General Debate 4 February 2020

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Than

I’ve just seen what is (IMO) the highest praise yet of Simon Bridges ruling out working with NZ First after the election – Martyn Bradbury has called it a mistake.

If a man of Bradbury’s infinite political genius (/sarc) thinks it was a mistake, that’s a pretty solid indication it was the right move.

However in the midst of his typical wrongness, Bradbury does have one thing correct – Labour making an arrangement with NZ First over an electorate (presumably Northland) is one of their more plausible paths back into power. National needs to campaign hard in Northland and anywhere else NZ First is seriously contesting, to ensure they can’t coat-tail their way back into parliament.
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February 4, 2020 8:01am
- rockape
  
  I think their declaration of not going with NZ First means thery can go hard out on NZ First and the Greens. I would largely ignore jacinda just occasionally point out her failures. Time to go full retard!
  
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  February 4, 2020 8:46am
  - Tall Man
    
    I agree, ignore ardern completely, she’ll screw her own campaign up. The greens and “what’s in it for wynston” provide a large amount of fodder.
    
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    February 4, 2020 9:36am
  - MCos
    
    The election is basically between National & Labour as it always is and the two parties are represented by their leaders as they have been since the Muldoon/Kirk era.
    As in any election anywhere the public’s perception of the leader decides the day in a close race.
    We have had a number of worthy leaders over the years who just didn’t capture the public’s attention, because they didn’t have the twinkle in their eye.
    They might have done rather well in the radio days, but on TV they have been dull.
    So Bill Rowling didn’t stand much of a chanc against Muldoon, who once said in a TV debate. ‘Sorry, Bill, I wasn’t listening’ and pretty much won the election right there.
    
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    February 4, 2020 10:33am
    - Ed Snack
      
      Showing the age there MCos ! I don’t really recall that moment (but probably didn’t watch the TV debates); but I do recall the Fred Dagg sketch where Fred’s car has a puncture and he stops at a garage where the proprietor is Bill Rowling – Fred asks “are you responsible for inflation ?” and Bill responds “some people seem to think so…” (or words to that effect).
      
      Nearly as good as Muldoon playing the narrator in the stage version of the Rocky Horror, at least he was no longer PM at the time !
      
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      February 4, 2020 10:59am
      - Classic Liberal
        
        Yes, I remember Muldoon in Rocky Horror. Could hardly believe it – I’d been trained up to consider Muldoon a misogynist homophobic conservative, and there he was in high heels and fishnets having a great laugh at himself! Just shows that one shouldn’t just accept the parents’ prejudices.
        
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        February 4, 2020 3:22pm
      - Tony Stuart
        
        I’d suggest your memory is a little faulty CL. Muldoon played the role of The Narrator, for which he dressed in a gaudy purple velvet jacket. He joined the cast for Time Warp, but at no stage did he don fishnets and high heels.
        
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        February 4, 2020 4:44pm
      - Classic Liberal
        
        Dang, I really thought at the end he had a quick change and revealed the fishnets. But can’t find a picture anywhere, so as you say Tony, I must be wrong on that one. Soooo long ago…
        
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        February 4, 2020 5:42pm
    - MCos
      
      I used to work for the MOW in an office in Hill St behind parliament when Holyoake was PM. One day he wandered in off the street and said good day. Startled everyone & someone was dispatched to find the Big Boss. By the time they got back he was gone!
      Of course we all told our mates what a good bloke he was and it didn’t do his reputation any harm!
      
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      February 4, 2020 11:34am
      - Paulus
        
        I once saw Holyoake walk out of Parliament and cross against the lights towards the Terrace not thinking I expect.
        A bus screeched to a halt in front of him coming down the hill.
        Silence – people watching to see if anything would happen.
        Big Maori bus driver gets out to have slang – gets close – sees it is Holyoake.
        Big smile when he sees who it is – shakes his hand and jumps back into the drivers seat and away he goes -still big smile.
        Big smiles all round.
        
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        February 4, 2020 1:33pm
- oldfella
  
  But Cindy has already said Labour won’t be doing any such deals. And she’s a mother and a woman so she would never lie to us.
  
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  February 4, 2020 8:48am
  - Two fish and a scoop thanks Cindy
    
    #BelieveAllWomen
    
    (/sarc)
    
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    February 4, 2020 11:38am
  - Nickc2
    
    Yep oldfella, I can see a Tui’s billboard coming on.
    “Cindy wouldn’t lie to us!” Yea, right!
    
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    February 4, 2020 1:02pm
- Surely Knott
  
  Agree. But if Labour does a deal to guarantee NZ First back into government, then where does that leave the Greens? And what does that do to the Labour brand? It would now be Labour/NZ1. And a vote for Greens is a vote for NZ1. Greens are now the mistress not the wife.
  
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  February 4, 2020 9:08am
  - rouppe
    
    Even being the mistress would be an improvement over the house girl they currently are…
    
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    February 4, 2020 9:47am
    - Rachael Membery
      
      Door mat?
      
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      February 4, 2020 11:51am
  - LTA1955
    
    Labour dont give a toss about the brand, they are in a psychotic bubble right now and going OTT to retain power.
    Get ready New Zealand, these are Maniac Marxists who will do anything to get Jackass over the line. Offshore political headwinds are still returning populist voter revolts.
    
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    February 4, 2020 9:49am
- backster
  
  “National needs to campaign hard in Northland and anywhere else NZ First is seriously contesting, to ensure they can’t coat-tail their way back into parliament.”
  
  But National hasn’t got a $3 billion slush fund with which to buy the votes.
  
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  February 4, 2020 9:08am
- Tony Stuart
  
  To be fair, all Bradbury is criticising is the timing of Bridges’ announcement on Sunday; he thinks Bridges has gone too soon.
  
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  February 4, 2020 9:09am
  - redeye
    
    The timing is good IMO.
    Peters will now need to differentiate himself completely from Labour & the Greens. He’ll be at pains to show how he is a handbrake on the left coalition and will spend the entire election year objecting and cancelling any progressive moves they make. Which could be very entertaining and will surely have the effect of showing this coalition to be completely dysfunctional.
    
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    February 4, 2020 9:21am
    - Two fish and a scoop thanks Cindy
      
      Surely under theses circumstances, all Bridges has to say is, Well… YOU chose THEM Winston!
      Or words to the effect of Frankenstein can’t control his own monster.
      
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      February 4, 2020 11:41am
  - Than
    
    Perhaps. But I’ve seen other commentators saying Bridges should have done it sooner.
    
    My $0.02 is that while its been obvious since the election that National couldn’t work with NZ First, there wasn’t anything to gain by announcing it earlier. It needed to be said far enough in advance for the message to sink in and have a chance to hurt NZ First’s polling. Apart from that I don’t think the timing really matters much.
    
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    February 4, 2020 9:22am
    - Rachael Membery
      
      Timed for after the election date was called, seems sensible to me.
      
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      February 4, 2020 11:54am
  - Nigel Kearney
    
    It’s never too soon to say that Winston Peters is a disgusting, corrupt sack of shit and you want nothing to do with him. The earlier you start saying that, the more chances you have to keep repeating it so it sinks in.
    
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    February 4, 2020 9:36am
    - Tricati
      
      And showing examples of why you are right
      
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      February 4, 2020 11:33am
  - RoboRob
    
    If thats the case, I would agree with him. The timing seemed very poor, with Waitangi day comming up and Cornona virus all through the media. People I know who are interested in politics didn’t even know until I mentioned it.
    
    Also surprised he didn’t wait for Winston to start positioning NZF as been able to go with both parties before shooting him down.
    
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    February 4, 2020 9:38am
    - Than
      
      Bridges (and other senior Nat MPs) have eight months to keep re-iterating this. Plus every time a new political poll comes out there will be articles about what the post-election coalition possibilities are, which will have to at least mention it.
      
      The message will get out, even to the completely politically uninformed.
      
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      February 4, 2020 10:14am
      - rockape
        
        Has any poll mentioned the possibility of a national, NZ First Col, nah i wonder why?
        
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        February 4, 2020 11:58am
      - curry4me
        
        Yes, I put an announcement on my FB page.
        
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        February 4, 2020 5:45pm
    - Paulus Gnome
      
      If your mates missed the last couple of days after the announcement by Bridges, they cannot really be that ‘interested’ in politics.
      
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      February 4, 2020 10:43am
      - rockape
        
        I suspect all NZ First voters are well aware.
        
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        February 4, 2020 12:00pm
  - alloytoo
    
    It’s funny, at the same time as people say he’s gone too soon they also say he had no choice, that it was inevitable etc.
    
    He had no choice, it was inevitable, why muck about with it?
    
    Tells the rest of us that Bridges is serious and not about playing Winston’s games.
    
