General Debate 5 April 2018

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KiWombat

Degenerative Ephemeral Memory Syndrome (DEMS) is an affliction suffered by an increasing number of New Zealanders.

Does anybody remember the good old years back in 2008 ? You know, when regular petrol was around $2.21 per litre ? About half of us do not !

Well it is looking very much as though the clocks are turning back on this one, back up over $2-00 now with another 20cpl to be added shortly !

I seem to recall Judith Collins was attempting to reveal why petrol was so costly, and trying to peel away the layers to expose industry pricing policies, that was less than a year ago – when regular petrol was about $1.66 per ltr.

But I suppose there is some logic behind Twitford’s policy to add additional fuel tax/excise and get the price up around the $2.20 mark – he will be able to say, hand on heart, that petrol prices are the same today as they were 10 years ago – and he will be right !

So back to DEMS. We need to find a way to tackle this nefarious disease. I cannot see the health system funding a conversation about solving this problem during this term of government, because it is not in their best interests to do so. The former National government did not invest sufficient energy into tackling this disease either – now perhaps they will listen !

I call on all thinking New Zealanders to come together and help tackle Degenerative Ephemeral Memory Syndrome before it is too late. The easiest way to tackle this disease is to turn on your brain at least once every day, and give it more than just token exercise.

If we don’t, then Global Warming won’t even become a minor inconvenience !
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April 5, 2018 8:00am
- Maxx
  
  Exchange rate is forecast to be $0.62 or so by end of year of I remember correctly so combined will see petrol around $2.50+
  
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  April 5, 2018 8:18am
  - UrbanNeocolonialist
    
    Nobody knows what exchange rate will do in short term (months). It is augery to pretend otherwise. But over periods of years you can be better than 50-50 (based on govt policy settings). So I agree NZD will go down over CoL’ s term, but size of drop and timing is anyone’s guess.
    
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    April 5, 2018 8:27am
  - Harkman
    
    That is why Labour is rorting the RBNZ act. To have a committee of political appointees on a board to keep interest rates lower than what they need to be. The biggest losers of this government will turn out to be old people living off fixed interest, who will have their savings eroded, apparent Winston First voters. Ha.
    
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    April 5, 2018 8:27am
  - Colville
    
    Maxx.
    $0.62? 🙂 Source?
    
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    April 5, 2018 8:29am
  - kowtow
    
    An exchnge rate of .62 would be very good for our export dependant economy.
    
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    April 5, 2018 8:31am
    - Harkman
      
      In 1928 the FX rate was $US2.43 and we ran a 2-3% of GDP trade surplus, in early 1985 it was $US0.47 and we ran a 2-3% of GDP trade deficit.
      
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      April 5, 2018 8:43am
      - Colville
        
        We didnt buy too many big screen TVs or German SUVs in 1928…
        
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        April 5, 2018 8:56am
      - Harkman
        
        Actually the 1920s saw a massive influx of cars being brought into the country from Britain and the US etc yet the trade accounts were healthy. As the fx rate fell subsequent governments worried about the the national fuel bill but the falling currency just magnified the problem. Our two biggest export sectors use a lot of fuel for transportation, Farming/Fonterra and Tourism (jet fuel, car rental). Vital technologies that are imported would also be more expensive in local currency, which means a smaller net savings pool to fuel economic growth. The strongest currencies over the last 50 years are Switzerland, Japan, Germany/Austria, Netherlands and Norway. They all have large domestic savings pools.
        
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        April 5, 2018 9:13am
      - fluffykiwi
        
        We also had foreign exchange controls. There was no free for all.
        
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        April 5, 2018 12:04pm
  - backster
    
    Don’t forget the retailer will want to preserve his percentage margin after the extra taxes have been added.
    
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    April 5, 2018 11:21am
- BlueGriffon
  
  And don’t forget interest rates getting up to 10%, I fixed at 9 something for a few years in a panic thinking they would go higher. Got everything fixed under 5% now!
  
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  April 5, 2018 8:35am
  - UrbanNeocolonialist
    
    Safe bet, unlikely to drop significantly, and govt stupidity likely to drive rises.
    
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    April 5, 2018 10:36am
- skyblue
  
  Oil was at over USD120/bl in mid 2008 hence $2.20/ltr with FOREX 0.70. By end of 2008 was USD30/bl, petrol was $1.40/ltr in NZ with Forex 0.50.
  
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  April 5, 2018 9:07am
- kloyd0306
  
  …….but since 2008 we have had fracking (a swear word to lefties) and the US has produced much more oil to force the Arabs, Russians, Venezuela and other oil producing nations to compete versus the cartel ripping us off (holding us to ransom).
  
  Cheaper oil reduces costs for all of us whereas added taxes only add to costs for all of us.
  
  This lousy government has not even dreamed of looking at cutting spending or demanding efficiencies from government departments, something that the private sector must do all the time.
  
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  April 5, 2018 10:16am
- KiWombat
  
  This post was supposed to get people talking about using their brain, not talking about the price of petrol, I could have used houses or milk as examples !
  
  Looks like I aimed it a little too high !!
  
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  April 5, 2018 11:33am
  - hullkiwi
    
    KW, yes you were aiming high, given how most Kiwis can’t remembered why they changed their vote & voted for CoL. Many will still be complaining how bad National were, and given the current shambles will now be getting buyers remorse and by the next election will have decided to vote National again.
    
    Having a short term memory or memory loss is not restricted to just those with dementia.
    
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    April 5, 2018 2:27pm
EAD_TWO

I stand to be corrected, but after the breathless coverage in the NZ MSM and here on Kiwiblog about Russia’s “guilt” at poisioning a spy in England, I am yet to see any coverage of yesterday’s announcement in the NZ MSM that there is no evidence of Russian involvement.

For those with short memories, it’s often good to go back and see which Kiwibloggers kept a cool head and which ones (like the Pollies & MSM) lost their heads as they tried to paint a narrative rather than being interested in the truth.

https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2018/03/nz_silent_on_russia.html#comment-2163470
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April 5, 2018 8:02am
- Lance
  
  Let me guess… Hilary did it
  
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  April 5, 2018 8:14am
  - EAD_TWO
    
    Lance,
    
    another one of the punters letting loose brainfarts instead of analysing things in a cool, calm & rational manner.
    
    Another overeducated sheeple caught up for whom a life of comfortable conformity is more important than a life of thinking.
    
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/04/04/britains-boris-johnson-accused-of-misleading-public-over-skripal-poisoning-evidence/?utm_term=.23e1158fceab
    
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    April 5, 2018 8:33am
- oldpark
  
  Maybe you missed it. A potential “suspect” with a Russian name ,arrived in London on a Russian Plane . That was a day before the attack in Salisbury was carried out. The day after the same” Suspect ” a Russian boarded a Russian Plane in London and flew back to Russia.
  Must have been a coincidence. That being the case ,seems the British Secret Service know alot more about Russias attempted murder of one or two of their Citizens in England. Time will tell.
  
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  April 5, 2018 8:21am
  - EAD_TWO
    
    @ oldpark,
    
    So in summary – someone from Russia flew to the UK before the poisoning and someone flew out afterwards.
    
    Guess that must make the Russian state GUILTY then by your logic ?
    
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    April 5, 2018 8:27am
    - oldpark
      
      No mister not my logic ,British Secret Service.
      Not sure what your problem is anyway. Maybe you are related to “Commie Chic” Comrade Ardern,who also appears to be enamoured with the Russians.
      
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      April 5, 2018 8:42am
      - EAD_TWO
        
        FFS – petty domestic political party points scoring instead of giving a damn about the truth.
        
        It’s because of people like you as to why the West is in such a mess.
        
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        April 5, 2018 9:03am
      - dave_c_
        
        Sorry about my hitting the ‘Report button’, rather than reply EAD
        I agree entirely with you, and cannot for the life of me fathom why ‘so called intelligent folks on this blog’ seem so anti the truth.
        
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        April 5, 2018 11:34am
    - Paulus
      
      No, just suspect circumstances !
      
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      April 5, 2018 1:03pm
  - Andrei
    
    And someone with an American name flew into England on the day before the incident and flew out the day after – must be a coincidence
    
    FFS how many people from all over the world fly into and out of Britain every fucking day.
    
    Boris Johnson told everybody that Porton Downs had identified the agent used as having been made in Russia and Porton Downs has said they haven’t done this
    
    Boris Johnson has lied !!! And been caught in the lie
    
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    April 5, 2018 8:44am
- G152
  
  Your masters need to employ a more credible apologist.
  The Russians have been murdering their dissident ex-citizens since the inception of the USSR.
  Its a sad part of history that such a murderous regime has continued in spite of the death of the original evil.
  
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  April 5, 2018 8:27am
  - Andrei
    
    And how many people inconvenient to the ruling class have died in mysterious circumstances in the West
    
    David Kelly for example
    or Seth Rich
    
    Great Britain is a haven for very dodgy Russians who made lots of money looting Russia in the ninties – some of them support the Tory party with bags of cash – a lot of them a Russian mafia
    
    When Russia tries to repatriate these crooks to put them on trial they become “dissadents”.
    
    They and their ill gotten gains find safe haven and political protection in London and they occaisionally murder each other
    
    You have no fucking idea – it isequivalent to John Gotti coming here to New Zealand and we calling him an American dissadent
    
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    April 5, 2018 8:57am
    - lastmanstanding
      
      And dont forget the guy who bought the computers that had info on them re the Wine Box and then tried to hawk the in for for a price. He died in his car when it hit the Vic Park flyover abuttment. Following car driver said looked like mechanical failure. Police turned up nothing.
      Governments have been murdering their troublesome citizens since Adam was a cowboy. Nothing new here. The only questions in the UK case is which government did it and why.
      
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      April 5, 2018 9:08am
      - EAD_TWO
        
        The inconvenient truth that this spy was involved in the Clinton-Steele fake dossier and could be a witness against GCHQ, MI6, and the UK government is the reason for the incident and the whipped-up hysteria.
        
        https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/poisoned-russian-spy-linked-to-trump-dossier-author-reports-20180308-p4z3iy.html
        
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        April 5, 2018 9:15am
      - Lance
        
        Big bullshit there.
        I know the cop that did the crash scene investigation. The victim was seen by multiple witnesses driving dangerously fast just before the crash, all the forensic evidence clearly shows he failed to take the corner due to excessive speed.
        The victim was a smartarse, using smartarse blackmail tactics to gain money from someone elses mistake, then went on a big piss-up around town stating loudly and publicly to all within earshot how clever he was.
        
        Sorry to burst your conspiracy bubble.
        
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        April 5, 2018 9:20am
    - Ed Snack
      
      Andrei, all the wealthiest people in Russia (with maybe a couple of exceptions) made their money by looting the old Soviet State during the transition from the USSR to Russia.
      
      Those still there made the right political choice and so were allowed to remain safe. Those who opposed the new political reality had to flee or die. So they may be gangsters, but they are also political dissidents as they opposed the gang of crooks who did stay.
      
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      April 5, 2018 9:19am
      - stephieboy
        
        Ed Snack , flee the new political reality?Like the members of the Communist Party?
        
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        April 5, 2018 9:35am
    - 4077th
      
      Or a German internet “entrepreneur”? Perhaps an HBO dissident?
      
      FFS, you people really should get out from under your tinfoil hats and chemtrail anoraks just for a minute!
      
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      April 5, 2018 9:55am
- Ed Snack
  
  The Russians stand accused mainly on the strength of motive and MO. The actual “weapon” is indicative but by no means conclusive as once the existence of such a variation on other chemical weapons was revealed, all relevant state agencies would have investigated and almost certainly synthesised some of these even if only to check on antidotes and treatment.
  
  So there’s no doubt that the UK or US (and others) could have manufactured small amounts of which ever agent it was (there is a good deal of public uncertainty both over the agent and its means of delivery) and delivered it.
  
  The question would be why would they. If the US, isn’t Trump Putin’s best buddy according to “the usual suspects” ? UK, well, maybe as a diversion but a very dodgy one; and this leads a long way down some sort of conspiracy rabbit hole.
  
  Pity the British couldn’ Have followed protocol and made more certain of their facts before leaping off the deep end.
  
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  April 5, 2018 9:16am
  - kowtow
    
    They have a female PM , totally out of her depth , utterly incompetent and desperate to show she’s got what it takes.
    
    Sound familiar?
    
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    April 5, 2018 9:20am
- howitis
  
  In Britain the cops will ruin the life of a male and name and shame that person for years with not a shred of valid evidence. The lying psycho woman who initiated this will not even be named and can continue her life of malice without restraint.
  That is Britain today.
  
  In Britain the cops will spin out a line that ‘the Russians did it’ because it is politically expedient in trying to follow the defined political agenda.
  
  The real hurt to UK/USSA is that it was Russia that sorted out ISIS in Syria despite the efforts of the USA, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia to bring down the Syrian government and execute an illegal regime change. Another one!
  The whole USA with a million man/woman/trannie army could somehow not defeat 30,000 low IQ , lightly armed, loser thugs on Toyota flat decks.
  The biggest concern for the USA was not the local lives lost but that the thugs chose Toyotas over Ford F150s.
  
  The Russians stepped up to this mayhem and murder episode late in the piece and dealt to it.
  This poorly fabricated story by the British Establishment as bitch boys to the USA is simply payback to discredit the Russians for spoiling USA’s bullshit time playing ‘men of mayhem’ in the Middle East during the last 15 years. The Brits were all prepared for this with their ‘fagging’ at public schools.
  
  The sad thing is the British establishment seem quite happy that their country has plenty of Russian thieving ‘oligarchs’ who use football clubs and ‘ the City’ to launder money.
  But one old former double agent gets the flu and is in hospital and they go ballistic.
  
  There is no proof it is Novichok and if the Brits can ‘prove it’ then they have the formula and can manufacture it. Duh!
  
  While everyone has good old cry about chemical weapons in Salisbury remember in our lifetime USA dumped chemical weapons on Vietnam. They dumped 20 million gallons of Agent Orange 45 to 50 years ago that caused mass deformities and is active in humans there today. They used the anti personal chemical weapon Napalm on their supposed allies – the villagers of South Vietnam.
  So stop the tears about chemical weapons and one old Russian fella who has the flu and is not even dead.
  By 1Feb 2018 over 200 Brits died of the flu. This old Ruskie is not dead.
  He was not even chemically blitzed or he would be dead.
  The Brit story changes more than a Clare Curran ‘statement of fact’ .
  
  This whole bullshit saga plays well for both the Yanks and the Brits and has dominated the news cycle since the Telford child rapes entered the news nearly a month ago.
  You have been played.
  
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  April 5, 2018 10:19am
  - SPC
    
    You do not seem to get the difference between Islamic State (who operated in eastern Syria and Iraq) who fought Iraqi and Syrian Kurds and Iraqis backed by the USA and Iran and and the Islamists in western Syria fighting the Damascus regime (who had aid from Hizbollah Iran and Russia).
    
    Got the flu … complete bullshit.
    
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    April 5, 2018 10:44am
Inandout

Warehouse in Kaicorehe is closing. Shane Jones not happy.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2018/04/kaikohe-warehouse-closure-a-kick-in-the-guts-for-locals-shane-jones.html
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April 5, 2018 8:04am
- Random T Person
  
  Jones obvs has no understanding of ‘economics’. A factory closing is a good thing. It represents capital moving to become more efficient.
  
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  April 5, 2018 8:06am
- CHFR1
  
  Well then maybe the locals should have actually shopped there and supported them. I am quite sure if the store was making money it would not have been closed.
  
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  April 5, 2018 8:07am
  - Captain Mainwaring
    
    Maybe if there isn’t a Warehouse store in Murupara there shouldn’t be one in Kaikohe either.
    Not much difference between the two towns as far as I can see.
    
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    April 5, 2018 8:14am
    - Random T Person
      
      Uhm, Murupara isn’t what you’d call ‘scenic’…mind you, I’ve not been through Kaikoura, but I understand it’s easy on the eye…
      
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      April 5, 2018 8:18am
      - Captain Mainwaring
        
        Who said anything about Kaikoura? Tha Warehouse that was closed is in Kaikohe, and that’s not exactly scenic either.
        
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        April 5, 2018 8:34am
      - KiWombat
        
        Wrong Island Random !
        
        Kaikohe – not Kaikoura
        
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        April 5, 2018 8:35am
      - Random T Person
        
        Doh, that’s all I can say about that! And I’ve been through Kaikohe, too, it is a tad Murupara in it’s outlook…
        
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        April 5, 2018 9:35am
  - holysheet
    
    To many five finger discounts will have this effect on a business.
    
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    April 5, 2018 8:24am
    - starboard
      
      Nail on the head holysheet. The bulk of the 5 finger discounters will be brown.
      
