Mike Hosking: Govt sucked us all in with expensive Covid spin

You want some numbers? $16 million. That's what we have paid on consultants when its come to Covid. Ah, the old consultant.

Some got $400 an hour, so $3200 a day. But what's remarkable about the new numbers is that of the $16 million, about $15 million went on spin.

They use other words in the industry like "marketing" and "communications." But essentially all the hype you heard from Prime Minister, the likes of "the team of five million," "the stay safe stay home," the "be kind," we paid for that and it came from advertising agencies. One got $3 million, another got $12 million.

Matt Ridley: 5 Reasons why the coronovirus nightmare may soon be over

From vaccine triumphs to leadership learning curves, we can finally dare to hope for a breakthrough

Like the ancient mariner, the virus refuses to leave us alone. Resurging in Blackburn, Spain, and America, it is still going to be around here when the winter comes. As we head indoors, it will be back for a dreaded second wave, disguised among a host of colds and flus. Yet I am now optimistic that the nightmare will end this year or at least by the spring. Here are five reasons.

GWPF Newsletter: What If You Can’t Resell Your Electric Car?

Another Nail In The LNT Coffin

In this newsletter:

1) What If You Can’t Resell Your Electric Car?
Anjani Trivedi, Bloomberg, 30 July 2020

2) Oh Dear: Plug Pulled On French Electric Car Which Nobody Wants To Buy
Car Advice, 29 July 2020

NZCPR Weekly: Two Referenda

Dear NZCPR Reader,   

This week, we look ahead to September’s election and examine the upcoming referenda, our NZCPR Guest Commentator Dr James Farmer QC outlines his concerns about the proposed liberalisation of cannabis laws, and our poll asks whether you believe there will be majority support at the referendum for the legalisation of recreational cannabis.

*To read the newsletter click HERE.
*To register for the NZCPR Weekly mailing list, click HERE.  

Breaking Views Update: Week of 26.07.20

Friday July 31, 2020

News:
Go-ahead to transfer functions to iwi authority a New Zealand first - council
Waikato Regional Council has reached a landmark decision to approve the transfer of specified water quality monitoring functions to the Tawharetoa Maori Trust Board - a first of its kind in Aotearoa New Zealand.

In a meeting held today, councillors voted unanimously in favour of transferring summer bathing beach, regional rivers, rainfall and groundwater quality monitoring within the Lake Taupo catchment to the trust board.

Kerry McDonald: The Aluminium Smelter Saga - There Has Never Been an Electricity Subsidy

Independent studies show that the Tiwai Point Aluminium smelter is one of New Zealand’s most successful developments. The first (1971) study estimated a 10% real annual return to NZ in terms of net national economic benefit over the smelter’s life; and subsequent studies  estimated  increasingly higher returns. The studies all included the full economic cost of the electricity used. 

On the other hand Comalco and its two Japanese partners were the victims of unprincipled government actions, entirely outside the letter and intent of their agreements, to impose extraordinary increases in the smelter’s electricity prices.

GWPF Newsletter: Peter Ridd Seeks High Court Appeal

Universities Face Government Review Of Threat To Academic Freedom

In this newsletter:

1) Peter Ridd Goes To High Court
The Australian, 28 July 2020
 

2) Australian Government To Review Threat To Academic Freedom
The Australian, 24 July 2020

GWPF Newsletter: Climate Hysteria Has Killed Academic Freedom

Censorship Universities May Not Receive Bail Out Funding

In this newsletter:

1) Jennifer Marohasy: Climate Hysteria Has Killed Academic Freedom
The Spectator Australia, 23 July 2020

2) Janet Albrechtsen: Censorship Universities Should No Longer Receive Funding By Taxpayers
The Australian, 25 July 2020

Michael Shellenberger: Climate-change hysteria costs lives — but activists want to keep panic alive

Last month, I published a book, “Apocalypse Never,” which debunks popular environmental myths. Among them: that humans are causing a sixth mass extinction and that climate change is making natural disasters worse.

While I expected my book to be controversial, I didn’t expect CNN’s top climate reporter to compare it to an advertisement for cigarettes. Or to have an environmental journalist with nearly half a million followers on Twitter ­accuse me of promoting “white supremacy.”

Garrick Tremain: Giving!

Here is Garrick Tremain's latest cartoon commentary!

David Farrar: Latest poll

Newshub have released a Reid Research poll which shows Labour 36% ahead of National.