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    February 4, 2020 10:11am
  - Happychappy
    
    Tony a interesting tape from ZB yesterday.https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-demand/newstalk-zbeen/newstalk-zbeen-soymuns-big-decision/
    Quite good listening.
    
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    February 4, 2020 10:28am
    - RightFirstTime
      
      Interesting that they call it “zbeen”. There are many presenters on that station who could be accurately described as “has beens”.
      
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      February 4, 2020 12:39pm
  - Bobba Fret
    
    Heather DPA on One ZB last night said the same thing……he has announced too early as it will give Labour and NZF longer to organise their electioneering.
    
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    February 4, 2020 10:42am
    - marcw
      
      I think we would be better off not listening to what HDPA tells her audience. The first night this year I listened last week she announced “the SFO court case will come back to bite the National Party all year”. This is before we even know:
      1. What the charges are or
      2. Who (apart from one) are being charged.
      
      But Heather ‘knows’ that it will hurt National! Her “facts” and my facts are poles apart.
      
      Then Winston’s drinking buddy comes on to continue the smearing and half truths. The fact that he has continually something good to say about Winston First tells me all I need to know about his opinions.
      
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      February 4, 2020 10:58am
  - kloyd0306
    
    Apparently barely Soper also thinks the timing is wrong (but who cares what he thinks?).
    
    It is clear that he believes that NZF will not lose their percentage of the vote. So out of touch with the electorate (but who cares what he believes?).
    
    Compromise and cutting deals vs principles is also his belief (But who cares what he believes?)
    
    First sign that Simon has a spine. Well done!
    
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    February 4, 2020 1:21pm
  - Scooter
    
    I think the timing is just right, after the infrastructure announcement (he checkmated Cindy over that one) and right before Waitangi. Winstone is really smarting, won’t even stand next to Simon. Jacinda might need to put him in timeout.
    
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    February 4, 2020 8:47pm
artemisia

A high profile development of 92 apartments in Takapuna is losing big money for the developer – $15.9 million – despite all apartments sold.

Reasons not v clear from the article, but what is clear is that other Auckland apartment developers will be watching, and checking every line on their spreadsheet.

2018 – 49 Auckland apartment projects were abandoned (data from Colliers).

How’s that housing crisis going?

Link behind paywall, try Pressreader.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12305546
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February 4, 2020 8:02am
- MCos
  
  It looks like they sold them too cheaply and when 92 units are involved that’s about 175,000. Once things start to go wrong costs pile up.
  
  “In 2018, Last November, Auburn Development wrote to buyers seeking more money to settle purchases. Due to building costs rising and development finance becoming “virtually unavailable”, buyers must pay more, letters said.
  Pre-purchasers were then asked to pay a further 8 per cent.”
  
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  February 4, 2020 9:01am
- KevO'Brien
  
  That’s $173K/apartment loss. On such a long term project the outcome will always be uncertain.
  If only that was all the COL lost on their housing adventures.
  
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  February 4, 2020 9:08am
Hugh Pavletich

CORONAVIRUS … ESSENTIAL VIEWING …

Mayo Clinic doctor: Coronavirus is ‘basically at a pandemic now’ and should be treated as such … CNBC

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/03/mayo-clinic-dr-gregory-poland-coronavirus-basically-at-a-pandemic.html
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February 4, 2020 8:04am
- Hugh Pavletich
  
  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
  
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  February 4, 2020 8:11am
  - Bell-47
    
    CNBC and CNN…C’mon Hugh you can do better than that.
    
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    February 4, 2020 9:35am
    - Simon Gotlieb
      
      Do you only consider it real news if Fox reports it?
      
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      February 4, 2020 9:50am
      - Bell-47
        
        You don’t have to look very far to find CNN’s bias on display and the way they talk about Trump supporters like they are backwater, gap toothed, hillbillies.. It’s disgusting. Lemon had to follow up with an apology.
        
        https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2020/01/27/cnns_don_lemon_cracks_up_as_rick_wilson_wajahat_ali_trash_trump_supporters_as_ignorant_rubes.html
        
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        February 4, 2020 10:54am
      - rangitoto
        
        Don’t believe anything unless it appears in Socialist Worker comrade. The capitalist running dogs are out to fool you.
        
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        February 4, 2020 10:59am
      - Stephieboy2
        
        Rangitoto, fool you ?
        
        Irony alert siren wails!
        
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        February 4, 2020 1:53pm
    - Stephieboy2
      
      Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
      Bell-47, Zero Hedge and Inforwars??
      
      LOL
      
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      February 4, 2020 10:03am
      - Bell-47
        
        Never seen Zero Hedge, not interested in Alex Jones either. So, where to put that lonely “LOL” now Stephie?
        
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        February 4, 2020 10:46am
      - Hugh Pavletich
        
        Coronavirus: China admits ‘shortcomings and deficiencies’ … BBC News
        
        https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-51362336
        
        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 4, 2020 12:06pm
      - Stephieboy2
        
        Bell-47, shall we try OAN or Breitbart then?
        
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        February 4, 2020 1:51pm
Happychappy

RNZ does all the work in uncovering the wealthy donors to the NZ First Foundation and then the Herald joins the act to publish the names of the Rich and Powerful who have been helping fund the Mysterious Foundation bankrolling the NZ First Party.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12305743
This is not under the paywall and is a interesting read couldn’t have come at a better time for Simon Bridges after his announcement of National could not and will not work with NZ First and Winston Peters at the 2020 General Election.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/in-depth/408785/wealthy-and-powerful-nz-first-foundation-donors-revealed
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February 4, 2020 8:07am
- Prince
  
  I expect the Electoral Commission to issue a report on this around February 2021.
  
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  February 4, 2020 8:47am
- Sir Cullen's Sidekick
  
  Argh – Happychappy, I was about to post this under the title -“Winston is a honest person”. You beat me to that 🙂 I bet Cindy will not be bothered about this and use weasel words and tilted head looks to get away.
  
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  February 4, 2020 8:56am
  - Tall Man
    
    I think it “hug with a hijab day”…..
    
    That’ll help.
    
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    February 4, 2020 9:34am
    - igm
      
      [Mod: deleted]
      
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      February 4, 2020 2:23pm
      - Tall Man
        
        Oops…….
        
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        February 4, 2020 7:35pm
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  So our Coalition Government is propped up by a bunch of very wealthy folks… that must sit well with the Greens and the common working folk of the Labour Party.
  
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  February 4, 2020 9:04am
  - Simon Gotlieb
    
    Labour hasn’t represented the working class in years. It’s solidly a party for woke intellectuals now.
    
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    February 4, 2020 9:51am
    - John Warren
      
      Well, the woke, anyhow. I don’t know how much intellect is involved.
      
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      February 4, 2020 10:55am
      - Simon Gotlieb
        
        You’re not wrong John. However, all parties have their share of the intellectually challenged representing and voting for them, so we can hardly tar Labour exclusively with that brush. We really could do with a better breed of politician, and voter in many cases TBH.
        
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        February 4, 2020 1:48pm
- UrbanNeocolonialist
  
  NZ’s richest Graeme Hart making big anonymous donations to Winston First. Wonder if his extensive business interests have received some of the free lollies being distributed by Shane?
  
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  February 4, 2020 9:17am
  - Simon Gotlieb
    
    Possibly. It could also be due to some kind of antipathy with members of National, through business. When you are very rich you can enact revenge in interesting ways.
    
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    February 4, 2020 9:52am
    - hullkiwi
      
      Yes, $14,995.99 at a time several times over.
      
      Now what was JLR accusing National of? Rather than looking at his new found friends across the House.
      
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      February 4, 2020 11:47am
      - igm
        
        Hart should be donating to Labour, they being the party that set him up for life by selling him Govt Print for less than contracts value.
        
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        February 4, 2020 2:27pm
- KevO'Brien
  
  Saved to my NZF Archive. I will make that available later if significant.
  
  With the degree of lawyering involved I doubt if payments indirectly via associated companies can be aggregated to force Electoral Act disclosure.
  It is not sure how far intention can be implied and it would be a general offense against the certainty required of law to have to investigate donors minds and relationships.
  
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  February 4, 2020 9:24am
  - Bill felt
    
    I hope you have investigated who paid for the NZF bus last election? It was a key part of Winston travelling the country to sweep up rural votes. The parties that paid for it have now withdrawn their support (unsurprisingly).
    
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    February 4, 2020 9:58am
    - KevO'Brien
      
      I don’t follow NZF or Winston around. I just believe his time has truly expired and now he gone full anti-capitalist is a real menace.
      Winston has too much power and almost no authority. Alcoholic induced dementia?
      
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      February 4, 2020 10:36am
    - hullkiwi
      
      I know who paid for the bus for NZF. I also know the same person paid for buses for National and Labour.
      
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      February 4, 2020 11:50am
- rouppe
  
  Again and again, “entities linked to…”.
  
