General Debate 15 February 2018

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stephieboy

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Curtains for the POTUS ?

We the people rest our case .

“Longtime Trump attorney says he made $180,000 payment to Stormy Daniels with his money”

A longtime personal attorney for President Trump said tonight that he paid US$130,000 (NZ$178,000) to an adult-film star who had told people she had an affair with Trump a decade before he won the presidency.
Michael Cohen, who had previously dismissed stories about the payment, said he paid Stormy Daniels — whose real name is Stephanie Clifford — using his own money, rather than involving the Trump Organization or the Trump presidential campaign. His comments came after a watchdog group argued that the payout should be viewed as an unreported campaign expense, which Cohen denied.
“I am Mr Trump’s longtime special counsel and I have proudly served in that role for more than a decade,” Cohen said in a statement tonight, which was first reported by the New York Times.
“In a private transaction in 2016, I used my own personal funds to facilitate a payment of $130,000 to Ms Stephanie Clifford. Neither the Trump Organization nor the Trump campaign was a party to the transaction with Ms Clifford, and neither reimbursed me for the payment, either directly or indirectly.”

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11994565

LOL
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February 15, 2018 8:01am
- srylands
  
  I want this disappeared by 0815. It is the LOL at the end that is particularly idiotic.
  
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  February 15, 2018 8:05am
  - CHFR1
    
    Stephie you will find that the majority in the USA don’t care as an ex President once said “It is the economy stupid”
    
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    February 15, 2018 8:07am
    - stephieboy
      
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      CHFR1, “It is the economy stupid” didn’t save his tole model Bill .
      
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      February 15, 2018 8:11am
  - fernglas
    
    You’ve got to admit that the idea of a lawyer coughing over $130k of his own money to pay off a porn star on behalf of a wealthy client is pretty risible.
    
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    February 15, 2018 8:08am
    - Colville
      
      Depends on a few things really, IMHO.
      The size of the accounts being paid by the client, the depth of the pockets of the lawyer and if the laywer (and his partners) think its an investment to have someone like The Don owing them a favour?
      
      Personally I think it it would be money well spent!
      
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      February 15, 2018 8:42am
      - All_on_Red
        
        Most US lawyers are on retainers which you might pay monthly
        Given the size of Trumps business $130k might only be a months retainer.
        
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        February 15, 2018 9:25am
  - RalphT
    
    “I want this disappeared by 0815”
    The comment or stephieboy? One can be achieved fairly easily; sadly the other may take more time.
    
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    February 15, 2018 8:09am
  - stigie
    
    Didn’t read the shit, gone by 8.25 though !~
    
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    February 15, 2018 8:20am
    - Captain Mainwaring
      
      And 49 downticks by 8.55. Is that a new record?
      
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      February 15, 2018 8:54am
  - oldpark
    
    That article by the Sharia girl/ boy is fake news.The woman has since retracted the claim. In fact Sharia girl/Boy you’re mate Mohammed was having sex with a nine year old girl and even married her. Maybe that fact should get a bit more coverage.
    
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    February 15, 2018 8:25am
    - Gabby
      
      Retracted the claim? She got paid twice then oldfart.
      
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      February 15, 2018 12:22pm
  - stephieboy
    
    Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
    srlands , the truth unbearable about your Master ?
    
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    February 15, 2018 8:27am
    - VicParking
      
      Morning Stephie Not off to a good start today. I’m sure you will find solace with Goaty. ??
      
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      February 15, 2018 8:32am
      - cmm
        
        Mr/Miss Goaty is still eating the roses and chocs that he/she got yesterday.
        
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        February 15, 2018 8:38am
      - VicParking
        
        I can assure you Goaty is female called Maria named after a Christian slave wife of Mohamed.
        ???
        
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        February 15, 2018 10:19am
      - cmm
        
        Are you sure Ms Goaty self identifies as female? You can’t be too careful these days.
        
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        February 15, 2018 12:03pm
    - srylands
      
      No what is unbearable is your closing “LOL”. Either you are 12, or you really are sitting in your basement ‘laughing out loud’ as you compose your narratives.
      
      Either scenario disturbs me.
      
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      February 15, 2018 8:38am
- Don the Kiwi
  
  Of course, stupidboy was quite happy with the affairs and rapes by Bill Clinton, the lies and distortions of Barack Obama, and the criminal activity of Hillary Clinton.
  
  What an arsewipe.
  
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  February 15, 2018 8:07am
  - stephieboy
    
    Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
    “…the lies and distortions of Barack Obama, and the criminal activity of Hillary Clinton……”
    
    ?????
    
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    February 15, 2018 8:12am
    - DifferentPerspective
      
      Sqwawk!
      
      Who’s a pretty Polly then?
      
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      February 15, 2018 8:27am
    - Kimbo
      
      To paraphrase the Hitler joke about liquidating all the Jews, Gypsies and clowns, (“Er, why the clowns, mein Fuhrer?”) “You see? No one cares about Bill Clinton’s rapes”! ?
      
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      February 15, 2018 9:18am
  - doggone7
    
    If the British Prime Minister can do what he did with a pig a lawyer paying someone off to be silent is nothing.
    
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3242550/Cameron-pig-bemused-look-face-future-PM-took-outrageous-initiation-ceremony-joining-Oxford-dining-society.html
    
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    February 15, 2018 9:46am
- GazzaW
  
  Oooh, I’ll bet that you have been just bursting with anticipation to post that little number since you spotted it in the Herald this morning stephie.
  
  Can I ask why you find everything to be funny? LOL.
  
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  February 15, 2018 8:09am
  - stephieboy
    
    Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
    GazzaW , many of his followers are Evangelical Christians and other self righteous prudes like possibly you .
    
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    February 15, 2018 8:14am
    - GazzaW
      
      Bahahahaha! The very thought of me being a self righteous prude makes me LOL!!
      
      Did I touch a wee nerve about you bursting with anticipation? Watching, watching, watching and waiting for GD to appear? What a shame that your effort has vanished so quickly but at least you have beaten W of O’s record.
      
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      February 15, 2018 8:28am
      - stephieboy
        
        Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
        Gazza W, obviously a reminder of an unpopular fact with people like you is an unbearable truth .
        
        I’m sure if this was an Obama it would be receive a gleeful uptick mania led by you .
        
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        February 15, 2018 8:51am
- Inandout
  
  Heterosexual rules in the US stephie.
  
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  February 15, 2018 8:17am
  - stephieboy
    
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    Inandout , even heterosexual adultery ?
    
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    February 15, 2018 8:18am
    - oldpark
      
      Not forgetting you’re mate Mohammed Pedophillie ,on a nine year old child. Lest we forget Sharia/boy/girl.Or is it okay when your lot do it.
      
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      February 15, 2018 8:30am
- All_on_Red
  
  She has signed two affadavits saying the affair never happened. She has been on Jimmy Kimmels show and also there stated it never happened.
  Meanwhile Trumps job approval is at 47% and in the generic mid term Polling, the GOP have taken the lead.
  
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  February 15, 2018 8:18am
  - stephieboy
    
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    All on Wed ,
    
    “Trump’s disapproval rating drops to lowest level in 10 months: Poll “
    
    http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/trumps-disapproval-rating-drops-to-lowest-level-in-10-months-poll/article/2649041
    
    I rest my case .
    
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    February 15, 2018 8:24am
    - All_on_Red
      
      From your link.
      ‘The Republican commander in chief’s approval rating in the Feb. 8-12 survey was also 47 percent.’
      Also you realise that when you say ‘DISAPPROVAL rating drops to LOWEST level’ you’re confirming Trump is doing better?
      I said last night that I believe that your opinions and views are worthless because you are too dumb to be taken seriously.
      That comment just got confirmed right now- again.
      Case over
      
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      February 15, 2018 8:30am
      - stephieboy
        
        Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
        All On Wed , so the President’s sexual and groping dalliances gets your nod of approval ?
        
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        February 15, 2018 8:43am
      - All_on_Red
        
        Not so sure you should be talking about sexual matters given your proclivity for looking at porn sites and perving at young girls in Malls
        I bet you looked up pictures of Stormy too
        Aye?
        But as I say, your opinions are worthless because you are just soooo dumb.
        
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        February 15, 2018 8:50am
      - stephieboy
        
        Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
        All on Red Herring , just keep on with your deluded dream of a a 1900 mile Mexican border wall .
        
        I take it we can safely say the President’s past sexual proclivities gets your thumbs up ?
        
        Aye ?
        
        Now who is the perv ?
        
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        February 15, 2018 8:55am
      - Ross12
        
        You still do not get how stupid your comment is as pointed out to you by All_on_Red.
        Decreasing DISAPPROVAL ratings !!!! take a break and think about what that means.
        
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        February 15, 2018 9:04am
      - Keeping Stock
        
        He shoots; he scores!
        
        It’s an own goal for the Stephie XI 😀
        
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        February 15, 2018 9:39am
  - sooty
    
    Hay, stephieboy the know it all. Trying to fill in for ztev. But failing miserably. But then which idiot is on duty today?
    
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    February 15, 2018 8:25am
    - stephieboy
      
      Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
      sooty , the truth unpalatable for you too ?
      
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      February 15, 2018 8:28am
      - VicParking
        
        Ztev ran off with Stephie’s Goat.Star crossed lovers
        
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        February 15, 2018 8:37am
      - Inandout
        
        stephie, go grope a nubile.
        
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        February 15, 2018 8:46am
- Scott
  
  In other news Trump’s poll numbers are definitely on the increase. He is now at 47% approval and 47% disapproval. Previously the disapproval rating was much higher than the approval.
  
  The favourability of the generic Republican is also now level with the favourability of the generic Democrat in the polling. This is good news for Republicans come the end of year congressional elections.
  
  Actually Trump is doing very well at the moment and reaching across the aisle with issues like immigration and infrastructure. He is proposing a generous amnesty for illegal aliens which the Democrats claim they want. He is also proposing spending billions of dollars on infra-structure, again something that the Democrats say that they want.
  
  His generosity and evenhandedness towards the opposition, his willingness to reach across the aisle in a bipartisan fashion, is probably only going to help his poll numbers.
  
  Plus the tax cut that Americans are enjoying won’t be hurting him either.
  
  http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2018/02/poll-gop-and-trump-are-no-longer-below-water.php
  
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  February 15, 2018 8:51am
- Andrei
  
  Hey stephieboy – see if you can get your head around this
  
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  February 15, 2018 8:56am
  - Harkman
    
    Classic, no wonder the SJWs hate Putin and Russia.
    
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    February 15, 2018 9:15am
- Harkman
  
  So you mind if it is Trump but when it is a Clinton, you ignore it. Very credible SB.
  
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  February 15, 2018 9:03am
- Fletch
  
  Daniels, who in 2011 gave an interview in which she claimed (in lurid detail) to have had an affair with Trump, apparently issued a statement saying she hadn’t actually had such a relationship after all. “The fact of the matter is that each party to this alleged affair denied its existence in 2006, 2011, 2016, 2017 and now again in 2018,” the statement read. “I am not denying the affair because I was paid ‘hush money’ as has been reported in overseas owned tabloids. I am denying this affair because it never happened.”
  
  “I will have no further comment on this matter,” it continued.
  
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  February 15, 2018 12:32pm
  - cha
    
    Good times ahead.
    
    — Stormy Daniels, the porn star whom Donald Trump’s attorney acknowledges paying $130,000 just before Election Day, believes she is now free to discuss an alleged sexual encounter with the man who is now president, her manager told The Associated Press Wednesday.
    
    At the same time, developments in the bizarre case are fueling questions about whether such a payment could violate federal campaign finance laws.
    
    Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, believes that Trump’s personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, invalidated a non-disclosure agreement after two news stories were published Tuesday: one in which Cohen told The New York Times he made the six-figure payment with his personal funds, and another in the Daily Beast, which reported that Cohen was shopping a book proposal that would touch on Daniels’ story, said the manager, Gina Rodriguez.
    
    “Everything is off now, and Stormy is going to tell her story,” Rodriguez said.
    
    https://www.apnews.com/7511e7654b2f476489be235327843280
    
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    February 15, 2018 12:41pm
holysheet

Go Judith, you good thing you.
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February 15, 2018 8:01am
- stephieboy
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  Including her Oravidia and whale oil baggage ??
  
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  February 15, 2018 8:30am
  - holysheet
    
    Do you think the average Joe in the street has even heard of whale oil? Oravida is so far in the past. Even Shane Jones got over the slur of his porn on the taxpayer.
    Final question
    Do you actually think?
    LOL
    
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    February 15, 2018 8:35am
    - igm
      
      Oravida was the domain of poofie, and cannot wait to see Judith rip this weirdo to pieces soon. She would mutilate the unmarried mother, wife thief, and toxic gnome in one session. She is what this country needs.
      
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      February 15, 2018 9:21am
  - redeye
    
    You support a coalition with the master of corruption himself as deputy, and you call Oravida baggage?
    
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    February 15, 2018 8:37am
    - stephieboy
      
      Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
      redeye , I’m thinking about the what caucus maybe considering when voting for a new leader ..
      
      Not you !
      
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      February 15, 2018 8:45am
  - Nermal
    
    The old magic mantras, ‘Oravida’, ponytail’, alt-right’, ‘racist’, dirty politics etc have lost their power to befuddle the masses. Time to invent some new ones
    
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    February 15, 2018 12:33pm
- flipper
  
  Amy et al gazumped her yesterday or did you not notice ?
  When toxic crusher has that sort of public, pre-vote support, I will look upon her as a serious contender.
  
  And if you are not a NP member….. bugger off to WO country and join the lying Peters promotion mob!!!
  
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  February 15, 2018 9:50am
- SPLOOGE
  
  Yes Judith go…to hell .
  
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  February 15, 2018 9:47pm
Lee C

I would like to see a break-away party formed from the Nats to take it to the nation and Winston at the next election.
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February 15, 2018 8:03am
- stephieboy
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  LeeC , like a Colon Craig Conservative party ?
  
  LOL
  
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  February 15, 2018 8:15am
  - G152
    
    Good grief I had to uptick it….
    
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    February 15, 2018 8:26am
    - kowtow
      
      The reality is that under MMP , Ngati Notional need a partner. Other wise it’s eternal opposition.
      
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      February 15, 2018 8:37am
- Albert_Ross
  
  Won’t this simply split the right wing vote? Or are there supposed to be a substantial number of people out there who won’t vote National, ACT, TOP or Conservative but would vote for another right wing party? Your evidence please?
  
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  February 15, 2018 8:34am
  - Colville
    
    MMP, splitting the vote would be fine as long as the offshoot party could get a seat and/or 5%
    
    The trick would be for one party to head right (law and order, schools etc) and one to go left (on greeny issues etc) but agree on economic conservatism.
    
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    February 15, 2018 9:04am
    - Kimbo
      
      You mean a pragmatic centre right party like, oh, I don’t know…National? ?
      
      Said it before, will say it again, with NZ First unlikely to make the 5% threshold next time, and even not counting ACT in Epsom, the next election in likely to be a straight race between National vs Labour and the Greens. English won that in 2017. With an increased wasted vote, 46% should be sufficient to win. ACT and a revived Maori Party may be a bonus.
      
      So the key for National, as always, is winning as many votes as possible, not astroturfing or hoping for non existent coalition partners who threaten to dissipate part of the centre right vote because it fails to reach the 5% threshold.
      
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      February 15, 2018 9:32am
      - Awww C-mon
        
        Be interesting to see who wins the current leadership battle and where the caucus wants to take the party,
        
        If Judith wins, perhaps a centrist teal party could be effective as the Nats move to the right of centre.
        
        If Simon or Amy wins, a planned resurgence of ACT to the right. Could Judith as an electorate MP switch to ACT as the leader before the Waka jumping bill goes through??
        
