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June 7, 2015 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 7 June 2015

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General Debate

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duggledog

I feel glib this morning so let’s compare National and Labour to a bog standard Toyota Corolla and an Austin Princess respectively.

The Toyota gets you from A to B, pretty reliable. Does what it says on the tin. Popular too.

The Austin Princess is outdated and breaks down regularly. Costs a fortune to keep it on the road.

I don’t have a vehicle analogy for the Greens as they don’t believe in cars, unless someone else is driving:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11461092

Rodney Hide sticks the knife into James Shaw…
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June 7, 2015 8:14am
G152

Looks like another if the left does it its okay but if the right does it then shock horror.
Appears that the Whale Oil team are slightly gullible
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June 7, 2015 8:31am
Griff

Not that it changes what you are trying to say but

Princess circa 1970
Front wheel drive, overhead cam, east west engine , large interior in comparison to body size, wedge shape. originally designed as a hatch back.
Corolla circa 1970
Rear wheel drive, pushrod engine, small interior size compared to body, conventional three box shape

modern car
Front wheel drive, overhead cam, east west engine ,large interior in comparison to body size, wedge shape, hatch back

Very few modern mainstream cars are rear drive have push rod engines or are the old three box style .
The princess was badly executed due to a combination of poor management and shop floor union extortion but defiantly ahead of it time.
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June 7, 2015 8:38am
stephieboy

Excellent read with some excerpts ,

The Kremlin’s Troll Army
Moscow is financing legions of pro-Russia Internet commenters. But how much do they matter?

‘…..In order to promote its narrative, the Kremlin has adopted a two-fisted strategy, unleashing its troll armies even as it tightens Internet restrictions at home. On August 1, Russia enacted controversial new legislation aimed at muzzling social media, the last bastion of the country’s embattled opposition and a free flow of information about the war in Ukraine.
Anton Nosik, a popular Russian blogger and programmer who is sometimes referred to as the “father of the Russian Internet,” says the Kremlin is falling back on a time-honored strategy in its propaganda war on Ukraine. But this time, he says, the stakes are higher than ever before. (BuzzFeed reports that at least one trolling company—Internet Research Agency in St. Petersburg—is expected to spend more than $10 million in 2014 alone.)
“Comments were already serving as a well-financed Kremlin instrument of war against the opposition, even five years ago,” he says. “So what’s going on now is nothing new. But what’s absolutely clear is that now they’re spending more money on Ukraine than they ever spent against Alexei Navalny, or Ekho Moskvy, Kommersant, Gazeta.ru”—Russian media actors who have been targeted by the Kremlin in the past—”and all the rest….”

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/08/the-kremlins-troll-army/375932/

Do they matter ?? A moot point I suppose but at least no effort should be spared to identifying just who they are and those in the West like Paul Craig Roberts, Tyler Durden , Alex Jones etc who chose to mimic them .
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June 7, 2015 8:50am
Dennis Horne

Griff, quite so. Dad had an Austin 1800 in the 1960s and it was a great family car in many ways. The old factory in Cowley, Oxford, still produces cars – owned by BMW.
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June 7, 2015 8:55am
Nukuleka

The Contraception, Sterilisation and Abortion Act of 1977 sets very clear guidelines governing the legality of abortion in New Zealand, permitting abortion only when the mother’s physical or mental health is at risk- or when the foetus may be handicapped. We all know that these guidelines are a total farce and that in essence we have abortion on demand in this country. The ‘restrictions’ and ‘safeguards’ put in place mean nothing.

I would remind people who are pushing for the legalisation of euthanasia that this is exactly what will happen with any ‘guidelines’ and ‘restrictions’ put in place should our parliamentarians give in to the current push to legalise euthanasia. Restrictions and safeguards would be put in place to placate opponents of legalised euthanasia and they will mean nothing. As has been the case in overseas countries where euthanasia has been legalised the old, the mentally unstable, the handicapped, the young- all will become more vulnerable and their lives less valued- and there will be no possibility of turning back of the clock.
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June 7, 2015 8:56am
Colville

Griff
You can add to that…
Thirty years later the corolla has gone on to be the highest selling car nz has ever had IIRC, and the Austin has been consigned to rusting under a tree in a paddock.
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June 7, 2015 9:01am
Dennis Horne

Morning, stephieboy. If Russia was totally defenceless it could be nice and peaceful, like New Zealand.

Question for NZ: Is a sitting duck safe?
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June 7, 2015 9:02am
Griff

My dad had a Austin 2200
I lost my license in it for doing a ton on wellington st in Howic
The cop couldn’t believe how rapid it was.
collville those old corolla rusted away as you watched. `
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June 7, 2015 9:09am
oldpark

Once more the TVNZ news room have excelled themselves. The newsroom, the epitome of sleaze,and denigrating some unfortunates they choose to belittle. Case in point,when the terrible news of the death of Gerry Collins and his wife Alana was being flashed all around the world, the cess pit of TVNZ news was bad mouthing Gerry Collins, as only TVNZ news reporting can. What a disgrace from a taxpayer funded holier than thou pack of ratbags. Makes one wonder who are what type of news “journalists” are employed by TVNZ. TVNZ continuously seem to be the news, rather than broadcasting the news. Surely it is time for a cleanout, of such a bunch of self serving ratbags.
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June 7, 2015 9:15am
Dennis Horne

Nukuleka (700 comments) says: June 7th, 2015 at 8:56 am
… countries where euthanasia has been legalised the old, the mentally unstable, the handicapped, the young- all will become more vulnerable and their lives less valued…

Good. Everyone should have an ‘Exit Kit’. Champagne and barbiturates. Heavily dependent people encouraged to go.

We need to be discussing eugenics and euthanasia because we cannot go on like this, borrowing a billion a month and flooding the country with anyone with fake money. We have stopped evolution – the survival of the fittest – and our ‘cleverness’ will become a burden we cannot carry. We’re just not clever enough.
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June 7, 2015 9:19am
wf

Ah, mystery solved! I have just bought a life style block and found a huge heap of rusting metal under the only shelter trees. An Austin graveyard, obviously.
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June 7, 2015 9:19am
duggledog

Jesus you guys. Colville’s the only one onto it. I should have said, 1990 – 2000 Corolla. As close to perfection as you’re going to get in a car I reckon.
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June 7, 2015 9:19am
wiseowl

Eaqub rightly brings up the topic of immigration and agrees we need to discuss.