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      April 5, 2018 8:42am
  - waikatogirl
    
    Maybe the 5 finger discounters were more numerous than actual customers?
    
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    April 5, 2018 8:46am
  - rangitoto
    
    TWG say the issue was extending the lease. I guess the landowners wanted a big hike in the lease that TWG wasn’t willing to meet.
    
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    April 5, 2018 10:13am
    - Tricati
      
      I heard that the lease extension was the issue and that the building owner is a mate of Shane Jones – Hence the ‘outrage’
      
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      April 5, 2018 10:52am
    - Rachael Membery
      
      Who else will occupy a space that size? Why isn’t anyone jumping up and down about the building owner not exercising social responsibility to the community? They expect the Warehouse to run as a charity, they already have a corporate one, how many do they need?
      
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      April 5, 2018 3:24pm
  - kiwibird
    
    Maybe Northland already has far too many The Warehouse”s.
    
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    April 5, 2018 10:21am
- Right of way is Way of Right
  
  There’s another Warehouse 30 minutes away ffs! If you live in a remote rural community, this is the sort of stuff you have to deal with. Of course, with all the petrol tax, that 30 minute drive might be a bit more of a consideration….
  
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  April 5, 2018 8:19am
  - RalphT
    
    And given that the government now wants rural folk to drive at no more than 70 kph, that 30 minute trip will take close to 45…
    
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    April 5, 2018 8:35am
  - Fletch
    
    I was in the Warehouse the other day at the checkout when the guy behind me pointed out that if you use the Warehouse Visa Money card thing, you get 5% off each and every purchase. He didn’t understand why everyone didn’t know about it and use one. He showed me as his purchase was going through, the discount coming off. I’d probably get one, but I don’t want another credit card.
    
    https://warehousemoney.co.nz/cards/warehouse-money-visa-card
    
    I guess if you go to The Warehouse a lot, it saves you quite a bit of money though.
    
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    April 5, 2018 9:24am
- stephieboy
  
  I guess if NZ First went with the Nats this would be a big non-issue on KB.
  
  Sigh!
  
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  April 5, 2018 9:40am
- Paulus
  
  No – change of circumstances after sorted by Jones.
  They not now closing.
  
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  April 5, 2018 1:06pm
  - hullkiwi
    
    Why, has he offered TWG some of his $billion fund?
    
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    April 5, 2018 2:35pm
holysheet

Putting into practice what they want the rest of us to do, 3 Green and 3 Liarbor MPs are travelling by train to a conference. At the station, the 3 Greens each buy tickets and watch as the 3 Liarbors buy only a single ticket. “How are 3 people going to travel on only one ticket?” asks Shaw. “Watch and you’ll see,” answers Twitford. They all board the train. The Greens take their respective seats but all three Liarbors cram into a restroom and close the door behind them. Shortly after the train has departed, the conductor comes around collecting tickets. He knocks on the restroom door and says, ” Ticket, please.” The door opens just a crack and a single arm emerges with a ticket in hand. The conductor takes it and moves on. The Greens see this and agreed it was quite a clever idea. So after the conference, the Greens decide to copy the Liarbors on the return trip and save some money (being clever with money, and all that). When they get to the station, they buy a single ticket for the return trip. To their astonishment, the Liarbors don’t buy a ticket at all. “How are y’all going to travel without a ticket?” asked a perplexed Genter. “Watch and you’ll see,” answers Twitford. When they board the train the 3 Liarbors cram into a large restroom and the 3 Greens cram into another one nearby. The train departs. Shortly afterward, Twitford leaves the restroom and walks over to the restroom where the Greens are hiding. He knocks on the door and says, “Ticket, please.”
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April 5, 2018 8:05am
- cmm
  
  Not believable.
  
  Twitford isn’t clever enough to work that scam out.
  
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  April 5, 2018 8:10am
  - Nigel Kearney
    
    But he’s probably clever enough to have read it online ten years ago when it was a lawyers and engineers joke.
    
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    April 5, 2018 8:18am
  - Harkman
    
    “Twitford isn’t clever enough to work that scam out.”
    I dont know he is claiming that at Unitec 4000 homes can fit into an area for 800 homes. Next thing you know he’ll call rooms…. homes and claim he solved the housing problem.
    
    Labour and the Greens in the toilets, where’s Darren Hughes?
    
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    April 5, 2018 8:33am
    - holysheet
      
      Hughes was “Groom of the Stool”
      
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      April 5, 2018 8:39am
- Lance
  
  The version I heard, the clever ones were the engineers and the dummies were accountants.
  Suits me better……… hint… I am not an accountant 🙂
  
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  April 5, 2018 8:16am
- stephieboy
  
  holysheet , did you learn your piece of” comedy i” n the playground sandpit?
  
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  April 5, 2018 9:42am
  - Nev.
    
    craptrap!
    
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    April 5, 2018 12:19pm
sooty

Have Labour lost the election by hitting the people in the burbs and all the people outside Auckland, with the fuel tax.
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April 5, 2018 8:08am
- redeye
  
  Who knows if the tax will cost them the election but Cindy claiming that it’s not a new tax and therefore not a broken promise will certainly put a massive dent in her credibility brand.
  
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  April 5, 2018 8:14am
  - CHFR1
    
    A commentator on WO just said they wonder if governing is just too difficult for this mob and they have just given up. I am inclined to agree as not many of them have had governing experience and thought is was all just the ceremonial stuff and the discovery that you have to make decisions that may not always be popular has come as a shock.
    
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    April 5, 2018 8:22am
    - Swifty
      
      “We never knew it would be this hard – that Bill English and John Key just made it all look so easy………”
      
      Edit: sp
      
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      April 5, 2018 8:24am
    - tom1980
      
      If Chompers was half as smart as some people seem to have thought she was, she would never have gone into coalition with Winston First. The smart thing to do would have been to dodge that bullet, spend three years rebuilding Labour into something like a viable governing party, then win the next election.
      
      As things stand, in three years time Labour’s going to be in the same position it was three years ago: no leadership, no talent, no policies, and crap polling.
      
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      April 5, 2018 8:33am
      - sooty
        
        Certainly no fairy dust!
        
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        April 5, 2018 9:23am
      - Chris2
        
        They already had nine years in Opposition, regardless of who was Labour leader at any particular time during this period, and yet they come into Government without a clue because all they can do is set up working groups.
        
        I doubt a further three years in Opposition would have prepared Labour any better than they were prepared in 2017.
        
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        April 5, 2018 9:37am
      - stephieboy
        
        Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
        Chris , you might also wish to explain why they remained 9 years in government 2000 – 9?
        
        1 31
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        April 5, 2018 9:47am
      - hullkiwi
        
        Stephanie, maybe because when Clark got into govt in 1999, many of the Labour front bench had already been ministers or MPs in the period 1984-90. So, they had already had the experience of being in government & knew what had to be done. Plus there was H2, so discipline was not an issue.
        
        With the help of the Red Melons, NZ Last & an inexperienced, to expect more than an omni shambles, would be to place unrealistic expectations on the CoL.
        
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        April 5, 2018 2:47pm
  - waldonz
    
    What credibility? You infer that she actually had some to start with which is a concept I’m really struggling to grasp.
    
    I’ve been following politics since the days of Sir Robert Muldoon and I’ve never known a leader to be so woefully out of their depth as this comic strip bimbo.
    
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    April 5, 2018 8:24am
  - adamsmith1922
    
    What credibility
    
    12 1
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    April 5, 2018 9:39am
Left Right and Centre

How many other countries have two state owned channels showing almost nothing but Comm Games ?
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April 5, 2018 8:08am
- sooty
  
  Do they get to send twice as many telepromt readers?
  
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  April 5, 2018 8:21am
- kowtow
  
  Chem games.
  
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  April 5, 2018 8:24am
- Left Right and Centre
  
  I have let you all down so badly, when . . .
  
  The real yellow approved comment you were looking for is . . .
  
  Lester says ‘Strong likelihood’ of billion dollar lightrail for Wellington.
  
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  April 5, 2018 8:53am
Odakyu-sen

Man with machete walks towards armed police at Puhoi. Gets shot. Police close SH1 for 12 hours!?

Why so long? It’s not like it was a multi-vehicle car crash with debris, skid marks and other wide-area clues to be categorized and recorded. Just a guy, a machete, some cartridge cases… (what else could there be that would take 12 hours to process?)
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April 5, 2018 8:10am
- Evadne
  
  Given how our MSM and rent-a-mob pillory the police and look for any reason to blame them every time there’s a police shooting, spending years analysing and revisiting a decision made in real time, under pressure, I can’t blame the police for making sure they have collected, calculated and accounted for every piece of evidence, possible evidence, random could-be-evidence, and proven the absence of evidence that some inquiry will demand in 10 years time and blame the police if it’s not available (crying “police cover-up!!!!”).
  
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  April 5, 2018 8:19am
  - stephieboy
    
    Evadne, I note the hypocrisy of certain posters here who on one hand condemn MSM and yet on the other hand quote and link them when it suits their alt right agenda.
    
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    April 5, 2018 9:50am
    - Nev.
      
      pee pee poo poo
      dailymail
      yob!
      
      3 3
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      April 5, 2018 12:27pm
      - Garbageman
        
        Sorry Nev accidentally hit the down-tick carry on love your work its really the only response needed for stooopidboy
        
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        April 5, 2018 1:19pm
- cmm
  
  I agree with you. Take a few photos, sling the machete in an evidence bag and reopen the roads. Call in the fire truck to hose down any blood if need be.
  
  However, this is going to end up being a long drawn out business with some tearful family trying to get the cops done for shooting their wonderful misunderstood boy. Thus the cops need to get a very detailed evidence package together. That takes time.
  
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  April 5, 2018 8:25am
  - waikatogirl
    
    Why are the cops not wanting to wear vest cameras? All on film. Open and shut evidence.
    
    16 1
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    April 5, 2018 8:54am
    - ross411
      
      Vest camera does not cover it = intentional. Vest camera kind of suggests something from partial coverage = cop guilty. Vest camera shows little jimmy wonderful in the act = cop set him up.
      
      There would need to be multiple cameras from different angles, and put it on websites for the public to view. Even then, the risk of arseclown’s trying to fake problems is probably too high.
      
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      April 5, 2018 11:28am
    - kowtow
      
      I’d rather politicians wear vest cameras, they’re the ones who really are fucking us about.
      
      7 1
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      April 5, 2018 12:09pm
- kowtow
  
  Makes a change from burning down the scene of mass murder and not collecting the evidence properly . From one extreme to the other.
  
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  April 5, 2018 8:26am
- kowtow
  
  Why was nutter with machete at large at all?
  
  ‘Like most lone voices, Espersen is a single-issue crusader. In his case, the issue is mental health. His consistent and persuasive message is that New Zealand made a grievous mistake when it shut down its mental hospitals three decades ago.’
  
  http://karldufresne.blogspot.co.nz/2018/02/pssst-dont-mention-asylums.html
  
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  April 5, 2018 8:57am
  - stephieboy
    
    Kowtow , the deinstitutionalisation of mental health care has generally worked well for most former inmates.
    
    And there still forensic facilities like the Mason Center to detain the worst of them.
    
    1 24
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    April 5, 2018 9:54am
    - Salacious Crumb
      
      Really? Where is your evidence of that? You are obviously unaware that countries like the U.K. for example, are returning to inpatient mental health treatment after the failures of the “community care” model we implemented in the 90’s.
      
      10 1
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      April 5, 2018 10:31am
      - kowtow
        
        The troll thinks One Flew Over is a documentary.
        
        8 1
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        April 5, 2018 11:07am
- dave_c_
  
  Then there’s the evidence to manipulate – get their story straight – sweep the place for incriminating items pointing to themsleves……… It all takes time don’t you know !
  
  5 1
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  April 5, 2018 11:38am
  - hullkiwi
    
    12 hours of time in fact. There is a lot wrong with this case.
    
    For instance, police are not releasing the guy’s name until after he is buried on Friday out of defference to the family. Never heard of that one? Why were the cops armed with guns? Why shoot to kill, if all he had was a machete?
    
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    April 5, 2018 3:03pm
    - rightoverlabour
      
      You don’t shoot unless you shoot to kill. If people think a machete is not really a weapon go to Rwanda and do some digging. If you want to stay alive when dealing with the police don’t threaten them with a weapon.
      
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      April 5, 2018 5:25pm
      - Duxton
        
        Sorry rol: accidentally downticked you
        
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        April 5, 2018 5:58pm
      - RF
        
        Yep. Hit him with a taser twice and did not stop him.
        
        Death by cop….
        
        Just love those armchair warriors who suggest shooting dirtbags in the arm or leg. Cops are not John Wayne.
        
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        April 5, 2018 9:29pm
Right of way is Way of Right

What a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.

This should be framed and hung on the wall in the Labour Caucus room, and probably tattooed on Claire Curran’s forehead to boot!

As we delve deeper in to the way that this CoL operates, it’s becoming clear that we are dealing with double speak, obfuscation and outright lies. As Taxcinda bravely tries to cling to the line of ‘It’s not a tax, it’s an excise!” and Shane Jones seems to have a dodgy deal going on left right and centre, we realise that there is a real stench around this government. Carol Hirschfeld will not be the last casualty of this coalition of cover-ups!

As Richard Griffin appears again before the select committee hearings in to broadcasting, (conveniently while Ms Curran is out of the country), all eyes within the beltway will be keenly watching to see what happens at this meeting. Melissa Lee’s line of questioning in the house has been quite specific, looking for an admission, rather than information, and I get the feeling that something may be tabled at the select committee hearing today that may well mean Claire Curran might even take a leaf out of another famous South Islanders self exile, and like the late Keith Murdoch, decide that the charms of outback Australia are infinitely preferable to returning to NZ to face the music. I doubt she will though, I mean, she had a relationship with a certain Speaker, so her judgement is clearly questionable!

Outside the beltway, the excise vs tax discussion is moot, there is less money left over at the end of the week, the government has it, and it’s motorists, the people who travel to and from work and keep this country moving, who are paying for a network of cycleways, busways and railways, wondering why the Auckland motorway system remains gridlocked.

So, as we head in to another weekend, where will the next one of the Prime Ministers thousand cuts come from? Might pay to watch the Greens over the next few days, I understand that Julie Ann Genter is not the flavour of the month amongst the membership!
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April 5, 2018 8:10am
- cmm
  
  How can Curran be out of the country when this happens?
  
  She is the Minister of Broadcasting. How can she be off on a sports watching junket instead of at a broadcasting select committee hearing?
  
  Are they just taking the piss??
  
  $300k and you can’t even be bothered looking after the area you are assigned? WTF?
  
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  April 5, 2018 8:16am
  - Swifty
    
    Yep, I thought that too.
    
    Run and hide…..
    
    34 1
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    April 5, 2018 8:21am
    - sooty
      
      Got to get as many junkets in while you are still in the ministers seat. You don’t get the five star treatment when you are a backbencher, or heaven forbid, you are out on your ear.
      
      29 1
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      April 5, 2018 8:25am
    - RF
      
      The duck must be regretting he ever fluffed his feathers with her whenever questions are asked in the house.
      
      Perhaps that is why he is always bad tempered.
      
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      April 5, 2018 9:39pm
  - mandk
    
    As Minister for Broadcasting, surely she should be watching the TV.
    
    As LR&C points out above, we have two state-owned channels showing almost nothing but the Commonwealth Games.
    
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    April 5, 2018 8:28am
  - Ceejay
    
    It’s the new “Chathams” doctrine.
    
    A minimum of 8 Cabinet Ministers is required to represent this government at a significant public event.
    
    6 0
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    April 5, 2018 4:12pm
    - KiWombat
      
      Significant? They opened a wharf FFS !
      
      If it had been in Kaitaia they would have struggled to even get Shane there !
      
      It was a wharf they all opposed funding for, and to add insult to injury they needed to commandeer a Hercules C130 to get Tracey Martin there !
      
      I suppose the C130 is in the Gold Coast now, or did they just take a 757 ?
      
      RonAir is now into non military operations, missed the memo about that one!
      
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      April 5, 2018 4:38pm
- Random T Person
  
  That select committee meeting today is the hottest ticket in town…
  
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  April 5, 2018 8:21am
- Paulus
  
  It is reported that a large number of Green Party members will resign if JAG gets the nod as Joint Leader.
  This move is from the radical left wing of Greenpeace who want the Maori activist there
  – and that will happen.
  Could be the end of the Green Parliamentary Party, whilst we know are real lefties there no doubt that the the influence of Russell Norman and there money will prevail.
  Yes, almost certainly.
  
