
    Vitamin D is generated mainly by sunlight on skin. Humans’ skin colour evolved largely to manage sunlight exposure, both for protection from damage caused by too much sun and protection from vitamin D deficiency from too little sun.
    
    In temperate climates people whose skin colour evolved for the tropics are likely more susceptible to vitamin D deficiency because their darker skin reduces the sun’s effects.
    
    Vitamin D effects include supporting the immune system.
    
    A likely example: in Sweden, (dark skinned) Somalis make up less than 1 per cent of the population, but by early April made up 40 per cent of Covid-19 cases in Stockholm and 18 per cent of Sweden’s national deaths from the disease. (The Somali community blamed the high incidence on not following health rules, while Sweden’s liberals talked of the poor living conditions of many Somalis).
    
    Vitamin D deficiency and Covid-19 risk:
    
    https://www.ibtimes.com/vitamin-d-deficiency-may-increase-coronavirus-infection-risk-2934596
    
    Somalis in Sweden hit by Covid-19:
    
    https://www.hstoday.us/subject-matter-areas/counterterrorism/when-religion-and-culture-kill-covid-19-in-the-somali-diaspora-communities-in-sweden/
    
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    May 7, 2020 9:30am
- Nickc2
  
  Yea, obesity was blamed for the problem.
  
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  May 7, 2020 11:26am
Inandout

Dr Bloomfield is being set up by Labour backroom planners as being blameworthy for his decisions. The bought and paid for media will form a protective circle around Jacinda, and any fallout will be thrown directly at Bloomfield. If the MSM had the powers of 10 years ago this may succeed and the PM would be a shoe in for this election. Fairy dust after the pantomime may last a wee while, but will eventually wear off.
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May 7, 2020 8:59am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Not fairy dust, it is iron pyrites, commonly known as fool’s gold
  
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  May 7, 2020 9:21am
- alloytoo
  
  What we need to remember is that any Health care professional is going to prescribe the best treatment available coupled with their knowledge of the clinical side effects.
  
  In this instance Bloomfield does not know the economical side effects, it is the government’s job to balance his advice with that of economists.
  
  We should not blame Bloomfield for doing his duty in the face of the government abandoning theirs.
  
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  May 7, 2020 9:24am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Bloomfield as DG of Health also has a duty of care toward the non-Covid-19 folk who have health requirements.
    
    He has a duty of care towards the Care/Health workers who have been working without adequate PPE.
    
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    May 7, 2020 10:11am
    - Engelbert Humperdink
      
      Heck yeah.
      
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      May 7, 2020 2:56pm
- Libertarians are right
  
  Jacinda’s problem is that she has on many occasions justified her decisions by talking about what Hendy and Susie have said (and her friend in the UK). This actually absolves Bloomfield quite well as he’s just an adviser but she’s obviously taking advice from people other than him as well.
  
  Also, if the rumours are true that he threatened her to force her to cancel March 15 and he has proof it will probably destroy her career. They might not realise this and still try to blame him for everything.
  
  It’s also worth remembering that Clark is the Minister of Health and the only reason he hasn’t been sacked is that ultimately he will be used as a fall guy as well.
  
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  May 7, 2020 9:53am
- Nickc2
  
  Yes, isn’t that the Hillary tactic but without the Russian dossier?
  
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  May 7, 2020 11:29am
burt

NZ kindness knows no limits, hot on the heels of giving these wealthy guys special entry and tax privileges we also give them tax payers money so they don’t need to spend their own money.

All animals are equal comrade.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/121423213/coronavirus-us-billionaires-companies-claim-nearly-13m-in-wage-subsidies-to-pay-luxury-resorts-and-winery-staff
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May 7, 2020 9:02am
- alloytoo
  
  Burt, it’s a wage subsidy, employers apply for it on behalf of their employees and have to pass it onto them.
  
  They could just retrench them all and pay them nothing?
  
  Is that preferable in your world?
  
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  May 7, 2020 9:26am
  - burt
    
    Labour party founding ethics:
    
    From each according to their ability, to each according to their need.
    
    How is that represented in giving wealthy people special entry privileges and using money paid by struggling people to make it easier for them?
    
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    May 7, 2020 9:52am
  - burt
    
    Do you think they won’t retrench them and pay them nothing after the wage subsidy ends?
    
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    May 7, 2020 9:57am
    - chaos
      
      They are paying them the wage subsidy right now which means right now those people are still getting paid a wage. Stop being an idiot and whinging about everything you come across
      
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      May 7, 2020 11:39am
      - Roberta
        
        Or half a wage. Many employees are only receiving the $500 wage subsidy, without any top-up from the employer.
        
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        May 7, 2020 7:54pm
- Bobba Fret
  
  The wage subsidy is for the employees NOT the company. The company has to pass it all to the employees over the next 12 weeks. If they do not then they are likely to face consequences.
  You do not seem to understand how it works.
  
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  May 7, 2020 10:59am
  - info@cruzpro.com
    
    The wage subsidy works out to $16.50 an hour if someone was working full time 40 hours a week. The wage subsidy pays less than half the hourly salaries of our employees and our company is forking out the difference so that our employees are getting 100% of their normal wages (and also earning Holliday’s and sick leave). None of our expenses have stopped but our income has totally stopped.
    
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    May 7, 2020 7:17pm
- chaos
  
  Great, good to see they are using all options to keep their staff employed, getting paid. No doubt you’d be here bitching if they had to lay them off
  
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  May 7, 2020 11:38am
Handyman

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and future investigations, if independent, will show plenty of faults with the way Ardern has managed the covid epidemic.

However, let’s look at the decisions made with the information contemporaneously available.

1. In January, Ardern knew via 5eyes that there was a major epidemic happening in Wuhan.
Response: believe CCP via WHO that there was no human to human transmission.
2. USA and Australia had imposed travel bans on Chinese from China.
Response . Follow Trump and Morrisons lead but declare Ardern went “early”.
3. Early on (prior to Italy and Spain) Taiwan and Singapore showed showed how to manage the outbreak with good tracing and isolation of at risk people. No general lockdown.
Response: Declare, with no legal basis, house arrest for all New Zealanders. “Went hard”. FYI today Taiwan’s death rate is 0.3 per million compared to NZ 4 per million.
4. Evidence showing washing is most effective and those over 70 most at risk.
Response: Dedicate police resources to arresting people who had been washing themselves in salt water for 30 minutes separated by at least one wave set. Withhold PPE from aged care workers who move from house to house or in aged care facilities.
5. High court finds Ardern wrong to not allow man to see dying father. 24 of 24 similar cases were declined.
Response: Declare 18 were approved. Later an anonymous spokesperson revealed that the judge was right and zero were approved. Bloomfield on Kim Hill says urgent investigation will find why the judge got it wrong.
6. Declare world leading Alert level system. Two months later cannot define what they are.

The above are decision points and does not cover trying to do the right thing but failing due to sheer incompetence. Decisions are Ardern’s fault but failure to execute is Bloomfield fault. Tracing, PPE, flu vacine …

So far there have been 21 deaths with covid (of the 3,500 deaths during the lockdown). On average, 500 old people die of the flu each winter. This year thanks to Ardern, at the cost of all normal life and 500,000 jobs, the flu death toll will only be 479.
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May 7, 2020 9:04am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  But but but, what happens in Taiwan does not count. They are not part of the socialist team (UN and WHO)
  
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  May 7, 2020 9:24am
- alloytoo
  
  You forgot that after we were put under house arrest, the border continued to leak like a sieve.
  
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  May 7, 2020 9:29am
- RW Capitalist
  
  Excellent summary.
  I for one cannot argue with any of it.
  “Decisions are Ardern’s fault but failure to execute is Bloomfield fault. Tracing, PPE, flu vacine … ”
  May add
  Executing such a muddled “plan” (loose term), made Bloomfield’s work harder.
  A plan comes from the top.
  Hindsight ….. all the relevant info, was known BEFORE this disease came anywhere near our Island chain, surrounded by over 1000Km of ocean.
  We knew all we needed to to keep it out.
  There is no other country in the world so geographically blessed and protected.
  Only 4.8mill pop.
  1/3 pop. concentrated in one city, (ie avoid Auckland when allowing visitors into the country)
  Plenty of military bases to isolate incoming visitors on.
  etc etc
  
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  May 7, 2020 9:37am
  - Nickc2
    
    I can’t disagree with anything Capitalist or Handyman has said but would like to add that in the beginning, there was total confusion until it became apparent that they (Labour) could milk this situation for all it was worth in order to further enhance their aim of turning NZ a socialist state, hence illegal police actions road-blocks etc.
    
