General Debate 30 January 2020

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CJames

When even writers for the Guardian state that Greenpeace killed millions of people because of its opposition to Golden Rice stopped the introduction of the food, https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/26/gm-golden-rice-delay-cost-millions-of-lives-child-blindness
you know things are pretty bad. Something all those housewives in Remuera should have on the consciences as they are the ones who have given the money to run the disinformation campaigns. When will the leaders of Greenpeace ever be called to account for the genocide? Or doesn’t it matter, because the deaths were in third world countries and it wasn’t climate change or nuclear power that killed them?
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January 30, 2020 8:00am
- GoVege
  
  That was appalling to prevent impoverished children from receiving the food they needed to prevent blindness, thanks to comfortable westerners’ first world worries about genetic modification.
  The main reason I never supported Greenpeace.
  
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  January 30, 2020 12:45pm
- coge
  
  Greenpeace, being predominantly Eurocentric and frightfully bourgeoises. Still appear to be the last standard bearers, to prosecute the “Whiteman’s burden” Naturally they are completely blind to this.
  
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  January 30, 2020 6:25pm
  - Suze Wainwright
    
    Yep, predominantly Eurocentric and frightfully bourgeoisie pretty much sums it up – just like a number of Green Party of Aotearoa/New Zealand Party voters really…
    
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    January 30, 2020 11:04pm
artemisia

Auckland University scrambling to justify buying a $5mill Parnell mansion for the incoming Vice Chancellor to ‘rent’, which rent may or not be part of her employment package. Apparently it will also be used for events.

A recent real estate listing for the Parnell property said the three-storey residence was “elegant, relaxed, on trend, timeless and just so wonderfully liveable”.

Now that purchase may be fair enough but the announcement comes right on the heels of NBR detailed analysis (24 January) –

Cash-rich universities pour money into property

That would be cash-rich universities that never cease to complain of chronic underfunding, funding coming mainly from taxpayers and students.

NBR analysed financial statements of all 8 universities, noted large cash surpluses and 2008-2019 collective spending on land and buildings (net of disposals) $3.4 billion.

$3.4 billion. Sounds like serious empire building. Sorry students and staff.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/119122778/auckland-university-buys-5m-parnell-mansion-for-incoming-vicechancellor
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January 30, 2020 8:03am
- Simon
  
  NZ universities make a fortune from help selling permanent residency to people from shit hole countries.
  
  University PR scam profits poured into property. This is part of the oh so important trading relationship, export earnings, between NZ and China.
  
  This so called trade benefits no one except a few wankers reading from textbooks and people fleeing shit holes.
  
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  January 30, 2020 8:47am
  - tf78
    
    Our youngest (late uni starter after working 10 years) did an extra online paper over the summer break. Same fees charged as for full attendance courses and very average regurgitated information. Not worth the cost, but a means to an end towards qualifications.
    
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    January 30, 2020 11:09am
- mikenmildagain
  
  Buyng a house for the VC – bad.
  Universities spending on land and buildings, however, is not bad per se. It depends on what is being built, where, and why.
  
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  January 30, 2020 9:23am
Yvette

Remember –
At Benjamin’s Graduation party, a family friend, Mr. McGuire, takes him aside and offers him a friendly piece of advice. What follows is one of the most quoted exchanges of dialogue in movies:

McGuire: I want to say one word to you. Just one word.
Benjamin: Yes, sir.
McGuire: Are you listening?
Benjamin: Yes, I am.
McGuire: Plastics.

Now it would be –
McGuire: Are you listening?
Benjamin: Yes, I am.
McGuire: Road cones – reconstituted car tyres, or recycled plastic – but, road cones
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January 30, 2020 8:03am
- alloytoo
  
  Or scaffolding.
  
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  January 30, 2020 10:04am
- Nigel Kearney
  
  Youtube videos of attractive young people doing nothing in particular.
  
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  January 30, 2020 10:27am
- hullkiwi
  
  Yvette, it is not just road cones but it is also the business of distributing road cones along the road for road safety purposes…..that is a real Emporer’s clothes money spinner….
  
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  January 30, 2020 11:41pm
cmm

I’m still struggling to understand why everyone lost their shit, and continues to do so, over the death of Kobe Bryant.

Does it make sense to anyone?
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January 30, 2020 8:03am
- igm
  
  Was he a follower of islam?
  
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  January 30, 2020 8:08am
  - UrbanNeocolonialist
    
    Practicing catholic
    
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    January 30, 2020 8:32am
  - Sofia
    
    NBA legend Kobe Bryant was a devout Catholic and reportedly attended mass hours before he died with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven other passengers in a helicopter crash Sunday morning in Calabasas, Calif.
    
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    January 30, 2020 9:01am
    - mikenmildagain
      
      To be fair to igm, he thinks any well-known black American must be a Muslim, coz bigotry.
      
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      January 30, 2020 9:25am
      - All_on_Red
        
        Agree
        The whiff of bigotry was strong in his comment
        
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        January 30, 2020 11:22am
      - IC5000
        
        Kobe had a phenomenal work ethic combined with talent. He actually spoke Italian as well.
        
        Kobe fingernail clippings achieved more than igm ever will.
        
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        January 30, 2020 6:53pm
- mark15
  
  Mass manipulation
  
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  January 30, 2020 9:11am
- mikenmildagain
  
  The guy was one of the most recognisable sports stars in the world.
  
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  January 30, 2020 9:26am
  - Ed Snack
    
    Yep, baseball won’t be the same without him.
    
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    January 30, 2020 10:17am
    - Sacha
      
      There are quite a few of us around who have no great interest in sports – and even less in those which are not played in this country.
      I had never heard of this man before his untimely death. It has less significance to me than the 21 who have died after the White Island eruption.
      
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      January 30, 2020 11:07am
  - cmm
    
    So recognisable that the UK MSM showed the wrong person.
    Had you heard of him? I hadn’t.
    
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    January 30, 2020 10:20am
    - SGA
      
      Seriously? I’m genuinely surprised. I’m guessing that you wouldn’t know who LeBron James is either. Or Shaq O’Neill. Or Michael Jordan. Nor heard of the Los Angeles Lakers.
      
      Basketball is, I would think, the major US sport that has been most adopted overseas. For example, most NZ cities would have an active amateur basketball league, we have a domestic semi-pro regional league, and a professional team playing in the Australian competition – it’s called the Breakers (US football, baseball, or ice hockey have had nothing like that impact). I’m guessing that after football (aside – 19 points clear at the top of the EPL, hehehe) it’s the world’s biggest and most followed team game?
      
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      January 30, 2020 10:48am
      - Sacha
        
        Michael Jordan – was he the one who had aids? I think my son had some sneakers . . . . . .
        Many years ago I took my children to see a touring basketball team ?The Harlem Globetrotters.
        And then there’s the little brother of the shot put champion who seems to be very rich. I just can’t remember his name.
        And that’s about it.
        
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        January 30, 2020 11:14am
      - Batman
        
        Magic Johnson had AIDS I believe.
        
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        January 30, 2020 11:16am
      - SGA
        
        What can I say, Sacha? I guess we all create our own little bubbles, and are surprised that a lot of other people see a world outside of them?
        
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        January 30, 2020 11:19am
      - Tauhei Notts
        
        Interestingly, TAB NZ turnover on basketball is surprisingly huge.
        
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        January 30, 2020 11:46am
      - mikenmildagain
        
        Tauhei
        I understand that NZ sports codes get some kind of royalties from TAB sports betting. That might be quite lucrative for sports like Basketball, Football and Baseball, in which there is lots of interest in the overseas leagues
        
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        January 30, 2020 12:10pm
  - Minsk400
    
    Doesn’t make my top 20. Never even heard his name before.
    
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    January 30, 2020 4:36pm
    - IC5000
      
      Consider yourself enriched now
      
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      January 30, 2020 6:56pm
igm

If Australia is booting out criminals we must accept our own, but this one surely belongs elsewhere . . . unless he has changed his name he is definitely not one of ours. Why are taxpayers expected to keep yet another oxygen thief, there being enough in the CoL. Suppose Little, Davis, and Ardern welcomed this offender with open arms and others’ money.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/119133729/six-men-sentenced-for-drunken-attack-on-innocent-revellers
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January 30, 2020 8:05am
- rockape
  
  Because no doubt NZ gave him citizenship.Aus doesnt deport those who have Aus citizenship.
  
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  January 30, 2020 8:24am
- Tall Man
  
  So the coward that started it gets 2 months home D. Awesome.
  
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  January 30, 2020 8:26am
  - Nigel Kearney
    
    His lawyer argued in mitigation that he only bashes people when he’s drunk. With a decent judge that sort of strategy would backfire spectacularly.
    
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    January 30, 2020 10:37am
- fernglas
  
  Could have been born here; it may have escaped your notice, but Samoans have been living in New Zealand for many years
  
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  January 30, 2020 9:33am
- MCos
  
  From what I can ascertain the name ‘Vaisingano’ is Tongan in origin. There are many people born in this country of Tongan ethnicity; just as there are people from scores of other places around the world.
  
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  January 30, 2020 9:41am
  - GoVege
    
    And many P I men are shockingly violent.
    My first dog used to step off the pavement and walk on the road to avoid P I males.
    My last dog, an incredibly gentle golden retriever, was terrified of all males when I first adopted her.
    The only time in 14 years that she ever growled was at some P I guys (when she was safely in the car.)
    God only knows what they put their poor wives and kids through.
    Not that they are all like that.
    I’ve known quite a few very gentle Maori and P I guys who literally wouldn’t hurt a fly.
    But something needs to be done about the extremely violent ones.
    
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    January 30, 2020 11:55am
    - fernglas
      
      My dog used to bark at all brown guys until he realised that the nice Maori guy who delivered his food was brown as well, then he stopped.
      
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      January 30, 2020 12:50pm
    - GoVege
      
      The trouble with “doing something about” violence in the P I community, is its very rare for a P I woman to go to the authorities for help.
      The only time violence usually gets reported is when someone else (usually not related) reports it,or the victim is dead or close to it.
      I would hazard a guess that the reason a certain Shortland Street star ended up in court was because his wife was a Palagi.
      
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      January 30, 2020 8:19pm
- Ruahine
  
  Andrew Little’s friends without a doubt.
  
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  January 30, 2020 11:33am
Hugh Pavletich

Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
AUSTRALIA …

Finding an Out? Social Housing Pathways are Limited: AHURI … The Urban Developer

https://theurbandeveloper.com/articles/finding-an-out-social-housing-pathways-are-limited-ahuri

Managing social housing waiting lists and encouraging people to exit social housing is a key concern for policy-makers, but transitioning into Australia’s private rental market is largely inaccessible and unaffordable for households on low incomes, new research shows.

The latest AHURI research has found there are limited pathways for tenants to leave social housing, even for those who want to. …

… The annual housing affordability report by Demographia international, released last week described Australia’s five major housing markets as “severely unaffordable” with property prices doubling since the early 2000s.

“Despite what has been called the largest Sydney price reduction in 35 years, house prices relative to incomes are more than double the rate of the early 1980s,” report authors Wendell Cox and Hugh Pavletich said.

