@gideon999.bsky.social
Reposted
My OIA Wrapped 2025
December 19, 2025 at 2:45 AM
My OIA Wrapped 2025
Reposted
Hospitals asked to save $510 millions despite $538 million going unspent
Hospitals asked to save $510 millions despite $538 million going unspent
The "underspend" was due in part to unfilled vacancies and the fact Health NZ has yet to settle collective contract disputes.
www.rnz.co.nz
December 19, 2025 at 6:40 AM
Hospitals asked to save $510 millions despite $538 million going unspent
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#nzpol Data released today shows that for all the talk of green shoots, the economy hasn’t grown at all in 2 years. Unemployment is up, & the cost of living is still rising for middle and low-income New Zealanders. The GDP increase today simply balances out the fall previously. A Thread
December 18, 2025 at 12:15 AM
#nzpol Data released today shows that for all the talk of green shoots, the economy hasn’t grown at all in 2 years. Unemployment is up, & the cost of living is still rising for middle and low-income New Zealanders. The GDP increase today simply balances out the fall previously. A Thread
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Today's abysmal jobs report is a reminder that tax cuts for corporations and the rich don’t create jobs or grow the economy.
What's required is investment in working people — and better wages.
When workers have money to spend, the economy grows and businesses create more jobs.
Remember this.
What's required is investment in working people — and better wages.
When workers have money to spend, the economy grows and businesses create more jobs.
Remember this.
December 16, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Today's abysmal jobs report is a reminder that tax cuts for corporations and the rich don’t create jobs or grow the economy.
What's required is investment in working people — and better wages.
When workers have money to spend, the economy grows and businesses create more jobs.
Remember this.
What's required is investment in working people — and better wages.
When workers have money to spend, the economy grows and businesses create more jobs.
Remember this.
Reposted
Researchers identified nitrate-rich cow urine as a primary cause of contaminated groundwater.
A 2021 study found up to 100 cases of bowel cancer and 40 deaths might be caused by nitrate-contaminated drinking water each year - 800,000 New Zealanders exposed to potentially hazardous levels.
#nzpol
A 2021 study found up to 100 cases of bowel cancer and 40 deaths might be caused by nitrate-contaminated drinking water each year - 800,000 New Zealanders exposed to potentially hazardous levels.
#nzpol
What's really going on with Canterbury's water
Luis Arevalo fears his grandson will never be able to drink water straight from the tap because of the nitrate in the local water supply.
www.rnz.co.nz
December 15, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Researchers identified nitrate-rich cow urine as a primary cause of contaminated groundwater.
A 2021 study found up to 100 cases of bowel cancer and 40 deaths might be caused by nitrate-contaminated drinking water each year - 800,000 New Zealanders exposed to potentially hazardous levels.
#nzpol
A 2021 study found up to 100 cases of bowel cancer and 40 deaths might be caused by nitrate-contaminated drinking water each year - 800,000 New Zealanders exposed to potentially hazardous levels.
#nzpol
Reposted
Min of Health has decided not to continue with the FluTracking survey each week from next year.
What a ridiculous decision. The cost savings must be minimal
What are our taxes actually used for if not things like public health?
What a ridiculous decision. The cost savings must be minimal
What are our taxes actually used for if not things like public health?
December 16, 2025 at 2:03 AM
Min of Health has decided not to continue with the FluTracking survey each week from next year.
What a ridiculous decision. The cost savings must be minimal
What are our taxes actually used for if not things like public health?
What a ridiculous decision. The cost savings must be minimal
What are our taxes actually used for if not things like public health?
Reposted
First there was reduced wastewater surveillance for Covid and now the crowdsourced FluTracking survey is being discontinued
Min of Health has decided not to continue with the FluTracking survey each week from next year.
What a ridiculous decision. The cost savings must be minimal
What are our taxes actually used for if not things like public health?
What a ridiculous decision. The cost savings must be minimal
What are our taxes actually used for if not things like public health?
December 16, 2025 at 3:55 AM
First there was reduced wastewater surveillance for Covid and now the crowdsourced FluTracking survey is being discontinued
Reposted
Operating profits across the economy are up 8.6% last year. Electricity, gas, water, etc, profits are up a mere 30.3%. To balance this out, wages and salaries only grew last year by 1.4% (when inflation is 3%). Over the past two years wages grew by 3.2% (when inflation is 5.3%).
December 11, 2025 at 1:48 AM
Operating profits across the economy are up 8.6% last year. Electricity, gas, water, etc, profits are up a mere 30.3%. To balance this out, wages and salaries only grew last year by 1.4% (when inflation is 3%). Over the past two years wages grew by 3.2% (when inflation is 5.3%).
Reposted
#nzpol Today the government announced that the minimum wage will rise by 2% in April 2026. On current forecasts this will represent the 3rd successive year in which minimum wage workers will face a real terms cut in pay. Over 3 years full time workers are $4,184 worse off. A 🧵
December 12, 2025 at 3:31 AM
#nzpol Today the government announced that the minimum wage will rise by 2% in April 2026. On current forecasts this will represent the 3rd successive year in which minimum wage workers will face a real terms cut in pay. Over 3 years full time workers are $4,184 worse off. A 🧵
Reposted
#nzpol HYEFU data today showed that unemployment is forecast to stay much higher than forecast by Treasury at the last election. There will be 76,000 more people on jobseekers by 2027. Wages going up by less every year than forecast at the last election.