Time to put the brakes on and also look closely at who should come to this country.For a start we only need people who respect our culture and have a similar culture.
Don’t kid ourselves that allowing mass immigration with alien cultures is best for this country.Learn from history and the mess that Britain finds itself in before we goany further.

4.5 million is a good number to put on hold.
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June 7, 2015 9:26am
Hugh Pavletich

… ESSENTIAL VIEWING …

INTERVIEW: ECONOMIST SHAMUBEEL EAQUB ON GENERATION RENT … THE NATION … TV3

http://www.3news.co.nz/tvshows/thenation/interview-shamubeel-eaqub-2015060610#axzz3cHdi234E

Economist Shamubeel Eaqub says “housing apartheid” and “ghettoisation” looms unless there are changes to the New Zealand housing market.

His new book Generation Rent says New Zealand is being divided into a house-have and have-not society and says if house prices keep rising at expected rates, mortgage repayments will be more than the average income by 2023.

… DISTRIBUTE WIDELY & DISCUSS … THANK YOU …

Hugh Pavletich
Co-author Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey
http://www.performanceurbanplanning.org/ & http://info.scoop.co.nz/Hugh_Pavletich & http://info.scoop.co.nz/Performance_Urban_Planning & http://info.scoop.co.nz/Demographia
Christchurch
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June 7, 2015 9:27am
dime

Back from Hawaii. Had a blast.

It was busy, but luckily I managed to keep up with stuffs daily pro transsexual articles.

Seriously, what the fuck. Every goddam day.
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June 7, 2015 9:28am
Dennis Horne

I’m still driving my Mercedes 300D I bought in Stuttgart in 1977.
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June 7, 2015 9:29am
kowtow

Dennis Horne

This is the EU equivalent of societal suicide. Once upon a time the navy was there to keep your enemy out, today they ship them in.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/11656902/Thousands-of-migrants-picked-up-off-Libya-in-mass-rescue.html
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June 7, 2015 9:32am
publicwatchdog

Seen this Kiwibloggers?

How much of the Auckland property ‘boom’ is being used for money-laundering?

How many of the empty 22,000 ‘ghost city’ private sector houses in Auckland (according to the 2013 Census), have been used for money-laundering?

Whose job is it to check on how real estate – especially Auckland real estate – is used for money-laundering?

The Organised and Financial Crime Agency of NZ (OFCANZ)?

Who failed to carry out any ‘due diligence’ on the increased risk of money-laundering arising from the NZ International Convention Act?
————————————————————————

Bernard Hickey: Dodgy deals to come out

The New Zealand Herald

A task force wants lawyers and agents to verify sources of overseas funds used to buy property. Photo / Michael Craig
By Bernard Hickey

The Government’s pre-Budget announcement of its two-year “bright line” tax on capital gains surprised a few people and captured headlines.

But the accompanying news that non-residents buying property would first have to open a bank account here, get an IRD number and declare their own passport and home tax details may have a bigger impact.

The Government is pointing to this measure as having the most potential to reduce foreign demand for Auckland properties and Prime Minister John Key has indicated information on non-resident buying would be gathered and published.

He said New Zealand tax authorities would also share these details with foreign tax authorities.

The elephant in the room of Auckland’s property debate is whether some of the money pouring into Auckland, from China in particular, is money laundering of ill-gotten funds.

Without any data, the debate is fuelled by anecdote and rumour, but the issue is capturing global attention.

In November, China’s President Xi Jinping asked for Key’s help to track down a number of Chinese nationals who had fled to New Zealand with allegedly corruptly obtained funds. This was part of Xi’s campaign to crack down on the “tigers and flies” officials and their cronies. Chinese authorities say New Zealand is the third most popular destination for such fugitives.

The issue of money laundering from China is heating up in Australia, too, where data on how much property is bought by non-residents is collected.

More than 25 per cent of all new and existing homes sold last year in Sydney and Melbourne were sold to non-residents, leaving many across the Tasman asking where the money came from.

…………

Penny Bright

http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz
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June 7, 2015 9:33am
Inandout

Dennis Horne: I once worked at a steel mill and a rather jolly Pom bricklayer used to own an early 50s Austin Princess (pre Farina); a sort of smaller version of what the Queen would have been driven around in. The sight of this bespectacled, unassuming little chap sat behind the wheel of the boxy shaped black limousine was a sight to behold. He did mention though that a good portion of his very generous wages were used to keep the old girl on the road; petrol being the lesser, as parts were horrendously expensive. I once owned a 1963 Austin Cambridge, and the built in rust kept my local panelbeater modestly wealthy, but I do miss those Saturday morning tinkerings on the mechanicals.
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June 7, 2015 9:40am
ross411

dime (11,011 comments) says:
June 7th, 2015 at 9:28 am
Back from Hawaii. Had a blast.

It was busy, but luckily I managed to keep up with stuffs daily pro transsexual articles.

Seriously, what the fuck. Every goddam day.

I haven’t read stuff in years. It’s 90% garbage. And the herald site isn’t readable either. What I’d like is a news site that aggregates all the decent articles and provides context on the crappy journalism, that’s politically neutral. We get some aggregation here, but it’s from a diehard National perspective.
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June 7, 2015 9:40am
wiseowl

Something is going on Penny.
Heard a tale and some people don’t want to be named, about a chinese visitor who came to Auckland and was shown 84 properties.
When leaving was asked which ones do you want to buy?
He said the lot.
Where does someone get that money from, how and why let this sale take place to absentee owners like this.
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June 7, 2015 9:53am
tvb

Try Google news but it does not have a crap filter. You have to use your brain for that
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June 7, 2015 9:54am
Dennis Horne

I think the queen was driven around in the big Daimler limousine. I nearly bought one, they weren’t too expensive. She drove herself around in a Rover 90; I used to see her often at polo in Great Windsor Park, weekends, 1970. No bodyguards in those days.
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June 7, 2015 9:57am
Keeping Stock

@ Wiseowl – Shamubeel Eaqub. That’s a good, fourth generation Kiwi name, don’t you reckon? It’s funny how those who have so benefitted from immigration now want the doors closed behind them. I always chuckled when former Winston First deputy leader Peter Brown, a ten-pound Pom, used to bang on about the evils of immigration.
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June 7, 2015 9:59am
Shawn Herles

“I haven’t read stuff in years. It’s 90% garbage.”