Australia is home to a shortfall of 433,400 social housing dwellings, a figure that is anticipated to grow over time without direct investment, research figures show. … read more via hyperlink above
.
.
More confirmation house prices rocketed in December quarter … Leith van Onselen … MacroBusiness Australia
… behind paywall …

https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2020/01/more-confirmation-house-prices-rocketed-in-december-quarter/

CoreLogic’s dwelling price results for the December quarter reported turbo-charged growth, driven by Sydney and Melbourne where values rose by more than 6% over the quarter: …

… Over the weekend, Domain released its price results for the December quarter. This also recorded explosive growth, with house prices across the combined capitals surging by 4.2% over the quarter, driven by 5.7% growth across Sydney and 5.0% across Melbourne: … read more via hyperlink above …
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January 30, 2020 8:07am
KevO'Brien

Is the SFO investigation into some payments to the National party the PR kickoff to the election year?
Is the NZF Foundation concerned or even sponsors?
Is this a blowback from Winston feeling aggrieved as usual?

Expect this year to be the dirtiest extended election season ever. Labour doesn’t win, they take.
☑️☑️Rout2020☑️☑️
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January 30, 2020 8:09am
- hullkiwi
  
  Yesterday’s announcement and the investigation into the NZ First Foundation is why Bridges has had to hold off on ruling out Peters. We now need the Electoral Commission and SFO to pull their fingers out and reveal the results of the investigation into the NZ First Foundation. The last thing to happen is also the outcome of Peter’s attempt at utu last year. Then Bridges can tell the electorate what he really thinks of Peters.
  
  For Bridges, and the electorate, we need to be patient.
  
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  January 30, 2020 8:18am
  - RoboRob
    
    I don’t expect Winstons case to get any coverage until after the election. I expect the SFO will not make any announcement with relation to NZF.
    
    Goverment departments do well under Labour.
    
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    January 30, 2020 9:08am
    - Tony Stuart
      
      The SFO has nothing to do with Peters or the NZF Foundation. It is the Electoral Commission who is conducting that particular investigation.
      
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      January 30, 2020 9:31am
      - RoboRob
        
        Ok. If thats the case why isn’t this case with the Electoral commision too?
        
        My understanding is that in both cases the issue is receiving donations from individuals or organisactions were the source is hidden. In the Nats case it could be that one organisation used proxies to contribute 100k in total. In the NZF case they received hundreds of thousands of dollars via a proxy (NZ foundation) so that the source of the funds did not need to be shown.
        
        I guess the answer is that the later might technically be legal whereas the former is against election law. Perhaps there is a lot more to the National issue than is currently public.
        
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        January 30, 2020 11:46am
      - Paulus
        
        The Electoral Commission then passes it to the Police and they to the SFO.
        But then it is Peters so (nothing/any)thing will happen.
        He is protected.
        
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        January 30, 2020 1:56pm
  - KevO'Brien
    
    I doubt if there will be any investigations into NZF Foundation. They are very highly lawyered up and I expect they never put a foot outside the law. However, they may venture where propriety would not and where existing rules do not operate.
    
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    January 30, 2020 11:20am
- peterwn
  
  There is an electoral expense issue right under the country’s nose. One notices quite a few union logo cars going around at election time doing hoardings, banging on doors to get people to vote etc. I doubt very much that unions pay FBT for the use of these cars used for election purposes. Also is it appropriate for unions to effectively grant its employees leave with full pay so they can indulge in electioneering?
  Also are unions providing proper coverage to help their members with issues and grievances during election periods.
  If unions were considered on a similar basis to charities they could be wide open to criticism that they are not carrying out their core functions but instead using funds and resources for extraneous methods.
  It seems to me at the least unions and the party they support should be required to declare resources made available to the party just as financial donors need to do.
  
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  January 30, 2020 8:26am
  - Swifty
    
    Very good points peterwn.
    
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    January 30, 2020 8:41am
  - RoboRob
    
    This isn’t exactly a secret and has been happening for years. I don’t understand why National goverments have not put a stop to this, perhaps they feel they gain votes out of people seeing Labour as a union puppet?
    
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    January 30, 2020 9:10am
  - Tony Stuart
    
    If you want to see what happens when a union goes rogue in its support for the Labour Party, this expose by Ian Wishart in Investigate Magazine is a great read:
    
    https://issuu.com/iwishart/docs/investigate_sep06
    
    It concerns the Service and Food Workers Union, who in 2005, having budgeted $70,000 to support Labour’s re-election effort, ended up spending $237,000 of members’ funds. Quite by coincidence, the secretary of the SFWU became a Labour list MP in 2005. Interestingly, the Labour Party declared a donation of just $20,000 from the SFWU; make of that what you will.
    
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    January 30, 2020 9:11am
    - Simon Gotlieb
      
      Interesting. I take it you’ll be taking this information to the SFO so they can investigate this obvious fraud?
      
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      January 30, 2020 10:56am
cmm

I see Hugzilla is saying they will be tackling the problem of Kiwis stuck in China.

How? Another working group?
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January 30, 2020 8:16am
- hullkiwi
  
  According to Winston First, it is a complex problem that they haven’t worked out the details of yet.
  
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  January 30, 2020 8:21am
  - RoboRob
    
    Ironic that Japan and the US have already been in and out and the NZ goverment is just waiting for the Aussies to do its work for them.
    
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    January 30, 2020 9:11am
  - freethinker
    
    Hull – so just ask the Yanks and Japs who are already evacuating their citizens.
    
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    January 30, 2020 9:21am
    - hullkiwi
      
      freethinker, I don’t disagree with you. But for a case of a Foreign Minister who doesn’t know what is going on, I suggest you listen to the interview Suzie Ferguson of RNZ Morning Report had with Peters at 7.15am today. Peter’s didn’t have a clue, which suggested 1 of 3 options:
      1. He hadn’t been briefed; or
      2. He had been briefed, but hadn’t listened to/followed what he was told; or
      3. NZ has no plans at all.
      
      Which one is it? You listen, and make up your own mind!
      
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      January 30, 2020 10:16am
- Vallager
  
  It’s all part of her strategy for greater equality – after all, why should they be the only Kiwis with coronavirus?
  
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  January 30, 2020 8:22am
- Tall Man
  
  Nope … asking Oz.
  
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  January 30, 2020 8:27am
- rangitoto
  
  She’s doing nothing. ScoMo is doing the job.
  
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  January 30, 2020 8:38am
- chaos
  
  Yeah as tall man said, Australia is doing it, evacuating all aussies and kiwis that want to leave and taking them for two weeks on Christmas Island. Hmmmm, I wonder if Santa will greet them
  
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  January 30, 2020 8:59am
  - chaos
    
    Ok just read what peters said, they aren’t taking the kiwis to Christmas Island, they miss out in seeing Santa.
    
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    January 30, 2020 9:10am
- Jack5
  
  It’s delayed until they can get the right nurse’s cap for Jacinda’s photo shoot.
  
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  January 30, 2020 9:18am
  - chaos
    
    Maggie Pie can help with that, awww she can pose with her too
    
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    January 30, 2020 9:45am
- mikenmildagain
  
  Looks like it will be chartered Qantas aircraft. Will be quicker than getting permissoin for ADF and NZDF aircraft to enter China.
  
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  January 30, 2020 9:30am
  - Paulus
    
    There are 600 Australians and 55 odd New Zealanders.
    Will have to be a bloody large aircraft.
    Qantas are great at such arrangements but are usefully Taxpayer owned.
    Cannot see them saying to the New Zealanders we will go via Christmas Island for the Australian quarantine and then fly on specially for you to Auckland for you New Zealanders.
    
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    January 30, 2020 2:04pm
    - Minsk400
      
      A Dreamliner or an A380 could do it.
      
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      January 30, 2020 4:40pm
- Engelbert Humperdink
  
  Piggybacking onto the Qantas flight. Will need to start 2 weeks on Christmas Island before coming home.
  
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  January 30, 2020 9:39am
- MCos
  
  There are about fifty odd Kiwis stuck in Wuhan.
  It makes sense that we work with Australia otherwise it’s going to be awfully expensive.
  BTW
  Morrison announced the Aussies would be quarantined on ChristmasIsland, but nobody told the people who run the island.
  Apparently they’re real pleased to have potentially virus ridden people thrust onto them.
  
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  January 30, 2020 9:58am
  - rangitoto
    
    There are suitable facilities there. It’s no issue for the locals but glad to hear about your “concern”.
    
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    January 30, 2020 11:48am
    - MCos
      
      “Saw PM’s announcement via SBS. Regressive colonial era ideas since 2001. Create convict settlement for innocent people, now we’ll be a leper colony”
      Christmas Island Shire President Gordon Thomson, txt to the ABC
      
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      January 30, 2020 12:40pm
- coge
  
  A red envelope stuffed with (our) cash.
  
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  January 30, 2020 11:40am
- Sir Cullen's Sidekick
  
  She has a robust plan. Move on bro.
  
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  January 30, 2020 12:18pm
secondcumming

Not wishing to sound alarmist, but am I the only one here who see’s worrying similarities between the infamous Japanese Biological & Chemical Research Laboratory *UNIT 731* situated in the Chinese city of Harbin during WW11…….and the *Wuhan Viral Research Lab*, located only 30km out of *Wuhan City*.

This is the only facility in China equipped to study and deal with such deadly infectious diseases such as the *Coronavirus* – with Wuhan being the city in which the virus first appeared 😎

https://meaww.com/wuhan-coronavirus-warned-2017-lab-wuhan-deadly-diseases-escape-lab-level-4-safety-scientists
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January 30, 2020 8:22am
- Stephieboy2
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  You are alarmist!
  
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  January 30, 2020 8:33am
  - Tony Stuart
    
    Spoken by Kiwiblog’s most alarmist commenter; a true “pot, meet kettle” moment.
    
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    January 30, 2020 9:12am
    - Swifty
      
      I’ve noticed before that everything he accuses others of being he invariably is KB’s worst offender at.
      
      It’s one of his many character defects.
      
      Labour Party MPs are notorious for this too.
      
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      January 30, 2020 9:48am
      - KevO'Brien
        
        It’s in their DNA.
        
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        January 30, 2020 11:25am
- chaos
  
  It is actually something that needs to be considered. China sadly do not have the same standards as other nations at their facilities and have had leaks before.
  
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  January 30, 2020 9:02am
- mark15
  
  Black market laboratory animals ?
  
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  January 30, 2020 9:14am
- freethinker
  
  Think I read a report possibly on Zero Hedge that the Coronavirus was developed in Canada and a Chinese Scientist working there tried or had smuggled it to the Wuhan Lab were it unfortunately escaped from. Perhaps someone can confirm or clarify?
  
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  January 30, 2020 9:24am
  - mikenmildagain
    
    Well, that’s what you get from reading the shit on Zero Hedge…
    
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    January 30, 2020 9:31am
    - Ed Snack
      
      There is a “Wuhan Viral Research” laboratory, it is situated very close to Wuhan city, it has been conducting research for a number of years into corona viruses including using to genetic engineering techniques on both the hosts (Bats) and the viruses themselves. These are confirmed facts from publicly available information.
      
      Whether there is any link between this laboratory and the current epidemic is unknown, and if the Chinese government has its way, is probably never going to be known. Unlikely but possible.
      
      It does appear that the first patient known to have the virus had no known contact with the live meat market, and the infection was confirmed by testing. The date was 1 December 2019. So far no animal reservoir for this specific virus has been confirmed.
      
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      January 30, 2020 10:37am
    - KevO'Brien
      
      There’s more sensible articles there than closed minded commentators ejections here.
      
