Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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Disbelief spreading as Government is reportedly considering a Wellington mega tunnel after axing Cook Strait mega ferry project 

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New Zealand media is alive with From News Fahara today: Disbelief is spreading as the Government is reportedly considering a Wellington mega tunnel after axing the Cook Strait mega ferry project. The proposed tunnel, which would run underneath the capital city, has raised eyebrows due to its potential multi-billion dollar price tag. The decision comes on the heels of the Government’s refusal to fund the ferry project, which had seen significant cost overruns. https://news.faharas.net/en/disbelief-government-considering-wellington-mega/ And from the NZ Herald, also today: There’s disbelief the Government is considering a mega tunnel underneath Wellington, that will cost several billion dollars, after axing the … Continue reading Disbelief spreading as Government is reportedly considering a Wellington mega tunnel after axing Cook Strait mega ferry project 

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Measles cases surge from 0 in Scotland all ‘linked’ to travel….and County Lines drug gangs?

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From Public Health Scotland today (well tomorrow, it seems): Public Health Scotland is aware of five cases of laboratory confirmed measles in Scotland since October 2023, all of which have been linked to travel. The latest two cases were confirmed today, 16 February 2024. https://publichealthscotland.scot/news/2024/february/update-on-measles-in-scotland/#:~:text=Public%20Health%20Scotland%20is%20aware,and%20Rubella%20(MMR)%20vaccine. Why is five a surge? It’s up from zero, each year, since 2020. See graph above with 2020 mistakenly labelled 2000. Where might these cases have travelled from? From the Times two days ago: Measles outbreak fear as London overtakes Midlands in cases. Pockets of unvaccinated people in the capital create ‘perfect conditions’ for disease … Continue reading Measles cases surge from 0 in Scotland all ‘linked’ to travel….and County Lines drug gangs?

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Never mind Sir Keir, will Anas Sarwar’s mum let him transfer wealth to workers?

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By Professor John Robertson I fear Labour in Scotland are going to campaign as if they’re kind of leftist. The media are going to cover the tracks between them and their London HQ and some voters are going to swallow it. I don’t think I’ve seen words so detached from reality, so ‘down a rabbit hole‘, since I last read Lewis Carroll (1959?). What’s this go to do with his mum? Just this, from last year: ANAS Sarwar has been branded a hypocrite after it was revealed his family’s wholesale business still does not pay staff the living wage. Sarwar … Continue reading Never mind Sir Keir, will Anas Sarwar’s mum let him transfer wealth to workers?

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Canadian airline has planes older than the oldest CalMac ferry and an average age 22% higher

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Thanks to one of our Anonymous readers for suggesting this. CalMac’s oldest large ferry, the MV Isle of Arran is 41 this year. The average age of a CalMac ferry is 24 years. From Airline Ratings in December 2023: Boasting one of the oldest passenger aircraft is Canadian Air Inuit with four 737-200’s averaging an age of 44 years. The airline also has a 737-300 aged 32 years and 15 Dash-8’s at an average age of 29 years. Three 737-800s aged just 11 years held bring the average fleet age for the airline down to 29.4 years. https://www.airlineratings.com/news/passenger-news/oldest-commercial-aircraft-still-flying/#:~:text=Inuit%20Air%2C%20Iran%20Air%20and,well%20over%2040%20years%20old.&text=Boasting%20one%20of%20the%20oldest,an%20age%20of%2044%20years I don’t … Continue reading Canadian airline has planes older than the oldest CalMac ferry and an average age 22% higher

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At least CalMac ferries can shut their bow-doors to prevent becoming another Herald of Free Enterprise

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A Washington State roll-on, roll-off (RORO) ferry, with no bow doors. What can happen in Washington State: Ferries are one of the most efficient modes of transportation for transporting goods or people over short water distances. That doesn’t mean they’re protected from the elements. A video showing how seawater entered a ferry in Washington shocked social networks this week. In this 1 minute and 14 second video, you can see how water filled part of the boat called the M/V Issaquah due to strong waves, an incident that occurred in northeastern Washington state. The ferry was heading to Anacortes near … Continue reading At least CalMac ferries can shut their bow-doors to prevent becoming another Herald of Free Enterprise

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Why are BBC Scotland’s ‘ageing ferries’ far younger than Washington State’s ‘ageing ferries?’