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    May 7, 2020 11:55am
Jack5

German researchers have created a synthetic coronavirus by injecting genes into brewer’s yeast. This will help other researchers developing vaccines test against mutations of coronaviruses.

The South China Morning Post reports a Chinese academic as warning that such experiments must be only done in guarded laboratories with biosafety level-3 or higher security protocols.

How the Germans did it, the SCMP reports:

” … the researchers divided the coronavirus genes into 14 fragments; they then bought most of these fragments from a biology company. They put the fragmented genes into the yeast, which automatically combined them piece by piece, from head to tail, until a complete genome was formed.”

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3083199/synthetic-coronavirus-created-brewers-yeast-comes-research
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May 7, 2020 9:13am
BeaB

A police dog handler turned up across the road, with dog and vehicles, to entertain a little girl who was celebrating her fifth birthday.
Lots of neighbours gathered to watch.
Good to see the police are focused on important jobs.
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May 7, 2020 9:21am
- Jack5
  
  That’s a bit grumpy, BeaB.
  
  There may even have been special circumstances. Or it may have been the dog handler’s niece.
  
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  May 7, 2020 9:36am
  - BeaB
    
    Bemused rather than grumpy. I made sure the grandkids took a look too.
    
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    May 7, 2020 12:00pm
RW Capitalist

Are we going to add cancer patients to the list of “Covid19″deaths.
If we don’t, then, the govt. will have to admit.
They are responsible due to their inept RESPONSE to covid19.
The disease did not, anywhere in the world (but I am only concerned with NZ), cause this.
It was the govt.s reaction to it.
This Level (4,3,2) lock down response, was/is not compulsory. It came from the imagination of a SLG, this CoL and series of camp followers promoting it.
and the unintended consequence was economic annihilation not to mention meeting out a cruel and unusual punishment of the very population she is meant to be serving.
No elective surgery (to get people out of continual pain)
No cancer treatment/ tests
No farewell to dying loved ones.
etc etc etc
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May 7, 2020 9:21am
Handyman

Remember the early days… Earnest speech directly to the citizens from the presidential palace (sorry, PM Office), Parliament dissolved, independent media banned, decisions not going to cabinet, Ardern standing next to the Police Commissioner day after day in front patriotic flags. The PM of the country not being able to explain the lockdown rules, left to the Police Commissioner. No clear definition of rules but early arrests for not obeying police.
I remember thinking, the only difference between this lot and a banana republic is they do not speak Spanish.
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May 7, 2020 9:22am
- RW Capitalist
  
  “I remember thinking, the only difference between this lot and a banana republic is they do not speak Spanish.”
  We don’t grow bananas.
  
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  May 7, 2020 9:41am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Yes we do..
    My first bunch (of at least 60 fruits) is coming along nicely..
    
    https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/104988290/east-coast-banana-growing-venture-taps-into-taxpayer-funding
    
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    May 7, 2020 11:07am
    - Brian Marshall
      
      Way to go Maggy. Kiwi’s love bananas. ??
      
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      May 7, 2020 12:02pm
- RW Capitalist
  
  Remember the early days…Ardern standing next to the Police Commissioner day after day
  And threatening the population, by pointing out that the Military were being held on standby and were a mere phone call away!
  
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  May 7, 2020 9:43am
- Nickc2
  
  …and there are no bananas.
  
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  May 7, 2020 12:03pm
JibberJabber

Todays LoL,
https://twitter.com/AwardsDarwin/status/1258129555015061505

?
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May 7, 2020 9:24am
Raphael

And for all people working from home today, or doing school work from home today, Vodafone seems to have a major outage, no mobile or broadband available. (my work phone on voda is down, my brother on both voda fibre and mobile has no connection and based on the comments on this tweet, it’s the whole country)
https://twitter.com/vodafoneNZ/status/1258125350581596160
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May 7, 2020 9:36am
- peterwn
  
  No problem where I am. Landline phone (via Vodafone’s Seaview switch) OK and cable TV style broadband (what they call fibrex) OK.
  
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  May 7, 2020 9:51am
  - Raphael
    
    It looks to be someone cut a fibre cable in Matamata. They’re talking 4 hours to resplice it.
    
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    May 7, 2020 10:00am
I remember when

The problem with the Government’s response to Covid-19 was that it was totally focused on death and the ‘virus free’ status.
While we may eventually benefit considerably from this status the early production of a vaccine, far from being to our advantage, will allow everyone to have that status.
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May 7, 2020 9:39am
Jack5

Who’s been acting up in ACT?

Female vice-president of Young ACT alleges sexual harassment.

Why are politicians so over-horny? Kennedy, Clinton, Trump, Biden, in NZ young Labour, and now, apparently, young ACT.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12330137
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May 7, 2020 9:40am
- peterwn
  
  Did she take it up with David Seymour or another senior ACT person when it first happened? If she did and the complaint was ignored then agreed she would have a genuine grievance.
  It seems the alleged problem was confined to Young ACTS and in her role as Vice-President of Young ACTS it really falls on her own shoulders to deal with it with the assistance of senior Party people.
  I smell a rat here.
  
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  May 7, 2020 10:02am
- Lee C
  
  I think politics is like a powerful magnet for the socially inadequate.
  
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  May 7, 2020 10:10am
- Pete George
  
  Young Act acknowledge a problem.
  
  President of Young Act, Felix Poole, said the youth wing had failed Gammeter and that they did not have a system in place to deal with complaints.
  
  Young Act said this morning “prevalent and systematic incidents of harm have occurred within its organisation”.
  
  Also, there was justified criticisms about how members and those using its platforms interact with each other.
  
  “We have failed a standard of care that we owe our members, and for that we apologise. We can and will do better.”
  
  “Those responsible will be held accountable within the organisation itself and higher if that is the action victims want to go ahead.”
  
  David Seymour said a party statement will come out later today.
  
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  May 7, 2020 11:12am
- Nickc2
  
  If they don’t hand the matter directly to the police, they will leave themselves open to media scrutiny the likes of which didn’t happen with the Labour Party. The MSM would love to have a field day with this. Just remember who is paying the MSM.
  
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  May 7, 2020 12:13pm
  - peterwn
    
    It would depend on whether the number of instances of and level of harassment was such that an offence had likely been committed. The Party leadership should make it clear that the Youth VP is completely free to go to the Police if she chooses.
    As I indicated before, the Youth VP is in a leadership position and hence in a position to deal with harassment issues by initiating guidelines, seeking the help of senior party members and so on. OK, if the Youth President declined to get on side with her, he also becomes part of the problem, but again the Youth VP should have sought the help of senior members.
    However the Youth VP may not have had the experience of life and the wisdom that comes with it to enable her to recognise and use her power to tackle the problem. This is especially that she was not in an employment or other situation where others had power over her (unless she was seeking Party or Parliamentiary employment in due course). This is why senior Party people need to keep a fatherly and motherly eye on the Youth wing and support the Youth leaders in their roles.
    
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    May 7, 2020 2:29pm
    - Nickc2
      
      You make some good points. However, if I was in a position of responsibility, I would have the police get involved unless she chooses to initiate a waiver. If she did so, I would then stand well clear with no comment(s) to the MSM whatsoever.
      