December 16, 2025 at 1:49 AM
#nzpol HYEFU data today showed that unemployment is forecast to stay much higher than forecast by Treasury at the last election. There will be 76,000 more people on jobseekers by 2027. Wages going up by less every year than forecast at the last election.
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#nzpol Just catching up with the HYEFU data today - but the data looks grim pretty much across the board. One data point stood out to me - the economy will be cumulatively $28.3bn smaller at the next election than predicted by Treasury at the last election.
December 16, 2025 at 1:23 AM
#nzpol Just catching up with the HYEFU data today - but the data looks grim pretty much across the board. One data point stood out to me - the economy will be cumulatively $28.3bn smaller at the next election than predicted by Treasury at the last election.
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#nzpol HYEFU shows that the OBEGAL deficit is no longer in the same postcode as the National Party Fiscal Plan. We never get close to the surplus being promised - to the tune of -$48bn across the period to 2027/28
December 16, 2025 at 2:24 AM
#nzpol HYEFU shows that the OBEGAL deficit is no longer in the same postcode as the National Party Fiscal Plan. We never get close to the surplus being promised - to the tune of -$48bn across the period to 2027/28
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Imagine finishing your benefit forecasts for HYEFU, closing your laptop, and heading to floor 8 for a few miserable xmas treats... then the actual data comes out and blows your calculations out of the water!
[NB: Actual data varies slightly from forecast data, but not by much)
[NB: Actual data varies slightly from forecast data, but not by much)
December 16, 2025 at 4:53 AM
Imagine finishing your benefit forecasts for HYEFU, closing your laptop, and heading to floor 8 for a few miserable xmas treats... then the actual data comes out and blows your calculations out of the water!
[NB: Actual data varies slightly from forecast data, but not by much)
[NB: Actual data varies slightly from forecast data, but not by much)
Reposted
Not only should owning guns be illegal. Manufacturing them should also be illegal.
Our civilization is sick and those of us who have not drunk the Kool-Aid understand how evil it is and will not cooperate with it.
#NoMore
Our civilization is sick and those of us who have not drunk the Kool-Aid understand how evil it is and will not cooperate with it.
#NoMore
December 16, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Not only should owning guns be illegal. Manufacturing them should also be illegal.
Our civilization is sick and those of us who have not drunk the Kool-Aid understand how evil it is and will not cooperate with it.
#NoMore
Our civilization is sick and those of us who have not drunk the Kool-Aid understand how evil it is and will not cooperate with it.
#NoMore
Reposted
A study on 1.7 million people in Hong Kong shows superior hybrid immunity to Covid in people who got vaccinated before infection vs. people who got infected first. "Our findings are a direct rebuttal to arguments for natural immunity," the authors write. doi.org/10.1016/j.va...
Redirecting
doi.org
December 6, 2025 at 5:02 PM
A study on 1.7 million people in Hong Kong shows superior hybrid immunity to Covid in people who got vaccinated before infection vs. people who got infected first. "Our findings are a direct rebuttal to arguments for natural immunity," the authors write. doi.org/10.1016/j.va...
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This review of the current state of knowledge about the origins or intermediate hosts of pathogens that have historically affected humans is valuable. A couple of comments below. www.nature.com/articles/s41... #histmed #aDNA
Ancient DNA insights into diverse pathogens and their hosts - Nature Reviews Genetics
Ancient DNA techniques are being applied to study increasingly diverse pathogens of the past. The authors review the latest insights into pathogen–host coevolution, zoonotic events and the spread of p...
www.nature.com
December 5, 2025 at 11:03 PM
This review of the current state of knowledge about the origins or intermediate hosts of pathogens that have historically affected humans is valuable. A couple of comments below. www.nature.com/articles/s41... #histmed #aDNA
Reposted
Chat gpt is not a search engine.
Chat gpt is not a confidant.
Chat gpt is not your friend.
Chat gpt is not a reliable source.
Chat gpt is not real.
Chat gpt is not real.
Chat gpt is not real!
Chat gpt is not a confidant.
Chat gpt is not your friend.
Chat gpt is not a reliable source.
Chat gpt is not real.
Chat gpt is not real.
Chat gpt is not real!
December 7, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Chat gpt is not a search engine.
Chat gpt is not a confidant.
Chat gpt is not your friend.
Chat gpt is not a reliable source.
Chat gpt is not real.
Chat gpt is not real.
Chat gpt is not real!
Chat gpt is not a confidant.
Chat gpt is not your friend.
Chat gpt is not a reliable source.
Chat gpt is not real.
Chat gpt is not real.
Chat gpt is not real!
Reposted
Re-posting 2022 thread
1/n How about instead creating a reliable bastion of evidence based truth ...
