Dieuwe de Boer

The China Virus has returned to Auckland and continues to rampage through Melbourne. The latter is near the end of its first two weeks in lockdown, as Auckland starts a minimum of two weeks under restrictions.

What does it mean to be a conservative? What does it mean to do conservatism? Conservatism isn't a rigid ideology or 100 page manifesto that one can pick up and read for the definitive answer.

Those were the last words of Captain John Fane Charles Hamilton as he jumped into the fray to support a wavering force trapped in an ambush at Gate Pa in the Tauranga campaign of 1884.

New cases of the CCP Virus are dwindling in both Tasman nations, but there are still three weeks left before Australia will reconsider its restrictions, and New Zealand is staying in lockdown for at least another two weeks.

The number of infections by the CCP Virus keep dropping in both Tasman nations, but slightly faster in Australia which has a more lax approach. New Zealand might be switching to "Level 3" lockdown soon.

Last week, the Media Council responded to some complaints made against RNZ by two readers about their characterisation of me as "far-right". The final ruling was rather predictable, but it clears up a few things.

Easter is cancelled and both New Zealand and Australia are aiming to eradicate COVID-19. Infection numbers in both Tasman nations are dropping, but Australia is well in the per capita lead and has far fewer restrictions in place.

Presented in association with The Unshackled. Trad Tasman Talk (TTT) is hosted by Tim Wilms from Melbourne and Dieuwe de Boer from Auckland. The show debuts every Friday at 8pm New Zealand time and 6pm Melbourne time.

Since last week, New Zealand has gone to full scale lockdown, with a total of 368 cases and 0 deaths. Jacinda can now alter any law in the country with the stroke of a pen and parliament has been suspended.

The New Zealand and Australian governments both placed bans on foreign travellers and started to move towards containment of the Chinese virus. Indoor and outdoor gatherings were greatly restricted in both nations.