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  April 5, 2018 8:21am
  - redeye
    
    I read they wont to position themselves as the new Maori party. They will be well positioned with their ‘Benefit Fraud’ brand they have been building very successfully.
    
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    April 5, 2018 8:53am
    - dime
      
      lol
      
      7 1
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      April 5, 2018 9:57am
- Nigel Kearney
  
  Australian cricket could learn a lot from Jacinda’s handling of the Curran’s secret meeting, the sex offender saga, and the regional fund corruption.
  
  Don’t have all those responsible just own up and face the music. Instead, choose one person as a scapegoat. Make sure it is someone expendable. Everyone else keep their mouth shut.
  
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  April 5, 2018 8:23am
- KevOB
  
  Ideology and obfuscation is their way of life. It seems inbred.
  What were the first taxes: at the border–excise. Would they avoid a highway robber seeking excise tax?
  That Taxcinda and friends cannot see how unaffected they are by increasing tax and prices overall shows their insulation from reality and danger to the country.
  
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  April 5, 2018 8:41am
- Harkman
  
  JAG has only been in NZ some 11-12 years and she is orchestrating a massive taxes increase on NZer’s. This shouldn’t be possible.
  
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  April 5, 2018 9:01am
Paulus

But wait, has been reported there is a confidential recommendation from Treasury that GST ( 17.5% to 20% be considered) be increased as the fairest way of increasing taxes. This has been recommended over a number of years.
This Robertson has, as incoming Finance Minister.
But of course there are to be no new tax increases before the 2020 election.
So there !
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April 5, 2018 8:12am
- holysheet
  
  Over the drunken dwarfs comatose body. Food and other essentials like sanitary needs, old white mans blue pills, and even Jim B and Vlad V, will all be exempt.
  
  20 1
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  April 5, 2018 8:20am
- KevOB
  
  They might first try collecting a fair share from the multinationals who profit here but avoid paying.
  The charities seem to have gotten out of hand too.
  
  15 2
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  April 5, 2018 8:43am
  - Ed Snack
    
    Remember, they won’t get it from the “multi-nationals”but from you, the consumer. So wish for a tax increase, go right ahead, you know you want to.
    
    5 1
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    April 5, 2018 9:25am
  - Paulus
    
    The majority of those registered as charities and therefore paying no tax are Maori.
    I have seen the list with many many pages of Maori names.
    
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    April 5, 2018 1:14pm
kowtow

Barmy Britain.

Pensioner arrested for murder when he defends his home against burglars (this from a police force where street crime is out of control)

Meanwhile great to see another police force there has its priorities right.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5576905/Homeowner-78-arrested-burglar-stabbed-death-break-in.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5578639/Police-force-severs-ties-male-voice-choir.html#comments
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April 5, 2018 8:13am
- Odakyu-sen
  
  Will a jury convict the pensioner?
  (As the English phrase goes, “Better to be tried by 12 than carried out by 6.”)
  
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  April 5, 2018 8:17am
  - kowtow
    
    If he’s charged I doubt it.
    
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    April 5, 2018 8:29am
  - mandk
    
    It’s difficult to imagine that any jury would convict the old gentleman, but one can never tell what madness might prevail nowadays.
    
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    April 5, 2018 8:31am
- peterwn
  
  For various legal and operational reasons, British police arrest suspects at a much earlier stage in investigations than NZ Police would. NZ police would probably not have arrested the victim of the burglary until they had investigated and had an opinion from Crown Law that a murder charge would not fly because s48 of Crimes Act would kick in. In the British case the CPS is very likely (in my opinion) to recommend that a murder charge not proceed (UK self defence law is in essence similar to NZ’s self defence law).
  If anyone if forced to use self defence with serious or lethal consequences they should tell the police they feared for their life then clam up until a lawyer is available.
  
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  April 5, 2018 8:29am
  - Chuck Bird
    
    Or they could tell the cops they saved the state a $100k a year.
    
    6 2
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    April 5, 2018 9:17am
- EAD_TWO
  
  Arresting a 78 year old man for defending his own home.
  
  Spend weeks flinging insults and creating a diplomatic storm with a nuclear power without any evidence.
  
  Prosecuting people for dogs doing Nazi salutes.
  
  Britain is officially a clown country.
  
  Can’t believe it is run by a “right-wing” party for those who still think along such antiquated terms.
  
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  April 5, 2018 8:46am
Lee C

Well here we are, Another day, another lie….

Loving Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s ‘earnest face’ while listening to Twyford immolate the government in newly-expensive petrol.

Sticking it to rich-pricks again I see, Labour?
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April 5, 2018 8:14am
- G152
  
  Another expense to lower their voters wages.
  Well done liebor
  Monty Python couldn’t write a better script.
  
  16 1
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  April 5, 2018 8:34am
- VicParking
  
  Don’t forget it will also raise the cost of housing, for those still sleeping in their cars.
  
  9 1
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  April 5, 2018 10:09am
- RF
  
  I was watching her running defence for Curran to the media tonight.
  
  She had face number 6 (Serious) and her bloody head was bobbing up and down. What a scrawny looking bitch.
  
  She must have gone to the same acting school as Cunners.
  
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  April 5, 2018 9:47pm
starboard

The drunken midget, the 7 per cent toe rag. He will officially be annointed Prime Minister when toothy departs and never to return. You, drunken midget, have sold out NZ just so you can become the big cheese. Democracy my arse, Mass demonstrations are called for. Fuck you Peters you slimy cnut.
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April 5, 2018 8:16am
- Poppa
  
  If you think the COL are a cluster now watch what happens when the dwarf is in charge, not that you will understand anything he utters
  
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  April 5, 2018 8:22am
- doggone7
  
  Good to see you’ve applied the full level of your intellect in making this very mature contribution.
  
  5 34
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  April 5, 2018 8:23am
  - Nev.
    
    Yeah let’s go for the university educated (for the most part) InternetMana Parties verbose contribution, shall we?
    
    FUCK JOHN KEY! FUCK JOHN KEY! FUCK JOHN KEY! FUCK JOHN KEY! FUCK JOHN KEY! FUCK JOHN KEY! FUCK JOHN KEY!
    
    Nev.
    
    26 2
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    April 5, 2018 9:15am
- Paulus
  
  She will return – do not believe she will not, even if she has to get stretcher bearers to get her to Parliament.
  
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  April 5, 2018 8:23am
  - sooty
    
    Are you taking about H2 returning?
    
    13 1
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    April 5, 2018 8:29am
    - peterwn
      
      You mean H1 aka Helen Clark. H2 (Heather Simpson) has already returned as Jacinda’s chief of staff. My theory is Helen will have a tilt at Northcote byelection and if she fails then Mt Albert (Jacinda’s seat) if Jacinda gives up completely. Helen could well be PM again before year end.
      
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      April 5, 2018 8:36am
      - Nev.
        
        Helen could well be PM again before year end.
        Shudder!
        
        20 1
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        April 5, 2018 9:17am
      - sooty
        
        Yes my mistake.
        
        4 1
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        April 5, 2018 10:48am
  - Inandout
    
    Peter wouldn’t allow it, he will put his foot down.
    
    10 1
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    April 5, 2018 10:27am
- Monique Watson
  
  He’s always been quite the cunt. In person (he’ll abuse someone just because he feels like it, and in politics. Beats the fuck outta me how New Zealand threw the deciding vote to NZ First.
  
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  April 5, 2018 8:24am
  - Lance
    
    He bribed old people with the gold card so they voted for him
    
    No other logic involved
    
    20 1
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    April 5, 2018 9:25am
  - RF
    
    He is such a smart arse when answering questions in the house.
    
    When I first saw him in the flesh at the Trentham Races I cracked up. There were jockeys taller than him.
    
    Short arses are usually bad tempered as they feel inadequate.
    
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    April 5, 2018 9:54pm
- MCos
  
  “Drunken midget” “toothy” ” democracy my arse” “slimy cnut(sic)”
  
  How about some original insults.
  These ones are beyond tiresome.
  
  2/10
  
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  April 5, 2018 8:27am
  - starboard
    
    Yeah righto mccheese…
    
    17 3
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    April 5, 2018 8:49am
- Random T Person
  
  Just now, you’re going to tell us EXACTLY how you feel… 🙂
  
  11 1
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  April 5, 2018 8:28am
- Maxx
  
  Will we see Kelvin constantly out of town for 3 months so unable to front for question time?
  
  19 2
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  April 5, 2018 8:30am
- VicParking
  
  I dont like Winny but I like your language less
  
  14 4
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  April 5, 2018 8:47am
  - starboard
    
    I couldn’t give a flying fuck if you don’t like my language VP. I think you dress funnily.. In fact 1972 just called, they would like your paisley shirt and bell bottoms back.
    
    18 11
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    April 5, 2018 8:51am
    - Lance
      
      Wow, who pissed in your cornflakes?
      
      12 1
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      April 5, 2018 9:27am
- Harkman
  
  So if Winnie is still Foreign Minister, that means Kelvin will be acting PM when Winnie’s away. Get your popcorn ready folks, this will be hilarious.
  
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  April 5, 2018 8:57am
  - Paulus
    
    I have heard that the Drunken Dwarf is going to the CHOGM’s conference in London with our Calamity Cindy.
    Presumably with a full contingent of repeaters on a jolly if they photograph the Princess, in our RNAF B757 (if it does not breakdown).
    Is her Mommy going too – and Clarkey ?
    
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    April 5, 2018 1:19pm
- KiWombat
  
  What if Labour were to have a re-shuffle before Cindy goes off on maternity leave ?
  
  She could step aside as leader, perhaps with caucus agreement, and either Davis or Little become leader by arrangement.
  
  Then there would be no need for the dwarf to move – he could just take his Glenfiddich and get on with life !
  
  Not a crazy idea – eh ?
  
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  April 5, 2018 9:24am
  - waikatogirl
    
    It is all sewn up by Winnie in the secret 38 page addendum. Caucus have passed and signed on the dotted line that he steps in as PM.
    
    The PM position is all about what Winnie has wanted all his political life, and so his name will go down in history as a leader of our great little country. His ability in the role can be guessed at but time will tell.
    
    Be very afraid.
    
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    April 5, 2018 10:01am
    - KiWombat
      
      WG the secret agreement has never been released, no matter how much pressure that has been applied to do so – but I agree with you !
      
      If there were a re-shuffle then WeeWinnie would be put into an unusual position – either accept that he won’t be PM, or release the agreement to show all that it is his “right.”
      
      A win for democracy either way !
      
      10 1
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      April 5, 2018 10:08am
    - wombatge
      
      If it was 38 pages they must have signed a different agreement in public.
      If you look at this video at 1minute and 9 seconds, on the third copy Winston clearly shows it is a one page agreement by the way he opens it.
      What did they actually sign before the camera’s and the world?
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cx1ekkLvgE
      Maybe it was 38 pages with reduced font to one page.
      Maybe there is no agreement apart from Winston will make up all the rules as they proceed forward and Labour will agree or not stay in power.
      Called the tail wagging the dog.
      Lucky they are an open government with no secrets!
      
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      April 5, 2018 11:39am
- stigie
  
  Hope Dad is reading that starboard..?
  Before the election, Dad said Winston was going to teach National a lesson !~
  
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  April 5, 2018 9:26am
  - PhilP
    
    And he certainly did that stigie didn’t he!
    
    7 0
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    April 5, 2018 11:29am
MCos

There was more emotion when Wagner bounced Woakes out in the second innings of the first test than the entire cricket awards show on SkyTV last night & there was more fun when the bug crawled across the TV camera in the second test.
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April 5, 2018 8:19am
- flipper
  
  I gave up on that load of rubbish. Disgraceful. Amateurish. The only thing going for it and cricket was the beautifully presented Mrs Guptill.
  🙂
  
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  April 5, 2018 9:12am
  - MCos
    
    I thought Mr Ish Sodhi looked just fine amongst the gentlemen. He looked like the sort of guy who would never be indulge in low class sledging.
    ‘Be off damned Warner, I say’
    
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    April 5, 2018 10:13am
Maggy Wassilieff

I don’t want Ministers who conveniently forget/misremember who they met with and what was discussed.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/354148/green-party-minister-changes-tune-on-epa-meeting

Eugenie Sage has a lot of explaining to do.

Every practising scientist in NZ should be very afraid of this Government. Your scientist mates aren’t going to stick up for you, if the Green guns are turned on you.
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April 5, 2018 8:20am
- doggone7
  
  Eugenie Sage deserves our congratulations.
  
  She gave Scott Simpson the opportunity to be on radio all over the country telling us that anyone who cannot recall stuff is not fit for office.
  
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  April 5, 2018 8:25am
  - Tempist
    
    So we have one Minister who seems to have misled Parliament by saying a meeting that happened didn’t happen, and another who seems to have misled Parliamane by saying a meeting that didn’t happen happened…. Maybe they simply swapped diaries
    
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    April 5, 2018 8:46am
    - KiWombat
      
      – – the meeting she said she had with a man turned out to be a meeting with a woman – how did this minor discrepancy confuse her ? I can see the next TV ad –
      
      Maybe she should have gone to Specsavers !
      
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      April 5, 2018 9:28am
  - Happychappy
    
    A bit like you doggy7when Winston and all them emails that he didn’t have on Bill English, it didn’t stop you saying he wasn’t fit to be the PM.
    
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    April 5, 2018 4:16pm
- KevOB
  
  Eugenie Sage needs to be checked out for dementia.
  
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  April 5, 2018 8:48am
  - starboard
    
    Isn’t eugene sage a weed?
    
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    April 5, 2018 8:56am
  - doggone7
    
    For years John Key “couldn’t remember.”
    
    Did you say the same about him?
    
    4 29
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    April 5, 2018 9:00am
    - itstricky
      
      Key’s and English’s “can’t recall” the Slater & Barclay text messages, respectively, are the absolute sitters I recall.
      
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      April 5, 2018 9:11am
  - skyblue
    
    I thought you needed a brain to be able to get dementia?
    
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    April 5, 2018 9:13am
- septic skeptic
  
  I saw her at question time. Somehow she exudes arrogance even while reading a correction. I think the Green shield of hypocrisy is strong in that one.
  
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  April 5, 2018 9:28am
hullkiwi

Another day, another panel/enquiry with terms of reference yet to be announced.

This time it is Minister of Justice Angry Andrew. He is not happy with changes implemented by the last govt regarding how the family courts handle family/child issues under urgency. Seems the problem is too many cases and less urgent cases get delayed. But like all incompetents rather than quickly identify the problem, determine & decide, implement a solution we need a panel to make the decision for the Minister. What do we pay these turkeys for? and why do we pay them so much?
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April 5, 2018 8:23am
- lifesgood
  
  Has anyone got any idea how many panels, review committees, discussion groups, reports have been called for, implemented, announced since this bunch of no hopers took office. Seems like every day a new one.
  
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  April 5, 2018 8:38am
- Piniwi
  
  But hullkiwi could it be that there is now a new record reached of 6000 children in care? Perhaps it is now seen as the natives “other” parenting alternative with being renamed in native gibberish. Even most of them do not understand the name either but the feel more “included” with in their dialect.
  
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  April 5, 2018 2:42pm
  - hullkiwi
    
    You might have identified why the family courts are backlogged.
    
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    April 5, 2018 3:15pm
BeaB

I see Bali Haque is heading Hipkins’s review of education. He was principal of 3 secondary schools, an unusually high number in NZ. I seem to remember questions about why he had to leave Rosehill College. Something to do with the money fr0m international students? Does anyone know the full story?
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April 5, 2018 8:34am
- lifesgood
  
  He’s a lefty through and through. You can guarantee he hates charter schools. When I saw he was heading yet another of liebours review committees, I thought, typical and Oh no!
  
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  April 5, 2018 8:40am
  - itstricky
    
    You can guarantee
    
    In 2014 (back when BeaB remembered what happened at Rosehill) he was all for performance pay and was critical of teachers who did not pull their weight.
    
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    April 5, 2018 8:53am
- VicParking
  
  Worked at Rosehill college. He ran it like it was his fiefdom.
  
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  April 5, 2018 8:51am
Captain Mainwaring

Another fatal crash on the two-lane section of SH1, this time at Karapiro. Wouldn’t have happened on a four-lane road.
Are you listening, Mr. Twitford?
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April 5, 2018 8:36am
- Dave Mann
  
  Probably wouldn’t have happened if the driver was paying attention.
  
  Don’t blame roads for crashes…. they don’t leap up and grab people.
  
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  April 5, 2018 9:12am
  - septic skeptic
    
    True, and yes people should be capable of driving safely on a two lane state highway. But in this day and age, most developed countries would have a divided highway. We are still catching up from the backlog of 20-30 years of little or no infrastructure improvements. A four or five year electoral term would help IMO.
    