I agree. I notice today three “stories” that are clearly Left wing hagiographies. One on Obama and Biden, one on Helen Kelly, and one on Russell Brand, none of them remotely objective and all of them fawning in the extreme.

The problem is, what is the alternative? Apart from Google NZ, there don’t seem to be any other NZ news aggregators.
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June 7, 2015 10:02am
Keeping Stock

Alf Filipaina is one of Len Brown’s lackeys on the Auckland Council. This story makes me wonder whether any of Sepp’s filthy lucre found its way to the disgraced Auckland mayor.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/world-game/69159265/auckland-councillors-fifa-junket-to-zurich

Here you go Penny; something to get your gums into. Play your cards right, and you could blow the whistle on some REAL corruption.
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June 7, 2015 10:02am
Maggy Wassilieff

The husband had a 1937 Austin 7 when he swept me off my feet. We regularly held up all traffic going up the Karori Hill and on any two-lane highway. In a fit of madness I bought him a 1935 Austin 10 for his 40th.

The pleasure I had some 10 years later when I gave both cars away to some passing pedestrian was well worth the years of enduring such mechanical monstrosities.

(current owner of a Toyota Corolla)
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June 7, 2015 10:02am
wiseowl

KS.I get the impression he wants more.
The important thing is the debate is being ignored by politicians.Why?

New Zealanders need to have a say on immigration levels and where immigrants might come from.
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June 7, 2015 10:05am
mikenmild

Naughty Stuff for writing about people of whom you disapprove.
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June 7, 2015 10:06am
Reid

It’s funny how those who have so benefitted from immigration now want the doors closed behind them. I always chuckled when for Winston First deputy leader Peter Brown, a ten-pound Pom, used to bang on about the evils of immigration.

Of course there’s a big difference between calling for the topic to be debated in the first place, vs passing on a particular position.

Seems to me we all need to have a debate first, don’t we.

What’s wrong with that KS?

Anything at all?

That’s not “anti” anything, is it?
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June 7, 2015 10:07am
Shawn Herles

Oh don’t be silly Mike. I was not complaining about the subjects, but about the lack of objectivity.
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June 7, 2015 10:08am
wiseowl

At the end of Q+A Stephen Franks made such an important comment about safety and legislation. Politicians should be forced to listen to what he said.
And I agree that the corporates are quite happy to have all these regulations introduced that are driving small competitors out of business.
MP’s sit up and take notice.
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June 7, 2015 10:09am
Dennis Horne

What would it take to sweep you off your feet these days, Maggy? A hovercraft? 🙂 🙂 🙂
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June 7, 2015 10:09am
mikenmild

How would an ‘objective’ story have covered the Obama-Biden relationship?
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June 7, 2015 10:10am
Shawn Herles

I nearly bought an Austin Princess once.

That’s all I have to say on the subject.
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June 7, 2015 10:13am
Dennis Horne

No doubt you prayed for advice, Shawn … and clearly got it! 😉
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June 7, 2015 10:15am
Maggy Wassilieff

I could go with one of those gyro gearloose jet packs….. but I suspect it will be one of these
http://www.prismmedicalinc.com/universal-patient-lift-slings.html
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June 7, 2015 10:17am
Rodger

I notice the Chinese investor who came to NZ to buy houses story,has gone from 15 to 27 now up to 84 houses.
Urban legend anyone?
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June 7, 2015 10:21am
Dennis Horne

Maggy, I think Glenn Martin of Martin Jetpack is looking for someone or something to sweep him off his feet…
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June 7, 2015 10:26am
Reid

I notice the Chinese investor who came to NZ to buy houses story,has gone from 15 to 27 now up to 84 houses.

Don’t get distracted Rodger, the overseas investor is just disinformation put out for morons who don’t understand anything.

The real issue is the new Chinese residents who get money from Chinese banks to spend as much as they want on Auckland houses and there are tens of thousands of them every single year. Plus all the parents who are bought over by the students who’ve completed their studies here and now also qualify for residence and to bring their families over. And there are tens of thousands of them, too. And they all want to live in Auckland.

That’s where most of the price pressure is coming from but because they’re brand new residents the politicians and the media and the other liars don’t call them foreigners anymore and this takes in a lot of morons who, as I said, don’t understand anything at all.
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June 7, 2015 10:27am
Shawn Herles

Apparently Political Correctness does have at least one positive benefit!

“Seinfeld avoids college campuses; comedians tell him ‘they’re so PC’”

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jun/6/seinfeld-avoids-college-campuses-comedians-tell-hi/
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June 7, 2015 10:28am
Keeping Stock

@ Rodger – urban myth more likely 😀
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June 7, 2015 10:31am
Nookin

Maggy

My first car was an Austin 8. I was constantly adjusting the brakes and clutch. I now have an Audi Allroad. Sometimes, I yearn for the Austin!!!
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June 7, 2015 10:31am
Reid

It was busy, but luckily I managed to keep up with stuffs daily pro transsexual articles. Seriously, what the fuck. Every goddam day.

Coincidentally dime I explained this only yesterday:

http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2015/06/general_debate_6_june_2015.html#comment-1534133

Maggy, I think Glenn Martin of Martin Jetpack is looking for someone or something to sweep him off his feet…

There’s an interesting story in there, but sadly our entire media corps is so profoundly useless it’ll probably never surface. I wonder why he left. The cover story is he disagreed with the company’s focus on the defence/police/etc sectors at the expense of the personal market.

