General Debate 23 July 2019

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Hugh Pavletich

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… HONG KONG …

Why Hong Kong’s angry and disillusioned youth are making their voices heard … Thomas Peter … South China Morning Post

https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3019591/why-hong-kongs-angry-and-disillusioned-youth-are

Young people have been at the forefront of ongoing protests against a proposed extradition bill that have shaken Hong Kong. At the root of the turmoil is concern over what many people see as the inexorable erosion of civil liberties and the city’s auto¬nomy by an ever-meddling central government that refuses to grant full democracy in the former British colony. But many young people in what is one of the world’s most densely populated and expensive cities are also infuriated by sky-high living costs and a feeling that a home of one’s own will never be more than a dream.

Over the past decade, Hong Kong’s residential property prices have skyrocketed by 242 per cent, and for the ninth year in a row, the city’s property market has been rated the world’s most unaffordable.

The average monthly salaryis HK$19,100 for men and HK$14,700 for women. The average monthly rent for a one-bedroom flat in the city centre is HK$16,551. In 2018, average home prices were 20.9 times the gross annual median household income, accor¬ding to the Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey. You could buy a French chateau for what you would pay for your Hong Kong shoebox in the sky.

With figures like these, it is clear that young Hongkongers’ anger will not be easily dispelled. … read more via hyperlink above
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July 23, 2019 8:05am
- KevO'Brien
  
  Are you going to fix the land supply problems of Hong Kong? It’s either bounded by sea or a Frontier Closed Zone.
  
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  July 23, 2019 8:41am
  - UrbanNeocolonialist
    
    There is a massive amount of undeveloped land in Hong Kong – probably about half it’s total area. It’s primarily a land-supply issue created by government.
    
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    July 23, 2019 8:59am
    - Hugh Pavletich
      
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      What is Hong Kong learning from Singapore where the Median Multiple is currently 4.6 ? … refer this tears Demographia Survey http://www.demographia.com/dhi.pdf
      
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      July 23, 2019 9:18am
- seismac
  
  So the all knowledgable minister of KiwiBuild Ms Wood of the PHD in Geography not building —–has postponed the “””New Kiwi Build”” till later in August such was the stuff up and payments needed to pay off the plans all those houses or shed she call houses
  
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  July 23, 2019 4:07pm
cmm

Has the worm turned?

Herald has really been putting in the boot recently, picking the most unflattering pictured they can.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12251828

I’m even feeling sorry for her. Well almost.
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July 23, 2019 8:12am
- slightlyrighty
  
  Political Journalists, as much as we point out their biases, do have the capability to realise that the wheels are falling off. They are, by their very nature, critical.
  
  That being said, they do seem to be filling a void in that National, as opposition, do not seem to be getting the hits in, at least as far as the MSM are concerned.
  
  National could do well to take note of what the MSM is saying, and target their statements accordingly.
  
  Simon Bridges, for all his intellect, is shockingly bad at this. Judith Collins, on the other hand, has this down to a fine art.
  
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  July 23, 2019 8:20am
  - KevO'Brien
    
    The MSM have to turn first before they allow the Nats a voice. The turning comes when the media sense they can make news and feed the public by picking up the change of political direction detected. The COL is now a proven incompetent facing a hard international outlook. The news is in fomenting the turmoil. Prick each side for a story.
    
    Early days yet but the 2929 rout has begun.
    ☑️ ☑️
    
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    July 23, 2019 8:47am
    - Sir Cullen's Sidekick
      
      Dream on bro. According to HDPA’s partner Barry Soap Opera, National is at 38% in a Labour internal poll…No way National will return to power until 2026. By then our economy will be worse than some of the poorest African countries.
      
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      July 23, 2019 9:11am
    - Captain Mainwaring
      
      Yes the 9 is close to the 0 on my keyboard as well.
      
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      July 23, 2019 9:16am
    - stephieboy
      
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      ” The COL is now a proven incompetent..”
      
      According to whom?
      
      KB’s Alt-right?
      
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      July 23, 2019 9:31am
      - Tony Stuart
        
        KB’s Alt-right?
        
        Your imagination is working overtime again stephie. Best you avoid a trip to St Lukes today…
        
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        July 23, 2019 10:09am
      - plc
        
        Obvious troll is obvious
        
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        July 23, 2019 10:29am
    - slightlyrighty
      
      The MSM has been seen as a partner to the left. Strategically, it might make sense for a right of centre opposition party to openly agree with the MSM on areas where they criticise the government, so as to lead the Mainstream Media in the direction the opposition would actually like it to go.
      
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      July 23, 2019 1:44pm
- alloytoo
  
  HDPA has been taking the PM to task lately. (This was also broadcast on Newstalk ZB).
  
  The fact of the matter is that the PM makes herself an easy target. A few commentators have cottoned onto this. Sooner (we hope) or later the MSM is going to figure out that “Blood in the Water” is good copy, and that they wield an extraordinary amount of power over an incompetent government, far more than they ever wielded during the Key/English Era.
  
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  July 23, 2019 8:22am
  - Hugh Pavletich
    
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    WHY IS PM ARDERN TALKING THIS ‘RESET’KIWIBUILD NONSENSE ?
    
    Oddly … Prime Minister Ardern is labelling the housing crisis as ‘market failure’ … as she appears to lose the next election defending the KiwiBuild fiasco …
    
    Jacinda Ardern says Government not giving up on housing despite KiwiBuild not meeting ‘our expectations’ … TVNZ
    
    https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/jacinda-ardern-says-government-not-giving-up-housing-despite-kiwibuild-meeting-our-expectations-v1
    
    … while the May residential building consent figures at 3680 were ahead of Australia at 14,000 when adjusted for population (NZ near 5 mil Aust 25.4 mil) … annualized … NZ 9 units per 1000 pop pa and Australia 7 units per 1000 pop pa (standard industry measure).
    
    Prime Minister Ardern should be thanking and congratulating the private sector … and promising them that Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford will be sorting out land supply / abolishing urban limits and proper debt financing of infrastructure, so they are ALLOWED (clearly political / planning failure) to build affordable homes … as promised …
    
    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
    
    … with the remarkable May building consent figures …
    
    Residential construction shows no sign of slowing down as new consents hit a forty five year high, pushed up by a strong rise in consents for townhouses in Auckland | interest.co.nz
    
    https://www.interest.co.nz/property/100502/residential-construction-shows-no-sign-slowing-down-new-consents-hit-forty-five-year
    
    Why is Prime Minister Ardern hell bent on repeating the mistakes of the British, with the ‘reset’ (needs at least a serious revamp) KiwiBuild lunacy.
    
    Has she seen this BBC documentary classic ? …
    
    Inquiry. The Great British Housing Disaster (Adam Curtis, 1984)
    
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ch5VorymiL4
    
    Why is Prime Minister Ardern getting away with talking this nonsense ?
    
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    July 23, 2019 9:10am
    - alloytoo
      
      The market has only been responding to intervention from government,
      
      Reduce supply, price goes up. That’s the market working.
      
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      July 23, 2019 9:29am
    - Happychappy
      
      Oh Hugh isn’t the Princess listening to you,especially since your so special and know more than anyone else on the planet if people believed what you write. It looks like you will have another PM that doesn’t agree with your self appointed role of the saviour of the worlds housing crisis.
      
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      July 23, 2019 9:31am
    - Hugh Pavletich
      
      PM Ardern … out of her depth ? …
      
      Jacinda Ardern’s awkward TV moment with Australian presenter Lisa Wilkinson – HDPA – NZ Herald
      
      https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12251828
      
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      July 23, 2019 9:46am
      - Captain Mainwaring
        
        Hugh says something sensible and still gets downticked.
        Must be name recognition.
        
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        July 23, 2019 10:15am
    - Tony Stuart
      
      Is Phil Twyford paying you to make him look good Hugh? And is using a third party like you his way of getting revenge on Jacinda Ardern for sacking him from the Housing portfolio?
      
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      July 23, 2019 9:53am
      - Hugh Pavletich
        
        Tony Stuart … Your comment is certainly amusing.
        
        PM Ardern was clear that Twyford was doing an ‘outstanding job’ … but that a fresh set of eyes is required for KiwiBuild … giving Megan Woods that responsibility.
        
        This allows Twyford to focus on land supply / abolition of urban limits and the proper debt financing of infrastructure.
        
        Interest Co NZ discussed the reshuffle soon after …
        
        With Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford set to continue leading key housing-related law changes, Jenée Tibshraeny argues he shouldn’t be written off as an architect of the Government’s broader housing policy … Interest Co NZ
        
        https://www.interest.co.nz/opinion/100460/urban-development-minister-phil-twyford-set-continue-leading-key-housing-related-law
        
        PM Ardern has made it clear this is the year of delivery.
        
        I should think so after 15 years of yap !
        
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        July 23, 2019 10:12am
      - White Anglo Saxon Protestant
        
        Please… Ardern only delivers:
        Hugz©
        Feelz©
        Recalibration™
        
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        July 23, 2019 10:43am
    - Bell-47
      
      First time for an uptick from me Hugh, well said. BTW, it’s not unusual for people who talk nonsense to be ignored. The conservatives amongst us are not like the rabid, frothing left. We prefer to exact our revenge quietly, at the polls.
      
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      July 23, 2019 10:54am
      - mikenmildagain
        
        Cuts both ways, doesn’t it? Seems to me that there is no shortage of ‘rabid, frothing’ conservatives to ‘balance’ the moonbats. Is there an increased fracturing of public discourse in recent years?
        
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        July 23, 2019 11:09am
    - Hugh Pavletich
      
      NEW ZEALAND HOUSING: The Kiwibuild circus continues distracting government from real structural issues …
      
      Government pushes out the unveiling of the KiwiBuild reset until late August – NZ Herald
      
      https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12251969
      
      The Government’s new head Housing Minister, Megan Woods, will present the much anticipated KiwiBuild reset plan to Cabinet in late August. …
      
      … Woods this morning confirmed that the Government would unveil changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) tomorrow. … read more via hyperlink above …
      
      … Pavletich comment on Kiwiblog thread …
      
      Posted at … https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2019/07/general_debate_23_july_2019.html/comment-page-1#comment-2525990
      
      WHY IS PM ARDERN TALKING THIS ‘RESET’ KIWIBUILD NONSENSE ?
      
