Collected stories - 1 September to 30 November 2021
RNZ
There are 289 Intensive Care Unit or High Dependency Unit beds at the moment, with Minister of Health Andrew Little insisting that could be ramped up to 550 if needed.
National's Shane Reti says there are simply not enough specialist ICU nurses.
The Standard
In the middle of a pandemic where the numbers in hospital are increasing and a number of Kiwis have died from a virus that is spreading promising the loosening of current restrictions is the most irresponsible, stupid, foolhardy, idiotic, imbecile thing I could ever expect a political party to do.
Stuff
If it's good enough for Auckland, what about the Australians? Queenstown mayor calls for the trans-Tasman border to reopen.
Newsroom
The due date for over $180,000 of loans has been extended until 2023, as NZ First's leader stands up for the blue-collar worker and says of failure: 'Get over it and get back in the race.'
RNZ
Days after unvaccinated teachers and volunteers are banned from work, the Ministry of Education advised schools that parents can enter classrooms and attend events regardless of their vaccination status.
Stuff
OPINION: Ardern's inability to provide a real sense of strategic direction for the government and country is showing.
Newshub
"Our last defence, which is vaccination, is going to be negated."
Stuff
A queue could be seen going out of the Pages Rd testing centre on Thursday after a second community case had been identified in the city.
RNZ
Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson says he shares some of the frustration felt by Aucklanders, but ultimately its restrictions had been incredibly important for suppressing the virus.
Stuff
ANALYSIS: The whole country is getting closer to living with Covid and having more certainty around every day life - but on the PM's timeframe.
The Standard
Former National MP and University Lecturer Simon Thornley are in the news after publishing a video interview questioning the effectiveness of the Covid vaccine and suggesting that the evidence that Ivermectin is useful in treating Covid is epidemiologically sound and strong.
RNZ
District health boards are operating without 470 nurses because they have not been vaccinated.
The Prime Minister is being told it is too fast, and also too slow.
Pundit
Vaccine mandates should not be seen as anything other than a severe step responding to a dire situation. There may well be good reason for them, but before deciding that we need to honestly recognise how severe an imposition they are.
The Standard
In the next two weeks we will find out how many teachers in New Zealand are immune to facts, were happy to enforce vaccinations upon their children for multiple diseases over multiple decades but not themselves, and after decades enforcing state rules in daily attendance and behaviours of young people at school could not themselves be subject to that same force of state.
The National leader's comments come as the nation will find out on Wednesday when Auckland's border will open.
Stuff
National's Judith Collins says her personal approving rating has fallen because people don't like being told that their vote for Labour was a mistake.
Newshub
The Prime Minister also denied moving into the new traffic light system is held up by slow progress on vaccine certificates.
Newsroom
Labour is clinging onto the low 40s while National has failed to hit the much-needed 30 percent in the latest political poll. Labour won't be thrilled with 41 percent in Monday night’s 1News/Colmar Brunton poll – a two-point drop coupled with leader Jacinda Ardern’s personal rating dropping, but National isn't capitalising on it.
bowalleyroad.blogspot.com
Murky Waters: Essentially, what the world’s money-lenders are saying is that, when it comes to financing large infrastructure projects, like...
1News Political Editor Jessica Mutch McKay reveals the latest poll numbers.
Democracy Project
It has become obvious that the government’s consultation with councils over putting their assets into four regional water entities was a sham. Graham Adams asks how long the Prime Minister can float above the fray when she knew that Nanaia Mahuta’s promise they could opt out was false. Jacin
RNZ
Ngāti Toa is calling for anti-vaccination protesters to stop using its haka, Ka Mate.
Collected news stories and opinion articles on the current New Zealand political scene. Keep Reading
Collected stories and commentary, from New Zealand and elsewhere, on politics, economics and citizen voices. Keep Reading
Collected news stories and opinion articles from 1 September through to the election on Saturday 17 October 2020 Keep Reading
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