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        February 15, 2018 9:56am
      - Colville
        
        Kimbo.
        I disagree.
        There are a lot of people out there that will never vote National just because of I dont know what and they dont quite know why either but they dont like those rich “tories”.
        If National wants to be able to talk to some of those voters in a sensible way then national needs a lefty friendly party. The Greens are never going to be that party.
        The problem with having this conversation in this place is KB is dominated by reasonably intelligent righties and probably over average wealth.
        The mongs that make up the general public are quite scary !
        
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        February 15, 2018 12:21pm
- redeye
  
  NZ First is now tightly bound to the left. As are the Greens. They share the left vote, and if either, or both, get less than 5%, which is very likely, then the right benefits.
  I’m not sure the Nats need to follow the same strategy. It’s a recipe for wasting votes.
  
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  February 15, 2018 8:43am
- Keeping Stock
  
  There’s a simple solution. If Judith Collins loses the National leadership vote, she walks from National before the Electoral Integrity Act is finalised, and takes over the leadership of the Conservatives.
  
  That way she remains in Parliament as an ally to National, and has almost three years to win over enough disaffected NZF voters to make the Conservatives a significant coalition partner in 2020. She holds Papakura with a majority of almost 7500, and National can agree not to stand a candidate against her next time around.
  
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  February 15, 2018 9:45am
  - Awww C-mon
    
    snap….
    
    Conservatives or take ACT’s leadership from David and have 2 ACT votes?
    
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    February 15, 2018 9:59am
  - godruelf
    
    Does it matter whether the Electoral Integrity Act is passed. It’s up to the Party to trigger it National could refuse to trigger it as a matter of principle. Or how does it handle a Electorate MP. Is there a Bye Election?
    
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    February 15, 2018 10:15am
    - Keeping Stock
      
      There would only be a by-election if the MP involved resigned from Parliament.
      
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      February 15, 2018 1:09pm
      - godruelf
        
        Does the Electoral Integrity Act discriminate between electorate and list MPs getting rid of them and how they are replaced.
        
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        February 15, 2018 5:11pm
  - Ed Snack
    
    Except the Conservatives as they last were is a synonym for “batshit insane” in the NZ context.
    
    You need a party with a distinct philosophy that can stand out, and in NZ “Christian” conservatism just isn’t a significant cause or rallying point.
    
    I have always hoped that ACT could be that party, but they have lost their way and probably need to quietly die unless they can come up with a suitable makeover strategy.
    
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    February 15, 2018 11:50am
Lance

On the AM show this morning Amy Adams, Simon Bridges and Judith Collins put forward their cases to be leader.
What a revelation;
Adams prattled nothing but inane slogans, it was embarrassing. Wouldn’t (couldn’t?) answer a single question and spoke like Jacinda.
Bridges at least answered some questions but came across lame.
Collins won hands down, the others weren’t a patch on her. She was confident, clear and concise
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February 15, 2018 8:04am
- kowtow
  
  On the box yesterday Collins said something about being herself and not simply repeating what comes out of focus groups.
  
  Is that how policy has been decided this past while ,
  
  focus groups ?
  
  It’s like something out of Yes Minister.
  
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  February 15, 2018 8:16am
  - Chuck Bird
    
    Yes it is and that is why I did not like Key but I am very impressed by Collins.
    
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    February 15, 2018 8:21am
    - holysheet
      
      Yeah but you have said the same thing about the drunken dwarf. You even voted for the prick.
      
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      February 15, 2018 8:28am
    - KevOB
      
      More focused can mean reduced vision.
      
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      February 15, 2018 8:30am
  - hullkiwi
    
    Political parties (including National) have been using them since the early 1980s). Copied from abroad.
    
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    February 15, 2018 8:24am
  - stephieboy
    
    Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
    kowtow , the trouble is your extreme and lunatic views ( Muslim bashing , white genocide , demographic time bombs etc , etc )do not belong to mainstream voter thinking .
    Your views are therefore irrelevant.
    
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    February 15, 2018 8:33am
    - Digmen1
      
      But those views should do.
      
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      February 15, 2018 9:01am
  - Colville
    
    kowtow.
    What do you think pays the bills for this place!
    Its called polling , knowing the answer to the question before you ask it in public 🙂
    
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    February 15, 2018 9:06am
- GazzaW
  
  I like Judith too but let’s not turn KB into a pro-Collins, anti everyone else echo chamber. WOBH will be doing more than enough of that. As English says repeatedly National is a broad church and that is reflected on KB. There’s room here for all factions to be represented without being criticised. We are better than Labour.
  
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  February 15, 2018 8:18am
  - Lance
    
    I am basing my comments on what I saw on TV.
    Up until then I was pro Adams, on paper the right mix.
    But that pathetic showing on the AM show was gob-smacking. Her entire repertoir was slogans.
    Not good enough
    
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    February 15, 2018 8:28am
- DifferentPerspective
  
  But the blue rinse cuckervatives in the NP want another acceptable swamp dweller to keep them in opposition … so the Theresa May of NZ politics is a shoe-in.
  
  Adams it is. Safe betting now on 6 years at least of socialist fascism – all because the party faithful are still in denial.
  
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  February 15, 2018 8:33am
  - Happychappy
    
    Well DP you could always go back and give Winston your support he’s counting on this from the disenchanted like you.?
    
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    February 15, 2018 8:37am
    - DifferentPerspective
      
      You read my mind. Maybe six years in opposition is going to be needed to get NP away from their Labour Lite ways.
      
      He’s a useful idiot in that regard.
      
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      February 15, 2018 9:02am
      - Prince
        
        So you’re happy with the current Coalition ?
        Socialism-facism seems to describe it accurately.
        
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        February 15, 2018 10:12am
      - Happychappy
        
        If Winston manages to turn the vote around National will spend more than six years in opposition. The trouble is DP his core voter can see no wrong in the man. By the way I don’t like to comment on your view normally but you left it wide open for my comment.
        
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        February 15, 2018 10:19am
      - DifferentPerspective
        
        Prince – are you Cathy Newman by any chance (ie “so what you’re saying is…”.
        
        I’m going to give you a D- for comprehension and and D for logic. Both fail grades. However, I’m going to be generous with a marginal pass C- for effort. Overall “Could do better”.
        
        “Deeply concerned with the cuckservative Labour Lite leanings of the current iteration of National policy” does not equal “happy with the fractionally more left leaning Labour actual”.
        
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        February 15, 2018 12:16pm
      - DifferentPerspective
        
        HC – well I’m an eternal optimist about National finding their minds again. Even if they do have their “David Cunliffe” moment and install AA, I have faith that they can find their way back from the precipice now that Bill is out of the way.
        
        But Golly G, I do hope you are wrong about the 6 years thing.
        
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        February 15, 2018 12:19pm
Happychappy

It seems Winston First is about to pay his political backers back from the fishing industry with Labours Stuart Nash annoucing that they will reverse the discision of cameras on fishing vessels to monitor their catch. So again we are seeing Winston making the policy for Labour to announce.
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February 15, 2018 8:07am
- rangitoto
  
  I wonder how many dead rats the Greens will swallow before they barf.
  
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  February 15, 2018 8:16am
  - RalphT
    
    Sadly I suspect they have enough room for many, many more. They will not want to leave the train before the next election.
    
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    February 15, 2018 8:23am
    - DifferentPerspective
      
      Yup the third rate Greens are in their ‘best jobs ever’ career phase and they’d swallow a whole barrel of rats to maintain their privileged positions (green on the outside, red in the middle, but yellow through and through).
      
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      February 15, 2018 12:21pm
  - Piniwi
    
    Honestly rangitot with the amount of crap the Greens swallow a rat or two would be a treat. Actually rat shit is a good source B12 so there is a side dish veg mob as well.
    They will have to get accustomed to it since they are outside and only aloud that close because they MUST support their masters.
    
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    February 15, 2018 5:23pm
- G152
  
  The boys will be able to go back to the quick slash over the stern without worrying about them who would ogle such
  
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  February 15, 2018 8:29am
- Shaun the Sheep
  
  Jerry Brownlie in the house yesterday asked a similar question as Point of Order. WP standing in for the absent PM appeared to be making policy statements on the hoof, so JB asked if he was speaking as deputy PM or acting PM.
  Mallard had to fluster his way through that one.
  
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  February 15, 2018 6:07pm
JasonJohns

Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
National was founded on a whites-only immigration policy. This was kept for decades and we had a happy homogenous country.

Lots of grassroots National people want a return to the whites-first policy.

It’s a big issue.
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February 15, 2018 8:07am
- JibberJabber
  
  Go away, sundry silly person.
  
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  February 15, 2018 8:09am
- CHFR1
  
  Don’t know who you talk to but the grassroots Nats I know are quite happy with the colour of our country, they just want everyone regardless of background to want to become Kiwis and share our values not import their own.
  
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  February 15, 2018 8:09am
  - CHFR1
    
    Can someone remind me is Jason Johns the sock puppet of Kea or someone else??
    
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    February 15, 2018 8:11am
    - hmmokrightitis
      
      Or possibly just a random drive-by fucktard from the research unit whilst ztev is off rubbing one out.
      
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      February 15, 2018 8:23am
- Gravelroad
  
  Another unsubstantiated insult from a CoL troll.
  
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  February 15, 2018 8:28am
  - sam green
    
    JasonJohns is one of yours mate.
    
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    February 15, 2018 6:13pm
- DifferentPerspective
  
  Oh look a straw man!
  
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  February 15, 2018 8:35am
- stephieboy
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  Jason Johns , I’m sure you’ll find a groundswell of support ,at least by many desperate alt righters here , and especially on whale oil .
  
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  February 15, 2018 8:36am
  - Salacious Crumb
    
    And presumably you will provide the post modernist Neo Marxist counter?
    
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    February 15, 2018 9:09am
    - stephieboy
      
      Sc , if that means a fair and just society for all I’m for it .
      But you I take it believe to the contrary?
      
      Aye ?
      
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      February 15, 2018 10:26am
      - Ed Snack
        
        “Just and Fair” I don’t think those words mean what you seem to think they mean…
        
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        February 15, 2018 11:51am
- skyblue
  
  I’m glad I am white. Better than being a modern day Cheddar Man.
  
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  February 15, 2018 11:26am
Paulus

My wife says Simon Bridges and Amy Adams – who am I after over 50+ years of marriage to disagree.
(PS I would like to see Stephen Joyce there).
But remember to be old and wise you have had to have been young and foolish Cinderella.
I like mature experience really not because of age.
Nevertheless we need a good money person/man, not Lawyers as are on sale at present, to take over from Joyce, as I suspect he would like to see a competent person take over the Finance role in which he has done so very well – and his figures will turn out to be right, if not underestimated, despite the media and the…..Robertson.
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February 15, 2018 8:08am
- Lance
  
  After listening to your two selections there you might think again.
  Amy is Jacinda
  Simon is a lost school boy.
  
  If either of them are selected then they will need an intensive crash course on public speaking, having a mind of your own and a vision. Or the Nats are toast.
  
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  February 15, 2018 8:15am
holysheet

Once again we see a silly report from Otago university researchers. This one is suggesting pharmacies be the only retailers of cigarettes.
Last time I looked some supermarkets have pharmacies in them. I guess if this came to pass, all supermarkets would build pharmacies, to cash in on this stupid idea.
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February 15, 2018 8:11am
- G152
  
  Just shoot the ciggie thieves.
  Five bob says the crime will disappear
  
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  February 15, 2018 8:31am
- godruelf
  
  Pharmacies couldn’t handle Pseudoephedrine sales with associated robberies and misuse so the government banned sales. This stuffed up the majority of legitimate users for a cheap and effective cold remedy.
  
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  February 15, 2018 10:33am
- Nermal
  
  I can imagine the toffee nosed receptionists welcoming the roll-your-own clientele into the hallowed halls of your local pharmacy. Not
  
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  February 15, 2018 12:41pm
iMP

https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/world/olympic-diver-tom-daley-expecting-baby-husband-dustin-lance-black
THIS PIECE of TVNZ UNBALANCED MEDIA ‘GENDER POLITICS’ PROPAGANDA early this morn!!.
 Absolutely no mention of the surrogate mother or the woman in this arrangement just “his ultrasound” and “he’s expecting a baby,” because…”Gender Narratives” where maybe men can actually have babies.
The Emperor really has no Clothes.
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February 15, 2018 8:14am
- sooty
  
  Will this push Taxindas baby off the headlines?
  
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  February 15, 2018 8:30am
- VicParking
  
  Dug into this article and cant find any source that has the guts to tell the story. I will be looking for Dustins baby bump.
  
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  February 15, 2018 8:45am
- Right of way is Way of Right
  
  Courtesy of Life of Brian! (Who knew that would be a documentary one day!)
  
  JUDITH: Well, why do you want to be Loretta, Stan?
  
  LORETTA: I want to have babies.
  
  REG: You want to have babies?!
  
  LORETTA: It’s every man’s right to have babies if he wants them.
  
  REG: But… you can’t have babies.
  
  LORETTA: Don’t you oppress me.
  
  REG: I’m not oppressing you, Stan. You haven’t got a womb! Where’s the foetus going to gestate?! You going to keep it in a box?!
  
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  February 15, 2018 9:09am
- BrasellBrush
  
  This truly made me LMFAO!
  
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  February 15, 2018 10:16am
hullkiwi

…meanwhile on Moaning Report…
1. Fletchers – serves them right for relying on qualified quantity surveyors to cost,bid and finance large projects. NZ has a lot to learn from overseas in this sphere. Wait for the cost blow outs on CRL.

2. JAG – minister of road safety, hypocrite. Doesn’t want junkies properly tested at the roadside other the current impairment test….

3. And then there was wriggly Parker, the slim ball. Gave an all new meaning to the three party negotiations. 2 parties stitch up a deal, give the other party 2 hours notice and then go public. Claimed this was being open & transparent. WFF has transparency got to do with it? Honesty & integrity is more the point.
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February 15, 2018 8:14am
- Albert_Ross
  
  You want junkies tested at the roadside, you need to be prepared to be tested at the roadside yourself. The test takes about ten minutes and isn’t wholly accurate, so you might give a false positive and have to go to the police station for a blood test to confirm or deny. All this while you are in a hurry to get somewhere. Are you cool with that?
  
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  February 15, 2018 8:29am
  - hullkiwi
    
    The impairment test is even less reliable & is based on subjectivity of the cops observations of supposedly objective tests. I’d rather objective tests, with quantified results, thanks.
    
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    February 15, 2018 8:52am
    - Albert_Ross
      
      OK, so it seems you are saying that you think the prospect of you, me and many other completely innocent citizens having their lawful business interrupted to be required to prove their innocence – is an acceptable price to pay for an increased probability of catching people who are driving after having taken drugs – many of whom aren’t actually impaired and no more of a risk to road safety than anybody else.
      
      That’s your view, and you are of course entitled to it. Mine’s different.
      
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      February 15, 2018 9:21am
      - hullkiwi
        
        Our lawful business has been impeded for circa 36 years by the very existence of road side booze checks.
        
        I objected to booze testing 36 years ago within the National Party on the basis I was being detained from going about my lawful business then. But that argument was overlooked against “booze testing saves lives, even if the innocent are inconvenienced”. So, what is the argument against proper testing of junkies at the roadside, then?
        
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        February 15, 2018 11:22am
      - Albert_Ross
        
        Apologies hullkiwi and moderators, I reported you when I meant to reply.
        
        The difference is in the duration of the detention while you take the test. A booze breath test takes a few seconds; a drug test, at least ten minutes. Preventing somebody who’s done no wrong from going about their lawful business for ten minutes is close to unlawful arrest.
        