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      July 23, 2019 1:26pm
- krazykiwi
  
  Yes. Ouch:
  
  Truth is, we shouldn’t be surprised. What are the Prime Minister’s qualifications for this job? A communications degree and the ability to hold a press conference?
  
  This is a Prime Minister who won the job by saying the right thing. She didn’t do the right thing, she didn’t actually do very much in the nine years she was an opposition MP.
  
  Plucked from relative obscurity and thrust into a role for which she has (and to be fair 99% of NZers have) insufficient skills. Her puppetmistress must be disappointed.
  
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  July 23, 2019 8:27am
  - MrLovebucket
    
    Lipstick on a Pig
    
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    July 23, 2019 9:40am
- Nostradamus
  
  Cmm:
  
  Not just NZ media.
  
  The ABC probably won’t be asked to publish another photo of the People’s Princess anytime soon!
  
  And, halfway down on this news.com.au page, the photo that accompanies the caption “Jacinda Ardern appears to squirm under the heat on The Sunday Project” is about as unflattering as you can get!
  
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  July 23, 2019 8:29am
  - Nigel Kearney
    
    I assume that last one is the face she makes when asked a tough question by a journalist. In New Zealand we don’t get to see that face.
    
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    July 23, 2019 9:00am
    - alloytoo
      
      If Hosking were a TV show on Tuesday morning…..
      
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      July 23, 2019 9:04am
  - Swifty
    
    Good grief.
    
    Still, she can only blame herself. If you offer up those sorts of facial expressions for recording someone’s bound to use them.
    
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    July 23, 2019 9:03am
    - White Anglo Saxon Protestant
      
      #BComns(Hons)
      
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      July 23, 2019 9:40am
  - srylands
    
    I just cannot fathom why anyone thinks the Australian policy is draconian. Deporting criminals and gang members seems perfectly sensible. It will never change because the Australian people overwhelming support it.
    
    I’d like to see the Australians make the point clear by tightening the policy further.
    
    Sometimes it is best to stay quiet.
    
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    July 23, 2019 9:08am
  - Sir Cullen's Sidekick
    
    I just threw up….
    
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    July 23, 2019 9:13am
    - stephieboy
      
      Noastradamus,
      
      ” asked” ??
      
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      July 23, 2019 9:29am
    - stephieboy
      
      Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
      “I just threw up….”
      
      Over your eggs bene and bacon?
      
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      July 23, 2019 9:30am
  - Fletch
    
    The portrait on the silo over there will need a few rocks thrown at it to make it more accurate….
    
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    July 23, 2019 9:20am
- Tall Man
  
  I did post a reply but it was moderated out of existence again. Not sure why apart from the fact that I was, as usual, unflattering about the “princess”…
  
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  July 23, 2019 8:54am
- wreck1080
  
  I don’t feel sorry at all. She goes over to aussie, where the journalists are more inclined to say things as they are rather than sticking to the PC view.
  
  I enjoyed those 2 women reporters giving their scathing views on Jacinda. Socialist state of victoria, Ha.
  
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  July 23, 2019 9:36am
  - Scooter
    
    Looks like the Aussie trip wasn’t quite the perfect PR jaunt she is used to.
    
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    July 23, 2019 6:24pm
- hullkiwi
  
  cmm, that photo reminds me of the Oscar Wilde novel, the Portrait of Dorian Grey.
  
  In Jacinda’s case she has made a pact where we the sheeple are meant to only see sweetness and light – this is achieved by ensuring all cameras with nano second freeze frame have been banished. But unfortunately for Jacinda, there is always one photographer who has not signed up to the pact – which is Jacinda is jaw droppingly ug** the more lies she utters and this photographer with nano second freeze frame got the shot of how JA looks when confronted with having to *** yet again (TM can fill in the gaps).
  
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  July 23, 2019 9:50am
- Martin Williams
  
  What a pathetic article. Very very brief, no analysis, and to top it off, wrong. Almost as if Duplicity-Allen had a big weekend and panicked when the deadline loomed.
  
  Fact is, the interviewer from The Project, a well known anti-conservative show, wanted to put the boot into to Morrison by having JA agree that he was the architect of the policy.
  
  He’s not the architect of the policy, just the manager of it. JA immediately recognised the trap and avoided it. That’s called expert diplomacy.
  
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  July 23, 2019 2:25pm
  - hullkiwi
    
    Martin, what are you? An out of your depth troll for the Labour Social Media team?
    
    HDPA got her information from the Australian press and they all had a go at squirming/awkward Jacinda.
    
    You should stick to being a cheerleader in Prentice’s echo chamber.
    
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    July 23, 2019 5:40pm
G152

Fake news poll out.
Why and what are they hiding?
Seem to recall Hillary was 95% + polling to be the US President…
How did that turn out ???????
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July 23, 2019 8:14am
- Sir Cullen's Sidekick
  
  That is a true poll bro. Sheeple like this government. Let the government ruin this country.
  
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  July 23, 2019 9:14am
alloytoo

So yesterday we were told that you wouldn’t qualify for a gun licence in New Zealand unless you were a Citizen, today (on Hosking) we are told that you won’t get a gun licence if you’re here on a visitor’s Visa (Not sure about the previous process, but the lack of fixed abode, may have made the police cautious about such folk.)

It’s worth pointing out that Australians don’t arrive here on visitors visas. So this change would have done absolutely ZERO to prevent Tarrant (or whatever his name is) from doing what he did.
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July 23, 2019 8:15am
- igm
  
  If anyone wants a firearm there is no way any stupid bureaucratic left-wing law is going to stop them. This is a charade to appease useless losers that support this CoL.
  
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  July 23, 2019 8:36am
  - MCos
    
    That’s what people do with cars. Let’s scrap car registrations.
    
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    July 23, 2019 8:57am
  - stephieboy
    
    igm, which ACT and National will abolish?
    
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    July 23, 2019 9:33am
- sooty
  
  So what happens for tourist here for a hunting trip? Are they allowed to use a NZ legal liecenced shooters guns?
  
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  July 23, 2019 8:46am
  - alloytoo
    
    To Paraphrase the minister : “They can bring their own with them.”
    
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    July 23, 2019 9:05am
  - Sir Cullen's Sidekick
    
    Next move from CoL is to stop tourists from coming here to protect our pristine forests and beaches.
    
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    July 23, 2019 9:15am
    - stephieboy
      
      Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
      Sir Cullen’s Sidekick,
      
      ZZZZZZzzzzzzz..
      
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      July 23, 2019 9:34am
    - rangitoto
      
      Due to the climate emergency, all airports will be closed.
      
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      July 23, 2019 2:35pm
- MCos
  
  My understanding is that visitors won’t be able to buy guns.
  Presumably a visitor can get a license and rent/borrow a gun.
  
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  July 23, 2019 8:54am
- Fletch
  
  The whole gun “buyback’ and registration thing reeks of being fascistic to me. We tried registration in NZ a few years back and it didn’t work. Now we’re going to throw good money after bad….
  
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  July 23, 2019 9:22am
  - Sacha
    
    If at first you don’t succeed . . . . . . . try, try, and try again.
    
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    July 23, 2019 10:09am
  - mark15
    
    Like socialism,it was the wrong kind of registration.
    
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    July 23, 2019 12:26pm
  - freethinker
    
    Didn’t work in Canada, problems in Aus but Jacinda says its different in NZ until it isn’t.
    
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    July 23, 2019 12:59pm
  - Paulus
    
    It is part of the Nobel Peace Prize assessment !
    
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    July 23, 2019 1:41pm
    - alloytoo
      
      Now I don’t normally agree with Australians (On Principle) but….
      
      https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/national/aussie-commentators-say-ardern-doesnt-deserve-nobel-peace-prize/ar-AAEJ4I6?ocid=spartanntp
      
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      July 23, 2019 2:07pm
      - hullkiwi
        
        Ouch!!! Now where is Martin William’s?
        
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        July 23, 2019 5:44pm
      - Martin Williams
        
        Why do you hate New Zealand so much? Is it because, like a lot of other commenters here, you aren’t actually a real Kiwi?
        
        Why would you not want our Prime Minister to win a Nobel Peace Prize?
        
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        July 23, 2019 6:29pm
      - Captain Mainwaring
        
        “Why would you not want our Prime Minister to win a Nobel Peace Prize?”
        Because she’s a virtue-signalling lightweight who is out of her depth in the job for which she was selected by a vindictive old coot.
        
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        July 23, 2019 8:10pm
- wreck1080
  
  Enjoyed watching all those law abiding sheep handing in their weapons.
  
  Didn’t see many gang members lining up though.
  
  Thats what I was saying to my kids, the law changes are stupid because it is the criminals that are causing the problems but they are not handing in their guns.
  
  Knee jerk reaction .
  
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  July 23, 2019 9:39am
- The King
  
  Communists take over Government and request everyone hand their guns in, this is literally the entire 20th history where 100 million people died because of it.
  
  The level of cognitive dissonance happening right now is off the charts.
  
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  July 24, 2019 8:03pm
Happychappy

A decision to whether to review OIA Laws has quietly been pushed back. Andrew Little had previously argued that a overhaul of the Offical Information Act might not be needed as the Government is much more “OPEN” than previoushttps://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/114411080/decision-on-official-information-review-stalled administrations. Can anyone point out any other s Government that has had a Speaker that continually covers up for the Leadership of the Coalition when OIA starts to hurt those that the questions about.
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July 23, 2019 8:17am
- Happychappy
  
  This was supposed to be what should have come up on previous post.
  https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/114411080/decision-on-official-information-review-stalled
  
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  July 23, 2019 8:30am
- KevO'Brien
  
  To give Mr Speaker Mallard some credit he did restrict some Labour’s speaking rights until they dealt with the backlog of unanswered written questions. Otherwise he can appear not to be impartial.
  