  Donations should be restricted to natural persons only, who are nz citizens (and MAYBE permanent residents) and personally I believe any donation totalling over $100 in a calendar year should be declared.
  
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  February 4, 2020 9:56am
  - Tall Man
    
    I have a number of companies and I can see the benefit of a donation in a company name ….. goodwill and all that, it’s just that “what’s in it for wynston” has taken it to an entirely new level making “money for policy” an art form.
    
    I do agree that all donations should be named though which in today’s world is a simple task.
    
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    February 4, 2020 10:37am
    - Two fish and a scoop thanks Cindy
      
      Agree, but not if the information is publicly available, should be for accounting and auditing only .
      
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      February 4, 2020 12:40pm
      - Tall Man
        
        If you make a donation to a political party and want it kept secret then doesn’t that indicate there may be a problem.
        
        I note overseas that some donate to both parties or the top rankers anyway.
        
        For me the numbers are small unless they are for the benefit of one person ….. think “foundation” and would be unlikely to extract much in the way of “favours”.
        
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        February 4, 2020 1:49pm
- alloytoo
  
  Somebody in RNZ has decided to stick a knife in Winston and tell him he’s done.
  
  Herald senses blood in the water?
  
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  February 4, 2020 10:13am
  - KevO'Brien
    
    Winston’s time will come, I though it had two elections ago when he was practically gaga on election night.
    The elderly can drop like flies.
    I wish Winston well but not in politics.
    
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    February 4, 2020 10:40am
  - Simon Gotlieb
    
    Indeed. This quote stands out as interesting:
    
    “Geddis said if donations had not been handled correctly the onus fell mainly on the party secretary for New Zealand First, rather than the donors or the New Zealand First Foundation.”
    
    mainly because of the donations scandal with National at present. The whole donations thing is fraught. Time to make them all declarable.
    
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    February 4, 2020 10:40am
    - KevO'Brien
      
      But how can that be done when they money is paid to a Trust for it’s discretionary use? The donor may have no idea of how his money is to be applied.
      
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      February 4, 2020 3:18pm
  - Nickc2
    
    As much as dislike the NZ Herald, I hope they are right this time. I hope he is hung out to dry in the court-of-public-opinion, regardless of what the Electoral Commission or the Courts themselves may decree.
    
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    February 4, 2020 1:40pm
mikenmildagain

Happy World Cancer Day!
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February 4, 2020 8:09am
- hookerphil
  
  Not so sure about the happy bit.
  
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  February 4, 2020 8:31am
- ldypen
  
  I really don’t think that the words “Happy” and “Cancer” go that well together.
  
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  February 4, 2020 8:44am
- Wangas Feral
  
  My prostate not feeling the happiness right now.
  
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  February 4, 2020 8:51am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    I am under ‘active surveillance for that
    
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    February 4, 2020 10:16am
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      Who is the fuckwit that downticks that? Diagnosed with low level prostate cancer.
      Sick in the head prick
      
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      February 5, 2020 9:05am
- MCos
  
  Rush Limbaugh announces he has ‘advanced lung cancer’
  
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  February 4, 2020 10:01am
- JackRabbit
  
  Wake me when its World Cancer Cure day. Celebrating negatives is the habit of morons.
  
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  February 4, 2020 2:09pm
Tall Man

Attention David. This crap needs a proper and forceful response.

https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2020/02/02/lets-honestly-talk-about-why-benefit-numbers-and-food-grants-are-going-up-under-labour/
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February 4, 2020 8:10am
- Prince
  
  Why ?
  
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  February 4, 2020 8:50am
  - Tall Man
    
    Because a large amount of it is patently false but that narrative will be taken up by social media and the trolls.
    
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    February 4, 2020 9:32am
    - Simon Gotlieb
      
      Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
      I don’t think so. There is much evidence to back up the claims that under the last government, people in need were actively encouraged to “fuck off and die”. It’s relatively simple to work out that if you make it easier for people to claim they are going to claim more. This government made that obvious from the start. Hardly surprising.
      
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      February 4, 2020 9:55am
      - Tall Man
        
        Well then, I await your screeds of evidence.
        
        I worked at the front line for a while and still have a family member involved and I can assure you that you haven’t got a fucking clue how much needless “welfare” is paid the career beneficiaries and the frauds that are still going on.
        
        Yes, WINZ still has a fraud unit.
        
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        February 4, 2020 10:34am
      - JimBobJoe
        
        Want to back that up Simon – not your opinion, not some activist NGO campaign for money for nothing – but some real evidence the last government had ‘fuck off and die’ as an operational directive?
        
        If not then you are just devaluing what ever you say on this site as no more than hyperbole and bullshit…
        
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        February 4, 2020 10:37am
      - Simon Gotlieb
        
        Jeez guys, that’s gonna take a while to compile all that. Surely your memory isn’t that gone that you can’t remember the many cases of people being unfairly treated?
        
        Look, I understand there’s some real spongers and dropkicks out there, and some of them need a damn good kick up the arse, and others need a bit of time in jail for it to register how much they are screwing us taxpayers, but without doing a whole bunch of searching, which I really don’t have time for (I actually do have a job to do) I think we’re probably just going to have to agree to disagree on this one.
        
        When I get the time I’ll find something, but I fear by then we will all have moved on…
        
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        February 4, 2020 1:55pm
      - Simon Gotlieb
        
        And on the fraud thing, here’s something from Victoria Business School (yeah, I know, probably a hive of woke intellectuals) discussing the relativity between treatment of benefit fraud versus tax evasion. TL:DR Benefit fraud is treated as a far greater sin than tax evasion, and both are bad.
        
        https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/news/2017/08/why-is-tax-evasion-treated-more-gently-than-benefit-fraud2
        
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        February 4, 2020 1:58pm
      - Tall Man
        
        “Benefit fraud is treated as a far greater sin than tax evasion, and both are bad”
        
        That is utter bollocks. I have yet to see a beneficiary receive a custodial sentence for overclaiming in fact, we have turei as an example of what doesn’t happen whereas had she stiffed the IRD for a similar amount I doubt it would have been overlooked.
        
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        February 4, 2020 7:47pm
- Sir Cullen's Sidekick
  
  Nine years of neglect and Labour is repairing it slowly but surely?
  
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  February 4, 2020 8:57am
  - Tall Man
    
    One day you’re going to sneeze when you have your tongue in your cheek and that will really hurt 😉
    
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    February 4, 2020 9:33am
  - KevO'Brien
    
    Nine years of success brought Kiwis home again. So big was the turn around we went from negative to zero to 45,000+ permanent migrants yearly! The COL have encouraged further.
    Then we had the FED and other banks creating money willy nilly which flooded our housing markets and prices.
    The sell off of State Houses was not a loss of stock. The accrued maintenance due was passed onto the new owners. New State housing was being developed. Many in the old model had 1/4 acre sections and a serious refreshing of neighbourhood housing use was needed.
    National Ministers had the ability to manage, the COL’s are but ~~screamers~~ dreamers.
    ☑️☑️Sack ’em 2020☑️☑️
    
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    February 4, 2020 9:38am
- Aunty
  
  Oh yes, it’s a sick puppy who wrote that one alright!
  
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  February 4, 2020 8:57am
- John Warren
  
  Wow! What a fevered mind Mr Bradbury has.
  
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  February 4, 2020 9:11am
- KevO'Brien
  
  WINZ have more computer driven systems. It’s a nightmare now for staff as well.
  
  We have a WINZ problem the family is limited to a max of $5000 gross over and above the benefit. That limits work opportunities with the 70% clawback on the gross. With tax and the resulting GST from the use of the money the effective rate is -5% on only a 20% income tax rate. I.e earn $100 and become $5 worse off!
  
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  February 4, 2020 10:54am
Yvette

Since no one seems able to find the Douglas McArthur quote Winston used to describe Bridges, here is one that is “demonstrably” Winston –

“Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it” – Charles R. Swindoll

Some people have car crashes, some get cancer.
Winston’s 10% was an accountancy mistake with IRD super payments after the relationship status box on his application form had been left blank, according to his lawyer.

The immediate reaction – the accounting problem completely resolved within 24 hours – was utterly exemplary of good citizenship, particularly in comparison to Metiria Turei’s amoral mess.

But now, Winston’s further 90% reaction to the same 10% event, awaits a judicial decision on how much “damage’ he may have inflicted upon himself, and meanwhile he has inflicted three years of bad government on an entire nation.
So far Winston’s 90% over-reaction has lasted 890 days with more time likely yet to be spent wallowing in the aftermath of his unfortunate 10%.

There has been criticism of information shared with ministers under the “no surprises” policy.
But has not history now proven – supposed Electoral damage both before and after the Election, perpetrated by the same person – that this matter is the very type of issue that this “no surprises” policy was established for? Name any other issue more “surprising” or “disruptive”.

