EXCLUSIVE: MOH says Kiwis with COVID-19 can now be eligible for euthanasia..NZ euthanasia expansion.. By The Defender.

OIA REQUEST: An Official Information Act reply to The Defender, from the Ministry of Health, which says that patients with COVID-19 could be eligible for euthanasia, has left National MP Simon O’Connor disappointed but not surprised.

HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS RAISE CONCERNS:  In November The Defender wrote to the New Zealand Ministry of Health (MOH) to ask some important questions about the practice of euthanasia and assisted suicide in New Zealand. In light of the serious deficiencies in the End of Life Choice Act (EOLCA), and concerns that have been raised by healthcare professionals, we felt it was crucial to put some urgent questions to the MOH.

COVID-19 AND ASSISTED DYING: In our Official Information Act (OIA) request we asked the following question: “Could a patient who is severely hospitalized with Covid-19 potentially be eligible for assisted suicide or euthanasia under the Act if a health practitioner viewed their prognosis as less than 6 months?”

TOOLS  TO RESOLVE SERIOUS CRISIS: There were several reasons why The Defender wanted to seek clarity from the MOH about this issue.  Firstly, New Zealand is currently described as being in a precarious position when it comes to COVID-19 and hospital resources. In light of this, it would not be hard to envisage a situation in which a speedy and sizeable rise in COVID-19 hospitalisations could result in pressure to utilize euthanasia and assisted suicide as tools to resolve such a serious crisis.

WARNING OF CAUTION: Overseas commentators have raised the prospect of these kind of unethical motivations since early in this pandemic.  Last year’s tragic case of the elderly Canadian woman who had an assisted suicide to avoid another COVID-19 lockdown highlights exactly why caution is warranted in relation to COVID-19 and euthanasia.  “The lack of stringent safeguards in the EOLCA raised red flags with us. Could a patient with COVID-19 find their way into the eligibility criteria? And, if so, what serious risks would this pose to the already often-vulnerable elderly members of our communities?” says The Defender editor Henoch Kloosterboer.

CRITERIA FOR ASSISTED DYING: The MOH responded to our OIA request on Tuesday (7th of December, 2021). Their reply to The Defender started on a more promising note: “There are clear eligibility criteria for assisted dying. These include that a person must have a terminal illness that is likely to end their life within six months.” But then their response becomes more disturbing (emphasis added):

THE ATTENDING PRACTITIONER:   “A terminal illness is most often a prolonged disease where treatment is not effective. The EOLC Act states eligibility is determined by the attending medical practitioner (AMP), and the independent medical practitioner.”

SERIOUS CONCERNS: This raises serious concerns. Firstly, there is nothing concrete about the phrase “most often”, in fact, its inclusion in this specific context clearly seems to suggest that the MOH considers the definition of terminal illness to be subjective and open to interpretation.

DETERMINATION OF QUALIFIED TERMINAL ILLNESS: The very next sentence seems to back this up. It clarifies that the MOH considers the attending medical practitioner (AMP) and the independent medical practitioner to be empowered by the EOLCA to make the determination about what does and doesn’t qualify as a terminal illness.  “In light of this vague interpretation, it is reasonable to suggest that COVID-19 could be classified as a ‘terminal illness’ depending on the prognosis of the patient and the subjective judgments of the AMP and independent medical practitioner. This feels like we’ve been sold one thing, and been delivered another.” says Kloosterboer.

ELIGIBILITY:  the final paragraph the MOH put this issue beyond doubt when they state (emphasis added): “Eligibility is determined on a case-by-case basis; therefore, the Ministry cannot make definitive statements about who is eligible. In some circumstances a person with COVID-19 may be eligible for assisted dying.”

