General Debate 3 February 2020

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Michael NZ

MAGA
Brexit

what about you NZ!
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February 3, 2020 8:02am
- MCos
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  Time to free ourselves from the disintegrating dead hand of the British Royal Family and initiate our own Heads of State.
  
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  February 3, 2020 9:04am
  - GazzaW
    
    So who are you recommending from the current crop of ‘prospects’ MCos and will the President be appointed by the governing party or voted for by the electorate?
    
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    February 3, 2020 9:32am
  - Lance
    
    So like QE2 replaced by Hulun Klark?
    
    Hmm… that’s a tough one.
    
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    February 3, 2020 9:41am
  - Harriet
    
    You would be lowering the standard given you are replacing the Queen. Can you name someone who could possibly be of a higher standard – other than Charles, William and his son?
    
    What Rangi? Lei Chu? Brian?
    
    You are suggesting a commoner as head of state in NZ – whilst the commoner Trump is being ‘impeached’ in the USA. Do you think there would be a different outcome in NZ if we changed our head of state system?
    
    Leftists and the media don’t dare to even dust the Governor Generals with bullshit. Let’s keep it that way. 😎
    
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    February 3, 2020 9:56am
    - MCos
      
      You make a good point.
      Unlike the USA we have never been brazen enough to cock a snook at our betters and have been spared the leadership of some charismatic rabble rouser.
      
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      February 3, 2020 11:04am
      - Harriet
        
        ‘….charismatic….’
        
        A Bob Jones type – who will talk about the importance of individual decision making – and the ramifications if one doesn’t ?
        
        Or #xyzfemale – who sounds nice all the time – but has a background in ‘insisting that govt. make changes to achieve results’?
        
        Charles is a rabid leftie – but at least he is benign. 😎
        
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        February 3, 2020 12:05pm
      - sooty
        
        Why not have the maori king take up the position as king of nz!
        
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        February 3, 2020 12:49pm
      - Paulus Gnome
        
        Because, our collective self loathing about our place in this world, is not even that low
        
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        February 3, 2020 3:16pm
      - Tall Man
        
        Good lord man, are you fucking mad.
        
        While I have little time for royalty I have far less time for helen clark, jim bolger or some other troughing twat.
        
        They are a cheap alternative to the trappings that a “president” would entail.
        
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        February 3, 2020 5:57pm
      - Tall Man
        
        Your “betters” maybe, not mine.
        
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        February 3, 2020 5:58pm
  - rouppe
    
    How are they constraining us? In any practical sense?
    
    Otherwise it’s just one of those noise items I can’t beat bothered with
    
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    February 3, 2020 10:31am
  - Michael NZ
    
    I’m in the place that I agree with you MCos.
    It’s been a journey but when Queenie’s done, so must we.
    Just NEVER an old Politician (write that into the constitution).
    After we do away with the racist Maori seats of course 🙂
    
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    February 3, 2020 11:25am
    - Gravelroad
      
      We have had old politicians as Governors General in the past Michael eg Dame Cath Tizard and Sir Keith Holyoake.
      Being a GG is a ceremonial representation of the monarch and, as far as I am aware, they don’t do much harm.
      I would actually prefer it if Ms Ardern was the Governor General rather then the PM.
      All she would be required to do is smile, go round the country shaking hands (not sure about hugging), read out prepared speeches (with which she already has plenty of practice), host celebs, get on the covers of women’s magazines and learn how to pin medals onto unwilling fabrics.
      Easy – and no ability to ruin the country with communist agendas.
      
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      February 3, 2020 4:31pm
      - Tall Man
        
        Who is the ms ardern of when you speak?
        
        As far as I am concerned the best place for her is anywhere but here …..
        
        Borrowing from Sir Tim…
        
        “I don’t care where, as long as she’s not here!”
        
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        February 3, 2020 6:03pm
- rockape
  
  For me I see 2020 as a good year. end of Brexit, Trump impeachment fail, and to look forward to a National Government and Trump re elected (even if just as the lesser of two evils.
  
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  February 3, 2020 9:55am
artemisia

Mike Hosking interviewing the Prime Minister this morning. Very noticeable that her voice kept entering the higher registers. Often a sign of stress, but more importantly not a good ‘look’ for the leader of a country.
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February 3, 2020 8:02am
- BullyHayes
  
  i listened to the same interview and noticed my ears bleeding shortly afterwards… even the wife – who is much more tolerant – commented on what an annoying voice she had…
  
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  February 3, 2020 9:13am
  - Sydney Alvarado
    
    You have more patience than me. There is no way I could listen through that.
    
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    February 3, 2020 9:25am
    - curry4me
      
      I only go to NZ NPC media sites if there is a link from here.
      
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      February 3, 2020 11:55am
    - Sacha
      
      I grit my teeth and listen – for a few minutes anyway. This is to remind myself that my gut feeling is right and I wasn’t just imagining things.
      
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      February 3, 2020 12:28pm
  - LTA1955
    
    MSM are getting desperate using orthodontic imaging with big closeups of Cindy’s shiny enamel …anyone noticing this?
    
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    February 3, 2020 10:12am
- Neo
  
  I agree with the voice comment. However what supprised me was she actually answered most of his questions. The questions were fairly light weight though, but very unusual for her to answer anything.
  
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  February 3, 2020 9:51am
- Sir Cullen's Sidekick
  
  Sifting through the tea leaves to see the future eh? She is busy governing bro, not electioneering. Wait and see on Waitangi day. Maori will be queuing up to have a glimpse of their great leader.
  
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  February 3, 2020 12:16pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Simon Bridges?
    
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    February 3, 2020 5:39pm
    - Tall Man
      
      Clever clogs…..
      
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      February 3, 2020 6:15pm
Paulus Gnome

So pleased to get back from Australia last evening, so pleased to have an empathic experience with a plane load of masked Chinese in the arrival hall, luggage, customs areas, all undoubtedly virus free . . .

Kind and caring government her toothiness said.

My arse said Jim Royale
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February 3, 2020 8:04am
peterwn

So Spanish Bride is whining that BFD got banned by Facebook for 24 hours. A bit hypocritical considering that Facebook bans people indefinitely and expects them to beg for forgiveness in the hope of being reinstated. Sauce, goose, gander anyone?
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February 3, 2020 8:08am
- peterwn
  
  Oops I meant BFD not Facebook in the second sentence. In too much of a hurry – red face.
  
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  February 3, 2020 8:38am
  - Jack5
    
    Had to dig to find out what BFD is and who is (or what is) Spanish Bride. ?
    
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    February 3, 2020 9:05am
    - 453mm
      
      Don’t dig too hard. Mud sticks.
      
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      February 3, 2020 9:44am
    - peterwn
      
      Oh, you must be new to NZ political based blogs. One simple dig on Google!
      
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      February 3, 2020 9:58am
- Poppa
  
  That is so funny Peter, they love to dish it out but can’t take it
  
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  February 3, 2020 9:03am
- Random T Person
  
  And those idiots at the BFD don’t seem to understand that the platform owner gets to decide what is published. Facebook isn’t a ‘free speech platform’, you dolts, it is a BUSINESS.
  Same goes for Twitter, Insta, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc.
  How dumb can you be.
  
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  February 3, 2020 12:31pm
Stephieboy2

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Well we can ease off the panic button alert and hysteria that has come to try and test us over the last several days ,

“Testing of a suspected case of coronavirus in Auckland has come back negative”

A patient in isolation at Auckland City Hospital with New Zealand’s first suspected case of coronavirus has tested negative.

Director General of Health Ashley Bloomfield has told reporters at a media conference in Wellington today that there is another explanation for the patient’s illness.
He said there are no other suspected or confirmed cases of the virus in New Zealand.

Six cases of the suspected virus in New Zealand have been tested so far and have all come back negative.

But Dr Bloomfield said it was important to remain vigilant as they still expect to get a case here at some point.

He said although the patient tested negative for coronavirus, he thanked them for following the right process and coming forward.

The symptoms of coronavirus are a cough, fever and difficulty breathing which are similar to a range of respiratory illness and anyone with these symptoms should telephone healthline in the first instance, he said….’

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/408632/testing-of-a-suspected-case-of-coronavirus-in-auckland-has-come-back-negative
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February 3, 2020 8:16am
- Tony Stuart
  
  You’ll note Stephie that the Government yesterday took steps to severely restrict the arrival of Chinese nationals to New Zealand. That was in spite of lefties calling Act and National’s calls for restrictions ‘xenophobic’ yesterday morning, and in spite of Golriz Ghahraman accusing Simon Bridges of ‘fear mongering’ in a tweet she later tried to delete.
  
  The Government has been slow off the mark on coronavirus but yesterday’s announcement shows they are finally taking it seriously, and I commend them for that.
  
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  February 3, 2020 9:28am
  - pdm
    
    Hi Tony – I sent you a personal email to a 15 year old email address I had early last week. If you didn’t get it email me a better address to use at cruliviig@gmail.com and I will resend it.
    
    Nothing earth shattering, just an idea.
    
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    February 3, 2020 10:11am
  - NoCash
    
    Don’t forget the ban applies to not just Chinese nationals, but anyone who has been to mainland China or transited through there recently will not be allowed in regardless of nationality, obviously NZ passport and PR holders are exempt.
    
    Considering screening is ineffective due to the virus being asymptomatic, closing the border is the only option.
    
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    February 3, 2020 10:28am
  - Michael NZ
    
    Golriz the Greenie gift that keeps on giving.
    
    I am grateful she and Chloe can’t keep their mouths shut.
    Sadly for the younguns who lap it up, it’s a shame, but for people who pay the piper or have, it’s a clarion call reminder don’t vote Green.
    
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    February 3, 2020 11:29am
    - Sir Cullen's Sidekick
      
      How are you going to tolerate when Golris is the minister of immigration in a Labour-Green 2020 gummit and opens the flood gates for refugees to freely come and settle here?
      
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      February 3, 2020 12:19pm
      - Tall Man
        
        Not a problem mate.
        
        I hate to say it but labour is always good for my pocket and the last 2 years has been no exception so if the unthinkable happened I’d move a few things around and bank the bucks.
        
        I have learned that most incompetents governments can actually achieve fuck all and again these guys have proven that point.
        
        Yes I know gas ban and gun laws but ultimately their ineffectiveness has limited their harm.
        
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        February 3, 2020 6:24pm
  - Aunty
    
    I agree, Tony. They are a dollar short and a day late – so typically New Zealand and Labour – but at least they have now closed the border to foreigners who have traveled through or from China. Really, if they were on to it, they should have closed the border around last Thursday. Probably no harm done being a bit late in closing it, but I guess we’ll find out, eh?
    
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    February 3, 2020 12:11pm
- chaos
  
  No hysteria or panic, it is called having a discussion, something you are not capable of doing.
  
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  February 3, 2020 9:42am
- Justitia
  
  My goodness the regime’s spokesman was quick out of the blocks this morning to try to deflect any responsibility for their incompetence . The coronavirus reportedly takes up to 14 days to incubate Stephie, keep those worry-beads close by.
  
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  February 3, 2020 9:45am
hullkiwi

RNZ & probably peddling the line that Bridges axing NZF is a risk as voters may desert National.

What the media are not reporting is:
1. Peters will be irrelevant this year – he has nowhere to go, but Labour;
2. NZF MPs are jockeying for position (rats and survival) if things are close and post Peters;
3. Peters friends in the National caucus would be committing suicide if they pick up the “phone” to Peters. He is no friend of National.

This year the campaign will br relentless – party vote Green or NZF get Jacinda and Labour! None of the keeping Nnational honest cr*p.
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February 3, 2020 8:16am
- KevO'Brien
  
  ☑️☑️Rout2020☑️☑️
  
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  February 3, 2020 8:55am
- Prince
  
  Peters is quite delusional. After 20 years of attacking National, personal insults against their leaders and several MP’s, and suing them while pretending to negotiate, he seems surprised they have called him on his hypocrisy.
  Will any of his caucus colleagues dare question his failed ‘strategy’ ?
  
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  February 3, 2020 9:18am
- artemisia
  
  Better to leave Jacinda out of it as much as poss. Ignoring her is better than criticising as that will be seen as being mean and personal.
  
  Labour/Green government swipes allow Labour to be smacked for … anything at all really like delivery, policy, no policy, Ministers and backbenchers, both coalition partners.
  
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  February 3, 2020 9:25am
- Michael NZ
  
  and they must be seen to comitt political suicide, if they do ring Winnie.
  
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  February 3, 2020 11:31am
sooty

Cindy goes north today!
Will it be the biggest shitfight yet?
Is she going to shaft every property owner?
Whatever she does, she will come in third.
National own the day!
Whinestone second by default!
Cindy an also run!
Greens give you the runs!
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February 3, 2020 8:16am
- lifesgood
  
  [Mods: no child targeting]
  
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  February 3, 2020 9:09am
  - lifesgood
    
    Apologies! You obviously have a very low bar for what you call “child targeting” and I note that in the General Debate of 25 January there were no less than 10 comments on a similar vein to my relatively innocuous one and they were all passed.
    