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        February 15, 2018 1:55pm
- peterwn
  
  Fletchers – The quantity surveyors and estimators are not to blame. Their pricing (without pressure) would have been pretty accurate especially for the above ground parts. They are the easy ones to blame. My takes on this are:
  1. Undue pressure on QS and estimators to sharpen their pencils too much. Those that declined to comply would be deemed to be ‘trouble makers’ and face career issues. ie a culture of fear.
  2. More so with respect to foundations etc – that is where there is the most uncertainty and a blunt pencil is needed here.
  3. Insufficient regard to changes in materials and labour rates and possibility of labour shortages and supply chain issues. There are wider issues here where management should seek best advice and pass on findings to the estimators.
  4. Fear of losing contracts leading to adopting wafer thin margins.
  5. Excessive yielding to tough tender conditions and the lack of balls as to where to draw the line on things. Yes, the ‘customer is always right’ but the more onerous the conditions, the higher the bid price should be. The Industry is blaming this on the clients saying the clients should share the risk which goes right against ‘the customer is always right’
  6. Cost control during execution could have been a problem but it is rather unfair to blame site supervisors and workers for cost over-runs when they are forced to work to a ridiculously low price schedule.
  7. Likely management hostility when those at the ‘sharp end’ raise concerns. Hence staff are too scared stiff to raise concerns.
  8. Failure of Board’s Risk Committee to implement and follow up on a robust policy concerning quoting and project reporting. You do not need to be a construction industry expert to function properly at Board level – it should be common sense especially for those with decent management experience. Hence the Chair’s head needed to roll.
  
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  February 15, 2018 12:29pm
  - hullkiwi
    
    Peter, with due respect, I understand your points, but Fletcher’s problems as you allude to them is a NZ problem. Over reliance on a group of people (Quantity Surveyors) to do a job they are not qualified to do. Abroad the QS assists with translating the designs of a project into specifications, plans, schedules of materials, schedules of labour, yes, they use standard costing models to assist. But that is where their input stops. The rest of the bid process is then managed by professional bid developers including a corporate finance team. Even Fletcher’s do not have in house the levels of Corporate/Commercial Finance expertise for bids that is common abroad in much smaller companies that Fletchers.
    
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    February 15, 2018 1:13pm
    - peterwn
      
      We are pretty well in agreement. They relied excessively on quantity surveyors rather than a decent cross section of multi-dicipline specialists.
      
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      February 15, 2018 1:40pm
      - hullkiwi
        
        Peter I am talking from experience too.
        1. I am a specialist Corporate Finance Director who worked on projects in the billions of UK STG & Euro and I’ve worked on more PFI projects (eg Puhoi tunnel) than have been done in NZ;
        2. I’m being lined up to write the business case for a project that has been promised; and
        3. Last year, a Senior NZ headhunter recommended me for Fletcher Construction CFO (they were looking middle of last year), needless to say I didn’t get it -wrong sector experience.
        
        I heard the CEO on the radio this morning, if he is a reflection, they are still missing the point.
        
        If a QS has a degree, in Auckland it was a Bachelor of Property Admin (from U of A), but now there are numerous variants. Personally, those I knew with BPAs I wouldn’t leave running a letting agency let alone NZ’s major construction company.
        
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        February 15, 2018 2:01pm
      - peterwn
        
        Hullkiwi – “Personally, those I knew with BPAs I wouldn’t leave running a letting agency let alone NZ’s major construction company.”
        Years ago Bob Jones said he would hire liberal arts graduates (I think I am right here) rather than BPA’s.
        Seems you (like Bill English with Winston Peters) missed a bullet not getting that FBU job.
        
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        February 15, 2018 3:08pm
      - hullkiwi
        
        I had & read a copy of Jones’ book, Jones on Property, written in the late 1970s. I remember his comments about university graduates & by and large agree (being one myself, twice over).
        
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        February 15, 2018 4:06pm
oldpark

At last someone has come off the ropes and assessed “Commie Chic” Comrade Ardern. Judith Collins told it like it was .She exposed the soft underbelly of Ardern telling her NZs Politics is not just about her.
In reality looking and listening to Ardern since our trade union infested Media anointed her as a saviour for NZ is long past the waffle.
She come across as a spoilt brat in Parliamentary question time virtually never answers .
She uses the pest Peters to save her from the embarrassment of her ignorance in what really is happening in NZ.He gets her out of trouble with the assisstance of Mallard,another clown long past his use by date.
Ardern the “here is me and who is like me” and too sweet to be wholesome, will very soon discover as well as her fawning media.
“You cant fool all of the people all of the time”.
Judith Collins came off the ropes and told it like it is .Go Judith your time has come for the benefit of NZ, not for a spoilt wee brat called Ardern whose only claim to fame before Peters anointed her, was addressing a crown of young socialist youth in Europe as she chanted Comrade!Comrade!at least fifteen times . Not a good look for the future of NZ,and its citizens.
.
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February 15, 2018 8:18am
- KevOB
  
  We need someone robust to stand up to Ardern and mob. This may seem “not-National” or sweet Remuera but Labour play dirty constantly and consistently. Being nice is being ineffective.
  
  I have appreciated the Key-English years and history will give them credit too. Unfortunately we have become encumbered with a commie chick with a “do not touch” sign for a cloak. National need to go full blast now to remove her and regain power in 202o or earlier.
  
  Let the wild scrap begin. Labour will ignore anything less. A GFC may befall us which should make us double our efforts to remove the starry eyed amateur wannabes who have power beyond their ability.
  
  National voters may disprove but a solid takeout will be well rewarded. They will ultimately gain an increased majority and the country back in safe hands.
  
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  February 15, 2018 8:47am
  - hullkiwi
    
    Kev, as a current National MP can confirm, the Tamaki/Remuera/Epsom/Onehunga National party set are skilled in the dark arts of playing rough politics when the need arises. They are skilled in the dark arts of Machiavellian politics.
    
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    February 15, 2018 5:51pm
    - KevOB
      
      That’s where I encountered it. At one street meeting elderly Labour “ladies” climbed on my supporters backs and to hit them with brollies.
      
      I sense that Labour’s rough stuff and underground activity is endemic. We represent the”boss class” so must be evil and they are self justified in whatever they do. There can be no compromise except it benefit them.
      
      National need to fight this fire with fire. That’s what I did much to the horror of the the local Labour people who believed it was their patch. Our job was to snatch it. Headquarters were set up in a house in the main street and it was painted blue all over. My team did not need direction. We had kindy kids wearing my National Party t-shirts along with their parents. One morning Ellerslie shopkeepers woke up to discover every shop had my stickers on their windows. It was a political act to be seen removing them. They also appeared on the back of traffic signs throughout the electorate fastened with vinyl paste. On election eve my campaign caravan was firebombed. I suspect by a supporter–it made news on election day–a little too late. Result a 6000+ Labour majority –>1044 on election night.
      
      This present Labour lot are not HC’s old more reasoned ones. They are much more of the rabid left, scrapper, “no-one-will-stand -in our-way” type. I thought they had gone when trade unions were dis-empowered but they seem back in vengeance. Winston has has become one also in his dotage.
      
      The Greens don’t know where they are but the trimmings of power appeal as a trade for their votes–puketifinau principles. Some of them see virtue in equality but lack the wisdom or courage to allow anything but a rigorously controlled future on their terms to unfold.
      
      Happy memories.
      
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      February 15, 2018 7:39pm
- RF
  
  It’s so obvious when she responds to a question… Peters prompts her with the answer as she is about to stand up. I have have even heard sweet cheeks give her the answer.
  
  Anti Trump Puppet on a string.
  
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  February 15, 2018 9:53am
kowtow

If the police union want something done about criminals and guns , why fuck around licensed owners who aren’t the problem. The penalties for firearms offences should be swinging , that might help. Oh wait , this gummint is doing away with 3 strikes so is soft on crime. New target , licensed firearms owners. So easy to fuck over the law abiding instead of the gangs with their drugs and guns!

A national registry will do nothing to deter or prevent gun crime. It would be expensive and pointless.

‘A Balclutha incident in which a man tried to shoot at police with a stolen firearm has been highlighted by the Police Association in pushing for more rigorous gun control.
Association president Chris Cahill addressed the University of Otago’s public health seminar yesterday and made a vehement argument for a nationwide firearm registry to be established.’

https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/south-otago/call-national-gun-registry
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February 15, 2018 8:24am
- VicParking
  
  11,000 cops. One in eight confronted at least once with a gun in the last year. Thats over 1,300 times in a year. That’s more than Chicago per head of cop numbers??
  
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  February 15, 2018 8:53am
- Odakyu-sen
  
  A Balclutha incident in which a criminal tried to shoot at police with a stolen firearm has been highlighted by the Police Association in pushing for more rigorous gun control among the law-abiding.
  
  There.
  Fixed it.
  
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  February 15, 2018 11:22am
igm

It will be interesting to watch offers of well-paid top jobs offered to Bill English. Goes to show that he, like John Key, and many other National MPs, do not need to leech from ratepayers, unionists, and taxpayers when they depart politics. Proved the point Nats have abilities, something Labour/Greens never seem to possess. Where is one ex-Labourite in a personal/corporate position of responsibility?
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February 15, 2018 8:32am
- BeaB
  
  He should take over Fletchers and get them back on track.
  
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  February 15, 2018 8:33am
  - KevOB
    
    I’m sure BE could–he has basic common sense in bucketfuls.
    
    I’ts said that quantity surveyors were bidding! They measure inputs and costs. They have nothing at stake. It’s board level that measures commercial risk, Bidding should be much closer to the top–they have to finance the project.
    
    That the top team did not know their role the need to be replaced if not too late.
    
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    February 15, 2018 9:01am
- waikatogirl
  
  Bill said (tongue in cheek) he hopes one of his nephews gives him a job driving a huge silage harvester. The ex -farmer fascinated by large machinery as many men are. I’m sure one of the nephews could use a couple of days help from Uncle Bill. ?
  
  He has also been offered a job by a pizza company to launch the tinned spaghetti pizza. Asked if the spaghetti pizza would include pineapple, Bill said it wouldn’t be worth doing the job if pineapple wasn’t included. ??
  
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  February 15, 2018 9:35am
BeaB

Mallard is turning out to be a horrible speaker. He is either pedantic, lame or patronising. He makes no pretence at impartiality. He allows clowns like Peters and Willy Jacks0n to say what they like. He stifles the Opposition when they start to get traction. He takes away and gives back supplementaries like a weak teacher who has no other way of maintaining order.
It is painfully obvious his aim is to silence and hobble the Opposition.
I’d love to see National ignore his bullying, lose all their questions and then sit mute for the whole of QT.
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February 15, 2018 8:33am
- KiWombat
  
  I haven’t been counting – but I have seen supplementaries go both ways quite a lot. He is being reasonably balanced on this – most are awarded or removed for acts of disorder – which is reasonable.
  
  However when put on the spot he has sometimes been unable to assess a situation effectively, and we have seen times when he has returned to the house and apologised for his decision “upon reflection.”
  
  This does indicate a lack of understanding of correct procedures. He has been in the house long enough to have learned how things work – if he doesn’t have it now then he never will !
  
  As for hobbling the opposition, to some extent that is his job, but we have also seen him hobble others (like WeeWinnie) for asking ridiculous furfy’s
  
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  February 15, 2018 9:04am
- KevOB
  
  I suspect Speaker Mallard is showing signs of irrationality. He appears inconsistent from day to day. Yesterday he re-framed a question. Several times he has apologised the following day for getting it wrong previously.
  Mallard is giving cause to accuse him of bias in pedantically picking over what’s said and assisting the government.
  
  I am wondering if he has a health problem interfering with his concentration.
  
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  February 15, 2018 9:06am
  - G152
    
    Its what you get when the fox is in the henhouse.
    
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    February 15, 2018 9:46am
- dime
  
  Mallard rates himself as all knowing when it comes to the rules.. but he doesnt have the brains to be speaker.
  
  deep down he knows it too. its gotta sting.
  
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  February 15, 2018 9:56am
- Keeping Stock
  
  He hit a new low yesterday. Kelvin Davis was asked by Nikki Kaye about reports he might have received, and gave a misleading answer. Mallard intervened so that Davis could correct his answer. Here’s the exchange:
  
  Question No. 6—Education (Māori Education)
  6. Hon NIKKI KAYE (National—Auckland Central) to the Associate Minister of Education: Has he received any reports indicating challenges in Māori education achievement?
  
  Hon KELVIN DAVIS (Associate Minister of Education): Yes, I have. Most importantly, I’ve heard from Māori parents and teachers who are ecstatic that this Government has removed national standards—a barrier to Māori educational achievement the National Government put in place.
  
  Mr SPEAKER: Order! Just before the member asks her question, I do want to make it very clear that in answering “Yes” to that question, the Minister is saying that he has received official reports in that area. If that’s not the case, he should make it clear now.
  
  Hon KELVIN DAVIS: No, Mr Speaker, not official reports, but certainly reports from parents.
  
  Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. It was a very interesting point that you laid out for the House, and probably very instructional for the Government, but is that an appropriate role for the Speaker—to ask for someone to correct an answer in the House? That’s not what we understand the normal procedure to be.
  
  Mr SPEAKER: Yes, and the problem that I had, Mr Brownlee, was that the answer was, effectively, out of order because it said “Yes” at the beginning and then indicated that the report that had been received was not an official report. I just wanted to clarify with the member in order to assist members with their supplementaries. It is something that I have done at least twice previously, once with a Government supplementary involving Mr Robertson and once with an Opposition supplementary previously. I know that there’s not a high level of understanding within members of the House as to what receiving means as opposed to seeing, and the difference it means for ministerial responsibility.
  
  https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/hansard-debates/rhr/combined/HansDeb_20180214_20180214_16
  
  It is not the Speaker’s job to stop a Minister misleading the House, and Gerry Brownlee was quite right to question that by way of a Point of Order. Mallard then chirps in with a sarcastic reply to the Point of Order, which, of course, cannot be challenged unless the MP wants to risk expulsion from the House.
  
  My worst fears about Mallard have been realised. He is partisan, he is trying to rewrite the rules unilaterally, and at some point, he is going to bring the institution of Parliament into disrepute.
  
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  February 15, 2018 10:01am
  - Piniwi
    
    ThanksKS it was interesting when the Speaker included the word “official” into the revised question. Nikki Kaye is a fast learner and carefully phrased it as “any reports” which Davis tripped on. The Speaker then defined it as “official” to get Davis off the hook but he missed it completely.
    
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    February 15, 2018 5:55pm
- flipper
  
  I am disappointed for Bill, but on reflection 27 years is more than enough. Every one of the current regime is a full time professional politician (in one way or another), and that worries me because it was never (originally) supposed to work that way.
  
  In my view, Collins is decidedly toxic, and I know that by her treatment of the Bain/Binnie matter she seriously damaged NZ’s rep among international jurists.
  
  If I had a vote in the selection, and I wanted a male, I would go for Coleman. Bridges may be a nice fellow. But folks with a speech impediment do not become Prime Ministers. Bridges will unjustly suffer because of that.
  
  Ergo, and on balance, I would go for Adams, with Bridges or Coleman as her deputy.
  
  BTW …….I thought W English totally destroyed Ardern, smarmy “Chipkins” et al yesterday on the Charter School matter,
  
  And as for Mallard – the self aggrandised prick, he is not even subtle, is worse than Wilson. And I have known them all, way back to and including Roy Jack. Time for a NP/ACT walkout, followed by a motion of no confidence. It would be lost, but might make the point! ? 🙂
  
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  February 15, 2018 11:25am
- freethinker
  
  If the duck get too much National could propose a vote of no confidence in the Speaker – probably lose but the message would be clear and possibly set a precedent.
  
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  February 15, 2018 12:35pm
sooty

Secret Cindy, which play group or old folks are you going today?
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February 15, 2018 8:34am
waikatogirl

Watched Amy Adams on TV3 this morning. There is an obvious reason she has a low profile. Didn’t answer questions, full of platitudes and lost me completely when she said she “wants National to be progressive”.

Simon Bridges is full of confidence in his ability but no x factor, low enthusiasm and his leadership style will be the same old continue as steady as she goes for National.

Judith, she is what the National party needs. Has the hunger and drive to show the Liarbor pardy bullshit for what it is.
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February 15, 2018 8:35am
- kowtow
  
  she said she “wants National to be progressive”.
  