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From King-TV Seattle today: Washington State Ferries (WSF) received $4.8 million in federal funding to refurbish six aging boats in its fleet, Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell announced Wednesday. The federal grant will pay for upgrades on WSF’s Issaquah Class Vessels, originally constructed between 1979 and 1982. The vessels currently serve travellers on the Fauntleroy-Southworth-Vashon, Mukilteo-Clinton, and Anacortes-San Juan Islands routes. https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/washington-state-ferries-receives-4-8-million-in-federal-funding-for-passenger-area-upgrades/ar-AA1kKmpQ?ocid=asudhp Meanwhile, in Scotland, from BBC Scotland in May 2022: The problem with CalMac’s ageing ferries. Announcements that Caledonian MacBrayne ferries have been withdrawn from service for repairs are becoming an increasingly common occurrence. Most islands in the west … Continue reading Why are BBC Scotland’s ‘ageing ferries’ far younger than Washington State’s ‘ageing ferries?’

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Listening to Alex Cole Hamilton is like pulling your own teeth

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Alex Cole Hamilton – leader of the 5th biggest party gets another platform to misleadingly attack the SNP. Tonight, he even claims, and STV don’t challenge it, that declines in dentists doing NHS treatment is leading to people buying tools on Amazon to do dentistry themselves. So, first, the availability of dentistry in Scotland: 95.4% of the Scottish population were registered with an NHS dentist as at 30 September 2022. Nearly all adults living in the most deprived areas were registered with an NHS dentist in September 2022, compared to 91.9% in the least deprived areas. https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/dental-statistics-registration-and-participation/dental-statistics-nhs-registration-and-participation-24-january-2023 Meanwhile in England: Thousands of children … Continue reading Listening to Alex Cole Hamilton is like pulling your own teeth

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Lessons From Australia on Scotland’s NHS 

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By Fraser Grant The Scottish media gave a lot of coverage to Dr Michael Mrozinski who told BBC Reporting Scotland on Thursday that blaming Covid for NHS failings was just spin.  This was eagerly picked up by The Scotsman (1) which then ran an editorial on Saturday headlined “Australia punctures SNP spin about NHS crisis” (2). However, the Australian health system is not as rosy as portrayed by Dr Michael Mrozinski, as a Victoria University publication on 15 December 2023 on the dire nursing shortage (3)  stated that “recent COVID-19 pandemic tested the resolve of many – if not most – nurses, with … Continue reading Lessons From Australia on Scotland’s NHS 

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‘Bent out of shape from society’s pliers cares not to come up any higher but rather get you down in the hole that he’s in’

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Accidentally hearing to Bob Dylan’s ‘It’s alright mama, I’m only bleeding‘, from 59 years ago, an image of James Cook (above) of BBC Scotland popped unpleasantly into my mind: While one who sings with his tongue on fireGargles in the rat race choirBent out of shape from society’s pliersCares not to come up any higherBut rather get you down in the holeThat he’s in Is there anything more boring than old gits quoting Bob Dylan to younger folk when some current controversy pops his words into his mind? Do I care? Does Bob have some words for how little I … Continue reading ‘Bent out of shape from society’s pliers cares not to come up any higher but rather get you down in the hole that he’s in’

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HIV and Hepatitis C – The blood scandal reveals how a submissive Labour Government in Holyrood will never act in the interest of Scots

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Headlining on BBC Wales today, a BBC Wales investigation of the kind BBC Scotland and it’s Disclosure team will never tackle: When 10-month-old Colin Smith contracted HIV after receiving contaminated blood, his parents’ house was daubed with “Aids dead”. His father was also forced to leave his job. Now 34 years on from his death from Aids at the age of seven, his family are facing another injustice. A BBC investigation has found Prof Arthur Bloom, the doctor who gave Colin infected imported blood product Factor VIII, broke his own rules to do so. Just three months earlier, Prof Bloom’s … Continue reading HIV and Hepatitis C – The blood scandal reveals how a submissive Labour Government in Holyrood will never act in the interest of Scots