What sort of dumb reason is that to walk away from it?
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June 7, 2015 10:32am
Dennis Horne

Reid. worry not. Overpopulation and diminishing resources; nothing pestilence and war won’t solve.
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June 7, 2015 10:33am
Maggy Wassilieff

@Nookin

Yep, they were perfect excuses for not dealing with the essentials of life like painting the roof or cleaning out the drains.

However, men will soon find some other object to constantly fiddle with & adjust.
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June 7, 2015 10:37am
SGA

Dennis Horne at 10:33 am

Overpopulation and diminishing resources; nothing pestilence and war won’t solve.

You forgot famine 🙂
Cue apocalyptic references….
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June 7, 2015 10:38am
G152

Wife and I bought a Daimler Conquest.
When we moved flats in Wellington the next door neighbor there had two Daimler Centuries.. 🙂
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June 7, 2015 10:41am
Inandout

Nookin: I still miss tinkering with older motors, because our No8 wire culture was based on such things. A bit of useless info on Austin/Japan co-operation once.

‘In 1952 Austin entered into another agreement with Nissan for that company to assemble 2000 imported Austins from partially assembled sets and to sell them in Japan under the Austin trademark. The agreement called for Nissan to make all Austin parts locally within three years, a goal Nissan met. Nissan produced and marketed Austins for seven years. The agreement also gave Nissan rights to use Austin patents, which Nissan used in developing its own engines for its Datsun line of cars. In 1953 British-built Austins were assembled and sold, but by 1955, the Austin A50 – completely built by Nissan and featuring a slightly larger body with 1489 cc engine – was on the market in Japan. Nissan produced 20,855 Austins between 1953 and 1959’.
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June 7, 2015 10:46am
Maggy Wassilieff

I loved my Datsun… but the Island Bay rust ate it up…coz the bloody Austins were stored in the garage!
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June 7, 2015 10:52am
thedavincimode

My first car was an Austin 8. I was constantly adjusting the brakes and clutch.

Brakes??
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June 7, 2015 11:02am
publicwatchdog

Is THIS why ‘facilitation payments’ (BRIBES) have not been outlawed in the NZ Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Legislation Bill?

(Which has passed its second reading, the passage of which is required before New Zealand – purported to be the SECOND ‘least corrupt country in the world’ can FINALLY ratify the UN Convention Against Corruption?)

—————————————————————————–

Lay sheep deal carcass at Cabinet’s door

Saturday, 06 June 2015

Transparency International NZ says the type of “facilitation payment” to a Saudi businessman for losing his live sheep import trade is a small bribe.

By Fran O’Sullivan

There’s an old adage in politics: When you are politically exposed, make sure everyone who counts – from the boss down – also has their backside hanging out over the wire.

This painful reality will be apparent to John Key when it comes to pondering how to prise himself and his Government from the slow-moving train wreck that is the Saudi saga where an aggrieved investor, Hamood Al Ali Khalaf, was bought off under the guise of securing a free trade deal.

Key is under sustained attack from his political opponents, who are urging him to sack Foreign Minister Murray McCully.

No matter which way they – or those leading the charge – spin it, it’s difficult to see how Key can axe him without also turning focus back on his entire Cabinet, which approved the deal in the first place without seeking appropriate advice.

McCully – known as the Dark Prince – has made sure of that.

If his backside is on the wire, then so too are those of nearly 20 other Cabinet ministers and, in particular, his boss.

Key has tried to defuse the controversy with thinly veiled insinuations Labour had something similar in train after it upset the investor in the first place by placing a ban on live-sheep exports following the 2003 Cormo Express disaster and ruining his import business.

After suggesting journalists put in Official Information Act requests for the Labour material, the Key Government delayed the release of the documents after officials suggested the publicity might jeopardise international relations.

Yet, the whole furore has already done that.

The Saudis would have thought they had achieved a nifty compensation deal for their investor via the secret deal. This involved a $4 million payment to effectively settle the dispute, another $1.5 million to fly sheep in and establish a breeding farm in Saudi Arabia, plus $6 million of services from New Zealand Trade and Enterprise to foster a so-called agri-business hub.

In February 2013, McCully told the Cabinet the deal would help secure the Gulf Co-operation Council free trade deal.

After six successful negotiating rounds, this had sat on the table since October 2009 awaiting signature and final ratification.

Key’s positioning on this would be bolstered if the completed deal is unveiled soon. There have been expectations this might occur in either of the two trips he has made to the Middle East. He did not help relations by cutting short his first trip to come back to New Zealand after several soldiers were killed when their helicopter crashed into a hill.

That Key aborted his trip to come home when these men lost their lives as a result of an accident – not through being in the line of fire in a combat zone – was not understood in the Middle East. But in his latest whistle-stop trip, the deal still wasn’t signed off.

Former Foreign Minister Phil Goff has been less damning of McCully than some other Opposition politicians. Goff has been around long enough in international circles to know there are a lot more grievous transgressions than a mere $11.5 million compensation deal.

As he told the Herald: “I’m keeping a partially open mind on it; it just looks like a cover for passing across $10 million or $11 million to the unhappy private investor.”

It was legitimate for a foreign minister to unblock any obstacle, “but if you are going to do that, you have to be very careful indeed”.

And there is the rub. The problem is that in putting forward his solution to compensate the aggrieved Saudi, McCully failed to nail it conclusively to the finalisation of the free trade deal. The usual avenue for this would be through an agricultural co-operation agreement that would sit as an appendix to the FTA. ……

———————————————————————
Penny Bright

http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz
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June 7, 2015 11:06am
Nookin

“However, men will soon find some other object to constantly fiddle with & adjust.”

Regretfully, the list gets shorter as we get older.
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June 7, 2015 11:21am
Nookin

TDM

Probably should have said “looking for the brakes” rather than “adjusting” the brakes.

Remember these?
http://www.austinmemories.com/page8/page33/page33.html

This was my parents’ family car before 7 kids arrived. Wasn’t really good for much after that.
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June 7, 2015 11:26am
Reid

Penny, has it not occurred to you that those here interested in the developing Saudi issue would have already read that and other MSM articles on it?

I mean, what’s your point? What insight can you offer beyond what’s already in the public domain on this?

Anything? Or not really, you’re just repeating what someone else has said. Wasting everyone’s time in other words.