    [Mod: yours was a bit too nasty and sarcastic. Sorry.]
    
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    February 3, 2020 10:30am
    - lifesgood
      
      Wow!
      
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      February 3, 2020 12:01pm
      - Tall Man
        
        Now you know how I feel 😉
        
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        February 3, 2020 6:28pm
    - lifesgood
      
      Tall man..I thought of you. I must state that my remark was neither nasty or sarcastic. I can’t believe it was judged to be but there you are!
      
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      February 4, 2020 7:41am
- Prince
  
  I see she has wiped rates arrears for some Maori land, given another $30M of our money for ‘Maori development’ (no specifics), so I guess they are trying to shore up support last minute with a few baubles.
  
  https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12305350
  
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  February 3, 2020 9:24am
  - Paulus
    
    I assume she will also announce the Ihumateo Settlement at Waitangi with our money, from somewhere.
    
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    February 3, 2020 1:30pm
  - Tall Man
    
    Awesome … fines are next.
    
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    February 3, 2020 6:31pm
Simon

Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Well done Ardern for the China travel ban.
( 3 weeks late of course)

It was a Trump like decision. Ardern had to ignore NZ’s neolib globalist ideology for 5 minutes and get it done.

Did National ever call for a travel ban? If they didnt shame on them. Had a quick look…….

National Party’s health spokesperson Michael Woodhouse said new viruses could rapidly spread and take hold before symptoms become apparent.

“The prudent response would be to … screen visitors for early symptoms.”

Fucking clown.
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February 3, 2020 8:17am
- Tarquin North
  
  Why would National call for a ban, be called racist and hand a load of ammunition to Labour and the Greens? Times like these require a true leader to make the tough decisions. Come the hour cometh the man. What do we get? The real Jacinda and a total shambles just like the measles epidemic she seems to have conveniently forgotten about.
  
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  February 3, 2020 9:02am
  - Tony Stuart
    
    See my reply to Stephieboy above. Bridges echoed David Seymour’s call for a travel ban yesterday and was immediately attacked by the left; until the Government announcement late yesterday, which I commend.
    
    It’s the Golriz Principle. Anything the Opposition suggests is bad until the Government does it, whereupon it becomes good. It’s also known as Hypocrisy 101 ?
    
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    February 3, 2020 9:34am
    - Simon
      
      “Bridges echoed David Seymour’s call for a travel ban yesterday and was immediately attacked by the left; ”
      
      OK TS thanks – excellent call by National / Bridges.
      
      A little late but got there in the end.
      
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      February 3, 2020 10:30am
    - Simon
      
      It’s the fear mongering. Simon’s argument today sharing an ACT Party post was to push for China travel bans rather than what the Gov is doing in following the World Health Org guidelines on what will actually stop this disease. Why would he want us to reject expert health policy?
      
      . Why would a politician push a policy on health not supported by health experts?
      
      G Ghahraman twitter
      
      jesus what an utter mong. – Its not a decision made by doctors.
      
      precautionary principle – is a strategy for approaching issues of potential harm when extensive scientific knowledge on the matter is lacking.
      
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      February 3, 2020 10:39am
      - Aunty
        
        Gorliz should stick to her area of competence and what she knows – which is sweet fuck all – and allow the adults to speak.
        
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        February 3, 2020 12:43pm
  - Diversity Supremacist
    
    If you can’t make tough discussions in fear of being called racist you’ve already lost.
    
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    February 3, 2020 10:26am
Right of way is Way of Right

Winston the One Trick Pony has a problem.

His one trick is playing two sides against each other to get exactly what he wants. He is like the spoiled only child after a divorce, using mum against dad and dad against mum.

Well, Dad has decided not to play the game any more.

Now watch for the temper tantrums from the spoiled child as he no longer gets his way, and no-one will buy him the latest playstation, and all his friends will see him for what he really is. He has reached his current position on nothing more than bluster and bigotry.

I look forward to a Winston-less parliament.

(I know it’s not a given though, he could teach Vladimir Putin a thing or three about holding on to power!)
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February 3, 2020 8:17am
- KevO'Brien
  
  I look forward to the NZF Foundation being put under a microscope. Legal does not mean proper or moral or acceptable. Skating on the boundaries of lawfare invites questions of the probity of the parties involved particularly if they hold high Office.
  
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  February 3, 2020 9:01am
  - Prince
    
    It is clearly illegal. Paying party expenses from te Foundation. Cut and dried case, shouldn’t take more that a couple of months.
    
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    February 3, 2020 9:27am
    - KevO'Brien
      
      Lending money is not illegal. A lot depends on the legal form which can be cleverly transformative.
      I suspect NZF and friends operate at that level. It’s well known to tax lawyers.
      
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      February 3, 2020 9:57am
      - rouppe
        
        I’m sure the appropriate paperwork will be provided. Even if it is only drawn up now.
        
        There is a complicit cabal around Peters that means he can skate around most problems
        
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        February 3, 2020 10:41am
      - rockape
        
        What is illegal is if doners thought the money was going direct to NZ First and it was diverted elsewhere. That is plain and simple fraud!
        
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        February 3, 2020 11:02am
- artemisia
  
  Three kicking a ball around. One takes the ball and goes home. That game is over.
  
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  February 3, 2020 9:12am
- Raphael
  
  I notice he used the same line about Bridges not understanding politics that he used about Key when Key ruled out working with Winnie in the 2008 election.
  
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  February 3, 2020 9:22am
- MCos
  
  Every election 90%+ of the voters (including this one) wanted no part of NZF.
  8/9 elections they have contested 5%+ wanted a part of them.
  Unfortunately
  1951 was the last time National, or anyone, scored 50% of the popular vote alone.
  The Nats need ACT to reverse their declining vote under Seymour or the Maori Party to spring into life again AND side with them.
  
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  February 3, 2020 9:25am
  - rangitoto
    
    You only need 50% of the votes that are counted. If Winstone First gets 4%, then Nat plus Act just need 48% (assuming there are no other wasted votes)
    
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    February 3, 2020 10:47am
    - rockape
      
      There are usually 6 to 8% of votes that dont lead to seats and are split.
      
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      February 3, 2020 11:03am
  - hullkiwi
    
    Not quite. But that would require writing an essay about MMP. For National to become government they need:
    1. To gain 46% of the vote;
    2. ACT to win Epsom and 2% of the party vote; and
    3. NZF to get less than 5%, resulting on them being out of Parliament.
    
    Given there will be the Maori Party and sundry others attracting 1% to 3% of the Party vote, it means the Labour/Green coalition cannot achieve more party vote support than National/ACT.
    
    If this permutation arises, it will be interesting to see how kindly Labour will play with the Greens. Will Labour view the Greens as lost Labour votes, and go all out to win greater party vote support?
    
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    February 3, 2020 11:07am
    - rockape
      
      I think the fun battle will be all 3ol parties attacking each other for votes.
      
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      February 3, 2020 12:10pm
  - curry4me
    
    I hope the racist party never gets back into parliament. In some ways, it’d be as bad as having WP as PM for life. New racist laws that’d be very hard to get rid of. Just say no to racism.
    
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    February 3, 2020 12:04pm
- rockape
  
  Peters polling over the last 30 months is half his polling for the 36 months prior to the last election, His average is 3 % less than his election result. That was about 1.8% less than his polling prior to that election. The Winston bounce back is a myth spread by Winston.
  
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  February 3, 2020 10:03am
  - Paulus Gnome
    
    The same amount of bounce experienced by ‘the boys’ with the three storey ‘gay’ test in the Shitisatni nations . . .
    
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    February 3, 2020 3:28pm
- Surely Knott
  
  Andrew Dickens Newstalk ZB can barely contain his frustration., ” He (Bridges) says he doesn’t trust New Zealand First. I guess that’s just because National’s offer of a coalition to NZ First last election just wasn’t good enough. Just own it. You lost a bidding war. ”
  Did National just lose a bidding war? Who would know the agreement that formed our government is in a locked safe. But I don’t think so. Winston has been bitter and personal towards Simon and National for the whole term, hardly a man acting professionally with a view to negotiation with both parties. And why should their only be a single party able to decide a government. Perhaps Dickens criticism should be with the Greens. The Greens have chosen to bite their thumb at mmp and not negotiate with both parties. National ha made the obvious choice. The writing was on the wall. Winston wasn’t going to negotiate fairly with National and nor should he hold sole power to decide. An ethical and strategic move from National that means we will no longer be played for fools.
  
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  February 3, 2020 5:29pm
  - Tall Man
    
    The greens showed themselves to be immature cry babies.
    
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    February 3, 2020 6:41pm
MrTips

Interesting time of day between 430-6pm. That’s when China Southern Air flights 305 and 617, both direct from Guangzhou, turn up at Auckland and Christchurch, respectively.

They either didn’t get the memo or are trying to call our bluff. Turn them back. Gonna be several hundred grumpy Chinese who really need to take it to their airline and govt.

I predict much yelling and footstamping at customs.
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February 3, 2020 8:18am
- Simon
  
  China travel ban is very interesting. CCP have converged so many in NZ. Academic, MSM, business and political.
  
  And then NZ’s chicken shit economy cant handle too much of a travel ban.
  
  News is that the Chinese health system is fast collapsing. There are riots in some cities. So looks like NZ might get away with upsetting the CCP. The worse it is in China the better the decision here.
  
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  February 3, 2020 9:14am
- NoCash
  
  Easy, only NZ passport holders or PR can disembark, the rest can stay onboard and wait for fueling done and fly back. The flight and cabin crews can stay onboard too as there are replacement crews to take over anyway.
  
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  February 3, 2020 9:29am
- NoCash
  
  Come to think about it, perhaps many of the pax are returning Kiwis and PR, so China Southern decided to fly. They might have already refused check-in for non NZ passport and PR holders in Guangzhou.
  
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  February 3, 2020 11:48am
  - NoCash
    
    Further to that, the crews already in NZ scheduled to operate the planned return flights before the border closure announcement would otherwise be stuck in NZ, so China Southern would need to bring them home, and perhaps take one last flight of pax and cargo to China.
    
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    February 3, 2020 12:17pm
- GazzaW
  
  Well Mr T, CZ305 is just crossing over the Kaipara Heads and CZ617 will be in sight of the South Island very soon.
  
  I’m guessing that all passengers and crew will disembark, undergo more stringent immigration procedures than normal and life will carry on.
  
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  February 3, 2020 4:11pm
peterwn

So Simon Bridges has much to learn about politics eh? Perhaps Winston has badly misread Simon’s outlook on politics. Perhaps Simon has no intention of playing second fiddle to Winston and is therefore prepared to put his political future on the line over this. Simon has a career choice, if he cannot progress in politics, he can just pick up his legal career again with its opportunities – QC, High Court Judge, etc.
I suppose Winston is in a similar position – he has nothing to lose so he can play political cards as he pleases, to hell with the prosperity of NZ.
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February 3, 2020 8:18am
- igm
  
  Simon taught Peters aa real lesson when he cleaned the deck with him in Tauranga. That was man-on-man, no excuses, Peters was hammered.
  
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  February 3, 2020 8:51am
  - Tall Man
    
    “Peters was hammered”
    
    Perhaps he was hammered because he was hammered …..
    
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    February 3, 2020 6:43pm
- KevO'Brien
  
  Simon Bridges. when allowed to in the House, shows his superiority as a former Crown prosecutor. Winston is reduced to a flakey comic. He rides on his charger as NZF hung-over power broker–his contribution as Foreign Minister is his capacity to drink with diplomats on demand.
  
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  February 3, 2020 9:08am
- Prince
  
  Peters has been pretty stupid over the last 3 years. His gloating and arrogance has meant he has no option but to go with Labour again.
  A more astute politician would have adopted a mature, statesmanlike attitude, allowing the prospect of different choice in 2020.
  
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  February 3, 2020 9:36am
  - hullkiwi
    
    Peters is no Peter Dunne who managed to be a minister in one shape or form from 1996 to 2017.
    
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    February 3, 2020 11:10am
    - igm
      
      Dunne for all his shortcomings, was a gentleman, and a bloody hardworking MP, who did well for Ohariu.
      He was a damn sight better than the unionised goober they have currently.
      
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      February 3, 2020 11:52am
  - Tall Man
    
    I 100% agree with you.
    
    He has behaved like a juvenile yobbo and and an embarrassment to New Zealand and democracy.
    
    Roll on Sept 2020 and we’ll be rid of them both.
    