  She must have got that from a focus group. What a fucking joke these people are.
  
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  February 15, 2018 8:43am
  - stephieboy
    
    National has no place for alt right cabbage heads . Go and see Colon Craig for advice .
    
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    February 15, 2018 10:29am
    - Lance
      
      Why does stephieboy keep typing
      “Hidden due to low comment rating.”
      
      Seems an odd compulsion?
      
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      February 15, 2018 2:31pm
- Poppa
  
  I could not agree more.
  
  I have watched 2 interviews with Judith & she is definitely the best for the job
  
  The question though is, will caucus back her? If they don’t they can kiss goodbye to 2020
  
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  February 15, 2018 8:44am
  - Huevon
    
    Yes, the contrast with Ardern is stark indeed. Collins is self-assured and gives straight answers. Plus she has a bit of mongrel in her. 24 hours ago I thought having her in the leadership would be National’s Cunliffe moment. Now I think she is hands down the best candidate.
    
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    February 15, 2018 9:05am
    - Prince
      
      The only reservation about Collins I have is she seems to think she can do a deal with Peters.
      Peters is irrevocably tied to Labour now. He cannot backtrack.
      Collins needs to go head on against Peters to force Labour to support him, much as Clark did in 2008.
      
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      February 15, 2018 10:27am
  - freethinker
    
    Surely a Bridges/Collins team would eviscerate the Liarbour front bench.
    
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    February 15, 2018 12:37pm
    - Shaun the Sheep
      
      I can’t imagine Bridges eviscerating anything.
      And someone would need to fix his vowels.
      
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      February 15, 2018 6:25pm
- VicParking
  
  Said this yesterday and was down ticked like mad. ??
  
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  February 15, 2018 8:56am
  - waikatogirl
    
    Not by me Vic.
    Founder member of Team Judith!
    
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    February 15, 2018 9:44am
- KevOB
  
  I have a similar assessment from performance in the House.
  
  I don’t see any other “strong” person.
  
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  February 15, 2018 9:08am
Dave Mann

I see that the witch hunt against men has now reached one of our top law firms:

http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/top-law-firm-embroiled-in-sexual-assault-allegations/

The feminazis are out to get Russell McVeagh, with an ‘allegation’ campaign.

In almost any workplace today (except plumbers and useful trades) young wonen go to work half undressed with short skirts, high heels and uplift bras. To complete the picture their mouths are painted to resemble engorged vaginas and their cheeks are given a sprinkle of blusher to simulate sexual arousal. Then they are terrible surprised when men make sexual advances!

One of the incidents in the story above happened after work in a bar, FFS!

What have we come to as a society? Will the feminazis be happy when all women walk around in bags like they do in Saudi Arabia, or do they want all men to be castrated too?
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February 15, 2018 8:39am
- Huevon
  
  I’m not sure if this is overblown or genuine. I worked in Big Law for a number of years and found the environment PC-mad, blandly neutral and strictly professional. I certainly never saw any incidents of questionable sexual behaviour . But then I wasn’t at Russell McVeagh….
  
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  February 15, 2018 8:50am
- Happychappy
  
  This will earn me plenty of down ticks but even if a woman or young lass is dressed like a slut nothing gives any person the right to sexual assault her for any reason.
  
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  February 15, 2018 8:55am
  - sam green
    
    Uptick from me Happychappy – which won’t go in your favour but I support the sentiment wholeheartedly.
    
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    February 15, 2018 8:57am
  - Dave Mann
    
    I’m not going to downtick your comment, Happychappy, because I understand what you’re trying to say…. but the point is that ‘sexual assault’ now seems to cover every conceivable situation including speech and what we used to describe as flirting.
    
    These people need to get over themselves and accept that where men and women (particularly young men and women) meet, there is bound to be some sexual attraction and activity.
    
    Do women now want to be able to click their fingers and magically summon at will only the man of their choice and park the rest in the corner speechless with their heads down? Do men now have to meekly wait to be called and just shuffle around like zombies until some woman activates them for their pleasure? If so, how does a guy recognise the switch, if its not in the way women dress and behave?
    
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    February 15, 2018 9:06am
    - KevOB
      
      May be the Japanese have the solution in their robot women. If human behaviour is no longer acceptable humans may not be needed.
      
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      February 15, 2018 9:12am
      - Dave Mann
        
        😀
        
        1 1
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        February 15, 2018 9:26am
    - Happychappy
      
      Agree Dave but if men decide to put themselves in the position they only have themselves to blame. In today’s world you have to cover your arse when alcohol and woman are your choice.
      
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      February 15, 2018 10:07am
    - Paulus
      
      Remember these young woman were internees from Victoria University Wellington Law School – they all applied very hard to get the Internships against enormous competition to get there.
      From this they expect ultimately to be offered a position with the Law firm who are very particular about who they will take as a result of the Internship..
      Young women Lawyers in New Zealand are bounding like lemmings over each other to get a placement anywhere as there are far more of those with a Law degree that they will ever get a law job, unless you are very noticeable and outstanding.
      Even with RMcV. Maybe they didn’t get picked.
      
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      February 15, 2018 1:56pm
  - Right of way is Way of Right
    
    Uptick from Me Happychappy. A woman should be able to dress in any way that makes her feel comfortable and happy. Women, and men too, like to feel attractive, but that doesn’t mean they need to be felt!!
    
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    February 15, 2018 9:12am
  - suzieq
    
    Otherwise Kiwi men are no better than Muslim men living in the West who assume that any female not dressed in black garb from head to toe is fair game. Some of my “sisters” dress tartily but that doesn’t mean they’re “asking for it”.
    
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    February 15, 2018 10:14am
  - Shaun the Sheep
    
    Wouldn’t there have been a time when the inappropriately dress woman would have had the difference between a law firm and a bordello explained and told not to come dressed like that again?
    
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    February 15, 2018 6:31pm
- MCos
  
  Sounds like you’re the one that wants women to go to work in burkas.
  
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  February 15, 2018 8:58am
  - Dave Mann
    
    Not at all. I enjoy the sight of an attractive woman sexily dressed and putting herself out there. I just resent the way sexual activity is being criminalised and stifled by the new puritanism.
    
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    February 15, 2018 9:12am
    - Anne Glen Eden
      
      While I understand your comments in regard to ‘slutty dressing’, you’re talking like one of the predators.
      
      This is not about harmless flirtation between equals. It is about men (or women) using their position to demand sex from those who are under their authority – those whom they have the power to damage both practically in terms of jobs/resources, reputationally to affect their future jobs/careers, and mentally/emotionally in terms of simple freedom, safety, and self-image/self-esteem. I daresay a lot of men think it would be ‘fun’ to be some sort of sex slave – they wouldn’t like the reality.
      
      Those predators are real and the culture is endemic in NZ. The Russell McVeagh case appears typical. Do not make the mistake of thinking that such predators are unfortunate men who got a bit tipsy and misbehaved. They are predators who decide who they want sex with and set up venues, generally office parties etc. where both can drink to diminish inhibitions and work up to their ‘event’ later and or set it up for the future. That way, there’s no proof of arranged ‘dates’ or times. It’s just let be known what the expectation is and to be there and available.
      
      As was said, “”I know from my interactions with the survivors of those incidents how catastrophic this can be for a young person’s confidence. I don’t think that is understood well by our society.”
      
      It isn’t. You call sexual safety ‘the new puritanism’. Your comments derive from neanderthals who believe they should be able to indicate a desire and someone will present their anatomy for use and abuse at will.
      
      This is not about sex – although that’s often the vehicle. It’s about power. Notably, Bob Jones once called it a ‘perk’ of the job. It’s simply sexual abuse and rape with a ‘civilised’ veneer.
      
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      February 15, 2018 10:12am
      - Dave Mann
        
        Are you honestly trying to say that women in (an organisation like) Russell McVeagh are in everyday danger of being raped by power hungry sexual predators who are out to use their bodies against their will for their sexual gratification as ‘perks’ of being in management?
        
        Anne, your comments are usually very sensible, balanced and pertinent to the debate…. but I’m afraid I have to disagree with you on this one.
        
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        February 15, 2018 10:30am
      - Anne Glen Eden
        
        Dave, I’m saying exactly that.
        
        Bear in mind, Russell McVeagh are saying that danger does not exist because they have ousted those people and are committed to doing so again if necessary.
        
        I don’t know what you think is so different about Russell McVeagh – because they’re lawyers? They’re all just human beings and this is an age-old problem of the use and abuse of power.
        
        More to the point, it happens in a huge number of workplaces. I know. I’ve lived it. Experienced it. Seen people’s lives and relationships destroyed by it and/or been suicidal over it.
        
        Thank you for saying my comments are usually ‘ usually very sensible, balanced and pertinent to the debate’. Why would you assume I’ve lost it this time?
        
        I’ve worked in companies where every female above basic level (and some of them as well) had to have had sex with one of senior management. I’ve worked in a company where a female executive only joined to employ and ‘have’ a particular male; industrial situations where an executive considered the staff his personal harem, especially when his wife was pregnant. I doubt there’s many people working who haven’t come across the worst employee in the company being tolerated because they’re screwing the boss. I could write a book.
        
        So what is the difference between a predator in a park holding a knife to your throat and a boss at work holding your job, reputation, home, family to your throat?
        
        The thing is, you can avoid the park. You can’t avoid the workplace or the repercussions throughout your life. Ask (don’t) Louise Nicholas if it would have been easier to deal with a park rapist than the supposedly ‘nice’ police? The latter is far worse because it’s the ‘good’, ‘respectable’ people doing it who can cover their tracks and do it all with impunity.
        
        I repeat, this is not about flirtation or fumbling between equals. This is about those with power misusing it. If you’re claiming that human beings, anywhere, generally manage power well, you’re deluded. And in business or workplace ‘brotherhoods’ like the Police, there is an overriding value placed on mutually ‘supporting’ management where there’s a dispute and covering up all sins to protect their reputation.
        
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        February 15, 2018 11:21am
      - Anne Glen Eden
        
        The other side of it, too, Dave is that people often just don’t think of themselves that way. They may find one of their staff attractive and fool themselves that the person actually finds them so, or will. They generally use the liberal society to justify that it doesn’t really ‘matter’ – either everyone is doing it or that person is probably doing it with lots of other people they’re not in a ‘real’ relationship with anyway, so it’s all ‘good fun’. They may well believe that a vindictive response is just their ‘wounded ego’ etc. They just don’t see themselves as they really are.
        
        One of the reasons I wasn’t bothered by Trump’s statements about groping women (not that it’s a good thing) was his outright statement of surprise – “They just let you do it!” He’d clearly never considered the possibility of pressure, naive though that may be, and clearly felt that the women could/should have smacked him in the mouth. It wasn’t the attitude of a predator like Weinberg – just a naive juvenile.
        
        But naive juveniles who practise it can rapidly become predators, whether they think of themselves in that light or not, especially if it’s a company culture and/or they’re ‘groomed’ by more senior staff to behave that way. The most distorting kind of sexual abuse, in some ways, is that done ‘nicely’.
        
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        February 15, 2018 1:42pm
- Salacious Crumb
  
  Jordan Peterson sums it up:
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSOwhAjhjdQ
  
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  February 15, 2018 9:16am
  - Dave Mann
    
    Wow… yes, that’s exactly what I meant!
    
    (OMG does that mean I’m not the world’s most clearsighted original thinker after all? I’ll obviously have to modify my self-image… hmmm… 😀 )
    
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    February 15, 2018 10:15am
    - Colville
      
      The ability of Peterson to say something very very edgy and then just shut up and leave the interviewer to fill the silence void is what I find (well part of it) utterly incredible.
      The absolute confidence He has in what He says and thinks and also his succinct and exact way of speaking.
      A lot can be learnt from that Man !
      
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      February 15, 2018 11:47am
      - waikatogirl
        
        Professor Jordan Peterson has been formulating his thoughts for 40 years. A very wise man.
        
        The left are after shutting him down
        
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        February 15, 2018 12:47pm
  - stephieboy
    
    SC and coy ,
    
    “Tabatha Southey delves into University of Toronto professor Jordan Peterson’s work and finds his secret sauce—and what makes his work unnerving”
    
    That secret sauce consists of alt right propaganda on the evils of Cultural Marxism which is anything that is contrary to traditional wowser and prudish values ( excepting of course three times divorced and groper US President )
    
    http://www.macleans.ca/opinion/is-jordan-peterson-the-stupid-mans-smart-person/
    
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    February 15, 2018 3:05pm
    - All_on_Red
      
      But, your opinions are worthless
      So, meh to your judgement using Vox, macleans, slate and the Daily Mail
      Ok, you only look at the pictures in the Daily Mail
      
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      February 15, 2018 3:15pm
- Odakyu-sen
  
  Surely law firms have a dress code!
  
  Perhaps the young women in question are in search of suitable alpha males?
  
  8 1
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  February 15, 2018 9:31am
- thedavincimode
  
  Congratulations on your ability to arrive at a conclusion without having the information. Have you considered working for the twisted dwarf? Perhaps you do already.
  
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  February 15, 2018 10:09am
- kowtow
  
  “has now reached one of our top law firms:”
  
  Good , they can have a taste of their own arrogant medicine. The law types have been at the forefront of foisting ‘uman rights shit on the west for a very long time indeed.
  
  As Cpl Jones would have said .
  
  “They don’t like it up ’em”.
  
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  February 15, 2018 10:47am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  @Dave Mann
  
  I don’t think these three investigated examples constitute “an allegation campaign”.
  
  They seem to be real enough that Russell McVeagh initiated formal processes.
  
  Most women in our society wear make-up if they work in a social or professional setting. I don’t think they expect to be hit upon by unwelcome sexual predators because they have placed some colour on their face.
  
  One reason they wear make-up may be to send out sexual signal, but for many it is to cover over their less-than-perfect skin (acne, wrinkles, spots, etc).
  Others wear make-up for skin protection against a dry office environment, or exposure to the elements.
  For others, it is a fashion statement to make them selves look presentable or professional.
  
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  February 15, 2018 3:08pm
Biscuit

Just a reminder to be careful out there today, people.

The roads, rivers, lakes and skies will be crowded with florists out enjoying the cars, boats and private planes they have bought after yet another ridiculously-overpriced Valentine’s Day!
14 1
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February 15, 2018 8:53am
- Colville
  
  Especially dangerous if you happen to be in Napier.
  Art Deco “weekend” is in full swing, so everyone is dressed to kill and will be keeping well ‘hydrated” because of the scalding temperatures.
  A woolen chalk stripe suit and hat may look the part but OMFG its hot!
  
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  February 15, 2018 9:58am
Inandout

Our Lady of Chevalier appears in Vague magazine.

http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2018/02/jacinda-ardern-poses-for-vogue.html

All hail Cindy Astern!
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February 15, 2018 8:56am
- Huevon
  
  This woman is a joke.
  
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  February 15, 2018 9:01am
- cmm
  
  There really is no limit to this WonderWoman’s capabilities to multi-task:
  * Most popular PM in decades.
  * Solving poverdy in 100 days.
  * Manus Island: sorted.
  * Donald Trump: put in his place.
  * First woman to have a baby.
  * Magazine model.
  
  24 2
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  February 15, 2018 9:07am
  - Harkman
    
    Now, watch the country go down the drain.
    
    18 1
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    February 15, 2018 9:09am
  - KiWombat
    
    “* Most popular PM in decades.”
    
    “John Key was certainly seriously popular in his first term. His highest ever rating in UMR polls was recorded after two years on the job in December 2010 at 81% favourable; 17% unfavourable. This is a record for all political leaders in UMR surveys extending back to 1991.”
    
    thespinoff.co.nz/politics/23-03-2017/a-statistical-analysis-of-john-keys-legacy/
    
    “* Solving poverdy in 100 days.”
    