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      May 7, 2020 3:15pm
Benedict Yu

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/414885/pharmac-back-tracks-on-plan-to-fund-lung-cancer-drug-keytruda

The Government lets (conservatively) a few thousand people die every year, who could have their lives extended by drugs that are available in most OECD countries, but not in New Zealand. And yet we have destroyed the economy to save the lives of (maybe) a few hundred mainly very elderly people. I do not understand.
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May 7, 2020 9:59am
Maggie Pie

Since being in lockdown, whenever he’s home my partner has never watched so much telly. He’s come to the conclusion that Sky is taking peoples money under false pretenses.
He reckons that just about every doco or other program he’s watched, is at least 5 to 10 years old! Obviously Sky is buying up all the old crap from overseas they can lay their hands on and foisting it on unsuspecting NZ subscribers at exorbitant monthly fees.
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May 7, 2020 10:04am
- Tauhei Notts
  
  And their Rialto channel is becoming a joke. I like foreign films. Each film has been repeated at least three times, some as many as eight times.
  Their My Sky app is excellent. Indeed, one cannot watch most things on Sky without it as their advertising slots are so prevalent and nauseating.
  But I have to have Sky if I want to watch the horse racing. Just another idiotic decision by the NZ Racing Board.
  
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  May 7, 2020 10:11am
- Lee C
  
  Check out Netflix ‘Making a Murderer’ it is compulsive viewing
  
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  May 7, 2020 10:14am
- BananaLlama
  
  Management of Sky is a complete shitshow where no one is responsible for anything, they need a good clean out.
  
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  May 7, 2020 11:08am
- lifesgood
  
  You want old programme? Here’s one. For weeks now Sky has been showing a boring, repetitive artist, if you can call him that, teaching painting. The shows are from the 1980s!!!! Yes, 1980s. The said artist, Bob Ross, is a european who sports an enormous afro. He died in 1995
  
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  May 7, 2020 3:01pm
Critical Thinker

Hmmmmm….. ?

Researcher ‘on Verge of Making Very Significant’ Coronavirus Findings Shot to Death

“Bing was on the verge of making very significant findings toward understanding the cellular mechanisms that underlie SARS-CoV-2 infection and the cellular basis of the following complications.”

https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/coronavirus/researcher-on-verge-of-making-very-significant-virus-findings-shot-to-death/2386375/
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May 7, 2020 10:08am
- cmm
  
  I don’t think it was deliberate.
  
  More likely Big Oil was trying to shoot the free energy guy who can run his car on water and hit the SARC-CoV-2 guy instead.
  
  C’mon dude, nobody knows if someone was on the verge of making a discovery. That just has the whiff of conspiracy theory. You’ve either discovered something or you have not. You can’t know you are on the verge of discovering something.
  
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  May 7, 2020 10:39am
  - Critical Thinker
    
    Agreed
    
    Police believe the deaths occurred on Saturday after a “lengthy dispute regarding an intimate partner,” according to the Ross Police Department Wednesday.
    
    “We have found zero evidence that this tragic event has anything to do with employment at the University of Pittsburgh, any work being conducted at the University of Pittsburgh and the current health crisis affecting the United States and the world,”
    
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    May 7, 2020 10:49am
  - kowtow
    
    Yep , “on the verge” is the give away.
    
    7 1
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    May 7, 2020 11:09am
  - Ed Snack
    
    cmm, I presume that the SARC-CoV-2 was deliberate (instead of SARS-CoV-2) ?
    
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    May 7, 2020 2:50pm
    - cmm
      
      Nope that was an error.
      
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      May 7, 2020 5:34pm
oldfella

Anyone know who’s cutting/colouring/styling Cindy’s hair during the lockdown? Is that person part of her bubble? Is the Princesses’ grooming an essential service? I’m sure Tova will be on to it… yeah, nah.
20 3
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May 7, 2020 10:12am
- cmm
  
  I don’t think She’s waiting for 10 days for courier post to bring Her latest wardrobe either. Unlike for most people ordering off websites, amazingly it always seems to fit reasonably well too.
  
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  May 7, 2020 10:42am
Lee C

The ultimate flu-shot?
4 1
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May 7, 2020 10:15am
103PapPap

Anyone noticed that the people shown on TV news breaking the social distancing rules all look like thay would be Labour voters?
Resentment in the ranks?
15 1
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May 7, 2020 10:43am
Bobba Fret

I think I heard on Paul Henry last night that his guest tonight is Kelvin Davis!!!!! Can anyone confirm this?
8 1
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May 7, 2020 10:50am
- niggly
  
  Perhaps Davis has been hanging out at Henry’s retreat (like the way Darren Hughes and Ardern did years ago) and he’s convinced Davis “to lets do this” and be interviewed?!!! If so well done!
  
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  May 7, 2020 11:38am
Fletch

Meanwhile, back in the U.S, Pelosi has sent members of Congress home, only to pull them in to vote for the bills she has come up with via backroom deals, with virtually no input from representatives. As one Congressman has written, she has consolidated the power of the House into her person.

More important than the flawed message Congress’s absence sends to the American people—that their representatives value personal protection over their constituents’ interests—is the reality. When nobody is around, it is easier to make backroom deals, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi is taking advantage. She has consolidated the power of the institution in her person. Without lawmakers there to speak up for their districts and influence the legislative process, Mrs. Pelosi has made herself the sole voice and negotiator for the House, as it passes massive funding and regulatory bills.

As Congress sits at home, we don’t hear about legislative compromises and breakthroughs between a chairman and ranking member. Instead what matters is when and how often Mrs. Pelosi has been on the phone with White House officials.

Her mode of operating is crystal clear. Once the speaker feels she has gained maximum concessions from President Donald Trump, she calls the House back to Washington to be quickly and quietly herded into the chamber to cast an up-or-down vote—bypassing committees, markups and every process that gives most lawmakers a voice. We’re told no amendments are possible and we shouldn’t even get close to the floor of the House until it is our turn to vote. We have added trillions to the nation’s debt and affected millions of American lives in this ridiculous sham of a process.

The coronavirus has given Mrs. Pelosi the greatest control over the House of Representatives of any speaker in U.S. history. Fear of the virus has given her an excuse to send 434 of us home and essentially say, “See you when I need you.” Before Republicans objected two weeks ago, she even sought an amendment to House rules to allow for proxy voting. Under this plan, representatives wouldn’t even need to return to Washington to vote and pass legislation. They could simply hand over their voting cards to Mrs. Pelosi or one of her lieutenants.

I am not saying the House should throw caution to the winds. Common-sense steps could help with social distancing and prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Congress. But the Founders couldn’t possibly have wanted a government in which the speaker replaces the House she is supposed to lead.

While the Senate works in Washington this week, the House will again be told to stay home and wait on the speaker to let us know when she has cut the next deal. Mrs. Pelosi has made clear that she thinks America’s elected representatives are nonessential. That’s fine with her. No doubt her job is easier when she doesn’t need to worry about us—and our constituents.

https://altoday.com/archives/34126-bradley-byrne-nancy-pelosis-coronavirus-power-grab

At this point, Nancy Pelosi is behaving more like a fascist dictator. But that’s the Left for you.
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May 7, 2020 10:57am
- mikenmildagain
  
  At this point, the representatives should take a break until the senate has considered some of the hundreds of bills passed by the house.
  
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  May 7, 2020 12:14pm
- Nickc2
  
  Cindy taking lessons from Nancy Pelosi? Yep, I can go along with that. It’s a good thing our borders are closed else Cindy would be sending some of her corrupt mob to the US to witness how it’s done.
  
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  May 7, 2020 12:31pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Coming to a place near you soon – oh, wait
  
  1 2
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  May 7, 2020 12:33pm
- Komata
  
  Fletch@1057
  
  Isn’t she also up for re-election this month?
  
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  May 7, 2020 4:08pm
oldfella

Worth a read: the British covid ‘expert’ who helped lock down the UK, and then make a mockery of his own advice. (The old ‘one rule for us, one rule for them’ – sound familiar?)
https://www.spiked-online.com/2020/05/06/what-neil-fergusons-booty-call-tells-us-about-modern-politics/
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May 7, 2020 11:07am
- emmess
  
  Hearing about this absolute wanker, Ferguson is for me the moment of clarity when I realised this was more than a mere overreaction.
  If the architect of the severe lockdowns in the West doesn’t believe in them, then who does apart from useful idiots?
  