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      January 30, 2020 11:26am
      - mikenmildagain
        
        Zero Hedge – has accurately predicted 200 of the last 2 recessions.
        
        3 13
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        January 30, 2020 12:07pm
  - Engelbert Humperdink
    
    https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/did-china-steal-coronavirus-canada-and-weaponize-it
    
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    January 30, 2020 9:40am
- secondcumming
  
  Once again, it’s not my intention to appear *alarmist*, but…..
  
  https://twitter.com/juswanasay/status/1222611187138826240
  
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  January 30, 2020 10:49am
- Batman
  
  Sorry but some of you are being alarmist.
  
  https://i.stuff.co.nz/world/asia/119138520/experts-debunk-fringe-theory-linking-chinas-coronavirus-to-weapons-research
  
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  January 30, 2020 11:53am
  - mikenmildagain
    
    Don’t spoil theire fun!
    Naturally, whackos are trying to cash in:
    https://www.thedailybeast.com/qanon-conspiracy-theorists-magic-cure-for-coronavirus-is-drinking-lethal-bleach
    
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    January 30, 2020 12:13pm
  - Engelbert Humperdink
    
    Experts are never wrong? OK, stoner.
    
    9 1
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    January 30, 2020 12:18pm
  - secondcumming
    
    I was going to take you up last year Batman on your 5 hundy wager that *HRC would run for President*……but didn’t want to alarm you 😎
    
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    January 30, 2020 12:51pm
Yvette

SFO files criminal charges over National Party donations.
“The defendants are scheduled to appear in the Auckland District Court on 25 February,” a spokesperson said.
“The SFO will not make any further comment until any name suppression issues have been dealt with.”

Should the SFO have added to its announcement that “All of the four people involved have received summons or know that they, individually, are officially charged”. Should that have not be done to allay some speculation?

In other words, when – The National Party promptly issued a statement, confirming neither Bridges, nor the party, were among those charged – can they actually assume that?
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January 30, 2020 8:23am
- Sofia
  
  While National Leader and Party claim not to have been charged, and the four persons who have been charged are as yet un-named, would anyone who is a Member of Parliament be required to notify the Speaker or stand down, in the interim, if they knew they are charged?
  
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  January 30, 2020 8:45am
  - mikenmildagain
    
    No, they wouldn’t be required to do so.
    
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    January 30, 2020 9:32am
  - sooty
    
    Ducky is heading to court and he has not stood down!
    
    16 1
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    January 30, 2020 9:57am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    A member of Parliament needs to advise the Speaker if he/she/zhe is going to be absent on a House sitting day.
    
    There is no need to stand down if facing a Court Charge.
    
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    January 30, 2020 10:05am
- chaos
  
  if they know they are to appear in court on a certain date then they would of been served.
  
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  January 30, 2020 9:03am
- RoboRob
  
  Name suppression issues, indicates that the individuals charged know who they are.
  
  The SFO should not have even bothered making the announcement, they should have waited until they could say something without casting doubt on individuals and organisations. Very poor performance on their behalf and timed perfectly after the election announcement and JAs promise of clean / honest politics.
  
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  January 30, 2020 9:15am
  - marcw
    
    At least they didn’t leave it until the election campaign was starting, say July or August. That would be more disruptive but could have been possible judging by the length of time the SFO normally takes for it’s investigations.
    
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    January 30, 2020 9:47am
rockape

Nah Aus will do it for her. My wife works in ED they have been given no advice other than to take NORMAL precautions. I guess until we get a few corpses for Jacindas to hug its not on her agenda.
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January 30, 2020 8:25am
Happychappy

Maori will have to keep asking themselves why they keep voting for Labour when all they ever do is keep promising that they will deliver and get let down more times than not. While I don’t agree with the carryon at Ihumatoa I think it is disgraceful that Jacinda has promised something that can never be delivered especially with knowing the real Prime Minister Winston Peters would never allow it as it would be the end of NZ First.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/119110214/what-next-for-ihumtao-grand-hopes-still-a-dream-at-this-historic-site
Jacinda thrives on the media with help of there Journalists because she knows they won’t print the facts but it is time for someone to alert the voter to the facts and the money that has been promised to stop the occupation.
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January 30, 2020 8:29am
- Sofia
  
  If the Maori King has retrieved his flag, after his stating that would only happen when a solution to Ihumātoa was found, the issue must surely have advanced to a point where Ardern on Waitangi Day can give a direction or principle in relation to solving the matter, even if details are still to be resolved.
  Otherwise the Maori King has no credibility? Nor can Ardern have the same?
  
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  January 30, 2020 8:56am
  - marcw
    
    A real journalist would have sensed a story here Sofia, and started asking questions of the Maori King’s organisation. Shame that in NZ our “journalists” are either too dumb or biased – or more likely both.
    
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    January 30, 2020 9:51am
  - KevO'Brien
    
    The Maori King has no official constitutional role in NZ. What is he doing flying a flag at Ihumatao?
    Are Labour buying the Kingitanga?
    
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    January 30, 2020 11:31am
    - sooty
      
      Same as flying a kite!
      
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      January 30, 2020 1:31pm
- JamesP
  
  It all makes sense when you consider “Maori” are not a homogeneous entity. The pre-European tribal structure of a ruling elite supported by many workers and slaves persisted with some evolution. In the past the former controlled the latter by force. Today the former need the latter’s votes. Instead of being enslaved by force they are enslaved by culture, tradition (vote Labour), and poverty. The rulers (Winston, Jones, Tuheitia et al) have no incentive to improve the lot of their minions.
  
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  January 30, 2020 10:07am
Stephieboy2

Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
The ANZAC spirit lives on,

“New Zealand will partner with Australia to get stranded Kiwis out of Wuhan”

https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/119111312/australians-told-to-reconsider-all-travel-to-china-as-coronavirus-spreads
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January 30, 2020 8:29am
- sooty
  
  Commrade Cindy will not send her private jet to evacuate the kiwis in China as she does not want to expose herself and family to the deadly virus, while jetting the world on family holidays!
  
  20 3
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  January 30, 2020 9:02am
  - chaos
    
    More to the point the plane is so knackered it spends most of it time being repaired. If given the choice of flying on that plane or going up against a virus, I think you have better chances up against the virus
    
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    January 30, 2020 9:27am
  - sam green
    
    Does Ardern have a private jet?
    
    4 19
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    January 30, 2020 9:36am
    - Happychappy
      
      Sam: That like asking if you had a brain.
      
      16 3
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      January 30, 2020 10:37am
    - Captain Mainwaring
      
      You know what sooty’s getting at.
      Don’t be a dickhead.
      
      18 3
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      January 30, 2020 10:45am
      - sam green
        
        Serious question – why tell lies?
        
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        January 30, 2020 11:38am
      - Tall Man
        
        You’re right sam, why tell lies …. Can I suggest at the next fraser house wine and cheese you ask ardern that. It’s getting really annoying having to point out on a daily basis that our selected pr girl for “what’s in it for wynston” is a liar.
        
        Now, on the plane. You are right, ardern doesn’t have a plane but please don’t tell her as I’ve had a guts full of the “hurty face”
        
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        January 30, 2020 3:17pm
      - sam green
        
        Grow up.
        
        1 6
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        January 30, 2020 3:39pm
    - KevO'Brien
      
      Not yet.
      
      5 1
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      January 30, 2020 11:32am
    - Paulus
      
      Yes -has choice of two.
      Both clapped out antiquated Boeing 757s being cared for by the RNZAF in Auckland.
      
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      January 30, 2020 2:09pm
      - sam green
        
        How did Key travel? Same planes?
        
        3 3
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        January 30, 2020 3:47pm
- RoboRob
  
  “New Zealand will partner with Australia to get stranded Kiwis out of Wuhan”
  
  “New Zealand will WAIT FOR Australia to get stranded Kiwis out of Wuhan”
  
  Fixed that for you 🙂
  
  Theres your caring, compassionate and honest government in action Stephie
  
  23 1
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  January 30, 2020 9:17am
  - Stephieboy2
    
    Makes sesne to make the evacuation a joint effort which both sides of the tas are more than willing to oblige!
    
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    January 30, 2020 9:50am
    - cmm
      
      Are you talking about the Aussies that PriNZess slags off every chance she can get?
      
      19 2
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      January 30, 2020 10:34am
      - Stephieboy2
        
        cmm, no!
        
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        January 30, 2020 3:11pm
      - cmm
        
        Which Aussies then?
        
        Time for an eye check Stephie? You say there’s one atmosphere but more than one Australia.
        
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        January 30, 2020 3:41pm
- cmm
  
  Signed Dokta Dave Clark
  Co-signed Dokta Stephie
  
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  January 30, 2020 10:08am
- Fletch
  
  What is interesting is that the report on the radio said that Australia would be quarantining the people they got out on Christmas Island, but that the Kiwis would be using “somewhere else”. To me, this translates as “they won’t”, or else foolishly using a public hospital the way they did in Rotorua.
  
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  January 30, 2020 10:50am
  - sooty
    
    I would think that plane would be on a direct flight to Christmas island. So that’s where they are going, because the plane will be staying there for decontamination! Maybe straight to the scrap heap from there, if needed!
    
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    January 30, 2020 1:36pm
  - cmm
    
    If, as Stephie (with all the contacts) tells us, PriNZess has this covered by cooperating with Oz (with Oz doing most of the grunt work), then it means both NZ and Oz citizens will have to be handled with protocols that Oz agrees with.
    
    That likely means that if NZ and Oz are going to keep borders open, then Oz must be satisfied that NZ quarantines are as good as Oz quarantines.
    
    The best way to achieve that is to sling them onto Christmas Island with the Oz quarantine.
    
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    January 30, 2020 4:19pm
oldpark

Watched two of the Peters selected NZ Government MPs on Television . Yes sounded like two clowns Robertson and Ardern . They were big noting on what they were going to do with the Taxpayer borrowed Seven Billion Dollars. Their blueprint was just copying what National had planned for roads. There were at least a couple of omissions in the greater Wellington Electorates.
Prior to the 2017 Election Grant Robertson who is in charge of the borrowed Seven Billion Dollars is in charge of the Infrastructure.
Robertson who is the MP for Wellington Central promised that a second tunnel in the middle of his electorate would be a “priorty”.The same wee man who almost salivated when the once proposed Basin Reserve flyover was abandoned .
The idea was to solve the gridlock traffic problems with a Second traffic tunnel .
Throw in the National Government planned Motorway connection Grenada to Petone,feeding off Transmission Gully main exit,easing the congestion on the Nguaranga Gorge and road into Wellington.Too much common sense for the Peters selected Clowns.
No such luck here . Why the **** would Liebour/Green/NZ First do that . After all they have most of the voters in their pockets in Greater Wellington area . They don’t have to be bribed with their own Taxpayer borrowed Seven Billion Dollars.Leave the bribing to Auckland more potential votes there.
Here is a challenge for Simon Bridges and National . Make the Grenada to Petone Motorway and a Second Wellington Traffic Tunnel an Election issue in September and lets see how the complacent bought and paid for Lie-bour/Green/NZ First voters in the mentioned areas react to that type of election issue.
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January 30, 2020 8:30am
- KevO'Brien
  
  Anyone who builds a second tunnel in Wellington will wish they hadn’t.
  
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  January 30, 2020 11:33am
  - Nickc2
    
    Why?
    