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    April 5, 2018 9:38am
  - Captain Mainwaring
    
    Our busiest main highway should be four lanes even if only to save the lives of drivers not paying attention (as well as being a lot quicker, safer and more convenient for everyone else).
    
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    April 5, 2018 9:47am
  - waikatogirl
    
    Nothing wrong with that road. The crash apparently happened at 4.30am and he managed to find one of the few vehicles on the road at that time of day to connect with.
    
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    April 5, 2018 10:06am
  - lofty
    
    A bit of truth in that Dave, I was returning from business in the far north yesterday and watched a driver go straight ahead over the Marsden Point turnoff roundabout.
    
    He was looking at his cellphone….tosser!
    
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    April 5, 2018 11:47am
Maggy Wassilieff

Shane’s got memory problems
https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/102829290/shane-jones-cant-recall-official-misgivings-about-west-coast-project-he-funded
Eugenie can’t remember if she met a male or a female.
Clare can’t remember making a date with Carol.
Jacinda can’t remember what excise means.

What is it with these amnesic fools?
Old age or dishonesty?
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April 5, 2018 8:39am
- flipper
  
  Winniepoo could not remember that he was not entitled to certain rate of pension
  
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  April 5, 2018 9:20am
- slightlyrighty
  
  I’ll give Eugenie a pass, there are times I have met certain individuals and I’m not sure if I am talking to a male or female either…….
  
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  April 5, 2018 9:31am
- noskire
  
  https://youtu.be/K8B8njBBQsc
  
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  April 5, 2018 2:18pm
Biscuit

Champions League Quarterfinal, First Leg
Liverpool 3 Manchester City 0

Okay, everybody, open up those lungs and belt this out with me!

When you walk through a storm
Hold your head up high
And don’t be afraid of the dark
At the end of a storm
There’s a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of a lark
Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain
Though your dreams be tossed and blown
Walk on, walk on
With hope in your heart
And you’ll never walk alone
You’ll never walk alone
Walk on, walk on
With hope in your heart
And you’ll never walk alone
You’ll never walk alone

I’m off to Sydney v shortly. Via Cloud Nine Airlines…
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April 5, 2018 8:40am
- VicParking
  
  Spurs 4 Red Rags 1.
  
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  April 5, 2018 8:53am
- SGA
  
  Beautifully sung, biscuit – just beautiful. 🙂
  
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  April 5, 2018 9:07am
  - flipper
    
    Naaah…. He kicked it with his head …. 🙂
    
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    April 5, 2018 9:22am
- Kimbo
  
  Walk on, walk on
  With hope in your heart
  And you’ll never walk alone
  You’ll never walk alone
  
  Or as they sang on the terraces at Highbury back in the ’80s, when all the Scousers, whom Maggie Thatacher had put out of work, journeyed south to support their team playing Arsenal:
  
  “Sign on, sign on,
  You’ll never work again…!” 😉
  
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  April 5, 2018 10:01am
Captain Mainwaring

Health has been underfunded for nine years, says Labour.
Education has been underfunded for nine years, says Labour.
Police have been underfunded for nine years, says Labour.
Social Welfare has been underfunded for nine years, says Labour.
Housing NZ has been underfunded for nine years, says Labour.
Public transport has been underfunded for nine years, says Labour.
DOC has been underfunded for nine years, says Labour.

To fix all this ‘underfunding’, where the fuck is the money going to come from?
28 1
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April 5, 2018 8:42am
- Harkman
  
  Perhaps if they didn’t waste billions on free tertiary education we wouldn’t need the petrol taxes in the first place.
  
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  April 5, 2018 8:46am
  - waikatogirl
    
    Don’t forget they have cancelled some major new, much-needed motorways to throw in the pot as well.
    
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    April 5, 2018 9:21am
    - Piniwi
      
      True waikatogirl but is interesting but no surprise when they stop so many things already budgeted for or planned if not already underway. Halting procurement for projects and no new prison even before dialling back essential roading works.
      
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      April 5, 2018 2:50pm
      - hullkiwi
        
        Well JAG has just given herself a job for the next 10 years. Picking after every accident in the Dome Valley. Where the speed limit is already 80km/h, but the road is in a sh*t condition because NZTA were expecting to begin building the next section of the motorway North in 2022.
        
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        April 5, 2018 3:23pm
  - Paulus
    
    And they cancelled our Tax reductions for everybody so they could steal the money for students.
    Would have started on 1st April just passed.
    
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    April 5, 2018 1:24pm
    - Piniwi
      
      True Paulus but having blown that fantastic surplus that returned a bigger “share” for taxpayers they are now desperate to expand the tax grab with more tax that can be flowing quickly. Perhaps they might offer a similar reduction to offset the GST increase in the forthcoming budget? There must be a power of financial pain ahead for real taxpayers in the budget if they are prepared to go this hard on all motorists so far out before it?
      
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      April 5, 2018 2:59pm
- Tricati
  
  Unfortunately Captain, from your pocket
  
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  April 5, 2018 8:51am
Anne Glen Eden

As I wrote the other day about NZ society in the ‘boxing ring’, I see Sensible Sentencing Trust is in trouble again, and perhaps Garth McVicar is a little crass to have congratulated the Police on killing someone – but Garth McVicar did not put the machete-wielding criminal in that situation and the Police clearly believed they had no choice.

Jarrod Gilbert says “Many people are currently discussing how to reduce the prison population, particularly among Maori and the mentally ill musters, but nobody with a modicum of decency would think police shooting people is a means to achieve that, even in jest. It is further evidence that the Sensible Sentencing Trust is increasingly out of step with the country.”

He’s not ‘out of step’ with me. Gilbert’s flagrant attempt to turn a machete-wielding criminal into a ‘victim’ of racism and bias against the mentally ill is devoid of any meaningful morality or conscience and in accord with my ‘boxing ring’ analogy the other day.

Nobody forces a ‘Maori’ individual, or any other, to start running around with a machete attacking people. Such an individual is dangerous and must be stopped – if they’re likely to do it again, they must be stopped permanently. Likewise with the mentally ill. Being of a particular ethnicity or mentally ill should not be a free pass to do whatever you like, to whomever you like, whenever you like. One of my deep regrets is that Clayton Weatherston never tried to attack the Police with a machete – because he should be dead in my opinion.

Gilbert characterises defense against criminals as “the voice of yesterday” – I suggest it’s always the ‘voice of right now’.

He also says “McVicar’s simplicity has proven hypnotic and attractive and appealing…” – Yes, protecting your own life and that of your loved ones is usually ‘attractive and appealing’ and it always will be to any normal living thing. To call it ‘hypnotic’ is ludicrous drivel – it’s an automatic instinct to survive. You don’t have to be hypnotised.

But “… to our baser instincts”? Just who is displaying ‘baser instincts’? Someone wielding a machete with lethal intent? Or those trying to defend themselves? More ludicrous drivel.

Neither can I see any reason why the potential and real innocent victims should tolerate any and/or all damage in order to protect the criminal from themselves or the consequences of their behaviour. If the ‘justice system’ provided any real protection for the public, they might have better arguments. But they don’t. The only people who thrive is the lawyers – little wonder a lot of them have no moral compass.

Just as in NZ, this incident in the UK demonstrates how it all works – and just how futile Gilbert’s distorted view of ‘justice’ is:

https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/941205/London-news-Burglar-stabbed-Lewisham-Hither-Green-pensioner

“The 78-year-old had been asleep with his wife in their Hither Green home when he heard noises and woke to challenge two men, who were in the middle of a suspected break-in. He was then confronted by one of the intruders, who was armed with a screwdriver, and forced to retreat into his kitchen. Detectives believe a struggle then ensued between “one of the males and the home-owner” and the 38-year-old intruder was stabbed in the upper body.”

The ‘poor little’ weaponised burglar then died. The pensioner, unarmed and more than twice his age, trying to defend himself, his wife, and his home – is charged with murder. This is the ‘decent’ and ‘civilised’ society. Not.

It’s bad enough that the so-called morality of this is so utterly distorted, but taxpayers money will be used to investigate and prosecute, perhaps jail, an undoubtedly traumatised 78 year old man who had no intent to do anything wrong at all, ever. And make his traumatised wife even more traumatised and alone as well.

Just more evidence that society has lost the plot in entirety, turning ‘good’ into ‘bad’ and ‘bad’ into ‘good’.
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April 5, 2018 8:47am
- itstricky
  
  Gilbert hasn’t said half the things you’re suggesting there with your creative comprehension.
  
  McVicar, on the other hand, suggested that killing all criminals is a way to end our woes.
  
  McVicar was pilloried for it, and deservedly so.
  
  If only he’d thought to qualify his statements, like Gilbert.
  
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  April 5, 2018 8:58am
  - starboard
    
    Can somebody confirm that the machete welding individual shot by Police, was Maori?
    
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    April 5, 2018 9:22am
  - flipper
    
    Yep …
    But by the manner in which he is idolised by some (Let us see how they react when a relative is involved), he has superior judgement and sense of proportion than W S L Churchill, no less.
    McVicar and his adherents re idiots…. until the issues involve them or their family.
    
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    April 5, 2018 9:32am
- Chuck Bird
  
  McVicar, is both crass and stupid. We do not anything about the man who was shot other than it seems unlikely that he was a peadophile or a serial rapist on the run.
  
  He could have been high on drugs or have mental health issues unrelated to drug use. This could have been a case of suicide by cop. That is why McVicar’s comment was not only crass by extremely callous towards the man’s family.
  
  I used to be a supporter of SST and made a monthly contribution. This ceased for me a few years ago. One just has to look at McVicar’s FB page and see that are many former supporters like me. There are also some victims’ families who loved ones who have been killed by a criminal act who have expressed their disgust. I serving police officer publicly expressed his disgust.
  
  We also have Ruth Money who was CEO of SST while McVicar ran for Colin Craig’s Conservative Party. You can see her at the end of this video.
  
  http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2018/03/garth-mcvicar-congratulates-police-for-shooting-man-dead.html
  
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  April 5, 2018 1:06pm
Simon

Dig deep into your pockets poor of South Auckland, wankers in Grey Lynn want to be able to a catch an express train to the airport.

But also Labo has glorious news for poor people. Poor do not need cars as Uber does foodbank deliveries.
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April 5, 2018 8:47am
- VicParking
  
  Don’t forget the high speed train from Howick to the City No Drive or take a bus (50 minutes). How about the high speed train from the North Shore to the City. No catch a bus and stand all the way. Catch a high speed train from Botany or Flatbush to the City. No drive at 20k average at $2.50 per litre.
  
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  April 5, 2018 8:59am
  - hullkiwi
    
    Vic, this is an I kid you not & explains why only 10% of all journeys in Auckland are made by public transport.
    
    Last year, I had cause to travel by bus from High Brook to Silverdale, a journey that would take about 1 hour at the wrong time. However, by bus/train/bus, it took 2.5 hours.
    
    The bottom line, public transport (PT) is not efficient and is expensive both for the fare payer and tax/rate payers. People like JAG repeats crap mythology when she says that PT users subsidise car usage.
    
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    April 5, 2018 3:36pm
Harkman

So last night the Airhead had the MSM run a diversion for her with ‘airbags.’ When they finally covered the massive tax increase, Jessica Mutch did her best to cover for the broken promise of no new taxes. The Tax Working group hasn’t even taken submissions yet.
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April 5, 2018 8:51am
kevn

Coalition of losers and liars.
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April 5, 2018 9:15am
KevOB

… cover for the broken promise of no new taxes.
No. Just the oldest tax revisited.

When is a tax not a tax: when its’s a Labour promise.

☑️☑️
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April 5, 2018 9:20am
Keeping Stock

The RNZ Chairman and CEO have arrived at Parliament for the Economic Development Select Committee hearing; get your popcorn ready!
16 1
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April 5, 2018 9:26am
sooty

If H1 and H2 are minding Secret Cindys back, they have lost the touch. She’s toast.
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April 5, 2018 9:26am
- Monique Watson
  
  They’re not minding her. H1 is sharpening the knive out the back and H2 is just simply tired.
  
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  April 5, 2018 9:42am
  - tf78
    
    It crossed my mind that maybe Little and the unions are behind all the bad advice the PM is receiving to enable a Little comeback.
    
    11 1
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    April 5, 2018 9:59am
    - Monique Watson
      
      Little, King and Kirton.
      
      10 1
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      April 5, 2018 10:44am
  - Paulus
    
    Thought I just heard that H2 has just married another “husband”.
    So her honeymoon period.
    
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    April 5, 2018 1:27pm
Hugh Pavletich

Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
The big growth in housing values may be over as the market heads towards winter, as buyers take a more relaxed approach to choosing the property they want, putting less pressure on prices … Interest Co NZ …

Posted at … https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2018/04/links-5-april-2018/#comment-3081592 … with extensive further postings up-thread …

https://www.interest.co.nz/property/93021/big-growth-housing-values-may-be-over-market-heads-towards-winter-buyers-take-more

Property values are almost flat in Auckland compared to a year ago, up strongly in Wellington and declining in Christchurch, according to Quotable Value. …

… In Christchurch the average dwelling value was $494,117 in March, down 0.6% compared to March last year.

Average values were down in all districts of the city except Banks Peninsula, but even there the rise was modest at just +0.5% for the year.

“It’s taking 10 days longer on average for properties to sell from this time a year ago and with supply exceeding demand, buyers are able to be more picky than in previous years as there is no foreseeable growth and buyers are being conservative,” QV Christchurch consultant Hamish Collins said. … read more via hyperlink above …
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April 5, 2018 9:28am
- flipper
  
  The wet pavlova just cannot give up on his self aggrandisement. F off!
  
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  April 5, 2018 9:36am
- Hugh Pavletich
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  United Nations calls on New Zealand to adopt human rights-based national housing strategy | Fairfax / Stuff.co.nz
  
  Posted at …
  https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2018/04/links-5-april-2018/#comment-3081528 … and …
  https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2018/04/links-4-april-2018/#comment-3081421 … with further extensive posts on both threads …
  
  https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/102830739/united-nations-calls-on-nz-to-adopt-human-rightsbased-national-housing-strategy
  
  The United Nations is supporting calls for New Zealand to adopt a human rights-based national housing strategy, and has asked the Government to report back to it on the matter within 18 months.
  
  The support was issued by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in response to a submission from the Human Rights Commission (HRC).
  
  A human rights-based housing strategy requires housing to be affordable, habitable, accessible and secure in tenure.
  
  The HRC’s chief commissioner David Rutherford said New Zealanders, “particularly our most vulnerable”, were experiencing the flow-on effects of governments “over many decades neglecting to treat housing as a human right”. … read more via hyperlink above …
  .
  .
  … Get past the waffle … what affordable housing is must be clearly defined and incorporated within public policies … read on …
  .
  .
  DEFINITION OF AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING MARKET … http://www.PerformanceUrbanPlanning.org
  
  For metropolitan areas to rate as ‘affordable’ and ensure that housing bubbles are not triggered, housing prices should not exceed three times gross annual household earnings. To allow this to occur, new starter housing of an acceptable quality to the purchasers, with associated commercial and industrial development, must be allowed to be provided on the urban fringes at 2.5 times the gross annual median household income of that urban market (refer Demographia Survey Schedules for guidance).
  
  The critically important Development Ratios for this new fringe starter housing, should be 17 – 23% serviced lot / section cost – to balance the actual housing construction.
  
  Ideally through a normal building cycle, the Median Multiple should move from a Floor Multiple of 2.3, through a Swing Multiple of 2.5 to a Ceiling Multiple of 2.7 – to ensure maximum stability and optimal medium and long term performance of the residential construction sector.
  .
  .
  THE RECENTLY RELEASED IMPORTANT RBA PAPER …
  
  Zoning regulations adding hundreds of thousands dollars to price of new houses: RBA – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
  
  http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-08/zoning-regulations-adding-fortune-to-land-prices/9527882
  
  Fancy handing over an extra $500,000 for your brand new house just because government regulations restrict the supply of land for property
  
  No? Too bad, because that is the effective tax extracted for the average new house-and-land package in Sydney due to the impact of zoning regulations.
  
  It’s not just Sydney. … read more via hyperlink above …
  .
  .
  The Effect of Zoning on Housing Prices … RBA Discussion Paper
  
  https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/rdp/2018/pdf/rdp2018-03.pdf
  
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  April 5, 2018 9:36am
  - Hugh Pavletich
    
    Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
    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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    April 5, 2018 9:41am
    - tf78
      
      It’s funny how the Auckland Labour Mayor’s wouldn’t cooperate with National when they wanted to do just that.
      