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  May 7, 2020 1:12pm
kowtow

Ngai Tahu sacking folk .

Did this successful mega business take the wage subsidy ?

How much tax does Ngai tahu pay ?
11 2
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May 7, 2020 11:15am
- kevn
  
  @kowtow… Very low tax rate as they are a Charitable Trust. Always made it hard for the opposition businesses.
  Yep, they claimed max wage subsidy.
  
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  May 7, 2020 11:43am
  - kowtow
    
    No media beat up on them though.
    
    Surprise surprise.
    
    7 3
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    May 7, 2020 12:58pm
  - KevO'Brien
    
    Troughers deluxe.
    
    8 3
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    May 7, 2020 1:34pm
  - Ed Snack
    
    If a charitable trust, no tax at all, but they cannot payout dividends. Excess earnings (over that required to run the business) must be applied to the specified and approved charitable aims.
    
    5 2
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    May 7, 2020 2:53pm
    - Jack5
      
      Ngai Tahu Charitable group on the charities register encompasses more than 40 listings – companies and trusts.
      
      It its group application for registration, the main activity of the group is listed as making grants to organisations, including schools and other charities, and the “main beneficiary” is listed as “children/young people”.
      
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      May 7, 2020 9:16pm
Maggy Wassilieff

What on Earth have the 1000 (One THOUSAND) immigration staff been doing for the last 8-9 weeks?

A thousand immigration staff have been unable to work from home during lockdown because they had no remote working capability or secure network.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/415992/immigration-nz-in-disarray-over-remote-working-as-new-law-offers-unbridled-power
16 1
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May 7, 2020 11:16am
- Fletch
  
  I think we’re going to see the end of those reality TV shows like Border Patrol for a while….
  
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  May 7, 2020 11:24am
- rangitoto
  
  Cripes. What was their management doing. Corporate style remote worker VPNs aren’t exactly cutting edge. There’s even brilliant free solutions like WireGuard.
  
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  May 7, 2020 12:07pm
Maggy Wassilieff

For Maggie Pie

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=12330133

Who plucks your ducks?
7 1
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May 7, 2020 11:24am
- Maggie Pie
  
  To be honest Mags, my partner bought me an electric plucking machine.
  Although, I wouldn’t mind the recipe for that one on Masterchef 😀
  
  5 2
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  May 7, 2020 11:50am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Something wrong with her head I reckon
  
  3 3
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  May 7, 2020 11:58am
  - Maggie Pie
    
    She’d certainly have trouble getting into a T Shirt 😀
    
    4 2
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    May 7, 2020 12:30pm
BeeJay

How about “Click & Collect” in Level 3!!
Just happened to be driving past (of course it was essential!) and noticed my favourite Liquor Store (Name deleted to protect the staff) was open!! Just what I needed! So, in I drive and park and go to the front door? “A bottle of vodka please?” I asked. “Did you order this?” No, I said. “Well you have to have placed an order! We can’t sell it to you without an order. Here’s the phone number, just dial and press # and place the order”, so I went to the car, got my phone and did as I was told, call answered and I was asked for my order! A bottle of A….. Vodka please. “Yes sir that’s fine it’ll be ready for you to collect shortly,” So, 10 steps back to the door and said, I’m here for my vodka! Obviously didn’t need my name cos they watched me go to the car and make the call!
How fucking stupid is that! The guys were just doing what they were told, which I understood, but what a nonsense! Commonsense distancing through the whole process was all that was needed for that transaction to have occurred instead of the idiotic process that this government imposed to allow businesses to continue to operate!!
33 3
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May 7, 2020 11:47am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  NZ has been dumbed down to a socialist level. Common sense is not that common anymore
  
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  May 7, 2020 12:16pm
- Nickc2
  
  Another well thought through process by our Government?
  
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  May 7, 2020 12:38pm
- Jules99
  
  Ridiculous – problem is it would take just one snitch to have him shut down, so I guess they have to be strict.
  
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  May 7, 2020 1:07pm
- Spam
  
  My wife was in town yesterday, and went looking for lunch. Same sort of stupidity, except in her case she had forgotten her phone, so went hungry.
  
  Weirdly, she could order a coffee, but not a sandwich!
  
  11 2
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  May 7, 2020 2:00pm
- Tauhei Notts
  
  What a fluke. I did the same just an hour ago. For me it was dark rum.
  I spoke with the proprietor who told me that they must go through all that bullsiht because although they are unlikely to be charged, Mr Plod would object to their next liquor licence renewal. Then they would be up for big legal fees. Altogether it makes our society a very frightened society.
  
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  May 7, 2020 4:02pm
Maggie Pie

There’s talk that when we go to Level 2, Facemasks might be compulsory. They’re hardly the height of fashion, so I’ve just ordered myself something a little ‘more revealing’ 😛

https://pbs.twimg.com/card_img/1258170009450242048/jNCTwaWw?format=jpg&name=small
8 2
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May 7, 2020 12:01pm
- chaos
  
  I hope you ordered one for your partner and dog too
  
  3 1
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  May 7, 2020 12:16pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  New level 2 will include climate change and carbon level conditions. They won’t miss this chance for control.
  
  8 3
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  May 7, 2020 12:24pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  This will make them lose their shit:
  https://www.amazon.com/Donald-Trump-Adult-Reusable-Shield/dp/B086T4K7H5/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=trump+mask&qid=1588811130&sr=8-1
  
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  May 7, 2020 12:26pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Play school TV1 news. Airbrain presenter says New Zealanders stranded in Nepal. Um no. They were in Nepal, now in Sydney, due home this evening.
Shocking reporting
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May 7, 2020 12:07pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Seems the NZs are not in Sydney, but will land in Brisbane this evening. Air NZ will bring them home. The report I read has been removed, how about that?
  
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  May 7, 2020 12:51pm
curry4me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mf7erBVhq7w

Why the Virus Threatens the Chinese Regime’s Imperial Dreams. CCP is engaged in damage control. Another decade of the status quo ante would have put China in first place. The CCP virus has destroyed that plan. If China can’t play by the rules, it shouldn’t be playing at all.
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May 7, 2020 12:08pm
curry4me

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/05/06/ferguson-sex-scandal-prompts-calls-uk-govt-release-coronavirus-models/
Ferguson sex scandal prompts calls for release of CCP Virus models.
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May 7, 2020 12:09pm
JibberJabber

Shamelessly stolen from the Twitter,

Which sold out faster in America in the month of April?
Toilet Paper

#metoo movement
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May 7, 2020 12:09pm
JibberJabber

Poor `arry, he`s gonna regret this when the divorce comes thru,
https://www.dailywire.com/news/meghan-doesnt-like-it-harry-sells-rifle-collection-to-reportedly-please-meghan?%3Futm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=dwtwitter

#emasculated
15 2
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May 7, 2020 12:20pm
- tf78
  
  Stupid bugger he has sold his soul. The old saying “marry a man to change him and take in washing”.
  
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  May 7, 2020 1:53pm
Maggy Wassilieff

This is the first time I’ve see this in the Oral Question spot in Parliament…

Nick Smith trying to find out why there has been a push to get Prisoners’ voting rights passed… but no great hurry to put through legislation on sexual violence.

Questions to Members
Hon Dr NICK SMITH to the Chairperson of the Justice Committee: Has she written to the Business Committee seeking an extension on the report back date on the Protection for First Responders and Prison Officers Bill?

Hon Dr NICK SMITH to the Chairperson of the Justice Committee: Has she written to the Business Committee seeking an extension on the report back date on the Sexual Violence Legislation Bill?

Hon Dr NICK SMITH to the Chairperson of the Justice Committee: Has she received a letter from the Minister of Justice on officials’ support during the unprecedented national state of emergency expressing the Government’s wish to have the Electoral (Registration of Sentenced Prisoners) Amendment Bill continue as planned and also stating that his officials will not be able to assist the committee on the Sexual Violence Legislation Bill, requiring a delay in the report back date to 14 June?

https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/order-paper-questions/list-of-oral-questions/oral-questions-7-may-2020/
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May 7, 2020 12:29pm
- Tony Stuart
  
  Questions to Members are rare, but this is a follow-up to Smith’s questions of Andrew Little yesterday, where Little hid behind the Justice select committee.
  