    8 0
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    January 30, 2020 11:37am
    - KevO'Brien
      
      It’s my assessment the actual city is gummed up with cars. It’s the tail end of mountain chains and narrows down to tight valleys. I’ve lived in for 45 years.
      Space was scarce back in the 1950’s.
      
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      January 30, 2020 5:42pm
      - Tall Man
        
        However the tunnel will allow those cars to move more freely.
        
        1 1
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        January 30, 2020 8:27pm
Paulus

It appears that among others in the so called media the Herald and its babies are intent on getting Government approval for their merger/take over of the Stuff outfit along with the merger of TVNZ and RNZ to maintain propaganda advantage.
Today both comments and from the left wing politically minded media ” ladies” against Bridges and the National Party is totally partisan.
Two media “ladies on the Radio this morning were cracking at Bridges and showing their unassailable antipathy against National.
As this is day one of the election I hate to think what we will see from them over the next 200 odd days.
As aside is Jamie Lee Ross one of those charged with who knows what by the SFO I wonder ?
This roads thing is a political election rort and we will see very little if anything this decade.
Unless we invite the Chinese to do some of it as we do not have the faith or people capable of such things after having been kicked in the teeth over the last couple of years and/or gone bankrupt.
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January 30, 2020 8:30am
- sooty
  
  There is one good thing about the merger,
  Redundancies!
  Who is in line for the chop and how many?
  
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  January 30, 2020 8:57am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Na, it’s not a good thing.
    
    We will be subject to virtue-signalling Journalism for the next 2-3 years as groups of folks begin climbing over each other to retain a position in the new Corporation.
    
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    January 30, 2020 10:09am
    - cmm
      
      Short term concern….
      Long term it’s just awesome.
      
      7 1
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      January 30, 2020 10:36am
    - cmm
      
      ” as groups of folks begin climbing over each other to retain a position in the new Corporation.”
      
      Sounds like a reality TV show: Journalist Survivor.
      Journalists shanking eachother for a spot in the new organization.
      
      I’d watch that!
      
      11 1
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      January 30, 2020 11:27am
    - Paulus
      
      Doing the climbing already as concept was set by Clare Curran – remember.
      
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      January 30, 2020 2:12pm
- RoboRob
  
  Do we actually know the Jamie Lee Ross is one of the four? I believe that is speculation.
  
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  January 30, 2020 9:22am
- Nickc2
  
  The borrowed money will be in the hands of treasury ASAP. No infrastructure contracts will be awarded let alone started before the next election.
  What’s going to happen to the borrowed money between being received by treasury and the next election? That borrowed money will be re-prioritised of course.
  As they say in media circles, watch this space.
  
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  January 30, 2020 9:23am
Maggie Pie

Look, I have no idea if this is right or not, but one of the Reps who works for my partner was telling him that he thort he saw Jamie Lee Ross yesterday, speeding along the Southern Motorway towards Wellington, checking his Txts at the same time 🙁
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January 30, 2020 8:52am
- Inandout
  
  MP this is quite common, and people on mobiles while driving is epidemic.
  
  13 1
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  January 30, 2020 9:07am
  - Maggie Pie
    
    Or as i said to my partner, maybe he was deleteing a few old ones LOL!!!!
    
    https://thedailyblog.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/DtcIgufVYAAQlme.jpg-large.jpeg
    
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    January 30, 2020 9:29am
    - Tall Man
      
      You gotta like her command of the english language.
      
      3 1
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      January 30, 2020 3:08pm
      - Maggie Pie
        
        Must admit i’ve used it a couple of times myself 😀
        
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        January 30, 2020 4:36pm
- MrTips
  
  EVERYBODY speeding on the Southern Motorway looks like JLR 🙂
  
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  January 30, 2020 9:30am
- MCos
  
  Was he wearing handcuffs?
  
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  January 30, 2020 10:01am
- Biscuit
  
  C’mon Maggie, be real.
  
  Every time I read a news report or see a TV News item, traffic on the Auckland motorway(s) is at a standstill after the latest accident.
  
  ‘Speeding’ rarely happens anymore!
  
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  January 30, 2020 10:55am
  - chaos
    
    You haven’t seen Maggie speeding to her her kk’s
    
    8 1
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    January 30, 2020 12:03pm
    - Maggie Pie
      
      Not interested in a part-time job are you chaos?
      The KK factory at Mnukau has a vacany for somebody suitably qualified to make the holes in the middle.
      You’ll just need to send me a pic 😛
      
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      January 30, 2020 1:07pm
      - chaos
        
        hmmm, not sure it would fit in a pic
        
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        January 30, 2020 2:13pm
      - Tall Man
        
        Ok, a dozen pixels would do it?
        
        1 0
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        January 30, 2020 3:09pm
      - Ed Snack
        
        Naughty boys ! Naughty naughty boys !
        
        3 0
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        January 30, 2020 4:04pm
MrTips

Thought for the day

2019-nCOV: 56
Boeing 737-max: 346

It’s all about perspective.
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January 30, 2020 8:54am
- chaos
  
  Road toll, suicide rate, cancer, heart attack etc, all far higher. Winter in China is flu season as well
  
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  January 30, 2020 9:12am
- Andrei
  
  500 people die of flu every year in New Zealand – I assume the flu victims fit the same profile as the 2019-nCov ones, from News reports.
  
  The death toll thus far is about 100 in a city of 11 million souls
  
  It right to keep a watching brief on this but not to go into economic shutown
  
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  January 30, 2020 9:18am
  - Ed Snack
    
    The death toll we know about Andrei. This may be just the latest “scare du jour” but there is conflicting evidence coming out of Wuhan and China generally. I have no idea what level of reliability the private reports have, but they are considerably more concerning than the official news reports. And how much do we trust the official news ?
    
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    January 30, 2020 10:42am
    - NoCash
      
      No need to rely on the CCP, there has been no death outside of China, of the over 100 confirmed cases.
      
      Granted most victims of the reported deaths in China were elderly and/or people with preexisting respiratory illness, compared to overseas cases of people in better health, fit to travel, and stand a better chance to survive.
      
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      January 30, 2020 11:17am
      - Ed Snack
        
        NoCash, most of the external cases are very early in the cycle of infection, so not a thorough test. It is somewhat reassuring however.
        
        I’d still bet that the number of cases in Wuhan alone is already over 100K and rising rapidly, and so far the R0 (transmissiblity) is around 3-4 so looks like a reasonably effective spreader (but not yet measles spread – that has an R0 around.
        
        The other point is the sample size for overseas cases is very small and they may well be atypical (well enough to travel ?), and I don’t think we can trust the Chinese government numbers at this point.15-20).
        
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        January 30, 2020 12:16pm
      - Ed Snack
        
        Oops, improper edit on previous post. Measles has an R0 of around 15-20 (typically put at around 18). That is one case normally infects 15-20 new cases in a non-vaccinated population. So it spreads very rapidly indeed. This Corona virus is assessed at being around 25% of that so less infectious than measles but well above the R0 of 1 that is a stable number of infected cases. Of course since the population isn’t vaccinated at all, this Corona virus actually spreads potentially faster than measles does in NZ.
        
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        January 30, 2020 3:23pm
- Sydney Alvarado
  
  Yes but let us hope that it doesn’t run away. The 1918 flu disaster killed perhaps 100 million and there is nothing much stopping a repeat.
  
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  January 30, 2020 9:39am
  - NoCash
    
    Vaccine. Scientists around the world are racing to develop it. Granted it will still be months away, but a repeat in the scale of the Spanish Flu is extremely unlikely with modern medical technology and management of infectious diseases.
    
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    January 30, 2020 11:24am
    - Ed Snack
      
      May well take up to a year to volume produce an effective vaccine though. The 1918 pandemic had burnt out over that time scale. And corona viruses are not the easiest targets for a vaccine.
      
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      January 30, 2020 12:18pm
Tarquin North

Good article by Mike Hosking in the Herald explaining the current and up coming social welfare and financial disaster Jacinda and co have signed us up for.
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January 30, 2020 9:03am
Simon

Sky city shares are falling. The casino eh?

Actually think the Coronavirus isn’t that bad. But of course it might be and to be on safe side stop all travel from and to the Shithole China. Unless citizen or PR returning.

If Sky drops more they could be a good bet, pun intended, on virus being a dud.
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January 30, 2020 9:04am
chaos

Sad, if Aussie is doing all the work and has the ability to quarantine them on Christmas Island, we should be accepting that offer

* Kiwis evacuated from Wuhan will not be quarantined on Christmas Island, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says.*

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/119139535/coronavirus-kiwis-evacuated-from-wuhan-will-not-be-quarantined-on-christmas-island-peters-says
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January 30, 2020 9:07am
- Engelbert Humperdink
  
  Thanks for that update. How about Peters quarantines them on the Mount? His gang buddies can provide security, and the Police can do the transpo with their new TonkaToys.
  
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  January 30, 2020 9:42am
  - Paulus
    
    Auckland Racing Club will be designated as the Quarantine Station, by permission of Peters.
    
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    January 30, 2020 2:15pm
- Akarak
  
  It must be election year. Our PTPM wants to facilitate the return of NZ citizens from Wuhan.
  
  If you go back to September 2018 there was a request from a NZ family for government assistance in the repatriation of a sick NZ mother from Bali.
  
  The PTPM refused to intervene.
  
  The Herald reported on 11 Sept that ‘Hartley, 41, was on a second honeymoon when she became ill. She had been in an induced coma in hospital with her family by her bedside. She had been taken to hospital at the start of August. The Hamilton woman died on Sunday.
  
  Her family had asked the Government for help to medevac her back to New Zealand but Ardern ruled out the assistance’.
  
  Where was the compassion then?
  
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  January 30, 2020 12:51pm
  - Tall Man
    
    No photo op and not a big enough disaster for her.
    
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    January 30, 2020 2:57pm
Simon

National and the SFO. [Deleted – mod] but the SFO can’t prove it. ??

Just as well the money likely came from the CCP otherwise one of those charged might roll over on National

[Mod: Be very careful about making unsubstantiated allegations. This is your one and only warning]
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January 30, 2020 9:08am
- chaos
  
  Poor Simon, we always knew that if National weren’t charged you would come up delusions. It’s a bit pathetic to attack the sfo. I bet in your deluded mind the sfo is Chinese controlled now.
  
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  January 30, 2020 9:23am
  - Simon Gotlieb
    
    Yesterday the talk here was all about how Labour had set up the SFO to make National look bad. This is just another in a series of baseless allegations from you little scamps who have nothing better to do.
    
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    January 30, 2020 10:48am
    - chaos
      
      I’ve never claimed labour set up national, so before you call me anything provide evidence
      
      8 1
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      January 30, 2020 12:00pm
    - Tall Man
      
      If you honestly believe that there has been no discussion between the SFO and the minister of police then you are as naive as you are obviously stupid.
      
      https://www.sfo.govt.nz/briefing-to-incoming-minister
      
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      January 30, 2020 2:55pm
- Tall Man
  
  I can tell that deep down you have a serious envy issue.
  
  I am not an mp so nobody wants to bribe me or use money to gain influence over me but, I certainly would not sell my soul for $100,000 and I seriously doubt that neither National or any National mp would succumb to such a pathetic amount.
  
  Most mps earn in excess of $200,000 so between 50 of then a couple of grand each would solve any shortage they may have so I would be stunned if $100,000 from your imagined CCP would do fuckall.
  