INFORMED DECISION: Detail from the Ministry of Health’s response to the OIA request, 7 December 2021. If you examine the eligibility criteria for assisted suicide and euthanasia, as stated on the MOH website, it becomes easier to see how, given the right circumstances, a COVID-19 diagnosis could qualify:  aged 18 years or over a citizen or permanent resident of New Zealand  suffering from a terminal illness that is likely to end their life within six months in an advanced state of irreversible decline in physical capability experiencing unbearable suffering that cannot be relieved in a manner that the person considers tolerable competent to make an informed decision about assisted dying

PROLONGED ILLNESS: It seems to us that the only possible protective factor here, and it’s an extremely flimsy one, is that all of this hinges on the tenuous grounds of how the phrase ‘terminal illness’ is interpreted. In particular, whether or not the AMP and independent medical practitioner are willing to hold firm to the MOH’s suggestion to us that a terminal illness is a “prolonged disease”. Even then, the term ‘prolonged disease’ is still extremely fraught due to its highly subjective nature. Who is to say that a medical practitioner who considers an illness which lasts longer than a fortnight to be a ‘prolonged disease’ isn’t actually correct in making such a determination?

RAISING OF SERIOUS QUESTIONS: The End of Life Choice Act offers no clarity or robust safeguards that would put this matter beyond doubt, in fact it does just the opposite, leaves the door wide open for abuse. MP Simon O’Connor expressed s as to the expansion of the new law less than a month after it came into force.  “New Zealanders who voted in the referendum in 2020 did not anticipate this law could be used for COVID19 patients”.

THE WORDING OF THE LEGISLATION: The wording of the law The wording of the law was always deliberately broad and interpretable, placing far too much into the judgement of the doctor.” He also said that this development raises serious questions about the problems in the EOLCA.

VERY TIMELY: “The  timely demonstration of how badly drafted the law is. When you consider the lack of key safeguards, and the risky shroud of secrecy that the EOLCA has thrown over the practice of euthanasia and assisted suicide, you can see that those of us warning about this Act shouldn’t have been dismissed so flippantly,” says Simon  O’Connor.  The implications of this are extremely serious. Not simply because of the potential threat COVID-19 poses to our ill-equipped NZ healthcare system, or the fact that vulnerable elderly people are the most affected by the ravages of this illness.

LACK OF TRANSPARENCY: There is also the fact that an unacceptable lack of transparency has been built into the EOLCA which will cloak all of this in a dangerous veil of secrecy that prevents robust public scrutiny. In a nutshell, the poorly considered structure of the EOLCA has now made the COVID-19 pandemic potentially even more dangerous for the people of Aotearoa New Zealand.

#DefendNZ,  were calling on the Ministry Of Health to take urgent action to  ensure that the End Of Life Choice Act cannot be used to provide assisted suicide or euthanasia to patients in New Zealand. Defend NZ had created a petition to send to Parliament calling for urgent amendments to the law including required detailed reporting and required independent witnesses, among other things, and were asking concerned citizens to sign and share it.

LINK   https://www.defendnz.co.nz/news-media/2021/12/19/exclusive-euthanasia-expansion-moh-says-kiwis-with-covid-19-can-now-be-eligible

Researched by Carol Sakey

23^rd October 2009 The Mornington Methodist Church members were planning to ring their church bell 350 times over an hour, this was just one od six Dunedin Bells that would ring to support the 350^th Day of Action. More than 4,000 events were taking place around the world on October 24^th 2009 to encourage people to reduce their carbon emissions. 600 leaflets were distributed around a neighborhood in Dunedin. 350 Dunedin collective members groups as diverse as school pupils, musicians, artists, cyclists and skateboarders collaborated Dunedin’s Day Of Action to encourage Dunedin residents to reduce their fossil fuels.(Otago Daily Times 23/10/2009)

16^th October 2008 (Pacific Scoop News) Ringing the Alarm on Climate Change (Release Anglian Church of Aotearoa. Church bells tolled up and down NZ on Saturday 24^th October 2009. This was not a ‘civil defense emergency warning’. The church bells rang for the ‘350 Day’- global pointer to cut ‘carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere’. This was promoted by three Anglican Bishops. The Auckland Synod resolution was initiated by its Diocesan Climate Change Action Group, of which the convenor was Dr Richard Milne a Population Health Scientist. Milne said, at the time “remind church communities and individuals of the need to live more sustainably, to reduce their carbon footprint. He added “It’s particularly important, to make this statement before our government enters negotiations at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December”. The church gave a link to their website for further information on theology, science, economics, politics of global climate change (The link for the Diocesan Climate Change Action Group)