      23 1
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      April 5, 2018 10:01am
      - Hugh Pavletich
        
        Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
        Tf78 … a little history …
        
        PM John Key on Housing Reform 2007 – YouTube
        
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWPgoAI1cLE
        
        with Nick Smith March 2016 …
        
        Labour support on city limits welcomed | Nick Smith | Beehive.govt.nz
        
        https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/labour-support-city-limits-welcomed
        
        The new position by the Labour opposition calling for an abolition of city limits has been welcomed by Building and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith.
        
        “This is a welcome repositioning by Labour. Tight city limits and not allowing intensification is at the core of Auckland’s housing problems. It is limiting new housing developments, driving up section and house prices and encouraging land banking.
        
        “A broad political consensus that the policy around city limits needs to change is helpful to progressing the necessary reforms to increase housing supply and to make them more affordable.
        
        “I was given the Housing portfolio in January 2013 and immediately identified Auckland Council’s metropolitan urban limits, set in 1993 when the population was half a million less than today, as a huge barrier to meeting housing needs both now and in the future. At that time Phil Twyford insisted having no boundaries ‘will mean uncontrolled sprawl from Pukekohe to Warkworth’.
        
        “The Government’s housing programme has involved the systematic dismantling of Auckland’s metropolitan urban limit. I have used Special Housing Areas (SHAs) to override the limits in the short-term while fast-tracking with the independent hearings panel a new plan for Auckland with adequate housing supply.
        
        “Both the laws for SHAs and the new Unitary Plan were opposed by Labour. The new Unitary Plan is only six weeks away from going to the council, and I’m confident it will provide a far more permissive approach to new housing because of the depth of analysis that has gone into the new plan.
        
        “It would be counter-productive to ditch this work at this time with a simplistic approach of just abolishing city limits. We still need some rules to ensure new urban areas have appropriate infrastructure and services and that we make separate provision for industry from housing.
        
        “We are making huge progress in growing supply. Only 10 new homes were being built each working day when National came to office but that has grown to 40. I will be keeping my foot hard on the accelerator until we achieve the needed rate of 50-60 per day.
        
        “I welcome this change of tack by Labour on city limits because the next key step is gaining support for a more enabling plan for Auckland. I hope Mr Twyford and Labour will join me in encouraging the Auckland Council to support the new Unitary Plan in July, when the independent hearings panel reports back.”
        .
        .
        December Interest Co NZ report …
        
        Speech from the throne pledges that Auckland’s urban limit will be removed and density controls will be freed up in this term of Government | interest.co.nz
        
        https://www.interest.co.nz/property/90780/speech-throne-pledges-aucklands-urban-limit-will-be-removed-and-density-controls-will
        .
        .
        Check PM Ardern / Housng Minister Twyford section … http://www.PerformanceUrbanPlanning.org
        .
        .
        Google search ‘Auckland urban limits abolition’
        .
        .
        Check Pavletich Message … Introduction Section … Demographia Survey and Media Release … http://www.demographia.com .
        
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        April 5, 2018 10:26am
    - Swifty
      
      Fap, fap, fap, fap, faaaaaaaaaaaap!
      
      12 3
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      April 5, 2018 10:38am
  - Colville
    
    Hugh, I put a house on the market a week ago, 26 groups thru the first open home. 3 offers tabled as of last night. The market is on fire!
    
    25 3
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    April 5, 2018 9:46am
    - Hugh Pavletich
      
      Colville … location please !
      
      Some texture would be much appreciated.
      
      2 27
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      April 5, 2018 10:14am
      - Keeping Stock
        
        Don’t you mean “context” Hugh?
        
        11 2
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        April 5, 2018 10:51am
      - KiWombat
        
        Magnificent Waterfrontage too – Bangladesh !
        
        5 2
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        April 5, 2018 10:52am
      - Hugh Pavletich
        
        Welcome to the great Australian bank bear market – MacroBusiness Australia … behind paywall …
        
        https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2018/04/welcome-to-the-great-australian-bank-bear-market/
        
        According to the stock market, Australian banks are not well.
        
        Let’s start with the technicals. The mortgage monsters – CBA and WBC – are both caught in bear markets with the former down -25% and the latter nearly -30% from 2015 highs. Both are exhibiting bearish descending triangle patterns and both are at crucial support levels: … read more via hyperlink above … behind paywall …
        .
        .
        Check out http://www.macrobusiness.com.au
        
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        April 5, 2018 11:45am
- kevn
  
  @HP… What about the new fuel tax? Any comments?
  Give the housing thing a break.
  Please.
  
  14 1
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  April 5, 2018 9:41am
  - Hugh Pavletich
    
    Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
    Kevn … Im as mad as hell about it. One would have thought this govt was in enough trouble prior to Tuesdays loopy transport announcements …
    
    From todays MacroBusiness Australia Links thread … https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2018/04/links-5-april-2018/
    
    NZ LABOUR LED GOVT PUBLIC TRANSPORT CIRCUS …
    
    How much more of this idiocy (since the Christmas break) will the public tolerate ? …
    
    Auckland’s double-whammy fuel tax will cost average driver $250 more per year | Stuff.co.nz
    
    https://i.stuff.co.nz/auckland/102807597/aucklands-doublewhammy-fuel-tax-will-cost-average-driver-250-more-per-year
    
    Auckland’s poorest citizens will “regrettably” pay the most in the short term for what’s effectively the city’s double-whammy fuel cost increase, the Salvation Army said.
    
    The head of the charity’s social policy and parliamentary unit, Lieutenant Colonel Ian Huston, said he had “some concerns” about the cost of transport for people on limited budgets.
    
    On Tuesday, Transport Minister Phil Twyford said the Labour-led Government wanted a fuel excise duty increase of between nine and 12 cents a litre to fund billions of land transport planning, focussing on road safety and rapid rail.
    
    That, combined with Auckland Council’s regional fuel tax could see Auckland motorists paying upwards of 20 cents per litre more for petrol. … read more via hyperlink above …
    .
    .
    ‘Way too high for me already’ – Proposed fuel tax increase unpopular with drivers, businesses and emergency services | 1 NEWS NOW | TVNZ
    
    https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/way-too-high-me-already-proposed-fuel-tax-increase-unpopular-drivers-businesses-and-emergency-services
    .
    .
    Hike in petrol price to pinch South Auckland families | Radio New Zealand News
    
    https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/354118/hike-in-petrol-price-to-pinch-south-auckland-families
    
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    April 5, 2018 10:17am
    - Hugh Pavletich
      
      From … Vancouver Canada …
      
      UPDATED: Higher-priced house markets nailed by tax hike
      If the government plan was to gut sales in Metro Vancouver’s most expensive detached housing markets, it has been a spectacular success
      
      Frank O’Brien Western Investor
      
      April 4, 2018
      
      http://www.westerninvestor.com/news/british-columbia/updated-higher-priced-house-markets-nailed-by-tax-hike-1.23252389
      
      A sustained attack on buyer demand in Vancouver’s detached housing market has decimated sales and is leading to “unbelievable” price reductions. If government plans were to crush sales in the city’s premiere residential market it has been spectacularly successful, according to recent real estate data and frontline agents.
      
      “Detached house sales on Vancouver’s west side are down 70 per cent in the first three months of this year as compared to 2016,” said Brent Eilers of Re/Max Masters Realty of West Vancouver, who has been active in the local real estate market since 1983.
      
      West Vancouver detached sales, estimated at 59 so far this year, are now at the lowest level in 30 years, he added. … read more via hyperlink above …
      
      h.t Nyleta on MacroBusiness Australia Links page thread …
      
      https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2018/04/links-5-april-2018/#comment-3081592
      
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      April 5, 2018 10:40am
      - KiWombat
        
        Hugh,
        
        As long as I have been alive the price of real estate seems to double every 8 years-ish. My grandfather told me this back in the ’60’s and it appears to be just as true today.
        
        Today I googled the average home price in Auckland in 1960, took that figure and doubled it every 8 years up to 2018. The figure I got was pretty close to the average Auckland home price today.
        
        This is not rocket science – and the hyperlinks you seem to publish endlessly are not going to change this formula one iota !
        
        This seems to be a global phenomena in major urban zones. Sure there is going to be some give and take involved, but generally speaking we can reasonably expect the price of an average Auckland home to somewhere close to 2 million dollars in 2025. There is nothing we can do to change that !
        
        Your endless reams of hyperlinks cannot change history !
        
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        April 5, 2018 11:00am
      - Harkman
        
        Wrong Hugh, a capital gains tax will crush our economy. In 1974 Rod Deane claims that he went to the government with the RBNZ governor to free up interest rate regulations, so they could lift them to lower inflation pressures, which was also pushing up house prices. The ill Norm Kirk responded by introducing a housing speculation tax. The economy fell into recession, with unemployment slowly but consistency drifting upwards and it stayed that way until 1993, this period should really be called the Long Depression.
        
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        April 5, 2018 11:02am
      - Hugh Pavletich
        
        It is of course a tragedy Sir John Key failed us Kiwi Tories out of the 2008 election … refer GONE GONE GOING section http://www.PerformanceUrbanPlanning.org
        
        I discussed aspects of this at the time of the release of the 13th Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey … January 2017 …
        
        Not PC … New Zealand’s housing consensus: Where is the political leadership ? … (just below Seymour blurb) …
        
        http://pc.blogspot.co.nz/2017/01/auckland-worlds-fourth-hardest-to-buy.html
        
        When is Sir John Key going to be held to account ?
        
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        April 5, 2018 11:31am
      - Hugh Pavletich
        
        Barfoot & Thompson’s sales finish the summer selling season on a soft note with sales volumes well down for the time of year and inventory levels rising | interest.co.nz
        
        https://www.interest.co.nz/property/93042/barfoot-thompsons-sales-finish-summer-selling-season-soft-note-sales-volumes-well
        
        Barfoot & Thompson’s March sales were the weakest they have been for the month since March 2010 and both the average and median selling prices of residential properties sold by the agency were down on March last year.
        
        Barfoot sold 1064 residential properties in March, well up from the 665 it sold in February but down compared to March last year when it sold 1110 and well down compared to March 2016 (1341 sold) and March 2015 (1597).
        
        March is usually Barfoot’s busiest month of the year for sales which are typically around double those of February, but this year its sales in March were the lowest they have been for the month since 2010. … read more via hyperlink above …
        
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        April 5, 2018 12:11pm
      - Swifty
        
        You’re really flogging it hard today Pavletich – you should be more careful. It’ll fall off you know.
        
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        April 5, 2018 12:44pm
      - Hugh Pavletich
        
        UBS: Royal Commission is Australia’s “Minksy moment” – MacroBusiness Australia … behind paywall … essential reading …
        
        https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2018/04/ubs-royal-commission-australias-minksy-moment/
        
        More excellent work from UBS’s Jonathon Mott today:
        
        Royal Commission and Responsible Lending
        
        Mortgage affordability and borrowing capacity has been a ‘hot’ topic within the banking industry over the last few years as household debt and house prices have escalated. Given increasing evidence of loose mortgage underwriting standards by the banks APRA has raised concerns and has reiterated its focus on ‘sound lending standards’.
        
        In particular APRA raised an alarm regarding the over reliance on the HEM (Household Expenditure Measure) benchmark. This benchmark assumes only a very modest or frugal level of household expenditure (it assumes that a family of four in Sydney has living expense slightly less than the income provided to a retired couple on the old age pension). In most circumstances is clearly unrealistic. While the banks also required customers to provide their own estimates of living expenses, APRA found that a very large number of these estimates were in line with the HEM benchmark, especially via the broker network. … read more via hyperlink above
        .
        .
        Financial Services Royal Commission – Home
        
        https://financialservices.royalcommission.gov.au/Pages/default.aspx
        
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        April 5, 2018 1:19pm
      - Hugh Pavletich
        
        … KIWIBUILD … (LIKE THE BRITISH) THE GREAT KIWI HOUSING DISASTER …
        
        National’s Judith Collins says the likely small size of the dwellings in the new Unitec development housing area will put pressure on borrowers, as it means banks will require a larger deposit
        
        https://www.interest.co.nz/property/93052/national%E2%80%99s-judith-collins-says-likely-small-size-dwellings-new-unitec-development
        
        Bank lending restrictions on smaller dwellings may prove to be a roadblock for the Government’s KiwiBuild programme.
        
        But Housing Minister Phil Twyford insists he’s hammering out details with mortgage providers to overcome this issue and will have something concrete “within the next few months.”
        
        On Tuesday, National’s Housing and Urban Development Spokeswoman Judith Collins said the planned dwellings on the new Unitec development site will be too small and, as such, will force banks to impose lending restrictions.
        
        New Zealand Bankers’ Association chief executive Karen Scott-Howman says size is among a number of factors that banks may take into account when looking at lending on apartments. … VIEW & READ more via hyperlink above …
        
        … EERILY SIMILAR TO … THE GREAT BRITISH HOUSING DISASTER …
        
        Inquiry. The Great British Housing Disaster (Adam Curtis, 1984) – YouTube
        
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ch5VorymiL4
        
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        April 5, 2018 8:06pm
Monique Watson

Fuck off Hugh.
Griffin and Thompson are backpedaling like clowns. Someone knows where the bodies are buried. And they’re not being honest or fronting the fuck up.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12026429
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April 5, 2018 9:36am
- Keeping Stock
  
  If you read the play-by-play reporting Monique, I wouldn’t take that view at all. They are clearly mightily pissed off with the behaviour of their Minister. Here’s an example:
  
  13 minutes ago
  Thompson said on another occasion an RNZ staffer had been approached and offered a job in Curran’s office. That offer was turned down and Thompson was advised of it.
  
  It looks as though Curran was planning a personal takeover of RNZ.
  
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  April 5, 2018 9:40am
  - Keeping Stock
    
    Then there’s this:
    
    6 minutes ago
    Griffin said Curran had known since March 1 that the select committee had been misled but she had not contacted him.
    
    29 2
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    April 5, 2018 9:45am
    - Colville
      
      KS.
      Is Curran going to be clearing out her desk?
      
      30 2
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      April 5, 2018 9:47am
      - Keeping Stock
        
        As I understand it, Curran is currently visiting TVNZ at the Commonwealth Games. But it’s damning that she didn’t immediately require a select committee record to be corrected when she had been advised the committee had been misled.
        
        I suspect the next step will be a Breach of Privilege complaint against her.
        
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        April 5, 2018 9:50am
      - lifesgood
        
        Why did Griffin decline to play the recording of Curran’s phone message, stating that it would be “inappropriate”. That is strange, what is he hiding? Note: I’m absolutely not on Curran’s side.
        
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        April 5, 2018 9:56am
      - Keeping Stock
        
        I guess it’s a privacy issue. Melissa Lee has asked for documentary evidence, and that may include a transcript of the message which would remain confidential to committee members.
        
        25 2
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        April 5, 2018 10:00am
    - Keeping Stock
      
      Oh dear:
      
      2 minutes ago
      Griffin said he received a call on March 22 from the Minister’s office that she had three questions in the House and he understood he was being asked to stay out of it.
      
      “I was gobsmacked”.
      
      It was then that he was told there was a diary entry.
      
      I suspect that is game, set and match for Curran, and that this will be hugely damaging for Ardern who has twice accepted Curran’s assurances that nothing untoward happened.
      
      37 3
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      April 5, 2018 9:51am
      - lifesgood
        
        KS…so sorry, clumsy fingers reported you! Thanks for that info re privacy. That makes sense.
        
        18 2
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        April 5, 2018 10:10am
      - Rich Prick
        
        The Minister’s office rung Griffin to tell him a question in the house was coming up on the meeting and that Curran expected RNZ would have “no comment” afterwards.
        
        Controlling not just the language, but speech itself. Cindy will not be pleased.
        
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        April 5, 2018 11:31am
      - hullkiwi
        
        Curran, seems to be the first Koro (Wetere) of this government.
        
        He died a slow political death at the hands of the pest for all Reasons (Winnie the poo).
        
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        April 5, 2018 3:50pm
  - Monique Watson
    
    I dunno. I mean obviously they’re personally pissed, but it’s like crabs in a bucket. They’re all scuttling across each other’s backs so as to make it seem like evidence for the need for a bucket.
    
    14 4
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    April 5, 2018 9:47am
  - doggone7
    
    It looks as though Curran was planning a personal takeover of RNZ as much as it looks like New Zealand athletes will win 100 gold medals at the Commonwealth Games.
    It looks like flights of fancy are rife.
    
    5 19
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    April 5, 2018 10:00am
    - waikatogirl
      
      At the end Melissa Lee asked for any emails, and other correspondence, including the voicemail to be made available to the committee. Griffin asked if the information would be released to the media. The answer was yes.
      
      Apart from the RNZ representatives microphones being turned on, did anyone else wonder why none of the other microphones were turned on?
      