  Smith’s goal is to show that the Government is more concerned about restoring voting rights to prisoners than the rights of sexual violence victims, and so far, he’s doing a very good job. The big problem is that he and Trevor Mallard hate one another’s guts, and Mallard loves to find new and pedantic ways of silencing Smith.
  
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  May 7, 2020 12:38pm
- Maggie Pie
  
  WOW! I’ll be watching. Just to see Trev’s head twist out of shape whenever Nick asks a question. PRICELESS!! 😀
  
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  May 7, 2020 12:38pm
rangitoto

Senior software engineers trash the nonsense code of the Imperial College SARS-COV-2 epidemic model.

https://lockdownsceptics.org/code-review-of-fergusons-model/

The problem is that academics are often amateurs when it comes to development of this kind of software.
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May 7, 2020 12:57pm
- Doc Holliday
  
  Here a bit about the amateur:
  
  Neil Morris Ferguson OBE FMedSci (born 1968) is a British epidemiologist[3] and professor of mathematical biology, who specialises in the patterns of spread of infectious disease in humans and animals. He is the director of the Abdul Latif Jameel Institute for Disease and Emergency Analytics (J-IDEA), head of the Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology in the School of Public Health and Vice-Dean for Academic Development in the Faculty of Medicine, all at Imperial College, London.
  
  Ferguson has used mathematical modelling to provide data on several disease outbreaks including the 2001 United Kingdom foot-and-mouth outbreak, the swine flu outbreak in 2009 in the UK, the 2012 Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus outbreak and the ebola epidemic in Western Africa in 2016. His work has also included research on mosquito-borne diseases including zika fever, yellow fever, dengue fever and malaria.
  
  In February 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was first detected in China, Ferguson and his team used statistical models to estimate that cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) were significantly under-detected in China.[4] He is part of UK’s Imperial College COVID-19 Response Team.
  
  He received his Master of Arts degree in Physics in 1990 at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford and his Doctor of Philosophy degree in theoretical physics in 1994 at Linacre College, Oxford.[5][6] His doctoral research investigated interpolations from crystalline to dynamically triangulated random surfaces and was supervised by John Wheater.[1][2][7]
  
  Career and research
  Ferguson was part of Roy Anderson’s group of infectious disease scientists who moved from the University of Oxford to Imperial College in November 2000, and started working on modelling the 2001 United Kingdom foot-and-mouth outbreak a few months later.[8] He was appointed a member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2002 New Year Honours in recognition of his work on the disease.[9]
  
  Ferguson and colleagues founded the Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis in 2008.[10] He advises the World Health Organization (WHO), the European Union, and the governments of the UK and United States, on the dynamics of infectious disease.[11] He is an international member of the National Academy of Medicine,[9] a fellow of the Royal Statistical Society, and is on the editorial boards of PLOS Computational Biology and Journal of the Royal Society Interface. He is a founding editor of the journal Epidemics.[12]
  
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Ferguson_(epidemiologist)
  
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  May 7, 2020 2:37pm
  - rangitoto
    
    Well the amateur’s code is demonstrably crap as pointed out in the article.
    
    4 2
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    May 7, 2020 3:08pm
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Oh Heavens!
    
    he hasn’t even got a basic medical qualification.
    
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    May 7, 2020 3:26pm
    - rangitoto
      
      I would expect much better code than that from a Trainee Junior Programmer.
      
      5 2
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      May 7, 2020 3:27pm
      - Doc Holliday
        
        You wouldn’t get your rrrs inside the door of Imperial College, buddy, let alone be elected FMedSci and Fellow Royal Statistical Society.
        
        Italy didn’t have Ferguson’s advice and look what happened.
        
        The UK has followed his advice only half-heartedly and the virus is out of control.
        
        The proof of the pudding is in the eating and Ferguson was quite right to warn the outcome of “herd immunity” or “let nature takes its course” would be a disaster. Almost certainly will be because the Conservative government are incompetent fools who cannot even provide frontline staff with proper PPE or even test them for the virus.
        
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        May 7, 2020 6:16pm
  - cmm
    
    I agree with that review and all decision making based on that code should be viewed with skepticism.
    
    Worse, I have a sneaking suspicion that code was used here and forms the basis of our lockdown decision making (to the extent PriNZess consulted “experts” and not her friends).
    
    It is curious to me that our centre for excellence people also came up with a stochastic model recently.
    
    Previously they repurposed a Uk model to come up with their 80k deaths bullshit.
    
    It is not clear whether they have just repurposed this test. They also would not release the code.
    
    As anyone can see, that’s quite a code base. I doubt our centre for excellence people could write something as complex as that in 6 weeks and still find time to write an extensive report and have pow wows with Cindy.
    
    Thus, I would not be at all surprised if all our new NZ models are just this model repurposed and should have the same fate this reviewer recommends: binning it.
    
    There is nothing wrong with stochastic models used for the right purposes. But they need to be reported honestly and that was missing here.
    
    At least our centre for excellence people did more honest reporting of what the stochastic produced and didn’t just average it. They also reported the pre-averaged outputs.
    
    Those pre-averaged outputs showed a range of outcomes varying by a factor of 5 or so. That is a huge variability and should set of the skeptic in anyone.
    
    Imagine someone came to you and said they have a wonderful complex model that tells you how much a 2litre jug of milk weighs. It gives a range of outputs from 1kg to 5kgs. Useful? I don’t think so.
    
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    May 7, 2020 4:29pm
    - cmm
      
      Oh, a downticktard who thinks that is good code. Please never come near me expecting to get a job.
      
      5 3
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      May 7, 2020 4:59pm
      - Doc Holliday
        
        Just nitpicking by ideologically-driven science deniers who don’t like having their “freedom” disrupted by an obviously advantageous lockdown.
        
        Modelling here was done by Auckland U physics professor Shaun Hendry. Why don’t you ask him? I’m sure he’d be very impressed with your science background. Schoolboy stuff, isn’t it?
        
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        May 7, 2020 8:31pm
      - All_on_Red
        
        ‘Science Denier’
        Same old bs
        Nothing you say flies
        https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=idMa4a6eA9M
        Just like that
        Bwhahahahahahahaha
        
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        May 7, 2020 8:53pm
dave_c_

Good God – She sounds like she is speaking to children – even moreso than on previous days.
And the preaching – Every day sounds like the replay button has been pushed.
What a disgraceful example of someone who should never have been elevated to position of Prime Minister.
What a bloody embarrassment.
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May 7, 2020 1:15pm
- Ruawai
  
  Now go and wash your hands and return to the mat and I will let you go and get your lunchboxes and have a play outside once you have eaten your lunch like good children.
  
  15 2
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  May 7, 2020 2:00pm
Joely Doe

Soon to be delivered to all households prior to release from house arrest..
Everyone should wear when venturing outdoors.
New safety approved NZ Coronavirus mask
8 2
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May 7, 2020 1:18pm
MrTips

MrsTips left the sound on the tellingvision. God Jacinda goes on and on. Her speechwriter is appalling.
15 1
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May 7, 2020 1:19pm
Maggy Wassilieff

Have turned off the radio.
What a patronising load of codswallop from the PM.
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May 7, 2020 1:20pm
- alex Masterley
  
  I watched it.
  The entire address was scripted.
  
  23 3
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  May 7, 2020 1:29pm
  - dave_c_
    
    Indeed – as have just about all 1:00pm addresses to-date.
    
    16 2
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    May 7, 2020 1:42pm
  - KevO'Brien
    
    You must have a cast iron stomach.
    
    14 3
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    May 7, 2020 1:42pm
  - MCos
    
    “ The entire address was scripted.”
    
    Of course it was. Haven’t you ever watched a political announcement before?
    
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    May 7, 2020 4:36pm
    - Jack5
      
      The good ones don’t sound scripted.
      
