Dr Shankara Chetty: Outpatient therapy options for COVID-19

 

At the time this video was made, Dr Chetty had treated over 4,000 COVID-19 patients successfully – no oxygen or hospitalization required, and no deaths. The number now stands at over 7,000. This doctor has figured a way out of the pandemic! This interview highlights the future of COVID-19 treatment, available anywhere in the world. 

HDPA: Is anyone else surprised Northland iwi stopping cars is now legal?

 

Did it take anyone else by surprise to hear the Police Commissioner reveal the Government’s made it legal for iwi up north to stop your car?

Yeah, me too. 

So I checked it out.

Turns out, they did change the law.

Two weeks ago, on November 20 — a Saturday — they inserted a new bit into the Covid-19 Health Response Act granting the power to “close roads and public places and stop vehicles” to members of iwi organisations.  

It’s there in black and white.

Breaking Views Update: Week of 28.11.21

Saturday December 4, 2021 

News:
Māori economy: Report seeks Govt support to boost Auckland Māori businesses
The first-ever stocktake of Auckland’s $12.5 billion Māori economy has triggered a call for more government support to accelerate the growth of Māori-owned businesses.

Lindsay Mitchell: Kids crying out for their mothers

Oranga Tamariki released two companion research papers on the last day of November. The topic is Making sense of being in care, adopted, or whāngai.

The first canvasses the available literature on the subject; the second canvasses the views of young people and their caregivers.

The first contains this observation:

    "Within the Māori world view, children do not just belong solely to their parents, but belong to their wider whānau. Therefore, whāngai does not undermine a child’s sense of belonging if they come to live with other relatives."

Let's take that at face value. A Maori child's connection to their wider whanau is just as important as their connection to their parents.

Says who?

Derek Mackie: The Chase meets team NZ

Team: Jacinda (J), Nanaia (N), Andrew (A), Grant (G)

Chaser: The Governess (TG) 

Host: Bradley (B) 

 

B: Welcome to The Chase. Can a team of 4 players, who “say” they’ve never met before, work together to win thousands of dollars? I certainly hope so. There’s only one thing standing in their way - The Chaser. The chase is on! 

 So, let’s meet my team. 

 J: I’m Jacinda and my friends tell me I’m a natural leader. That’s why I’m in seat 1. My vision is to “reset” the way we govern and, ultimately, influence every sphere of life in Aotearoa, transforming it into the kindest and most caring country on Earth.

 N: I’m Nanaia and I also like to be in charge, though I’m more of a steel hand than a velvet glove kinda girl. It was easy to intimidate the rest of my team, so that’s why I’m in seat 2. I specialise in asset stripping and redistribution. Is it possible to have some picture questions, please? 

 A: I’m Andrew and I used to be in charge...until I realised I wasn’t very good at it. I work in Health and spend huge sums of money for very “little” return. There’s a joke in there for those that know me at home...eh, Mum! Happy to be in any seat at all! 

 G: I’m Grant and I always wanted to be in seat 4 because I’m a natural gambler and want the big offer. I work in Finance and spend even huger sums than Andrew. 

Garrick Tremain: Bribes!

 Here is Garrick Tremain's cartoon commentary on Labour Party priorities! 

Karl du Fresne: The hit jobs on Luxon came even sooner than I expected

I’m not in the habit of saying I told you so, but … I told you so.

In an article I wrote for the BFD last week and republished on this blog, I predicted the media would be out to destabilise Chris Luxon from day one, which turned out to be literally true. But even I’ve been taken aback by the intensity of the character assassination he’s been subjected to.

The media appear obsessed with the fact that Luxon is a Christian. At the press conference that followed his elevation to the National leadership, the first question he faced (from TVNZ’s Jessica Mutch McKay) related to his religious beliefs.

Reynold Macpherson: Rotorua’s Manipulated Representation Decision

The evidence is that Council’s decision-making at the November 19 meeting over representation structures was manipulated towards ends predetermined by the Mayor; 50/ 50 co-governance.