An interesting comparison – himself to himself – is the 90% reaction to realising the life time (so far) goal of being Acting Prime Minister (second only to being Prime Minister himself) when Ardern had her baby daughter, and Peters played the whole deal down as “just another day at the office”.

Then there is his IRD super payment issue –
“This is humbug. It’s tawdry. It’s dirty. It’s filthy, and they should not succeed on that”, Mr Peters said.
“You’ve got a political party that’s been deeply exposed now. That’s all the way to the Prime Minister. Don’t tell me Paula Bennett knew and the Prime Minister didn’t know,” Mr Peters said.
“It’s underhand, and it’s dirty politics. It’s probably, in my view, illegal. Utterly, utterly wrong and apparently they knew even before I knew.”

May his next experience be about 3.5 or 4% instead of 7.2%
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February 4, 2020 8:14am
- Prince
  
  Refer my reply to you yesterday:
  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 4, 2020 8:52am
  - Yvette
    
    Prince, thank you for the reference – I am sorry I didn’t see your earlier reply.
    I am pleased “you did return” :o)
    
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    February 4, 2020 9:43am
- KevO'Brien
  
  Mild dementia?
  
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  February 4, 2020 9:40am
  - Simon Gotlieb
    
    I’d suggest it’s less mild dementia and more massive ego.
    
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    February 4, 2020 9:56am
KevO'Brien

A lesson for Ardern & Peters:
http://andmagazine.com/talk/2020/02/03/the-coup-failed-now-what/
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February 4, 2020 8:17am
- Stephieboy2
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  United States of Commonsense tripe.
  
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  February 4, 2020 8:48am
  - KevO'Brien
    
    Study a little history it’s good for the little grey cells.
    
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    February 4, 2020 9:41am
    - JackRabbit
      
      Provided the little grey cells are alive.
      
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      February 4, 2020 2:10pm
- Bell-47
  
  An excellent read thank you Kev. Every single one of the conspirators should be charged with treason and sedition. Interestingly, Rand Paul’s question that was disallowed outed the whistleblower who’s identity has been known for some time and identified as a partisan hack who had been conspiring for years to bring down Trump. Putting his name in a question was pure genius. Time the “whistleblower” was hauled in front of congress for some very probing questions.
  
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  February 4, 2020 10:42am
Paulus

Air New Zealand Charter Flight to/from Wuhan today.
Why do I get the impression that later today Ardern will tell everybody that instead of the Charter Flight Fee of $500 (well below any commercial cost) will be paid by her Government,
As a private Shareholder and again via that taxpayer share held by the Government I will be very upset in this in so far as this is not a so called Mercy Flight it is a Commercial Charter and I do not expect that other that getting a cheap flight those on board should pay at the agreed Charter rate and terms.
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February 4, 2020 8:18am
- Stephieboy2
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  “As a private Shareholder and again via that taxpayer..”
  
  A letter to the Air NZ CEO is in order. Post on KB us the response!
  
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  February 4, 2020 8:50am
- oldfella
  
  She’ll suddenly decide the taxpayers of NZ will pay for the evacuees because that’s what the Aussies are doing. And Labour is a least as generous as they are (with our money).
  
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  February 4, 2020 8:52am
- Sir Cullen's Sidekick
  
  What are you going to do when Cindy will announce that each person on that flight will also be paid $1M as compensation for being in Wuhan? Whooohooo!
  
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  February 4, 2020 8:59am
  - Tall Man
    
    Help them spend it?
    
    7 3
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    February 4, 2020 9:30am
- cmm
  
  “It’s on me!”
  
  Somehow she can find a way to pay 100x $500 out of her $500k koha that she already spend on all the first year uni fees.
  
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  February 4, 2020 9:02am
- tf78
  
  Ironic that only last week Air NZ were boasting about how many $50 airfares they sold.
  
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  February 4, 2020 9:06am
- Bill felt
  
  I would suggest the the NZ Govt paid the full charter rate and expects those on board to recompensate the NZ Govt. Air NZ will be fully paid (as they should be).
  
  Those on board will be asked to pay the $500 except the following :
  1. Maori
  2. Muslim
  3. Woman
  4. Children
  5. Children in Poverty
  6. LBGTQ
  7. Anyone in a tribe
  8. Criminals
  9. Marxists
  10. Socialists
  11. People with hurty feelings
  12. NZ First donors
  13…..
  
  The following will be required to pay the full costs:
  Trump supporters
  Stale pale males
  Car fascists
  People with chinky sounding names
  Australians (except Koalas)
  
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  February 4, 2020 9:10am
- KevO'Brien
  
  The rule of law has been suspended during the reign of Ardern R.
  Why haven’t the Police arrested all the Ihumatao protesters?
  
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  February 4, 2020 9:44am
  - Simon Gotlieb
    
    Because it would be as politically disastrous as the Red Squad in 1981, or the dawn raids in the 70s. Both of which led to the government of the time being kicked out.
    
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    February 4, 2020 9:59am
    - Swifty
      
      “Both of which led to the government of the time being kicked out…..What?
      
      “Dawn raids were a common event in Auckland, New Zealand, during a crackdown on illegal overstayers from the Pacific Islands from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s.”
      
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_raid#New_Zealand
      
      National were in power 1975-84.
      
      So they were kicked out in 84 because of the dawn raids that had been going on since the 70s? Or were they kicked out in 1984 because of the tour in ’81?
      
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      February 4, 2020 10:33am
      - Simon Gotlieb
        
        Sorry, I typed that in a rush so it probably didn’t read well.
        
        These two things were significant contributors to the electorate loosing faith in Muldoon’s government, and adding to that Bob Jones deciding to do that “rich guy dabbles in politics” thing, resulting in National getting the bum’s rush.
        
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        February 4, 2020 2:01pm
    - JimBobJoe
      
      The Red Squad in 1981 led to Muldoon being kicked out? That is a fever dream of the highest order dolt!
      
      Seriously – how can you type that? Muldoon won the 1981 election in Nov 1981… the Bok tour finished in Sept 1981.
      
      I thought leftie activists where students of histoiry!!
      
      Not plain old fashion liars as your statement clear is a lie…
      
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      February 4, 2020 10:42am
      - Tony Stuart
        
        National was kicked out because people on the Right were pissed off with Muldoon’s lurch towards socialism, and the creation of Bob Jones’ New Zealand Party gave them a new home. The result was the National’s vote was split, and David Lange became Prime Minister.
        
        The 1981 Springbok Tour actually saved Muldoon from getting the arse card in 1981, as people in rural New Zealand in particular rallied behind him and the Police. Unfortunately, the outcome was three more years of an increasingly irrational Muldoon, and a tanking economy.
        
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        February 4, 2020 10:52am
      - Simon Gotlieb
        
        Interesting. I was obviously on the other side during the Springbok tour. For me it signalled the beginning of the end of the Muldoon government, and for many of us as well raised in a National voting household. For the first time in our lives we realised we were on a different side to the government of the time, and they were prepared to use the Police to enforce their policy. The first time I ever voted it wasn’t for Muldoon’s government. And yep, the tour was definitely a factor.
        
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        February 4, 2020 2:04pm
    - Rachael Membery
      
      And?
      
      2 1
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      February 4, 2020 12:53pm
- G152
  
  The cabin air circulation system will guarantee the spread of the infection throughout the pax.
  Well thought out
  
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  February 4, 2020 9:50am
  - Paulus Gnome
    
    Go for the window seat perhaps . . .
    
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    February 4, 2020 10:58am
- MCos
  
  I think you are a little mean spirited, Paulus.
  
  Did the relatives get a bill for the cost of the retrieval of the bodies from White Island?
  Should the people stranded at Milford Sound, where they are not in immediate danger, pay to be brought out?
  Should the people being brought back to NZ pay for two weeks compulsory internment?
  One often reads in the news about people being evacuated as a precaution in the face of some potential flood or fire or whatever. As far as I’m aware the rescue vehicles don’t have ATM machines to pay before you can get aboard.
  
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  February 4, 2020 12:50pm
  - Paulus
    
    MCos
    What you describe re White Island and Milford stranding are things at which any costs are/were not known in advance.
    The Air New Zealand Commercial charter was a known cost to those seeking transport out of China.
    
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    February 4, 2020 1:47pm
info@cruzpro.com

Does anyone know why some articles published on Stuff website get removed in days while others linger for a week or more?

Specifically, Stuff had an article on problems people experienced getting insurance companies to pay out. There were over 40 responses with most of them negative against insurance companies and lawyers. That article disapeared after only three days. Even a search on the Stuff website proved fruitless.
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February 4, 2020 8:35am
- KevO'Brien
  
  Advertiser pressure.
  