Now Reid Research is a very good polling company, but even the best polling company will get results outside the normal margin of error. When you say there is 95% confidence that the poll results are within 3% of the actual, that means there is a 5% chance they are not (putting aside non sampling errors).

I do not believe this poll is even close to reflecting the actual situation. There is no way there is a 36% gap between the parties. The numerous polls I have seen and done have it way way closer.

Breaking Views Update: Week of 19.07.20

Saturday July 25, 2020

News:
Some Māori frustrated they can't switch electoral rolls until 2024
Māori trying to switch electoral rolls ahead of the election are frustrated they will not be able to do so until 2024, and are left with poor candidate choices in their current electorate as a result.

He said Māori should not be able to change rolls just because they do not like the candidates in their electorate, as there will also be non-Māori in this position who do not have the option to change.

Heather du Plessis-Allan: It is not a bank's job to decide who are the goodies and baddies

Shane Jones reckons that Kiwibank's board has gone bonkers and I have to agree with him.

If you haven't caught up on this, Kiwibank seems to have taken it upon itself to be New Zealand's moral police. It has released its Responsible Business Banking policy, which bans a whole bunch of industries from doing business with it.

Casinos, fossil fuel producers, the non-medicinal and recreational drugs industry, the military grade firearms industry, predatory lenders, tobacco manufacturers and, a bit of a surprise, brothels and strip clubs.

Louis Houlbrooke: Maori Business Privilege

Tender quota for Māori business: 

Māori Development Minister Nanaia Mahuta wants a quota of 16% of government spending on roading and construction tenders to be made exclusively available for Māori businesses.

If a Minister was found to be handing out government contracts on the basis of iwi connections, it would be considered corrupt. But Nanaia Mahuta seems to think she can avoid this accusation by enshrining the practice in government policy.

Clive Bibby: Opportunities abound but we need to take advantage of them

The current argument about the need to reduce our core debt to below 30% of GDP before we lose the ability to manage the process within politically
acceptable guidelines is a good indication on who should be in charge of our  recovery.

It is clear that Labour and their mates have no idea about how it might be  achieved and worse still, actually don't want to know about the monster they have created.

I am amazed at the continued announcements of cash available for just about anything you like to name - much of it of doubtful necessity but supported by the usual special interest groups who recognise a gift horse when they see one.

NZCPR Weekly: Alarmism

Dear NZCPR Reader,   

This week, we look into the danger of alarmism in public policy with reference to New Zealand’s harsh lockdown and the most stringent carbon restrictions in the world, our NZCPR Guest Commentator Michael Shellenberger apologises for the climate alarmism that he and his fellow environmentalists have created, and our poll asks whether you believe that the Government should put New Zealand’s climate response on hold so it doesn’t undermine our economic recovery. 

*To read the newsletter click HERE.
*To register for the NZCPR Weekly mailing list, click HERE.  

Karl Du Fresne: Collins must be well pleased

Two leading figures on the left have given Judith Collins the most ringing endorsement imaginable.

Matt McCarten and Nicky Hager have paid the new National Party leader a generous compliment by unleashing hyperbolic attacks on her. They wouldn’t have bothered to do this unless they were worried about the threat she poses to Labour and the Greens.

GWPF Newsletter: EU Leaders Slash Climate Funding To Save Coronavirus Recovery Plan

Ridd Case: Federal Court Delivers Devastating Blow To Free Speech In Australia

In this newsletter:

1) EU Leaders Slash Climate Funding To Save Coronavirus Recovery Plan
GWPF News, 21 July 2020

2) EU Leaders Slash Climate Budgets By Tens Of Billions To Cover Coronavirus Recovery Package
The Independent, 21 July 2020

Viv Forbes: Aussies Fight Three Wars - Climate, Covid and China

Australian politicians are trying to maintain their never-ending Climate War on carbon fuels while waging a Lockdown War on the elusive Covid virus and also provoking a Trade War with China, our biggest trading partner.

We cannot afford three hopeless and costly wars at once. One would be too many.

The political war on carbon fuels has damaged the environment with forests of "green" power poles, flats of ground-sterilising solar panels, hills of bird-slicing wind turbines plus spider-webs of new power lines and roads.

Kate Hawkesby: Judith Collins is all business and takes nothing personally

Been away for a couple of weeks, did anything happen?

What a fortnight of news - and here’s what I’ve found refreshing about this time.

Firstly, Todd Muller was brave enough to make his mental health a priority, and to step away from a big high profile job at a critical time, in order to honour that. That’s a sea change for this country from where we were even five years ago, so steps have been taken around the stigma of mental health, and that’s a good thing.