Aren’t you.
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June 7, 2015 11:36am
Harriet

This is a car story I wish I’d never told the aussie wife. I’ve been ridiculed and punished for more than a couple of decades now. 🙂

My first car was a mark 2 Ford Cortina. Manual coloum change. Got my full licence in it a month or two after I turned JUST FIFTEEN. I don’t think kids today would know what a coloum change is, let alone being able to get their licence in it. Most blokes would know what I mean, as most young women and some males today can only drive an automatic.

Anyway, traffic cops back then assesed you on your confidence and a few mistakes were the norm when you did the practical exam. Where as today for kids to pass their licence they have to be perfect with the road rules. I know, as I had two major accidents with the driving instructer 🙂 – and then of course a bit less confidence, however both accidents were not my fault. On the day of my practical, I had to go into the council staff room at lunch time where the cops said “Hello crash!” I was then told not to worry about passing the exam as I was ok at driving and the driving instructer had being doing it for decades, and the sooner I drove by myself the sooner I’d get my confidence back. So……..we drove up the road into 4th gear, changed back down to a stop, did a three point turn, and then went back to the council office and reversed into a car park. “That covers every action you’ll make while driving. You’ve passed.” 🙂

The wife “bought” a Jeep a month ago – and I’ve been allowed to drive it all of 3 times. “No you can’t drive it, they had to give you your licence you useless kiwi prick.”

“The car yard should give you a car out of compassion, since you are so worthless. Save me paying for them.” I’ve been building up my courage. 🙂
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June 7, 2015 11:47am
srylands

“(Which has passed its second reading, the passage of which is required before New Zealand – purported to be the SECOND ‘least corrupt country in the world’ can FINALLY ratify the UN Convention Against Corruption?)”
_________________________________________

I stopped reading at the phrase “UN Convention…”
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June 7, 2015 12:01pm
Viking2

ross411 (1,159 comments) says:
June 7th, 2015 at 9:40 am

dime (11,011 comments) says:
June 7th, 2015 at 9:28 am
Back from Hawaii. Had a blast.

It was busy, but luckily I managed to keep up with stuffs daily pro transsexual articles.

Seriously, what the fuck. Every goddam day.

I haven’t read stuff in years. It’s 90% garbage. And the herald site isn’t readable either. What I’d like is a news site that aggregates all the decent articles and provides context on the crappy journalism, that’s politically neutral. We get some aggregation here, but it’s from a diehard National perspective.

============================
Ah you two,……………
philu was here for a long time………..
developing just ……such a site. …………………….
go find em fella’s 😆 …………………………

Just don’t bring him home. OK 😆
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June 7, 2015 12:05pm
publicwatchdog

Seen this Reid?

In my opinion, having the ‘pin stripe mafia’ involved in ‘auditing’ – well – of ANY financial activities is fundamentally flawed?
—————————————————————————————————————————–
Did KPMG spot anything amiss at FIFA?

JUNE 4, 2015 0 0 BLOG, CORRUPTION, ENABLERS AND INTERMEDIARIES

FIFA boss Sepp Blatter instructs the auditors

From Francine McKenna:

“Of all the individuals and firms tied up in the scandal over bribery and corruption at FIFA, scrutiny has so far largely escaped KPMG, the soccer association’s external auditor.”

That’s the summary, and our quote of the day.

The article continues:

“The accounting and consulting firm’s Swiss member is responsible not only for the audit of the multibillion-dollar umbrella FIFA organization, and has been since before the period under scrutiny by U.S. and Swiss prosecutors, but also audits a large sample of member associations around the world that receive FIFA funding on an annual basis.

KPMG also prepares a compilation of all financial reports after the completion of each four-year World Cup cycle.

KPMG was also the auditor and adviser for the official Russia and Qatar organizing committees when they prepared the winning bids that are now targeted in corruption investigations in the U.S. and Switzerland. KPMG continues to support Russia’s organizing committee, while Qatar switched to Ernst & Young in 2011.”

And here’s a particularly pathetic detail:

“The transactions highlighted by the DOJ indictment may not have met KPMG’s materiality threshold, given the size of the organization.”

Enough said. Hat tip: Alex Cobham.

———————————————————————

Penny Bright

http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz
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June 7, 2015 12:08pm
wellygirl

Hello All,

It is another beautiful day here in Beijing, currently a warm 15degrees (real feel about 19), and a very clear sky – AQI is at a moderate 55.

For some context, I have read, (but not seen the data), that the air quality in NZ is on average between 0-10 on the AQI, but in winter when the Christchurch pollution is at it’s worst it will get to about 20-25 on the AQI.

We very rarely have days under about 30, and an average day (since I have been here), is usually around 120-170, there have been a number of days over 200, and one day that got over 900 (we had a major dust storm that day).

I am not sure what particles are measured in NZ (but have been told that it is the PM10 particles), in Beijing they measure both the PM10 & PM2.5. The PM10 are the larger particles like dust, smoke, mould spores etc, PM2.5 are generally the more toxic and include heavy metals and carbon monoxide.

And there endeth the Air Quality lesson. 🙂
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June 7, 2015 12:14pm
publicwatchdog

The above-mentioned article came from this website:

http://www.taxjustice.net

Mobile-friendly – Coalition of researchers and activists focused on the harmful impacts of tax avoidance, tax competition and tax havens
—————————————————–

Kind regards

Penny Bright

http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz
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June 7, 2015 12:17pm
wellygirl

All the talk about cars has made me nostalgic.

I learnt to drive in an Austin Allegro, but my first car was a mini, not even a cool mini cooper, but a bog standard 1971 mini that couldn’t go over 80, had no radio, and the heating didn’t work! but I loved it, a great uni car.

I currently own no car, but then I would be stupid to want to drive here!
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June 7, 2015 12:18pm
Don the Kiwi

Griff and his minions will read this and weep. 🙂

“Science mag is publishing a blockbuster paper today, on June 4. Oh boy! Get ready to watch yet another big fight about climate change – this time mainly among different groups of climate alarmists. Is there a “pause”? Did global climate really stop warming during the last dozen years, 18 years, or even 40 years – in spite of rising levels of the greenhouse (GH) gas carbon dioxide?