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  January 30, 2020 2:50pm
Hugh Pavletich

NEW ZEALAND …

Government’s transport package takes the wind out of the Opposition’s sails, but new promises puts it under more pressure to deliver … Jenee Tibshraeny … Interest Co NZ

https://www.interest.co.nz/opinion/103419/governments-transport-package-takes-wind-out-oppositions-sails-new-promises-puts-it

By Jenée Tibshraeny

Labour and NZ First have pocketed political wins from Wednesday’s big infrastructure project reveal.

The Coalition Government has taken the wind out of the Opposition’s sails; Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern now adopting National’s “we’re the party of infrastructure” line.

Both the business community and unions are broadly pleased with the $6.8 billion of transport projects to be brought forward and funded.

The Government is now under pressure to execute its plans well.

With KiwiBuild under-delivering and it still being undecided whether the New Zealand Transport Agency or New Zealand Super Fund will run the Auckland light rail project, the public’s tolerance for teething problems/stuff-ups related to much-need infrastructure is near zero. … read more via hyperlink above …
.
.
… Essential viewing …

Infrastructure Funding and Financing Bill – Hon Phil Twyford – First Reading – Video 1

https://vimeo.com/379923683

Infrastructure Funding and Financing Bill – Hon Phil Twyford – New Zealand Parliament

https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/bills-and-laws/bills-proposed-laws/document/BILL_93461/infrastructure-funding-and-financing-bill

The single broad policy of this omnibus bill is to provide a funding and financing model to support the provision of infrastructure for housing and urban development that supports functioning urban land markets and reduces the impact of local authority financing and funding constraints. … read more via hyperlink above …
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January 30, 2020 9:15am
KH

The USA invaded Afganistan and Iraq to get back at AL Qaeda for the twin Towers.
Killing every Al Qaeda member was/ is quite a reasonable idea.
But Al Qaeda members had left Afganistan within months. 20 years later the USA is still there fighting the locals.
Saudi, whose citizens were most of the Twin Towers criminals, and source of much of the problem fundamentalism, is untouched
In Iraq Saddam had Al Qaeda members under control, and would eliminate any who emerged. Anyway the place was destablised and ISIS emerged which would neve have happened under Saddam. Near twenty years later the USA is still there, currently fighting the locals in the PMU, a voluntary military force who had done much to defeat ISIS.
Obama and others destablised Syria by bombing and employing rebels. ISIS a prominent one of those.
The successor to Al Qaeda is HTS (and other acronyms) which is holed up in Idlib province with the Syrian Government slowing grinding them down. However the USA in effect supports HTS and from time to time will bomb the Syrians to make the point.
None of this seems sensible.
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January 30, 2020 9:21am
Maggy Wassilieff

The experts disagree about when the Coronavirus spread will peak.

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3048020/chinese-experts-say-wuhan-coronavirus-outbreak-will-not-last
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January 30, 2020 9:22am
- chaos
  
  Xi Jinping Statements the past few days while releasing low figures sound like he is admitting it is far worse in China than they will admit.
  
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  January 30, 2020 9:25am
  - kevn
    
    @chaos…. You can guarantee huge under-reporting of deaths. Multiply by factor of at least 10-100.
    
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    January 30, 2020 10:53am
    - NoCash
      
      Ok, are they under-reporting the deaths but not the infections, then sure the death rate is much higher. However, many alarmists are claiming the number of infections are way under-reported, if you accept that, then the death rate is much lower based on the reported deaths, or we’re back to square one with the official death rate or thereabouts when both deaths and infections are under-reported.
      
      Alternatively, the zero deaths so far outside of China seems to corroborate the official figures.
      
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      January 30, 2020 8:43pm
- freethinker
  
  Maggy – I have read a report that a Chinese nurse in the affected area claimed 90,000 were already infected and a second hospital was being built, if correct the second hospital gives some credibility that the number infected are greater than official figures.
  
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  January 30, 2020 9:33am
  - NoCash
    
    That has been debunked.
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/blogs-trending-51271037
    
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    January 30, 2020 11:34am
- Stephieboy2
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  MW, a detect a note of desperation as there is nothing negative to report about the COLS handling of the Coronavirus outbreak?
  
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  January 30, 2020 9:54am
  - chaos
    
    Stop the personal attacks
    
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    January 30, 2020 10:30am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    a detect a note of desperation
    
    Is that right, stephieboy?
    
    Are you telling us that you can discern my moods from the items I post on Kiwiblog?
    
    Well that is a special superpower.
    (Greta has superpowers, too)
    
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    January 30, 2020 10:53am
    - chaos
      
      Well Maggie, the funny thing is last week he was telling everyone what the min fed wage in the usa was, linked to the page that showed it and still got it wrong, cant read and comprehend so chances he can tell your mood even if you told him are zilch
      
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      January 30, 2020 11:58am
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        The trouble is that I have had been subjected to years of personal abuse, defamation, filthy smears, stalking and harassment on this blog.
        
        Don’t the Mods realise that repeated low-level personal digs at me by stephieboy and co are just as nasty as full-on, one-off attacks?
        
        Why do I repeatedly have to justify my sanity, my ability, my sobriety, and my equanimity against these obsessive trolls?
        
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        January 30, 2020 2:12pm
      - Stephieboy2
        
        [You just have no empathy or sense of understanding do you – your tiny world lives for every chance of constant, relentless retaliation and bile. Time to let it go SB. Warning – mods]
        
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        January 30, 2020 2:33pm
      - Tall Man
        
        As I said a couple of days ago when the new mod was deleting my posts because he/she didn’t think they followed the “flow” of the conversation that I expected to see a lot less comments then from steffy.
        
        Obviously that didn’t fly but I did get threatened with a ban,
        
        Oh well, as Batman says I am here to bend the rules and push the envelope although in my opinion my treatment by that mod was ridiculous bordering on infantile.
        
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        January 30, 2020 2:41pm
      - chaos
        
        I know Maggy, I can feel your frustration at it. I’d like to say just ignore and don’t reply to anything, but I feel that it useless and he targets you no matter what. I think at some point David will have to consider some of the trolls that offer nothing but bring the whole level of the blog down
        
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        January 30, 2020 2:55pm
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        I’d like to say just ignore and don’t reply to anything, but I feel that it useless
        
        It is useless…
        
        If I don’t call out each sleazy personal attack, I discover that the trolls get nastier and creepier.
        
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        January 30, 2020 6:29pm
      - chaos
        
        I believe the way he targets you and others daily shows moderation on this site is broken.
        
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        January 30, 2020 8:18pm
- lastmanstanding
  
  Isnt it wonderful that you arent allowed on a plane if you have a pair of nail clippers or more than 100ml of fluid but you can get on a plane if you have a deadly virus.
  
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  January 30, 2020 10:00am
  - Simon Gotlieb
    
    Normal influenza is a deadly virus to some people. Likewise measles. Right now the only people dying of the coronavirus seem to be those who aren’t really that healthy. 99% media beatup IMO.
    
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    January 30, 2020 10:50am
- cmm
  
  Maggy, at this state of the game I would only expect disagreement. Any “consensus” would be entirely manufactured.
  
  It is not yet entirely clear how it spreads, how infectious it is, etc etc.
  
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  January 30, 2020 10:41am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Indeed,….and that, of course, is my point.
    
    Consensus science is bull-shit.
    
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    January 30, 2020 10:56am
    - Ed Snack
      
      Agree, we’re speculating whether it is an imminent threat or not as we really do have inadequate information.
      
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      January 30, 2020 12:20pm
KH

Given the chaotic indeed destructve discussions resulting from name supresssion in the electoral charges it’s clear the supression should be lifted in the public interest
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January 30, 2020 9:27am
- Simon Gotlieb
  
  Name supression is a joke, and we all know it. The only cases IMO where it’s justified are those in which innocent parties stand to be identified – i.e. in cases where a parent has abused children.
  
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  January 30, 2020 10:51am
MrTips

And just to follow up for the infectious nerds, interesting paper in press in the Journal of Travel Medicine https://academic.oup.com/jtm/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jtm/taaa011/5716260

Full text on subscription only, but these guys looked at IATA travel data between Feb-April 2019 to determine all cities in China that received >100,000 airline passengers from Wuhan. Those cities were: Beijing, Shanghai, Kunming, Chengdu, Xiamen, Haikou, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong.

Next they took the top 50 destinations from all 10 (including Wuhan) and calculated the Infectious Disease Vulnerability Index (IDVI) for each receiving country. The IDVI is an accepted measure of a country’s capacity to manage infectious disease threats, and utilizes multiple indicators including health, political, and economic metrics. Scores range from 0 – 1 with higher scores representing a greater capacity to cope with epidemic threats.

London was the only European city in the top 10. The first 9 are all Asian and vary widely in their ability to cope (eg. Tokyo IDVI = 0.93, velly good; Manila IDVI 0.55, not so good). London IDVI was 0.9.

Auckland ranks 33rd (the only NZ city in the top 50) and has an IDVI 0f 0.92, as good as Tokyo. Sydney and Melbourne ranked at 11th and 21st, respectively, both had IDVI’s of 0.91.

Places to avoid are: Phnom Penh = 0.36, Siam Reap = 0.36, Delhi =0.49, Cairo = 0.55 and Denpasar/Bali at = 0.56.
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January 30, 2020 9:29am
mikenmildagain

Hey, today’s the feast of King Charles the Martyr. Also the date, 12 years after the martyrdom, that the corpse of Cromwell exhumed and for posthumous execution.
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January 30, 2020 9:38am
- Engelbert Humperdink
  
  So Charles, other than the martyrdom, how was the feast?
  
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  January 30, 2020 10:27am
- GoVege
  
  How disgusting that was to interfere with a corpse, but at least he didn’t suffer..
  
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  January 30, 2020 12:02pm
  - UrbanNeocolonialist
    
    The dead don’t care, and Cromwell (a distant ancestor of mine) was a nasty religious zealot deserving of rough treatment – just as he meted it out to others.
    
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    January 30, 2020 12:26pm
    - mikenmildagain
      
      Funnily enough, one of Cromwell’s descendants is the Duchess of Kent (married to the Queen’s first cousin).
      
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      January 30, 2020 12:51pm
    - GoVege
      
      Wow…what an amazing ancestor to have, UN!
      Yes, I’m sure he had many imperfections but didn’t he help the cause of parliamentary democracy by curbing the power of kings?
      And he must have been your umpteenth gt gt gt…granddaddy…
      I think it does matter that human remains are respected, if only for the feelings of the living.
      One of the most ghastly things I ever viewed on the box was some savages running around a cemetery holding dead bodies they’d dig up.
      Aaaargh….
      
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      January 30, 2020 2:27pm
      - mikenmildagain
        
        Most people can find distinguished ancestors without too much research. If you have an ancestor born in England before 1900, there is about a 90% chance you are descended from Edward I, for example. More widely, most Europeans will have Charlemagne as an ancestor.
        
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        January 30, 2020 2:54pm
      - GoVege
        
        I find that hard to believe, milky.
        Can you back that up with some facts?
        