      17 1
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      April 5, 2018 10:55am
- stephieboy
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  Monique Watson, I take it that the use of the F-word and other expletives is actively encouraged in your family and social circles?
  
  5 42
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  April 5, 2018 10:11am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    FUCK OFF, stephieboy, seems a perfectly expressive idiom that conveys the message go away.
    
    Check out your SOED.
    
    If you have a difficulty with seeing the word FUCK in print, perhaps you need to go elsewhere.
    
    38 4
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    April 5, 2018 10:57am
    - waikatogirl
      
      Maggy, ? ?
      
      18 1
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      April 5, 2018 11:59am
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        I counted 10 prior instances of the use of fuck, cunt, ffs, fucking on this thread this morning.
        
        But Stephieboy waits until has has a female in his sights and then tries to shame her and her family for using the word fuck.
        
        Vic Parking earlier today made a comment about the use of foul language, but he did not attempt to bring anyone’s family into the matter.
        
        25 1
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        April 5, 2018 12:09pm
      - Swifty
        
        Stephieboy hates women. He is scared of them, especially strong ones.
        
        17 0
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        April 5, 2018 12:55pm
  - Hugh Pavletich
    
    Stephieboy …She is simply childish in attempting to make something of minor issue.
    
    Grifffin and the RNZ people are to be applauded.
    
    All the stuff surrounding Phil Twyford is way way more important.
    
    1 30
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    April 5, 2018 11:06am
    - Kimbo
      
      Yes, but your posts do bring out that reaction in people, Hugh. Sort of like how only your true friends would tell you if you have a BO problem. ?
      
      22 2
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      April 5, 2018 11:10am
    - hullkiwi
      
      Hugh you are right about Twitford. There are orders coming out of his office regarding transport that are going to make him the next fall guy.
      
      He is setting up Fergus Gamie (Chairman of NZTA) to be in a stand off with AT over the tram project. Because he is not delivering on KiwiBuild he is trying to get a “political win” on delivering LRT in Auckland in this election cycle.
      
      Problem is neither he nor NZTA know what they are doing.
      
      3 0
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      April 5, 2018 4:13pm
  - Monique Watson
    
    Yeah. Fuck off to Fuckenstein. You daft pussy.
    
    22 2
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    April 5, 2018 11:21am
    - waikatogirl
      
      Or appropriately for the present political climate, Make like a Russian and fuckoffski !
      
      17 1
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      April 5, 2018 12:01pm
    - Swifty
      
      Lol!
      
      6 0
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      April 5, 2018 12:57pm
  - rightoverlabour
    
    Fuck off. VOK WEG. Va te faire foutre. Vaffancoulo. Get the idea.?
    
    5 0
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    April 5, 2018 9:11pm
Poppa

The media seem to have turned on poor wee Cindy, and she doesn’t like it. It causes hurty feelings.

If they keep this up and she goes off for the royal birth, it might get all too hard to carry on afterwards.
I can only hope

At least the baby might keep the dog on the porch for a while
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April 5, 2018 9:38am
- stigie
  
  Oh dear, iv’e run out of fucking popcorn !~
  
  20 1
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  April 5, 2018 9:41am
  - RW Capitalist
    
    Time to buy shares, in a popcorn company.
    
    5 0
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    April 5, 2018 1:21pm
- Rich Prick
  
  Word on the street is that Cindy has been in the ear of journalists telling them to go easy on her incompetence. Like that will work.
  
  23 1
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  April 5, 2018 10:52am
  - KiWombat
    
    Perhaps she is attempting to get them to bury another personal issue that is about to erupt !
    
    22 1
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    April 5, 2018 11:06am
    - Gravelroad
      
      Its been about to erupt for quite some time now KiWombat.
      Even a young family member here who listens to one of the cool, youth targeted radio stations, says that the alleged drug use by a prominent person is openly talked about on air.
      But nothing happens. Erupt? Yeah, nah.
      Corrupt more like.
      
      23 1
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      April 5, 2018 11:47am
    - cmm
      
      Come on… someone just spills a bit of almond milk powder and we get wild accusations being thrown around.
      
      13 1
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      April 5, 2018 12:04pm
    - cmm
      
      If this is true then that would beg some questions:
      
      1) What sort of judgment does a woman have that would willingly shack up with, then make babies with and then propose to leave said baby in the care of, a person with these traits. Can a person with such poor judgment be trusted with any authority at all?
      
      2) What sort of blackmail risk is there? How do we know suck blackmailing has not happened? How can anyone in 5 eyes etc have any confidence in said woman, or anyone that has dealt with her?
      
      3) If this is being buried with name suppression etc, then any claims of transparency and judicial independence etc will be laughed at.
      
      4) It would definitely explain Curran, NZF and others feeling brave enough to act the way they do without expecting any sanction.
      
      10 0
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      April 5, 2018 1:19pm
      - KiWombat
        
        1)
        a: As to the first part of your question, CLicker had a particular talent. Read about it in The Critic 2012-20
        b: The baby has been artificially conceived, no indication that CG did anything to contribute.
        c: That person may have plenty of spare time on his hands very shortly.
        d: The voters have made their call, but your point is well made.
        2)
        Indications are that they don’t. Hence the well recorded response of the Australian Foreign Minister, and being totally ignored by the US equivalent.
        3)
        Noted. There was a comment yesterday which indicated the press are onto this, and trying to unpick the name suppression. Might get interesting !
        4)
        Perhaps. But Curran is not one of the sharp tools, it matches her dress sense ! As to GangGreen and NZ1 – their existence is due to erroneous voting which has now been exposed.
        
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        April 5, 2018 5:11pm
  - Gravelroad
    
    It’s worked so far, Rich Prick.
    Wait till the cute baby comes. So called journalists will be falling over themselves to be compliant and get the story and photo. We’re all hanging out for that baby eh?
    Something distracting and posidive.
    
    13 1
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    April 5, 2018 11:26am
    - waikatogirl
      
      Picking Winston for a middle name
      
      10 2
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      April 5, 2018 12:02pm
      - Gravelroad
        
        Gee, that will be a bit awkward for a little girl, WG.
        Of course, the baby most likely will be of the feminine gender being IVF generated.
        Have to think ahead to school days. Having a child of any gender with Winston in its moniker could result in some not nice bullying.
        (With apologies to Sir Winston Churchill- the real deal Winston).
        
        4 1
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        April 5, 2018 12:25pm
      - KiWombat
        
        GR our WeeWinnie was christened “Wynston”
        
        When or why he changed the spelling is unknown to me, but it is likely to have been affected by the statesman to whom you refer !
        
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        April 5, 2018 5:26pm
  - Rachael Membery
    
    Probably. Imagine if there were no blogs with access to independent news sources and we ad to rely on the msm, we would have fewer of these stories imo..
    
    1 0
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    April 5, 2018 6:57pm
kevn

@ all…
It must be difficult for public servants having to grapple with all the sh*t that labour is putting around.
Add on the bungling incompentent labour ministers (from the top down).
Stuff of nightmares.
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April 5, 2018 9:44am
Lee C

Her’s one for our glorious elites:
https://www.facebook.com/mickyflanaganfanpage/videos/329267147476874/UzpfSTUyMzU5NDEyOToxMDE1NTgxOTc4MDcxOTEzMA/
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April 5, 2018 9:46am
Captain Mainwaring

Billy was at school this morning and the teacher asked all the children what their fathers did for a living.
All the typical answers came out, fireman, policeman, salesman, chippy, captain of industry etc, but Billy was being uncharacteristically quiet.
And so the teacher asked him about his father.
“My father is an exotic dancer in a gay club and takes off all his clothes in front of other men. Sometimes if the offer is really good, he’ll go out with a man, rent a cheap hotel room and let them sleep with him.”
The teacher quickly set the other children some work and took little Billy aside to ask him if that was really true.
“No” said Billy, “Actually he plays cricket for Australia but I was just too embarrassed to say.”
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April 5, 2018 9:54am
- alwyn
  
  The teacher kept pressing and finally Billy told her the real truth.
  “Actually he is a Labour MP who has to tell people how wonderful the Tooth Fairy is. Anything else is less embarrassing than that”
  
  15 2
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  April 5, 2018 11:20am
stephieboy

Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
The wonderful alt right world in the Age o Trump,

How once-far-right views became mainstream in Europe: Warning issued after Poland blames Jews for their own destruction, Hungary declares that Europeans should not ‘mix’ with Africans and Croatia thanks Argentina for welcoming Nazis

* Historian Tom Junes claims far-right views are now the norm across Europe
* Comes after Hungarian Prime Minister said Europeans should not ‘mix’ with Africans
* Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said ‘Jewish perpetrators’ as among those responsible for the Holocaust

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5575259/Far-right-views-mainstream-Europe.html#ixzz5BkBJVH2l
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April 5, 2018 10:07am
- Awww C-mon
  
  Stephie-confused, if misogyny and bullying are hall marks of the alt-right, do you consider yourself as the alt-rights poster boy on KB?
  
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  April 5, 2018 10:10am
  - RW Capitalist
    
    For a misogynist, Trumpy sure has been married to, employed and promoted a large number of very attractive, qualified and intelligent WOMEN.
    D’ya think these idiots actually know the meaning of the word misogyny?
    Clue…it means a man who HATES women and would NEVER put them in a position of power & influence.
    
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    April 5, 2018 1:11pm
- Nev.
  
  dailymail!
  craptrap pee pee poo poo yob!
  
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  April 5, 2018 12:57pm
slightlyrighty

HDPA has written a column in the Herald about how the Fuel Tax will consign Labour to the opposition in 2020.

The comments on Facebook against HDPA are ridiculous, with so many saying that it’s about time the wealthy paid more tax. It’s amazing how many Core Labour supporters do not realise just how regressive this tax is, and how it will disproportionally negatively affect those at the bottom who work shifts, have less efficient cars, cannot access public transport, live further away from their employment because of housing costs and have far less disposable income.
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April 5, 2018 10:13am
- SPC
  
  Same with minium pricing for alcohol (hits those who buy the cheaper beer and wine – ends discounts). This is likely in the budget as a health budget revenue.
  
  Congestion charging is best (like a road toll but only applies in peak periods), and also commuter lanes (if more than one person in the car no congestion charge).
  
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  April 5, 2018 10:37am
stephieboy

Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Awww C-mon “, misogyny and bullying” and other associated beliefs are IMO actively nurtured on KB by the “far right” or” alt-right.” ( whichever you prefer )

.
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April 5, 2018 10:17am
- VicParking
  
  Morning Stephie. So things like members of the Greens saying they will throw their toys out of the cot if the American Bitch becomes co leader, the protesters banging on windows and walls to shut down free speech and left wing activists calling on boycotts of companies is not bullying. Shit Stephie you woke up on the wrong side of the Goat this morning ??
  
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  April 5, 2018 10:30am
- Awww C-mon
  
  So you agree those behaviours are associated with ‘alt-right’.
  
  Since you continually exhibit those behaviours yourself, plus a bit of mansplaining and rape culture, does’t that make you a member of the this ‘alt-right’ grouping?
  
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  April 5, 2018 11:28am
Right of way is Way of Right

I’m following the reporting on the Select Committee meeting here;

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12026429

If Curran isn’t gone after this, then I can only assume that she has something on the PM.

If this was a National Minister, the rabid ferals would be marching in the streets!!
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April 5, 2018 10:29am
- sooty
  
  Will it bring down Secret Cindy as well?
  
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  April 5, 2018 10:37am
  - Keeping Stock
    
    It may not bring Ardern down, but given she has twice expressed confidence in Curran, despite the latter’s “mistakes”, it suggests Ardern’s judgment is very poor indeed.
    
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    April 5, 2018 10:53am
    - septic skeptic
      
      I would have said proves or confirms – not suggests.
      
      23 1
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      April 5, 2018 11:07am
      - sooty
        
        Curran the stinking corpse hanging around Secret Cinds kneck.
        
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        April 5, 2018 12:04pm
    - Happychappy
      
      It is not only poor judgement it shows Jacinda is well out of her depth and cannot be trusted to make hash decisions which means other in the Coalition are running this Country.
      
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      April 5, 2018 4:34pm
DifferentPerspective

This is not poverdy, this is just gross stupidity

Stuff are back to pimping the poor and blaming National for it (don’t they know Labour are in government now?).

So this stupid bint can’t work and hasn’t got a home and has a kid, but she has a partner working for MSD in Wellington.

And they’re having trouble finding a home they can afford to rent.

So what do they do after long, hard analytical thought they decide:
– bingo, let’s splash out and get married
and
– let’s have another kid!
– why have you got a dog you idiot, that’s an additional cost and an extra limitation on your ability to get a home.

This is a problem they’re creating for themselves, if they’re too stoopid to use contraception (it’s free you dumb bimbo!) then they only have themselves to blame for worsening their situation.

Here’s the simple step she could’ve taken to ease her situation:
– if you are incapable of supporting yourself, don’t have a kid (and definitely don’t have a second one)

This is not a societal or a housing problem. This is, plain and simply, a stupidity problem. What a shit thing to do to a kid, to drag it around from couch to couch all the while blaming the gummint for a situation that you have inflicted on yourself.

The entitlitis is strong in this one.
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April 5, 2018 11:10am
- milkmaid
  
  And there is a dog too, of course. There is always a dog. Acquiring a dog while renting is just moronic.
  
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  April 5, 2018 11:17am
- Awww C-mon
  
  Medical conditions not recognised in NZ?
  
  I am going to say, American SJW.
  
  I will put up $10 and a chocolate fish to anyone who wants to take on the wager.
  
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  April 5, 2018 11:41am
- Holly Roggerz
  
  They might not be retarded, and it might not be 100% their fault that the supply of land and building materials is restricted under the RMA and other grovernment policy, but they are not helping their situation…. And they have zero, zero financial intelligence….
  
  Heck, right now it’s cheaper to rent than own, your looking at 4-5ish percent interest rates depending on your position and negotiating skills, .5% annually on rates and insurance, and for an oldish 80s ~115sq meter house, probably 1.5% annually on maintainance and for keeping it modern and updated….
  
  So they need to spend about 7% per annum on their house (if they get one thats not a doer upper), realistically they are better off handing over 4% per annum on the value of someone elses house to the landlord…..
  
  Then they get to keep the remaining 3% and they can invest the principal repayments into an asset class who’s value is derived from actual economic output…. Especially now that prices have peaked….
  
  Yet some people will find a way to spend every cent they earn or are given on things they don’t really need, which make little difference to their quality of life, and at the end of it they will have nothing to show for it!
  
  They will be trapped in a working class lifestyle untill the day they can no longer work, then they will go out and vote for NZfirst, and pronounce ‘I have paid my taxes’, no… no…. Most likely they are part of the ~50% of the population that are beneficaries, they consume more than they pay in taxes…
  
  Nethertheless I think it is reasonable to say that this type of financial illeteracy and financial intelligence is something which national could have addressed through the national education curriculum in their 9 years of missmanagement….
  
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  April 5, 2018 11:44am
  - waikatogirl
    
    Yes, and you don’t want to know the amount our cat is costing for the vet to perform surgery on her teeth. That’s after buying those expensive dental biscuits we love to believe in. The “poor” can’t afford to look after animals.
    
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    April 5, 2018 12:27pm
Monique Watson

John Key did a great fucking job so why is he knobbing onto the flag issue?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12026548
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April 5, 2018 11:17am
- Manolo
  
  The vacuous Mr Key should shut up.
  
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  April 5, 2018 11:47am
  - sooty
    
    He should just STFU and disapear into the sunset, with reputation intact and not be like old snaggletooth coming out every five minutes.
    
    9 2
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    April 5, 2018 12:14pm
  - kowtow
    
    Yep . The guy’s all over the place . Claims to be a monarchist and brought back the honours but wanted to act the prog and change the flag!
    
    Remember though , when in opposition he opposed civil marriage but in power supported full parody marriage. Very inconsistent.
    
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    April 5, 2018 12:18pm
Odakyu-sen

You do realize that a so-called “10%” increase in petrol excise tax will raise the pump price by about 25% when you add GST.

For example, if fuel at the pump is $2 a liter, adding 10% excise tax will make gas $2.20. Next, factor in GST of 15% and you have $2.2 x 1.15 = a pump price of $2.53 per liter.

Are you ready for that? (If my math is wrong, please let me know.)
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April 5, 2018 11:37am
- RalphT
  
  Um. Surely the $2.00 price already has a GST component, so the 15% GST will be on the extra 20 cents, bringing the price up to $2.23.
  
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  April 5, 2018 11:44am
  - Paulus
    
    My small engined (1400 cc) Euro car runs on 98 oct at current price $2.14 per litre.
    And the garages will not put up any pricing for 98 oct – it is secret until you fill.
    