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  February 4, 2020 9:44am
  - Simon Gotlieb
    
    Exactly Kev. Advertising money is king. After all, you don’t pay for Stuff, so you have no say.
    
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    February 4, 2020 9:59am
    - KevO'Brien
      
      I don’t read Stuff.
      
      5 1
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      February 4, 2020 10:57am
- Bobba Fret
  
  Also I notice that if they actually open up the article for comments and they start getting a lot of negative comments, they very quickly close the comments.
  
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  February 4, 2020 11:12am
artemisia

Is Tabatha being ‘hounded’ and ‘harassed’ by debt collectors? She has a story, a block on calls and emails, and a journalist to tell her story. The collection agency also has a story, but just a general approach rather than Tabatha’s case.

Read between the lines.

“We are unable to comment on specific cases but in each case we seek to reach an agreement whereby each party is happy with the outcome. When this occurs we then no longer have a need to make further contact. However, there are times when parties don’t maintain their commitments to us and this requires us to make further contact with them.”

Nice (large) dog in the photo.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/119220102/debt-collector-hounding-borrower-over-2700-credit-card-debt
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February 4, 2020 8:43am
- Tony Stuart
  
  The woman with the dog is not Tabatha.
  
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  February 4, 2020 10:54am
oldfella

I keep looking for this in the ‘Stuffed’ Climate Change section. I’m sure they’ll be on to it by day’s end. Big climate change story after all…
https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1237178/weather-warning-ice-age-earth-sun-hibernates-solar-minimum-long-range-forecast
Maybe Greta – just nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize – could give it a mention.
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February 4, 2020 8:44am
- Tall Man
  
  -50 c in Canada.
  
  I bet that trudeau’s fault 😉
  
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  February 4, 2020 9:23am
- KevO'Brien
  
  This has been followed for years by actual climate scientists. There is serious concern that we are headed for an extended 50+… years real cold spell.
  We get prepared for heat and no fuel while the solar system prepares us for the the other way.
  
  Where’s the sunspots? This has happened before.
  Hence Greenland and market fairs on an iced up River Thames.
  
  Adaptation is wise.
  
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  February 4, 2020 9:53am
- mikenmildagain
  
  Nonsense.
  https://www.iflscience.com/environment/mini-ice-age-hoopla-giant-failure-science-communication/
  
  3 24
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  February 4, 2020 10:10am
  - KevO'Brien
    
    When they can’t get a job if they don’t follow their “University’s” edicts about climate money it’s hard to find visible stand-alone scientific beavers.
    There are enough, that people should be concerned that the A Team might not be entirely correct and what that means for them?
    When truth only emerges at gunpoint is there an alternative? How can anyone be so certain that only they know where we are headed? If they are wrong and it actually does get severely cold (as was already promised in the 1970’s) and we have dropped our basic preparedness, for political reasons, how do we explain our shortage then
    of warmth and food?
    
    Planning for humans means being prepared for both scenarios because we cannot afford the resultant loss from lack of foresight.
    
    9 1
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    February 4, 2020 11:11am
    - mikenmildagain
      
      So you are in favour of preparing for a warming climate so long as we prepare for an ice age as an alternative?
      
      1 12
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      February 4, 2020 11:21am
      - KevO'Brien
        
        I expect the “truth” of global warming will be apparent within 10 years.
        
        6 1
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        February 4, 2020 12:16pm
      - cmm
        
        But the thing is we are not preparing for a warming climate. All we’re doing is sabotaging everything we have which sustains the 7 or 8 billion of us.
        
        Building rubbish PV and wind farms for primary generation is not “preparing for warming”. It is wasting resources.
        
        9 1
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        February 4, 2020 12:30pm
      - alloytoo
        
        Favouring power sources which are independent of your changing climate makes sense.
        
        6 2
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        February 4, 2020 12:43pm
      - JackRabbit
        
        Are you in favour of preparing for darkness one a day so long as we also prepare for light also once a day as an alternative?
        
        In Out
        Up Down
        Left Right
        Hot Cold
        Night Day
        Winter Summer
        Planetary cycles
        Solar System Cycles
        Star cluster cycles
        Galaxy cycles
        Milky way cycles
        
        There seems to be a pattern here.
        
        Of course if you suffer from long term memory loss and can’t remember science and geography from school, then yes, changing weather patterns will seem like climate change, and coastal erosion will seem like the sea taking back the land.
        
        If you have also forgotten geography, Sunday school, and making sand castles, you will not remember the every important rule of DO NOT build upon the sand. Build on bedrock. So to all those cities that either built on the sand or reclaimed land (bog), they will be sinking and its not sea level rise, its land disappearing back into the sea from whence it came.
        
        If you lay off the drinking and smoking those memories may return.
        
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        February 4, 2020 2:22pm
- Ford Prefect
  
  Interesting quote
  
  “warned this could cause global temperatures to drop by one degrees Celsius. While that sounds like an insignificant drop, it could have major ramifications for the planet, including a slow down in agricultural production.”
  
  Apparently 1 degree is an insignificant change in temperature. Exactly how much temperature change has there been since the industrial revolution? About 1 degree. And yet we’re all doomed.
  
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  February 4, 2020 12:40pm
  - Simon Gotlieb
    
    Yeah, that’s an average though.
    
    It’s the swing in temperatures up and down that’s the problem. Because that causes all sorts of weather problems, which have disastrous results on the economy.
    
    2 5
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    February 4, 2020 2:07pm
    - JackRabbit
      
      Yep, coastal ice cream shops don’t do well in the winter.
      
      4 1
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      February 4, 2020 2:23pm
trout

For those who were disappointed in the misleading and biased review of the Impeachment trial in the Herald yesterday here is a more readable and believable opinion by the lovely (as seen on TV – a Fox contributor) conservative writer, Mollie Hemingway
https://thefederalist.com/2020/01/30/top-8-reasons-trump-already-won-impeachment/
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February 4, 2020 8:52am
- KevO'Brien
  
  A pleasure to read a forthright journalist. There are few remaining.
  
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  February 4, 2020 9:58am
- Simon Gotlieb
  
  Is that the same Mollie Hemingway that deliberately named the Ukraine call whistleblower in defiance of the organisation she worked for, despite knowing this could result in a dangerous outcome for them?
  
  I agree with about half of what she wrote. She missed point 9: Every single Republican senator is too chickenshit to fall out of step with party instructions.
  
  We are now entering a time where every single American President will end up impeached for whatever reason, and American politics will become a partisan bear pit where the country comes a distant second after beating the opponent.
  
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  February 4, 2020 10:05am
  - mikenmildagain
    
    I see some idiot Iowa senator has already said republicans would impeach Biden if he became president.
    
    3 13
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    February 4, 2020 11:12am
    - cmm
      
      And why would that make him an “idiot”?
      
      What Biden has done in Ukraine really does look criminal.
      
      15 2
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      February 4, 2020 12:32pm
      - Stephieboy2
        
        “What Biden has done in Ukraine really does look criminal.”
        
        Putting aside Trump’s invention of a conspiracy what does ” look criminal” ?
        
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        February 4, 2020 2:02pm
  - Ed Snack
    
    The so called “whistleblower” is not, in fact, a real WB as the ICIG remit does not cover foreign policy. The “WB” also had no first hand knowledge and was the recipient of an (illegal) leak. His claim included a number of actual falsehoods (claimed there was a promise – there is no such promise in the transcript.
    
    Eric Ciaramella is also heavily involved in Ukrainian corruption – he was the host of the initial meeting where the Ukrainians were told to fire the prosecutor Shokin (and that’s before the Europeans were persuaded to demand the same), he has worked with Biden on other aspects of the Ukrainian policy of the last administration. Hence he is not “whistleblowing” as such, but trying to cover up his personal involvement in corrupt acts.
    
    The only person prohibited from naming such a claimed WB is in fact the ICIG, the government is blocked from retaliating on his employment status while he remains classified as a WB, but he can be named.
    
    Pity there wasn’t an equal concern for “whistleblowers” under the last administration, as that administration prosecuted a historically high number of them and blantantly discriminated against them in disregard of the law. But one law for those with a big “D” after their names and another for the plebes is the rule.
    
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    February 4, 2020 11:15am
  - KevO'Brien
    
    The Constitution, if followed, is designed to prevent that.
    All the Dems “lawyers” should be disbarred. This attempt at a soft coup would at another time result in the prosecutors being summarily tried and brutally executed for treason.
    Government can never be done through constant power fights in the Chamber. That requires agreement to a peaceful acceptance of the rule of law. The Ballot box is where the fight takes place.
    
    What has happened to our education system that basic lessons have not been given?
    
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    February 4, 2020 11:19am
    - Batman
      
      So you’re against impeachment in any circumstance?
      
      Noted.
      