The renowned National Climate Data Center (NCDC), a division of NOAA located in Asheville, NC, claims that the widely reported (and accepted) temperature hiatus (i.e., near-zero trend) is an illusion – just an artifact of data analysis – and that the global climate never really stopped warming.If true, what a blessing that would be for the UN-IPCC – and for climate alarmists generally, who have been under siege to explain the cause of the pause.

This paper is turning out to be a “big deal.”The publisher of Science has even issued a special press release, promoting the NCDC claim of continued slow but steady warming.

Of course, NCDC-NOAA and Science may end up with egg on their collective faces.It does look a little suspicious that NCDC arrived at this earth-shaking “discovery” after all these years, after “massaging” its own weather-station data, just before the big policy conference in December in Paris that is supposed to slow the rise of CO2 from the burning of energy fuels, coal, oil, and gas.

Now watch the sparks fly — as there are two major constituencies that have a vested interest in the pause:

Go here to read the rest”
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June 7, 2015 12:32pm
Don the Kiwi

Oops.
The link is here. http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2015/06/the_climate_warming_pause_goes_awol.html
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June 7, 2015 12:36pm
stephieboy

I was this morning down at the Sandringham shopping centre that in many ways is a microcosm of Auckland’s dynamic and successful multiculturalism . Featured are a number of shopping bazaars selling exotic aromatic, spicy and more familiar foods, restraunts , halal butchers etc etc with a throng of peoples hailing originally from South Asia , SE Asia , ME etc and of course local enthralled kiwis .

Truly reflecting the real texture, vibrancy and dynamism and magic of how multiculturalism contributes and works for New Zealand.

http://www.indianweekender.co.nz/Pages/ArticleDetails/25/4883/In-focus/Sandringham-Aucklands-Little-India

Contrasted with the ill informed , ignorant and abnoxious of those against.
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June 7, 2015 12:38pm
Fletch

I learned to drive in a Morris 1100. Sat like a trolley on the road it did. Very easy to drive.
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June 7, 2015 12:40pm
Fletch

The results of Obama’s ‘recovery’. 47 major retailers (including large ones like JC Penney, Radio Shack, Office Max, Macy’s, Sears, and Barnes and Noble) will be closing 6000 stores nationwide in the U.S

47 major retailers plan on closing the doors of a combined 6,000 stores over the next year, in what some have deemed a “retail apocalypse.”

“Expect to see more storefronts closed at malls across the country,” one expert commented. “It’s getting ugly out there.”

According to Liftable, would-be shoppers are maxing out their credit cards in order to pay for their skyrocketing health insurance costs under Obamacare, and race riots in cities like Baltimore have only made retailers more skittish about expanding.

Throw a $15 minimum wage into the equation, and businesses simply can’t afford the day-to-day costs to operate any longer.

http://buzzpo.com/its-getting-ugly-out-there-47-major-retailers-close-6000-stores-nationwide/

Link includes a chart showing which stores are closing and how many branches.
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June 7, 2015 12:43pm
Fletch

Today is the 71st anniversary of D-Day – arguably the most important day of the 20th century.

http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2015/06/06/june-6-1944-the-most-important-day-of-the-twentieth-century/
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June 7, 2015 12:46pm
KevinH

Back in “79 while living in Ponsonby , before the yuppies moved in , I bought a A60 Van den Pla from the neighbour. It was part of her late husbands estate and had been stored in her garage for over 10 years. Unfortunately the paint had begun to oxidise but apart from that it was in original condition with 60k miles on the speedo.
I paid $800 for it and bought it on a whim because it was there and really didn’t know much about it. To my surprise it had full leather seats, twin SU’s and a 3litre motor and after replacing the brake linings found it could hum along nicely at 90mph, it could do a ton easy and just floated along.
Regretfully I couldn’t keep it because of financial restraints and sold it six months later for $1500. Years later I learned that it was a truly rare car worth a small fortune, the motor which I never touched had been built by Rolls Royce and the body work was a coach build.
7 1
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June 7, 2015 12:51pm
Griff

Go here to read the rest”
At American thinking for you because we know you are really thick and believe whatever tripe we post.
No thanks don I dont bother with rubbish like that.
I keep up to date daily by reading a range of actual climate science blogs By actual scientists.
This story is almost a week old and a link to the paper has already been published on kb GD

The changes were discussed years ago in the literature as a needed up date once sufficient data was avalable .
In this paper from 2006
https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/attachments/Improvements-NOAAs-Historical-Merged-land-Ocean-Temp-Analysis-1880-2006_0.pdf
It is nothing new and well supported by research and data.
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June 7, 2015 12:54pm
kowtow

Multi ethnic yes, multicultural no. And definitely no to Islam.
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June 7, 2015 1:14pm
wiseowl

Thanks for that wellygirl.
It’s because of the pm10 measure that we have been told that hundreds of citizens are dying in NZ and we have to ban heating our homes with perfectly good fires because it is naughty to exceed pm10 levels of no consequence on two nights a year because all those people outside on a freezing cold night will breathe these terrible particles and end up in hospital.

A UN con.

The latest area to be attacked is Gore for Gods sake where they need all the warmth they can get.
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June 7, 2015 1:20pm
cha

The results of Obama’s ‘recovery’.

Yeah, because e-tailing, single stop big boxes and the fact that no major indoor mall has been built in the US since 2006 have nothing to do with the reality that traditional retail outlets are on their way to extinction.
/
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June 7, 2015 1:22pm
OneTrack

Stephieboy – “nd successful multiculturalism . Featured are a number of shopping bazaars selling exotic aromatic, spicy …”

So all the problems that multiculturalism brings with it are worth it to be able to buy an authentic halal kebab?
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June 7, 2015 1:46pm
Don the Kiwi

This is the man that Griff scoffs at and calls his report rubbish.