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    February 3, 2020 7:04pm
- herb1
  
  yes Simon has Much to learn about politics according to peters.
  Peters with all the media attention given to him as a party leader , at the time 3 decades in Parliament , contesting a seat he had held in his hometown , got thrashed by bridges at his first attempt at politics.
  Bridges leads a party with around 1000% more support than Peters and has around 120% more personal support than Peters , inspire of a personal crusade by the MSM against him and a universal fawning of Peters by the same MSM.
  A dead animal stinks to high heaven but the smell eventually fades away.
  the smell of Peters has endured for 40 years . Time to douse him with deodorant
  
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  February 3, 2020 9:45am
  - igm
    
    Does Simon need to get the arse card from three electorates to measure up in the view of venal Peters (Tauranga twice) . . . I should think not!
    By the way Simon, check to see if Peters has repaid taxpayers the $158,000 owed to them.
    
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    February 3, 2020 12:46pm
- rockape
  
  He kicker Winstons arse in Tauronga, I think on the memorable date 02/02/2020 he did it agaion.
  
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  February 3, 2020 10:05am
  - igm
    
    rockape: He kicked his arse by 10,000 votes . . . a real thrashing, especially as Simon was a novice.
    
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    February 3, 2020 12:47pm
- Right of way is Way of Right
  
  What can Winston teach anyone about Politics?
  
  Well, as a three time loser, (Hunua, Tauranga and Northland), he’s shown how to baffle with bullshit, how to succeed with nothing but smoke and mirrors, (especially mirrors, Winston LOVES mirrors), and that all you need to be a successful politician is a little bit of bottle fed charisma, a sharp Italian suit or two and the cunning of a shit-house rat!
  
  Smile and wave boys, smile and wave…
  
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  February 3, 2020 11:47am
Stephieboy2

Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
One of the more uglier manifestations of Brexit gets her comeuppance.

Good Job!

“Katie Hopkins tricked into accepting fake ‘C**T’ award by YouTube prankster Josh Pieters ”

Katie Hopkins appears to have been tricked into picking up a fake “C**T” award by YouTube prankster Josh Pieters.

The former Apprentice and Celebrity Big Brother star flew to Prague to accept the “completely fake” award on Monday, Pieters said.

The YouTube star, who has 1.21 million followers on the platform, uploaded footage of the ceremony online on Thursday.

In it he was filmed handing Hopkins a trophy as they both smiled to the camera.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/katie-hopkins-tricked-into-accepting-fake-award-by-youtube-prankster-josh-pieters-a4349591.html
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February 3, 2020 8:19am
- lifesgood
  
  Stephieboy, you are irredeemably nasty. I have heard tell you call yourself a Christian…pffft!
  
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  February 3, 2020 9:12am
- Charmaine Hawke
  
  Yep it is hilarious isn’t it?
  Just ban the voices you don’t like and then wonder why BREXIT and Trump happen.
  
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  February 3, 2020 9:12am
  - Stephieboy2
    
    Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
    Who says banning voices you don’t like? The real threat comes from Katie and the Tommy’s of this world!
    
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    February 3, 2020 9:47am
    - Michael NZ
      
      No Stephie, the real threat are the Stephies and Milkymike’s of this world.
      
      Drive by nastiness, stalking, rude abnoxious slammers with no intention of actually engaging.
      asking for sources when you actually don’t want any.
      smearing and defaming.
      
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      February 3, 2020 11:39am
cmm

I have used the metaphor of going to the movies for voting before. I think it works rather well.

Depending on the prevailing political climate: unemployment, international threats, whatever, people might choose to go to a chick flick or a superhero movie.

At the time of the last election everything was ticking along smoothly and it was time for a chick flick if a reasonable one was on offer. Nobody does the useless-bumbling-woman-who-tries-so-hard better than PriNZess. Add to that all the frustrated “time for a woman” people who were upset that Trump beat Clinton and you get what PriNZess did: an uptick of about 18% for Labour – enough to make a CoL.

Instead we could have had a heroic movie with competence etc, but that was not really required at the time.

Bring on 15 March in Christchurch. Her “big moment”. No leadership required. Just lots of hugz and luvvz. No competence required.

Even the failure of deliver does not matter that much (there are not enough homeless to sway the needle and they mostly don’t vote anyway).

And now bring on the coronavirus. She’s flat-footed, out of her depth. People want competence and there is none. People want leadership and there is none. People want decisive action, not working groups.

People want to pop the Bridget Jones DVD and load the Russel Crowe.

Bye bye Hugzilla.
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February 3, 2020 8:19am
- Stephieboy2
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  There is a consolation though so far dozens haven’t died of the Coronavirus nor at this stage tested positive for it.
  
  A totally meaningless and dumb comparison!
  
  Snooze button alert, cmm!
  
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  February 3, 2020 8:28am
  - JackRabbit
    
    Always the negative Stephie, you are always the negative.
    
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    February 3, 2020 8:43am
    - RW Capitalist
      
      and therefore, always the down tick.
      
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      February 3, 2020 9:32am
  - tf78
    
    If you don’t want the Coronavirus you can now have the bird flu instead.
    
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    February 3, 2020 8:50am
    - chaos
      
      Hmmm, I might wait and see what the next option is
      
      3 0
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      February 3, 2020 1:35pm
  - hullkiwi
    
    Did you do maths at school Stephie? 340deaths/12 = 27 to 28 dozen. So there have been dozens of deaths. Learn to think before you hit the keyboard!
    
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    February 3, 2020 9:11am
    - RW Capitalist
      
      But we don’t teach individual thinking at school any more.
      
      10 0
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      February 3, 2020 9:33am
    - Stephieboy2
      
      [Mod: Don’t be disgusting, trying score points from tragedies is a sad reflection on yourself. Final warning – another post like this and your next strike is No 7, 3 months suspension.]
      
      29 2
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      February 3, 2020 9:50am
      - Captain Mainwaring
        
        My uptick was for the Mod.
        
        31 0
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        February 3, 2020 10:43am
      - cmm
        
        How many “final warnings?” From what I see he’s had a few the last few days.
        
        Final warning… I mean it…. Don’t push me… For real this time…
        
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        February 3, 2020 10:53am
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        He seems to have a charmed life on this blog.
        
        I requested assistance from the moderators yesterday….
        
        https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2020/02/general_debate_2_february_2020.html#comment-2635244
        
        crickets, as far as I can tell.
        
        Stephieboy seems to have a free pass to smear me and defame me on this blog.
        
        22 0
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        February 3, 2020 11:13am
      - Aunty
        
        Why wait??? Do it now!!!!!!!
        
        7 0
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        February 3, 2020 12:51pm
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        Stephieboy’s smear against me has now been deleted as I requested.
        
        (but as I copied his offending sentence… it can still be read on this blog)
        
        No matter….
        I hope folks who have reputations to safeguard take note of the slimy techniques the trolls use on this blog.
        
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        February 3, 2020 3:24pm
      - rightoverlabour
        
        Just ban him. He doesnt add to the flow by arguing coherently. There are lefties that do, I have no issue with them, but he is like one of those cow shit spreaders going round in circles….
        
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        February 3, 2020 8:29pm
- Justitia
  
  I have been dismayed by this government’s incompetence in responding to the coronavirus pandemic. We should have begun restricting, closely monitoring and quarantining arrivals from China at least a week ago. Instead a couple of public health nurses were sent to Auckland Airport with a bundle of leaflets for handing out on request. The coalition has played Russian roulette with the health of New Zealanders in the face of this deadly or “devil” disease as Xi Xinping himself called it. We can only hope nobody dies through their negligence.
  
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  February 3, 2020 8:34am
  - Stephieboy2
    
    Justica , re my earlier post !
    
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    February 3, 2020 9:51am
    - Justitia
      
      I did read it Stephiebot, it was crap and has now disappeared. The virus takes up to two weeks to incubate, your princess isn’t out of the woods yet for her incompetence.
      
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      February 3, 2020 11:01am
      - Stephieboy2
        
        As at 8.16am!
        
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        February 3, 2020 11:35am
  - chaos
    
    Oh it is great news that Jacinda and mr Clark are in charge they have a track record of dealing with outbreaks. Not ordering enough flu vaccine, turning down Meningitis vaccine, the measles vaccine.
    
    Do you just feel confident that they can cope with anything from a dirty nappy to omg, that. Apply is dirty, Clarke can you change it, it reminds me of that meeting with Winston last week
    
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    February 3, 2020 10:14am
  - Rachael Membery
    
    PANDAmonium indeed. I thought that it was a clever headline.
    
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    February 3, 2020 10:19am
  - Diversity Supremacist
    
    When people do die at least everybody knows who’s responsible.
    
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    February 3, 2020 10:32am
- chaos
  
  I’ve decided to vote labour this year. I mean if you think about it for a moment it is a logical vote. Look at all they have accomplished with a thriving economy that National handed to them.
  
  1). Credit to Jacinda for changing the gun laws at the end of December 2018
  
  2). Of course a terrorist attack in 2019 lead her to changing them again and not admitting she screwed up
  
  3). Multi millions that could of been used for elective surgery have instead gone into pike mine when most families didn’t want it to
  
  4). Talking of elective surgery people are getting knocked off the lists for vital operations, cataract, hip, knee, points increased because the money isn’t there to perform them
  
  5). Jacinda has heroically defended ministers who are incompetent, one who has committed assault against their own staffer. Corruption in the NZ first party with donations, foundations and how they dish out their $3 billion bribe fund.
  
  6). Jacinda has stood up and fought the big fight against poverty and homelessness, bravely showing the world that yes a labour government can increase the level of poverty in nz, increase the level of homelessness in NZ, increase the waiting list on state homes. Bravo, that is showing the world
  
  7). Jacinda has shown you can take a thriving economy and fuck it up, increase the cost of living and make it even harder for the poor to survive
  
  And if that is not enough reason to vote to Jacinda, remember a vote for Jacinda is a vote for baby Neve.
  
  Why would you not vote for labour, all National have is a solid track record of taking over the country each time labour have nearly bankrupt it, returning it a strong financial situation, looking after the vulnerable, making sure people get their medical care in nz and not have to travel to Aussie. Doing more for Maori than labour ever has, doing more to clean up the environment than labour and the greens. Feeding poor school kids and warming up their homes.
  
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  February 3, 2020 8:40am
  - tf78
    
    I saw on Aussie news (not sighted it here) that there are more guns laws to be passed before March 15. Nash was on Aus TV saying those with illegal guns will be in big trouble. They don’t need National to pass it through as National wanted a lot of sensible amendments to it. Why isn’t on our news.
    
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    February 3, 2020 8:55am
    - chaos
      
      https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/bills-and-laws/bills-proposed-laws/document/BILL_91272/arms-legislation-bill
      
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      February 3, 2020 9:30am
      - rouppe
        
        That amendment allows police to remove your firearms licence if you have had a temporary protection order issued against you. Which we all know are handed out like confetti with the slightest allegation made.
        
        Also if you’ve been charged with an offence punishable by a term of imprisonment. Which means all of the 3 month offences now allow your licence to be revoked.
        
        Wow.
        
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        February 3, 2020 10:58am
      - Tall Man
        
        NZ 2020 .. Courtesy of ardern and “what’s in it for wynston”….
        
        0 1
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        February 3, 2020 8:35pm
    - freethinker
      
      Another opportunity for National to promise retrospective repeal of all gun laws passed since they left office.
      
      11 0
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      February 3, 2020 10:46am
    - rouppe
      
      I’m tempted to buy a pump action .227 centrefire just to show Labour how stupid they were
      
      6 0
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      February 3, 2020 10:49am
      - Tall Man
        
        Or a semi auto shotgun FFS.
        
        0 1
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        February 3, 2020 8:36pm
    - cmm
      
      We don’t need MORE laws. We just need the Boys in Tats to go enforce the current laws.
      
      7 0
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      February 3, 2020 10:55am
  - Minsk400
    
    8. A billion dollars was spent to reduce the number of tertiary students.
    
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    February 3, 2020 1:40pm
- JackRabbit
  
  Good comparison cmm.
  
  >”People want decisive action, not working groups. ”
  
  People want decisive action, not TALKING groups.
  
  For any given situation, we need to what someone is going to do about it, not start a talking group and get feedback on how those highly paid talking group members FEEL about it.
  
  If we wanted to know how people feel about it, you could get probably more meaningful feedback from a mothers group or church group, and all it would cost is coffee, tea and biscuits, and a small donation. Not millions of dollars paid supporting nepotism.
  
  Never play sport with Labour, because when they get into a corner, they start a “knit and bitch” group.
  
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  February 3, 2020 8:50am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    ‘Knit and bitch’ group. Love it. expect many in the coming months
    
    4 1
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    February 3, 2020 6:03pm
- KevO'Brien
  
  ☑️☑️Rout2020☑️☑️
  
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  February 3, 2020 9:13am
G152

I see where the government is going to ‘have an enquiry’.
Many years ago I used to play at being a first aider (as we were then)
and I remember some of the ‘accidents’ that children had within the
home that required urgent removal to hospital.
I used to call these J A C K (Just Another C—s Kid).
And now what little protection these kids have will be gone in a feel
good cynical move by people who should be nowhere near the levers of
power
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February 3, 2020 8:22am
- Jules99
  
  People at the sharp end know exactly what is going on. I was chatting to a senior teacher yesterday who frequently went to case conferences to discuss how the children were doing at school. She has shocking stories.
  