November 2009, at the Catholic Bishops Conference ‘Church leaders urged bolder action on climate change’  calling “political leaders to strive for a strong commitment by the international community at the Copenhagen Climate Summit” for the strongest commitment by the international community at the Copenhagen Summit. October 2009 following a meeting with the Prime Minister of NZ the church leaders from the Anglican, Catholic, Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist Churches and the Salvation Army churches released a statement outlining the environmental & economic impacts of climate change, and the importance of immediate action by the whole community. They applauded the steps that the past and present govt had taken, but felt that the urgency of the situation is not sufficiently understood, they reported. Catholic Bishop John Drew Wellington said “The world is perched on the brink of a Kairos moment”, described as a moment in the scripture  that is a moment of opportunity, grace and truth”

Bishop Drew said that “Scientists warn us that the “window of opportunity for change is very narrow”. This “narrow window of opportunity, has been heard and noted many times”. 14^th September 2022, 13 years later the World Economic Forum reports that the “UN announced “We have a narrow window of opportunity to create a better future for everyone”. They were referring to ‘global society lurching from crisis to crisis. All the church leaders in NZ joined the World Council of Churches as they called ALL churches throughout NZ to ring their church bells at 3pm Sunday 13^th December, midway through the UN Summit in Copenhagen, to call people to prayer and action in the face of climate change

The ‘narrow window of opportunity’ repeats itself time and time again. The UN Website 20^th March 2023 14 years later, after the Church in NZ announced the “narrow window of opportunity. A major Un Report referring to the IPCC Greenhouse Emissions, a human caused climate change yet another “narrow window of opportunity” is reported by the UN. 7^th November 2022 at a High Level UN Meeting the UN Secretary General announced “We need all hands on deck for faster, bolder climate action. A window of opportunity remains open, but only a narrow shaft of light appears”. A Headline Statement for Policymakers worldwide by the IPCC 4^th October 2023 :This is a rapidly closing window of opportunity. Climate Home News 4^th October 2023 ‘ a course correction on COP28 negotiating table refers to the “Global  Community and the window of opportunity is rapidly closing”. 23^rd April 2023 ‘Off the Charts Records’ Has Humanity finally broken. “However, a tiny window of opportunity remans open to tackle global warming”

Yes the ‘Narrow Window Of Opportunity” has been repeated time and time again. What is this window of opportunity, I have asked myself, through the many hours and years of research I have done? I personally believe “it’s the destruction of the Global Free-market Enterprise Economy’. The exploitation of corporate multi-stakeholderism of Sovereign Nation States. The implanting of destroying Nation States to bring about a One World Governance under what is called Globalization’. The window of opportunity for Multi-stakeholder  Corporate wealth.. the Corporate Capture of the worlds economy, the massive transformation of populations throughout the world.. ‘The WEF/UN Great Reset’

The capitalist marketplace that is characterized by the dominance of hierarchical bureaucratic corporations. As Schwab announced to the world “Time for a Great Reset 3^rd June 2020, he was then referring to the Global COVID crisis as n opportunity to build more sustainable systems. People Planet and Profit. A very wealthy profit for self interested corporations, large businesses. The Austrian Institute reported on 2^nd June 2022 “The narrow window of opportunity to reflect, reimagine and reset our world, we need a better capitalism. Namely ‘Corporate Capitalism’. Corporate Capture