      3 10
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      February 4, 2020 1:21pm
      - KevO'Brien
        
        Only if its lawful under the US Constitution. What we have at present is repellent to a sense of Justice.
        Congress cannot control the Pres. because of the separation of powers. Dislike is no lawful offence.
        An unruly bicameral House cannot function in Government.
        
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        February 4, 2020 3:28pm
Prince

A most rare and unusual item – satire that (albeit gently) targets the left.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/119232286/diary-of-a-labour-list-mp-weve-done-so-much
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February 4, 2020 8:54am
- Simon Gotlieb
  
  Satire? Shit, I thought, although funny, it was actually pretty accurate.
  
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  February 4, 2020 10:07am
Scott

Just keeping an eye on the pundits in America as Iowa caucases in the presidential primary race. They’re saying Bernie is going to win Iowa! That’s really important because he is favourite in New Hampshire and then he’s got momentum and could be well on the way to being the nominee!

Some pundits are placing Biden 4th in Iowa. Sleepy Joe is not a good campaigner and all the noise from the impeachment about Hunter Biden and Burisma and being paid $1 million for a no show job. It’s got to make a difference in the voters minds.

I’m thinking Bernie could be the nominee?!
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February 4, 2020 9:01am
- cmm
  
  “I’m thinking Bernie could be the nominee?!”
  
  He still has to make it past the one hurdle that matters: the DRC and their “superdeligates” etc.
  
  The primaries in the states is just theatre.
  
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  February 4, 2020 9:25am
  - Ed Snack
    
    On the current rules controlling the Democrat convention, super-delegates can’t vote in the first round so Bernie needs a first vote majority to win and to avoid the party itself “adjusting” matters.
    
    Of course those rules might change, and the appointment of a number of Clinton loyalists to the rules committee (such as John Podesta) suggests that this might be in the wind. But too early to tell.
    
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    February 4, 2020 11:17am
- Batman
  
  Scott, before you hyperventilate you should keep in mind that Iowa is 90.7% white.
  
  Just 4% of the population are African American.
  
  Iowa is not representative of the general US population.
  
  There is approximately six months until the convention.
  
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  February 4, 2020 1:23pm
Tall Man

Last week I used the phrase “marama’s special word” and the phrase plus the point of it were deleted.

I did it again yesterday referring to mikey and this was the response.

“Mod: sorry but outright abuse of other posters and trying to be sneaky about using just about the only banned word gets your comment deleted. Do it again and you’ll get a week holiday.”

Now I have seen numerous posts recently with “c—s” being used so perhaps someone could point me in the right direction as to why the shorthand version is ok but “marama’s special word” is not, especially as it was heavily publicised at the time with even the ptpm voicing an opinion.

Yes, I directed it at mikey but I guarantee I am not the first and as he often behaves that way I’ll not be the last to identify him as such, especially when the shoe fits really well 🙂
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February 4, 2020 9:06am
- Nigel Kearney
  
  Relying on logic or expecting consistency will not help you here. DPF has a completely irrational aversion to that one word and it’s his blog.
  
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  February 4, 2020 9:46am
  - Tall Man
    
    I know Nigel but …. my phrase, in my mind, is vastly more innocuous that “c–t” don’t you think?
    
    The first warning was for using the phrase directed at mikey as was the second but after a hard day, patience is a bit thin and I am more concerned that we have two differing approaches.
    
    If the C word can be inferred then that should be the standard applied…. Don’t you think?
    
    9 2
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    February 4, 2020 9:53am
    - Batman
      
      The answer to your query, TM, is that referring to someone as a [del] is always out. That’s what you did, even without directly saying it.
      
      The rare exception is when quoting someone who said it in another context.
      
      That is from DPF directly.
      
      If there are other instances slipping through, they will be tightened up on to make DPFs policy consistent.
      
      10 0
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      February 4, 2020 12:19pm
      - Tall Man
        
        Thanks Batman..
        
        I see your point.
        
        From now on when I tell someone the shoe is fitting really really well ……
        
        Is that ok 🙂
        
        4 2
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        February 4, 2020 1:56pm
- mikenmildagain
  
  Poor baby.
  
  4 24
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  February 4, 2020 10:13am
  - Tall Man
    
    See what I mean…….. Shoe fits nicely I think.
    
    19 2
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    February 4, 2020 10:29am
- lifesgood
  
  Hi Tall Man. Yes I do know how you feel (refer your comment on my post yesterday’s GD) My comment was deleted as it was deemed “nasty and sarcastic) IMHO it was neither and was only saying what many have said on in here in previous posts. I am wondering if one of the new mods has come over from Whaleoil. There seems to be different levels of moderating on different days.
  
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  February 4, 2020 10:14am
- Two fish and a scoop thanks Cindy
  
  The problem seems to be can’t understand normal thinkers…
  
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  February 4, 2020 10:25am
- SGA
  
  Last week I used the phrase “marama’s special word” and the phrase plus the point of it were deleted. …
  
  I look at it this way. DPF hosts this blog – it’s his “house” (not a public facility). There is no entrance fee, so people can’t complain about not getting their money’s worth. People who don’t like the “house rules” are free to go some place else or start their own blog with their own “house rules”.
  Besides, you seem far from an idiot – are you really unable to get your point across with using “marama’s special word”?
  
  9 2
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  February 4, 2020 12:04pm
  - Tall Man
    
    “Besides, you seem far from an idiot – are you really unable to get your point across with using “marama’s special word””
    
    There are times when conversing with steffy and mikey I don’t think I’m very far away from an idiot 😉
    
    There are just times when my vernacular heads to the “basic” and short phrases and epithets really do the job.
    
    I blame ardern and “what’s in it for wynston” plus the non male members of the greens. I was a very polite wee fellow prior to 2017 🙂
    
    4 2
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    February 4, 2020 2:01pm
RW Capitalist

I see, on the AM show, Kelvin Davis announces, there will be no political talk at the Treaty Grounds on Waitangi day….edict from JA.
Of course not, they don’t want anyone to use their free speech to criticize the CoL
1. On EVERYTHING they have done and failed at.
2. In such a public forum.
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February 4, 2020 9:12am
- Simon Gotlieb
  
  That’s interesting.
  
  Nearly as shitty as Boris Johnson’s team banning journalists from certain papers from the No 10 briefings overnight.
  
  I think it’s a bad call.
  
  4 17
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  February 4, 2020 10:09am
  - UrbanNeocolonialist
    
    I agree bad precedent from Boris, but whataboutery using a foreign politician is a piss-weak rhetorical device on you part.
    
    10 2
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    February 4, 2020 11:31am
    - Simon Gotlieb
      
      Maybe. You have a point. I was using it, not so much as whataboutery, but more as an example of another attempt at censorship that ultimately would backfire. Sorry if it led to any confusion.
      
      4 2
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      February 4, 2020 2:11pm
- Two fish and a scoop thanks Cindy
  
  there will be no political talk at the Treaty Grounds on Waitangi day….edict from JA
  
  Wonder how the bros and nephs are going to respond to that…
  
  18 1
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  February 4, 2020 10:37am
  - Tall Man
    
    Airborne dung and vibrators?
    
    4 2
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    February 4, 2020 2:02pm
  - Simon Gotlieb
    
    I would imagine the bros and nephs are probably too baked to give a fig about politics anyway.
    
    4 3
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    February 4, 2020 2:12pm
    - Two fish and a scoop thanks Cindy
      
      Really Queen?
      The bros and the nephs be all about muh free s#!t
      following the #YearOfDelivery failure.
      
      6 1
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      February 4, 2020 3:57pm
- Tony Stuart
  
  There normally isn’t political talk “at the Treaty Grounds on Waitangi Day”. The political talk happens down the road at Te Tii Marae on the day before Waitangi Day.
  
  17 1
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  February 4, 2020 10:57am
- KevO'Brien
  
  Kelvin Davis flexing his Nga Puhi muscles–can he control the other local competing Bros?
  
  13 1
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  February 4, 2020 11:22am
  - Tall Man
    
    From my past experiences nga puhi muscle usually requires odds in their favour of three to one. They seldom flex on their own unless it’s against a little old lady.
    
    4 2
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    February 4, 2020 2:05pm
    - david
      
      I never did see a scorecard of participants in the famous stoush where a group of Ngapuhi (supposedly) led by John Hatfield (AKA Hone Pani Tamati Waka Nene Harawira) bashed up a group of Engineering students at Auckland University resulting in (it is rumoured) a number of bone fractures.
      The students’ crime? – Apparently they did a Haka.
      
      2 1
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      February 4, 2020 5:20pm
      - Tall Man
        
        Sounds like hate speech to me ….. Someone will be around shortly to assess your thinking.
        
        0 1
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        February 4, 2020 7:05pm
- JackRabbit
  
  It will be rephrased as Govt policy talk.
  