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  February 3, 2020 9:19am
Stephieboy2

Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Why you should never ever trust Zero Hedge,

A Pro-Trump Blog Doxed A Chinese Scientist It Falsely Accused Of Creating The Coronavirus As A Bioweapon

The scientist’s name, photo, email, and a telephone number are being spread across American social media.

A popular pro-Trump website has released the personal information of a scientist from Wuhan, China, falsely accusing them of creating the coronavirus as a bioweapon, in a plot it said is the real-life version of the video game Resident Evil.
On Wednesday, far-right news site Zero Hedge claimed without evidence that a scientist at the Wuhan Institute of Virology created the strain of the virus that has led the World Health Organization to declare a global health emergency. The outbreak has grown to more than 9,776 cases, with 118 outside of China. The coronavirus has killed 213 people, all in China…”

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ryanhatesthis/a-pro-trump-blog-has-doxed-a-chinese-scientist-it-falsely

Disgusting!
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February 3, 2020 8:24am
- tf78
  
  It’s 14,000 + cases now f.y.i.
  
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  February 3, 2020 8:57am
  - freethinker
    
    A Wuhan nurse reported via HK newspaper that 90,000 were infected and that was a week ago and the quarantine of cities with 50Million inhabitants says the CCP is taking the outbreak extremely seriously and I commend them for that. Rumours that the original virus was weaponized in one of the 3 Biological Labs in Wuhan maybe just rumours but not without justifiable reason, we will probably never know the truth.
    
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    February 3, 2020 10:55am
    - Stephieboy2
      
      “A Wuhan nurse reported via HK newspaper that 90,000 were infected…”
      
      Citation, please.
      
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      February 3, 2020 11:37am
      - rockape
        
        I know its Youtube but the Hong kKng newspapers cant report it. They just are not that free. Truth only gets out of China via the back door.
        
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        February 3, 2020 12:17pm
      - sam green
        
        SB. What is you’re actual point. You make no sense in 99% of your posts.
        
        8 1
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        February 3, 2020 1:27pm
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        Infection estimates will be based on mathematical modelling of what we can infer from the information officially provided.
        
        https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30260-9/fulltext
        
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        February 3, 2020 3:42pm
- Captain Mainwaring
  
  “Disgusting!”
  
  Yes you are.
  
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  February 3, 2020 9:03am
- KevO'Brien
  
  Zerohedge has an enormous variety of different articles. It provides a useful source to provide a mixture of flavours amongst this dis-information world. A large part is diverse economic fragments.
  The more contrary-view different news sources you read the better informed you are likely to be. A diet of sugar only grows tummy fat.
  
  It’s not inconceivable that the new pandemic is a black swan event designed to force a global power takeover. Takes out China, increases USA Globalist power–one world Govt through vaccination with the UN run by the Oligarchs. No evidence, just scenario.
  
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  February 3, 2020 9:25am
  - JackRabbit
    
    Or Global Financial crisis?
    
    3 0
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    February 3, 2020 9:33am
  - RW Capitalist
    
    Infinitely better and thought out theory, than stephie ever came up with.
    
    6 1
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    February 3, 2020 9:35am
    - curry4me
      
      The two resident trolls are like a pencil without a lead. Pointless. I never engage with them.
      
      2 1
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      February 3, 2020 8:02pm
  - Stephieboy2
    
    KevO’Brien, as I said Zero Hedge cannot be trusted with their latest debacle! Sinister and silly conspiracy theories of yours not withstanding
    
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    February 3, 2020 10:02am
    - JackRabbit
      
      A conspiracy theory is only a conspiracy theory if it is seen to not be true, based on paranoia and becomes an obsession.
      
      Why are you obsessed and paranoid about Zero Hedge. For that matter, since you are obsessed with KB, why are you here at all?
      
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      February 3, 2020 2:39pm
  - David George
    
    I used to go on to ZH but it seems to have been taken over by some sick conspiracy nutters and Jew haters. Zero credibility more like.
    
    11 1
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    February 3, 2020 10:31am
    - KevO'Brien
      
      You get what you pay for.
      I find it useful for some of the economic stuff. I am following the FED and money supply intervention.
      I expect to publish my research with my Bio in the next few months.
      
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      February 3, 2020 11:23am
    - JackRabbit
      
      I used to go on Stuff, but they removed up / down tick ratings, and removed comments for any controversial topic. The site has been taken over by sick rabid socialists, and haters of free thinking, intent on pushing Climate Change and suppressing any news of solutions for plastic recycling breakthroughs that make multi-use plastic bag bans redundant.
      
      But instead of completely writing Stuff off, I find some things useful. I just have to be aware of a mixture of truth and BS, and use my powers of observation to know the difference.
      
      Perhaps you could do the same with ZH.
      
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      February 3, 2020 2:45pm
  - mikenmildagain
    
    It’s not inconceivable that the new pandemic is a black swan event designed to force a global power takeover.
    
    It’s not inconceivable that you are a moron.
    
    3 19
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    February 3, 2020 10:42am
    - freethinker
      
      It is entirely conceivable that you are a total moron with less working brain cells than a Mongoloid Amoeaba. Are you related to ardern or robertson?
      
      12 2
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      February 3, 2020 10:58am
    - KevO'Brien
      
      I have been certified as non-moron grade.
      It takes a prevalent reformist bullying socialist mindset to present a speculative. tongue in cheek, scenario as a fact.
      
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      February 3, 2020 11:30am
- Diversity Supremacist
  
  His name was Tyler Durden
  
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  February 3, 2020 10:34am
- 453mm
  
  If it’s on buzzfeed it must be true.
  
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  February 3, 2020 10:39am
- Bell-47
  
  Lol and then links to Buzzfeed… Outstanding own goal there
  
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  February 3, 2020 11:22am
Scott

Reflecting on DPF’s post yesterday afternoon about the Trump impeachment, I would suggest that impeachment is still available, but Congress has to prove a high crime or misdemeanour such as treason, to be successful. I would suggest the main problem is that the Democrats and the mainstream media have never accepted the result of the 2016 election. They hate Pres Trump personally and they hate his policies and they will not accept them.

This is not unique to Pres Trump. They hated George Bush 43 and they never accepted him either. Unfortunately Democrats, many who say that they are Christian, should actually read what the good book says. Jesus said to his followers when he was on the mountaintop, Matthew 5:44
“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.

The Democrats who are Christian should apply this teaching and work with Pres Trump to do things that they both agree on. They all agree on infrastructure spending. They agree on prison reform. Chuck Schumer even agrees with Trump being firm with China! If the Democrats put aside their animus they could have got a lot done. Instead they have squandered their chance because of hatred towards the president. It seems that they will only accept the result of the presidential election when they win. That is just sad and not a good example.
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February 3, 2020 8:25am
- Stephieboy2
  
  Scott, I would say that Matthew 5:44 is totally meaningless. to the US President and the GOP.
  
  “Politicians were mostly people who’d had too little morals and ethics to stay lawyers.”
  
  ― George R.R. Martin,
  
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  February 3, 2020 10:04am
  - Neo
    
    Stephy,
    When do you plan to start upholding Mathew 5:44?. .. From what I see all you do is curse those who disagree with your view’s. Mind you your views are pretty dumb, most don’t even line up with the religion you profess to follow.
    
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    February 3, 2020 10:12pm
- Michael NZ
  
  sorry Scott missed you there.
  Democrats who are christian?
  You mean the Catholics who vote for abortion and homosexual marriage?
  
  those christians?
  
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  February 3, 2020 12:18pm
  - Scott
    
    Michael NZ – I do understand your scepticism. But surely those democrats who go to church every Sunday and pray daily, surely their Christianity must kick in sometime? Not being a hater is surely not too high a bar for them?
    
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    February 3, 2020 3:42pm
Happychappy

If Winston is as Political clever as thinks he is about Simon Bridges ruling out doing a deal with NZ First in any circumstances and trying to imply Bridges is Political naive for making this statement, why is Winston bothering to have his opinion stated on every media site in NZ. It seems some political Commentators like Matthew Hooton think that Simon has a chance saying he is relying on NZ First Voters that don’t like the Labour Party and ” there is a chance this strategy will work” Hooton told Newshub.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/02/election-2020-simon-bridges-ruling-out-working-with-winston-peters-was-inevitable-political-commentator-says.html
Winston also has problems with his Foundation that the Serious Fraud Office is also investigating and members that thought there donations were going to the NZ First Party not a secret identity.
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February 3, 2020 8:27am
- stigie
  
  Is the SFO looking into the NZF foundation over their donations or just the Electoral Commission who have “NO” teeth..?
  Which is correct..?
  
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  February 3, 2020 9:25am
  - Tony Stuart
    
    So far, it’s just the Electoral Commission.
    
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    February 3, 2020 9:38am
  - peterwn
    
    Electoral Commission relies on the Police for their enforcement work and the Police for whatever reason are not motivated to investigate and prosecute. So once again the Serious Fraud Office picks up things the Police cannot be bothered with.
    Coming to think of it, where is the ‘fraud’ aspect, it is not as if anyone is being diddled out of money.
    
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    February 3, 2020 9:52am
    - rockape
      
      Fraud when money you donate to a party goes elsewhere! and you have no knowledge of that.
      
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      February 3, 2020 11:07am
    - alloytoo
      
      The fraud aspect applied if people believed they were donating to the party, not a trust which lends money to the party.
      
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      February 3, 2020 11:15am
    - KevO'Brien
      
      I doubt if the NZF Foundation is within the SFO’s ambit.
      The best view so far is that donations to NZF are channelled to its trust which manages them for the benefit of the Party. From time to time the Trust makes loans to the Party to meet demands. Avoids donor disclosure but not necessarily unlawful. I believe this is similar to some USA models.
      Winstone is wiley but roadkill happens.
      
      Let’s all be as watchful as we can.
      
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      February 3, 2020 11:46am
- KevO'Brien
  
  We need all the reports available on the NZF Foundation and its associates.
  Transparency comes from oversight.
  
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  February 3, 2020 9:29am
  - JackRabbit
    
    NZF candidates may jump the sinking ship like rats, when they find out the degree of fraud, and that various donators are looking for their money back, whether or not Winston is at the helm.
    
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    February 3, 2020 9:32am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Radio NZ closed down David Seymour early this morning (5am-6am ) when he started mentioning Winston’s problems with the NZF Foundation…
    
    Interviewer: “Oh, we seem to have some problem with that line”
    
    I can’t seem to find any recording of the interview on the RNZ site.
    
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    February 3, 2020 10:24am
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      Ah ha…
      Found it…
      
      https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucm56LmNvLm56L3BvZGNhc3RzL2ZpcnN0LXVwLnJzcw&episode=MjFiOTg1NDItOWUxOC00MTZjLTg0ZDYtODQ3MjkzM2Q5NjRj&hl=en-NZ&ved=2ahUKEwiHle-D6rPnAhWizTgGHfaYDmkQieUEegQIBhAE&ep=6
      
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      February 3, 2020 10:41am
      - KevO'Brien
        
        Thanks Maggy.
        David Seymore resonates with integrity. RNZ had to pull the plug before the lawsuit began. Questioning Winstone as to his integrity is no-go-zone.
        
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        February 3, 2020 11:55am
    - JulieBabe
      
      I have not had a reply to my emails to NZ First for the webiste for their NZ First Foundation.
      
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      February 3, 2020 1:42pm
  - curry4me
    
    It’s a pity Project Veritas doesn’t operate here.
    
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    February 3, 2020 12:16pm
Littletramp

Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Don’t forget that the country did not vote for her to be governing PM. We voted for Winston to hold the balance of power to ensure the National party, who had got too arrogant and corrupt was pulled back a peg. I say it worked with the only cost being 3 years of muddling along, and a reset can now been achieved at the next election. The rot (only Judith Collins remains) has now left the National party and normal play can resume.
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February 3, 2020 8:28am
- Happychappy
  
  “We ” you have got a screw loose if you think that and deluded also. If that is your excuse it is pretty poor and you really do deserve this fuckwit Government you voted for.
  
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  February 3, 2020 8:50am
- BeaB
  
  Why didn’t you ask him, before you voted, if he was going to join a National-led coalition?
  It beggars the imagination that with Winnies record anyone believed he would support National when he could get Cindy to dance to his tune.
  
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  February 3, 2020 9:56am
- Liberty
  
  “ We voted for Winston “
  Who is We ?
  In the olden days of usenet groups.
  I can remember such leftist twaddle would result
  In a right reprimand (you didn’t use the word in that context again) by a poster who now frequents Twitter.
  Those were the days.
  
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  February 3, 2020 11:45am
  - Littletramp
    
    It’s simply a fact that the result of the National vote (We) was that Winston ended up with the casting vote. It was obvious to anyone paying attention that he would not go with National. National had spent the whole of the campaign trashing him. I’m just stating what happened. We got what we voted for and now we get another chance in September to decide what we want.
    