How? Council’s agenda for 19 November proposed a “final representation model” of 1 Māori seat, 1 General seat and 8 At Large seats for councillors (1M:1G:8AL). It also sought to empower the Chief Executive to campaign for a law change to achieve the 3M:3G:4AL model that the Mayor and her supporters preferred, even though it had already been deemed to be unlawful by the Local Government Commission because it failed to meet the formula in law that guarantees proportional representation.

John Porter: 3.5 Percent!

Protests. They are becoming more prevalent these days. Covid vaccination issues and current government policy are now spawning significant protest activity.

What are they saying about our country, are they relevant and more importantly, are they an instrument of change?

Certainly, Maori land occupations are not a new phenomenon and mostly seem to have achieved their objectives.

Approximately 70,000 Labour Party supporters and trade union members staged the largest protest in New Zealand in 1938 on the eve of the general election. Labour won with 56% of the vote and went on to increase wage rates, launch a public works programmes and state-housing construction. They also passed the Social Security Act 1938 that greatly expanded the scope of the welfare state. That act introduced our free health service and implemented benefits for the elderly, sick and unemployed.

Mike Hosking: The economic carnage in this country is heartbreaking

 

You can't hide from simple statistics, because they are the truth and the reality. 

And this week's stats show there are fewer businesses opening in this country than closing.  

That's not just bad news, it's an indictment on the economic governance of this country. 

Yes, it's a pandemic, but the narrative is this country is doing well economically. It isn't doing well economically. 

Guy Hatchard: Jacinda Ardern, Science, and Covid Mandates Events, Facts, and Fallacies.

We Didn’t See the Rocky Road Ahead

Yesterday morning I woke up to some unwelcome news. My best friend from university days has passed away. He was an active fit man looking forward to enjoying retirement. Early on he had a mild stroke, his heart became inflamed and the valves were damaged, unfortunately his immune system was too depleted to respond to treatment. His story is familiar in these Covid times and shared by millions, yet nevertheless a deeply personal tragedy for his family. He was doubly vaccinated.

Feeling very sad, I decided then and there to write a short history of the political and scientific decision-making that brought NZ to where we are today. I am fortunate in having some access to these. Firstly my training in physics, logic, statistics, and the scientific method enables me to understand the principles that must be used to uncover truth from a science perspective. Secondly I have enjoyed an email conversation with a few of the key players.

Net Zero Watch: Blundering blindly into an energy emergency

 

In this newsletter:

1) Europe’s energy crisis is about to get worse as winter arrives
Bloomberg, 28 November 2021

2) European gas shortage will push up fertiliser costs and food prices
Financial Times, 27 November 2021

Kate Hawkesby: I've changed my mind on Christopher Luxon

 

I wrote an editorial on Luxon getting the leadership yesterday once we got wind of it in the afternoon, about an hour before their caucus met and before Luxon spoke.

But I had to throw that out and start again once he spoke, because when he did, he changed my mind.

I was pleasantly surprised, actually, I was impressed.

He came out swinging, got straight into all the issues, he talked up achievements over announcements, he gave farmers a long-overdue high five, had a solid answer for the faith question, (he hasn’t been to a Church in five years, FYI) he confidently addressed a Three Waters question, while balancing the underdog card — admitting he might make mistakes because he’s new to politics. And on that, do we overplay that new to politics thing? I mean don’t we just want the best person for the job? 

Ross Meurant: No Matter How Long the Night the Dawn will surely Come

After a long dark night, the elevation of conservative Christopher Luxon to Leadership of National with a Liberal Lass Mz Willis at his side, was the dawning of a new day, for thousands of National voters who had abandoned the political party which had served as their natural refuge for decades.

Never had National seen such an exodus of philosophically inclined followers, as they witnessed at the 2019 General election when the MMP system of democracy bequeathed the nation by Jim Bolger, delivered Labour a ‘once in nine elections’ exception: To Rule Alone.