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  July 23, 2019 9:01am
  - Tall Man
    
    And have those outstanding questions been answered or just “addressed”.
    
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    July 23, 2019 9:13am
hullkiwi

We have a clueless PM. I heard her this morning on RNZ talking about a gun registry. She was quizzed about the cost and the example of Canada was cited (the Canadian database has gone from an initial estimate of C$2m to over C$2bn (a 1000x increase). Ardern blamed technology, and that Canada has multiple jurisdictions. She was talking cobblers changing technology may increase cost, but not a 1000x. Canada does have multiple jurisdictions, but the Canadian gun database is the responsibility of the Canadian Federal Police, the RCMP.

Now what is concerning is that the CoL’s initial estimate is NZ$50m for a database. Ardern claims it will be simpler, but the truth is she doesn’t have a clue because there isn’t even a specification for the database.

Equally of concern, was her liberal use of misinformation about current licencing arrangements and the future. She claimed that future licencing will involve inspection of homes to ensure security of guns in homes because many guns are stolen and end up in the black market. Once again what cobblers. Currently, if the cops are doing their job, you are interviewed at home and your gun storage arrangements are inspected before you get a licence.

Ardern and her mouth are irresponsible.
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July 23, 2019 8:19am
- Captain Mainwaring
  
  Can anyone report on how she got on against Hosking this morning?
  As soon as she came on I had an irresistible urge to go back to sleep.
  Not the first time this has happened.
  
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  July 23, 2019 8:36am
- Tall Man
  
  “Ardern and her mouth are irresponsible.”
  
  Again, a polite way to call her a liar. Stating something as a “fact” when you don’t have a clue is a “lie”.
  
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  July 23, 2019 8:41am
  - hullkiwi
    
    TM, needless to say, I was thinking of you and your straight talking when I wrote that.
    
    True story. A few weeks ago, I was at a National Partg function and the issue of the gun bans came up. The two MPs made it clear that the select committee process chaired by Michael Wood was a farce. It was the wrong committee for a start and it was comprised by a whole lot of CoL woman from urban centres. None of whom knew anything about the subject matter they were taking evidence on. What was made worse was the evidence presented by the police, which was also biased and misleading.
    
    And somehow we are meant to have trust in these institutions?
    
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    July 23, 2019 9:29am
  - stephieboy
    
    Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
    Tall Man, Jacinda has nothing on this fellla,
    
    https://www.politifact.com/personalities/donald-trump/statements/byruling/false/
    
    BTW love this one among a thousand l
    
    DONALD TRUMP
    
    “The Obama administration was begging for a meeting” with Kim Jong Un.
    
    False!
    
    Obama set high bar for meetings
    
    1 36
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    July 23, 2019 9:37am
    - All_on_Red
      
      During an Obama v. Hillary Clinton primary debate in July 2007 this occurred;
      In Monday’s debate from Charleston, S.C., Obama was asked by a questioner via YouTube if he would be willing to meet without precondition in the first year of his presidency with the leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea.
      
      “I would,” he responded.
      
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      July 23, 2019 10:40am
      - stephieboy
        
        All on Red, source, please?
        
        0 10
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        July 23, 2019 2:25pm
      - All_on_Red
        
        Sure
        Barrack Obama during the Obama v. Hillary Clinton primary debate in July 2007
        LOL!
        
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        July 23, 2019 3:30pm
- oldgolfer
  
  She hasn’t got a clue.
  It’s now fairly tough to get a licence.
  You can guarantee the costs of getting and keeping a licence will go through the roof.
  Note she played the old trick of comparing the current cost with the cost of dog registration – a sure sign that gun licence costs will soar.
  She also mentioned cost recovery, and it will be expensive to run and maintain a gun registry.
  
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  July 23, 2019 8:42am
  - stephieboy
    
    Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
    oldgolfer,
    
    “..and it will be expensive to run and maintain a gun registry.”??
    
    Which if true the taxpayer will be more than happy to pay!
    
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    July 23, 2019 9:42am
    - freethinker
      
      Ask the actual net Taxpayers before claiming to know their thoughts.
      
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      July 23, 2019 1:11pm
  - wreck1080
    
    I had a lifetime firearms license, but that was cancelled when they moved to the new system around 20 years ago or so.
    
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    July 23, 2019 9:43am
    - Tall Man
      
      Before that I think. I was also a licensed owner back then but it was the firearm that was registered and the police wanted it gone as it was an administrative nightmare. The new register will be no different.
      
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      July 23, 2019 10:13am
      - sooty
        
        Wreck, I had a lifetime drivers liecence too!
        
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        July 23, 2019 3:21pm
- Ross12
  
  Do not forget the PM should have a reasonable background on gun law/ registration. She chaired the committee in late 2017 that changed the gun licence application process so you could do it online, which I presume is being changed again.
  
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  July 23, 2019 8:59am
- Sir Cullen's Sidekick
  
  She is planning to have a Excel spreadsheet in Clark’s laptop.
  
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  July 23, 2019 9:18am
  - hullkiwi
    
    Which Clark? H1 or Gaylord?
    
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    July 23, 2019 9:31am
    - Sir Cullen's Sidekick
      
      Lord of the Gays.
      
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      July 23, 2019 10:53am
- wreck1080
  
  I can build a database for 1 million dollars, with appropriate security, training , and maybe 100k a year maintenance agreement.
  
  Look , just saved jacinda 49 million dollars, and I’m still ripping her off.
  
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  July 23, 2019 9:42am
  - hullkiwi
    
    Wreck, yes I could too. And with my brother we could use web based software etc.
    
    But it all comes down to what the bureaucrats specify, and if history tells us anything, given the opportunity they will not be able to constrain themselves and the system will be a “runaway failure”.
    
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    July 23, 2019 10:38am
  - KevO'Brien
    
    The PM’s numbers are way off the mark or the Govt is just accepting rip offs.
    
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    July 23, 2019 6:18pm
Happychappy

Apparently a UMR internal Poll has National on 38%, Labour 42%, Greens 9% and NZ First above the 5% threshold.
So tonight’s other polls should be interesting with the media suggesting Simon Bridges is about to be rolled.
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July 23, 2019 8:22am
- Captain Mainwaring
  
  UMR (paid for by Labour) cherrypicks the lefty fanbase.
  Always has, always will.
  
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  July 23, 2019 8:37am
- Tony Stuart
  
  UMR is Labour’s official pollster. Their results are generally flattering towards Labour, so the fact they have the Red Team at 42% is significant.
  
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  July 23, 2019 8:39am
  - Tall Man
    
    Blue team?
    
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    July 23, 2019 8:42am
    - Tony Stuart
      
      Labour “insiders” have been boasting for months that UMR had National in the 30’s, but none of the “neutral” pollsters reflect that.
      
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      July 23, 2019 8:51am
- Ross12
  
  Cannot believe the Greens are on 9%.
  
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  July 23, 2019 9:03am
  - Tall Man
    
    “Free cannabis” perhaps.
    
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    July 23, 2019 9:10am
- Sir Cullen's Sidekick
  
  Are there polls scheduled for tonight?? One news and TV3?
  
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  July 23, 2019 9:19am
  - mikenmildagain
    
    We don’t have a very good frequency of public polls in New Zealand. Too expensive. Not like the US, for example, where there are multiple polls results released daily.
    
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    July 23, 2019 9:51am
- Wangas Feral
  
  Does anyone seriously believe that National has bled support to Greens and NZ First?
  
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  July 23, 2019 9:30am
- hullkiwi
  
  One question arising from the fact the numbers don’t add up. There is 4% missing – is that “don’t know/don’t care” or have ACT had a massive resurgence?
  
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  July 23, 2019 10:40am
- alwyn
  
  Have you actually seen this poll, and every other poll that UMR has run lately?
  Or you happily accepting the word of some Labour Party flunky who has omitted to tell you the real results?
  I could probably make a statement that a poll shows that Labour and National are both down to 11% and that ACT are on 75%. I would just omit to mention that the poll was done by calling all the ACT party members.
  
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  July 23, 2019 12:24pm
MrsAnnie

Labour has released its fake news internal polling and running attack ads against National. My guess is thats because the worm has indeed turned. Polls out this weekend perhaps?
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July 23, 2019 8:24am
- Tony Stuart
  
  Yep; Parliament has been in recess for the last few weeks, but resumes this afternoon. National has plenty of fertile ground to sow seeds of discontent in the coalition, starting with a tanking economy, and business confidence at low levels not seen since the last Labour government.
  
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  July 23, 2019 8:41am
  - Komata
    
    Tony S@0841
    
    Re: ‘National has plenty of fertile ground to sow seeds of discontent in the coalition, starting with a tanking economy, and business confidence at low levels not seen since the last Labour government’.
    
    BUT WILL THEY USE IT?
    
    Or will it be more of what has gone before?
    
    One hopes not, but based on past behaviour…
    
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    July 23, 2019 10:42am
    - Tony Stuart
      
      They’ll sow the seeds alright. The issue is whether the media allows them to germinate.
      
      Like it or not, the Opposition needs the media to report what they are saying and doing, but at the moment, the media in general is still in love with Jacinda (although one or two have been jilted), and the overwhelming majority of media comment is driven by the government. That’s just one reason why being in opposition sucks!
      
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      July 23, 2019 11:35am
- UrbanNeocolonialist
  
  Labour frequently try and push poll numbers during independent media polling – try and convince population that they are higher than they really are. But their released ‘internal polls’ get revealed to be utter bollocks compared to independent polling again and again. They are forever lying and anyone who follows this stuff (media included) knows this.
  