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    April 5, 2018 1:40pm
- Brigitte
  
  Math is wrong. If fuel is $2 at pump that includes GST. If you’re scaling up by a percentage the GST on the increase takes care of itself. So it goes from $2.00 (incl GST) to $2.20 (incl GST), a 10% increase.
  
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  April 5, 2018 11:45am
  - Brigitte
    
    If the increase is a $ amount (such as $0.20) GST may need to be added if the increase is ex-GST. The latter is what RalphT has assumed in his reply.
    
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    April 5, 2018 11:48am
- SPC
  
  Under National there was the GST increase, as for the petrol excise duty it is commonly increased – for example
  
  On 18 December 2012, Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee announced increases in petrol excise duty of 3 cents per litre on 1 July 2013, 1 July 2014, and 1 July 2015.
  
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  April 5, 2018 12:16pm
  - SPC
    
    Steven Joyce increase the petrol excise by 3 cents in Oct 2009 and again October 2010.
    
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    April 5, 2018 12:33pm
    - rangitoto
      
      That was done to pay for roads. Not waste on stupid trams blocking Dominion Road
      
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      April 5, 2018 1:05pm
  - RW Capitalist
    
    and an income tax CUT.
    
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    April 5, 2018 1:06pm
Catons

Richard Griffin of RNZ declined to play the phone message from Clare Curran on the grounds it would be inappropriate. This is fairly weak because it may involve a complaint for a breach of privilege on the grounds the Minister was attempting to dissuade a witness from appearing before a select committee. I guess Griffin did not want to muddy the waters by playing the tape.
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April 5, 2018 11:40am
- Poppa
  
  If the PM wasn’t so weak Curran would be gone by lunchtime
  
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  April 5, 2018 11:50am
  - sooty
    
    What’s the chances that Curran was swearing on the tape. Reading the old white guy his pedigree!
    
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    April 5, 2018 11:58am
  - cmm
    
    If she wasn’t so pathetic Curran would have been gone a month ago.
    
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    April 5, 2018 11:59am
- Paul Marsden
  
  The tape has now been subpoenaed
  
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  April 5, 2018 12:00pm
- Holly Roggerz
  
  Well we have already crossed that line when Hirschfeld had her secret meeting with Curren and also when Richard Griffin told that national MP that Hirschfeld was resigning before Hirschfeld made her public announcement….
  
  The Further interference by labour is a continuation in everyone acting in a way that is strictly speaking unproffesional, these state institutions and organizations have a chain of command and a series of processes whic should respected…
  
  And no number of 5 or 6 or 10 sets of wrongdoings makes a right…
  
  There is no reason to be having all these secret meetings, and conspiring and whatnot when they can do everything openly and by the books…
  
  Yet its being run sort of like an internal mob politic fued/power-struggle, and if anything it shows that none of them are suitable for the job…. It also shows that they have too much free-time, that their jobs aren’t really ‘real jobs’….
  
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  April 5, 2018 12:02pm
  - Paulus
    
    Understand papers were exchanged at the “casual” breakfast meeting !
    Where are they and what do they contain ?
    Oh the smell.
    
    12 1
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    April 5, 2018 1:43pm
- SPC
  
  He did not offer it, he knew they would seek it in any case. Thus requiring a return visit. A saga is being played out …
  
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  April 5, 2018 12:19pm
  - waikatogirl
    
    Yes Richard Griffin informed them of the second contact phone call which they were unaware of. Melissa Lee pounced and asked for a copy. Griffin made a point of asking the committee if the tape of Curran’s call to Griffin would be released to the media. Job done!
    
    Paul Eagle didn’t understand the concept of “a courtesy call” by Richard Griffin to Melissa Lee to tell her of the imminent news release by RNZ. Lee was heavily involved in the unravelling of this ball of wax and Griffin said a courtesy call was something he would make to anyone involved in breaking news. Paul Eagle tried to make it a National party conspiracy and wouldn’t let the matter drop.
    
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    April 5, 2018 12:33pm
    - DifferentPerspective
      
      Paul Eagle. Proving why he was orphaned, what a low life
      
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      April 5, 2018 2:13pm
- fluffykiwi
  
  It might not be so clear cut, he may have just taken the inference from her words that he shouldn’t appear. It is right that the Select committee should know.
  If Curran did indeed tell him to stay away then she is or should be well burnt toast.
  If it is just an inference that he drew from the words that is not so clear cut.
  Wait and see.
  On the other hand if it is not clearcut you would have wiped it.
  
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  April 5, 2018 12:23pm
Manolo

Rumour has it that stephieboy has been buying some shares:
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/04/us-stock-futures-dow-data-trade-tech-and-politics-in-focus.html

The Dow Jones industrial average closed 230.94 points higher at 24,264.30, rallying more than 700 points from its session low.
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April 5, 2018 11:45am
- MCos
  
  So that’s down 100+ & up 700+ all in on day. About 3500 down from it’s peak in January.
  Things are pretty jittery over there!
  
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  April 5, 2018 1:30pm
- Inandout
  
  As the hooker said, ‘what goes down will eventually go up’.
  
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  April 5, 2018 3:26pm
stigie

Curran is toast is too polite in this fiasco…

Curran is fucked sounds better !~
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April 5, 2018 11:46am
- Awww C-mon
  
  Yeah but the mental picture that promotes is just too much to handle, lets stay with toast please stigie
  
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  April 5, 2018 11:50am
  - sooty
    
    Custard Curran.
    
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    April 5, 2018 11:55am
- Holly Roggerz
  
  Too be fair, they (labours spin doctors) could have done a way better job at covering for Curran, for instance they could have said that the meeting was associated with RNZ but unassociated with her roles as editor… And that they obviously support the indepence of RNZ…
  
  They could have said that the current term of the CEO is coming near an end and that the new and much more encompassing RNZ+ would have a new set of challanges and would need a new leadership team to adress those, and that its perfectly reasonable for the associated minister to interview potential candidates to be recommended to the board.
  
  And to then drivel on about how Hirschfeld has ‘years of experience’ and is extremely qualified, and how they expect her to do really well compared to the other candidates they will be putting forward as recomendations but how all the recomended people will have the qualifications to do a great job. And how they have faith in the board to make the right decision….
  
  Instead they panicked, and they handled it in a way which makes them look very bad….
  
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  April 5, 2018 12:12pm
  - RW Capitalist
    
    To be fair, they could have covered Curren better.
    BUT, you can cover a dog turd with a blanket, it will still smell, still be warm and squishy if you stand in it and will leave a stain very difficult to get rid of.
    
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    April 5, 2018 1:02pm
  - lifesgood
    
    So basically they didn’t tell enough lies, is that what you mean?
    
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    April 5, 2018 3:01pm
- wombatge
  
  Question 12
  MELISSA LEE to the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media: Does she stand by all her statements and actions regarding her meeting with Carol Hirschfeld on 5 December last year?
  Imagine standing in on this question, who will be the lucky one to answer this.
  Sometimes it is better to front up and not run and hide, Melissa Lee isn’t going to settle for anything less than the hapless Clare Currans political scalp. Poor Clare is digging the hole deeper.
  Winston may jump to his feet and give an answer instead of a question as he does most of the time.
  
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  April 5, 2018 1:01pm
- Paulus
  
  Who would know if Curren was f….d – only Trevor and he was desperate.
  
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  April 5, 2018 1:45pm
Manolo

PM Ardern and Labour do not seem to know what they are doing.

The government’s petrol tax increase will be inflationary across the board and impact upon every aspect of the NZ economy. It is tantamount to criminal mismanagement.
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April 5, 2018 12:12pm
- hullkiwi
  
  Yes, and as they say a good way to get an economy to tank, is for a government to interfere….
  
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  April 5, 2018 4:39pm
Manolo

Jailing some violent animals:
https://www.westernjournal.com/99-ms-13-gang-members-arrested-all-entered-us-as-unaccompanied-minors/

Nearly 100 members of the notoriously violent MS-13 street gang were among the young immigrants admitted into the U.S. under the classification of “unaccompanied minor” during the past 11 months, according to recent government data.
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April 5, 2018 12:14pm
Anne Glen Eden

Any impoverished Labour supporters – or those claiming to care about them – agreeing with the fuel taxes are either moronically stupid or very committed liars.

Phil Twyford tries to distract and appease people by saying that the resulting expense to any person will be the price of a cup of coffee. How can anyone in their right mind believe that?

To begin with, there’s a lot of people who really can’t afford to ‘go out for coffee’, as he undoubtedly can which is why he uses that example.

Secondly, for those believing this will impact the ‘rich’ – the ‘rich’ won’t care. They can afford it.

But the real dishonesty is that the true expense for the individual isn’t a matter of just what they spend on fuel – and some spend a lot driving across town for work, between three jobs and/or schools, sports, etc.

It’s also the expense of every commodity that uses transport, fire engines, ambulances, taxis – increasing the cost of everything, everywhere, for everyone.

Like I say, the ‘rich’ may be a bit ‘pissed off’. The real damage will be done to the poor and the struggling. It will be done to those who don’t have the fuel to drive their kids to the doctor, to those working multiple jobs, to those who can’t afford much food.

The Labour Party – and I believe it is the Party because it’s clear Jacinda is a powerless PR figurehead, certainly not a ‘Leader’ who can hold anyone to account – is taking money off those who can least afford it because there’s always more of them than others and they have much less power, or realisation, than the ‘rich’ about the truth.

And Labour have no conscience whatsoever about doing it. These poor they’ve told they’ve given an increase to cover it. As if. Yeah, right. Labour are pursuing their ideological goals on the backs of the poor and struggling, as ever in modern times. Increasing costs, increasing hardship for those who can least afford it.
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April 5, 2018 12:23pm
- Holly Roggerz
  
  Oh I agree we need to raise more funds for roading, because for decades local and state government has been missapropriating rates and the land transport fund and spending it on busses and railways and other such nonsense…
  
  And whether those additional funds come from the general fund in terms of consumption or income taxes levied on the people and businesses, if it comes in the form of part toll funding on new motorways or if it comes from the sale of some of the few hundred billion dollars this government has in assets is a matter of debate…
  
  But there is definitely a need for more investment in roading, and even if all the money that should be going to roading is spent on roading, we still have to catchup on 20+ years of underinvestment. And the money for that has to come from somewhere…
  
  And this is not in defense of labours tax hikes on road users, something they said they would not do until 2020 if we are being honest here… No their tax hikes on road users are going on things which will increase congestion for road users, they are going on things like trams and trains and I don’t know what is worst, the fact that they are taking soo much money from car users that is desperately needed for roading and wasting it on this antiquated hundred+ year old obsolete technology or the fact they can’t decide which of these obsolete forms of rail transit to go with…
  
  For they are and have been making considerable investment in rail in terms of electrificiation, replacement of rail cars, railway tunnels, railway train stop overhauls and at the same time they want to build a completely incompatible light rail network…. Surely it’s one or the other…
  
  And I think the end result will be calls to spend billions more on even more extensions to connect these networks together and absurdly complex interchange stations where Bus, Rail, Tram, Cycleways and Taxis meet, possibly with park-and-rides, so that the network can function cohesively and without too much over duplication… All because the government wants 3 kinds of competing slow mass transit networks….
  
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  April 5, 2018 1:13pm
RW Capitalist

Considering, 2 months ago, the air bags in my Mazda were changed at the behest of my local Mazda/Ford dealer, (could have been done 3 months ago, but I had to cancel the appointment and they were so busy changing other peoples airbags that I had to wait a month) do we really need Chris Far (from competent) Foy (misspelling deliberate) to issue a mandatory recall on something that is already being done voluntarily?
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April 5, 2018 12:59pm
- rangitoto
  
  It was purely to deflect from the fuel tax and other bad news. It’s no accident it was announced on the same day. Oooooo look over here. A squirrel. Their propaganda channel TV One went along with it and made it the headline item.
  
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  April 5, 2018 1:30pm
Stars And Stripes

I was over at Napier the other weekend taking a walk along the waterfront passing the old “Marineland” which is now a skate park.
Have to say I loved this place as a kid as I’m sure a heap of other Kiwi families did until all the habitual self pleasurers got involved over the parks attempts to get a new dolphin making it sure it was closed down as it no longer fitted in with a humane enlightened society.
So to all the dunderheaded vegetables who pushed for this outcome I hope you are happy but beware as your kids might grow up with such a miserable life that their only sense of enjoyment is sitting on a strangers lap while he assures them that the chair has loose springs sticking up.
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April 5, 2018 1:23pm
- MCos
  
  I don’t recall ever going to that particular animal park, but a few years ago we went to a tiger park in Chiang Mai. At this particular establishment tourists wandered round amoung the once proud kings of the jungle who were so docile they might as well have been stuffed toys.
  From our vantage point in a restaurant next door I used all my powers of concentration to encourage the tigers to behave as nature intended and at least scare the shit out of the tourists with a mighty roar.
  Nothing happened.
  I loathe those poke the animal with a stick sort of places.
  
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  April 5, 2018 2:02pm
  - Stars And Stripes
    
    Probably the only reason the lions could not be bothered moving is Thai people and backpackers don’t have enough meat on their bones to make it worthwhile.
    
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    April 5, 2018 2:43pm
  - MCos
    
    This is why God made tigers. Not to grovel for tourists, but compete for food.
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DZ7f5dEW0AE3EX0?format=jpg&name=large
    
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    April 5, 2018 5:41pm
- All_on_Red
  
  I went to Marineland as a child on numerous occasions.
  Dolphins in concrete pens aren’t happy. Their sonar bounces all over the place and those pens at Marineland were small.
  It was cruel.
  I’m much happier that my own children got to see Dolphins surfing waves and having fun in a natural environment at Tawharanui Park.
  Much better
  
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  April 5, 2018 2:36pm
Anne Glen Eden

I see the anachronistic gay lobby is at the deliberate set-up for the purposes of personal and Christian attack again.

” Folau…made the comment in reply to a question on an image he posted on Instagram which showed “God’s plan”.

“@izzyfolau what was gods plan for gay people??” user Mike Sephton-Poultney asked.

“HELL”, Folau responded. “Unless they repent of their sins and turn to God.”

If you don’t want to know the answer, DON’T ASK THE QUESTION.

Israel Folau is a private individual before he is a rugby player and has every right to whatever faith and opinion he chooses.

The best that Rugby Australia should be able to ask of their players is that they not answer such inappropriate questions – other than to say it’s an inappropriate question. That might be a strategy that Folau adopts in our controlling and paranoid society.

To demand, supposedly, that he lie about his views is tantamount to the old German tactic of forcing the Jews to convert to Christianity and/or ‘buy’ Christian names. It’s just not acceptable – there’s nothing ‘good’ about forcing people to lie, to themselves or others.
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April 5, 2018 1:28pm
Jack5

In an intelligent, stimulating article, Michael Reddell in his blog, Croaking Cassandra, writes about the many low-skill people moving into New Zealand.

The move by Ritchies Coachlines to bring in 110 bus drivers from overseas triggered Reddell’s article. Unionists say Ritchies underpays its drivers, and allege its locals head off to other firms as soon as they are trained and experienced.

Under NZ’s residence approval programme, Reddell writes:

“In the past 20 years, 864915 people have been approved for residence here. MBIE data suggest that 80 to 90 per cent of those people are still here five years after approval (that proportion has been gradually trending upwards). Assume that on average over the 20 years, 85 per cent have stayed on, and the residence approvals programme has boosted our population, all else equal, by about 735000 people. That means a lot more houses are required – and roads, schools, hospitals, shops etc – and a lot more income-earning opportunities abroad need to be found (by the market – it isn’t a central planning thing) to meet the appetite for stuff the rest of the world produces that each of us in a modern market economy has.”

https://croakingcassandra.com/2018/04/05/immigration-policy-bus-driver-edition/
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April 5, 2018 1:48pm
Chuck Bird

This raises many questions.

Should this teacher get compensation?

If so who should pay?

What does this say about the left’s idea that the”victim” should always be believed?

Did the school and the police do a proper job of investigating if the allegations were true?

Indecent assault claims against teacher made up to get him fired after pupils yelled at

But the jury took less than an hour to find the teacher not guilty on all charges.

The Crown alleged the teacher had inappropriately touched three girls in his class, each aged 11 years.

The court was told the defendant had stroked students’ hair in an indecent manner, swiped his hands over the chest area of two pupils and grabbed the breasts of another victim.

But one of the girls admitted she lied and the teacher had never assaulted her, when cross-examined by defence lawyer Marc Corlett QC, Fairfax reported.

She said she had also lied about seeing the teacher assault any other student.