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        January 30, 2020 6:07pm
      - mikenmildagain
        
        Sure. I first read about it in a bio of Edward I, but here’s a shorter version:
        https://www.waterstones.com/blog/family-fortunes-adam-rutherford-on-how-were-all-related-to-royalty
        
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        January 30, 2020 7:08pm
tedbear

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/408447/coronavirus-evacuees-to-be-quarantined-in-nz-but-location-yet-to-be-confirmed
Confusion abounds in RNZ newsroom.
Headline “Coronavirus evacuees to be quarantined in NZ but location yet to be confirmed.”
Opening line of text “New Zealanders evacuated from Wuhan amid the coronavirus outbreak will be quarantined in Aotearoa.”
Thus according to at least one RNZ reporter NZ and Aotearoa are two different places.
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January 30, 2020 9:48am
- chaos
  
  They are different. Aotearoa is the north island, it is not new zealand
  
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  January 30, 2020 10:22am
  - cmm
    
    But us from NZ will still have to pay.
    
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    January 30, 2020 10:42am
  - Simon Gotlieb
    
    It was until the start of the 20th century, after which it came to mean the entire country.
    
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    January 30, 2020 10:52am
    - Tall Man
      
      Much like “open and transparent” came to mean “corrupt and secretive” you mean?
      
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      January 30, 2020 2:34pm
  - tedbear
    
    Then my passport needs changing as I was born in the South Island.
    
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    January 30, 2020 11:09am
    - Simon Gotlieb
      
      Well that explains it. Y’all do realise we’re in the 21st century now do ya?
      
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      January 30, 2020 1:41pm
      - cmm
        
        Yup 21st C with all this wonderful stuff brought by the colonialists. Not the stone age any more.
        
        Haven’t had to use a carved rock for ages. How awesome!
        
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        January 30, 2020 3:46pm
Maggy Wassilieff

How effective are the Green MPs?

There are 8 Green MPs: 12.3% of the CoL

There are 3 Green Ministers: 11% of Government Ministers

James Shaw gets $200 M out of the latest round of Infrastructure spending – $7B: 2.9%

Looks like the Greens are being played by the big boys and girls.
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January 30, 2020 9:50am
- sooty
  
  The election is going to be played by the big boys and the never was!
  
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  January 30, 2020 10:03am
- cmm
  
  The Greens are just pathetic lightweights and don’t understand how to be kingmaker like WInston does.
  
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  January 30, 2020 10:43am
  - MCos
    
    That’ll change soon enough if Jacinda hears about James having a cup of tea with Simon in a hipster tea rooms in Tauranga.
    Well, I don’t know there’s much chance of finding anything hipster in Tauranga. More likely retro.
    
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    January 30, 2020 11:31am
    - cmm
      
      James hasn’t got the balls to play hardball with Labour. Not even the pathetically weak PriNZess at the helm.
      
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      January 30, 2020 3:48pm
- GoVege
  
  Maggie, I want to thank you for alerting me to the devastation almond production is causing our bees.
  I only drink soya milk now, and no way will I buy almonds. 🙂
  
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  January 30, 2020 12:00pm
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    I’ve thought long and hard before informing you of the ghastly life Brazil nutters have to put up with.
    
    But here’s a video of the dangers and conditions some folks put up with to ensure the privileged folk of the west get their favourite nut.
    
    https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/riskingitall/2017/10/treacherous-journey-bolivia-amazon-171002131340412.html
    
    (p.s. you’ve only got a couple of weeks left to view this video)
    
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    January 30, 2020 1:59pm
    - GoVege
      
      You are so considerate of other people’s feelings, my sweet Maggie.
      Very interesting video, thanks.
      Its terrible what harsh lives so many people around the world have.
      Think I’d prefer my chances with tarantulas in the rainforest (apparently they’re not “too” venomous) than to be stuck in a sweatshop 12 hours a day.
      But I wonder why they can’t grow Brazil nut trees closer to where they need to deliver the nuts to?
      
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      January 30, 2020 2:40pm
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        The main problem with Brazil Nut cultivation beyond the Amazon Rain forest is poor pollination – seed/nut production.
        
        The trees are easy to grow… but they take up space – as they grow 35-50m high.
        
        They are not self-fertile, so you can’t clone and graft loads of a good-producing tree and just grow that clone.
        
        But the big bug-bear are the trees pollinators…. large, non-social bees that live and feed in the Amazon rainforest.
        
        The bees will come out and pollinate plantation Brazil nuts near to stands of mixed forest, but they won’t travel long distances to mono-stands of Brazil nut trees.
        
        Plantations of Brazil nut trees established in other tropical countries (S.E.Asia, Caribbean, Africa) have all failed because the Amazonian bees weren’t present to do the X-pollinating.
        
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        January 30, 2020 4:06pm
      - GoVege
        
        Sounds like these brazil nuts should be selling for a lot more than they currently are, being so hard to produce.
        (And full of selenium. )
        You’re incredibly well-read on this subject, Maggy!
        
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        January 30, 2020 6:42pm
  - Tall Man
    
    I think natural cows milk grown locally is a better option.
    
    Unless someone has a medical issue with milk then they are creating a worse environment with alternatives.
    
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    January 30, 2020 2:32pm
    - GoVege
      
      Only if the mummy cows are permitted to keep their little babies with them until weaned, Tall Man, like the company down in Christchurch does.
      But dairy is not particularly good for you.
      Plant based foods are far healthier.
      (My doctor told me that.)
      After all, we are the only species that continues to drink milk after being weaned from our mums.
      (Apart from a few very pampered pussycats of course. 🙂 )
      
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      January 30, 2020 2:44pm
      - Tall Man
        
        Oh dear, you have been led down the path haven’t you?
        
        When my wife and I met she was a dermatitis sufferer and had moderate asthma with daily inhalers.
        
        Having consumed natural unpasteurized milk my whole life and having read a little about it I suggested she try the milk in her tea which she did.
        
        Within weeks the eczema/dermatitis was gone and it would be 15 plus years since she used an inhaler.
        
        I spoke with a research doctor some years ago who told me the link between raw milk and recovery of both asthma and some skin conditions was well known but due to the minute potential of TB no researcher or doctor would promote it.
        
        All my uncles and aunties were raised on raw milk on the farms and many drank it most of their lives lived into their nineties with one making the 100 plus so I think you doctor is full of shit 🙂
        
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        January 30, 2020 3:38pm
      - cmm
        
        Vege. If you are Japanese, or from one of the few other cultures lacking the milk processing ability, then fair enough.
        
        Heaps of animals eat milk products – pretty much all predators do. Watch a cat eating a baby bunny: absolute first prize is hitting a gut full of curdled milk.
        
        Please DO NOT feed milk to cats it is WAY worse for them than it is for us (even Japanese). Ask your vet if you don’t believe me.
        
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        January 30, 2020 3:53pm
      - GoVege
        
        Yuk!
        My cats wear bells to slow them down killing other animals.
        Though I heard a commotion on the front porch a while back and found him standing over a dead rat.
        He’s learning though, I heard a miaow and then a tweet outside recently.
        He hadn’t harmed the bird and I was able to put it back safely in the tree. 🙂
        And he doesn’t drink anything except water and eats only fish cat food.
        Lately I’ve seen catfood containing kangaroo and let out an audible scream every time….
        
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        January 30, 2020 4:42pm
      - Tall Man
        
        Sorry, Vege, like the plant food crap you’ve been sold a pup.
        
        A wee bell does nothing to stop a cat from catching birds unless it is a big bell on a long lead and then you’re going to hang your cat. Watch your cat stalking, the head and neck area barely move up and down so the bell doesn’t stop them eating as many birds and vermin as they like 🙂
        
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        January 30, 2020 6:36pm
Maggie Pie

Still here. How long till we see him on the Green Party list?

https://twitter.com/BehrouzBoochani/status/1222366938531155969
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January 30, 2020 10:14am
- chaos
  
  Imprisoning them on an island. No flying them free out of an area they want to escape and caring for them free for two weeks you fool. Time he left and took up the usa settlement he was to be part of
  
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  January 30, 2020 12:12pm
rangitoto

The only downside of Brexit is that we wont get to see Nigel Farage serving it up to the scum in Brussels any more. The last hurrah was brilliant..
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January 30, 2020 10:20am
- Ruahine
  
  Nigels Last Hurrah.
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIgmfpHBiDw
  
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  January 30, 2020 11:46am
secondcumming

WTF! Listening to Robbo talking with Peter Williams.
Sounds like they’ll be relying on *Apprentices* to build the new roads.

And what the fuck is Robbo talking about when he refers to people as….*Shovel ready*?
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January 30, 2020 10:34am
- cmm
  
  What a numptie. Donoesn’t he understand that these days the roads are built with computers and lasers and stuff? The apprentices just get to hold the stop/go signs.
  
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  January 30, 2020 10:48am
  - Simon Gotlieb
    
    Hmmm… in that case the computer that designed the surface of the Kapiti Expressway must have had a virus… $25 million and counting.
    
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    January 30, 2020 10:53am
  - secondcumming
    
    @cmm……Not according to dear ol Robbo 🙂
    
    He’s talking about the big Road Building Contractors using these major projects as …*an opportunity to train a new workforce*.
    
    The beauty will be that in about 3 years time they’ll get to build them all over again.
    
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    January 30, 2020 11:00am
    - cmm
      
      Unless “shovel ready” is a new term on grindr, I will claim to know a bit more about it than Robbo.
      
      Make a road with shovels and it won’t last 2 months.
      
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      January 30, 2020 4:23pm
  - curry4me
    
    ‘Shovel ready’ is a term President Obama used to describe projects his part of the TARP plan threw money at. That’s probably where the ‘minister of finance’ got the term.
    
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    January 30, 2020 9:06pm
- Poppa
  
  Shovel ready is the term for “qualified to lean on one watching others work”
  
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  January 30, 2020 10:52am
- Ruahine
  
  Please be kind. It was likely a Freudian slip. He might have thought it was time to eat again.
  
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  January 30, 2020 11:49am
- UrbanNeocolonialist
  
  Shovel ready… for the bullshit he is trying to spread. It takes at least a year to establish a large infrastructure project. Hiring, design, land purchases consenting etc.
  
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  January 30, 2020 12:23pm
kevn

@sc and cmm… robber is just another of the lazy elite ‘them ‘n us’ type. A CoL specialty.
He wouldn’t have a clue about so many elements of real NZ working life.
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January 30, 2020 11:03am
Fletch

Too soon?

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3400755406632743&set=a.358589860849328&type=3&theater
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January 30, 2020 11:31am
- Engelbert Humperdink
  
  The focus group came back with Chlamydia Lager… dunno what happened since.
  
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  January 30, 2020 12:21pm
Happychappy

Simon Bridges , David Seymour and others should be pounding this message out daily leading up to the 2020 General Election, Grant Robertson and Phil Twyford confirmed to Newsroom yesterday that Labour is considering allowing NZTA to borrow in own right
outside of Government care debt limits similar to the way Kainga Ora borrowed $7 billion and that could free up a second term Labour- NZ First- Government to invest more heavily in Rail, Busses and Roads. Beware of of what want when going to the ballot boxes as this corrupt deceiving Government will screw you any way it can.
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January 30, 2020 12:21pm
- secondcumming
  
  Lets hope Robbo has thought about putting an *additional* $7 billion facility in place which they can draw down for the cost overruns.
  
  As my grand father used to say…. “Nobody ever went broke contracting to a Labor Government” 😎
  
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  January 30, 2020 12:39pm
curry4me

An extract from Nigel Farage’s final speech at the Fourth Reich’s ‘parliament.
https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/01/29/farage-in-final-eu-speech-hails-victory-in-historic-battle-between-globalism-and-populism/
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January 30, 2020 12:23pm
- mikenmildagain
  
  Straight to Godwin, I see.
  