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  July 23, 2019 9:06am
Maggie Pie

My partner has always been a gun collector and keen hunter.
Ever since we first met we’ve had ducks and deers packing our freezer.
He retweets:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EAEGFEpVAAEh98Y?format=jpg&name=medium
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July 23, 2019 9:05am
- Tall Man
  
  Hey Maggie, as you are on the “twittersphere”, how about you post something for your US mates to see regarding the MAGA make ardern go away cap and see if you can get it rolling around over there.
  
  It would be interesting to see if any media outside NZ pich it up as the media here, apart from Magic, are definitely too scared to go there.
  
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  July 23, 2019 10:16am
  - Maggie Pie
    
    YEP – my partner said he would get it sorted.
    His followers are a bit more ‘xtreme’ than mine 🙂
    
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    July 23, 2019 12:26pm
- stephieboy
  
  Maggie Pie, oh sure! Your hubby also takes around with him a Brenton Tarrance arsenal of weaponry?
  
  https://www.news.com.au/world/pacific/how-the-christchurch-shooter-obtained-powerful-militarystyle-weapons/news-story/eaeec3112cefe61cf995397e1565304a
  
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  July 23, 2019 2:29pm
  - All_on_Red
    
    ‘Brenton Tarrance arsenal’!
    You’re the arse Stephie.
    
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    July 23, 2019 3:27pm
Tony Stuart

As predicted, the Guinness was indeed flowing for Shane Lowry following his Open Championship win, and so it should have been; he was magnificent, t’be sure!

https://twitter.com/torrancesam/status/1153343170853376001
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July 23, 2019 9:14am
Ross12

I hope Greenpeace gets dragged into Court again for this farce of climbing up the Majestic Tower in Wellington this morning.
If not, we will know the Police HO are as politicised as some think.
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July 23, 2019 9:18am
- MickMac
  
  Ross
  They are, the hierarchy.
  I suppose in a small country, you have to swim in the politics to get the nod.
  Mike Bush is the Labour govts bagman.
  
  I don’t know how far the PC brigade have infiltrated the ordinary NZPolice (so many millenials in there now).
  
  All the cops I know are late 30’s+ and none of them are woke or that liberal.
  
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  July 23, 2019 9:30am
- Tony Stuart
  
  I hope that the chap climbing Majestic Tower is only wearing clothes and using equipment made of hemp. If there were any petroleum products involved (including the cellphones his mates on the ground are using to alert the media), wouldn’t that be rather hypocritical?
  
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  July 23, 2019 9:56am
  - mikenmildagain
    
    Concern noted.
    
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    July 23, 2019 10:13am
    - Tall Man
      
      Hypocrisy don’t you mean?
      
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      July 23, 2019 2:23pm
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  I notice the spokesman for the Greenpeace climbers and Oil-free Wellington is James Barber
  http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK1907/S00429/oil-drilling-company-omv-not-welcome-in-aotearoa.htm
  
  …. the chap who wanted to marry Winston Peters.
  http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/8561423/Man-seeks-Winston-Peters-hand-in-marriage
  
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  July 23, 2019 10:10am
Swifty

What happens if this person ignores the ASA’s ruling – does it have any enforcement powers does anyone know?

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12251825

If he wants to expend his time and cash producing and delivering pamphlets to push something he’s passionate about then good on him as far as I’m concerned.

BTW – I see nothing ‘offensive’ in what he’s written, controversial yes, but not ‘offensive’. I see nothing but someone expressing their political views. And even if someone was ‘offended’ – then so what?

I thought this was a free society. Under this mob it seems not for much longer.
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July 23, 2019 9:19am
- Tall Man
  
  “Freedom of speech” is only for those that support “ardernisms”…..
  
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  July 23, 2019 9:27am
- freethinker
  
  Once you remove a persons freedoms you actually create a totally free person, possibly why this bunch of clowns wants to restrict Guns realizing that a truly free person has nothing to lose and may choose to express displeasure with an AR15.
  
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  July 23, 2019 8:02pm
Happychappy

A good read from a former Winston Peter’s insider,”A Kiwi Dream and a Man out of time.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2019/07/23/694269/man-out-of-time-winston-peters-and-the-kiwi-dream.
Will he survive this time or will the Voter wake up.
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July 23, 2019 9:21am
- brett68
  
  Wake up to what?
  Do you honestly believe the hardcore NZ First voter is going to vote National?
  National with it’s open door, everyone come in approach to immigration or sell everything that isn’t bolted down to whoever turns up with the most cash?
  
  They’re probably rather disillusioned with their party but compared to the other options, NZ First is still streets ahead.
  
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  July 23, 2019 9:53am
  - Tall Man
    
    You know the old saying brett, “a fool is better to keep quiet…..”
    
    Well, obviously you don’t.
    
    Mr 10,000 migrants and miss 30,000 migrants have excelled themselves and we have 105,000 newbies to contend with.
    
    How’s that playing out in the anti immigration camp?
    
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    July 23, 2019 10:19am
    - brett68
      
      Old fella.
      Unless National changes it’s stance around immigration and foreign investment especially in residential housing, they’re going the way of the way of the dodo.
      
      BTW I’m more concerned with the 1.2 million student visas that were issued during Nationals time at the trough, many many of those students are now NZ residents.
      
      National was running a mass immigration by stealth policy and fuck the consequences.
      
      Because of that and the impact it’s had on people, especially younger people around living and housing costs, the younger generations now hate National with a passion.
      
      Currently National support is held up by boomers and probably the first half of generation x after that the majority are voting left, Every year that rolls on
      more boomers die off and the pendulum swings more in favor of the left.
      
      National has cut it’s own throat.
      
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      July 23, 2019 10:43am
      - Lance
        
        Wait till the money runs out.
        The young people might think they have high ideals but they love their lifestyles more.
        
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        July 23, 2019 12:18pm
      - MrsAnnie
        
        Every year more generation x come over to National. As Winston Churchill said, if your not a liberal at 20 you have no heart, if your still a liberal at 40 you have no brain. The older people get, the more to the right they drift. Labour and the Greens are like Santa Claus- we all want to believe the story but then we grow up and realise its all a fantasy. Its easy to find a 7 year old who believes in Santa, but tough to find a 40 year old.
        
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        July 23, 2019 12:56pm
      - Tall Man
        
        Who’d have thought you’d be anti National…. Amazing!
        
        Did you get a couple of ardern selfies or are you just supporting the coalition out of the goodness of our pockets……..
        
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        July 23, 2019 1:28pm
    - gravedodger
      
      Just fine for Winston First die hards how will they ever find out what is actually happening?
      Not from Mr “keep National Honest”,
      Not from any of the Sycophants delivered by Mr 7%.
      Not from the leader of the most open and transparent administration ever,
      Not from Jimmy Shaw, and even if Simon Bridges climbed the outside of the Beehive with a banner he would be arrested for affray and the “in a trance” MSM would still ignore the immigration figures.
      
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      July 23, 2019 1:21pm
  - Happychappy
    
    Are you finally admitting you voted NZ First. By the way isn’t it exactly the same as you describe Nationals Immigration policy what NZ First and the Coalition are doing now.
    
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    July 23, 2019 10:55am
    - brett68
      
      No I voted National
      Have voted National ever since I started voting.
      
      Lets just say, I’m now rather disillusioned with Politicians, Political party’s and our political system.
      
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      July 23, 2019 11:42am
      - mikenmildagain
        
        Voting choices can often boil down to a lesser of many evils.
        
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        July 23, 2019 1:37pm
Kabull

The push-back against climate change nonsense seems to be gathering pace. An article published recently by The Institute for Energy Research includes the following very sensible observation:

One study looked at the increase in mortality in a cold, northern US city during a particularly brutal summer, and then extrapolated to show a staggering number of excess heat deaths decades down the road, when such “bad summers” were more common. Yet in the projections, the northern cities were no hotter than southern US cities are right now, and yes these southern cities don’t have nearly the same heat death rate as is projected for the northern cities decades down the road.

What is happening here should be obvious after a moment’s reflection: A northern city like Philadelphia is not adapted to hot summer the way Houston or Las Vegas is. But if climate change did indeed make such temperatures the norm—over the course of several decades —then the residents of the northern cities would adapt. The most alarming of the projections of climate change damages rely on naïve assumptions about human adaptability. They would install more air conditioning, and the people born in the year (say) 2080 would be much better able physically to cope with higher temperatures in 2100 than the people alive today.

The author concludes that

The most alarming of the projections of climate change damages rely on naïve assumptions about human adaptability. Even if we stipulate the basic projections made in the most recent IPCC assessment, what “unchecked” climate change will probably mean is that our great-grandkids will see a smaller increase in their standard of living than they otherwise would have, if some of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere could have been costlessly removed. Such a possible outcome is no reason to panic, and it doesn’t justify massive government intervention in the energy or transportation sectors.
(The article is here: https://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/climate-change/scaring-the-public-on-climate-change/)

I listened to part of Ryan Bridge’s session on Magic Talk yesterday afternoon. He opined that we are dealing with a cult that has become like a religion, and that no-one is allowed to challenge the gospel given us by our betters. It was interesting that, while Peter and Sean have had some very intelligent callers on this subject over the past week, Ryan’s callers all seemed to be fanatics with very ‘way out’ views. He asked callers if they had knowledge or qualifications through which they could prove that climate change was real. Most said, fervently, that they had studied climate science from the internet and there were many reports and articles backing their position. None accepted that they were listening to only one side of the story, and that there were opposing positions expressed by reputable scientists.

This is one of the biggest problems in this debate – the Internet allows people to select only the views they want to listen to and to shut out contrary opinions. The fear being fed to the masses will not be suppressed until there is a strong stance taken by a government or the IPCC is shown to be manipulating the evidence. (And yes, I realise I too rely heavily on ‘selective’ internet information – but I hope I am mature enough to challenge that which conflicts with 70-odd years of learning.)
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July 23, 2019 9:21am
- stephieboy
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  kabull, pray tell us who funds the
  Institute of Energy Research ?
  