      3 0
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      May 7, 2020 8:56pm
Ian Hawthorn

In New York they have just jailed a hair salon owner for defying the lockdown and opening for business. At the same time they are using the coronavirus to justify the release of violent offenders. Perhaps they have to make space in prison for all those dangerous hairdressers and small business owners.
19 2
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May 7, 2020 1:21pm
- bruceavon
  
  Texas
  
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  May 7, 2020 2:57pm
Cinematic

1pm blab session. Blah blah blah blah.

Put the unenforceable rules on a website. The majority of us can read.

We all know now this has been the biggest scam in NZ’s history. Why give the perpetrators of said scam air time? Prosecute I say.
28 2
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May 7, 2020 1:21pm
- Ruawai
  
  They don’t want to write them down as then you can hold them to account.
  
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  May 7, 2020 1:58pm
dave_c_

Well, fuck me dead – By the time we implement the controls, restrictions and all the other pilartha, there will be no time to deliver what the business is designed to deliver.
Talk about exacerbating the financial impacts to business – this lot have absolutely no flipping idea !
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May 7, 2020 1:23pm
dave_c_

101, 102, 103, 104,. . . . . .
The number of things I need to remember to ensure my behaviour conforms to the impositions on my life to survive at level 2, defy my capacity to remember.
Fuck the lot of them.
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May 7, 2020 1:27pm
Faroffsound

Food for thought

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-06/coronavirus-new-zealand-travel-china-opportunity/12219940
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May 7, 2020 1:27pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Today’s propaganda. 45 minutes of absolute shit.
What did she actually say?
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May 7, 2020 1:46pm
- Ruawai
  
  I reckon she will say level 2.9, which will be level 2 but with no domestic travel. And remember the 3 S’s, we must all be Seated, we must only be Served by one person, and Separation from anyone near us, if not you will all be arrested and returned to level 4.
  
  12 3
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  May 7, 2020 1:56pm
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    The PMwill destroy small hospitality enterprises.
    WHY?
    
    16 2
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    May 7, 2020 2:16pm
    - rangitoto
      
      They own more property than is permitted to non party officials and must be punished. Basically Kulaks.
      
      11 2
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      May 7, 2020 2:38pm
cmm

Well I just had a great walk on the beach. First in ages.

Drove 35 minutes each way (yes, fuck you Nash and your 30 minute limit on driving).

The beach was pretty busy with people having picnics, reading books, kids paddling.

Amazingly no rescue choppers were needed.
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May 7, 2020 1:49pm
- Ruawai
  
  and no police patrols needed.
  
  12 1
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  May 7, 2020 1:57pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    And those air security people patrolling the streets can fuck off
    
    14 4
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    May 7, 2020 2:21pm
  - cmm
    
    Well I did see a cop car pulling someone over near the beach, but it looked like they’d failed to stop at a stop sign.
    
    7 2
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    May 7, 2020 2:37pm
Poppa

Did I understand it correctly? Next week sometime whenever the kindergarten teacher decides I can go to a bar. But can’t order from the bar and must be waited on.

Who in their right mind could believe this is workable? Geezuz she never ceases to amaze me
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May 7, 2020 2:01pm
- Fletch
  
  Yeh, you have to be seated…
  
  The three ‘S’s are
  1) Seated – patrons must be seated (and no more than 100 people).
  
  2) People must be separated. There must be social distancing between tables.
  
  3) Server – each table must have a server. Not counter service. This minimises contact.
  
  10 1
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  May 7, 2020 2:18pm
  - Benedict Yu
    
    And many people will just decide it is a pain in the arse and not go to bars and restaurants.
    
    11 1
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    May 7, 2020 3:10pm
  - Tony Stuart
    
    Back in the day, the Three S’s always used to stand for sh#t, shower and shave 😀
    
    12 1
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    May 7, 2020 3:12pm
    - Don Beckett
      
      The other ones were – ‘shag, shampoo and shoeshine’ 🙂
      
      5 1
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      May 7, 2020 4:24pm
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    And little evidence that Covid-19 is passed on in cafes/restaurants.
    
    14 2
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    May 7, 2020 3:22pm
  - Nickc2
    
    How long do bar patrons have to suffer this crap? Has Glorious Leader put a time frame/set of conditions on Level 2?
    
    9 1
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    May 7, 2020 3:22pm
  - cmm
    
    3 Strikes?
    
    A win for DG!
    
    3 1
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    May 7, 2020 5:01pm
- alex Masterley
  
  If we are lucky, we get table service at the yacht club. But not at the golf club.
  But at least we can play with others instead than wandering around a course like nigel no-mates.
  
  7 1
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  May 7, 2020 2:25pm
  - godruelf
    
    or someone other than the missus
    
    1 1
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    May 7, 2020 4:41pm
- MCos
  
  “Who in their right mind could believe this is workable?”
  
  Just about every other country in the world.
  
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  May 7, 2020 4:24pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Focus seems to be on cafes, restaurants, hospitality. What about the industrial manufacturing industry?
Making a product is where the Tax comes from
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May 7, 2020 2:18pm
- cmm
  
  C’mon do you really want those nice clean people in the Beehive to have to think of filthy factories?
  
  They will focus on what they’re missing then project that onto NZ.
  
  Remember when PriNZess said you don’t need bottle shops because you can still get a reasonably drinkable bottle of wine at the supermarket? Same basic principle at play here.
  
  11 3
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  May 7, 2020 2:55pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    They have never got dirty hands from work in their life, and never will. As for wine, fuck that, I drink whisky
    
    10 5
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    May 7, 2020 3:15pm
Maggy Wassilieff

I cannot believe that journalists take all her berley without laughing and spitting it back.
22 2
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May 7, 2020 2:20pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  They are all PTPM sycophants.
  
  22 6
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  May 7, 2020 2:22pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Only 2 downticks. 2 shitheads missing today
    
    15 5
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    May 7, 2020 3:16pm
- Inandout
  
  Maggy, if someone offered you a huge amount of money to comply, would you turn it down? Everyone, but everyone, has a price and the media are proof of that.
  
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  May 7, 2020 3:40pm
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    .
    
    2 2
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    May 7, 2020 4:04pm
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      Now why would anyone bother down-ticking a full-stop?
      
      12 2
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      May 7, 2020 6:25pm
      - Lucia Maria
        
        Maggy, because they can!
        BTW, I just upticked you.
        Pity we don’t get a list of how everyone voted.
        
        5 1
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        May 7, 2020 6:57pm
      - Jack5
        
        Because, Maggy, Mister Downtick-Prick, has gone dotty.?
        
        1 0
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        May 7, 2020 8:54pm
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    I’m a cheap old bird.
    
    I’ve been vainly waiting for Big Oil…. or anyone to offer me a huge amount…..
    
    My vote is up for grabs to the highest bidder.
    
    10 2
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    May 7, 2020 4:08pm
greenfinger

Moving to level 2. Wow! Prime Minister, You have only achieved 2 days of no new case. Are you and Bloomfield really you sure about this? We don’t want to spoil your CV, you know.
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May 7, 2020 2:46pm
cmm

It is interesting to observe that the CV19 deaths almost always seem to be concentrated and skewed. Nothing is homogenous.

NYC has 20x the death rate of the rest of USA and 50x the death rate of some other states.

In Aus, Tasmania and then Sydney seem to be the biggies.

Then, here, it is Christchurch. Christchurch is approx 14x the death rate of the rest of NZ. Maybe we need danger pay down here.
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May 7, 2020 2:52pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Us numbers look different when compared to Europe numbers. Greater Europe has more cases and more deaths per capita than the US 328M people. Just saying. It is unfair to compare US with just say Spain, or Italy, or Belgium
  
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  May 7, 2020 3:19pm
- All_on_Red
  
  When it comes to the Stats between Countries I’m not sure we’re comparing apples with apples.
  Too much variance in how they are recording data and reasons
  
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  May 7, 2020 7:03pm
greenfinger

Wow! She is basically insisting that all sit-down eateries have to adopt fine-dining standards with one waiter per table. She clearly has no idea about economics and neither does Robertson. How the “duck” would any eat-in operator make money from one waiter per table and why the “duck” would anyone even bother to reopen with that rule, especially with the minimum wage having just gone up? The most sensible outcome is to close the eatery and join the welfare queue. At this rate, it will be 15% unemployment in NZ, at a minimum! This is on your watch, Ardern and Robertson.
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May 7, 2020 2:59pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  One Police per table as well?
  