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  January 30, 2020 12:52pm
- Stephieboy2
  
  What is exactly the Fourth Reich?
  
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  January 30, 2020 2:35pm
  - rangitoto
    
    This is what I found via the interwebs:
    
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union
    
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    January 30, 2020 3:04pm
  - Engelbert Humperdink
    
    The one after the Third.
    
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    January 30, 2020 7:35pm
    - curry4me
      
      It’s a joke name for the European Union. This time, Germany managed to unify Europe without any tanks and jackboots.
      
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      January 30, 2020 9:09pm
      - Paulus Gnome
        
        The funny part is, the Germans get to keep the French this time, something that they will regret in a very short period of time!
        
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        January 31, 2020 12:51am
curry4me

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/jan/28/charles-lieber-harvard-chemistry-dept-chairman-cha/
Harvard chemistry department chairman charged with lying about ties to Chinese government. I wonder how many have not been caught yet?
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January 30, 2020 12:24pm
curry4me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvPnNMUavV8
AfD immigration policy. AfD is a political party. Alternative fur Deutschland.
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January 30, 2020 12:25pm
Aunty

Yesterday I was in a popular Chinese fruit, vege, butchers grocery shop in Panmure. I was shocked to see that around 1/4 of the Chinese shopping there were wearing face masks! What, the Chinese don’t trust their own people now? I thought it was unnecessary, (still do) but it made me think that the Chinese whispers must be in overdrive by now and are reporting things that are much worse than what is being reported in the media.
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January 30, 2020 1:45pm
- chaos
  
  Should see them getting off a tourist bus. Often look at them and think, “seriously you have travelled from on of the most polluted places to here and you don’t want to breathe in the fresh air”
  
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  January 30, 2020 2:28pm
- Fletch
  
  I saw a Chinese lady about a month ago wearing a mask, and wondered why. I guess this was all just taking off then.
  
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  January 30, 2020 3:18pm
UrbanNeocolonialist

Wow; chinese govt have been lying about their population, not nearly as big as claimed. Birth rate collapsing- lowest since 1790, and population possibly already shrinking:
https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3047798/how-chinese-officials-inflated-nations-birth-rate-and-population
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January 30, 2020 1:50pm
- chaos
  
  It’s alright, I read a Chinese person saying that they are stuck in their homes, nothing to do, in 9 months there will be a population boost.
  
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  January 30, 2020 2:25pm
  - Maggie Pie
    
    Given the imbalance of ‘male to female’ ratio in China,
    I wonder if KK should consider opening a plant there?
    
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    January 30, 2020 2:51pm
    - chaos
      
      Do they have a kk with little black streaks in it?
      
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      January 30, 2020 3:14pm
      - Maggie Pie
        
        Yep – with mock creme.
        
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        January 30, 2020 3:56pm
      - chaos
        
        They sound a bit too salty
        
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        January 30, 2020 5:27pm
Happychappy

Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters must be worried about his legacy to Northland and whether his Party can beat the odds by surviving the 2020 General Election. Winston Peters has finally come out to spur efforts to move Auckland Ports to Northportwith a $40 million cheque incentive for the Government from the PGF, with Shane Jones saying the Government would purchase land close to Northport to secure a Rail Corridor for potential further development.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12304576
This is all about Winston and the means he will go to make sure his legacy intact and NZ First survive the 2020 General Election.
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January 30, 2020 1:54pm
- chaos
  
  40 million out of what is needed, gee, not even enough to do the paper work
  
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  January 30, 2020 2:24pm
Paulus

But guess which whanau own the land to be taken for Northport, under a Treaty Settlement.
Gonna be bloody expensive all round.
Merc dealers will be rubbing their hands as they do in Hamilton and Ngauruwahia.
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January 30, 2020 2:22pm
chaos

*The death toll in the coronavirus outbreak has risen to 162, a startling jump of 37 since the last report on Wednesday.

The new figure – given by the Hubei Health Commission – comes as the World Health Organisation (WHO) says it will soon meet to reconsider whether the virus should be considered a global emergency.

The virus was of “grave concern” the organisation said.

More than 6000 cases have been confirmed so far, the majority in China. *

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2020/01/coronavirus-death-toll-takes-alarming-jump-spikes-to-162.html
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January 30, 2020 2:24pm
- Stephieboy2
  
  [Deleted – mods]
  
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  January 30, 2020 2:39pm
- secondcumming
  
  Yet both Stephie, Milkmaid, and even Robin’s best mate, considered my 8:22am post here on GD….. to be *alarmist* 😎
  
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  January 30, 2020 3:00pm
  - Batman
    
    To be fair, I was talking about the weapons lab part, rather than the death total or anything.
    
    I mean, it’s safe to assume that the Chinese are lying as a default position. As is standard for any communist regime!
    
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    January 30, 2020 3:03pm
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      ‘standard for any communist regime’
      Just look at the current NZ
      
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      January 30, 2020 3:11pm
      - Tall Man
        
        Yes but the lies are only at the top. The underlings aren’t allowed to speak much.
        
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        January 30, 2020 7:00pm
  - chaos
    
    I don’t think it can be fully discredited yet as China have had leaks before. But it does bring up an interesting prospect. There is anger in China over this and how the government have responded. It got me to thinking if there was evidence it came from that lab would that be enough for an uprising against the government.
    
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    January 30, 2020 3:13pm
- GoVege
  
  Apparently the Sars virus, closely related to this latest virus, has been traced to a species of cave-dwelling bats in China.
  A revolting shot of a young Chinese woman dining on a whole bat is online.
  The Sars virus killed 800 people.
  Maybe it’s time some Chinese started having a rethink about their favourite delicacies.
  After all, do you ever hear of deadly diseases emanating from that other large Asian nation, India?
  Perhaps because most of them are vegetarian?
  
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  January 30, 2020 3:04pm
  - cmm
    
    Bats are a major virus vector for mammalian virus types because they fly, are numerous and cover such large areas.
    
    A single bat can fly over 30km radius to feed (more for some species). A cave full of bats can easily cover an area of 50x50km. That is almost the entire area North from Hamilton to Auckland.
    
    Of course they then share territory with other bats, feed with them, fight with them, have sex with them.
    
    In Africa bats are a major problem when it comes to trying to control rabies. Wipe out the rabies in an area and one or two sick bats can spread it again.
    
    In the 1980s I was attacked by a rabid bat in the Transkei which tried to bite me through a thick jumper. It got stomped before it got a second go.
    
    Of course it does not help that the Chinese love a bowl of bat soup and will trade them live at wt markets etc.
    
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    January 30, 2020 3:35pm
    - GoVege
      
      Very interesting, cmm.
      Being winged mammals (unfortunately for us), they would cover a large area.
      Hadn’t thought of that.
      Explains why malaria is the scourge it is, and zika etc.
      Glad to hear you survived the attack by the rabid bat.
      Unfortunately other cultures tend not to have the same sensitivity to killing animals that westerners do, which probably helps to protect us from catching diseases off other species.
      Love the bit on Rush Hour 2 where Chris Tucker holds a gun on a Chinese woman about to decapitate a chicken and says “Put the blade down and let the bird go”. 🙂
      
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      January 30, 2020 4:13pm
    - KevO'Brien
      
      They are also in Samoa as flying foxes. A flock used to roost in out mango tree overnight.
      
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      January 30, 2020 5:50pm
  - Tall Man
    
    And yet cholera does quite well in India as does HIV with the third highest population of HIV sufferers in the world.
    
    I also hear the kerosene is a bit of a killer there as well 😉
    
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    January 30, 2020 3:48pm
    - Ed Snack
      
      And methanol.
      
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      January 30, 2020 4:06pm
    - GoVege
      
      You could be right there, TM.
      But I do suspect the cholera and HIV are a bit harder to transmit than coronaviruses…. 🙂
      
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      January 30, 2020 4:06pm
      - Tall Man
        
        I don’t know about that, I heard you don’t even have to get out of bed to get HIV 😉
        
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        January 30, 2020 6:48pm
    - cmm
      
      Don’t mention the “bridal kitchen fires” it upsets some people and we all know there is nothing more terrible than upsetting people.
      
      The HIV numbers in India are really only due to their large population. The actual infection rate is 0.2% or so – low for a third-world country.
      
      That’s even better than many E. European countries like Ukraine, Georgia etc. and on par many Central European countries like Italy etc
      
      That’s, of course, if you believe the numbers.
      
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      January 30, 2020 4:13pm
      - GoVege
        
        Sometimes its worth upsetting people to try to stop terrible crimes being committed.
        Wonder if the number of brides “accidentally” burned to death in their kitchens has decreased?
        But most women in non-western cultures live awful lives…until they survive to older age and then its its their chance to inflict suffering on younger women.
        Oh, the loyalty of women to each other!
        And all western women have to moan about is some old dude groping them or thinking the casting couch is still in operation.
        How often do they reach out to help women in other countries whose very lives are on the line virtually all the time?
        Course nobody can really coz they might get called a racist….or even a “racist asshole” for criticizing other cultures. 🙂
        
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        January 30, 2020 4:33pm
      - cmm
        
        Yup Vege,
        
        I once saw the number of 10,000 per year being thrown around for bride burning. either:
        1) the family had too many daughters and couldn’t pay dowries for all of them, so they needed to get rid of some,
        or
        2) bride comes with insufficient dowry so a husband feels he can get rid of the bride and have another crack at it.
        
        In South Africa (well at least the parts I know) almost all black women are raped, on numerous occasions during their teens and early 20s. There’s a bit of an exception in highly Westernised surroundings (ie. professional family living the “white life” who can isolate send their daughters to expensive private schools and protect them from trouble). The majority will have at least one child out of wedlock, often due to one of these rapes.
        
        Is this Evil? Dunno. It is hard to be objective from our side of the fence. It does not fit with my personal value system though.
        
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        January 30, 2020 5:13pm
      - GoVege
        
        Sounds “evil” to me, cmm, or at the very least cruel and heartless.
        Its hard to believe such brutality goes on in the 21st century, and in a country like India where they are supposed to even value the lives of other species.
        But all over the world women’s lives are treated as close to worthless.
        In India they apparently have clinics on virtually every city street corner to determine a foetus’s gender to dispose of the females.
        The pregnant women apparently feel they are sparing their daughters from a life of suffering, which could be quite accurate.
        What is worse IMO is that older women are often the cruelest towards younger women, and are often the drive behind the murders of their daughters in law, just to get more money through dowries.
        That’s shocking that so many African girls are raped.
        I remember some years back when some gangs of males invaded a female hostel and accidentally set it alight, killing a number of girls.
        Somebody said in their defence that they never intended to kill anyone, they were “only” there to rape.
        It all comes down to the status of females in these places, I suppose.
        
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        January 30, 2020 6:36pm
  - Maggie Pie
    
    To be fair to her though ‘GoVege’, Miss Wang is an SM Influencer a bit like myself.
    The vid of her eating a live Bat in a swish Chinese resautrant was actually shot over 3 years ago . There’s even old vids of me around that i wouldnt like to become public 😛
    
    Just saying.
    
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    January 30, 2020 4:09pm
    - GoVege
      
      Did you say a “live bat”, Maggy.
      I so hope not!
      