The Globe and Mail reported “Its Time For A Massive Reset of Capitalism 3^rd June 2020. The pandemic represents a “rare but narrow window of opportunity to reflect, reimaging and reset our world”. (Not Our World But Their World). Harvard Business Review ‘Making Stakeholder Capitalism a Reality.22^nd January 2020, spurred by Climate Change (Financing and Investing). As they report that ‘Larry Fink ‘BlackRock’, the worlds largest investor with $7 trillion in asset management. Reporting that his CEO’s received their annual letter “placing long term sustainability at the centre of his investment approach”, as the World Economic Forum kicks off the week as they update their manifesto, for the first time since 1973 saying “business must be the stewards of the environment, global supply chains referring to sustainable shareholders”

13^th June 2019  (6 months prior to the global pandemic) the World Economic Forum and the UN signed an official partnership memorandum. This would give much more political clout and wealth for the UN to achieve its Global Development Goals of Agenda 2030. This being a trade off, as the corporations represented by the WEF would then be the whisperers in the ears of UN Agencies. The enabling of a One World Corporate captured Governance

In the wake of the COVID 19 Pandemic, transnational corporations sought to cement their control of the global governance, ensuring they served the interests of large businesses, corporations- for a very wealthy profit rather than the wellbeing of humanity. Transnational corporations are directly responsible for many global crises we face. As we view Corporate Capture in various forums throughout the world. This is a governance, the evolution of a parallel ‘privatized multilateralism’ made up of a myriad of ‘multistakeholder’ bodies.

The World Economic Forum has developed, pushed for privatization of global governance for decade. The ‘Great Reset’ is just the latest of the gradual corporate takeover of global institutions, such as the UN and other international bodies, that take critical decisions over the governance of global common goods such as food, water, health, internet and others.

Civil Society Groups in 2021 produced an open letter opposing plans for a Big Tech dominated Body for Global Digital Governance’ (Source of Information ‘Transnational Institute’). As for the churches supporting, ringing the bells in NZ, many have stated that “Christians have a particular duty to address the moral and human implications of climate change’. The Pope declared heavy criticism at climate deniers and delayers.  He called them “skeptics and irresponsible” (CNN 4^th October 2023)

However George Pell saw climate science as a dangerous religious dogma  (The Guardian 13^th January 2023). The Guardian reported that Cardinal George Pell left a legacy of ‘climate science denial’ which meant in his later years he became more distanced from his position in the Catholic Church. Cardinal Pell, for decades in newspaper columns and speeches “popularized climate denial, dismissed global heating, branded environmentalists as hysterical and in the grip of a pseudo-religion”. In one 2011 interview with the Catholic media Pell said “In the past, pagans sacrificed animals and even humans in vain attempts to placate capricious and cruel Gods. Today they demand a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions”. Pell often announced that “Climate change was mostly natural and the science is not settled”

Professor Tim Stephens an International Environmental Law expert wrote that “ Pell was prolific, wrote many climate denial pieces. He said that Pell was “ caught up in the right wing cultural view of climate change being a hoax or a conspiracy”. Cardinal Pell died in Rome aged 81, he used his position as Australia’s most senior Catholic to forcefully reject the Climate  Crisis, the Guardian reported. On the eve of the Paris Climate conference in 2015, the former prime minister Kevin Rudd publicly challenged Pell, as Cardinal Pell was climbing the ranks of seniority in the Vatican. Rudd said “It was no small matter, that Pell was muddying the ethical waters with his radical climate skepticism”. But this did not stop Cardinal Pell criticizing the so called climate science”. Like all those real scientists whom publicly speak out about this Climate Alarmism, and the IPCC flawed, corrupt Assessment Reports, they are character assassinated, just as Cardinal Pell was. Public debate is soon shut down time and time again.

However Pope Francis in 2015 released his encyclical on the environment- Laudato Si- calling for global action on climate change to mitigate the risk of serious consequences for ecosystems and humanity. Forbes reported on 9^th December 2020 that ‘Pope Francis with his Corporate Titans were to make Capitalism More Fair”.” Corporations to be Holier than thou”. Pope Francis’s virtual signaling to global populations worldwide. As he ignored the rest of society, jumped on the bandwagon of Lady Lynn De Forester Rothschild’s Corporate bandwagon. Yes, the pope spoke about the hundreds of millions of people in extreme poverty, he talked the talk but did not walk the walk. Pope Francis, the Vatican partnered with the Rothschild ‘Council for Inclusive Capitalism’ that boosts over $10.5 trillion in assets under management, companies with more than $2.1 trillion of market capitalization and 200 million workers in over 163 countries.