  11 4
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  May 7, 2020 3:24pm
  - greenfinger
    
    Don’t tempt her!
    
    10 1
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    May 7, 2020 3:32pm
  - JibberJabber
    
    There will be a new Dob in line and she`ll have her minions walking by and peeping in to make sure all are Obeying the rulz, Comrade.
    
    7 1
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    May 7, 2020 5:03pm
- chaos
  
  Well the good news is there are businesses without your give up attitude who are working to make sure they can open. Weirdly this blog has become some negative with just people bitching constantly. Thank god most businesses don’t have the attitude here
  
  3 17
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  May 7, 2020 3:31pm
  - greenfinger
    
    I would be delighted to sell my cafe to you. Just make me an offer my bank can’t refuse.
    
    12 2
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    May 7, 2020 4:05pm
  - wilderbeast
    
    Chaos please send me your phone number so you can “care” my business back into perfect health
    
    10 1
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    May 7, 2020 5:49pm
- MCos
  
  I’ve been to plenty of other countries where it would be unheard of to order your food/beer/wine whatever from anyone other than a waiter at your table.
  Paying on the way out as we do is distinctly unusual.
  Maybe it’s the same in Oz, don’t know, but that hardly qualifies as another country.
  Even the cheapest upcountry restaurants in Thailand with mangy dogs sleeping between the tables have waiter service (& better food than here).
  
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  May 7, 2020 4:01pm
- UrbanNeocolonialist
  
  Let them eat cake.
  
  4 2
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  May 7, 2020 4:02pm
herb1

Why is Ardern so patronising, does she think we’re all as vacant as her. Describing level 2 as half way down hill Mt Everest isn’t smart and can be inferred that you know were on a slippery slope ,racing to the bottom.
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May 7, 2020 3:08pm
- tf78
  
  We are herb1 – we’re on a never ending luge ride.
  She is but a kindergarten cop.
  
  6 1
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  May 7, 2020 4:44pm
- tui47
  
  She speaks to us as if we were a class of new entrants on our first day at school.
  
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  May 7, 2020 4:53pm
- wilderbeast
  
  I think us dumb serfs are supposed to be grateful for the crumbs that fall from her table. Like tiny fragments of our former freedom
  
  8 1
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  May 7, 2020 5:50pm
- JibberJabber
  
  This is why the Left love her, she talks at them at their level.
  
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  May 7, 2020 6:01pm
Swifty

Laugh of The Day.

Lefty meltdowns – caught on tape:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0jpz_tJVMM
8 4
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May 7, 2020 3:24pm
- MCos
  
  Who needs to look at YouTube?
  This whole blog is turning into a meltdown.
  
  5 15
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  May 7, 2020 4:20pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Only going to get worse until we smack some chops.
  Police? nope, ate the beach giving out parking tickets C/- Coster
  
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  May 7, 2020 4:24pm
Inandout

A smallish cafe which I haunt in good times has 8 tables and is run by a husband and wife team. I reach the counter, choose my edibles and coffee, then pay for it. The owners can serve on tables but a customer will usually go and get the coffee after taking the food. There will be a need for an extra employee to comply with Jacinda Law, so as my cafe is running on a tight budget I guess their prices need reviewing.
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May 7, 2020 3:49pm
- MCos
  
  Ever heard of a service charge?
  
  1 5
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  May 7, 2020 6:09pm
  - mikenmildagain
    
    Every cafe I go to provides tables service.
    
    3 10
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    May 7, 2020 6:21pm
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      Some of us can only afford the cheapo versions with counter food.
      
      9 1
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      May 7, 2020 7:14pm
    - Tony Stuart
      
      Most cafes I visit encourage patrons to order at the counter. It will certainly add extra responsibilities for cafe owners.
      
      7 1
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      May 7, 2020 7:38pm
    - Dougal10
      
      Bellamy’s
      
      3 0
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      May 7, 2020 8:26pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Had a think about what has been said about and commented on since Ardern’s total discombobulation.
She is in a “BUBBLE” and will not come out until it bursts! September, Jacinda, SEPTEMBER
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May 7, 2020 3:55pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Add. You all saw the Hillary meltdowns – you ain’t seen nothing yet!
  
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  May 7, 2020 3:57pm
Poppa

Please Miss Cindy……may I go to the beer fridge please pretty please
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May 7, 2020 4:01pm
mikenmildagain

Someone with a sense of humour was choosing the music when Trump visited a mask factory:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2ISK4bk1g0
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May 7, 2020 4:40pm
- All_on_Red
  
  That’s a long stretch
  Not so much when you have TDS I guess
  
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  May 7, 2020 7:01pm
  - mikenmildagain
    
    Just an amusing coincidence, or perhaps some genius from the White House Coronavirus Task Force provided the soundtrack.
    
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    May 7, 2020 7:04pm
MrTips

Why this NZ Govt Is Like CoronaVirus

– It’s ministers have got only half the genetic material the voters have.
– It has no useful working parts. Its default is to lie around and be inert.
– Left alone, it produces nothing.
– It has tons of spiky little pricks to try and break into your cash box.
– Many of it’s ministers are good at hiding and secreting themselves away unseen.
– It’s main mechanism of spread is touching.
– The natural reaction of most people is to try and get rid of it.
– If left unchecked, it eventually kills it’s host.
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May 7, 2020 4:59pm
kwkiwigirl

Lifting of level 3 lockdown seems to have quite a few ifs and buts.

Ardern saying not all of them will be implemented at the same time. So WTF does that mean. She’s lifting level 3 lockdown or she isn’t.

Total uncertainty for businesses, from Ardern, as per usual.
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May 7, 2020 5:16pm
- Steve Todd
  
  The information released today was by way of a heads up. Clearly you weren’t listening.
  
  The government has always been clear that the Level 3 to 2 decision will be made, and announced, on Monday. If the decision is, that we go to Level 2, that will likely be effective as from 2359 hrs on Wednesday, 13 May.
  
  I hope that helps.
  
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  May 7, 2020 7:58pm
Jack5

If Sonny Bill Williams climbs into the ring for an exhibition bout with Mike Tyson, then Williams will likely “end up in the morgue”, says a friend of Tyson.

Tyson, now 53, is seeking an exhibition bout, and the Sydney Morning Herald reports that boxing promoter Brian Amatruda has offered $Aust 1 million in a bid to get Tyson to Australia to fight one of three rugby league veterans – Williams, Paul Gallen, or Barry Hall. There are reports the offer has risen to $3 million.

A friend of Tyson, retired Australian professional boxer, Jeff Fenech, said Tyson was being offered more than $20 million for an exhibition fight in Saudi Arabia.

Fenech is reported in the Sydney Morning Herald as saying:

“If he [Tyson] hits Sonny Bill Williams or Paul Gallen, he will be up for manslaughter.

“I’m serious. If he punched Paul Gallen, he could kill him. These guys have never been punched by somebody like Mike.

” … imagine Mike hitting one of those guys with one of those uppercuts. More than likely they will be in the morgue the next day.”

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/boxing/he-d-end-up-in-the-morgue-fenech-warns-sonny-bill-williams-about-fighting-tyson-20200507-p54qpf.html
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May 7, 2020 5:24pm
- Sponge
  
  It’s a fair comment. SBW is a fine athlete but a top level boxer he ain’t. I got trained by an old guy who had boxed for Samoa at the Olympics and would have had to be in his 60’s when I was in my early 20’s. The handspeed and movement he had, even at that age, was breathtaking. I do not compare myself with SBW but he is a a million miles away from competing with even an old Tyson.
  
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  May 7, 2020 7:36pm
Herodotus

Decisive Leadership :Water Care, our Mayor and council – It is MAY and we are now told there is to be a water restriction put into place. “We have had a long, hot summer with less than half of our normal rainfall, which means our storage dams have fallen to around 46.5 per cent, well below the 76 per cent average for this time of year.” So we act NOW

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12330268
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May 7, 2020 5:58pm
graham

I think the PM may be checking her calendar to see if she can find a vital kindergarten appointment to get her out of the Jas and Ash show tomorrow.