    She managed to do this overnight – just had to turn off the MSM
    
    “* Manus Island: sorted.”
    
    Just as well her bicycle had a reverse gear !
    
    “* Donald Trump: put in his place.”
    
    I wonder whether he knows that, or cares !
    
    “* First woman to have a baby.”
    
    The work was done prior to forming government, hardly able to be called an achievement
    
    “* Magazine model.”
    
    So were Lassie and Rin Tin Tin
    
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    February 15, 2018 9:27am
    - kevn
      
      Kiwom… and not forgetting Silver, the Lone Rangers horsey.
      
      6 1
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      February 15, 2018 9:36am
    - Inandout
      
      Key rode to fame when people faithfully bought print media. The whole world has changed thanks to the internet.
      
      5 4
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      February 15, 2018 9:36am
    - cmm
      
      Hey if you disagree with me then you must be a sexist!!!!
      
      3 1
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      February 15, 2018 12:05pm
    - KevOB
      
      Solving poverty? All she has done is some bad virtue signalling compelling the Stats. Dept to generate new reports for more talk.
      
      That’s called kicking the can down the road.
      Amateur.
      
      7 1
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      February 15, 2018 12:58pm
  - waikatogirl
    
    She obviously forgot the professional Womens Weekly dress advice when she popped out last week to meet an international VIP in her slop around the house clothes and slippers.
    
    11 1
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    February 15, 2018 10:55am
- Surely Knott
  
  How does she rationalise her Communist lets all be equal and help the poor statements, with being celebrated in a magazine selling elite fashion aimed at selling couture dresses, that each cost more than a cleaners annual salarly, to the ultra rich 1%.
  
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  February 15, 2018 11:45am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    You’re surely not asking curly questions are you?
    
    Down here in the slumbos I don’t think we are going to notice that our leader is on the cover of Vogue USA.
    The Kaiti Mall supermarket isn’t in the habit of stocking Magazines that retail around $30.
    
    $30 is a fair chunk out of a working mum’s food budget.
    
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    February 15, 2018 6:11pm
- stephieboy
  
  With plenty of paranoid alt righters s to give her maximum publicity of the kind she cares so little about
  
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  February 15, 2018 3:08pm
Chuck Bird

Another example of a double standard. I bet the man hater Catriona MacLennan will not writing about this in the Herald.

Model avoids conviction for assault so she can pursue career

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11994869
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February 15, 2018 9:01am
- MCos
  
  I don’t know what your beef is with MacLennan whose writing I’m not familiar with, but you can’t deny that there have be occasions when men have escaped conviction because of the harm it would do their career.
  This MacLennan. Is she a man hater?
  
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  February 15, 2018 9:57am
  - Chuck Bird
    
    There have been occasions when men have escaped conviction because of the harm it would do their career. However, I think it would be hard to find a man get off for such a charge.
    
    Yes. MacLennan is a man hater.
    
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    February 15, 2018 10:39am
    - Jack5
      
      “I was bullied at school” is a current stay-out-of-jail card.
      
      When defence counsel make such claims do prosecutors ever challenge them or test them? What if the offender was the bully? What if there was no school bullying at all? Does the defence counsel need to produce evidence from school teachers (in this case the offender is young and that should be possible)?
      
      Is all left to the whim of the judge?
      
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      February 15, 2018 11:47am
- Nermal
  
  Imagine the fuss if a promising rugby male had bottled a woman and avoided conviction
  
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  February 15, 2018 12:52pm
Harkman

So I caught an 11s glimpse of Breakfast this morning and they were talking about babies and Holt said she’s “cold-hearted.” The understatement of the century.
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February 15, 2018 9:08am
Manolo

The truthful Pocahontas Warren:
http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2018/02/14/warren-addresses-claims-native-american-heritage/0VM3tX88fVxALoyZq9VvvJ/story.html
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February 15, 2018 9:11am
- Harkman
  
  So she is doubling down on a lie. I hope she runs for President, this could be hilarious.
  
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  February 15, 2018 9:24am
- Jack5
  
  Warren’s evidence for a family link that would make her perhaps one thirty-second Cherokee is family stories “passed down through the generations”.
  
  This is from CNN Politics:
  
  “I am very proud of my heritage,” Warren told NPR in 2012. “These are my family stories. This is what my brothers and I were told by my mom and my dad, my mammaw and my pappaw. This is our lives. And I’m very proud of it.”
  
  Elsewhere, she had referred to “high cheek bones” of some family members.
  
  There are accusations Warren used the ancestry claim to benefit from reverse discrimination in favour of native Americans by top United States universities.
  
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  February 15, 2018 11:41am
MCos

I see Morgan Tsvangirai has died from colon cancer at the young age of 65.
There’s a guy who regularly put himself on the line against one of Africa’s bastards.
Whats the bet Mugabe turns up at his funeral?
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February 15, 2018 9:18am
Colville

In the last 24 hours Collins has shown me why I was wrong to discount her.

Collins PM (and finance) , Bridges DPM (and Law)
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February 15, 2018 9:22am
kevn

How about someone new for deputy, Mark Mitchell? All good with Collins as leader.
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February 15, 2018 9:32am
- Paulus
  
  I want a numbers person as soon as possible – not denigrating Joyce as he has done a sterling job – but I need to see a future Finance person coming through.
  
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  February 15, 2018 2:00pm
Digmen1

Yes what are Nationals rules re depudy.

Paula Benefit is deputy now.

When they get a new leader, does she stay on or do the party elect both or does the new leader chose their deputy?
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February 15, 2018 9:47am
- Keeping Stock
  
  They only elect a new deputy if Bennett stands aside. I suspect there will be as much lobbying going on over that as there will be for the leadership.
  
  The best deputy leader is someone like Don McKinnon or Michael Cullen; someone who is fiercely loyal to the cause, and who has no ambition for the leadership. Even Bill English, up until the time John Key decided to retire, was a loyal deputy. That’s the most important quality.
  
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  February 15, 2018 10:08am
  - Colville
    
    No way the will go with a two female team tho.
    
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    February 15, 2018 10:10am
    - sam green
      
      Why not? What might happen??????
      
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      February 15, 2018 12:15pm
dime

i see some kid just got arrested for exercising his second amendment rights in the US..

cue the know it alls and gun haters who are going to tell us all how the US should run itself and the laws they should have.
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February 15, 2018 10:00am
- Inandout
  
  Ban all vehicles ’cause they are used to run people down.
  
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  February 15, 2018 10:06am
- Colville
  
  dime.
  link?
  
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  February 15, 2018 10:11am
  - dime
    
    should be front page of the herald. shot 20 kids or something
    
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    February 15, 2018 10:37am
    - MCos
      
      Didn’t take long for some arsehole like you to use the senseless loss of a whole lot of kids lives for some cheap political capital.
      Crawl back in your hole.
      
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      February 15, 2018 11:38am
      - stephieboy
        
        No ! Far more appropriately crawl back to his cesspit .
        
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        February 15, 2018 3:13pm
Lucia Maria

Some melodrama from Chris Trotter

Judith Collins heir to National Party throne – Chris Trotter, Trish Sherson

Mr Trotter [..] says Ms Collins would be a formidable Opposition leader and it would a thrilling battle against Ms Ardern.

“For all those aficionados of Game of Thrones, it would be Daenerys Targaryen versus Cersei Lannister,” he says.

“A grudge match to beat all grudge matches.”

Anyway, I hope Judith gets the leadership. I hope the National party is not so ageist and sexist that they pass her by.
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February 15, 2018 10:13am
- Rachael Membery
  
  God god Jacinda as Daenarys? Why was she so annointed?
  
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  February 15, 2018 11:47am
artemisia

Something I don’t understand about Oral Questions – I’m sure there are many here who can advise.

I have watched a few Question sessions and have been surprised that questions are frequently not answered, just ‘addressed’. So says the speaker.

‘Addressed’ seems to mean waffle in the vague direction of the question. How is that acceptable?

Further, sometimes clear answers are given, maybe of the yes/no variety and I keep expecting the questioner to follow up on that. But usually they just move on to the next question on their list. Don’t they work out options for the next question depending on the answer?
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February 15, 2018 10:17am
- PhilP
  
  “Addressed” the question happened a lot also under Speaker Carter btw.
  
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  February 15, 2018 10:57am
- Inandout
  
  Monica Lewinsky knew all about oral stuff.
  
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  February 15, 2018 11:09am
  - RF
    
    and a dress.
    
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    February 15, 2018 1:26pm
slightlyrighty

The leadership ructions in National are one thing, but under MMP, we do need to reach out to minor parties who might be a valid coalition partner. We have the arrangement with ACT, but that one seat is not enough.

The future for National in Government lies with the Maori Party, and if Lance O’Sullivan gets the top job there, it could be a formidable partner.

So the political Crystal Ball gazers should ask which potential leader would work well with this scenario??
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February 15, 2018 10:28am
- brett68
  
  The Maori Party is not coming back, they’ll get one seat at best.
  
  Labour knows they are the biggest threat to their re-election chances, the handouts/special privileges/kowtowing by Labour in the coming years will make peoples blood boil.
  
  National does not want to be part of this, there are serious votes to be had by taking the opposite position.
  
  Another reason why National shouldn’t get involved in a bidding war for the Maori vote, it’s utterly pointless, Maori see National as the white man’s oppressor party so will never vote National in any significant numbers, until Maori get that huge chip off their shoulder, Labour has the Maori vote stitched up for the foreseeable future.
  
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  February 15, 2018 10:42am
  - All_on_Red
    
    I think your comments and principles are probably right.
    But the basic math doesn’t go away.
    61 seats
    They need the Maori Party to win at least two.
    National isn’t going to win 61 by itself.
    The MP should be using the Charter School issue to gain ground back. Afaik, they have made no comment on it at all- that’s a mistake if they really want to come back.
    Also, I think most Maori recognise only the elites benefit from the handouts.
    The MP went through several terms with Nats. I reckon poor campaigning cost them.
    That’s where the Nats could help. Get them some support and start campaigning now.
    
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    February 15, 2018 11:04am
    - brett68
      
      Waste of time, it’s a seriously uphill battle.
      
      Far better is to target Females, that’s where National is going to grow its vote.
      
      Looking at National polling I’d say there would be far more men voting National then women and the opposite for labour where women heavily outweigh men
      
      That is how National will get over 50% of the vote.
      
      The only person who can achieve that is Judith Collins, she’s got the cojones to maintain the male vote as well as drawing in a larger chunk of the female vote.
      
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      February 15, 2018 11:23am
  - GoVege
    
    I thought you said “foreshore-able”!! 🙂
    
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    February 15, 2018 12:58pm
- Right of way is Way of Right
  
  The biggest hurdle to overcome there is that Labour have sold Maori a bill of goods again. The whole smoke and mirror routine about ‘feeling good’ while doing very little to actually advance the aspirations of Maori in general. It seems that the whole Maori vote may be decided by where Jacinda is going to bury the placenta! I had hopes for Kelvin Davis, but he’s turned in to another party apparatchik! I would have thought his natural home would have been in the Maori Party alongside O’Sullivan and Flavell. It’s a real shame to see where he’s ended up, a mere placeholder for the poisoned dwarf, sidelined by a coalition agreement and muzzled by the matriarchy!
  
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  February 15, 2018 10:55am
  - cmm
    
    Memories are short, that’s why Labour has to get in every now and then and remind them.
    
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    February 15, 2018 12:08pm
Johnboy

I think we should get Ritchie McCaw to be the new Nat leader. That would really trump the pregnant mule and that smug arsehole Winnie!
Get on to it straight away Dad! 🙂
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February 15, 2018 10:39am
- Rachael Membery
  
  Mules rarely get pregnant as far as I am aware, they end up with odd numbers of chromosomes. 😉
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mule
  
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  February 15, 2018 11:52am
- stephieboy
  
  Johnboy , now why would Ritchie McCaw bother representing a stool ( beg your pardon a stooge isn’t ?) like you ?
  
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  February 15, 2018 4:11pm
Paul Marsden

Collins will be the only Nat MP who will be able to take on Peter’s head to head, when he becomes PM (shortly)
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February 15, 2018 10:49am
- Kimbo
  
  Why bother? He will be gone by 2020. Ardern and her government’s incompetence are the target.
  
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  February 15, 2018 10:56am
  - thedavincimode
    
    Even if he’s not in parliament, the prospects of the dodgy embittered little prick not continuing his vendetta behind the scenes would have to be zero. He’ll continue pulling the nzf levers irrespective of whomever is the parliamentary leader.
    
    BTW, best wishes, well done, and continue the good fight.
    
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    February 15, 2018 11:16am
    - KevOB
      
      When Winston goes so does NZF.
      
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      February 15, 2018 12:51pm
  - KevOB
    
    His retirement is overdue. Hopefully we can hasten an earlier chance to correct the present MMP disaster.
    
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    February 15, 2018 12:50pm
- Swifty
  
  I think you’re going easy on him.
  
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  February 15, 2018 12:11pm
- Gabby
  
  Quite keen on the c word are you damingyvagina.
  
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  February 15, 2018 12:53pm
  - thedavincimode
    
    Which c word is that cunt?
    
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    February 15, 2018 4:03pm
Johnboy

Well that’s a shame:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/101408329/ruapehus-historic-shelter-to-be-removed
But the bit that really makes me puke is this:
“Guy said removing the shed will also acknowledge the cultural significance of Mt Ruapehu’s sacred summit plateau.”
NZ science and culture…back to the stoneage future. 🙂
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February 15, 2018 11:02am
- Inandout
  
  Makes you wonder how our government departments function with so many bloody Maori rules. It is refreshing watching overseas scientists and the freedom they enjoy delving into history, even in Egypt. If our scientists find anything that offends the Treaty it is immediately buried.
  
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  February 15, 2018 11:15am
  - Rachael Membery
    
    Due mainly to contra proferentem I believe.
    
    contra proferentem
    ˌ
    (of the interpretation of an ambiguous contract) against the party which proposed or drafted the contract or clause.
    
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    February 15, 2018 11:57am
  - Paul Marsden
    
    There are the remains of a Chinese junk buried deep into the cliffs on the west coast of the South island, that nobody wants you and I to know about. The Chinese were once great mariners and invented the compass. Even Mr. Peters concedes he is of Taiwanese (Chinese) descent
    
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    February 15, 2018 12:03pm
    - Jack5
      
      Paul, I think you’re right that Peters did say sometime he was partly of Chinese descent.
      
      But his Polynesian genes go back to the aboriginal people of Taiwan, not the Chinese Taiwanese.
      
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      February 15, 2018 12:47pm
      - stigie
        
        I don’t think Peters knows himself what he is, along with 93% of the voting public at the election and 96.2% now !~
        
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        February 15, 2018 1:37pm
      - Paulus
        
        All Maori, via undisputed DNA, come from the primitive Gao Shan Tzu tribe, still found in South Eastern corner of Taiwan.
        
        7 0
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        February 15, 2018 2:14pm
- KevOB
  
  Has a taniwha objected again?
  
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  February 15, 2018 12:47pm
- Longknives
  
  And so it begins.
  ‘Pakeha’ History and Culture must be destroyed…
  
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  February 15, 2018 1:29pm
cha

HTF do you do $410 million on a building projected to cost ~~$470 million~~ ~~$530 million~~ ~~$700 million~~ $???[?] million?
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February 15, 2018 11:27am
- thedavincimode
  
  Well, according to the chairman, it seems to be because of shortcomings in the information to the board. According to the new ceo, it seems to have something to do with sub-standard management.
  Of course, these responses answer all the questions the external stakeholders will have had and that’s an end of the matter.
  
  I think the fundamental problem was with the tendering process that I believe went something like this. Get a dozen or so frozen chickens and number them. Put them in a big bag and then hurl them over the floor. Starting from the chook closest to the door, write their numbers down in chicken sequence on the tender documents. Sometimes the number is too big and you don’t get the contract. Sometimes it’s way under what everyone else is tendering and you get it. I suspect that they developed this system after someone saw Chook Lotto on “Saturday Night” in Oz during the 80s.
  