Members of the Council for Inclusive Capitalism’ calling themselves ‘Guardians’, these are top CEO’s of Corporations that include CEO’s of Mastercard, Dupont, Salesforce, Rothschild Inclusive Capital Partners, Merck, Johnson & Johnson, BP, Bank of America, the Rockefeller Foundation. These are the world’s top wealthiest elite. Key players of the World Economic Forum. The Corporate Capture of the World. Corporate Governance. Digital Governance. A One World Governance to control ALL populations worldwide.

Those church bells that tolled up and down NZ in 2009, should have been ringing for Corporate Alarmism, warning the people of New Zealand what was about to come. Communist Degrowth. Destruction of democracy, democratic states, totalitarian. The loss of the Free-market Enterprising economy- the freedom to choose. Replacing this for a Stakeholder Capitalism where peoples freedoms are seriously at stake. Today we have Eco Churches in NZ funded supported by Local Government.

Auckland Council website that refers to the WEF data. Klaus Schwab ‘4^th Industrial Revolution’. Where did the caring churches of humanity go? Earlier this year I emailed the main churches in NZ requesting a ‘day of prayer’ for those jab injured, jab dead” and zilch.

The World Council of Churches that have collaborated with Governments, Authorities on mandatory COVID 19 Jabs, and the implementing of Climate Alarmism. The suffering of Eco Anxiety is reported by National Health in the UN, of the young and thevunerable. I have included my personal thoughts, and evidential information to share with you, for your response.

Links:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2020/12/09/pope-francis-partners-with-corporate-titans-to-make-capitalism-more-inclusive-and-fair-is-this-for-real-or-just-corporate-virtue-signaling/?sh=1ee896254c7b

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jan/13/george-pell-saw-climate-science-as-a-dangerous-religious-dogma-in-the-end-his-hardline-stance-held-the-church-back

https://www.tni.org/en/article/the-corporate-capture-of-global-governance-and-what-we-are-doing-about-it

https://hbr.org/2020/01/making-stakeholder-capitalism-a-reality

https://austrian-institute.org/en/blog/do-we-need-a-great-reset-or-more-capitalism/

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-its-time-for-a-massive-reset-of-capitalism/

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/09/human-development-falling-behind-un-report-countries-global

https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/church-bells-peal-climate-action

https://pacific.scoop.co.nz/2009/10/ringing-the-alarm-on-climate-change/

https://www.catholic.org.nz/news/media-releases/church-leaders-urge-bolder-action-on-climate-change/

Jennifer Lees-Marshment is the lead academic behind Vote Compass in NZ. She is named on the UN Agency Site UNESCO’s Inclusive Policy Lab. A profile of Expert Jennifer Lees-Marshment. IPL Expert University of Auckland. Expert in political management, political marketing, management of policy in the NZ Government. She describes herself as “A world expert in Political Marketing & Political Management. Produced award winning research on political leadership and public output, interviewing political staffers, from the Prime Ministers officers to identify best practices.Refers to the ‘lessons learned from the 2020 Election-Evidence to Policy Auckland University website. And a webinar on Policy, public opinion and political marketing. (Event Webner 9/12/2021). She has a direct link to the Prime Ministers officers and political staffers.. And named on the UN Agency website of UNESCO as an expert. 5^th September 2023 Auckland University website refers to ‘Online tool aligns voters views with Party Policies. Dept of Politics and Law, Faculty of Arts. Faculty of Science, Election