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    February 3, 2020 3:11pm
- KevO'Brien
  
  National were steaming along and Kiwis returning. Winstone only holds up his drinks and the country.
  His announcement on handing the baton to Ardern that he had gone full anti capitalist disqualifies him from future government. Filing undisclosed legal action during “negotiations” is further of scoundrel quality.
  
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  February 3, 2020 12:02pm
LTA1955

Excellent commentary CMM!
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February 3, 2020 8:31am
Clyde

Once again, Suzie Robertson on Moaning Report lays the blame for East Polynesian lack of care of their kids on racism and colonisation. When Oranga Tamariki or whatever its called goes in to ensure the safety of kids that had no choice of being born into dysfunctional families are removed from harm that is apparently the result of colonisation. Just what do East Polynesians actually want? Do they want the State to leave them to suffer in the way that kids like the Kahuis or the Glassies suffered before being killed? What East Polynesians do apparently want is to be allowed to pop out unwanted kids as often as they want, get the State to support them at every turn, but have no accountability or responsibility.

And on the same programme of Moaning Report there was a story where its apparently acceptable for gangs – 99% of which are East Polynesians – to divide up towns into “their” patches or territories. Give me a break. The gangs are nothing other than modern day tribalism and as such need to be eliminated.

If there is one issue that will decide many people’s views on how to vote in September it will be the whole issue of race.
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February 3, 2020 8:49am
- KevO'Brien
  
  Who are East Polynesians?
  
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  February 3, 2020 9:31am
  - Clyde
    
    In response to your question Kev, when the East Polynesians arrived in NZ, what were they called? Or put it another way, when did the term “maori” come into the lexicon?
    
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    February 3, 2020 10:26am
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      Maori in Te Reo is an adjective meaning normal, usual, ordinary.
      
      Maori meaning a native of NZ is a derived use from Tangata maori, i.e. the usual inhabitants of NZ as opposed to Tangata pora(boat people) or Tangata ma white people.
      
      The first written use of Tangata maori seems to be 1801.
      
      Various spellings of Maori were used as the name came to mean the original inhabitants of NZ.
      
      (References: Williams: A dictionary of the Maori Language
      Orsman: Oxford Dictionary of NZ English)
      
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      February 3, 2020 11:03am
    - KevO'Brien
      
      I’m not trying to split hairs but the Polynesians from Rarotonga are much more westward then the ones from Tahiti.
      Some of our Maori Tribes have more in common with the Rarotongan lingo than others. Hawaiiki is generally regarded as far to the East. I have it from an MP that his tribe traces their lineage back to Easter Island.
      I spent 7 years in Samoa and still take an interest in ethnography.
      
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      February 3, 2020 12:11pm
      - Paulus
        
        The language of Rarotonga is Cook Island Maori – ask any language teacher.
        
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        February 3, 2020 1:42pm
  - mark15
    
    Who colonised them?
    
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    February 3, 2020 12:01pm
    - KevO'Brien
      
      The tribes initially colonised each other. “Might is right” Conquest in battle conferred good title.
      When muskets came to be used the resulting utu required (redemptive honour killing) would have wiped out their entire population. They needed to cede sovereignty to Queen Victoria to survive.
      
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      February 3, 2020 12:15pm
- MCos
  
  “Gangs need to be eliminated”
  
  Good luck with that.
  
  There’s around 70 of them. Where do you want to start?
  
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  February 3, 2020 9:32am
  - Clyde
    
    Start with the big ones – Mongrel Mob and Black Power. Being in a gang seems to protect you from the Police and any State programme to relieve you of the right to live by the proceeds of drugs and crime. The big gangs need to realise that this is not able to be done in the future. But as long as gangs are viewed as the modern East Polynesian tribes and therefore off limits because of PC attitudes then they will keep on going.
    
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    February 3, 2020 10:29am
    - MCos
      
      I think you’ll find those gangs aren’t the Big importers of the drugs.
      Besides it’s not the gangs that are the problem. It’s the people in them.
      
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      February 3, 2020 11:29am
  - tf78
    
    Petrol stations – everybody needs them.
    
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    February 3, 2020 11:17am
- Diversity Supremacist
  
  Imagine thinking you could get tribal genetics to conform to your system.
  
  Everything has always been about race, the only ones who seem intent on not helping their race are White people. Everybody else is in all guns blazing.
  
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  February 3, 2020 11:06am
RW Capitalist

Saw a hand written sign, on line.
“Stop trying to make everyone happy….you’re not tequila.”
I’d say….anyone who “claims” they have, or will, make everyone happy….is a liar or deluded.
On that note, people we don’t want running the country.
James Shaw (or any of the greens)
Jacinda Ardern (or any Labour MP)
Winston Peters (there is no one else in his party, by the way he behaves)
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February 3, 2020 8:49am
igm

Hear tell the religion of peace has been out performing again. Bet Ardern has been on the case with her media crew attempting to sweep it under the carpet like a Labour sex offence.
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February 3, 2020 8:54am
- RW Capitalist
  
  I lived just up the road and visited Streatham often.
  Was never the place for this, shame!
  
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  February 3, 2020 9:30am
- Ruahine
  
  Just been released from prison after serving half his sentence for terrorist activities. More criminal hugging.
  https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-51351844
  
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  February 3, 2020 10:28am
- Diversity Supremacist
  
  Ah Diversity Supremacy at it again i see.
  
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  February 3, 2020 11:10am
Yvette

Fourteen armed police were involved in the “traumatising” uplift of a 5-month-old Māori baby from a single mother, a damning report into Oranga Tamariki’s conduct reveals.
“There needs to be a complete overhaul of Oranga Tamariki”

Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children. The name change for Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children officially takes effect today. The new name and the dropping of the word ‘vulnerable’ were announced in December. “What the Ministry does is far more important than its name,” Children’s Minister Tracey Martin says. Jan 18, 2018

It would seem more shit has been happening since the name-change dropped “Ministry for Children” and became just “Oranga Tamariki”, which seems to have relegated it to something like “Whānau Ora” – understood by non-Maori to be for Maori only and removing it from general public concern and also general public responsibility.
It is a case where perhaps using only a Maori name for a Government department has actually isolated it, while its Maori usage like everything else should normally be about 16%, as per population.

The change in name carries a taint of “They are not us”, and is a mistake in this context.

Māori are more likely to be overweight, depressed, homeless, incarcerated and uneducated according to these disturbing statistics produced under National’s watch. – Kelvin Davis, repeating the mantra of bad society statistics in a cheap slight on National, pre-2017 Election [1]

Now under Labour (and holding all seven Maori special seats) things appear to be worse.
But Labour did something about child poverty. Before there were only about seven categories to measure it – now there are ten.
And Maori stuff – they got rid of partnership schools – they are now a Waitangi Tribunal complaint – and we changed the Name of CYPS to Oranga Tamariki.

[1] https://www.labour.org.nz/no_mana_for_m_ori
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February 3, 2020 9:01am
- JackRabbit
  
  The name change “Ministry for Children” to “Oranga Tamariki” is racist.
  
  We have a racist Labour government. Most Maoris speak English, so Oranga Tamariki is not well understood, further adding to confusion, for both races.
  
  The best way to dis-orientate and destabilise society is to attack language. Given that Jacinda has a communications degree, and the concept of keeping things simple and using clear communication is taught in such a degree, we can only assume her negative application of it is deliberate. i.e. she intends to confuse and destabilise both races.
  
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  February 3, 2020 9:29am
  - Captain Mainwaring
    
    The name “Oranga Tamariki” would seem to pander to the assumption that a certain ethnic group is destined to be the organisation’s predominant customer base.
    That is not only racist, but is destined to drive this group even further into dependence.
    
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    February 3, 2020 10:51am
  - JulieBabe
    
    I will never use any of those maori words for our instituions.
    They are being forced on us by an evil socailist government.
    
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    February 3, 2020 1:39pm
    - curry4me
      
      I’m not going to use them either.
      
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      February 3, 2020 8:13pm
- KevO'Brien
  
  Maori lingo has a problem being pushed around by officials seeking woke points.
  Oranga Tamariki equates to life children. It is not Maori (where’s the grammar?) but is being chased into a Pakeha pidgin mold.
  
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  February 3, 2020 9:41am
- Tony Stuart
  
  There are nine categories of measures of child poverty, but you probably won’t get to hear that 7/9 have worsened in the last year.
  
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  February 3, 2020 9:41am
- John Warren
  
  Is giving CYPS a maori name tacit admission that the problems they deal with are mostly maori?
  
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  February 3, 2020 9:47am
  - JulieBabe
    
    Yes, and its rascist!
    #white babies matter too
    
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    February 3, 2020 1:37pm
chaos

* The Wuhan coronavirus spreading from China is now likely to become a pandemic that circles the globe, according to many of the world’s leading infectious disease experts.

The prospect is daunting. A pandemic — an ongoing epidemic on two or more continents — may well have global consequences, despite the extraordinary travel restrictions and quarantines now imposed by China and other countries, including the United States.

Scientists do not yet know how lethal the new coronavirus is, however, so there is uncertainty about how much damage a pandemic might cause. But there is growing consensus that the pathogen is readily transmitted between humans.

The Wuhan coronavirus is spreading more like influenza, which is highly transmissible, than like its slow-moving viral cousins, SARS and MERS, scientists have found.*

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/02/health/coronavirus-pandemic-china.html
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February 3, 2020 9:09am
- Stephieboy2
  
  chaos, count our blessings. No cases in NZ to date!
  
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  February 3, 2020 11:40am
KH

I will never vote for this Labour Party shambles.
But I am not seeing the National Party leading out clear policy or indications of crunchy action when they become government.
Simon is doing a reasonable job in ‘the fight’, but I am more interested in what actually happens for New Zealand.
It’s not clear to me where National is going with that?
Your thoughts.
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February 3, 2020 9:25am
- KevO'Brien
  
  When are we going to have a free press that allows the National party lead Simon Bridges a fair go?
  
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  February 3, 2020 9:42am
  - Diversity Supremacist
    
    “We are fighting an enemy that is different from us. Not open, but hiding. Not straightforward, but crafty. Not national, but international. It does not believe in working but speculates with money; it does not have its homeland, but feels it owns the whole world.” – Viktor Orbán Hungarian PM.
    
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    February 3, 2020 11:16am
    - Michael NZ
      
      George Soros. DS
      George Soros.
      
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      February 3, 2020 12:08pm
  - artemisia
    
    Social media rules OK.
    
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    February 3, 2020 11:39am
  - curry4me
    
    He’ll have to take a leaf from President Trump’s book. Use Twit-ter provocatively. Put everything on YouTube, or BitChute and the like. And on National’s FB page.
    
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    February 3, 2020 12:25pm
- MCos
  
  It’s one thing to have the best policies, quite another to have the people capable of carrying them out.
  In that respect I think parliament, in general, is fairly thin on talent.
  
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  February 3, 2020 9:45am
  - freethinker
    
    M Cos – Totally absent on the treasury benches.
    
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    February 3, 2020 11:11am
- Tony Stuart
  
  National has released a whole range of policy discussion documents. You can read them on the National Party website and make comments. These discussion documents will re-emerge as policy before the election.
  
  https://www.national.org.nz/discussion_documents
  
  I attended a party meeting just prior to Christmas where Simon Bridges spoke. Not only is the first 100 days of a new government already planned out if National wins on September 19th, but there will be enough legislation ready to go to the House for almost a full term. National will hit the ground running, not suffer paralysis by working group as Labour did.
  
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  February 3, 2020 9:46am
  - tf78
    
    Sorry Tony, didn’t see your post until I finished typing.
    
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    February 3, 2020 10:06am
  - KevO'Brien
    
    To make this our year we are going to have to step up and take the policies directly to the people. The media won’t do it– they’re too full on fish n chips.
    We are going to have to resort to traditional politicking.
    Tell your family, neighbours, club friends and workmates.
    
    We need to turn the floodlights on Labour, Grrrrnns, Winston First and other opposing wannabes. Everything that displeases should be revealed. They are already at it with disinformation.
    We cannot let them win by default. Farmers need to organise. They do a darn good job producing food and trees efficiently. Their water and production rights are under attack.
    
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    February 3, 2020 12:21pm
- BeaB
  
  Go to the National Party website and read the impressively numerous and excellent policy documents. They are doing a lot of work and so should we.
  It’s not good enough, or sensible, to wait for the media to spoon feed you.
  
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  February 3, 2020 9:52am
  - rockape
    
    Here:https://www.national.org.nz/discussion_documents
    
    They wont officially be released till they get the feedback they wont. It was always planned to not release this year other than the Labour policies they will reverse.
    