  I don’t believe there have been any issues with their management reporting systems for contracts in progress because they don’t appear to have any such systems in place.
  
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  February 15, 2018 12:01pm
  - KevOB
    
    Someone has to mechanically price the work and someone has to riskly accept a bid price or haggle. With big$$ at stake contract acceptances/bidding are top executive/Board level risk decisions. If they made such poor decisions they should be fired. If they didn’t make them, fired also. What’s being reported seems like negligence.
    
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    February 15, 2018 12:43pm
  - cha
    
    Shorter – Fletcher shareholders have had their lunch cut by SkyCity.
    
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    February 15, 2018 12:57pm
    - rangitoto
      
      Why. The sky city execs job is to get the best deal they can for their shareholders. If Fletchers execs put up a dumb bid then that is their problem.
      
      Are you doing over a shop because you bought an item at a lower price at a different shop.
      
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      February 15, 2018 1:31pm
      - KevOB
        
        That’s where Board responsibility lies. A $100K contract bid-middle management: a $100M requires Board input at bidding. Costs need to be known and the Board take a position against a potential purchaser. Purchasers don’t offer favours and margins need to be certain at that stage. Those margins need to provide for both profit to fund the future abut also to cover operational contracting risks.
        
        Don’t Fletcher’s have accountants?
        
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        February 15, 2018 6:53pm
- Tauhei Notts
  
  The auditors have to express an opinion on whether proper accounting records have been kept, so far as has been seen from their examination of those records.
  Losses like this become apparent within 50 days of their occurrence, if proper accounting records have been kept. The losses did not become apparent until quite a few months later.
  I get the impression that the auditors know more about the principles of The Treaty of Waitangi, than they do about basic accounting. For with their unparalleled knowledge of The Principles they are able to score numerous lucrative consultancies from the Bro-Reaucracy.
  Basic accounting is so boring until a foul up like this is shown up.
  The auditors might seriously consider changing their firm’s name to Arthur Andersen.
  
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  February 15, 2018 1:38pm
  - KevOB
    
    Losses like these usually are locked in on the signing of the documents. Unwise pricing is the biggest risk of a contractor. They should not be insurers nor accept all business on offer to “maintain their position”. A fatal mistake. With a fixed price contract you need to be certain of an increased margin to accept the increased risk.
    
    Auditors don’t operate in this area. They see the recording and reporting agrees with standards. That does not include management operational wisdom.
    
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    February 15, 2018 7:00pm
Tom Barker

“some kid just got arrested for exercising his second amendment rights in the US”

So the 2nd amendment protects Americans’ constitutional right to open up at random on groups of schoolchildren?
Is America Great Again yet?
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February 15, 2018 11:40am
- cha
  
  ‘murica
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oz1PhLX4qBA
  
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  February 15, 2018 11:46am
- cha
  
  I’m sure everyone’s thoughts and prayers will make them feel better.
  /
  
  A 7News viewer says this video came from her little brother, showing the SWAT team evacuating his classroom at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School after this afternoon's shooting.Video: @Melody_Ball pic.twitter.com/d9wPh7jVoY— WSVN 7 News (@wsvn) February 14, 2018
  
  https://twitter.com/wsvn/status/963905351841173505
  
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  February 15, 2018 12:26pm
  - RF
    
    17 students in Florida killed, many injured
    
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    February 15, 2018 1:15pm
- rangitoto
  
  Nicolas de Jesus Cruz 19.
  
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  February 15, 2018 2:00pm
  - cha
    
    In his rush to smear the left the dumbest man on the internt’s halfwit offsider doxed the wrong person.
    
    Turns out Nikolas Cruz the killer was dead keen on extremist causes, hated Muslims… and was MAGA to the core.
    
    Correction: suspect’s name is spelled Nikolas Cruz #StonemanShooting— Broward Sheriff (@browardsheriff) February 15, 2018
    
    https://heavy.com/news/2018/02/nicolas-nikolas-nick-cruz-florida-school-shooter-gunman-instagram/
    
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    February 15, 2018 5:13pm
    - All_on_Red
      
      I’m seeing reports he followed Iraq and Syrian resistance groups on his social media
      Also a picture of him wearing an Antifa shirt
      Who knows?
      But early to make conclusions perhaps.
      The crazy thing is the School already knew he was a problem.
      Security were warned not to let in while wearing a back pack after he was expelled.
      Numerous students weren’t surprised he did this.
      
      3 1
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      February 15, 2018 5:21pm
      - All_on_Red
        
        Having volunteered on Ambulances I’ve seen plenty of pain, blood and death.
        Knowing you I guess you’re trying to make some sort of political point with that twitter link.
        Personally I think anyone who links to a video of the dead bodies of children is sick and should be ashamed of themselves.
        I suggest you email DPF and ask for your post to be removed.
        
        2 2
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        February 15, 2018 9:36pm
      - stephieboy
        
        All on Red , why don’t you do it fond as you are for snitching on others .
        
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        February 15, 2018 10:15pm
      - cha
        
        Nah, I reckon it’s high time these shootings were documented and images of dead kids widely disseminated so sentient skidmarks who trot out the same old blandishments can appreciate all the gory details of the status quo they’re so quick to defend.
        
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        February 15, 2018 10:26pm
GoVege

I am so X!!
Just got ripped off!
You can’t go to a blinking fast food place in South Auckland without being approached with a sad tale of woe…”I’m hungry”! You give them a few bucks. “Can I have some for my little sister as well?”
Today….”I gotta get the bus to court for my son. It’s $3.50…. $7 return…plus can I have $2 extra for a coke?”
Better stop carrying cash.
(Now I understand why my family refused to let me hold any cash when we were in Europe!)
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February 15, 2018 11:41am
- rangitoto
  
  Offer them a job but they have to turn up at 7:30 sharp the next morning. You wont hear from them again.
  
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  February 15, 2018 11:43am
  - waikatogirl
    
    Someone reported a few weeks ago being approached with a similar “I’m hungry” begging story. Instead of handing over cash she bought him a burger from McD’s and then left. Turned to see said burger go in the rubbish bin.
    
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    February 15, 2018 12:10pm
    - KiWombat
      
      I’ve had exactly the same thing happen to me WG.
      
      Fortunately I had no cash, so went into Wendys and bought extra burger, gave it to the beggar. He then countered with “what about a drink and a smoke?”
      
      I think he did eat the burger though
      
      7 1
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      February 15, 2018 1:34pm
      - KiWombat
        
        Same with cigarettes.
        
        Walk down the street with a cigarette in your hand and the hands come out pleading for a smoke.
        
        4 1
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        February 15, 2018 1:37pm
      - graham
        
        Someone targeted me in Manurewa a few years ago – I was in church so they obviously figured me for a soft touch. Had a car with the family in it, spun a story and asked for some money to buy food. I said, “Here’s what I’ll do – there’s a supermarket 5 minutes away, let’s go there and I’ll buy some food.” He replied, “Aw, if it’s all the same to you I’d rather just have the money.” I replied it wasn’t all the same to me, and he drove off.
        
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        February 15, 2018 2:12pm
- alex Masterley
  
  The kids treat me like an atm so i never have cash to even think about giving it to some-one who asks.
  
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  February 15, 2018 3:28pm
Stars And Stripes

As I said yesterday Ron Jeremy for National Party leader.
But as an addition Stormy Daniels for deputy.
Might even encourage Trump to make a weekly visit to NZ.?
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February 15, 2018 11:49am
- Awww C-mon
  
  Well we’re getting royally fucked atm anyway so what’s the difference ??
  
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  February 15, 2018 1:03pm
- stephieboy
  
  Stars and Stripes , the same Ron Jeremy here ?
  
  https://www.odt.co.nz/entertainment/porn-superstar-ron-jeremy-intensive-care
  
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  February 15, 2018 3:33pm
  - All_on_Red
    
    Creepyboy knows what all the porn stars are up to,
    Aye
    
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    February 15, 2018 3:38pm
    - stephieboy
      
      All on Red Herring .con ,
      Think this answers your leacher tendencies and obsessions ,
      Stars And Stripes
      
      As I said yesterday Ron Jeremy for National Party leader.
      But as an addition Stormy Daniels for deputy.
      Might even encourage Trump to make a weekly visit to NZ
      
      LMAO !
      
      1 9
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      February 15, 2018 3:52pm
      - All_on_Red
        
        ‘Leacher (sic)’
        
        You’re the pornoboy
        How many strikes you had for it?
        
        7 1
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        February 15, 2018 4:03pm
      - stephieboy
        
        All on Red Herring con ,
        
        Just 1 I believe Linking to soft core shots of the Presidents Ivanka that I think made Andrei , Maggy W and your faint with toxic shock .
        
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        February 15, 2018 4:16pm
      - All_on_Red
        
        More linking than that Stephie
        Those ones of Ivanka were hard core.
        Anyway, our host knows you’re a creep.
        As do all who read one of NZs most highly read blog
        Make you proud?
        
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        February 15, 2018 4:23pm
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        Linking to soft core shots of the Presidents Ivanka that I think made Andrei , Maggy W and your faint with toxic shock
        
        Look I wouldn’t know the difference between soft core or hard core porn, but it surely isn’t acceptable to place a full-on view into the vagina of one of Trump’s daughters (or was it Trump’s wife.. i don’t know) on someone else’s public blog.
        
        That was the main image… but in the side image there were video clips of fornicating folk (I didn’t stay gazing around).
        
        Now I’m 64 years old and I don’t get toxic shock looking up the vaginas of females… but the only times in my life when I have needed to do that is:
        1. when I was a birth- buddy to one of my friends as she was in labour,
        and 2. when my 3year-old daughter fell off her trike and began bleeding from a scratch on her vulva.
        
        Call me a prude if you like stephieboy, but you just lack common decency,
        you lack respect for females,
        you lack respect for your fellow commentors,
        and you show contempt for our host.
        
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        February 15, 2018 4:36pm
  - Stars And Stripes
    
    Well I suppose if anyone was going to take that post seriously it was always going to be you Stephieboy.
    Just for your benefit it was a JOKE.
    Yes a JOKE.
    Maybe I should have put LOL LOL LOL after it as you seem to really enjoy those a lot.
    People wonder why I left Mt Roskill…….
    
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    February 15, 2018 3:44pm
    - stephieboy
      
      Stars and Stripes ,
      
      “ People wonder why I left Mt Roskill”
      
      Since I don’t live there maybe you could tell us why ?And exchanging it for a high crime area like South Auckland ?
      
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      February 15, 2018 4:02pm
Jack5

The Police Association is pushing for tighter control of guns. Perhaps with its former chief now a Labour MP, the police think they have a better chance of getting stiffer gun laws.

Chris Cahill, the association president, is reported in the Otago Daily Times as saying there are too many firearms in the country.

The police have a reasonable concern about criminals getting guns, but tighter gun laws mainly affect law-abiding, decent New Zealanders who like shooting as a pastime. The criminals don’t care about the law.

When we have a police chief who has spoken in favour of restricting free speech – which is what hate-speech legislation does – you have to think carefully about police wanting to restrict public gun ownership.

Meanwhile, police have gradually increased access to firearms – Bushmaster rifles and Glock pistols as well as tasers. Then there’s the question of their ammunition – reportedly dumdum bullets (banned from use in warfare between signatories of the Hague Declaration of 1899).

https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/south-otago/call-national-gun-registry
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February 15, 2018 12:32pm
- Johnboy
  
  I wonder why the Police Union seems to led by folk of Irish Catholic descent … O’Connor and Cahill?
  Perhaps they’re more familiar with oppression being Catholic or firearms being Irish? 🙂
  
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  February 15, 2018 12:55pm
  - kowtow
    
    Revenge for King Billy disarming us back in 1688
    
    ‘Subjects’ arms
    That the subjects which are Protestants may have arms for their defence suitable
    to their conditions, and as allowed by law:’
    
    Extract from the Bill of Rights.
    
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    February 15, 2018 1:48pm
  - Inandout
    
    Our Police used to be heavily Irish and Roman Catholic. Same in Oz and New York. O’Connor appears to have gone from one cushy number to another.
    
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    February 15, 2018 4:15pm
- RF
  
  Many cops are pissed off with O’Connor as he has flipped about arming.
  
  Made lots of noises standing for his seat but now not a squeak from him.
  
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  February 15, 2018 1:11pm
- cha
  
  Then there’s the question of their ammunition – reportedly dumdum bullets (banned from use in warfare between signatories of the Hague Declaration of 1899).
  
  Firstly, the prohibition applies to armed conflicts and I doubt the NZ police can be said to be involved in armed conflict and secondly, police shoot to stop and hollow point projectiles do exactly that, and then stop without shoot through.
  
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  February 15, 2018 1:15pm
  - Jack5
    
    Those are reasonable points, Cha, and you could add that dumdums that miss will likely shatter more readily than ricochet, an thus be less likely to hit an innocent bystander.
    
    However, these bullets do make injuries much more serious, and if a bystander is hit – as has happened in NZ – he or she will be lucky to survive. A non-fatal hit will likely destroy a limb.
    
    Below is a link to an old report (2014) about Norwegian police seeking to switch to expanding bullets (dumdums) after the slaughter by Anders Behring Breivik, who used this ammunition.
    
    Countries whose police use these bullets are listed as including: Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, England, Belgium, Finland, France, Spain, Austria and the Netherlands.
    
    Police PR’s try to distinguish expanding bullets from dumdums as a class, but that doesn’t hold water – IMHO.
    
    http://www.newsinenglish.no/2014/06/05/police-seek-to-use-expanding-bullets/
    
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    February 15, 2018 1:49pm
- cmm
  
  I’m a gun owner with a healthy gun cabinet just a few metres from where I am sitting right now. I’ve been around guns since before I was a teenager.
  
  Police should have access to firearms. For them it is vital health and safety gear. Steel toe caps and earplugs for factory workers, guns for cops.
  
  Dumdum bullets? Bullshit. Cops don’t uses those. Dumdums are typically full metal jacket bullets that have had their noses modified by a bit of redneck engineering to make them into high expansion bullets (eg. the government deer hunters would nip the noses off military surplus rounds to expose the lead core). Cops are only using factory ammo.
  
  High expansion bullets are preferred over FMJ for police work because they reduce over penetration and reduce the chance of risk to bystanders. They are also more effective therefore less need for follow up shots and thus, again, safer for bystanders.
  
  The Geneva convention does not apply to police.
  
  But yes, encroachment into gun ownership/use by responsible citizens is a worry.
  
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  February 15, 2018 1:48pm
  - Jack5
    
    Yes, the Hague Convention doesn’t cover police, but that doesn’t mean they can ignore it. They enforce the law with the agreement of the public.
    
    As for dumdums being some sort of home-made ammunition: I listed some European police forces using dumdums and it it extremely unlikely that they self-modify their ammunition.
    
    Dumdum is the term for an expanding bullet. Have a look at this link:
    
    http://www.weaponslaw.org/weapons/expanding-bullets
    
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    February 15, 2018 1:55pm
    - Inandout
      
      I am surprised European police haven’t discovered pork tipped dumdums.
      
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      February 15, 2018 4:17pm
    - cmm
      
      “Yes, the Hague Convention doesn’t cover police, but that doesn’t mean they can ignore it. They enforce the law with the agreement of the public.”
      
      That’s a strange perspective.
      
      I ignore the Hague Convention when I go hunting because it does not apply to me. I use the most effective bullet for the job.
      
      Why should cops “obey” the Hague Convention when:
      A) It does not apply to them.
      B) It would force them to choose less safe and less appropriate ammunition for the purpose.
      
      ” They enforce the law with the agreement of the public.” And surely the well informed public would prefer that the police use safer bullets?
      