‘Vote Compass, an interactive online voting advice application tool developed by political scientists that is reported to help voters align themselves with certain political parties, candidates. Vote Compass was also an online voting tool in NZ’s Elections 2014, 2017, 2020 and now is a voting advice tool used in the run up to the 2023 election. Vox Compass is operated by ‘Vox Pop Labs’ in partnership with specific news agencies eg:-Wall St Journal, Vox Media, Canadian & Australian Broadcasting Corporations, France 24, RTL Group and Grupo Globo also TVNZ. Vox Compass is partnering TVNZ.  NZ Government owned and run TVNZ. Vox Pop Labs have connections with Corporations, Academia and Governments, they are totally bias, however they have set themselves up as an online tool to influence voters to vote for mainstream political parties as none of the other minor parties- freedoms parties are mentioned. They are not a influencing option given to the voters of NZ

Vox Compasses advertises itself publicly through TV NZ and other mainstream media and social media in NZ, they tout themselves as ‘NZr’s Get Ready to Ballot Box.“Get Help and Know who to Vote For” and “Vote Compass- can help you to decide which party policies are cut out for your Vote” also  “See how your political beliefs match up to your political parties and candidates”. Vote Compass was developed by Prof Clifton van der Lindon Dept Political Science McMaster University. Vote Compass is in Partnership with TVNZ, NZ Political Scientist as two main universities in NZ, (Auckland and Victoria Universities-tabulated researchers ) and a Data company namely Vox Pop Labs, is also backed by NZ Electoral Commission

Vox Pop Lab online tool engages with the tabulator researchers at Auckland and Victoria University. An online questionnaire gets voters to agree or disagree with 30 statement on various political issues and questions about Questions about Tax, Public Transport, Immigration, Urban Housing, Funding for universities, Taxing the Wealthy and also Hate Speech etc., Included in questions are references to:- to people whom identify as women, but assigned male at birth whether they should be able to compete in women’s sports, also legalizing cannabis, questions on Māori & Pacifica health, Education assessments, Oil and gas exploration, Prison sentences, Youth crime, Treaty of Waitangi and Environmental issues. Questions include “What party are you likely to vote for?. But Vox does not include minor parties in their list of influential advice to voters as responses. All major parties are listed including TOP The Opportunities Party, Labour, Greens, Te Pati Maori, National, ACT. This is a State Voting Tool.

Red flag- TOP Party (Opportunities Party Raj Manji). TOP having 13 Candidates is listed, but NOT New Conservative with 12, Vision with 25, New Zeal 6, Democracy NZ 13 and Outdoors and Freedoms, Loyal, Matt Kings Party, Vision are NOT listed by Vox Pop Labs-Vox Compass Voting Tool as parties to vote for. This is all endorsed and backed by the Electoral Commission as a way of driving voter engagement, delivered in Association with TV NZ Government owned and Auckland & Victoria University. One News publicly advertises, promotes this. Some of the questions asked by Vox Compass Public Voting Tool to voters are:- What party are you likely to vote for”? Vox Compass have the party list preplanned, lined up, all the major parties and TOP, yet ‘Freedoms NZ is polling higher than TOP (Opportunities Party). Yet TVNZ are promoting TOP (Opportunities Party). None of the other parties are listed such as Democracy NZ , Loyal Vision, any Freedoms NZ Parties, those parties under the Freedoms Umbrella. All backed, promoted, influenced by the Electoral Commission. So blatantly undemocratic.

Auckland academic, her name documented by an UN agency UNESCO, has direct communicative contact with the Prime Ministers officers and other official parliamentary staffers- The lead academic from Auckland University Jennifer Lees-Marshment and her team of academic advisors, researchers, tabulators. Leading Vox Compass Online Voting Tool in NZ lead up to the 2023 General Election. Vox Compass advertised by the Government owned Media and other Social Media.. Dr Lees- Marshment reported that Vote Compass has proved highly popular attracting over a million users combined in the 2014, 2017 and 2020 elections.  Saying “Voters can now go on the 1News website and answer questions about issues such as crime, health care, the economy, housing, education and the environment, and find out how closely various parties align with their views.” And it also offers extra information on party political positions, another influencing bias, no minor parties accept for TOP listed.