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    February 3, 2020 12:23pm
- tf78
  
  Now election year is upon us you will start hearing National’s policies. National can’t give away all their secrets too early or they will be stolen by the COL. it’s all a matter of timing. The Nats have been working on policies for over two years now and will be ready to be up and running on September 20th without working groups.
  
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  February 3, 2020 10:04am
  - alloytoo
    
    This differentiates National from Labour, Labour haven’t developed coherent policy in 11 years.
    
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    February 3, 2020 12:19pm
- rockape
  
  Expect now the election date is decided and Winston has been sidelined a slow release of Nationals policy. I would imagine the ones that Labour could never adopt will be first out and more centerist ones in the 6 week lead up to the election.
  
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  February 3, 2020 10:14am
- artemisia
  
  KH, have you seen all the discussion documents on National’s website? Or done some of the surveys attached to the documents asking for quite specific feedback on proposals and in some cases more general feedback? The documents indicate they have done the thinking , asked for feedback and ideas and will go public sooner rather than later.
  
  Better than empty slogans.
  
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  February 3, 2020 11:38am
  - curry4me
    
    Yeah, I’ve shared some of their stuff to my FB page.
    
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    February 3, 2020 12:27pm
- Tall Man
  
  https://www.national.org.nz/
  
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  February 3, 2020 2:41pm
RW Capitalist

Back to racism card.
Impeachment fails, so he must be a racist.
Nancy, please name the last racist that got record numbers of Blacks and Hispanic into work?
Clue…Obama did the oposite.
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/480991-pelosi-trumps-expanded-travel-ban-is-outrageous-un-american-and-threatens-rule

“The Trump Administration’s expansion of its outrageous, un-American travel ban threatens our security, our values and the rule of law. The sweeping rule, barring more than 350 million individuals from predominantly African nations from traveling to the United States, is discrimination disguised as policy,” Pelosi said in a statement.
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February 3, 2020 9:27am
- Diversity Supremacist
  
  This isn’t very well thought out buddy. The actual term “White Supremacy” means you want to rule over and control other races.
  
  By helping them get jobs as a White person is by definition White Supremacy.
  
  Yes i know it’s stupid, but you have to realize the level of IQ you’re dealing with here.
  
  Example:
  
  It’s racist for White people to leave majority black suburbs – “White Flight”
  
  It’s racist for White people to move into majority black neighborhoods -“White gentrification”
  
  Verdict is… you’re wasting your time even trying.
  
  Trump got 9% of the Black vote in 2016, he’s on course to get about the same again. Everything he’s done for them means nothing because the institutions and media that are aimed at Black people are telling them Trump is racist, there is nothing you can do to stop this.
  
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  February 3, 2020 11:30am
  - Sacha
    
    If a word is used too often it loses it’s impact.
    The word ‘racist’ is so commonly misused that we dismiss it and the arguments that surround it.
    It has lost its power to influence us.
    
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    February 3, 2020 1:14pm
  - Ed Snack
    
    Trump *might* get double or more than double that percentage of the Black vote in 2020. Lot of uncertainty, but he’s certainly done some headline positives for Blacks, like criminal justice reform and more jobs. He also has some surprisingly strong black supporters.
    
    Might depend on the Democrat candidate, but if they chose someone who just doesn’t appeal to Black voters there might be a serious swing to Trump, which would likely lead to a blowout result.
    
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    February 3, 2020 3:08pm
  - Jules99
    
    Polls have shown and increase in the black vote. I think it was around 12% last time I looked.
    
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    February 3, 2020 3:18pm
oldpark

Even a blind person could see, once Winston Peters give Lie-bour/Green party far left lunatics the rubber stamp to cancel all Oil and Gas exploration in Taranaki. Was just a matter of timing . Simon Bridges has delivered to Peters. Dont use National for you’re meglamaniac control of NZs Voters.
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February 3, 2020 9:28am
Fletch

Propaganda in The Guardian….

We must dismantle our colonial system and rebuild it with Māori at the heart

This week, to mark Waitangi Day, the Guardian is publishing five pieces of commentary from Māori writers.

[T]hey will barbecue some sausages or provide similar optics that demonstrate humility. They will listen to the long list of concerns from Māori on poverty, state child abuse, homelessness, rural investment, hyperincarceration, health, environment, education, and the list goes on. The government will then normally respond with their own statements about how well they are doing, and how much more they intend to do, and how important it is for us to “work together in the spirit of the treaty”.

And then they will pack up and go back to Wellington, and another year of injustice will commence, and we will do it all again the following year.

[…]

When we envisage the point at which the Treaty is fully honoured, an elephant-sized problem begins to appear in the room: Māori sovereignty. Millions of dollars have been spent trying to “decolonise” and “re-indigenise” state systems, but the inescapable truth is that you cannot decolonise an intrinsically colonial system – you can only dismantle it and rebuild it with Māori, and Te Tiriti, at the heart.

I purposefully use the term Te Tiriti here to reference the version of the treaty document that was signed by the majority of Māori. The Māori version is fundamentally different to the English version insofar as the Māori version essentially allows for Māori self-determination (tino rangatiratanga) and ultimate authority over things Māori, whereas the English version ceded ultimate authority to Queen Victoria. The differences between the two are often sought to be overcome by focusing on overarching principles, but increasingly, in past decades, human rights scholars have called for us to consider if that is really the most just way to approach it.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2020/feb/03/we-must-dismantle-our-colonial-system-and-rebuild-it-with-maori-at-the-heart

I stopped reading at that point, but no doubt the rest is just as bad…
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February 3, 2020 9:45am
- Diversity Supremacist
  
  [Mod: you’re banned too now. You’re looking at a permanent ban soon.]
  
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  February 3, 2020 11:40am
John Warren

According to RNZ, Winston First says Bridges “will come running to New Zealand First if he has to after the election, or that someone else in his caucus will do it for him.”

Whatever, Winston. Not gonna happen. But any day of the week I’d rather National suffer an honourable defeat than grease up to that self-serving, pompous old slimeball.
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February 3, 2020 9:45am
- Swifty
  
  We would be mugs to believe anything that comes out of that man’s mouth.
  
  Winston Peters has lied to and otherwise misled New Zealanders for decades.
  
  Decades.
  
  It’s time his chickens came home to roost.
  
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  February 3, 2020 11:11am
- KevO'Brien
  
  Is there any guarantee that Winstone will make it till the next election? His health has become scary. I expect his personality will never let him retire but he should have been gone some years ago.
  Winstone doesn’t want to do Mugabe does he?
  
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  February 3, 2020 12:31pm
Fletch

Why Schiff won’t release the testimony of the 18th witness…

Schiff and the Democrats are refusing to release the testimony of Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson, and according to Republicans who were present during Atkinson’s closed-door testimony, the reason the transcript hasn’t been released is because it proves both the whistleblower and House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff did not tell the truth about their contact with each other.

“The House managers kept putting up charts talking about the 17 witnesses,” Ratcliffe began. “But there were 18 … I was there. It’s the one transcript out of 18 that hasn’t been released. It’s a 179-page transcript … It’s the one transcript that talks about Adam Schiff and the whistleblower. Now, everyone knows by now that Adam Schiff was not truthful about his contacts with the whistleblower. What they don’t know and what’s in that transcript is that the whistleblower wasn’t truthful about his contacts with Adam Schiff. This whole thing started, Maria, when the whistleblower filed a complaint with the inspector general under penalty of perjury that wasn’t true and correct, made representations in writing and verbally that weren’t true and correct. And when we found that out and tried to get into the details of that, Adam Schiff, who was in charge of this investigation, shut it down, and now he’s trying to bury that transcript.”

https://twitter.com/townhallcom/status/1221534452272091138
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February 3, 2020 9:52am
fernglas

This is not a political point, just about a source of bloody bureaucratic irritation. Has anyone else recently been involved in virtually any form of financial transaction? Did you have to identify yourself to, for example, a bank that you’ve been with since you first emptied your Kashin elephant bank into an account? Or a lawyer who drafted your first will, did the conveyancing on your first house and set up your family trust. It’s all to do with complying with anti-money laundering legislation but it’s bureaucracy gone nuts. I am waiting on a transaction which has stalled because the “compliance unit” (for which read a bunch of pedantic busybodies who were let go from the IRD for being too fussy) will not accept one certified copy of of my passport because it omits a part of the lawyer’s address, and another properly certified copy because the certification is too old, even though it’s the same passport and hasn’t expired. And don’t get me started on having to provide a copy of a bank statement or utilities bill to prove that I still live where I’ve been for the last 27 years, particularly when I, like everyone I know, don’t get paper bills any more. It’s no wonder productivity is on the wane. By the time all the compliance and form filling is completed there is no time to do any work. Or alternatively, you have to spend 50% of your gross on paying some other bastard to do it for you.
It has been said that most New Zealanders survive by stealing from each other, but to have the Government, whatever political stripe it is, legislating to make it mandatory is unacceptable.
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February 3, 2020 9:53am
- freethinker
  
  Had the same experience with my Bank so I now look for ways of transacting outside the Banking environment. It is more than irritating to be required to identify yourself when paying cheque into a company account using a printed company paying in slip with a cheque made out to the company. If National cannot or will not introduce a de minimus amount a shadow Banking system will emerge and defeat some aspects of the AML rules.
  
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  February 3, 2020 11:21am
  - Jules99
    
    That’s the beauty of cryptos – no banks just peer-to-peer payments.
    
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    February 3, 2020 3:21pm
- KevO'Brien
  
  I’ve known that class that IRD lets go–not fit for Public Service.
  
  Money laundering under $5K? waste of effort.
  
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  February 3, 2020 12:36pm
Hugh Pavletich

CORONAVIRUS … Considering some of the economic impacts …

Australia faces calamity … MacroBusiness Australia

https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2020/02/australia-faces-calamity/

Travel ban bursts Chinese international student bubble … MacroBusiness Australia

https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2020/02/travel-ban-bursts-chinese-international-student-bubble/

Commodity Shipping Costs Fall 99.95% After Virus Slams Market … Bloomberg

https://www.bloombergquint.com/china/capesize-index-sinks-99-95-to-near-zero-as-virus-slams-freight
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February 3, 2020 10:04am
- Hugh Pavletich
  
  Coronavirus: Chinese stocks plunge as markets reopen … BBC
  
  https://www.bbc.com/news/business-51352535
  
  https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2020/02/chinese-markets-pulverised/ … MacroBusiness Au
  
  https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2020/02/chinese-markets-pulverised/
  
  Coronavirus and the world economy … GNS Economics Finland
  
  https://gnseconomics.com/en_US/2020/01/30/coronavirus-and-the-world-economy/
  
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  February 3, 2020 4:06pm
Yvette

I considered it an affront to voters and a corruption of democracy that the MMP system allowed one man – or just a few more, if his caucus really had a say – to take the numbers who voted for his party and after waiting until the Election’s official result was known, to simply add his party’s votes to those other parties numbers he choose and declare them Government.

MMP is said – right or wrong – to be a voting system imposed on Germany after Word War II, so that no one could ever rise to power again as Hitler had. I think Hitler would have been thrilled with such a system.

Although Simon Bridges may have other reasons, I am pleased to see him take the action that he is able to, to stop this aberration of democracy occurring again this Election.
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February 3, 2020 10:06am
Jack5

The New Zealand edition of the Guardian has a spiel today from Tina Ngata, the Maori activist. It includes:

The Waitangi tribunal concluded in 2014 that Maori never ceded sovereignty. So that must be that, right? Maori never ceded sovereignty, it’s been decided …

And:

Millions of dollars have been spent trying to “decolonise” and “re-indigenise” state systems, but the inescapable truth is that you cannot decolonise an intrinsically colonial system – you can only dismantle it and rebuild it with Maori, and Te Tiriti, at the heart.

Tina Ngata has elsewhere described Captain James Cook as “a genocidal murderer who enabled the spread of venereal disease throughout the Pacific”.

Her Guardian article is the first of a series by Maori being published to mark Waitangi Day.

Guardian computers pick up where readers’ browsers are located, and if from New Zealand, they are directed to the New Zealand “edition”.

It’s a bit like the old days when NZ politicians were excited to get on the cover of “Time”, and either didn’t know, or didn’t let on, that it was the cover of the “Time” South Pacific edition.
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February 3, 2020 10:35am
- KevO'Brien
  
  Full tikanga Maori–utu for all. Police will be superfluous.
  
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  February 3, 2020 12:39pm
trout

But is Winston about to give Jacinda a free pass on Ihumatao? Expect an announcement at Waitangi.
Note that now that Winston has been rejected as a partner by National he has less leverage with the Labour party.
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February 3, 2020 10:36am
- rockape
  
  He has to start working hard to steal votes from Labour or he wont survive. So my guess he will oppose any settlement.
  
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  February 3, 2020 12:30pm
- Tall Man
  
  Depending on the balance in the “foundation” he may not give a stuff.
  
