Chief Stipe

I believe it is inevitable. I don't view Bridges as a meathead but I also don't view him as having a great intellect. However I do believe he knows his limitations and subsequently he would utilise those around him effectively. He wouldn't do as Adern has done and sideline his Cabinet and dissolve Parliament. This crisis isn't like the UK during WW2. Churchill used every resource available to him and kept the WHOLE Parliament informed AND involved.

The other reason I think Level-4 was used too early is that our seasonal peak flu months are normally June, July and August.

Yes it is still a problem. It is a Type A Influenza virus a variant of the subtype H1N1. It is also know as Swine Flu. There have been outbreaks since 1918. There was a pandemic in 2009 - John Key activated NZ's Pandemic Management Plan. There have been outbreaks ever year since. It is only recently that H1N1 protection has been included in Flu vaccinations.

Scientific opinion is universal on this. It can't. That isn't what the scientists and epidemiologists are saying. Given the amount of time and money invested in developing flu vaccines over decades it is very unlikely. We still don't have a Universal Vaccine for influenza! No I'm very conscious of getting that criticism. I have been saying this from the beginning along with my opinion that the Government was lax in not buying time sooner by closing our borders sooner.

Mehe why do you have this obsession with Brodie? Your post is no more than a troll post - how does he stop anyone from having their say on BOAY? The only person who has the functionality to do that is the Chief Stipe.

Not at all it is based on solid research and sound reasoning. The fact is Covid-19 cannot be eliminated - no matter how Arden tries to define the meaning of elimination. I see she has dropped that term now and is back to using suppression. So if you cannot eliminate Covid-19 therefor the best you can do is manage its rate of spread and impact. A vaccine if developed will not stop it but only serve to allow us to manage it. We can't expect any vaccine to be better than the flu vaccine which has an effectiveness of between 50 and 60%. This current Government imported 1.2m flu vaccines last year. Only 600,000 were administered. 1.7m were imported this year and so far 700,000 have been vaccinated. If Adern had any clue she would have widened the eligibility for free flu vaccinations. At the very least she would have reduced wastage but more importantly she would have reduce pressure on our hospital system which she told us was one of the main reasons for Level-4 lockdown. Have they used that time to eliminate the bottle necks in our hospital system? NO by deferring surgery they have created another bottle neck which without Covid-19 will take a 18 months to get back to the same numbers in the wait list. They haven't increased the number of ICU beds which is 334 for the country. Now the implementation of Level-4 was pointless and only served to defer the inevitable. When the inevitable happens the money tree will have been stripped and the general public wont be so eager to comply with Adern's directive to go back to Level-4.

That Sweden hasn't been affected as badly as we have. Also it would appear they are taking the hit early. Ardern (note I say Ardern and not the Labour Government) has used her biggest weapon - Level-4 too early and has wasted the opportunity.

Well it appears we have to make concessions for your ability to comprehend something as simple as: WHAT POLITICAL IDEOLOGY DO YOU ESPOUSE?

So are you suggesting we cut off one of our biggest trading partners?

Well excuse me for not being able to comprehend the incomprehensible rubbish that you write. I'm asking you what political system you espouse. I have asked more than once but have still to get an answer.

Sweden as 12m people and already had a high unemployment rate. We have 4.8m people and our unemployed increased by way more than 36,000.

What's your point? Just because Bridges agreed doesn't mean I did. Unlike Labour we don't enforce collective thought.

So if no political system gives us equal luck then what's so great about the one you espouse?

None of this happens. The clubs that race at Awapuni ALL race under the umbrella of RACE Inc. As does Trentham. Effectively all Marton has is its name in lights when their race days are held at Awapuni. RACE Inc has been maintaining solvency by hocking off bits of land. They are in hock to NZRB and NZTR to the tune of $5m as of the 2018 financial report. I can't give you an update on that because the 2019 report doesn't download from their website. If you were looking for an actual example in New Zealand of how the Mesara report would work once implemented then look no further than RACE Inc. It doesn't seem to work very well when you look at their financial statements and factor in the disproportionate benefits they get from NZRB/RITA/NZTR. Note that their Executive pull close to $1m in salary a year. They claimed for 33 employees for Covid-19.

So there is no link between "luck" and "inequality"?

We are ALL financially inequal.

Why were they abandoned?

RACE Inc take everything.

What's your definition of inequality? Brodie has a nice car I don't even have a car. Is that inequality?

I'm trying to get you to define and refine YOUR argument.

If that's the case - what's luck got to do with it?

I'll leave the cliches and quotes to you Holy. Put the question another way - which political system has more luck?

Plain crazy. Not that I agree with much of the rules around Covid-19 but..... Where are the RIU? In Australia they have handed down some hefty fines and suspensions in Thoroughbred racing to those who have not conformed to the Covid-19 racing protocols. Too busy hiding in hedges I guess.

What political system eliminates luck?

Yeah I've wondered about that. No credit card fee online if you buy Lotto. From what the TAB charge they make money on the fee. I'd rather have that little bit extra to bet with and not have their bonus bets.