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  July 23, 2019 9:45am
  - mikenmildagain
    
    Freedom loving American oil companies?
    
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    July 23, 2019 10:13am
    - Kabull
      
      Stephie, Mike – and who funds the IPCC and the plethora of researchers, scientists, etc who pedal the myth? Why, taxpayers, of course. So whats the issue with private sector funding of institutions like IER? Do you not think that public funded organisations need to keep producing ‘output’ that meet the needs of those to whom they report if they want to keep their noses in the trough?
      
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      July 23, 2019 11:04am
      - Albert_Ross
        
        Yes, taxpayers, through Governments.
        
        Here’s the more interesting question, though. Why?
        
        Governments clearly don’t actually want to do anything serious about climate change, as is apparent from the fact that none of them has. So why are they expending so much resource to persuade scientists to perjure themselves and produce analysis that Governments don’t want and advice that they won’t follow?
        
        It’s all to gain power, you cry. But how does that follow? How do politicians gain power by making scientists tell voters that there’s a problem, imposing unpopular policies to address it, then making scientists say that it’s still not enough – when actually there isn’t any such problem and the Government could much more easily buy votes by instead spending the money and resource on something that voters actually want?
        
        And why are opposition parties going along with all this?
        
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        July 23, 2019 12:23pm
      - Tall Man
        
        Typical lazy loony lefties.
        
        All they want from us is our taxes. Our opinions are irrelevant because “the lies” have already been told…. You figure out by whom……
        
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        July 23, 2019 1:30pm
      - mikenmildagain
        
        Your mistake is imagining that a vast conspiracy of governments, the UN, and thousands of scientists are deliberately lying for money and power.
        If you believe thing like the ‘concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive’, then you might also be prepared to believe that 9/11 was an inside job, the moon landings were faked, chiropractors provide medical treatment, and vaccines casue autism.
        
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        July 23, 2019 1:44pm
Sir Cullen's Sidekick

According to Labour internal poll CoL is 42% +9% + 5% = 56%……Long live Sheeple of this country. Get ready to be crushed with more taxes.
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July 23, 2019 9:22am
- Tall Man
  
  As Paula said… ” I don’t believe the numbers”.
  
  Remember the “silent Australian majority”.
  
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  July 23, 2019 1:31pm
lastmanstanding

I was reading an interesting piece in the NBR comparing 2 retailers The Warehouse ( a woke company) and Briscoes ( a non woke company.

Over the past 4 years The Warehouse profits have plunged and the share has halved from $4 to $2.

Briscoe profits and share price has steadily increased.

Im an old fashioned investor. I believe Directors CEOs and senior management should concentrate all their efforts on legally maximising returns to shareholders whilst paying the tax due on the profits.

They should leave it up to the Government to do the social welfare stuff.

Be wary of companies whose Annual Reports are full of CSR ( corporate social responsibility) ESR ( environmental social responsibility) sustainability and community projects.

The financials will be buried on page 142 in 4 point.

Disclosure I hold Briscoe but not The Warehouse shares.
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July 23, 2019 9:23am
- Captain Mainwaring
  
  lastman I think you will find that Tindall is a lefty and Duke is not.
  That would explain your rationale.
  
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  July 23, 2019 9:32am
  - Fletch
    
    I don’t think Tindall has had much to do with it for the last few years has he?
    
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    July 23, 2019 9:38am
  - lastmanstanding
    
    Agree however Steve Tindall hasnt had a day to day role in the company for a number of years and his son Robbie is his alternate on the Board whilst Steve concentrates on the Americas Cup.
    
    The problem is that Directors and CEOs with a leftist bent have been appointed and allowed to take control of the company and rather than concentrate on making money for the investors spend their time thinking up the next green programme.
    
    All at the cost of the small investor.
    
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    July 23, 2019 9:57am
    - Tony Stuart
      
      Quite so lastmanstanding – isn’t The Warehouse at the forefront of the Living Wage movement?
      
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      July 23, 2019 10:18am
      - Fletch
        
        They also give trans workers ‘sick days’ off for their, er, operations….
        
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        July 23, 2019 11:42am
- wreck1080
  
  Many smaller companies are nibbling into the warehouse profit lines.. now with the opening of some global retailers it will only hurt the warehouse further.
  
  Briscoes will not be immune either.
  
  I mostly stopped using the warehouse when they banned plastic bags. The last time I stepped into one was before christmas, looking at kayaks. But didn’t buy.
  
  Although, I did have a warehouse money card, on very rare occasions the warehouse offers a magnificent deal on a good quality product. But, warehouse money started charging a $50 annual fee so cancelled the card. After cancelling, they rescinded the $50 fee (saying it was a mistake but methinks they lost 99% of their customers), but too late, morons.
  
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  July 23, 2019 9:51am
- srylands
  
  And everything at Briscoes is always at discounted prices 🙂
  
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  July 23, 2019 3:20pm
Tony Stuart

Outstanding column by Liam Hehir on Stuff about the “Year of Delivery” and growing benefit numbers. Well worth a read in its entirety, but it begins thus:

This was going to be the Government’s “year of delivery”. If you had ordered a pizza, instead of a transformed society, you would be asking for your money back by now.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/114408738/past-taunts-from-opposition-come-home-to-roost-for-the-government

Ardern has quickly discovered that Opposition rhetoric is far harder to translate into Government policy. Thus far, in NCEA terms, it’s a big “not achieved”.
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July 23, 2019 9:31am
- wreck1080
  
  Get the guys who designed lime scooters to redesign government policies and operations haha.
  
  Those scooters are brilliant, and so easy. Brilliant people making government interactions easy. Ha ha. Get rid of the drab people.
  
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  July 23, 2019 9:53am
- Nostradamus
  
  Tony Stuart:
  
  I was reading Jacinda’s why does good government matter? speech. She ends her speech by saying:
  
  Times may be challenging but I absolutely believe politics can be a place for change, disruption, and a force for good. Good government need not be an oxymoron.
  
  Jacinda is right: times are challenging. Some examples of bad government under her watch:
  
  – Phil Twyford (housing)
  – Andrew Little (announced a catch-and-release policy to reduce prison numbers)
  – Iain Lees-Galloway (mismanaged Karel Sroubek’s residency application)
  – Claire Curran (um, ah, Café Astoria, er…)
  – Meka Whaitiri (known as Mega Fightery for allegedly assaulting a staff member)
  
  We can talk about the oil and gas industry. Or the alleged sexual assault at a Labour Party-sponsored event. And, incidentally, we still haven’t been told whether charges will be laid with respect to the apparent underage drinking offence committed at that event). And has anyone seen the full coalition agreement?
  
  Good government? Pffft!
  
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  July 23, 2019 10:03am
  - krazykiwi
    
    The very first act of this “most open and transparent government ever” was to seal the contents of the very agreement that allowed the government to be formed.
    
    This must change.
    
    National, if you are listening, I suggest you promise to, and when in government legislate for, any such document to be published for voters to read. Do it.
    
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    July 23, 2019 10:16am
  - Tony Stuart
    
    Having Jacinda Ardern deliver a speech about “good government” is akin to getting Hannibal Lechter to speak about veganism, or Winston Peters talk about the scampi dinners.
    
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    July 23, 2019 10:20am
  - MickMac
    
    Can we members of the public lay a charge over the underage drinking?
    
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    July 23, 2019 12:57pm
  - Evadne
    
    Except the topic she was given (and was advertised) was “good governance” not good “government”. Seems JA understands governance as well as she does GDP.
    
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    July 23, 2019 4:46pm
- krazykiwi
  
  I have a close friend who has worked at senior administrative levels of MSD for 12 years. This from a conversation two weeks ago: “Yeah, the shift in focus has been huge. Where we used to be getting people into jobs, I’d say 95% of our effort in the last year has been getting people onto benefits of some kind”.
  
  This suggests to me that there’s been a deliberate policy shift. There will be memos. There will be leaks.
  
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  July 23, 2019 10:11am
  - Tony Stuart
    
    Well said krazykiwi. I recall that during the Clark years, unemployment fell by filling the public service to overflowing, and by shifting people from the unemployment benefit to sickness benefits. One can but hope that someone does indeed release the memos.
    
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    July 23, 2019 10:26am
  - Ian Boag
    
    Not sure I understand.
    
    Isn’t it MSD’s job to sign people up on benefits that they are entitled to? So is your mate saying that the previous focus was to not go out of their way to do this? Particularly if the “client” (the MSD term) was not very knowledgeable.
    
    Go figure.
    
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    July 23, 2019 3:04pm
    - krazykiwi
      
      Disingenuous much Ian?? You and I both know there’s vast swathe of grey area around entitlements. It’s MSD’s job to ascertain the truth about eligibility, and that take some effort. Much easier, on the basis of “kindness”, to simply avoid the routine questions and sign ’em up. That’s whats been happening. The the newly minted (and enslaved) beneficiaries will no doubt thanks Labour from the ballot box.
      
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      July 23, 2019 10:04pm
mortis

So now national wants to oppose more gun laws. They went along with the unfair ban and the disgraceful bypassing the democratic process. But guess what national, mssa shooters already have registration, already face higher scrutiny and higher security, their competitions already take place on police registered ranges.
Now is the time to push for a sporting exemption, but maybe national will teach us a lesson, what we really get if we vote for them.
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July 23, 2019 9:43am
- Chuck Bird
  
  Better late than never. I will be lobbying National at the AGM in Christchurch this weekend.
  
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  July 23, 2019 10:44am
  - mortis
    
    more show and tell, when time came to do they helped labour do over kiwi shooters.
    Will national put an amendment forward?
    Yeah right!
    
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    July 23, 2019 12:50pm
- Chuck Bird
  
  The last three questions on firearm legislation today should be very interesting.
  