Marshment states that “she believes her team, which includes Dr Danny Osborne in Psychology and other colleagues at Victoria University work hard to reflect voters concerns. We are careful to point out current issues. Saying “ it’s all about connecting the fast paced, instant medium of TV (TVNZ Government owned and influencing Voters). A more reflective academic world to provide a high quality service for the public. Vote Compass directly engages with the public in thinking about policy and politics. She believes this is “Good for Democracy”. And “Its much easier for the public to explore party policies, for TVNZ reports the results of surveys which elevate voters perspectives in the electoral campaign”. Vote Compass initially created and managed by Canadian Political scientists, run in conjunction with a media sponsor, academic based in whatever country is using it.

Jennifer Lees-Marshment introduced Vote Compass to NZ from Canada in 2014 as a joint venture between academia and TVNZ for the election that year, and have used this online voting tool every election since. (TVNZ Government owned). She is the lead academic advisor to the government owned TVNZ’s Vote Compass. Promoted, backed, influenced by the government. Hugely undemocratic yet backed by the NZ Electoral Commission

LINKS:

https://informedfutures.org/wp-content/uploads/pdf/Political-Marketing-Management-in-the-2020-New-Zealand-General-Election.pdf 41 pages POLITICAL MARKETING AND MANAGEMENT IN THE 2020 GENERAL ELECTION: KEY FINDINGS AND ADVICE FOR FUTURE PRACTICE Dr Edward Elder and Associate Professor Jennifer LeesMarshment December 2021

https://informedfutures.org/policy-public-opinion-and-political-marketing/

https://en.unesco.org/inclusivepolicylab/users/jennifer-lees-marshment

https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2023/09/05/online-tool-aligns-voters-views-with-party-policies.html

https://leesmarshment.wordpress.com/

https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2023/09/05/online-tool-aligns-voters-views-with-party-policies.html

The International Maritime Organization (UN) established in 2019 that ships that cross oceans are collectively generating too much green house gases. Therefore the Eu and the International Maritime Organization (IOM) have decided to make the cost of shipping much more expensive, and to reduce shipping services. This has been reported to cause a major impact on global supply chains. Shipping companies were warned to start preparing for this 2 years ago as this will certainly be a global challenge as changes are to take place, which will change how shipping companies operate on many trans-oceanic and regional routes. The IOM is a UN Agency, responsible for regulating shipping right across the globe. This means significant implications as to how container lines redesign their services, hence there will be huge consequences for production location choices that underpin the global supply chains.

EU regulations were to be passed at the end of last year, but the initial phase was about to start at the beginning of this year- 2023 with added costs and complexities. Managers of supply chains have been warned about these changes back in 2021 and told to plan for them to start in 2023. New Zealand relies on Marime transport for fuel, oil, coal and other goods that are shipped to NZ. Shipping is the backbone to international trade. Obviously the UN Agency IOM have complete control of this. Shipping is the most cost effective ways to move grains, oil, coal etc., by containerized cargo ships that travel over long distance. Its difficult for oceanic shipping to eliminate CO2 as these ships need to consume large amount of energy over long distances without refueling, however the UN Agency IOM is intent in deployed Net Zero Fuels ASAP, as soon as 2030 (Within 7 years)

The IMO (UN) rules began in January 2023 this requires individual ships to measure and report on a carbon intensity index, in the form of an annual efficiency ratio (AER). The AER is a function of a ships deadweight tonnage (DWT). That is how much weight the ship can carry in cargo, fuel, crew, fresh water, passengers, supplies etc., Plus what type of fuel the ship consumes and how far it traveled in the previous year. This data has been part of the IMO (UN) mandatory annual submission since 2019 for ships over 5,000 DWT (Dead Weight Tonnage). The AER is used to grade a ship either A B C D or E. Ships receiving a Grade A, B or C will be deemed complaint for that year. Ships graded D have 3 years grace during which the shipping owner has to somehow become compliant to IOM (UN) rules. Ships graded E have one year to become compliant. The grading criteria is to become tougher year by year.

