Squiz Today – Tuesday, 31 January

THE SQUIZ

Kiwis have been warned that there’s more heavy rain on the way for the soaked North Island, with 100-140mm forecast in some areas today. It comes after a deadly deluge caused flash floods and landslides in the country’s largest city of Auckland, Waikato and the Bay of Plenty on Friday after getting the wettest day on record, with new PM Chris Hipkins calling it “unprecedented” and a “significant disaster”. Reports say 4 people have died, and about 350 are in emergency accommodation, with Auckland put under a state of emergency. It’s also continuing to cause chaos at Auckland Airport, with limited flights heading in and out after receiving 249mm of rain on Friday, easily breaking the record of 161.8mm set in 1985.

WHAT’S HAPPENING THERE?

It’s something we’re a bit familiar with… Reports say La Niña is behind the record deluge. Researchers say Auckland’s received more than 8 times its average January rainfall and 40% of its annual average. Galleries and videos show the damage to homes and infrastructure, estimated to total more than $88 million. Authorities say 5,000 properties are being assessed, dozens of roads are closed, and schools won’t reopen until 7 February to allow time for repairs. Hipkins has toured some of the worst-hit areas, witnessing what he said was “a number of homes damaged by flooding but also extensive earth movements”. Still, some Kiwis are determined to stick to their daily routines…

HAVE WE MISSED THIS DOWNPOUR FOR ONCE?

Nope. It’s probably not what you want to hear if you’re on the east coast, but parts of Queensland, NSW and Victoria are in the firing line for more wild weather this week. Reports say the storms, heavy rain and winds that have been moving across Victoria and NSW are due to move north into Queensland today, which is likely to be “wetter than usual” over the next 2 weeks. Reports say Maroota (on the north-western outskirts of Sydney) received 41mm of rain in half an hour on Sunday afternoon. And further south, 150mm of rain was recorded overnight on Sunday along the Victoria-NSW border. Victorians might also feel a bit frostier than usual, thanks to a cold front likely to hit late this week. Temps are forecast to drop below freezing, and the High Country might even see a dusting of summer snow, which wouldn’t be the first time it’s happened this season. It makes you want to head to Perth for its anticipated 36C day…

Putting pressure on Paris

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for Russian athletes to be banned from participating in the Paris 2024 Olympics rather than being allowed to compete as ‘neutrals’. The status of athletes from nations in the bad books is in focus after Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka’s Oz Open win. Zelensky says countries must not be allowed to use the Olympics for propaganda. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) previously said athletes from Russia and Belarus would be allowed to compete, but Ukraine is threatening to boycott the event if that happens, claiming the IOC is telling the world that “terror is somehow acceptable”. The UK Government also condemned the IOC’s plans as a “world away from the reality of war”. It all comes as Australia and France agree to jointly supply thousands of artillery shells to Ukraine. And if making threats was an Olympic sport, former UK PM Boris Johnson has revealed that Russian President Vladimir Putin would be a gold medalist…

Shaking up the family law

Care arrangements for the kids of broken relationships is an issue successive federal governments have tried to tackle – and yesterday, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus unveiled new legislation he says will improve things. The requirement for courts to consider equal or substantial time with each parent would be ditched – it’s the current starting point in legal proceedings that he says is leading to “unjust outcomes and compromising the safety of children”. Dreyfus said that judges will be able to order shared parental responsibility, but there would be “6 simple principles” to consider that put the interests of children first. Zoe Rathus from Griffith Uni says the current system “provides an avenue of ongoing harassment and intimidation for some abusive partners to their former spouse”, and it needs to change. But One Nation’s Pauline Hanson says the changes will make it harder for fathers. The plan is out for consultation, and Dreyfus wants the law passed by the end of the year.

Getting to know the ‘no’ campaign

More information about the ‘no’ campaign for the Voice to Parliament referendum has been revealed, with organiser Warren Mundine announcing the official slogan “recognise a better way”. That references an alternative proposal to insert a symbolic recognition of Indigenous people and migrants into the constitution’s preamble. Mundine is a Bundjalung man/former Labor president/Liberal candidate – he says it’s important to recognise ”all the people” who’ve “built this great country”, noting that the suggestion has been rejected before. The ‘no’ campaign has financial support, but Mundine won’t say who from, saying they would likely be “bullied” if they come forward. Labor and the Greens are expected to support the ‘yes’ campaign. Coalition leader Peter Dutton continues to call for more details on how the Voice would work in practice. The government’s referendum working group will meet on Thursday.

Hello, is it me you’re looking for?

Aussies spent nearly 100 million hours on hold last year. You read that right… Data from software development company ServiceNow shows 13.3 million of us spent an average of 7.2 hours on the line in 2022 while trying to resolve issues with products or services. That’s an increase of over 1.6 million customer complaints from the year before. Some industries were worse than others, with the telecommunications sector creating the most unhappy customers at 35%. Government services came 2nd with 27%, and financial services came 3rd with 18%. To avoid spending your life on the line, ServiceNow boss Eric Swift says to hang up and forget email – using apps and online chat are all faster ways to address your issues – and look, it’s worth noting those are the services Swift sells… Wherever you do, best wishes with your enquiries in 2023.

The Aussie moving American football mountains…

If you haven’t heard of Australia’s Jordan Mailata, it’s fair to say you’d have a hard time missing him if you encountered him in person. At 203cm tall and weighing in at 166kg, Mailata is a “man mountain” who has worked his tail off to make it big in American football after his rugby league career stalled in Sydney. And yesterday, he was a crucial part of the Philadelphia Eagles’ victory against the San Francisco 49ers that has put his team into the Super Bowl – aka the NFL’s grand final. All going well, he’ll become the 3rd Aussie to play on the big stage on 12 February against the Kansas City Chiefs – a feat that brought him to tears. And he’s not the only Aussie on the Philidelphia side – former St Kilda player Arryn Siposs is working to overcome an ankle injury in time for the game. Put the event in your diary if not for the footy, then for the legendary halftime show – this year, Rihanna is doing the honours.

If you’re loving the ongoing resurgence of 90s and noughties fashion, then it could be time for some new ink as barbed wire tattoos – a la Pamela Anderson – make a comeback. If that’s too much of a commitment, you can always cheat and wait for the trend to pass…

There’s nothing better than a relaxing bath after a hard day’s work, even if your ‘job’ is robbing houses, as a Seattle family found out when they came home to find a burglar kicking back in their tub – although he’s refusing to come clean about why he was fully clothed…

As you know, Alaska’s annual Fat Bear competition rocks our world, but there’s a new contender in town with a Colorado black bear taking hundreds of selfies to prove their gorgeousness. The 400+ self-paw-traits captured all of their bear-st angles…

ABS Data Release – Retail Trade, December 2022

Independence Day in Nauru

Birthdays for Portia de Rossi (1973), Jackie O (1975) and Justin Timberlake (1981)

Anniversary of the United Kingdom officially leaving the European Union (2020)