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  July 23, 2019 11:48am
  - Chuck Bird
    
    https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/order-paper-questions/list-of-oral-questions/oral-questions-23-july-2019/
    
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    July 23, 2019 11:55am
jonnycomelately

Greenpeace are scaling Majestic Tower in Wellington in protest over potential gas exploration in NZ. Is this a “climb it emergency”?
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July 23, 2019 9:44am
- sooty
  
  Only becomes an emergency, when they fall off!
  
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  July 23, 2019 10:15am
  - lofty
    
    That’s a matter of opinion.
    
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    July 23, 2019 11:02pm
- Tony Stuart
  
  Very good!
  
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  July 23, 2019 10:21am
- mandk
  
  I see they are protesting about oil exploration, but are they wearing 100% natural fibres? And are they using ropes made from natural fibres?
  
  Silly questions! Of course, they’re not.
  
  Hypocrites.
  
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  July 23, 2019 11:39am
  - krazykiwi
    
    In the UK, the drunk woman who recently tried to open an aircraft door mid-flight was handed an £85,000 bill for the disruption and re-routing of that aircraft.
    
    I’d like to the NZ Police do likewise for Greenpeace. Send them a bill. I get one for travelling 4km/h over the open road limit. So send these criminals the bill for disruption.
    
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    July 23, 2019 12:28pm
  - igm
    
    I hope office workers throw buckets of slops over the useless unemployable tossers.
    
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    July 23, 2019 1:21pm
- Ross12
  
  Further question.
  I am sure when window cleaners who work on the outside of buildings they would have to go through all sorts of hoops to do with Health and Safety.
  What did these idiots have to do?
  My guess is they have done nothing so why are they not being hounded by the H&S “police”?
  
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  July 23, 2019 3:11pm
lastmanstanding

Theres been some discussion on giving 16 yos the vote. I would support that provided they and all voters had to sit and pass an IQ test and a Political Knowledge test before that got a ballot paper.

This to ensure they have the capability and the capacity to vote.

Voting is far too important to leave to random chance.
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July 23, 2019 9:52am
- Captain Mainwaring
  
  You know that’s never going to happen under the CoL.
  Their very existence is based on securing the votes of the dumb and uneducated.
  
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  July 23, 2019 9:57am
- mikenmildagain
  
  I’d support lowering the voting age conditional on passing a simple civics test, but not applying that test to those above 18.
  
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  July 23, 2019 10:16am
- SGA
  
  Just out of curiosity what would such a “Political Knowledge Test” (lastmanstanding) or “simple civics test” (mm) involve? Serious question (although I imagine there will be a number of predictably partisan suggestions). Multiple choice would probably be the easiest to administer and score.
  
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  July 23, 2019 10:47am
  - mikenmildagain
    
    Nothing as hard as the theory test for a driver’s learner licence.
    I’d make it an option for Y10/ Y12 school pupils as part of s0me general life skills courses.
    
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    July 23, 2019 1:14pm
    - SGA
      
      Nothing as hard as the theory test for a driver’s learner licence.
      
      Well… that tell’s me what it isn’t 🙂
      It’s a fair question. Correct answers to what sort of questions would “make the grade”.
      
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      July 23, 2019 8:26pm
  - lastmanstanding
    
    SGA It would cover questions on how the political system works and who are the major players in the Parties.
    
    For example if you are going to vote for X Party and dont know who the Leader is and what their main policy planks are you dont get a ballot paper.
    
    So very simple questions that an informed person could answer.
    
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    July 23, 2019 2:16pm
    - SGA
      
      So, you turn up on voting day, and you tick National say, and then complete a questionnaire on the Leadership of that party and its major policies before that vote counts?
      
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      July 23, 2019 3:31pm
- MickMac
  
  even to over 18’s 🙂
  
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  July 23, 2019 12:49pm
wreck1080

Aged care worker reveals brutal reality of the job in viral post
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12251817

My partner did a nursing stint in an aged care facility (for one of the big outfits). Things are just as bad here, if not worse. The nurse in the story was responsible for 24 patients, my partner was sole nurse for 40! And, was paid $20 /hour, no sick leave, no holiday leave, no entitlements. Effectively a zero hour contract. I’m calculating, that puts her almost less than minimum wage for the worst job on the planet. Used to come home crying after some shifts because it was an impossible to do the job properly.

Fortunately, she did not have to do that for too long.

Next time you see the CEO of one of the big aged care operators talk about profit, think about what they do to their workers!
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July 23, 2019 9:58am
- Odakyu-sen
  
  If the working conditions and pay at aged care facilities was so bad, then the nurses should quit. The facilities would then be forced by the market to improve conditions or to go backrupt.
  
  Market forces will work, unless the government meddles in them by allowing cheap labor in from overseas (to force down wages and retard improvement in working conditions).
  
  Why the unions in NZ in the late 1960s (I am told) did not fight for the workers and mass-protest the importation of cheap labor is beyond me. Maybe they were international socialists striving for a global utopia rather than protectors of the New Zealand worker.
  
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  July 23, 2019 10:36am
  - Happychappy
    
    They are the days when tradesmen bullied apprentices and played pranks on them by sending them down the road for hair pies or sky hooks with other different thing dunked them in a icy tyre bath in the winter. In them days the union would do nothing for apprentices as they were under the control of the Labour department.
    
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    July 23, 2019 2:14pm
    - Tall Man
      
      They hardened them up for a life in the real world where customers didn’t want to pay and governments tried to screw them over in every way possible.
      
      It also made them decent and entertaining people but we don’t want those sort of people anymore, just snowflakes.
      
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      July 23, 2019 8:06pm
- SGA
  
  The CEO is just doing their job. Lastmanstanding’s general principles about the Warehouse versus Briscoes (above) could as easily be applied here –
  
  The problem is that Directors and CEOs with a leftist bent have been appointed and allowed to take control of the company and rather than concentrate on making money for the investors spend their time thinking up the next green programme.
  
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  July 23, 2019 10:54am
Tony Stuart

According to Newshub, the PM is calling upon the sponsors of the Silver Ferns to pay them a bonus for winning the World Championship.

https://twitter.com/NewshubNZ/status/1153409382664720385

Check out the photo above. On the backsides of Casey Kopua and Katrina Rore is the sponsor logo “myob”.

Of course “myob” is the acronym used by accounting software provider Mind Your Own Business. Perhaps there’s a message there for the Prime Minister…
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July 23, 2019 10:16am
- cmm
  
  Perhaps she should worry more about national issues than putting her nose into agreements between individuals and businesses – something that has nothing to do with her.
  
  But, hey, scooping chips, hugz and icing birthday cakes is pushing the limits.
  
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  July 23, 2019 11:39am
  - freethinker
    
    Ask the actual net Taxpayers before claiming to know their thoughts.
    
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    July 23, 2019 1:38pm
- krazykiwi
  
  MYOB was founded in Australia, and most of the board are Australians. I doubt they take anything Ardern says seriously. Why would you?
  
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  July 23, 2019 12:22pm
  - cmm
    
    I’ll take her advice on chicken salt vs normal.
    
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    July 23, 2019 6:54pm
- UrbanNeocolonialist
  
  Isn’t she so kind and generous in volunteering other people to pay for her preferences. She’s one of the highest paid people in the country so if it really excites her then how about she pays them a bonus?
  
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  July 23, 2019 2:47pm
  - Tall Man
    
    Silly boy, socialists don’t give… They take.
    
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    July 23, 2019 6:38pm
    - Hard Cheese
      
      Come on, of course they give.
      
      …other people’s money
      
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      July 23, 2019 11:43pm
Wired-one

I watched QnA last night and have to say for once Jack Tame did a very good interview with Ardern. He asked tough questions and called Ardern out for her failures and incompetence. Hopefully it continues from the rest of the MSM. Ardern not surprisingly came across as out of her depth, incompetent and talked around the questions, as she had no answers or proof of achieving anything positive.
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July 23, 2019 10:33am
- Tall Man
  
  And she would have been given the questions days ago.
  
  It actually shows her inability to retain her briefing notes in her head.
  
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  July 23, 2019 2:38pm
plc

How’s the Pike River re-entry going? Very quiet.
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July 23, 2019 10:40am
- Paulus
  
  Is it still flooded ?
  
  4 0
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  July 23, 2019 1:57pm
  - Tall Man
    
    Yes… with our fucking money!
    
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    July 23, 2019 2:37pm
stoptheboats

it makes me laugh seeing the climate fundies fretting going on about us – some guy camping at Pmint for 63 days and loons climbing Majestic centre ( hope the cops dont let them down for a couple of days). Recently there was an article about a gentleman absolutely beside himself that Auckland airport duty free gave him his shopping in 2 plastic bags ,shock/outrage!

Meanwhile Iran/US/Israel allies are a whisker away from all-out war in the Gulf, likely resulting in massive airstrikes on Irans nuclear facility. China about to build a naval base in Cambodia as part of their Pacific expansion of influence.
If Trump gets impeached USA could well have a civil war on its hands,distracting it from Putins intentions on Making Russia Great Again.

Id be more worried about the slide to WW3 than warm weather and what height the tide at Lyall Bay will be in 80 years!
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July 23, 2019 10:45am
- mikenmildagain
  
  You’re allowed to think about short-term, medium-term, and long-term issues at the same time. Just saying.
  
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  July 23, 2019 11:42am
  - Tall Man
    
    Probably best to focus on the likely than the completely out of the question don’t you think?
    
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    July 23, 2019 2:35pm
- MickMac
  
  Stoptheboats
  Don’t forget about the 1 million Uiygers in “friendly” detention in China.
  Destroying Buddist Statues, building Islands with missles in South China sea, cameras all over, bending google to their will against their citizens, destabilising neighbouring countries, stealing IP by the Billions, etc etc
  
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  July 23, 2019 12:47pm
  - Tall Man
    
    ardern has been busy then hasn’t she?
    
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    July 23, 2019 2:36pm
- The King
  
  I’m not worried about Israels war with Iran, i’m quite content for them to kill each other, neither of them are getting my sons blood to fight for them.
  