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      January 30, 2020 6:12pm
      - Maggie Pie
        
        Here we go GV – warnung GRAPHIC CONTENT!
        
        https://www.pedestrian.tv/news/chinese-influencer-bat-eating-video/
        
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        January 30, 2020 6:54pm
    - Tall Man
      
      Surely not you and Tommy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
      
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      January 30, 2020 6:42pm
      - Maggie Pie
        
        No silly!! Way before i even met him. I still have them on cassette.
        
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        January 30, 2020 6:59pm
      - Tall Man
        
        Super 8?
        
        Are you really THAT old?
        
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        January 30, 2020 8:18pm
      - Maggie Pie
        
        Of course i’m not! They’re the ones my dad made of me as a little kid! Marmite all round my mouth, ice cream everywhere, spaghetti on the floor, all that sort of stuff LOL!!!
        
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        January 31, 2020 7:00am
    - NoCash
      
      Apparently it wasn’t even in China.
      
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      January 30, 2020 8:54pm
  - DigNap15
    
    I saw a chinese female friend of mine eating one day.
    And lookhing at her plate just made me want to puke.
    The things some asians eat are disgusting.
    Snakes. Monkey, cats, and some of their seafood!…
    
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    January 30, 2020 7:55pm
mikenmildagain

US federal deficit projected to reach $1 trillion this year. Probably Obama’s fault.
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/28/us-budget-deficit-to-break-1-trillion-in-fiscal-2020-cbo-says.html
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January 30, 2020 3:12pm
Stephieboy2

Scientific consesnus or not about climate change/ warming the views of these Nobel laureates on the subject have to be highly compelling.

https://www.bbva.com/en/nobel-laureates-stand-against-climate-change/
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January 30, 2020 3:15pm
- cmm
  
  Any scientist that uses the word “consensus” is being an activist – not a scientist.
  
  “Another Nobel laureate (for Physics in 2012), Serge Haroche from France, adds his voice to the topic. In his opinion, the numerous repercussions of climate change could “in the most extreme case” even lead to the “danger of nuclear war”.”
  
  So somehow CO2 will trigger a nuclear war?
  
  I’d like to see his workings.
  
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  January 30, 2020 3:39pm
  - fernglas
    
    It’s perfectly logical. Anything could trigger a nuclear war. A soggy Big Mac, an excess of whiskey or an over-seasoned Chicken Vindaloo for starters. Cross Channel taunts about the football or a spot of fat-shaming of a near naked horseman.
    
    But I’m not going to show you my workings.
    
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    January 30, 2020 6:16pm
    - Tall Man
      
      Oooh, you are a shy fellow……..
      
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      January 30, 2020 6:46pm
- alloytoo
  
  Argumentum ad verecundiam.
  
  Steffieboy reminds me of a young earth creationist, invokes all the same logical fallacies.
  
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  January 30, 2020 6:19pm
  - Tall Man
    
    She reminds me of an idiot.
    
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    January 30, 2020 6:45pm
    - alloytoo
      
      Same thing really.
      
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      January 30, 2020 7:36pm
      - Tall Man
        
        Just quicker to say 🙂
        
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        January 30, 2020 8:16pm
Maggie Pie

LOL!! Better safe than sorry i suppose.
A vey good friend of mine is sole charge manager of a posh frock shop in Remmers.
She was just telling me that soon after lunch, she was sitting out the back of the shop when this Chinese woman came in wearing a mask on her face. Within minutes of my friend picking up the phone, the Police arrived and arrested her. It only took about 20 minutes to get things sorted out – but talk about embarrassing 😀
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January 30, 2020 5:09pm
greybeard

https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/climate-news/119158239/severe-meteorological-drought-hits-areas-of-northland-and-auckland

And what exactly will these same doom-sayers have to say when in a couple of months there will be lengthy and severe rainstorms and flooding in North Auckland ?
I lived in Kaihu in the 1940’s and 1950’s.: I remember bloody hot summers and other times in the year when there were floods and constant rains in the same places .
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January 30, 2020 5:40pm
- chaos
  
  I remember when I was a kid in Taupo and the droughts, the heat far worse than what they claim are breaking records now, and the Forrest fires.
  
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  January 30, 2020 6:03pm
- DigNap15
  
  But Stuff says we are doomed, and the science is settled.!
  
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  January 30, 2020 7:52pm
  - sooty
    
    The only thing that’s doomed is stuffed!
    
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    January 30, 2020 8:46pm
  - chaos
    
    Stuff, isn’t that the media outlet that cannot even find someone desperate enough to buy them?
    
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    January 30, 2020 9:18pm
chaos

* A string of newly resurfaced video clips of former national security adviser John Bolton spurred President Trump and his supporters Wednesday to highlight what they described as serious credibility questions — raised by both Democrats and Republicans — amid the Senate impeachment trial, as the president tweeted, “GAME OVER!”*

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/schiff-bolton-lack-credibility-senate-impeachment-trial
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January 30, 2020 5:46pm
- JulieBabe
  
  What a despicable guy John Bolton is.
  You dont rat on your former boss when you are in charge of National security
  
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  January 30, 2020 11:07pm
  - Batman
    
    When your boss is corruptly trying to win an election, you do.
    
    The “Drug deal” is not national security, not classified.
    
    The White House is shamelessly trying to cover up their actions and abusing national security and the classification system to do it. Sadly for them they’re the leakiest WH in history and the facts will eventually see the light of day.
    
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    January 31, 2020 8:03am
    - softail 1450
      
      Batman, the 1st human in history to soar to TDS level eleven,Did Trump steal your girlfriend or your favourite puppy at some stage Batty ?
      
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      January 31, 2020 8:08am
Tony Stuart

According to Barry Soper on Newstalk ZB, a bloke by the name of Jami Lee Ross is allegedly one of those charged by the Serious Fraud Office. I wonder if an alleged journalist by the name of Tova O’Brien is allegedly one of the others.
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January 30, 2020 6:08pm
- chaos
  
  [Mod – lay off the mental health jibes]
  
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  January 30, 2020 6:17pm
  - chaos
    
    I disagree mod, the guy claimed a break down last time he got into trouble, if in trouble again I think he will do that again. Is this blog too precious to mention it when he is in trouble but mention it constantly when he isn’t
    
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    January 30, 2020 7:05pm
    - Tall Man
      
      Fastest recovery I have ever seen. 12 hours wasn’t it?
      
      At the time I thought it was disgusting using the spectre of mental illness as a deflection but I suppose like many in labour and the coalition partners the morality bar and integrity are low and lacking.
      
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      January 30, 2020 8:12pm
- fernglas
  
  The words “hoist” and “petard” spring to mind.
  
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  January 30, 2020 6:20pm
  - Tall Man
    
    Arsehole nutjob were the two I had in mind 😉
    
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    January 30, 2020 6:43pm
- MrTips
  
  I wonder if a certain Simon Lusk is potentially allegedly another.
  
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  January 30, 2020 7:07pm
  - Gazza the Giant
    
    And Slater and Peters
    
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    January 30, 2020 10:33pm
alloytoo

@Tony, when did Barry make this claim?

I wouldn’t mind listening to the crossover.
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January 30, 2020 6:27pm
- Tony Stuart
  
  I didn’t hear it myself, but it’s all over Twitter. Somewhere between 5.30 and 6pm, by the looks of things.
  
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  January 30, 2020 6:38pm
  - Surely Knott
    
    He said it during the Heathrr duP-A slot. About two hours ago.
    
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    January 30, 2020 6:52pm
    - Ceepar
      
      I think it was about 4.40pm with HdPA.
      
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      January 30, 2020 7:19pm
      - alloytoo
        
        Week on Demand 16:45 – 16:59 is unavailable off the news talk ZB web site.
        
        Suggests it may be true.
        
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        January 30, 2020 7:47pm
    - Maggie Pie
      
      Yep, its official – i heard it too.
      [My partner said he can never make out why those 2 always make out they hardly know each other, let alone share a f~~king bed 😛 ]
      
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      January 30, 2020 7:39pm
      - chaos
        
        Was there not name suppression for these 4?
        
        But I notice yesterday Soper Said
        
        “Newstalk ZB political editor Barry Soper says he has tried to contact Ross, but understands he has not been charged either. ”
        
        https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/andrew-geddis-why-simon-bridges-is-off-the-hook-in-serious-fraud-office-charges/
        
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        January 30, 2020 7:54pm
      - sooty
        
        In other words, “he’s just flapping his gums”
        
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        January 30, 2020 10:40pm
      - sooty
        
        Maggie, maybe Soper is sleeping on the couch?
        
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        January 30, 2020 10:43pm
      - softail 1450
        
        M P,Come on Maggie if you were Heather would you want to keep on bringing it up ?
        
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        January 31, 2020 8:13am
    - Souvlaki
      
      What happened to the 730 pm post on this blog about it??
      
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      January 30, 2020 9:06pm
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        Bugger… I had to go out and thought I’d read it after I came home.
        
        Might be something to do with Name suppression…
        although that’s rather peculiar as the news yesterday said Name Suppression issues are still to be dealt with.
        https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/four-people-charged-serious-fraud-office-over-donations-national-party-electorate-bank-account
        
        Mu
        
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        January 30, 2020 9:27pm
      - MrTips
        
        DPF was asked to take it down.
        
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        January 30, 2020 9:27pm
      - cha
        
        https://twitter.com/dpfdpf/status/1222769364002320390
        
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        January 30, 2020 9:30pm
      - UrbanNeocolonialist
        
        how do we know who we are not allowed to talk about if we are not allowed to talk about it?
        
        In other news, Jamie Lee Ross has been surprisingly quiet on twitter in the wake of what I assume would be his preferred moment to throw shade on his ex-colleagues:
        https://twitter.com/jamileeross?lang=en
        Has he finally, against all previous form, developed some discretion and self control?
        
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        January 30, 2020 9:37pm
      - chaos
        
        Looking at Soper reply to David’s tweet he is saying
        
        “ I said no such thing, quite the opposite.”
        
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        January 30, 2020 10:13pm
      - alex Masterley
        
        I saw that, read it and went back later to re-read and it was gone. Understand the reasoning. How they will get media comentators to unsay things will be interesting!
        
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        January 31, 2020 7:43am
Maggy Wassilieff

Oh, this isn’t a good look…

when the Media folk went looking for JLR
But he did appear briefly when two news crews approached his home, only to run back inside.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/119167622/mp-jamilee-ross-avoiding-media-after-serious-fraud-office-charges-four-people
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January 30, 2020 9:48pm
- Suze Wainwright
  
  So is Winnie going to think he’s just oh so clever playing the Mike Curb Congregation in the halls of Parliament again, or not…?
  I was thinking JLR was going to be part of NZ First’s re-election strategy this year
  
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  January 30, 2020 10:26pm
- tui47
  
  Don’t forget that JLR has a couple of supporters to have been behind him all the way. If the culprits are who I think they are then National will be very keen to get the name suppression lifted. Labour and Winston Peters will hope the name suppression continues as this donation scandal may have been more of a set up than just one taped phone call. I think Simon would be very happy to have this dirty politics scandal behind him. I think the real truth may even lift Nationals vote as they will most likely be cleared.
  
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  January 30, 2020 10:26pm
  - MeNotYou
    
    Is there actually name suppression? Surely that can’t happen until it’s been before the courts?
    
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    January 31, 2020 9:16am
    - Nickc2
      
      Yes, I believe only the courts can grant name suppression. However, prior naming may result in a defamation case being bought.
      
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      January 31, 2020 10:15am

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