A boy who claimed he witnessed the indecencies, admitted there was a plan to make up stories about the teacher to get him fired after he told them off during class, Fairfax reported.

The teacher, who had confirmed losing his temper and swearing at the pupils, told Fairfax his dismissal and the months since had been his worst nightmare.

“After 40 years as a teacher, and 27 years at this school I was dismissed within a few days of the allegations being made – allegations which have now been shown to be false, and deliberately made to get me fired,” he said.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12026593
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April 5, 2018 1:55pm
- RalphT
  
  I would hope that if the school dismissed him on such flimsy evidence and without waiting for a court verdict then they get to compensate him for whatever salary he has lost in the time he was without a job. That will go part way to meeting his no doubt substantial court costs. Unfortunately the kids will be too young to make them pick up the tab for their false allegations.
  
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  April 5, 2018 2:07pm
  - KevOB
    
    He should be compensated by his employer too for allowing the false allegations to go so far. It is a hazard of such employment and the employer cannot deny they had knowledge of such hazard.
    The teacher should not be out of pocket over this. Loss of employment has to be compensated too.
    
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    April 5, 2018 4:28pm
Maggy Wassilieff

Who would want to be a teacher in NZ?https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/102380220/children-admit-making-up-sex-claims-against-auckland-teacher-to-get-him-fired

How easy it is to ruin someone’s life by making false allegations.
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April 5, 2018 2:06pm
- Kimbo
  
  Yep. The Peter Ellis case sent a message to all New Zealand men: work in a profession that interacts with children at your peril. You have been warned. So no matter what happens to you, even if you were innocent, it was avoidable and you were a fool to ignore the advice.
  
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  April 5, 2018 2:27pm
- Inandout
  
  Yet when someone really does a bit of camp fiddling, well…….
  
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  April 5, 2018 3:24pm
- Longknives
  
  “How easy it is to ruin someone’s life by making false allegations”
  
  Not just Teachers..
  I have a very good friend whose career was ended and life was virtually shattered by a false rape complaint. His work Christmas Party went wrong- He had a totally consentual liaison with a lady he worked with (which happens all the time at Christmas Parties) and several weeks later when her boyfriend found out she cried ‘Drink Spiking’ and ‘Rape’ to the Police.
  The ensuing 18 months cost him thirty thousand in legal bills and broke him mentally and physically. He even attempted suicide and ended up in Hospital.
  Several friends and family members disowned him and his career and reputation was in tatters.
  Eventually, when the heat started going on her and she realised she was going to have to swear under oath, the woman involved told the truth that she had fabricated everything to save her relationship. My friend and his lawyer asked if she would be Prosecuted for her lies- The Police told them something like ‘In the current Political climate it’s not in the Public Interest’!
  My friend then got a patronising letter from a very High Ranking Police Officer thanking him for his cooperation and telling him the matter would be filed- No repercussion whatsoever for the lying b##ch! Fucking gutless wankers!
  
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  April 5, 2018 5:21pm
  - Anne Glen Eden
    
    On the one hand, I agree with you. People who cause that sort of damage to others through outright lies should face consequences.
    
    Letting her walk scot free because of the ‘current political climate’ is disgusting. It’s caused by this completely amoral fixation on the assumed ‘perfection’ of women. And it’s further reason, as in your case, why no-one really believes in the ‘justice system’ anymore. The use of the justice system – when and why – is all down to convenience and cost, not ‘justice’.
    
    On the other hand, your friend is an idiot – and I’ve said before that shagging people at work has implications not just for the person but for all their relationships. It’s a very bad idea – and the more drunk you are, the worse idea it is.
    
    The principle of ‘consent’ is irrelevant to the workplace. It’s a place to work, not have sex. At the best, the only people who could claim even the remotest validity would be established couples who may have it on their ‘bucket list’ of ‘exciting’ things to do.
    
    Everyone else needs to operate on the principle of ‘buyer beware’, especially these days. If you’re not prepared to acknowledge it in public, don’t do it.
    
    It’s all very well for those who call themselves ‘liberals’ to be advocating the continuance of this behaviour, but they don’t ‘pay the price’ anymore than the woman did. And wouldn’t contribute if asked.
    
    In fact, I’m very sure they’d happily condemn the man and his resulting ‘destruction’ as his ‘own stupid fault’ for bad judgement in women and lack of resilience. They certainly wouldn’t be offering him a job or any other way out because he’s a ‘failure’.
    
    I hope your friend is better. I also hope he’s learned his lesson.
    
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    April 5, 2018 7:26pm
- Fletch
  
  And ironically enough, it is the female teachers who are the sexual predators these days.
  
  https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/female-hastings-boys-high-teacher-deregistered-after-sex-16-year-old-student-read-tribunals-full-decision
  
  Many more of these overseas in the U.S too – and all female.
  
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  April 5, 2018 6:59pm
- alex Masterley
  
  My son attended the school in question.
  An odd letter was circulated by the school board.
  The teacher disappeared suddenly.
  FWIW i think the teacher has a claim for unjustified dismissal and I would expect his union to be pushing a claim on his behalf, or is that the sound of tumble weed bouncing down the road.
  
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  April 5, 2018 7:51pm
Anne Glen Eden

Well, off the top of my head:

Should this teacher get compensation? Depends how abusive he was in the habit of being to the students, especially since he confessed to ‘losing his temper and swearing at the pupils (shades of David Benson-Pope?). If he wasn’t in the habit – and had any genuine reason – yes, he should get compensation, including from the families of the children. If he was in that habit, no – he shouldn’t be teaching – and who could blame the pupils for using a well-publicised strategy almost guaranteed success?

If so who should pay? As I say, if he’s not ‘abusive’, it should be from the pupils/families in the way of natural consequences to reinforce that it’s a really bad idea to lie – and if the school investigated it thoroughly. If he was ‘abusive’ and they couldn’t get rid of him in any other way, the school.

What does this say about the left’s idea that the”victim” should always be believed? Allegations of abuse should always be initially accepted as stated and potential victims protected, if necessary on full pay. An investigation should take place asap and resolve it.

Did the school and the police do a proper job of investigating if the allegations were true? Well, exactly. Did they – including all the pupils not just those claiming victimhood, past and present? But undoubtedly the ‘reality’ of a court setting, especially cross-examination, had a great deal more impact on the pupils. It really doesn’t say much about the ‘investigation’, does it? And they’re all adults – lazy ones by the sound of it.
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April 5, 2018 2:15pm
- MCos
  
  I doubt we’re ever going to know any more about this situation than what we do now.
  As far as I’m concerned that’s the way it should stay.
  Two things come out of it. Kids can lie just like anyone else, and the more people involved the greater the chance the whole thing will unravel.
  
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  April 5, 2018 2:45pm
  - Anne Glen Eden
    
    There is a vast difference, to me, in the reasons that anyone lies – especially kids.
    
    The critical aspect is:
    
    Were these children spoilt, snotty-nosed little liars targeting an effective teacher who lost it with their bad behaviour?
    
    Was the teacher an abusive bully who’s been allowed to continue practising his behaviour for years on vulnerable children, who finally came across a few with the self-esteem and smarts to stand up to him?
    
    We probably won’t ever know but neither can we judge from a distance which one it was. The adults involved, at least some of them, know what the answers to those questions are – and should have been significantly better dealing with whatever the situation was before now because none of it would have occurred suddenly/spontaneously.
    
    There is no one-size-fits-all ‘judgment’ for all situations, especially from a distance. It’s pathetic that adults fail in entirety to deal truthfully and pragmatically with situations for which they are responsible.
    
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    April 5, 2018 3:05pm
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      This nightmare of figuring out whether it is the kid(s) telling fibs or the adult is one that practically every Principal in NZ has to face sometime in their career.
      
      I would have expected the Education Department had a decent set of guidelines for the Principal to follow, ensuring that all parties were treated fairly.
      
      Crap happens in schools and Principals are paid decent money to ensure that they provide a safe working environment for children and staff.
      
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      April 5, 2018 4:48pm
      - Anne Glen Eden
        
        Exactly. I totally agree. And Boards of Trustees are also responsible.
        
        I expect there is the usual ‘butt-covering’, denial, and ‘protecting the school’s reputation’ been going on which means problems have been left and left until it’s all spiralled out of control.
        
        There should be no situation where children end up having to ‘take charge’ – be it positively or negatively. Where that happens, it’s the fault of the adults who haven’t carried out their responsibilities adequately.
        
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        April 5, 2018 4:52pm
Maggy Wassilieff

Oh no, fake anthropology from the BBC.

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/apr/04/scene-from-human-planet-documentary-was-faked-bbc-admits
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April 5, 2018 2:40pm
Manolo

The United States has moved the National Guard near the border when the Mexican government allowed the invaders go through its territory:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/caravan-migrants-confused-president-trumps-040041991.html

The Mexican government began handing out transit or humanitarian visas to people in a caravan of Central American migrants, and said the procession of 1,000 or so migrants that drew criticism from President Donald Trump had begun to disperse.
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April 5, 2018 2:45pm
Maggy Wassilieff

Andrew Geddis on the RNZ debacle

Ignore the lead-in sentence…
It doesn’t refer to the main ~~story~~ narrative.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/on-the-inside/354182/politicians-seek-different-narratives-at-rnz-hearing
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April 5, 2018 3:06pm
VicParking

It’s seems that the speaker is running interference for his ex squeeze. The speaker’s rulings today are going to make the rest of this parliamentary term impossible for the opposition to query Ministers on anything that happened outside the debating chamber. “Patsy questions only please”
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April 5, 2018 3:32pm
- Chuck Bird
  
  Vic, is it just rumour that Mallard had a relationship with Curran or is true. If it is true he should recuse himself as a judge should.
  
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  April 5, 2018 4:22pm
stigie

What is true Chuck, people like yourself voting for your hero Winston to teach National a lesson.
How is that working out for you with your hero being part of the COL which is now going from a fiasco to a corrupt fiasco..?
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April 5, 2018 4:36pm
Rodney Randall

https://twitter.com/OfficialRedSide/status/980883873587515392

Filthy pig wants her details for fake hate crime.
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April 5, 2018 5:33pm
Nostradamus

Minister studies major sports event broadcast

Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media Minister Clare Curran will travel to the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast tomorrow for a first-hand look at what it takes to broadcast a multi-media mega sports event. … The Minister leaves tomorrow morning [Thursday] and returns on Friday. During the visit she will also take in the New Zealand v Scotland hockey game and attend a dinner with leading TV production houses.

The timing is convenient to say the least! By the way, wouldn’t a sports match be more Grant’s thing, as Sport and Recreation Minister – or is he only focused on “recreation” these days? 🙂
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April 5, 2018 5:41pm
Jack5

Can stress be inherited through changes to DNA?

That’s what Christchurch people are told in a two-page article in the Christchurch Star a free weekly newspaper distributed in the city. But, if you do a bit of internet digging you can see it’s a bit, no, a lot, more complicated and uncertain than that.

Dr Harith Swadi, of the Canterbury District Health Board, says children referred for mental health treatment through the board last year was the highest for a decade, and had been climbing for a decade.

As a sceptical type, I wonder why there was not mass mental crises among children in cities such as these after the suffering in World War 2: Berlin, St Petersburg, Tokyo, Hamburg, London, Coventry, Hiroshima. People in these cities withstood repeated bombing, a siege, fire bombs, mass rape (Berlin), atomic explosions …

According to Wikipedia: “Human models illustrating transgenerational stress effects are limited due to relatively novel exploration of the topic of epigenetics as well as lengthy follow-up intervals required for multi-generational studies.”

Under the heading “epigenetics,” Wikipedia says: “Epigenetics is the study of heritable changes in gene function that do not involve changes in the DNA sequence.”

The Star, in a front-page column that points to the feature inside, says: “Children born after the February 22, 2011 earthquake have inherited trauma from their parents through their DNA, new data shows.”

The data is the increase of referrals for mental health treatment. But since the topic is inherited DNA, the focus should be on mental health of children born in the last seven years.

The Guardian in August 2015 printed a report claiming that Holocaust survivors passed on trauma to the next generation through children’s genes. This drew a response questioning the whole ide of inherited trauma (link below). The response was from Professor Ewan Birney, who, in part, wrote:

“Coined before the discovery of DNA as the source of genetic information, the word ‘epigenetics’ is now used in two ways. Firstly, it can mean the ways in which modification or packaging of DNA results in the transmission of information within a group of cells. This is a well-established, evidence-based theory. However the second usage refers to the ways in which the modification or packaging of DNA might result in the transmission of information from one generation of people to the next, a theory for which there is not currently much evidence and which is therefore not well-established.”

But the Christchurch Star talks of “new data” and experts saying the earthquake experience is “similar to what can happen to children of war veterans”.

https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2015/sep/11/why-im-sceptical-about-the-idea-of-genetically-inherited-trauma-epigenetics
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April 5, 2018 5:54pm
- GazzaW
  
  My dad was a war veteran and the survivor of two complete tours of duty over Europe with Bomber Command in WW2. My mother was bombed out of two homes in the London blitz and as an infant I was rushed on an almost daily basis to the air raid shelter in the back garden during the V1 rocket onslaught. The AA battery in the park over the road added to the chaos. I was brought up in a bomb-devastated post-war London in times of real austerity.
  
  None of these experiences have adversely affected me or my contemporaries and my kids all seem pretty normal to me.
  
  It’s a load of horseshit.
  
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  April 5, 2018 9:05pm
- KevOB
  
  The kids are living in a war zone. The false climate change propaganda is scaring them.
  
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  April 5, 2018 10:49pm
stigie

“or is he only focused on “recreation” these days?”

What Sweet Cheeks and Alf get up to in the bedroom these days Nostra is somewhat too painful to think about !~
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April 5, 2018 5:56pm
- Nostradamus
  
  There’s only so many things you can do with a hairbrush and a non-matching pair of socks, Stigie!
  
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  April 5, 2018 6:01pm
Jack5

China’s new Defence Minister, General Wei Fenghe, has been in Moscow for talks with Russia’s Defence Minister, Sergei Shoigu.

Fenghe said in a statement that the visit showed “the world a high level of development of our bilateral relations and firm determination of our armed forces to strengthen strategic cooperation.”

http://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2140182/chinas-defence-chief-calls-his-moscow-trip-signal-us
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April 5, 2018 6:08pm
Maggy Wassilieff

We pay this guy’s salary.

But we are mushrooms as far as he is concerned.
We are to be kept in the dark and are to be fed chaff & B.S.

National’s Todd Muller asked what repercussions there were for Dr Rowarth following the minister sending the article – but Dr Freeth said he wouldn’t discuss staff matters.

Dr Freeth refused to tell MPs how much Dr Rowarth’s exit package had been.

Dr Freeth also refused to be interviewed after the select committee.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/354231/epa-head-insists-he-did-not-mislead-mps
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April 5, 2018 6:47pm
GazzaW

Having had the luxury of watching the last six Question Time sessions the Government’s tactics are becoming all too obvious as they try to cover up the hard fact that there is a multi-billion dollar hole just as predicted by Steven Joyce. They are going to blame the inevitable blowout on National allegedly neglecting the maintenance of roads, hospital maintenance (Dunedin & Middlemore), leaky schools, Ch’ch earthquake damage, regional development etc etc etc. Every fucken Labour Minister blames the Nat neglect, every patsy question is designed to point to Nat neglect to the point where even Trev has had to intervene.

Labour knows that the tide is heading out at a real rate of knots and Sweet Cheeks’ Budget is not going to help them.

I haven’t experienced such grassroots anger before than I’m hearing with the fuel TAX increases. How long is it since we’ve seen a pro-Government article in the Herald unless it’s to do with Jacinda’s scones?
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April 5, 2018 8:44pm
niggly

The repetitive nodding Noddy says she reprimanded Clare Curran – when was that exactly?

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/national-video/news/video.cfm?c_id=1503075&gal_cid=1503075&gallery_id=191125
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April 5, 2018 9:00pm
- Inandout
  
  With the sound muted she certainly does a lot of nodding, with head bowed, like a member of some slave tribe.
  
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  April 5, 2018 9:48pm
- DigNap15
  
  Its so funny watching her answer the same question in many different ways.
  It beats watching Comedy Central or the Apollo Live!
  She really is a light weight air head.
  Her calling is really that of a kindergarten teacher.
  
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  April 5, 2018 10:14pm
Monique Watson

A man is in a hotel lobby. He wants to ask the clerk a question. As he proceeds to walk towards the front desk, his elbow accidentally hits a woman’s breast. The man tells the lady in a shaky voice, “If your heart is as soft as your breast, you will forgive me.” The lady replies, “If your penis is as hard as your elbow, I’m in room no. 1221.”
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April 5, 2018 11:20pm

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