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  July 24, 2019 8:14pm
Happychappy

I can not believe a statement like this from Jacinda has not been taken to task by our media.
“I can only tell you what I know the modeling and the last two budgets there are between 50 and 74 thousand children we lifted out of poverty by what we have done”.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/jacinda-ardern-admits-take-few-budgets-effectively-tackle-poverty
This is after the Salvation Army, City Mission and Child Poverty Action Group say Poverty has increased over last two years. So is this Jacinda’s way of bending the truth.
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July 23, 2019 11:32am
- MickMac
  
  I’m afraid Jacinda is a Liar on this one isn’t she?
  Who would you believe, the Leader of the Labour party or Sally Army, City Mission?
  
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  July 23, 2019 12:44pm
  - Tall Man
    
    On this one?
    
    Surely you jest……..
    
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    July 23, 2019 2:32pm
- Piniwi
  
  Funny H indeed to only rely on “modeling” also looking very similar to the “modeled” results of their Families package for the benefit of a mere 384,000. So it is nothing more than a guess of between 50,000 to 75,000.
  Compare this to the tax cuts legislated for by National would have been for 1.4 million tax payers to keep more of what they earned. Plus would have lifted 50,000 out of poverty based on the established means of measure. As well as a clear intention to repeat the reduction in the next budget if they remained in power.
  That has all changed after the COL tampered with the means of recording or measuring poverty along with throwing more money at the problem. End result is they have no idea or plausible numbers after so many more are effected by the increasing effects of other policy actions as a result of those unintended consequences controlling any outcome. It is making all those feelz seem more a like new form of abuse albeit with a longer lag in the bruises appearing. Now after two budgets the latest “vision” is it will take several budgets to fix it. We hasten to ask is this their modeled outcome or just another guess?
  
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  July 23, 2019 2:06pm
  - Tall Man
    
    Inchewishion silly…….
    
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    July 23, 2019 2:33pm
  - Ian Boag
    
    Some of that 1.4 million would have been people earning 7-figure incomes. The tax cut would have been worth considerably more $$ to a $100k earner that to a $35k earner on the (then) minimum wage.
    
    If the aim is to help the people at the bottom, a tax cut is a rather expensive way to do it. Joyce did make a lot of how much it was going to help low income earners ……
    
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    July 23, 2019 2:50pm
    - Tall Man
      
      You really do work hard to swallow the ardern kool-aid don’t you?
      
      The bulk of that tax rebate would have been reinvested back into our communities.. spent for the mentally challenged, which would have had an enormous impact on all parts of our communities especially those at the lower end of the earnings spectrum… shop/sales workers and manufacturing, but we’ll never know now as “ardern and the numbnuts” the rock stars of the lazy decided they could spend the money more efficiently than the workers of New Zealand.
      
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      July 23, 2019 6:33pm
      - Ian Boag
        
        Aw c’mon shorty
        
        Wot? A tax cut would have been rebated across all incomes. You would have got some of it. I would have got some of it.
        
        The government chose to hand the money to those people at the bottom that you apparently care about so much. None for you, none for me. Oh dear.
        
        I understand that anyone who disagrees with you is a numbnuts. Lots of other people also use the term. Lots love your “wynston” brain fart enough to repeat it.
        
        But there is no doubt that you really keep this blog going with 20-50 contributions every day even when you are in the air en route to Oz.
        
        Pathetic. You need to get out a bit more ….
        
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        July 23, 2019 6:56pm
Ross12

May has cemented herself as one of the worst UK PMs, at least in recent times.
Refuse help from the USA , which was offered several times and guess what happens to their oil tankers
https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2019/07/22/may-turned-down-trump-offer-protect-uk-ships-please-eu/
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July 23, 2019 11:33am
- krazykiwi
  
  She also waited three days before getting together with her security advisors to discuss this. Imagine. A vessel of a supposedly 1st world, sovereign nation being seized, and the leader of that nation has three bowls of cornies on three consecutive mornings before doing anything.
  
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  July 23, 2019 12:19pm
  - alloytoo
    
    Maggie would have had the Royal Navy on route in numbers with a US carrier fleet for backup.
    
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    July 23, 2019 2:12pm
    - Tall Man
      
      Our Maggie………..
      
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      July 23, 2019 2:30pm
    - mikenmildagain
      
      It’s a long time since the RN had the combat power to do anything like that. Remember, the Argentinians were tough enough after the Brits scraped together everything they had, including an aircraft carrier they had already decided to sell. Iran is a much tougher proposition and the UK’s armed strength has declined much more (realtively) over the decades. And re the US ‘carrier fleet’, Pompeo has said that it “falls to the United Kingdom to take care of their ships”.
      
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      July 23, 2019 2:42pm
      - Tall Man
        
        The Iranians may have more capacity than the Argentinians but I would imagine that they would have about the same level of desire to fight to the death.
        
        Few soldiers of a regime of oppression are really keen to die, most surrender at the drop of a hat.. eg Iraq, Italy in WW2, Egypt 1967, Lebanon 1982……
        
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        July 23, 2019 6:15pm
      - Jack5
        
        It would be good if that were true, Tall Man.
        
        But may soldiers of the oppressive regime of Japan fought to the death, and so did many soldiers of the oppressive regimes of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union.
        
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        July 23, 2019 9:51pm
Maggy Wassilieff

https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/order-paper-questions/list-of-oral-questions/oral-questions-23-july-2019/

Q. 12. might be interesting…
DAVID SEYMOUR to the Minister of Police: Would the proposed changes to gun laws announced yesterday have prevented the Christchurch terror attacks; if so, how?
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July 23, 2019 11:58am
- mikenmildagain
  
  Sample answer:
  “Of course not, as those attacks preceded the proposed changes”
  
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  July 23, 2019 1:17pm
  - freethinker
    
    The word have is a clue to the origin of the questions point – possibly too subtle for you.
    
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    July 23, 2019 1:43pm
    - Tall Man
      
      Not even a big word was it?
      
      3 2
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      July 23, 2019 2:29pm
    - mikenmildagain
      
      I could suggest many other answers. Really, I thught even Kwibloggers would have given up by now on imaginnig that oral parliamentary questions are difficult to answer.
      Is it the UK where the PM gets questions with no notice? Tougher, but still not very difficult to evade.
      
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      July 23, 2019 2:36pm
  - Tall Man
    
    Are you ardern in drag? You’re certainly stupid enough or is “pom” not the same as English?
    
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    July 23, 2019 2:28pm
- Martin Williams
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  Question to David Seymour: Did your far right-wing rhetoric and hate-speech contribute to the Christchurch terror attacks?
  
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  July 23, 2019 2:34pm
  - mikenmildagain
    
    Stupid question.
    
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    July 23, 2019 2:51pm
    - Martin Williams
      
      Seymour’s speech is part of the rise of far right fanaticism and white supremacy. His is the more moderate, mainstream and sanitised arm of that movement.
      
      Extremists look to politicians for legitimacy and one of their number, an Australian, murdered 51 innocents in Christchurch.
      
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      July 23, 2019 6:40pm
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        So…. you reckon Seymour is a moderate fanatic, then?
        
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        July 23, 2019 7:06pm
      - rightoverlabour
        
        I read part of Tarrants “Manifesto” He aligns more with the far left and Green Eco Terrorists. Of course that is why the present mob have banned it…. Nothing like following the Apartheid Government’s policy of banning anything that could be seen as critical of them. New Zealand, more like Apartheid South Africa than you realise.
        
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        July 23, 2019 10:02pm
      - Martin Williams
        
        Why did you only leave when the Apartheid government was toppled?
        
        Any why here? Australia would have suited you better.
        
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        July 23, 2019 10:42pm
    - BananaLlama
      
      Horseshoe theory seems less like a theory every day.
      
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      July 23, 2019 7:24pm
  - Captain Mainwaring
    
    Question to Martin Williams:
    Did your parents apologise for conceiving you?
    
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    July 23, 2019 2:55pm
    - Tall Man
      
      Frequently I would think.
      
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      July 23, 2019 6:09pm
  - toby1845
    
    Martin Williams: Are you standing in local govt elections in Wairarapa?
    
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    July 23, 2019 3:07pm
  - Swifty
    
    ‘….far right-wing rhetoric and hate-speech …’
    
    I’ve not seen any comments from Seymour that wouldn’t have been considered as centre by most NZers for the majority of my life.
    
    Just goes to show you not only how some people have moved to the extreme left recently but also that if you value free speech for all some people believe you are a kind of Nazi.
    
    Well, that’s what they say you are. I do think though that most don’t actually believe it – rather, it is just a nasty, desperate and totally uncalled for debating tactic.
    
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    July 23, 2019 6:09pm
  - The King
    
    Oh look a Nirvana Fallacy. I bet the NZ herald and (((Bruce Karsh’s))) mumble boy Paddy Gower made this all real in your mind
    
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    July 24, 2019 8:18pm
Happychappy

Gun Law Reform- Stuart Nash said I made mistake, Jacinda blames officals.
Is there nothing this Government won’t take responsibility for instead of blaming others.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=12251945
For fucks sake when are the NZpublic going to wake up.
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July 23, 2019 12:17pm
- Tall Man
  
  Gutless ministers, both of them.
  
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  July 23, 2019 2:26pm
- Scooter
  
  So they don’t even know their own policies… Shit we’re in real trouble.
  
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  July 23, 2019 8:06pm
- Hard Cheese
  
  Even if by some weird chance it were true — that some official gave her the wrong information – wouldn’t a moments thought about it make you stop and say “that can’t be right”…and get confirmation before announcing it to the country? This is a person who is paid nearly $500K a year and whose mental faculties a 10 year old would be embarrassed to have.
  
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  July 23, 2019 11:54pm
Maggie Pie

Men who love dogs make fab partnwers and husbands 🙂
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July 23, 2019 12:29pm
- Tall Man
  
  As do men who don’t.
  
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  July 23, 2019 2:24pm
- nasska
  
  …..”Men who love dogs make fab partnwers and husbands”…..
  