Non-compliant ship owners will have their vessels taken out of service and these ships are likely to be scrapped…A significant number of ships will be classed as non-compliant most of these will be older ships and smaller ships which are that of standard size container ships (Less than 8,000 TEU capacity). To improve the grade of ships there will be the need to switch to fuels that generate less CO2. This is very challenging because many fuels do not have the necessary energy density. Shipping companies will have to look at bio-based marine fuel and other options. But all depends how fast suppliers can scale up production for massive quantities of fuel that will be needed.

Originally it was thought the LNG would be advantageous over the near term, but LNG prices have skyrocketed, consideration has been given to some form of hydrogen fuel. But shipping owners still have concerns as they will have to look at how a ship is operated because the carbon intensity measured is tied to how much weight is moved per unit of distance. For instance, larger ships sailing routes with fewer ports will earn higher grades over that of smaller ships that call at lots of ports. Ships can slow down their speed to reduce fuel consumption, but this also means reducing the annual cargo hauling capacity of what are expensive assets and crews.

Many ships will require a technical refinement, the upgrading of engines and emissions controls, this could mean retrofitting engines so that they can run on alternative fuels. Changes may have to be made around the Hull, or upgrading of the ships propellers. Jeremy Nixon the CEO of Ocean Network Express, a global container shipping industry company estimated at a conference in January 2021 that the global container shipping industry will have to invest as least $1.5 trillion over the next 20-30 years to meet UN ION targets. Saying this is an enormous cost to shipping. The costs and implications of decarbonization for companies and their supply chains will never return to pre pandemic times. There are huge concerns as to shipping meeting IOM (UN) rules. Bulk carriers risk facing significant challenges because so many older ships are used, and it’s the older ships that may be taken out of service due to IOM (UN) rules. Ports of call maybe dropped, schedules changed, less frequent services, higher costs with the (UN) IOM favouring larger efficient ships with fewer ports of call and  less frequent services with maximum capacity utilization per ship and changing shipping logistics

Back here in New Zealand there was speeches in the Beehive on the 9^th April 2018. It was stated that “shipping must play its part in the global effort to halt climate change”. James Shaw, Julie Anne Genter were the speakers in the House. On the 9^th April 2018 NZ released a statement in negotiations held in  London as to the ION (UN) as to a greenhouse strategy  during which UN Member States planned to work together on ambitious outcomes referencing the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. NZ urged the (UN) Agency of the IOM, “do not miss this opportunity to adopt an effective strategy to bring greenhouse emissions for global shipping under control”. Saying “the UN agency IOM needs to be ambitious with measurements, to implement them ASAP, and this needs to apply to all UN Member States and to all ships equally regardless of which State a ship is registered in. James Shaw said “ New Zealand joins with Pacific Island states in urging all countries to redouble their efforts to ensure that the UN Agency IMO achieves a credible and ambitious result.”  (Can’t see China falling for this one)

A speaker at the Beehive said that “NZ was proud to sign the Tony de Brum Declaration at the One Planet Summit held in Paris, confirming that international shipping must play a part in climate action. The Tony De Brum Declaration stressed the responsibility to act urgently to reduce greenhouse emissions. The shipping nations signed the De Brum Declaration on a climate change commitment. The declaration is named after the late foreign Minister of the Marshall Islands. He was a strong support of the UN Agency IOM to curb emissions from shipping globally. The declaration was signed by the following countries: Belgium, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Comoros, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

NOTE: They knew about the risks impacts and disruption to shipping and still pulled the plug on Marsden Point.NZ is still reliant on coal that is also shipped into New Zealand. In 2021 over a million tonnes of cheap dirty filthy dusty coal was imported to NZ from Indonesia

I will add the links to this information on my website https://wakeupnz.org

Researched By Carol Sakey

LINKS:

https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/shipping-must-play-its-part-global-effort-halt-climate-change

https://fathom.world/shipping-nations-sign-de-brum-declaration-climate-change-commitment/

https://hbr.org/2022/10/climate-regulations-are-about-to-disrupt-global-shipping