Leaked Crown Law advice shows alert level 4 rules had no legal force.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12330349

Good and bad in Jacinda Ardern’s pivotal decision.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12330272

Peters has looked ambitious; Ardern has looked prudish.

Internal travel decisions under lockdown have been the latest in a series of Covid-19 issues that have plagued Jacinda Ardern.

She confidently told a press conference on Monday that of the 24 applications by people for an exemption to lockdown rules to visit a dying relative, 18 had been granted.

Her office was later forced to issue a correction to say no exemptions had been granted and that she had been given wrong information by the Ministry of Health. It apologised. Its advice to her was badly worded and was misinterpreted.

The following day, the devastating human tragedies of death under lockdown were laid bare at the Epidemic Response committee.

Ardern’s lockdown never looked less kind as devastating stories of separation were shared.

And to cap it all off:

Foreign Minister Winston Peters tells China’s NZ Ambassador to ‘listen to your master’ after criticism.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12330368
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May 7, 2020 6:08pm
Tony Stuart

Random impertinent questions; who is Barry Soper’s best buddy in Parliament, and is the Coalition about to be collapsed?

A bombshell has been delivered to the Government as it contemplates moving from alert level 3.

It seems Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s repeatedly been issuing warnings to the public to stick to the lockdown rules or be prosecuted are unenforceable.

The premise the country’s been run by the rule of law has been turned on its head by the Crown Law advice which has been leaked to Newstalk ZB.

It would seem the lockdown has been run more on rules from the Beehive rather than the law.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12330349

I think Simon Bridges deserves a single malt tonight, whereas Jacinda’s dinner will probably stick in her throat 😀
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May 7, 2020 6:42pm
- MrTips
  
  Check this Tony: https://mobile.twitter.com/kiwijessica/status/1252128641766486016
  
  Some potty mouthed Labour follower who abused Hamish Price. Ructions in the coalition suggesting tit for tat leaks about to happen?
  
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  May 7, 2020 7:06pm
- ex-golfer
  
  We don’t want NZF bringing the Govt down right now. If a snap election was required (how on earth could it be done??) I despair that Labour may be in a position to form a government on their own.
  We need the election to be delayed for as long as possible so that NZ will be exposed to the economic destruction that has been forced upon us. Elections are always about “the economy stupid” – and struggling NZrs will not take kindly to the incumbents.
  I also doubt Winston will want to collapse the Govt right now as NZF would be decimated in an early election – and he will want to hold on to his baubles for as long as possible.
  
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  May 7, 2020 9:41pm
MrTips

Gotta hand it to Winston. He knew the Crown Law advice. He knew Jacinda loves the limelight. He knew he could get away with lockdown at his place up north. He knows the best time to reappear is when the sun is rising. He knows Parker is a dodgy, smug faced prat of an AG. He knows Barely Sober needs a journalistic lifeline after his recent High Court pummeling.

And lo, the Crown Law advice appears.

Well played you miserable, self serving old lush.
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May 7, 2020 6:46pm
- Tony Stuart
  
  I hate giving the old bastard any credit, but he has played the PM and her Ministers like a fiddle. If this is to be Winston’s Last Stand, it’s a helluva way to bow out!
  
  Of course, One News had nothing about this tonight, having been bought by the PM.
  
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  May 7, 2020 7:40pm
waripori

I have read everything I can find and just watched TV1 news. I want to know what level 2 will mean ( disclosure I have a Retail business ). I have no idea.

The bloody bureaucratsand ministers have had nothing to do for two months except come up with a plan to get us out of the mess they got us in to by letting thousands flood into the country with no checks while the virus ran rampant internationally

The big reveal has no usable detail and we are left hanging on Cindy’s every word until Monday sometime to even know if we can open at all. Is it one meter or two? makes a bit of difference if you have a cafe. Is it line of breath or can you be closer if you are sitting with your back to someone.

Wankers have no bloody idea.
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May 7, 2020 7:09pm
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Looks like you might have to limit how many folks can be in your shop at any one time.
  
  You might have to wash down surfaces more frequently than before.
  
  Perhaps you’ll have to install a hand sanitizer near the entrance.
  
  10 1
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  May 7, 2020 7:47pm
  - waripori
    
    Thanks Maggy. You might be right but you might be wrong . Who would know? Limit to how many? Do I need a record of who is in the shop? Do I need perspex in front of the till? Is it one meter or two?
    It is not as if Cindy and her mates dont know what a shop looks like. What the hell have they been doing?
    
    Thinking up metaphors about Everest?
    
    12 1
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    May 7, 2020 8:19pm
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      I’m only repeating what I saw on TV one news tonight… about what would happen when retail opens up in a big mall.
      
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      May 7, 2020 8:31pm
      - waripori
        
        I understand that. The point I am trying to make is that the great communicator does not say anything that is any use to anyone over the age of five. These people do not understand what needs to be done to keep people employed.
        
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        May 7, 2020 8:45pm
    - Harriet
      
      @ waripori
      
      I live in Aussie.
      
      Take internal doors off the hinges and you just need to spray or wipe the frames now and again. It’s a hassle if you don’t. [To be honest, you probably won’t put them back up again, it’s much easier in general without doors myself and others have found.]
      
      Get tape of any sort a place crosses on the ground roughly where you want people to stand.
      
      Have pump sanitizers on hand and at the door on a small table – don’t put them on the wall unless you have a large area for people to queue.
      
      With regards to Perspex etc you don’t need it — Woolworths and Coles do but it is for self checkout areas – and they don’t really need it.
      
      Look at the end of the day people use to queue up 1 foot behind each other, now it’s about 3 feet. Occasionally you forget but everyone just reminds each other in joking and pleasant ways[I live in a rural city – not the capital cities] people don’t get up each other – except obnoxious types who soon realise it’s best to keep their boring fucken mouths shut! [just tell those types at the first opportunity that you’re the boss – and all the other customers will be on your side]
      If you have a retail shop like clothing where people browse, just place the tape on the floor and it REMINDS people to keep their distance[and that is all you can do for the most part anyway].
      
      Where I live council and police etc aren’t going into businesses and checking things. But I can’t say that will be the case in NZ – I lived there for years and I know how busy-body these types are. In other words – if you show that you are trying as best you can — I’d imagine it would be enough.
      
      Good luck anyway and I hope it goes as best as it can for you can Waripori. Cheers.
      
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      May 7, 2020 9:00pm
JerJer

Bye Jacinda. Thanks for, well, nothing. (Except of course if your long list of failures and broken promises are to be counted).
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May 7, 2020 7:13pm
Maggy Wassilieff

For Goodness Sake…

Don’t the folks running our hospitals understand anything about cross-infection protocols?

https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2020/05/07/1162557/hospital-sent-nurses-all-over-after-covid-work
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May 7, 2020 7:27pm
Wired-one

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/05/jacinda-ardern-avoids-ruling-out-tax-increases-to-fund-covid-19-debt-in-question-time-clash-with-simon-bridges.html

Time to cut the public sector, make the entire sector more efficient and cut all the nice to haves like free tertiary education and the NZFirst re-election fund. Will it happen? NOPE, let’s just take more off people, to waste it on nonessential bullshit. Hope you are all ready to pay more tax.
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May 7, 2020 7:41pm
- Harriet
  
  “….Hope you are all ready to pay more tax….”
  
  She probably won’t be in the position to do that or she will then face even more unemployment and bankruptcy. She will also see more people looking at departing the country, and/or their money – and less people willing to move or invest in NZ.
  
  Shutting the place down has largely cornered her, as she has to now get it back up and running — and as good as in Aussie after their slow down — or Bridges will crucify her.
  She can’t. She’s gone come November.
  
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  May 7, 2020 9:20pm
  - Dougal10
    
    She will just stop people from being able to leave when it gets bad .cindy wants her version of east Germany for NZ but will want to holiday herself in Australia
    
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    May 8, 2020 7:25am

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