      I see that you are correct in that there has been some “feature creep” with the use of the Dumdum term. It used to only mean ammunition in a military context. A pity since we already have a wide variety of terminology do describe bullets: hollow point, frangible, segmented, …
      
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      February 15, 2018 4:59pm
      - Jack5
        
        CMM, re your point B – : “It would force them to choose less safe and less appropriate ammunition for the purpose.”
        
        But is it less safe? Are public bystanders at more or less risk from expanding bullets? There could be a good debate about that.
        
        Obviously hunting isn’t covered by the Hague declaration. It’s about people shooting people.
        
        Your question, “Why should cops ‘obey’ the Hague convention?”
        
        I think you’re right. They just need to obey the Government. It’s for the Government to decide whether expanding bullets should be used by the police.
        
        If the police want to kill everyone they shoot at, yes they should. If their goal is to disable or kill, that makes use of expanding bullets debatable.
        
        One question is: if the American troops, who make up the biggest contribution of those fighting the Taliban, are using solid nose bullets, why do police forces in NZ and elsewhere need expanding bullets?
        
        http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2010/06/u-s-army-issues-new-m855a1-ammo-to-troops-in-afghanistan/
        
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        February 15, 2018 7:45pm
      - cmm
        
        Jack5
        
        Expanding bullets are MUCH safer than FMJs (military bullets) for the following reasons:
        
        1) They EXPAND. Therefore they are stopped by the things they hit and are less likely to over-penetrate and hit bystanders.
        2) Frangible bullets are more likely to break up when they hit concrete, rocks or such and less likely to ricochet. That makes them safer. It is one of the reasons I use segmented .22 ammo for rabbit shooting.
        3) They tend to cause more damage to the bad guy, therefore bad guy does not have to be shot as much. Therefore less risk.
        
        ” It’s for the Government to decide whether expanding bullets should be used by the police.”
        Which is why it is important they actually get informed about how bullets perform.
        
        “American troops” == military.
        
        “If the police want to kill everyone they shoot at, yes they should. If their goal is to disable or kill, that makes use of expanding bullets debatable.”
        
        Being hit in the torso by an FMJ does not really make your chance of living a whole lot better. If you are hit in the leg, it might make the difference between losing the leg and keeping it.
        
        If cops have decided to shoot (rather than use a taser), we’re well beyond any idea of being nice to the person they shoot.
        
        Bystanders and the lives of the cops themselves are far more important.
        
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        February 15, 2018 8:23pm
      - Jack5
        
        Perhaps this young bystander in Auckland might have survived if he had been hit by a solid nose bullet.
        
        http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10553585
        
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        February 15, 2018 8:39pm
      - Jack5
        
        Reasons for differing views of the American police and American military on solid-nose v. expanding bullets are put in this interesting Youtube video.
        
        The police want the “one-shot stop”.
        
        A subject worth discussion.
        
        https://youtu.be/xb9nXeXqEho
        
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        February 15, 2018 8:46pm
      - cha
        
        Perhaps this young bystander in Auckland might have survived if he had been hit by a solid nose bullet.
        
        The driver of the light truck in the foreground was peppered by fragments of a bullet that passed through the edge of the passenger door.
        
        His left arm was injured, multiple, deeply embedded fragments damaged nerves and blood vessels, and being a left handed he’s never been able to return to work as a blacksmith.
        
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        February 15, 2018 8:57pm
Manolo

Spilling the beans:
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018/02/reince-priebus-opens-up-about-his-six-months-of-magical-thinking
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February 15, 2018 2:25pm
- stephieboy
  
  Manolo, is this what caught your attention,
  
  “Just after six a.m. on January 21, 2017, at his home in Alexandria, Virginia, Reince Priebus was watching the cable morning news shows, getting ready to leave for the White House. Suddenly his cell phone went off. It was Donald Trump. The new president, sworn in less than 24 hours earlier, had just seen The Washington Post, with photos showing Trump’s inaugural crowd dwarfed by that of his predecessor, Barack Obama.
  
  The president was livid, screaming at his chief of staff. “He said, ‘This story is bullshit,’ ” recalled Priebus. “He said, ‘There’s more people there. There are people who couldn’t get in the gates. . . . There’s all kind of things that were going on that made it impossible for these people to get there.’ . . . The president said, ‘Call [Interior Secretary] Ryan Zinke. Find out from the Park Service. Tell him to get a picture and do some research right away.’ ” The president wanted his chief of staff to fix this story. Immediately.
  
  Priebus tried to talk Trump off the ledge. “It doesn’t matter,” Priebus argued. “It’s Washington, D.C. We’re in an 85 percent Democrat area. Northern Virginia’s 60 percent. Maryland’s 65 percent. . . . This is a Democrat haven, and nobody cares.” But Trump was having none of it. Priebus thought, “Is this something that I really want to go to battle over on day one? Who needs a controversy over the inauguration?” Priebus realized he faced a decision: “Am I going to go to war over this with the president of the United States?”
  
  Why ?
  
  The fact that the inauguration was poorly attended ?
  
  I’m sure All on Red Trump zealot would dearly like to know .
  
  3 12
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  February 15, 2018 3:47pm
  - KevOB
    
    Rubbish.
    The published empty areas were long before the opening. This is stale and irrelevant.
    
    Get a life.
    
    5 2
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    February 15, 2018 4:53pm
    - stephieboy
      
      KevOB, by all measures the crowd at the former President’s 2009 inauguration was significantly larger. Trump and Spicer gave the game away by feeding the media false information and stats ,
      
      “…Regardless, Trump and Spicer argued that the media misrepresented the size of the crowd at the inauguration, and we don’t find any evidence of that. To the contrary, it was Trump and Spicer who provided false information to feed a false narrative about crowd size.”
      
      https://www.factcheck.org/2017/01/the-facts-on-crowd-size/
      
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      February 15, 2018 8:09pm
Jack5

Shouldn’t they go home to help?

The immigration-law-consultant vultures have sprung into action with the cyclone damage in Tonga.

Hundreds of Tongans on temporary work visas shouldn’t be sent back for now, they argue.

Soft-touch, open-border NZ, with its back door to Australia, is a soft, soft touch on immigration, so there shouldn’t be any problem for them.

http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/350468/fears-over-deportations-to-cyclone-ravaged-tonga
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February 15, 2018 2:30pm
Fletch

Australian Minister Bob Katter appeared on Sky New Australia to talk about gun deaths after the school shooting today in Florida

“Three years before the Port Arthur ban, there were less gun deaths then the three years after the ban. And that’s a sign in East Germany that the highest death rate with guns was in East Germany, a Communist country. The lowest death threat with guns in Europe was Switzerland, where every single household had a gun. There’s no relationship between gun ownership and death”.

https://twitter.com/SkyNewsAust/status/963924713742282752/video/1
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February 15, 2018 3:03pm
- stephieboy
  
  Fletch that claim about East Germany needs to be scrupulously fact checked as goes against reason and common-sense as our strict gun laws remind us . Japan also has strict gun control and a very low incidence of Gun related murders and crime .,
  
  https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/mar/15/so-america-this-is-how-you-do-gun-control
  
  Switzerland also has strict Provision about the use and retention of fire arms that would be unacceptable by the NRA and Trump .
  
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  February 15, 2018 3:27pm
- MCos
  
  I don’t know what Year gun control measures were enacted in Australia subsequent to Port Arthur, which occurred in 1996, but according to this source gun deaths over ther have dropped by a third this century.
  http://www.gunpolicy.org/firearms/region/australia#total_number_of_gun_deaths
  
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  February 15, 2018 3:28pm
stephieboy

Unquestionably this too will receive raging condemnation by our KB Jacinda haters ,

Australia’s deputy PM Barnaby Joyce expecting child with new partner

The estranged wife of Barnaby Joyce says she and their four daughters are devastated by the news he’s having a baby with a former staffer.
Australia’s deputy prime minister, who had to win a by-election to stay in Parliament after it emerged he was a NZ citizen, left his wife late last year.
A photograph of his pregnant former media advisor Vikki Campion on the front page of Wednesday’s The Daily Telegraph has triggered a fierce debate about whether the image and accompanying article are an invasion of privacy or matter of public interest.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/101216679/australias-deputy-pm-barnaby-joyce-expecting-child-with-new-partner
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February 15, 2018 3:19pm
- Jack5
  
  Very old news, Stephie X.
  
  Are you getting your info. by pigeon mail from Stephiestan?
  
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  February 15, 2018 3:31pm
  - stephieboy
    
    This very old news ?
    
    “Our front page story tomorrow. Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce expecting baby in April with former staffer. @dailytelegraph”
    12:36 AM – Feb 7, 2018
    
    LOL
    
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    February 15, 2018 3:35pm
    - Jack5
      
      Feb 7? That’s eight days old.
      
      Are you still using that Islamic calendar from Mecca?
      
      That “LOL” you use all the time, Stephie X. You know that could stand for: Little Old Lady; Lowest of the Low; Living on Line; Log on Later …. even, Lord of Lies.
      
      12 2
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      February 15, 2018 3:38pm
      - All_on_Red
        
        Eight days old!
        Every day poor old Stephie gets humiliated
        
        9 2
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        February 15, 2018 3:47pm
      - stephieboy
        
        All on Red Herring and Jack 5 , in terms of politics and history 8 days is a very short time ago .
        
        Both are trying to cover up the embarrassment and shame that one of your own rightoids has fell very well short even compared to Jacinda
        
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        February 15, 2018 4:07pm
      - Swifty
        
        Day after day after day he embarrasses himself.
        
        Clearly no self-awareness – in the same mould as Ure.
        
        9 1
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        February 15, 2018 4:28pm
    - All_on_Red
      
      No
      Couldn’t care less about Barnaby.
      We’re laughing at you.
      
      10 2
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      February 15, 2018 4:10pm
      - stephieboy
        
        All on Red Herring , so Barnaby’s behaviour gets your nod and Jacinda’s does not ?
        
        And the reference to “we’re “ is just two loons like jack5 plus you ?
        
        LOL
        
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        February 15, 2018 4:20pm
      - All_on_Red
        
        No
        I actually congratulated Jacinda and Gayford.
        You really aren’t very bright are you
        No wonder you get laughed at.
        Btw, you realise not using my proper non de plume is a breach of blog rules.
        You’ve done it enough to get a Strike now
        Two months off this time
        
        9 2
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        February 15, 2018 4:29pm
      - cmm
        
        Give up stephie. Digging your hole deeper just makes you look stupid.
        
        Your main thrust, expecting KBers to apply different standards here, is broken.
        
        I cannot speak for KBers in general, but I think he is a roaring twat. When he left NZ and went to Oz it was probably a great day for both countries.
        
        On top of that, his offending is nothing like that of Jacinda. She lied to all of us by omission. He lied to his missus.
        
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        February 15, 2018 4:30pm
      - stephieboy
        
        All onn Red , ah Jacinda and Gayford get your ringing endorsement with card and flowers as an add-on .
        
        Breaching your non de plume ? Well, well now who should talk. One who has a time and time again breached my alias and privacy .
        
        Super hypocrite !
        
        1 6
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        February 15, 2018 7:42pm
      - All_on_Red
        
        Ha, you outed yourself you fuckwit skiting about giving a reading and naming the Church where!
        You’re so dumb you forgot your name was on the Roster and your Facebook page was open.
        Then you had to go blubbing to DPF to get the post removed
        Too late. We know all about you. Eh Frank.
        Bwhahahahahahahaha
        
        3 2
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        February 15, 2018 8:08pm
      - stephieboy
        
        All on Red , it was calculated attempt by you and others to breach my privacy and alias . There also was a strong of element of vindictivenes and petulance on your part .
        
        You’ve shown yourself as sore loser who doesn’t like to reminded of painful truths such as the real shortcomings of your idol Trump.
        
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        February 15, 2018 8:17pm
      - All_on_Red
        
        Oh grow up and stop telling lies to cover up your own shortcomings.
        You outed yourself. So proud about giving the reading in Christmas Day. What an idiot.
        You harass everybody with your stalking and insults and then cry when you get shit back.
        Oh. And your obsession with Trump is truly sad and pathetic.
        Seriously, haven’t you better things to do with your day?
        
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        February 15, 2018 8:23pm
cmm

So Christchurch almost had a terrorist attack:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/101480988/kiwi-teenager-radicalised-online-planned-mass-killing-in-christchurch-for-allah

“Judge O’Driscoll told the teenager police had contacted a person from the local Muslim community to meet him regularly for counselling.”

Well let’s hope this is real counseling and not just teaching him how to prevent getting caught next time.

Anyone know how successful “de-radicalisation” programmes are? Or is this just ambulance at the bottom of the cliff.
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February 15, 2018 4:14pm
- cmm
  
  “Stuff has sought comment from the Minister responsible for intelligence services, Andrew Little. ”
  
  I bet Andy’s now thinking something like:”This job looked a lot easier when Crusher Collins and Amy Adams were doing it.”
  
  9 1
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  February 15, 2018 4:18pm
- Peter
  
  High risk of reoffending so……they released him back into the community.
  
  Naturally.
  
  9 1
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  February 15, 2018 4:28pm
  - Digmen1
    
    I get the feeling he is a kiwi born guy, who just got islamised.
    
    He is not that clever, could not find any knives!
    
    A condition of his parole should have been that he is never allowed to associate with any muslims, and must be mentored by a local christian group.
    
    4 1
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    February 15, 2018 7:10pm
    - stephieboy
      
      Digmen1 . what a rich fantasy life you seem to have .
      
      1 7
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      February 15, 2018 7:45pm
    - Peter
      
      They’re seldom particularly clever, tho’. Someone believing in fundamentalist religion to that extent doesn’t suggest “rocket scientist”.
      
      That’s the danger, huh.
      
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      February 15, 2018 9:56pm
- cmm
  
  To answer my own question.
  
  It seems that some countries (Indonesia, Saudi etc) have had very high success rates with in-prison programmes. However:
  * They are in-prison programmes so the person’s environment can be highly controlled. In-community rehab is much harder to control.
  * They both only select low-risk candidates for the programme. High risk individuals don’t make the cut (har, har, har).
  
  Aside for stephie: That means LOL. I made a joke: cut… execution… don’t get it? Never mind.
  
  We have a person with high re-offending risk being put back in the community under the guidance of people who adhere to the same belief system that corrupts his mind. Yeah that’s going to work.
  
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  February 15, 2018 4:40pm
- GoVege
  
  We need to know more about this “Sharia law” that many Muslim immigrants would apparently like to practise here, not have cosy ” meet your local Muslim ” afternoons.
  Last night right here on KB I learned about “ifda”, which occurs when a male “quenches his lust” on a very young child, destroying the division between front and back passages.
  This is permitted under Sharia but the male must pay compensation.
  If this sort of behaviour is acceptable under Sharia, we should not be importing Muslims here.
  
  5 1
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  February 15, 2018 7:20pm
  - Rachael Membery
    
    How barbaric
    
    0 0
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    February 16, 2018 8:30am
Inandout

David Seymour picked for ‘Dancing with the Stars’. Add that to his parliamentary salary and he drags in quite a bit. May I add; David you are a classic wanker.
4 1
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February 15, 2018 4:20pm
- Jack5
  
  Remember what happened to that other ACT MP, Rodney Hide, when he went into that show?
  
  It was the beginning of his decline from fire-eating perk buster. And he wasn’t a great dancer. Didn’t he drop his partner on the floor?
  
  5 1
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  February 15, 2018 4:34pm
  - Morrissey
    
    http://img.scoop.co.nz/stories/images/0605/55ffd0ef0f2a4f2f0375.jpeg
    
    2 7
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    February 15, 2018 4:44pm
    - SPLOOGE
      
      The odious toad.
      I needed not to see that again.
      
      1 5
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      February 15, 2018 8:42pm
- lifesgood
  
  I was slightly interested in ACT but would never consider them with Seymour at the helm. He is worse than useless and a bit of an upstart to boot.
  
