Too many unreliable outbursts
Posted: August 27, 2020 Filed under: Letters | Tags: "Military intelligence", BAU, Business as Usual, confidence, cultural humility, humility, Jerry Brownlee, novel coronavirus, oxymoron, Ron Mark, Simon Bridges, Winston Peters Leave a commentThe Editor, The Dom Post, Wellington
24/08/2020
The only thing we can rely upon is the advice (sometimes differing) of the health experts. Read the rest of this entry »
Humility needed, not uniforms
Posted: August 23, 2020 Filed under: Letters | Tags: "Defence Force", "Military intelligence", Coronavirus, COVID-19, Covid-19 plan, cultural humility, humility, Jerry Brownlee, Minister of Defence, oxymoron, Ron Mark, Simon Bridges, Winston Peters Leave a commentThe Editor, The Weekender, Wellington
27/08/2020
About the virus we can only rely upon the advice (sometimes differing) of the health experts. Read the rest of this entry »
Virus ignorance has led to a major shakeup in NZ politics
Posted: July 19, 2020 Filed under: Letters | Tags: Amy Adams, Anne Tolley, COVID-19, Covid-19 plan, Dr David Clark, Green Party, Hamish Walker, Jacinda Ardern, James Shaw, Jian Yang, Labour Party, Michael Woodhouse, National Party, New Zealand First, Nicky Kaye, novel coronavirus, Paula Bennett, Simon Bridges, Todd Muller Leave a commentThe Editor, The Sunday Star Times, Auckland
17/07/2020
There was a similarity between the demise of the Nats’ Hamish Walker and that of Labour’s David Clark. In both cases, they have been downed by a serious flaw in the approach to the virus by their respective party leaderships. Read the rest of this entry »
Government and NZ likely not prepared for Level 3
Posted: April 20, 2020 Filed under: Other, presentations | Tags: Caronavirus testing, Coronavirus, electoral politics, fear, Green Party, Jacinda Ardern, Labour Party, Level 2 restrictions, Level 3 restrictions, Level 4 restrictions, National Party, novel coronavirus, Prime Minister Ardern, random testing, Simon Bridges, transparency Leave a commentThe government’s stretch of level 4 past the holiday weekend is a no-brainer. Read the rest of this entry »
Note (excerpts) commenting on the CONVID-19 response
Posted: March 23, 2020 Filed under: Other, responses | Tags: auckland, Caronavirus testing, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Grant Robertson, Phil Goff, PM Ardern, self-isolation, Sharon Murdoch, Simon Bridges Leave a commentPhil Goff in Auckland suggests many don’t understand what is going on and worries about acceptance of a shutdown. The government is taking a chance on losing support by moving without general understanding. Their problem I think is that they don’t have enough information to make confident decisions. There are apparently 1500 tests being done daily now but that few isn’t going to give us a good picture. Perhaps the govt would feel better if 15,000 tests were done daily and targeted properly. Even at 15,000 daily it would take about 9 months to get through the whole population. They are not explaining this uncertainty instead trying to fane certainty with Jacinda’s communications.
Murdoch earlier this week captured the political situation so well. Ardern is gripping the steering wheel of state with white knuckles, and Robertson is leaning on her shoulder, both with terrified looks on their faces. In the back is a white faced Bridges on the phone saying, ‘Can’t talk now; I’m holding the country together by sheer force of will”.
As far as us over 70’s are concerned our situation is being confused with the situation of those coming from overseas, and their connections. They need to be tested and kept in quarantine until results are known and only 14 days. That has been called ‘self-isolation’, a term with uncertainty written all over it. Over 70’s are not suspected generally of carrying the virus but are asked to stay mostly at home, indefinitely. I even heard on radio the term ‘self-isolation’ used in our context, which is irresponsible. This kind of restriction is tantamount to a life sentence with possibility of parole in 9 to 12 months, if lucky. There’s not enough clarity in all of this despite the PM’s manner.
Even with much different leadership, Nats polling remains the same. Why?
Posted: December 28, 2018 Filed under: Letters | Tags: climate change, David Slack, fear, John Key, National Party, New Zealand electorate, Simon Bridges Leave a commentThe Editor, The Sunday Star Times, Auckland
18 December, 2018
Dear Editor:
The New Zealand electorate is often characterized as a sensible one which uses a rule of thumb test: Is this or that political party capable of getting on with it. But eight years of a PM who said nothing of significance during that whole time (John Key) should lead us to wonder what the electorate today thinks is sensible. Read the rest of this entry »