  4 1
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  February 4, 2020 2:25pm
- Doubledimp
  
  Ha ha, Winston does not seem to have got that message, nor has Simon, nor has Jacinda for that matter. This rejection of Winston must be getting under his skin if he is resorting to quotable threats, “You looking for trouble?”
  
  https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/119260930/winston-peters-lays-down-a-challenge-to-simon-bridges-you-looking-for-trouble-youve-come-to-the-right-place
  
  5 1
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  February 4, 2020 4:56pm
  - Lance
    
    Winston will give him the bash, just like he went down Pike River first.
    
    All piss and wind
    
    4 1
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    February 4, 2020 5:07pm
curry4me

https://www.amgreatness.com/2020/02/01/the-undifferentiated-human-matter-of-replacism/
Replacement theory is gaining followers on the ‘right’. It’s a long read, and a good guide to the topic.
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February 4, 2020 9:14am
- Batman
  
  Also a complete bullshit fantasy for insecure people.
  
  4 9
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  February 4, 2020 12:26pm
curry4me

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2020/02/steve_bannon_lays_out_a_shocking_scenario_of_the_real_reason_behind_bloombergs_investment_of_2_billion_in_politics.html
Blomberg now owns his own political party, and the left are OK with that. He doesn’t necessarily expect to win. He wants to keep the crazy socialists out. Welcome to the Democratic Party LLC.
9 3
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February 4, 2020 9:16am
- Simon Gotlieb
  
  Sounds a lot like the way Trump got himself installed as President.
  
  Given that’s the way american politics are going, I see nothing contradictory to american democracy here.
  
  Sure, you might not like his politics. But the way he’s going about it seems to be true blue american.
  
  God bless the almighty dollar.
  
  5 16
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  February 4, 2020 10:11am
  - Jules99
    
    And yet Clinton spent more than Trump by a significant margin and still lost.
    
    6 1
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    February 4, 2020 2:01pm
  - All_on_Red
    
    How much did Trump personally spend on his Campaign?
    
    4 2
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    February 4, 2020 3:47pm
    - All_on_Red
      
      Btw , iirc Steyer and Bloomberg have spent over $400 million of their own money in the last three months
      
      5 2
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      February 4, 2020 3:57pm
      - Tall Man
        
        Christ they could buy a country for that. I think ardern would take that and run 😉
        
        1 0
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        February 4, 2020 6:44pm
- KevO'Brien
  
  Blomberg now ~~owns~~ seeks to buy his own political party.
  
  10 1
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  February 4, 2020 11:25am
Tarquin North

I’ve been busy tidying up my sleep out ready for when the government decides it’s a ghost house that should be occupied by some career beneficiaries who have trashed every other place they ever lived in.
29 1
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February 4, 2020 9:23am
- info@cruzpro.com
  
  Since many people have a spare bedroom, why not require them to put up a few homeless?
  
  (Downticks are OK with me on this one).
  
  5 10
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  February 4, 2020 10:54am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  You are so thoughtful, but really why should the career benes be sent out to your sleep-out?
  
  Don’t they deserve the comforts of your house?
  
  Leave the sleep-out for when the benes’ rellies come to stay.
  
  20 1
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  February 4, 2020 11:00am
  - Tarquin North
    
    How remiss of me Maggy, the extra room should enable them to set up a decent P lab – maybe I should throw them a few bucks to help with the set up.
    
    12 1
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    February 4, 2020 12:17pm
- Paulus Gnome
  
  Does that mean kicking holes in the wallls and doors, taking every lightbulb out and getting the neighbours dog to have a crap on the carpet so they’ll feel right at home when they park on the lawn?
  
  19 1
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  February 4, 2020 11:10am
- Than
  
  I’ve noticed a couple of left-wing blogs have picked up on this issue. At The Daily Blog John Minto was advocating an Empty Residence Tax. Still that’s better than The Spinoff, which was lamenting that the possibility of confiscating properties wasn’t being used as leverage.
  
  Ah, the classic responses of the left. Whenever their feel-good policies have exactly the unintended negative consequences that they were told they would have, their reaction is more legislation to try to command the economy into behaving how they want it to (see for example, rent and price freezes). Which never ends badly.
  
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  February 4, 2020 11:25am
  - Ruahine
    
    The usual bullying and envy attitude from the bludging Class.
    
    14 1
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    February 4, 2020 12:12pm
  - fernglas
    
    An empty residence tax is not that unheard of. The rationale is that leaving a residence empty is deliberately forgoing income, so one is taxed on the income that could otherwise have been earned. Of course, the landlords here would say that all that would have been otherwise earned was a tax loss. Taking Minto’s suggestion to its logical extreme, the government should be paying people for leaving their properties empty
    
    3 1
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    February 4, 2020 1:29pm
    - Bell-47
      
      Tax on income we “could have earned” now there’s an idea.. Don’t let AOC hear that, will be part of the Green New Deal in no time.
      
      5 1
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      February 4, 2020 3:02pm
  - Classic Liberal
    
    Dr Zhivago returns home and is told off for daring ‘welcome’ the Commie lot that have taken over his house:
    
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mq__Z-Z_Ofs
    
    ‘It’s not for you to welcome us, Comrade.’
    
    and ‘There was living space for 13 families in this one house!’
    
    This is where the woke want us to end up…
    
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    February 4, 2020 6:51pm
- tf78
  
  Tarquin make sure it’s very comfortable because you’ll probably be the ones living in it.
  
  8 1
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  February 4, 2020 12:35pm
- cmm
  
  I don’t have a sleep out but I do have a garden shed.
  I suppose I’ll be forced in there and the homeless can have the bedroom.
  
  9 1
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  February 4, 2020 1:16pm
tf78

I see Labour’s election campaign is going to focus on asking questions instead of stating facts. You know the old saying “ask no questions, hear no lies” – so what does it mean for Labour.
18 1
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February 4, 2020 9:55am
- Simon Gotlieb
  
  Depends on if they also come out with a statement saying they won’t be answering any questions.
  
  This is a democracy. Hold them to account. Hold every political party to account. And vote for the one that you genuinely believe will make life better for you and the ones you love, and secondly, make the country a better place.
  
  Unless you’re like me, and you doubt any of the bastards will. And that’s why we have whisky.
  
  12 5
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  February 4, 2020 10:13am
  - mikenmildagain
    
    Drink up! The sun must already be over the yardarm somewhere in the world.
    
    6 14
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    February 4, 2020 10:22am
    - JimBobJoe
      
      Based on your posts Mike you obviously live by this dictum… explains much about you and your general confusion…
      
      16 4
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      February 4, 2020 10:48am
      - Happychappy
        
        Surely the appeal road for Dot Com must be close to closing after his loss in another appeal in the Supreme Court and ordered to pay 25k to the gcsb. It can’t be long before he is fitted with orange overalls and sent packing to the USA.
        https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/119254850/kim-dotcom-fails-in-supreme-court-appeal-ordered-to-pay-25k-to-gcsb
        
        9 2
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        February 4, 2020 12:44pm
      - JackRabbit
        
        He doesn’t drink anymore. Converted to intravenous Lion Brown drip ages ago.
        
        Same as Winston.
        
        4 1
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        February 4, 2020 2:27pm
      - Vory v zakone
        
        Yes JBJ, Cap’n Snark & Bark is often seen bouncing off lampposts down in the Hutt Valley
        
        4 1
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        February 4, 2020 5:51pm
Swifty

Could anyone with a Herald subscription tell us just why ‘National have made a dumb strategic move’?

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12305733

And then I’ll tell you why David Cormack is wrong.

[Mod: I could read the whole article on Firefox browser Swifty – no sub.]
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February 4, 2020 10:01am
- Inandout
  
  Maybe not swifty, considering the latest ‘donations’ to NZF from the rich and famous, but just under the allowed limit.
  
  10 1
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  February 4, 2020 10:49am
- Tony Stuart
  
  Swifty; as soon as you mention David Cormack, that explains the headline. He is so far to the Left he’s in danger of falling off the planet.
  
  22 1
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  February 4, 2020 10:59am
  - Batman
    
    Yet the little shit claims to be a friend of Bill English because he was a summer intern once and interpreted Bill’s impeccable manners as a reflection of himself.
    
    The easy counter is to read Liam Hehirs excellent piece of the spinoff today, which doesn’t have a paywall.
    
    13 1
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    February 4, 2020 12:29pm
- barnacle bill
  
  Swifty
  If you are such a tight arse to pay for the NZH sub, then you don’t really have the right to this information.
  
  Take the gorse out of your pockets, so your hands can dig a little deeper.
  
  2 21
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  February 4, 2020 11:55am
  - Bell-47
    
    I think the point is why the Horrid would paywall a leftie hit piece? And, who in their right mind would pay to read the dross breathlessly exhaled from Cormack’s butthole?
    
    16 3
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    February 4, 2020 2:56pm
    - Swifty
      
      Exactly.
      