Set up three full time well funded but independent fact checking units at Auckland, Wellington & Dunedin universities. Have them respond to queries from the news media, politicians, & social media.
1/n How about instead creating a reliable bastion of evidence based truth ...
Set up three full time well funded but independent fact checking units at Auckland, Wellington & Dunedin universities. Have them respond to queries from the news media, politicians, & social media.
April 10, 2024 at 10:35 PM
Re-posting 2022 thread
1/n How about instead creating a reliable bastion of evidence based truth ...
Set up three full time well funded but independent fact checking units at Auckland, Wellington & Dunedin universities. Have them respond to queries from the news media, politicians, & social media.
1/n How about instead creating a reliable bastion of evidence based truth ...
Set up three full time well funded but independent fact checking units at Auckland, Wellington & Dunedin universities. Have them respond to queries from the news media, politicians, & social media.
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Can't see this now without thinking of one of the best amvs ever made (technically that's what it is)
December 3, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Can't see this now without thinking of one of the best amvs ever made (technically that's what it is)
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It’s common sense to proactively address/mitigate climate change.
It’s common sense to reduce pollution, emissions and particulates in cities.
It’s common sense to proactively cool cities, quiet cities, clean cities.
It’s common sense to move more people in less space and with lower public costs.
It’s common sense to reduce pollution, emissions and particulates in cities.
It’s common sense to proactively cool cities, quiet cities, clean cities.
It’s common sense to move more people in less space and with lower public costs.
October 29, 2025 at 11:41 PM
It’s common sense to proactively address/mitigate climate change.
It’s common sense to reduce pollution, emissions and particulates in cities.
It’s common sense to proactively cool cities, quiet cities, clean cities.
It’s common sense to move more people in less space and with lower public costs.
It’s common sense to reduce pollution, emissions and particulates in cities.
It’s common sense to proactively cool cities, quiet cities, clean cities.
It’s common sense to move more people in less space and with lower public costs.
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The top-10 carmakers by market cap make up 75% of global passenger car sales.
Tesla makes up less than 2%.
The Tesla bubble will be widely documented in history books.
Tesla makes up less than 2%.
The Tesla bubble will be widely documented in history books.
December 4, 2025 at 2:27 PM
The top-10 carmakers by market cap make up 75% of global passenger car sales.
Tesla makes up less than 2%.
The Tesla bubble will be widely documented in history books.
Tesla makes up less than 2%.
The Tesla bubble will be widely documented in history books.
Reposted
It's 4,000 BC.
You are immortal.
The Egyptian pyramids have not yet been built.
You decide to save $10,000 EVERY DAY, never spending a cent.
6025 years later, it's 2025.
You still don't have as much money as Gina Rinehart.
TAX. THE. FUCKING. BILLIONAIRES.
🐝
#auspol
You are immortal.
The Egyptian pyramids have not yet been built.
You decide to save $10,000 EVERY DAY, never spending a cent.
6025 years later, it's 2025.
You still don't have as much money as Gina Rinehart.
TAX. THE. FUCKING. BILLIONAIRES.
🐝
#auspol
November 30, 2025 at 9:04 AM
It's 4,000 BC.
You are immortal.
The Egyptian pyramids have not yet been built.
You decide to save $10,000 EVERY DAY, never spending a cent.
6025 years later, it's 2025.
You still don't have as much money as Gina Rinehart.
TAX. THE. FUCKING. BILLIONAIRES.
🐝
#auspol
You are immortal.
The Egyptian pyramids have not yet been built.
You decide to save $10,000 EVERY DAY, never spending a cent.
6025 years later, it's 2025.
You still don't have as much money as Gina Rinehart.
TAX. THE. FUCKING. BILLIONAIRES.
🐝
#auspol
Reposted
Worldwide mortality experience since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2024) shows excess deaths over that period in almost every country measured. Australia (+6%) was below average, and New Zealand (+0.1%) the lowest we measured.
December 2, 2025 at 6:18 AM
Worldwide mortality experience since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2024) shows excess deaths over that period in almost every country measured. Australia (+6%) was below average, and New Zealand (+0.1%) the lowest we measured.
Reposted
This Bill could invalidate the votes of enough people to swing the next election in favour of the current government for no reason other than that they failed to fill out the correct piece of paper by the "proper" time (as defined by the people who benefit from the rule change).
Justice Committee recommends passing Electoral Amendment Bill with some amendments
The bill would prevent same-day enrolments, ban prisoners from voting, and tighten up the rules around treating.
www.rnz.co.nz
November 27, 2025 at 10:12 PM
This Bill could invalidate the votes of enough people to swing the next election in favour of the current government for no reason other than that they failed to fill out the correct piece of paper by the "proper" time (as defined by the people who benefit from the rule change).
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We would have learned from the pandemic and made testing for resp illness before visiting an aged care residence and staying home when sick a permanent feature of our lives.
November 13, 2025 at 8:45 PM
We would have learned from the pandemic and made testing for resp illness before visiting an aged care residence and staying home when sick a permanent feature of our lives.