S. Fred Singer is professor emeritus at the University of Virginia and a founding director of the Science & Environmental Policy Project; in 2014, after 25 years, he stepped down as president of SEPP. His specialty is atmospheric and space physics. An expert in remote sensing and satellites, he served as the founding director of the US Weather Satellite Service and, more recently, as vice chair of the US National Advisory Committee on Oceans & Atmosphere. He is a Senior Fellow of the Heartland Institute and the Independent Institute. He co-authored the NY Times best-seller Unstoppable Global Warming: Every 1500 years. In 2007, he founded and has chaired the NIPCC (Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change), which has released several scientific reports [See NIPCCreport.org].

With his list of qualifications, I think I would listen to what he has to say before I would take any notice of what Griff and his heroes Gore, Mann, Pachaudri et. al. have to say.
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June 7, 2015 2:19pm
jcuk

Whot no mention of the Ford 10 … I had a flatdeck version as my first four-wheeler …. I also worked for three weeks in the Ford assembly factory where the supervisor told me not to be so careful at sanding at the dry-sanding station cause it caused a hold-up on the production line. I learnt in a Morris 8 1937 model and passed my test first time in East London after learning driving around the quite scarce traffic of petrol rationing in 1948 in central London Hyde Park Corner etc. … Dad had walked and saved the fuel tickets so I could learn to drive.
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June 7, 2015 2:31pm
Brigitte

Ah yes, cars. I had to buy a car a while back. With the prospect of inheriting my grans caravan, and having watched Top Gear, I thought “now what would Jeremy Clarkson do?”. So I went out and bought a Rover diesel, as you do.

Now I’m worried that he’ll come to NZ and want me to take him off to a caravan park for the weekend to discuss cars over a nice cocoa. What have I done.

Still, the economy is great (as is the towing power) and it sure beats the Humber 80 we had when I grew up.
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June 7, 2015 2:32pm
Griff

This is the man that Griff scoffs at and calls his report rubbish.

S. Fred Singer

ROFL

If Freds the man who wrote it is will be guaranteed to be dribble .
Go research Fred Singer don.
He is well known as a Hack for hire has been for almost three decades.

http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/S._Fred_Singer
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/S._Fred_Singer
http://www.exposethebastards.com/who_is_s_fred_singer
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June 7, 2015 2:34pm
Don the Kiwi

So in rebuttal, Griff again mocks him, and puts up as evidence 3 links which not only attack him personally instead of his work – a classic Lefty progressive Alinsky style tactic – the links are unabashedly in the AGW falsification camp.

Singer objectively makes several valid points – how about some objective rebuttal OF THE SCIENCE – not the man. 🙂
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June 7, 2015 2:48pm
Jack5

Whale labels Bill English a “scum List MP” in a heading on his blog today, over Bill’s views on euthanasia. Mrs English is a GP, on which Whale comments:

Much and all as I dislike Nick Smith’s politics, in person he is a top bloke, he keeps getting elected with massive majorities because he listens to his constituents.

Bill English has to listen to no one but his stroppy missus.

http://www.whaleoil.co.nz/2015/06/scum-list-mp-says-he-will-vote-for-pain-and-suffering/#more-193218
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June 7, 2015 2:54pm
waikatogirl

Reid
There’s an interesting story in there, but sadly our entire media corps is so profoundly useless it’ll probably never surface. I wonder why he left. The cover story is he disagreed with the company’s focus on the defence/police/etc sectors at the expense of the personal market.

***
Martin did walk away as you say because the new owners were taking it from the personal jet pack he had always dreamed of, but also he gagged at the corporate world he was caught up in. The company got their lawyers to send him a letter asking him to desist from speaking about the change of direction in public. Pack of corporate wankers! He retains his shares.
He is now working on other inventions
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June 7, 2015 3:12pm
Griff

As I have already linked to a paper published almost a decade ago that explains the reason for the resent update don I have totally rebutted singers claims.
The right way to dispute science is to publish a paper not some opinion piece on a wing nut misinformation site .
That you can not see this is why you are the target audience for sites like American thinker.
Because they know their audience is as thick as a brick.

by the way.
Minus one point for mentioning fat Al Gore .

http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Gore%27s_Law
As an online climate change debate grows longer, the probability that denier arguments will descend into attacks on Al Gore approaches 1

“Al Gore could be short, evil and fond of child sacrifice. He could emit more CO2 snoring at night than Christopher Monckton does all year. And his movie could be even more inaccurate than The Great Global Warming Swindle. But this wouldn’t change a thing.”

minus another for Pachaudri as he was an administrator not a scientist .

and as to Mann.
http://www.meteo.psu.edu/holocene/public_html/Mann/about/
Dr. Michael E. Mann is Distinguished Professor of Meteorology at Penn State University, with joint appointments in the Department of Geosciences and the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute (EESI). He is also director of the Penn State Earth System Science Center (ESSC).

Far more of a scientist than Singer was even before he went to being a fake expert for hire .
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June 7, 2015 3:15pm
Nookin

Jack5

Mr Slater seems intent on re-creating himself as a man of unlovely disposition. I used to enjoy some of his more outrageous observations but, really, he has descended to a level of almost perpetual ad hominism ( if that is a word). The site very rarely contains anything of any interest other than his own insatiable desire to be heard. A bit like one of the commenters on this blog, in fact.
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June 7, 2015 3:18pm
oldpark

After reading the so called right wing Whaleoil blog site it seems with some of the comments from the Fijian Born owner ,the site is fast becoming the Wail -oil site. Something has been eating him about other people opinions. Woe betide anyone who steps above the parapet in that persons biased outlook. To think the donation bucket is rattled monthly, to feed the psyche of only one way, his way,. In his mind FIFO.
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June 7, 2015 3:22pm
Keeping Stock

@ Nookin – WO makes his distaste of English pretty obvious. But to attack English’s wife, who to the best of my knowledge has never tried to impose her personal views on the electorate (unlike Peter Davis, who used to write letters to the Herald when they criticised his wife) is poor form indeed.
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June 7, 2015 3:23pm
stephieboy

kowtow,

“Multi ethnic yes, multicultural no. And definitely no to Islam.”

A very fine line distinction between what is multicultural and multiethnic . A Hindu community in West Auckland this weekend opened a large Temple and community facility .

Is this an ethnic or cultural event ? Obviously a mixture of both I would say .

And what harm are those e.g Halal butchers doing to you personally now ?

