Peter Dunne: Mismanaging Covid

Last week, all the talk was of the proposed roadmap out of Covid19 – this week we are back into a Level 4 lockdown. I am not opposed to this short, sharp lockdown caused by the outbreak in Auckland of the Delta variant of Covid19. It was necessary and the right thing to do, especially given our embarrassingly low rates of vaccination.

But what I am opposed to is all the sickening hype that has accompanied it. Especially since everything has been so predictable. From the first signs of the emergence of the Delta variant the government should have been fully aware of the inevitable risk to New Zealand, given its capacity for rapid spread and our abysmal approach to rapid community vaccination. When Covid19 Response Minister Hipkins first threatened a “short, sharp lockdown” last week, the government’s planning for such an event should have been in full swing.

Karl du Fresne: Afghanistan? Remind me - where's that again?

First published on Wednesday... 

One of the most dramatic news stories of my lifetime was unfolding yesterday. The collapse of Afghanistan is a massive human tragedy and a catastrophic foreign policy and military failure for the world’s most powerful country and its allies – one that’s at least as humiliating and ignoble as Vietnam.

International media have given Afghanistan saturation coverage, and rightly so. Few countries have endured greater agony, much of it inflicted by the clumsy, brutal and ultimately futile intervention of foreign powers.

But how much time did Newshub give this epic event in its 6 o’clock news bulletin? None, other than a passing introductory spiel that promised (but never delivered) “horrific scenes at Kabul”.

You see, there was a far more momentous story to cover. A man in Auckland had tested positive for Covid-19 and it was suspected (and has since been established) that he had the highly contagious Delta variant.

NZCPR Weekly: The New Normal

Dear NZCPR Reader,   

This week, we reflect on our journey to Alert Level 1 and raise concerns about official decision-making, our NZCPR Guest Commentator Professor John Gibson shares his new research showing that lockdowns, which come at an enormous economic cost, are ineffective at reducing Covid-19 deaths, and our poll asks whether you think that Labour will introduce a capital gains tax if they are re-elected into government.

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Frank Newman: Straight Talk: It's getting ridiculous

Things are now getting ridiculous. It's time for She-Who-Shall-Be-Obeyed to look beyond her own stage performance and remove all COVID-19 restrictions that apply to internal work and travel.

There is only one case in New Zealand. One case!

Many people are being more sensible than the Prime Minister and behaving as though no restrictions exist. Unfortunately, there are still quite a lot of dimwits who need politicians to do their thinking for them. These are the people that scream "social distancing" when a shopping trolley passes within spittle distance. And then there are the businesses that must behave according to the government's definition of "responsible" because if they don't they will get dobbed in by the busy-bodies and end up with Mr Plod knocking on their door.  

Clive Bibby: The race to the bottom

As the hysteria that has occupied many media outlets during the lockdown subsides and people who still have a job go back to work, it is worthwhile taking time to get our heads around the various proposals for recovery (if any) that are on offer.

In this country at least, it would appear we will have a choice between two dramatically different plans and our votes at the general election will determine which one gets the green light.

Having said that, it is probably a gross misrepresentation to call the Government's proposals anything approaching a credible "plan" - more like a desperate phone call to The Reserve Bank and Treasury instructing them to "borrow and hope", while placing all our faith in the abilities of Mother Teresa to guide us to the promised land.

NZCPR Weekly: Another Captain's Call

Dear NZCPR Reader,   

This week we question the Prime Minister’s decision to take the country into a full lockdown to eliminate COVID-19 – instead of continuing to follow the Ministry of Health’s Pandemic Plan to manage the epidemic whilst minimising social and economic disruption, our NZCPR Guest Commentator Karl du Fresne shares concerns that vigilante roadblocks are being used to advance a race-based separatist agenda, and our poll asks whether an inquiry should be held into the Government’s decision to impose the lockdown onto New Zealand.

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Garrick Tremain Cartoon: Lockdown Limerick

Here is Garrick Tremain's latest cartoon commentary!

Frank Newman: Straight talk - Cafes and restaurants buggered

Our Supreme Leader and She-Who-Shall-be-Obeyed has outlined how we shall behave under Lockdown Level 3. For most it will be back to business with sensible precautions, but not for all. Astoundingly, restaurants and cafes will remain closed. Diplomacy aside, that's a stupid decision.

For many café and restaurant owners it will extinguish what was a light at the end of the tunnel. Those that have been hanging on in hope will now have to accept their business in buggered. They will put up the "Closed for Good" sign, sack the staff, and let the landlord know they now have a vacant building.

Barry Soper: Ardern has to reveal new level details - but our leaders went too far

It's true that with the benefit of hindsight we would all be much better off, and that most certainly applies to political decisions.

Some of us were aghast when the Prime Minister announced on a Saturday afternoon just over a month ago that New Zealand would the following midnight expect everyone arriving in the country to self-isolate for a fortnight.

They had to extend the midnight deadline by an hour to account for the planes already on the way here. That immediate reshuffle of the timeline should have been a signal to all of us to worry about what was to come.

NZCPR Weekly: The Lockdown Week 3

Dear NZCPR Reader,   

This week as we come to the end of the third week of the 28-day COVID-19 lockdown we question whether the Government’s radical attempt to ‘eliminate’ the virus is the right approach – and we also report on new developments relating to Marine and Coastal Area Act claims, our NZCPR Guest Commentator Anthony Willy shares his concerns over the ease with which our freedoms and democracy have been taken away, and our poll asks whether you believe the Government’s attempt to ‘eliminate’ COVID-19 is the right approach.

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Garrick Tremain Cartoon: Lockdown!

Here is Garrick Tremain's latest cartoon commentary!

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Frank Newman: Straight Talk - a Foreigner's Insight

Sometimes the obvious just needs to be stated, and sometimes it takes a foreigner to say it.

Stuff reports on an article appearing in the Bristol Post about a UK man and his wife Mike and Yvonne Rowland, holed up in a dinky hotel room in Auckland - see HERE. 

Garrick Tremain: Queues

Here is Garrick Tremain's cartoon commentary on queuing for food in New Zealand during the lockdown!

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NZCPR Weekly: The Lockdown Week 2 – Concerns

Dear NZCPR Reader,   

This week we reflect on two weeks of the Government’s lockdown and look at how to best manage this virus outbreak, our NZCPR Guest Commentator Jean-Dominique Michel shares the latest COVID-19 medical developments and best practice advice for governments, and our poll asks whether you think the Government has underestimated the economic damage that is being caused by their lockdown.

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Karl du Fresne: A bit more clarity and consistency would be helpful

So David Clark put his mountain bike in his van, drove a couple of kilometres to an MTB track and went for a ride. Where’s the problem, exactly?

I’ll tell you what the problem is. It’s that the public is getting so many mixed and contradictory messages that even the Minister of Health doesn’t seem to know what’s allowed and what’s not.

The government has a problem here. It needs public co-operation and goodwill, and most people are happy to oblige. But it helps if they’re given consistent messages, and it also helps if they can see the logic in what they’re being asked to do.

NZCPR Weekly: The Lockdown Week 1 – Questions…

Dear NZCPR Reader,   

This week we review the Government’s strategy for dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and examine new information emerging from around the world, our NZCPR Guest Commentator Michael Coote outlines how the Government has turned a blind eye to the illegal actions of vigilante groups setting up road blocks, and our poll asks whether you believe the Prime Minister should require these tribal blockades to be removed.

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