The Coronavirus Thread

[Brian Peacock]

New Zealand delays general election by a month amid Auckland Covid-19 outbreak.

[JimC]

They were doing bloody well, too. This virus is a nasty, insidious little bugger that returns just when you think you've beat it...

[Brian Peacock]

Confirmed cases rising in the UK at the same time the government has slyly released data that shows the "world beating" track and trace system Boris promised - and paid Serco £110m to provide - has only managed to contact 56% of those who have tested positive. The government are now going to devolve contact tracing to local authorities after ignoring the pleas of local public health directors not to be cut out of the process. No doubt future problems will be dumped on, and blamed on, local authorities - because gaslighting the public and avoiding responsibility for their decisions is so ingrained in the Tories that they don't know any other way.

[pErvinalia]

New Zealand delays general election by a month amid Auckland Covid-19 outbreak.

Ut's a ductatorshup!!

[Brian Peacock]

Yeah. Jacinda Ardern is basically Mussolini in a plaid skirt and comfy shoes.

[pErvinalia]

Apparently Trumpanzees are getting all frothy about New Zealand delaying their elections, and why can't Trump do the same. The major difference, of course, is that both sides of politics agree to it in NZ. And it's allowed in their constitution (I assume).

[Hermit]

Parallels with Trump's shenanigans there are none. To start with, the opposition asked for the postponement. Secondly, the Prime Minister, Jacinda Ahern, consulted with every political party as well as the Electoral Commission before making that decision. Thirdly, NZ does not have fixed terms of government. Prime Ministers have the discretion to lengthen or shorten theirs within reasonable limits. Conventionally, NZ's general elections are held on the last Saturday of every third November (it is always on a Saturday by law), but they have also taken place in July, August, September and October.

[pErvinalia]

FASCISM!

[Scot Dutchy]

Yeah. Jacinda Ardern is basically Mussolini in a plaid skirt and comfy shoes.

Yep sums her up nicely. Was the decision approved by parliament?

[JimC]

Yeah. Jacinda Ardern is basically Mussolini in a plaid skirt and comfy shoes.

Yep sums her up nicely. Was the decision approved by parliament?

Read Hermit's post just before...

[Scot Dutchy]

Can't see any approval. Plenty of asking and consulting but little approval.

[JimC]

Can't see any approval. Plenty of asking and consulting but little approval.

If the opposition asked for it, and the government also wants it, surely that is a done deal...

[JimC]

Case numbers still coming down slowly here - 222 last 24 hours, but still 17 deaths...

[rainbow]

Can't see any approval. Plenty of asking and consulting but little approval.

If the opposition asked for it, and the government also wants it, surely that is a done deal...

Librulizum gone mad!

[Hermit]

Was the decision approved by parliament?

Prime Ministers have approval per New Zealand's Constitution.

...the opposition asked for the postponement. Secondly, the Prime Minister, Jacinda Ahern, consulted with every political party as well as the Electoral Commission before making that decision. Thirdly, NZ does not have fixed terms of government. Prime Ministers have the discretion to lengthen or shorten theirs within reasonable limits. Conventionally, NZ's general elections are held on the last Saturday of every third November (it is always on a Saturday by law), but they have also taken place in July, August, September and October.