John Marshall
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John Marshall
@johnm.bsky.social
870 followers 240 following 170 posts
Bioinformatics tools developer at Australia’s Centre for Population Genomics. Will edit GA4GH specifications for food. New Zealander fairly recently returned after a decade in the U.K.
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Submitted on the Electoral Amendment Bill with 3 minutes to spare! Was reminded at the last minute that this bill has another go at disenfranchising prisoners (as has been shot down in the courts repeatedly)… so forgot to say that the deadline change likely won't speed up getting results anyway. 🫠
I wish to comment on three aspects of this bill: Firstly, the proposal to close voter registration a fortnight before polling day is a retrograde step that diminishes our democracy. In the last general election, almost 100,000 people enrolled to vote in that last fortnight before polling day. Administratively preventing such people from being able to vote is the opposite of what a modern democracy should be doing. Secondly, the proposed changes to §80(1)(d) (disqualification of people in prison) would change voting disqualification from applying to prisoners serving a term of three years or more to applying to all prisoners. This is obviously a breach of human rights and Te Tiriti o Waitangi, as has been repeatedly established by New Zealand courts. Thirdly, the proposed §218A (provision of food etc near polling places) largely duplicates the existing long-standing §217 regulations around treating. While the existing treating section prohibits the provision of e.g. free food, drink, or entertainment with corrupt intent for the purpose of influencing voters' votes in various ways, the proposed section would prohibit the provision of free food, drink, or entertainment within 100 metres regardless of intent or purpose. I do not believe it is reasonable or equitable to prohibit these activities in general, even when the prohibition is limited to a 100 metre geographical area. The aspect that makes this type of prohibition potentially reasonable is the consideration of the food etc provider's intent and purpose: to my mind, only food etc provision with the intent of corruptly influencing voters is reasonable to prohibit. Clauses 4 to 8's new deadline for the close of registration should be reconsidered. Clause 10's changes to §80(1)(d) should be dropped. Clause 44 seems a good clarification of the rules around treating. However clause 46 inserting §218A should be dropped.
September 11, 2025 at 1:08 AM
… And also two very thoughtful jars of homemade jam — not sure how they divined how much I like feijoas — and some damson plum gin in the hip flask. Top work, Santa!
Binoculars and a hip flask in front of two jars of jam.
June 7, 2025 at 9:03 AM
Foolishly I hadn't given my #MWSecretSantaAoNZ person any hints as to suitable gifts, but they've done spectacularly well nonetheless. My partner and I have one pair of binoculars for watching birds and other wildlife, so a second little pair so we can both look at once is perfect. …
Two jars of jam, a pair of binoculars, and a silver hip flask peeking out from behind a card with a googly-eyed cat in a party hat.
June 7, 2025 at 9:03 AM
Stuff reporting on an Antonov An-124 cargo plane arriving in Auckland tonight. Stay classy, Stuff! The single An-225 Mriya ever built was destroyed three years ago, when Russia attacked Hostomel Airport on the outskirts of Kyiv. If only you'd read just a little more of that Wikipedia article…
Last paragraph of Stuff's article: “The biggest plane in the world currently is the An-225 Mriya, an enlarged version of the An-124, which has a maximum take-off weight of 640 tonnes.”
April 5, 2025 at 9:38 AM
Definitely less annoying to be at my desk today.
Lake Wānaka from Bremner Bay, with the low lake level typical for this time of year. Overcast and between rain showers.
March 18, 2025 at 2:10 AM
Definitely a day to be outside rather than looking at pysam or pybwa code just now 😎 ☀️
Lake Wānaka from Roy’s Bay.
March 15, 2025 at 12:47 AM
Sitting on my balcony doing some pysam hacking… just glanced up at the right time to see some tourists en route to the Bay of Islands.
Cruise ship Carnival Splendor passing Rangitoto on an overnight voyage to the Bay of Islands.
February 9, 2025 at 6:17 AM
Took lunch up Devonport's North Head / Maungauika today to watch the retiring Hercules farewell Auckland on today's tour of the country. www.nzdf.mil.nz/media-centre...
Three planes approach Auckland's Sky Tower while on a final tour of New Zealand. Three planes turning over the Auckland War Memorial Museum while on a final tour of New Zealand. Three planes over Devonport Naval Base flying towards the Auckland Harbour Bridge.
February 3, 2025 at 3:44 AM
One of my better photos from tonight’s aurora activity.
Aurora, looking towards the Cardrona Valley from Wānaka.
January 4, 2025 at 12:15 PM
More scenery, in keeping with my previous postings here.

However given the current influx of people following me for some reason, and given that hoping for birdsite recovery no longer seems tenable, the time is ripe to start posting more bioinformatics over here.
Rangitoto from Cheltenham Beach, Auckland.
November 12, 2024 at 7:57 PM
Stripes
Treble Cone reflected in Bremner Bay, at low lake levels.
August 22, 2023 at 10:55 PM
A glorious winter’s day today
Snow-covered Black Peak over Lake Wānaka
July 4, 2023 at 3:02 AM