Never had I and many others, witnessed such a pitiful performance by National in Opposition, as has been parody on display since Labour took the Treasury Benches. A tsunami of supporters abandoned ship.

By his first appearance as Leader of National, Christopher won votes.

Heather du Plessis-Allan: Luxon - National's best option

 

Chris Luxon as new party leader is the right outcome for the National Party.  

On paper, he was their best option.  

He’s kept his head down so he’s got none of the dirty politics baggage that too many others, in that party, have.  

He’s got a strong selling point already:  his impressive CV.  He ran Air New Zealand for six years.  Before that, he was President and Chief Executive Officer at Unilever Canada.  

I totally accept that just because he’s good at business does not mean that he’ll be good at politics.  

Karl du Fresne: Don't mention the war

The most obvious question was the one Susie Ferguson didn’t ask during an interview on Morning Report last week about the Crown’s settlement of Moriori compensation claims.

Speaking to Moriori spokesman Maui Solomon about the passing of the Moriori Claims Settlement Bill, Ferguson tastefully avoided any mention of the invasion of the Moriori homeland Rekohu (aka the Chatham Islands) in 1835 by the Ngati Mutunga and Ngati Tama tribes from Taranaki, who killed or displaced an estimated 95 per cent of the peaceable resident people and enslaved the survivors. You might call it a “don’t mention the war” moment.

Kate Hawkesby: Omicron reminds us that Covid is in the driving seat, not us

 

As Aucklanders endured their last weekend of an alert level lockdown, waiting to move into our red traffic light this weekend, Covid reminded us that it’s in the driving seat, not us. 

Relative freedoms just a handful of days away, inching towards some kind of normality, and then boom, news erupts over the weekend of this new variant Omicron. 

With hope having been dashed to shreds over this past year, it’s hard to stay positive, especially when countries start restricting travel again, re-introducing self-isolation, and not ruling out a return to lockdowns. The familiar creep of dread washes over us. 

Clive Bibby: History and the facts

Most kiwis will have missed the news from Parliament recently of the passing of a bill that supposedly brings to an end the long suffering of the Chatham Island tangata whenua - the Moriori.

But we would be fools to believe that now a settlement has been reached, we can all return to normal.

There are reasons why it is not possible in the current climate.

The settlement of claims against the Crown can only be described as breathtaking, considering the scale of its disingenuous response to legitimate grievances.

The behaviour of some Crown Ministers who had responsibilities for drawing a line under one of the darkest chapters in this country’s history can only be described as contemptuous.

Kevin Boyle: The Auckland Terrorist Attack – A Seminal Case Study and Blueprint for Change?

The Auckland terror attack on 3 Sept 2021 that resulted in the death of the terrorist Ahamed Samsudeen and seriously injured seven innocent people, could have been prevented. The event presents as a seminal case study into how society attempts but fails to prevent crime using policing, and evidence of the failure here can help define a blueprint for change.

Policing is responsible for crime prevention alongside its core law enforcement role, but it does not and cannot prevent crime. Unaware of this fault, it continues to covet the role by defending its failures and influencing law changes that do not enhance its prevention value. The most vexing consequence is policing’s ability to control the message that allows it to obstruct the fault from lawmakers who are then unable to expose and remedy it.

But policing demonstrated the critical disconnect between its dual roles when it ignored an academic-led intervention solution that could have prevented Samsudeen carrying out his attack in favor of its own ill-fated law enforcement 24/7 surveillance method that failed.

Net Zero Watch: Boris backtracks on Net Zero plans amid concerns over soaring fuel and heating bills

 

In this newsletter:

1) Boris backtracks on Net Zero plans amid concerns over soaring fuel and heating bills
The Daily Telegraph, 25 November 2021

 
2) Soaring energy bills will plunge 150,000 more people into fuel poverty, warns Age UK
iNews, 26 November 2021