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  February 3, 2020 2:18pm
rockape

Not if he wants to hang on to the 4% of voters he has.
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February 3, 2020 11:11am
Yvette

Just in passing …
“As Douglas McArthur said, there’ll come a time soon when he’ll want to see me much more than I want to see him.” – Winston Peters.

I was intrigued to see when General Douglas McArthur said the apparently famous line above, and of whom?

So far several attempts with Google, unless I am doing something drastically wrong, would suggest McArthur didn’t say anything of the sort, as I only get links saying Winston said he did.
Any correction will be welcome.
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February 3, 2020 11:14am
- fernglas
  
  That would be Doug McArthur from the Hukerenui Tavern.
  
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  February 3, 2020 11:24am
- alex Masterley
  
  I have been looking for this quotation as well. No luck so far.
  I am starting to think that it could be a figment of Winstons imagination.
  I bet no-one takes it up with him.
  
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  February 3, 2020 11:48am
  - Paulus Gnome
    
    Winston who? – George Washington
    
    Just while we are making shit up . . .
    
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    February 3, 2020 3:54pm
- KevO'Brien
  
  The Nats dump Winston for unreliability.
  Labour dumps Winstone as too demanding.
  Greens <4%
  Result:
  ☑️☑️Rout2020☑️☑️
  
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  February 3, 2020 12:42pm
- Jack5
  
  I couldn’t find Peters’ McArthur quote, either. But found this amusing one from McArthur:
  
  “The enemy is in front of us, the enemy is behind us, the enemy is to the right and to the left of us. They can’t get away this time!”
  
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  February 3, 2020 1:46pm
- Prince
  
  The quote is attributed to MacArthur, referring to the Philippines President Quezon. MacArthur had been recalled from the Philippines and asked to see the President, who was busy. MacArthur said “one day he will want to see me more than I want to see him'”, and of course later MacArthur was recalled to defend the islands.
  
  https://books.google.co.nz/books?id=kdTyCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA27&lpg=PA27&dq=quezon+macarthur+want+to+see+me&source=bl&ots=3Y6Ob8AEXY&sig=ACfU3U06DfWEqOZ6V_63uhrzh8eHLoreFw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiqsIeHnrTnAhWFzjgGHX0bBCsQ6AEwCnoECAYQAQ#v=onepage&q=quezon%20macarthur%20want%20to%20see%20me&f=false
  
  Peters appears to think he is General MacArthur. It is reminiscent of Tony Soprano, who also drew strength from seeing himself as a WWII General. Similar management styles too.
  
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  February 3, 2020 2:45pm
stigie

Winston wants Simon to come begging, if not, someone from the National caucus.
What an obfuscating narcissist the prick is..?
If the time comes and he happens to be kingmaker again, i would imagine most National voters would rather be in opposition than grease up to that prick !~
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February 3, 2020 11:33am
- Captain Mainwaring
  
  Just heard the deluded Barely Sober ask ‘why is Winston Peters seen as untrustworthy?’
  Well butter my arse and call me a muffin. Is Barely that far up Winnie’s bum that he can’t see the obvious?
  
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  February 3, 2020 12:19pm
  - Tall Man
    
    It’s getting close to barry’s last hurrah and I suppose he has hung his hat on “what’s in it for wynston” ‘s hook.
    
    It just makes him irrelevant now.
    
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    February 3, 2020 2:15pm
  - Poppa
    
    Poor Barry what will he do if his drinking buddy fails to get 5%?
    
    I guess he could start being objective but he will need a very large shift in his reporting
    
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    February 3, 2020 3:40pm
    - sooty
      
      What he will do is resign, because everyone will be laughing at him not with him!
      
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      February 3, 2020 6:02pm
curry4me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfDPZu9DD_4
Boris Johnson gets tough with Brexit! I guess if the Fourth Reich pushes hard enough, there could be a no-deal Brexit.
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February 3, 2020 11:52am
curry4me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gqnk5RIP9fs
The epic failure of the SNP. Ms Sturgeon; aka the fish lady isn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer.
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February 3, 2020 11:53am
- Tall Man
  
  Is it the fish connection that seems familiar or is it the whiff of chips.
  
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  February 3, 2020 2:09pm
  - curry4me
    
    No, I just call her that because a Sturgeon is a fish.
    
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    February 3, 2020 8:18pm
chaos

Well said, most people know he cannot be trusted, but some people are so desperate for power they would sell their souls to Winston

* “Ultimately, I think what it does make quite clear for anyone who is in any doubt – and in a way it would be surprising if they were – a vote for New Zealand First is a vote for Labour and the Greens,” Bridges told Magic Talk on Monday.

“It’s a question of trust – I can’t trust New Zealand First and New Zealanders can’t either.”

Kiwis were sick of Peters’ “charade of holding the country to ransom”, Bridges said.

“It’s clearly what works for New Zealand First. And call me old fashioned, but I think it should be about what works for New Zealanders’ interests and our shared future.”

He added: “Winston Peters and his team are locked at the hip with Ardern and Labour and that’s the way it will be and that’s the choice New Zealanders have at the next election as well. Labour, Greens, New Zealand First or National.”*

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/02/kiwis-fed-up-with-winston-peters-holding-the-country-to-ransom-simon-bridges.html
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February 3, 2020 12:28pm
- Tall Man
  
  Some of the callers to him this morning were verging on moronic. They still support “what’s in it for wynston” and many simply have no idea what the history of the man is. and spout absolute lies so have obviously have been given the “nod” about what to say.
  
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  February 3, 2020 2:06pm
  - chaos
    
    Yeah, I heard a caller today explaining why Winston was the greatest pm. Poor guy, he should start up a give a little page for treatment
    
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    February 3, 2020 3:23pm
  - Paulus Gnome
    
    ‘every national government has ended in recession’
    
    ‘Simon will be rolled’
    
    Fraser House was up early and could only contact the nutbars that inhabit talk back at 4.00 am . . .
    
    They reproduce and they vote . . .
    
    ‘Good grief!’ – Charlie Brown
    
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    February 3, 2020 3:59pm
UrbanNeocolonialist

Side effect of National telling Winston to fuck-off is that he will have to make an even bigger dick of himself than usual to try and garner votes. Labour and Greens are in for a painful 9 months.
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February 3, 2020 12:30pm
curry4me

Firstly, I hope there are no more deaths from the Corona virus. Secondly, I hope the problem is over in about a month or so. It might have the potential to cause a recession in the US due to the trade and travel disruptions. That’s the only thing that could cost President Trump the election.
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February 3, 2020 12:35pm
- Tall Man
  
  I doubt it will impact Trump.
  
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  February 3, 2020 2:03pm
  - curry4me
    
    I sure hope it doesn’t.
    
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    February 3, 2020 8:20pm
Pharmachick

I’d like to apologise for telling somebody to go fu*k themselves here yesterday. Very intemperate of me and mostly uncalled for – thanks also to the mods for not giving me a well-deserved serve. Yes, my patience was being tested, but better to just not respond at all next time.

Also, if anybody is interested I spent a little while interrogating the publicly available sequences of 2019-nCoV-Wuhan this morning… although we cannot ever rule anything out, it really, really doesn’t look engineered – engineered organisms tend to have more order than usual in the introns (non-coding intergenic regions) because human beings are hard wired to produce patterns [that’s why humans cannot produce random number sequences – need a computer for that]. The introns on this thing are pretty disordered according to one set of analytics.

And to answer yesterday’s Q about patents etc from GD: I don’t believe the collaborative effort from the scientists will stop until they’ve solved it (if they can – e.g. we don’t have a vaccine for HIV yet either) because (1) Scientists are a stubborn bunch and (2) This particular bunch are incredibly altruistic.
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February 3, 2020 12:36pm
- barnacle bill
  
  China cant solve their current problem with the virus, and along comes another.
  
  Do they have any safe guards in their systems at all ?
  
  https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/china-detects-outbreak-of-bird-flu-near-epicentre-of-deadly-coronavirus/news-story/867e889095a9461fa352c824e33d2c36
  
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  February 3, 2020 1:16pm
  - Stephieboy2
    
    banacle bill, I would say follwed by a whirlwind of factoids , conspiracy theories and more anti Chinese hysteria.
    
    The Video is useful in that it debunks the bat soup factoid . The video clip was taken in Palau three years ago where it is a delicacy . Not Wuhan or anywhere else in China.
    
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    February 3, 2020 2:40pm
    - cmm
      
      Of course it is too soon to jump to conclusions yet, but bats are an obvious vector (they are for all sorts of diseases that China is prone to – including rabies).
      
      Likely the main reason for bats being good vectors is that they travel such great distances and often roost closely together in caves etc which are hotbeds for contamination (ever seen the bat shit in a bat cave?). Many bat species will travel tens of km per night, interacting with bats from different caves. That means they can move diseases over hundreds of km in a few days.
      
      Fruit bats will often feed in fruit trees and crap on the ground where humans, dogs and other animals can pick up diseases. They are the ultimate mammalian vector (other than maybe people).
      
      Now add to that bat eating and live “wet markets” (I see now they’re talking more of seafood markets even though all sorts of non-seafood species are also traded).
      
      Do they trade bats in the Wuhan wet market? I don’t know. I have never been there.
      
      Bats are part of the Chinese diet along with a lot of other stuff that makes its way, live, through to the customers. Are they part of the general Wuhan diet? Maybe not, but there are quite likely at least a few people in Wuhan that eat bats.
      
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      February 3, 2020 3:25pm
      - NoCash
        
        cmm “…ever seen the bat shit in a bat cave?”
        
        No shit, Batman!
        
        Sorry, can’t help 🙂
        
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        February 3, 2020 3:35pm
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        Of course Fruitbats are eaten in South China and SE Asia (and Africa, Pacific Islands, S.America, etc)
        
        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bat_as_food
        
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        February 3, 2020 3:52pm
      - KevO'Brien
        
        I’ve never seem a fruit bat in the market in Samoa. The used to roost in our mango tree alongside the house.
        
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        February 3, 2020 5:56pm
- NoCash
  
  Pharmachick, what is your take on the bat cov sequence that has been uploaded to the database recently and after the paper had been released.
  
  Reading the comment section of the now retracted paper, it looks like the match of 2 or 3 insertions with a bat cov people are using as rebuttal are with that recently uploaded bat cov, by none other than the Wuhan biolab.
  
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  February 3, 2020 1:31pm
  - Pharmachick
    
    The bat CoV files have been known for a long time, its the public databasing of them and sharing of big data that is novel. I’m always pleased to see sequences being deposited (when they’re verified correct). Coronaviridae are so contagious and apparently fairly fatal – I’d be surprised is ALL biolabs weren’t interested in them. Throw in some measles virulence factors to up the transmission etc etc I’m not saying I agree with their work, but I understand what they’re doing. FWIW (and this is a lot of my own bias) I’d be going after a drug rather than a vaccine, because the corona viruses change too quickly, they’re not HIV (i.e. change within an infected person) but they drift and shift rapidly, which is what makes them dangerous zoonotics.
    
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    February 3, 2020 3:21pm
    - NoCash
      
      Thanks PC.
      
      More replies have been posted in the retracted paper’s comment section, providing counter arguments to the counter arguments of the initial rebuttals.
      
      Along with your reply above, I think that paper is totally debunked.
      
      What is sad is that Harvard scientist Dr Eric Ding, who tweeted his now famous tweet “Holy Mother Of God… thermonuclear pandemic level bad” about the nCoV, also tweeted the now retracted nCoV/HIV paper, advocating and giving it too much airtime.
      
      Adding to that, he also tweeted a graph showing the infection rate outside of China has a steeper slope than within China, cautioning the higher infection rate outside of China. However, the two verticals on the graph have different and incomparable scales, making the outside rate look steeper… oh well.
      
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      February 3, 2020 6:39pm
  - NoCash
    
    BTW, I’m not suggesting any misgivings, the timing of the bat cov sequence upload could well be a coincidence and legitimate.
    
    As I’m just an average IT guy with little knowledge in genetics and bioengineering but intrigued by this outbreak, hence asking the question.
    
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    February 3, 2020 3:58pm
- cmm
  
  PC well at least you didn’t headbutt someone to death eh :-).
  
  Thank you for that very interesting perspective.
  
  These days I would expect that genetic algorithms are being used to search for novel organisms. Those would certainly generate irregular shapes.
  
  Over the last 20 years GAs have been used more and more to do “intelligent design” if you want to call it that.
  
  For example, one of the areas I have been interested in is antenna design. Have a look at the weird stuff being designed by GAs.
  
  https://www.quora.com/In-what-ways-has-machine-learning-been-applied-to-antenna-design-research
  
  If a human designed something like that you’d fire them immediately.
  
  As your handle suggests you are in the industry, have you seen use of GAs yet? I know they are used in drug design.
  
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  February 3, 2020 1:57pm
  - Pharmachick
    
    Hi CMM – I’m a Professor (because I like doing whatever I want) but I work with a number of Big Pharmas as a consultant when some stuff hits certain “too hard” baskets (because they’re at the cutting edge and also $).
    