  1 1
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  February 15, 2018 7:13pm
Morrissey

GROPERS
No. 31: The old buffers at Russell McVeagh

A leading New Zealand law firm has been hit with allegations of sexually inappropriate behaviour.

Russell McVeagh has confirmed to Newsroom.co.nz that “serious allegations” were made by two young women after events at a student law-clerk Christmas party in Wellington more than two years ago.

A third incident was made at El Horno Bar, resulting in a police complaint.

For privacy and legal reasons the incidents cannot be elaborated on, but they involved two older male lawyers, both of whom no longer work for the company. One of the men does, however, occasionally offer his expertise to the firm.

….

“This matter was discussed by the New Zealand Vice-Chancellors’ Committee and the New Zealand Law Deans with a focus on ensuring the safety of future summer clerks working at Russell McVeagh and other workplaces that run summer clerkship programmes,” Vice-Chancellor of Victoria University Professor Grant Guilford said.

The university was not involved with resolving the complaints, saying that was a matter for police.

Changes have since been made to the summer internship programme including an alcohol ban and a support helpline.

Of the ten clerks offered full-time jobs following that summer, five women declined.

http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2018/02/law-firm-russell-mcveagh-hit-with-sex-allegations.html

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11994831

“GROPERS” is presented by GroperWatch®, a division of Daisycutter Sports Inc.

1 George Herbert Walker Bush; 2 Bill O’Reilly; 3 Al Franken; 4 Robin Brooke; 5 Lester Beck; No. 6 Arnold Schwarzenegger; 7 Joe Biden; 8 Rolf Harris; 9 Harold Bloom; 10 Sir Jimmy Savile; 11 Dr Morgan Fahey; 12 Prince Harry; 13 Bill Clinton; 14 Judge Roy Moore; 15 Matt Lauer; 16 Richard Branson; 17 Warren Moon; 18 Donald John Trump; 19 Damian Green; 20 Gene Simmons; 21 Sylvester Stallone; 22 Louise’s husband Charlie; 23 Father O’Hagan (AKA “Father Gropius”); 24 David Lloyd George; 25 James Franco; 26 Joel Kramer; 27 Rene Naufahu; 28 Steve Wynn; 29 Vince McMahon; 30 Rob Porter
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February 15, 2018 4:33pm
- Morrissey
  
  CAUTION: I note that, as of 4:39 p.m., a couple of louts from the disreputable law firm Russell McVeagh are lurking amongst us.
  
  2 12
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  February 15, 2018 4:38pm
- Inandout
  
  I remember certain government departments who had sheer rooters as heads, so (if the MSM allows) these things may eventually come to light. Shit, a decade or so back men admired, whistled at and chased ‘a bit of skirt’. I would venture to add most commenters on here started their relationships in what was considered the usual way.
  
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  February 15, 2018 4:55pm
Inandout

There was a crash in Ohtrooahanga.
1 2
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February 15, 2018 4:33pm
GazzaW

In the event of a cabinet reshuffle can I suggest that Willie Jackson is made Minister of Clowns. The man is a total buffoon and an affront to our Parliament. Jacinda has given the taxpayer the big finger in appointing him and charging us $250k ++ for the privilege. Watch him in action today trying to answer Q12 – even his fellow Labour MPs seem to be embarrassed.
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February 15, 2018 4:49pm
- Morrissey
  
  Agree with you wholeheartedly, GazzaW. I’ve been on to this clown for a long time now….
  
  https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-08062013/#comment-645516
  
  https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-17092015/#comment-1071757
  
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  February 15, 2018 4:54pm
  - Inandout
    
    Ewww, the Standard, everyone wash their hands.
    
    7 1
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    February 15, 2018 4:57pm
Manolo

There will always be gullible people, hence the selling of smoke never stops:
https://www.thewrap.com/pope-francis-documentary-a-man-of-his-word-vatican-film-release-date/

Wim Wender’s “Pope Francis – A Man of His Word” will open in domestic theaters on May 18, 2018, Focus Features announced Wednesday.
3 2
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February 15, 2018 5:03pm
Maggy Wassilieff

Maths – back to basics …
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2018/feb/14/times-table-tests-to-be-trialled-in-primary-schools-in-march-england
Too difficult for some teachers?

Too many children arrive at secondary school without knowing their X tables.
6 1
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February 15, 2018 5:15pm
- nasska
  
  I didn’t think they bothered with multiplication any more Maggy although it’d be a while since I heard of anyone multiplying anything instead of “timesing” it.
  
  Basic division, subtraction & addition along with simple percentages seem to be out of vogue too.
  
  Raising concerns about innumeracy invites retorts that cheap & readily available calculators have replaced abacuses & slide rules.
  
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  February 15, 2018 5:29pm
- GazzaW
  
  @ Maggy. Too many children arrive at primary school minus the remotest knowledge of the basic building blocks of education. Not enough parents read to their kids or show them how to count. There are way too many homes that are cultural and educational deserts and decile 10 areas rate right up there with the worst. Such is the extent of the problem that all NZ primary schools have at least one qualified Reading Recovery teacher on the staff to cope with early illiteracy.
  
  There needs to be much more parental input into the education of their pre-school children.
  
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  February 15, 2018 5:55pm
- cmm
  
  2×2=4 is only your opinion anyway.
  These days children are told to follow their truth and if their truth is that 2×2=5, well, that’s perfectly valid.
  
  It gets scary when you see kids reaching for the calculator to multiply by ten.
  
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  February 15, 2018 6:15pm
  - lifesgood
    
    I so agree. It is agony watching a young shop assistant try to work out change from a $10 note for an item costing $4.80. I have absolutely no idea what kids get taught at school these days, their hand writing is appalling, they can’t spell, they have no idea of grammar and they can’t do basic sums. Come on! Why aren’t people up in arms about this. Bloody lazy teachers!
    
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    February 15, 2018 7:10pm
- stephieboy
  
  Maggy W , seems a lot of waffle for rightists like you to press the hysterical moral panic button over the basics .
  
  We’ve heard lot about the slump in so called school standards since the 1960s . Doesn’t stop us producing top notch graduates in medicine , law , engineering, physics , “ botany “ etc ,
  
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  February 15, 2018 7:36pm
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    seems a lot of waffle for rightists like you to press the hysterical moral panic button over the basics .
    
    Tell us how many hours of volunteer time you give over to assisting illiterate and innumerate teenagers with basic reading and maths skills, stephieboy.
    
    I’m happy to put up my volunteer hours against yours anytime.
    
    4 2
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    February 15, 2018 8:38pm
Maggy Wassilieff

Yep, I’ve heard it all…

slows you down no end if you can’t perform a few basic sums in your head and you have to bang numbers into a calculator.
5 2
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February 15, 2018 5:35pm
- nasska
  
  What I’ve noticed Maggy is that if someone punches numbers into a calculator without some pre conceived idea of what the answer should be they’re not going to query a result that is completely up the pole because of adding an extra zero or such.
  
  I walked away from eleven years of education with only two skills of any use in the real world. ie. the ability to sling a yarn & basic numeracy.
  
  Everything else was bullshit.
  
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  February 15, 2018 5:46pm
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    You’ve neglected to mention a couple of other skills there, nasska.
    
    You can not only sling a yarn (which I took to mean oral transmission),
    you can put it down into perfect English text.
    
    Everyday we see that many folks lack that basic skill.
    
    You also have the ability to comprehend what you read.
    Quite a few folks struggle in that regard, too.
    So where did you pick up your basic reading & writing skills?
    – Comics or Janet & John readers?
    
    4 1
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    February 15, 2018 7:18pm
    - nasska
      
      Basic reading & writing I can put down to parents who were ambitious for their offspring plus a couple of really good teachers (Std 3 & 6 if I recall correctly).
      
      Other than that I’m an avid reader & I have a good memory. My problems with the education system were best summed up in Joseph Heller’s Catch-22:
      
      ……“-You have no respect for excessive authority or obsolete traditions. You’re dangerous and depraved, and you ought to be taken outside and shot!”……
      
      2 1
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      February 15, 2018 7:37pm
  - Kimbo
    
    I would have thought that divinity would have been your top subject at school, nasska. Put it this way – given your regular theological prognostications here on Kiwiblog, and the current state of the church, you are an excellent candidate to be ordained an Anglican bishop. ?
    
    4 2
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    February 15, 2018 9:26pm
    - nasska
      
      Then I must have worded my objections to crap such as “divinity” poorly Kimbo.
      
      By itself an individual’s belief in & acceptance of the authority of a higher being is a harmless pastime. It should be viewed as equal to a passion for contract bridge or breeding goldfish.
      
      BUT it doesn’t stop there. You religious nuts want to force us to live according to the imaginary voices in your heads. Think abortion, gay marriage, assisted suicide…… You represent another layer of needless authority over the lives of disinterested people who, to put it gently, consider you to be stark raving mad.
      
      Return to your churches, close the doors behind you & kneel to accept your self imposed burdens.
      
      Just do me the small favour of leaving me to run my OWN life.
      
      Ta. 🙂
      
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      February 15, 2018 9:41pm
- Rachael Membery
  
  All there on their phone now.
  
  1 1
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  February 15, 2018 9:13pm
sooty

Stephieboy on shift today, you are going to have to lift your game. Is this the best you can do? You might want to give someone else a turn.
7 1
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February 15, 2018 5:40pm
Hugh Pavletich

House prices took a dive in most parts of the country in January but prices were particularly soft in Auckland | interest.co.nz

https://www.interest.co.nz/property/92136/house-prices-took-dive-most-parts-country-january-prices-were-particularly-soft

Median house prices dropped significantly in most parts of the country in January, according to the latest figures from the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand.

The national median selling price for all residential properties sold in January was $520,000, down from $550,000 in December.

That was the lowest it has been since July last year, but remains above the January 2017 median of $485,000. … read more via hyperlink above …

Government advertises for head of new Kiwibuild Unit to kick off plans for 100,000 new homes over the next decade | interest.co.nz

https://www.interest.co.nz/property/92150/one-main-functions-head-kiwibuild-will-be-buy-land-suitable-affordable-housing

The coalition is pressing on with plans to increase the ‘bright line’ test for residential property sales to cover a five year period; law changes expected to take effect in March | interest.co.nz

https://www.interest.co.nz/news/92145/coalition-pressing-plans-increase-bright-line-test-residential-property-sales-cover-five

Housing – New Zealand Labour Party

http://www.labour.org.nz/housing

… extract …

Remove barriers that are stopping Auckland growing up and out

Labour will remove the Auckland urban growth boundary and free up density controls. This will give Auckland more options to grow, as well as stopping landbankers profiteering and holding up development. New developments, both in Auckland and the rest of New Zealand, will be funded through innovative infrastructure bonds.
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February 15, 2018 6:02pm
- Hugh Pavletich
  
  NZ Labour Government targets the property speculators – MacroBusiness Australia
  
  https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2018/02/nz-labour-government-targets-property-speculators/
  
  By Leith van Onselen
  
  I noted in the lead-up to the New Zealand General Election, held on 23 September 2017, that Labour had an excellent housing platform that addresses both supply and demand distortions via negative gearing reform, banning foreign buyers of existing homes, tighter capital gains taxes, removal of urban growth boundaries, plus bond financing for infrastructure. Its plan to reduce immigration by around a third is also sound, and would help to relieve chronic housing and infrastructure pressures, especially around Auckland.
  
  Back in November, New Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern gave her ‘speech from the throne’, which confirmed that the Government would pursue its housing reforms in-full. And in December, new housing minister, Phil Twyford confirmed the timeline for these reforms in a speech to the Salvation Army. … read more via hyperlink above …
  
  Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey | Scoop News
  
  http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1801/S00070/demographia-international-housing-affordability-survey.htm
  
  … IN CONTRAST … DO NOTHING AUSTRALIA … WHY ?
  
  The cost of residential land in Australia is going through the roof | Business Insider
  
  https://www.businessinsider.com.au/housing-affordability-australia-residential-land-prices-2018-2
  
  Vacant residential land prices are soaring in Australia, creating a mammoth headache for the nation’s housing housing affordability crisis.
  
  According to latest HIA-CoreLogic Residential Land Report, the median vacant residential lot price surged by 6.5% in the September quarter of last year, hitting $267,368, up 10.9% on a year earlier.
  
  Median prices in capital cities jumped by 7.8% during the quarter, far outpacing growth of 2.7% in regional areas.
  
  Over the year, capital city prices ballooned to a record high of $313,74, up 12.8% over the year. … read more via hyperlink above …
  
  Land prices hit record high amid supply shortfall across the country … news com au
  
  http://www.news.com.au/finance/real-estate/brisbane-qld/land-prices-hit-record-high-amid-supply-shortfall-across-the-country/news-story/3eee8bca2151f532e6cdf66c41df592d
  
  Demographia In The News
  
  https://www.google.co.nz/search?q=demographia&source=lnms&tbm=nws&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiF4d71waTZAhWQq5QKHb8UBPcQ_AUICigB&biw=469&bih=403
  
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  February 15, 2018 6:40pm
  - GazzaW
    
    Well Hugh I have sat here for what seems like years looking at your endless epistles.
    
    All I have to say is that it’s your lots turn now mate and so far Twyford has come up with nine tenths of fuck all in terms of new houses. Refer the KB ‘nothappeningometer’. Plenty of rhetoric and plenty of BS but nothing else.
    
    I’m going to watch this space with great interest. How’s about you trot over to The Standard and give Twyford as much free advice as you gave to the Nats. You should last at least five minutes.
    
    8 2
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    February 15, 2018 7:27pm
slightlyrighty

Women: “Don’t Judge us on our appearance!!”

Also Women “Ohhh, look at Jacinda in Vogue!!!”
10 2
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February 15, 2018 6:42pm
- nasska
  
  I don’t reckon that it’s appearance vs Vogue so much although there’s heaps of women who for some hormone driven reasons wouldn’t find the two positions incongruous.
  
  Rather it’s the baby bump that makes them go all gooey & their fallopian tubes get twitchy while they get ready to lactate. This blinds them to the dire political effects for the run of the mill non pregnant Kiwi cursed with an emotional halfwit for a PM.
  
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  February 15, 2018 7:17pm
- Gabby
  
  Maybe different women slottyrotty.
  
  0 0
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  February 16, 2018 7:44am
Jack5

Australia’s Deputy PM, Barnaby Joyce, keeps his job, but Malcolm Turnbull bans Ministers from having sex with staff.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-15/turnbull-slams-joyce-affair-changes-to-ministerial-standards/9451792
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February 15, 2018 8:07pm
- Morrissey
  
  “What the F*&K?!?!?!? What sort of a f&%#ing rule is that?”
  
  http://i.huffpost.com/gen/3818018/thumbs/o-HAWKE-570.jpg?2
  
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  February 15, 2018 8:52pm
  - Awww C-mon
    
    What sort of fucking rule?
    
    Well, a no fucking rule obviously… dumbass.
    
    Probably irrelevant to you anyway Mosseycakes, the way your panties are in a knot you’ve most likely lost circulation south of the border
    
    5 2
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    February 15, 2018 9:08pm
    - Morrissey
      
      you’ve most likely lost circulation south of the border
      
      Really? Ask your wife if that’s true.
      
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      February 17, 2018 12:25pm
Maggy Wassilieff

Well-supported (and integrated) family wins reprieve against deportation from NZ.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11995327
4 0
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February 15, 2018 9:27pm
- Digmen1
  
  I havn’t looked at the link yet.
  But
  They obviously arn’t white.
  
  1 0
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  February 16, 2018 6:35am
- Gabby
  
  They say, thanks for fighting our corner Wee Toddy Baccy, not.
  
  0 1
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  February 16, 2018 7:46am
- Jack5
  
  Did Walker put up his hand for this family?
  
  https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/petition-south-african-family-signed-17500
  
  0 0
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  February 16, 2018 8:42am
dime

What a shit ground eden Park is for cricket.

Hope wheeler enjoyed his retirement game
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February 16, 2018 10:09pm

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