  No wonder when you think about it. We know not to let them get fat & keep them in behind!
  
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  July 23, 2019 7:56pm
Fletch

PGA tournament winner Jim Herman credits Trump’s advice for helping him win the tournament.

Jim Herman captured the PGA Tour’s Barbasol Championship on Sunday, and he said the victory was due in part to valuable advice he received from President Trump when the two used to play together.

Herman was Trump’s regular golfing partner when he was employed as an assistant professional at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey. The 41-year-old said over the weekend that Trump had once urged him to try a different grip on his putter after struggling on the greens.

“He gave me a good talking-to and told me to use a different style if it’s not working,” Herman said Saturday after firing a 65 to climb to the top of the leaderboard at Keene Trace Golf Club in Nicholasville, Ky. “Some great advice, so I appreciate it.”

https://thehill.com/homenews/news/454127-golfer-credits-trumps-putting-advice-after-winning-pga-event
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July 23, 2019 12:42pm
- stephieboy
  
  Fletch, why didn’t he ask Tiger Woods who has won it four times,
  
  As for Trump on Golf enough said. Known to cheat like kick the ball from the rough etc , etc!,
  
  https://www.amazon.com/Commander-Cheat-Golf-Explains-Trump-ebook/dp/B07H4Z26T7
  
  LOL!
  
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  July 23, 2019 2:38pm
- mikenmildagain
  
  Golf fans like Fletch will enjoy the insights in this book:
  https://www.amazon.com/Commander-Cheat-Explains-brilliant-bestseller-ebook/dp/B07LGFM8JP/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1KMIGZVAPD6EW&keywords=trump+golf+cheat+book&qid=1563849849&s=gateway&sprefix=trump+golf+cheat%2Caps%2C318&sr=8-1
  
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  July 23, 2019 2:44pm
Batman

https://thehill.com/policy/international/454158-trump-says-he-could-end-afghan-war-in-a-week-but-doesnt-want-to-kill-10

Quick, someone give him the Nobel Peace prize for the massive task of not carpet bombing a country with nuclear weapons lol. Talk about a low bar.

That and a rather unhelpful, and untrue, boast about the Indian PM offering a mediation role.

Oh dear, not a good week. Not that he will notice of course.
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July 23, 2019 2:27pm
- All_on_Red
  
  ‘of not carpet bombing a country with nuclear weapons’
  
  Afghanistan doesn’t have Nuclear Weapons…
  
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  July 23, 2019 2:37pm
  - stephieboy
    
    This is what the President was quoted as saying,
    
    “I could win that war in a week. I just don’t want to kill 10 million people,” Trump told reporters, alluding to what he said were military plans. “If I wanted to win that war, Afghanistan would be wiped off the face of the earth. … It would be over in — literally, in 10 days.”
    
    Talk about reckless bragging rights!
    
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    July 23, 2019 2:44pm
    - All_on_Red
      
      Wooosh
      
      12 1
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      July 23, 2019 3:23pm
      - Batman
        
        Notwithstanding Stephies usual inflammatory language, that is an accurate quote.
        
        Who goes around big noting that you could wipe out a country in ten days? We all know that Russia and the US could destroy the world but you don’t generally expect them to gloat about it!
        
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        July 23, 2019 3:40pm
      - All_on_Red
        
        I know what Trump said.
        You implied Afghanistan had nuclear weapons
        ‘‘of not carpet bombing a country with nuclear weapons’
        I’m just making fun of your clumsy phrasing.
        And Trump never said the words ‘Nuclear Weapons’
        If the US used Nukes they could wipe Afghanistan out in minutes. So by saying 10 days he meant conventional weapons anyway.
        So ‘woosh’ to you
        Btw, the back drop to this is the upcoming negotiations with the Taliban about the US withdrawal so Trump is sending a message too.
        Carry on
        #TDS
        
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        July 23, 2019 3:59pm
Jack5

An interview with the scientist E.O. Wilson seems at the moment to be outside the paywall at the Chronicle of Higher Education.

This is off the main drift of the interview, but here’s the 90-year-old scientist on Trump:

“There are lots of ways in which science can be politicized. We’re in the middle of one right now with climate warming. The one thing that Trump has succeeded in doing is laying bare and raw the impact of different political ideologies and group-centeredness to the acceptance or rejection of some areas of science.”

https://www.chronicle.com/article/A-Legendary-Scientist-Sounds/246257?utm_source=cr&utm_medium=en&cid=cr
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July 23, 2019 2:29pm
- mikenmildagain
  
  Interesting read. Thanks.
  
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  July 23, 2019 2:58pm
Captain Mainwaring

Early days, but Megan Woods is even more inept at answering the questions from Judith Collins than Twitford was.
This is going to be fun.
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July 23, 2019 2:57pm
- toby1845
  
  In fairness, she does have a lot on her plate.
  
  The problem is, she keeps piling more on to it.
  
  I saw what I did there!
  
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  July 23, 2019 3:10pm
- sooty
  
  You just knew that Twyford was going to answer each question with bucket load and the try to trowel it over the cracks, but they appeared faster than he could talk!
  
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  July 23, 2019 3:24pm
- Hard Cheese
  
  At least Twyford always started off with a prepared answer he read out, Woods seemed to be winging it from the get go. From today’s first up effort I predict JC will make mincemeat out of her and she’ll suffer the same fate as Phil.
  
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  July 24, 2019 12:00am
Gravelroad

Gawd, a Green Party election attack advert mocking Bridges that is so low that even Green Party members asked for it to be pulled.
You just can’t make up this stuff.
The Greens can’t have read the “kindness” memo from their princess.
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July 23, 2019 4:17pm
- Tony Stuart
  
  It’s worth revisiting their Values, from the Green Party website:
  
  Values
  As a party and as members of that party, we aim to:
  Act according to our Charter
  Respect the planet and the web of life of which we are one part
  Take the path of caution in the face of serious uncertainty about the consequences of human action
  Think long term and holistically
  Make decisions by consensus whenever possible
  Engage respectfully, without personal attacks
  Support ideas on their merit, regardless of where they originate
  Actively respect cultural and individual diversity and celebrate difference
  Maintain a community focus
  Enable participation with dignity and challenge oppression
  Encourage new voices and cherish wisdom
  Recognise our duty of care towards those who cannot speak for themselves
  Foster compassion, a sense of humour and mutual enjoyment in our work
  
  https://www.greens.org.nz/page/values
  
  The one in bold is a particular fail!
  
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  July 23, 2019 9:54pm
Happychappy

The Greens had to pull their attack message against Simon Bridges because their senior members did not like the way they targetted Simon Bridges accent. It seems all Parties in the Coalition that said they would the most honest open Government have let themselves down by targeting the person instead of Politics. You can’t defend the indefensible.
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July 23, 2019 4:41pm
- Happychappy
  
  Here is James Shaw’s backdown.
  https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12252062
  
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  July 23, 2019 4:52pm
  - rightoverlabour
    
    I hope they didn’t pay too much for that advert, as it’s pathetic. Kids in primary school could do a better job.
    
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    July 23, 2019 9:49pm
- Gravelroad
  
  You have to ask why the Green Party would waste money on an advert portraying Bridges as a dodgy used car salesman with a funny accent, when they could invest that money into trying to promote their policies.
  The Parliamentary Greens are like kids in a playpen.
  
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  July 23, 2019 5:01pm
- wreck1080
  
  Who cares? Bridges isn’t a snowflake and probably didn’t give two hoots.
  
  Shaw is a wimp for withdrawing the ad and apologising.
  
  It bores me the way people try to be over sensitive and can’t use humour in fear of causing offence.
  
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  July 23, 2019 5:22pm
  - Nookin
    
    Who cares?
    Maybe not you but there are those who voted Green in reliance on their stated aversion to personality politics but decided that it was an expendable value once in power.
    
    Maybe also those who were impressed by the Greens vehement opposition to the waka jumping legislation only to find that the Greens focussed on self-preservation when it came to a vote.
    
    Then, of course, there are those who thought that the Kermadecs should be a marine reserve and rather stupidly, it seems, relied on the Greens to champion the cause.
    
    What about those who believed that the Greens would look after communities and, albeit misguidedly, do something about adverse effects of dairy farms only to see the minister ring the death knell on Waihi and prefer dairying to an existing mining operation.
    
    And those who were flabbergasted as they watched, without any semblance of protest, as Winston’s hoods scuppered an international agreement that would help preserve orange roughy—on the eve of the ratifying meeting,
    
    There are plenty who have had a complete gutsful of Green hypocrisy and who do care.
    
    BTW. Kudos to TV1 who reported that Wnnie professed to be above that sort of childish behaviour and vowed that he had never mocked “Soinon”. Tv1 then presented a clip of Peters repeatedly, and pointedly, referring to “Choina”.
    
    Cindy says that this is the year of delivery. So far, all They have delivered are some cheap shots.
    
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    July 23, 2019 8:19pm
    - Tony Stuart
      
      And they can’t even get the delivery of the cheap shots right. This government really is a clusterf#ck.
      
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      July 23, 2019 9:51pm
Tony Stuart

Kudos to Northland MP Matt King, not only for beating Winston Peters in 2017, but for outing Health Minister David Clark as a liar:

Matt King MP
@MattKingMP
A regular occurrence with this govt in the house today Minister Clark totally and utterly lied when he said we stripped $2.3B out of the health system. This simply didn’t happen we increased funding every year we were in govt.

David Clark has now repeated this lie so often, that he clearly believes the lie to be a fact. But as DPF noted when he blogged about it in 2017, Clark and Labour’s claims of National pulling money out of health simply don’t stack up. National increased health funding every year in $ terms, when adjusted for inflation, and adjusted to account for population changes:

https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2017/05/labours_lies_on_health_spending.html

Misleading Parliament is a very serious matter. I hope Matt King goes a step further and makes a complaint against Clark for a breach of privilege.
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July 23, 2019 9:50pm

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