Is it no surprise that most people here in Auckland and elsewhere think your ravings and paranoia about Islam are lunatic fringe ?
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June 7, 2015 3:24pm
brett68

Whale oil is a complete wanker, the absolute epitome of the man-child.

The fool deserves to fail.
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June 7, 2015 3:38pm
Manolo

Definitely no Muslims. No room for that vile and savage cult in NZ.
Regardless of opinions to the contrary uttered by fools who believe Islam is a peaceful relifgion dedicated to the worship of a paedophile prophet.
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June 7, 2015 3:45pm
Jack5

Stephieboy posted at 3.24:

And what harm are those e.g Halal butchers doing to you personally now …

Halal style slaughter for Muslims and Jews is an interesting point where cultures disagree, Stephieboy.

I think most Western opposition to halal slaughter is about perceptions of cruelty, and quick death for animals, rather thank taking exception to slaughtermen facing Mecca and praying etc, in Muslim halal’s case.

If we were to migrate to India (is that even allowed by India?) we would accept Indian practice and customs about cows.

It might be argued that if people want to migrate to New Zealand they should accept our practices and customs on animal slaughter and cruelty. This argument is complicated of course, by the need for halal killing of sheep for mutton destined for the Middle East.
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June 7, 2015 3:55pm
Manolo

The incompetent Obama, a Trojan horse and another multiculturalist for you:
http://www.voanews.com/content/obama-celebraters-immigrant-heritage-month/2810122.html
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June 7, 2015 3:56pm
Jack5

Whale Oil’s broken some interesting stories and issues.

He’s stepped over the line a number of times, such as in his stand-off with West Coasters over the mine disaster, but I think NZ could do with more stirrers like him. Democracy needs to be robust to delay the onset of the terminal stage of bureaucracy, which, like rust, never sleeps.
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June 7, 2015 3:58pm
Dennis Horne

Don the Kiwi (1,917 comments) says: June 7th, 2015 at 12:32 pm
Griff and his minions will read this and weep. 🙂

I really don’t know why you can’t believe increasing an important greenhouse gas 40% — from 270 to 400 ppm — when we know it is the greenhouse effect that keeps us from freezing to death, might alter the climate.

After all, you are absolutely certain your god exists, but can produce no evidence whatsoever. Indeed, there isn’t anything about the universe that even hints there are gods. Furthermore, Life for most on Earth is capricious and cruel.

Worse, you believe in everlasting life, which, if it wasn’t labelled “religion” would be diagnosed “insanity”. I don’t think you’re in any position to scoff at Griff’s belief system.

Your punishment will be another limerick… 🙂 🙂 🙂
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June 7, 2015 4:04pm
Steve (North Shore)

While some are talking about pommy crap, I learnt to drive in a Bradford van. Two cylinder boxer, cone clutch, what a piece of shit.
Cheap as to run though
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June 7, 2015 4:05pm
Manolo

@Jack5: You are pissing in the wind. stephieboy is an unabashed supporter of unqualified immigration. In fact, if the buggers are Muslims, they can come by the thousands.
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June 7, 2015 4:06pm
Manolo

Socialist Labour and do-gooders lose another battle: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/69168659/english-wont-adopt-labours-extreme-warrant-of-fitness-for-housing
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June 7, 2015 4:31pm
SGA

Dennis Horne at 4:04 pm

Your punishment will be another limerick… 🙂 🙂 🙂

Are there no limits to your cruelty and depravity?
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June 7, 2015 4:34pm
nasska

….”Are there no limits to your cruelty and depravity”,,,,,

What have the Muses of Poetry ever done to warrant such mangled verse? 🙂
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June 7, 2015 4:44pm
Don the Kiwi

“Your punishment will be another limerick… 🙂 🙂 :)”

Oh No Denis – please don’t subject me to that unrelenting torture. How could you be so cruel???

” Life for most on Earth is capricious and cruel.”

And you would impose upon me another {GASP} LIMERICK??? Lord, spare me from cruel and capricious men. (It is mankind,actually,that is the cuase of your complaint – not God’s creation 😉 )

As Bugs Bunny says, anything – but please don’t throw me into that briar patch. 🙂 🙂
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June 7, 2015 4:46pm
wellygirl

Wiseowl @ 1.20

You are welcome. I am no expert on this, and to be honest haven’t really been bothered about Air Quality issues until I moved to Beijing, so really haven’t followed much about at home. I have started to read more on it, and try to find out more since being in Beijing. The good thing about the AQI website that most use is that it is run by the US Embassy, and so are quite accurate, if unofficial, and it is interesting to see the difference in readings between the US Embassy and the Chinese Govt readings which tend to be a bit lower.

Whilst I think that some action needs to be looked at with regards to air pollution, I also do find it almost laughable that the green zealots in NZ go on about how bad the pollution is in NZ, when the worst day in NZ is still twice as good as a great day in places like Beijing.

For those interested, the US Embassy site uses a traffic light system, anything under 50 is green (good), 51-100 is yellow (moderate), 101-150 is orange (unhealthy for sensitive groups), 151-200 is red (unhealthy), 201-300 is purple (very unhealthy) and anything over 300 is hazardous. Masks and air purifiers are usually recommended and used over about 150-200.

I note earlier I indicated that the average since I have been here was about 120-150, that was me trying to remember what the levels have been like, however, since I wrote that I see some official data has been released on a site called The Beijinger (it is a site for ex pats in Beijing), looking at comparisons and monthly averages from Jan-April since 2008 when the US Embassy started measuring and publishing hourly AQI numbers for PM2.5, this year hasn’t been too bad as the average has been 93, so a bit better than I thought, I would however be interested in how those numbers stack up against NZ.

For those interested the link is here:

http://www.thebeijinger.com/blog/2015/06/05/more-beijings-airenaissance-when-airs-bad-and-when-its-good

And now I have bored you all, I hope you will also take a moment to appreciate the beautiful clear air in NZ, even on those horribly polluted days. It is true that we don’t appreciate how lucky we are in NZ until we travel.
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June 7, 2015 4:48pm

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PO Box 12270, Thorndon, Wellington 6144

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