    The straight answer is yes (GA are being used) and yes they could be used to make an artificial organism. I may be wrong but when Craig Venter created his novel organism several years ago he partially used that type of design.
    
    The stumbling block is that GAs are modeled off existing organisms’ evolution so they’re not good at novelty and they tend to be biased towards the types of organisms that already exist… GAs are excellent for drugs as most drugs hit a gene or protein of interest critical to pathways that cause or allow disease to continue, so the GAs are predictive of the evolved disease/organism. The algorithms one needs for organismal design need to have an element of randomness in them – they need to be stochastic models. But there’s not need to even go that far really, I believe there was once created an ebola/TB cross with some measles genes in there for good transmission…
    
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    February 3, 2020 3:18pm
    - KevO'Brien
      
      You do work in an interesting field.
      
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      February 3, 2020 5:51pm
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  @Pharmachick
  
  Jack Rabbit was trying to divert you away from delivering your scientific understanding of the virus into a side topic on biological warfare.
  
  Kiwiblog is a kindy sand-pit for some folks… they use it as forum for point scoring …they can’t comprehend that some folks are interested in an exchange of ideas and information.
  
  Thanks for posting here.
  
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  February 3, 2020 2:32pm
  - Pharmachick
    
    Thanks Maggy, still pretty embarrassing to fly off the handle at obvious trolls…I will do better. Altho I do think its our obligation as scientists to try to at least moderate the more ridiculous conspiracy theories b/c the general population shouldn’t be scared of non-existent bogeymen.
    
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    February 3, 2020 3:23pm
- UrbanNeocolonialist
  
  I think you showed reasonable (just not inexhaustible) patience.
  
  I see a lot of academic analsysts saying that there are likely many many times more infected than official counts indicate (typical estimates of 10x) do you have an opinion on the matter?
  
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  February 3, 2020 5:02pm
cmm

Scummy bastard gets done for manslaughter headbutting someone to death over a parking space: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/119199385/guilty-plea-to-headbutt-manslaughter-over-hutt-valley-supermarket-car-parking-space

“Tanirau Whaanga had already visited one supermarket looking for nappies but they were out of stock.”

So a little frustrated by having to go to 2 supermarkets and needed an outlet for his Warrior genes”. Cudda happened to anyone I suppose.

“His lawyer, Chris Nicholls, told Justice Simon France that it was a tragic event, and Tanirau Whaanga wanted a restorative justice meeting with the victim’s family.”

Oh, right, Whaanga is also the victim here and he wants stuff…

“The headbutt happened when Tanirau Whaanga was still under a 12 months’ intensive supervision sentence for stomping on the neck of an unconscious man, leaving an impression of the sole of his shoe on the man’s skin.”

Please draw me a picture explaining how a vicious bugger like this is living in a house with a baby.

A serious assault and a murder in less than 12 months. How many strikes I wonder?
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February 3, 2020 12:46pm
- rangitoto
  
  I blame colonisation. There was never trouble with car parking before Captain Cook explored these shores.
  
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  February 3, 2020 1:39pm
  - MrTips
    
    And the KFC just roamed the forests, gagging to be roasted
    
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    February 3, 2020 4:01pm
- Tall Man
  
  Don’t know about the strikes but I’ll bet he’s in line for a few hugz … and a selfie.
  
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  February 3, 2020 1:41pm
  - sooty
    
    Maybe a family photo as well!
    
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    February 3, 2020 4:16pm
- KevO'Brien
  
  Standby: I expect we will hear of more extreme violence from this fellow. The description given alerts me to a likely sociopath–the violent ones become our lifers.
  
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  February 3, 2020 5:48pm
- MCos
  
  I saw a fracas over a car park right outside my house in Ngaio once. I was sitting on my verandah having a beer with my son overlooking two or three popular local shops.
  It was the classic case of one person waiting and another person zipping in when the space he was waiting for came free.
  The waiting guy, who was about sixty, got out of his car and started arguing with the young bloke who’d pinched his spot. He refused to move.
  Punched were thrown! Cars were keyed! The older bloke was left sitting on the ground and the other guy drove off.
  I rang 111.
  Next day PC Plod arrived on the scene.
  I told them I sympathized with the old bloke.
  Who threw the first punch.
  He did.
  Well, he’s in the shit then.
  Didn’t see a thing.
  A couple of days later the young bloke knocked on my door.
  Did I see what happened.
  Didn’t see a thing.
  
  True story.
  
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  February 3, 2020 5:51pm
- Scooter
  
  Scum. So the intensive supervision was working OK.
  
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  February 4, 2020 12:25am
chaos

For those who are interested, Rudy Giuliani’s Common Sense Broadcast.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPXP6fGv6aQ
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February 3, 2020 12:53pm
JulieBabe

I think I’ll set up a factory in Auckland making Face Masks for export to China.
Do you think they well sell?
6 1
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February 3, 2020 1:44pm
- sooty
  
  Don’t export all of them!
  Might need some here!
  
  4 0
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  February 3, 2020 4:14pm
Maggy Wassilieff

Australia has flown its Nationals out of Wuhan

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6610070/australians-flown-out-of-wuhan-virus-zone/?cs=14231
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February 3, 2020 3:15pm
- chaos
  
  I think ours are out aren’t they? Read yesterday the air nz plane was in Hong Kong ready to go to wuhan.
  
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  February 3, 2020 3:17pm
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Joke!
    
    There’s no update today on when the flight is happening.
    
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    February 3, 2020 6:06pm
    - chaos
      
      Yeah saw on the news before they are still in Hong Kong, jezz, leave them in Hong Kong a bit longer and it will all be over. Great to see the only fast thing in NZ is still team NZ
      
      4 0
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      February 3, 2020 6:11pm
- Pharmachick
  
  Well done Australia: onto it fast to evac your citizens but not to a main center… making use of Xmas Island as a quarantine center and keeping people in small family groups = prevent disease spread and protect mainland Australians (and the world). I’m not joking, this is the type of decisive quarantine required to prevent pandemic.
  
  New Zealand government? Hello…? Hello…? Bueller, Bueller ….
  
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  February 3, 2020 4:19pm
  - NoCash
    
    We can always recommission Matiu/Somes Island…
    
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    February 3, 2020 5:36pm
chaos

An interesting website for following the coronavirus

http://recombinomics.co/forum/431-coronavirus-2019-ncov/
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February 3, 2020 3:36pm
MrTips

Thought for the day

When Golly’s mate from Iran going home? If he was South African they’d have booted him already wouldn’t they?

Unrelated: went to Gharmaran’s Twitter site. I am now nearly blind and suffering Tourette’s – what an immature dumpsite.
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February 3, 2020 4:00pm
- Ian Boag
  
  Can we go to your one for comparison? Mr Tips tip .. ?
  
  4 6
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  February 3, 2020 5:56pm
- Prince
  
  Second thought of the day…What’s happening to Kim Dotcom ?
  
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  February 3, 2020 8:55pm
chaos

* While doctors have focused on respiratory samples from pneumonia cases to identify coronavirus patients, they might have ignored a less apparent and hidden source of the spread: diarrhea.

The novel coronavirus was detected in the loose stool of the first U.S. case — a finding that hasn’t featured among case reports from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the outbreak. However, that doesn’t surprise scientists who have studied coronaviruses, nor doctors familiar with the bug that caused SARS.*

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/coronavirus-lurking-in-feces-may-reveal-hidden-risk-of-spread/ar-BBZxuIv
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February 3, 2020 4:03pm
wreck1080

Unless maori invented concrete (although they probably have a pending claim), the concrete encased body found under a house in Mt Eden could be a post-colonial homocide.

I really hope this solves some missing person cold case.
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February 3, 2020 4:09pm
chaos

Now the economy will start to take a hit, let’s hope it is brief

* Forestry crews across New Zealand have downed tools as contractors close operations due to the coronavirus.

Logging workers who contacted Stuff said they were told to go home and that the shutdown was affecting crews across the country.

The Coronavirus was declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organisation (WHO) at the end of January and countries around the world implemented safety precautions to stop it spreading. New Zealand has taken precautionary steps for those entering the country and Air New Zealand suspended direct flights from Auckland to China.*

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/119236860/coronavirus-strikes-logging-crews-across-new-zealand
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February 3, 2020 4:14pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  I got an idea. Let’s start milling the shit again here in NZ. Bring jobs back and start up businesses. You know, Trump style. Make NZ great again.
  Hey, we might even be able to build some houses, nod nod, wink wink
  
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  February 3, 2020 5:37pm
  - Pharmachick
    
    Open up the mothballed parts of Kinleith and Kawerau… the digesters etc are still going, but the sawmilling sides less so.
    
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    February 3, 2020 5:46pm
  - Ian Boag
    
    Great idea. How do we make sure that the sawmills make a profit? Many of them closed because they couldn’t. Subsidies perhaps? Would Chinese-owned mills get them too … ? What about American ones? The Kawerau operation is owned by a Norwegian outfit .
    
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    February 3, 2020 5:55pm
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      Tariffs on imports. I hate tariffs, but Trump made it work. When NZ gets the idea imports are expensive – we make our own – just like we used to.
      Subsidies? Nope, that just means the NET TAXPAYER foots the bill, not state sector employees
      
      3 2
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      February 3, 2020 6:15pm
      - mikenmildagain
        
        You are describing the NZ industrial policies of 1940s to 1970s, notably championed by Soviet agent Bill Sutch.
        
        1 5
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        February 3, 2020 6:35pm
      - MCos
        
        Love to see those new motorways clogged up with broken down Trekkas
        
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        February 3, 2020 9:46pm
chaos

Seems Winston has been telling the Chinese one thing while doing the other

* National Party leader Simon Bridges believes it’s “concerning” the China consul general made comments about the Government’s decision to bar foreigners travelling from China for fear of spreading the coronavirus.

The Government announced on Sunday that any foreign travellers who leave or transit through China will be refused entry to New Zealand.*

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/02/coronavirus-simon-bridges-calls-china-s-consul-general-s-comments-concerning-regrettable.html
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February 3, 2020 4:20pm
Inandout

Jon Duffy is the new CEO of Consumer taking over from Sue Chetwin. Anyone know what sort of chap he is?
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February 3, 2020 4:22pm
MCos

Amusing tweet by Donald Trump

‘ Congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs on a great game and a fantastic comeback under immense pressure. We are proud of you and the Great State of Kansas. You are true Champions!

Kansas City is in Missouri

Someone got in his ear and the mistake as rectified.
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February 3, 2020 5:29pm
- mikenmildagain
  
  At least it shows he write his own tweets…
  
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  February 3, 2020 8:43pm
mikenmildagain

Dotard-in-chief couldn’t figure out which state the Super Bowl champions belong to.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/super-bowl/2020/02/02/donald-trump-super-bowl-congratulates-kansas-chiefs-missouri/4642759002/
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February 3, 2020 7:14pm
- All_on_Red
  
  Don’t worry Mikey
  Trumps mispeak aside, when it comes to lying you’ve got him beat
  LOL
  
  6 3
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  February 3, 2020 8:27pm
Maggy Wassilieff

Political upheavals in Oz

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-03/barnaby-joyce-seeking-to-replace-michael-mccormack-nats-leader/11922848

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/feb/03/richard-di-natale-resigns-as-greens-leader-and-announces-he-will-leave-politics
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February 3, 2020 7:49pm
Jack5

For language fans: Paul Lang has an interesting new video on Frisian, the language most closely related to English.

https://youtu.be/MGP7N_Hdmok
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February 3, 2020 8:00pm
curry4me

Doh! Mods/Sam Green, I hit the report button. I meant to hit reply. Sorry!
3 2
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February 3, 2020 8:01pm
MrTips

I think somebody’s having another breakdown.
https://mobile.twitter.com/hoymus
2 1
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February 3, 2020 8:08pm
Fletch

Bill Murray’s Groundhog Day Super Bowl ad…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnhzGUcENWo
2 2
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February 3, 2020 8:27pm
Hugh Pavletich

ESSENTIAL VIEWING …

The Wuhan coronavirus death toll in mainland China has overtaken SARS … CNN

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/02/03/asia/wuhan-coronavirus-update-intl-hnk/index.html
1 3
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February 3, 2020 9:21pm
Paul Marsden

Re: Simon Bridges: Ardern said the Government was focused on the response to the Coronavirus and other important issues- “everything else I consider electioneering and I won’t spend time on it today”. Nek minit, Ardern is at Waitangi on a four day sojourn.

The kid needs to take up comedy. Preferably sooner rather than later
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February 3, 2020 9:33pm
igm

How low can “Fairfax” go?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/119246503/former-marlborough-teacher-jailed-for-sex-with-students-can-now-be-named
Why ruin the husband’s life because of his errant wife?
If it had been the husband in court bet they would not have named the wife and her occupation.
If it had been a certain ethnicity or LBTG it would not have been reported.
1 1
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February 4, 2020 1:29am

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