      10 3
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      February 4, 2020 3:13pm
    - barnacle bill
      
      Come on, I bet you read it whenever he posts.
      
      You wouldn’t be able to help yourself.
      
      1 12
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      February 4, 2020 3:36pm
      - Swifty
        
        You’re not very clever are you?
        
        8 1
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        February 4, 2020 4:56pm
      - barnacle bill
        
        I always seem to be able to give you a run for your money Swifty.
        
        But then , that’s is not to hard to achieve.
        
        2 11
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        February 4, 2020 5:18pm
- MCos
  
  In the immortal words of Hannah Tamaki, Chair of Vision NZ
  
  Not telling
  
  6 0
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  February 4, 2020 1:47pm
Maggy Wassilieff

Top restaurant rip-offs

https://mashviral.com/heston-blumenthals-heston-dinner-owed-employees-4-5-million/
6 1
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February 4, 2020 11:20am
- KevO'Brien
  
  WARNING That URL took me to a betting site.
  
  6 1
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  February 4, 2020 12:20pm
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Hahaha..
    It wasn’t compulsory to gamble before or after you dined..
    
    the gamble was whether the dinner was worth the $$$$$ bill
    
    5 1
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    February 4, 2020 1:37pm
    - KevO'Brien
      
      I didn’t get caught–the offending site just took over until I terminated it.
      
      4 1
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      February 4, 2020 3:31pm
- MrTips
  
  Lol. That’s a dodgy link Maggy.
  
  2 1
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  February 4, 2020 1:34pm
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Oh dear, sorry folks… worked OK with me.
    
    I thought KevO’B was alluding to the dodgy deal between Crown Casino and the restaurant – Dinner by Heston.
    
    Try this link then:
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/workplace/dinner-by-heston-restaurant-owes-workers-4-5m-after-wage-theft-20200203-p53xa0.html
    
    4 0
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    February 4, 2020 4:15pm
KevO'Brien

Does this happen to all extreme lefties?
JUST IN:
Impeachment manager Adam Schiff said Monday in his closing argument that if Trump is not removed from office he may offer Alaska to the Russians in exchange for help in the next election.

Schiff also said that Trump may escape to Mar-a-Lago permanently and let his son-in-law Jared Kushner run the country.

Schiff needs to be mentally evaluated after this impeachment charade is over.

“Trump could offer Alaska to the Russians in exchange for support in the next election or decide to move to Mar-a-Lago permanently and let Jared Kushner run the country, delegating to him the decision whether they go to war,” Schiff said as he argued for Trump’s removal.

Only our Winstone could do it better…
21 2
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February 4, 2020 12:36pm
- Harriet
  
  They’re all fucken deranged and why wouldn’t they be – they fuck each other over – just look at NZ Labour and the fact they no longer represent workers, so now you have a case where most of Labour’s voters don’t pay income tax – and therefor don’t contribute to the Treaty Settlement process.
  
  There is no white man’s tax – and working maori males are soon going to lay the boot into the left and their idiotic maori plantation.
  Maori in Australia have one of the highest home ownership, education and income stats of minorities.
  Making maoris look stupid is not an election winner. Watch the Maori party. She will be the biggest loser in history.
  
  10 3
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  February 4, 2020 2:06pm
  - lifesgood
    
    Schiff has a wild look in his eyes. Seriously, I’m not joking, I think he has mental problems.
    
    9 3
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    February 4, 2020 4:51pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  I recommend Schiff does not go to Alaska. I have friends there, and they don not like that sort of shit. Alaska is huge – the largest State, and the have guns. Shitloads of guns
  
  3 3
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  February 4, 2020 5:48pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    *they have guns, ffs
    
    3 2
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    February 4, 2020 5:49pm
Hugh Pavletich

New Zealand December 2019 Residential Building Consents – Over 15,000 new homes intended for Auckland … Statistics NZ

https://www.stats.govt.nz/news/over-15000-new-homes-intended-for-auckland

The number of new homes consented in Auckland reached a new high of 15,154 in the December 2019 year, Stats NZ said today.

“Auckland consented over 15,000 new homes for the first time in 2019, significantly higher than the previous peak of about 13,000 consented in the mid-1970s,” construction statistics manager Melissa McKenzie said.

“Auckland’s population doubled over this time and is now about 1.6 million.” … read more via hyperlink above …
.
.
The number of new dwellings consented in Auckland in December was up 30.7% on the same month of 2018 … Greg Ninness … Interest Co NZ

https://www.interest.co.nz/property/103488/number-new-dwellings-consented-auckland-december-was-307-same-month-2018

There is no sign of any slowdown in the residential construction industry, with 2910 new residential dwellings consented in December, up 22.2% on December 2018. … read more via hyperlink above …
.
.
… Greater Christchurch is the fastest growing (2.0%) and increasingly most affordable larger metro in New Zealand … recently released 16th Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey …

New survey ranks NZ’s most and least affordable cities … Anne Gibson … NZ Herald

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12301144

Tired of the traffic hassles and back-to-work blues? Thought of moving to Christchurch to get a better life and lifestyle? That city turns out to be by far our most affordable when incomes are compared to house prices. … read more via hyperlink above …
2 11
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February 4, 2020 1:19pm
- greybeard
  
  Christchurch ?
  You mean that foggy, flattened and FERAL place?
  Who in their right mind would live there ?
  
  2 4
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  February 4, 2020 7:08pm
Maggy Wassilieff

According to the SMH… the next lot of Aussies being evacuated from Wuhan are coming to NZ.

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/australia-to-send-coronavirus-evacuees-to-new-zealand-20200203-p53xbc.html
10 1
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February 4, 2020 2:51pm
- Captain Mainwaring
  
  The first lot must have wished they’d waited for the NZ plane instead of ending up at Christmas Island.
  
  6 1
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  February 4, 2020 3:40pm
- Akarak
  
  I have yet to read anything about it in The Horrid but it’s front page online in the Sydney Morning Herald.
  Are we to interpret this as The Horrid not publishing anything that might cause distress to our PTPM?
  
  10 2
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  February 4, 2020 4:49pm
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Yep,
    we have our media following her every move at Waitangi….
    
    in the meantime,
    Southland copes with an Emergency
    
    https://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/southland-top-stories/119267763/state-of-emergency-declared-in-southland-as-water-levels-rise
    
    11 1
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    February 4, 2020 5:14pm
    - Tall Man
      
      Bugger off …. cooking sausages ….. telling lies ….. very busy …
      
      2 3
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      February 4, 2020 6:40pm
mandk

You happen to see Winston Peters and his lips are moving.
Do you conclude:
a) He is talking bullshit?
b) He is lying?
c) He is ‘tired and emotional’?
d) Other (please specify)
12 2
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February 4, 2020 2:59pm
- curry4me
  
  (e) All of the above.
  
  4 1
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  February 4, 2020 6:33pm
- Tall Man
  
  bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb
  
  1 4
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  February 4, 2020 6:39pm
Stephieboy2

In the wake of the novel coronavirus prejudice and ignorace goes viral,

( the Virus termed by Aussie Tabloid and gutter media as the Chinease virus)

“Disgusting virus spreaders’: Parents get anonymous email telling kids to stay home”
3 Feb, 2020 1:54pm

Canterbury police are investigating after multiple parents at Rolleston School received an email telling them to keep their kids at home – because “you Asians are virus spreaders”.
“Our Kiwi kids don’t want to be in the same class as your disgusting virus spreaders!” the email says.
The message – which has caused upset and disgust in the community – was from Protect Rolleston and used proton mail.
Parents at the primary school are also concerned at how the sender had access to their email addresses.

The offending email was sent from an anonymous account and shared on WeChat. Image / Supplied
Serena Han said all the Chinese people she knew were taking precautions including self-quarantining when returning from China, due to the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
“As the virus has become a worldwide concern, so many families [have] lost their loved ones due to this virus. Asians in New Zealand are aware of the current circumstances and have taken steps in self-isolation,” she said.
“There is zero tolerance for any kid to be treated as a virus spreader just because they’re Asian. They haven’t seen or had the virus – how could they have the opportunity to become a virus spreader? It’s totally nonsense.
“I’m really shocked, I never though that Asian racism to this level could be seen in New Zealand.”

Police say they’re aware of the email and are trying to identify the source.
They say unlawful, abusive or threatening behaviour targeting people in relation to the coronavirus will not be tolerated – and racism and xenophobia is taken seriously….”

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12305407
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February 4, 2020 3:07pm
- tf78
  
  Whitie’s weren’t criticized about the measles which killed many and seemed to come from (in this case Aotearoa) (had to get that in) because NZ didn’t have it, so why criticize all Chinese because it originated from China.
  
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  February 4, 2020 5:33pm
- cmm
  
  “you Asians are virus spreaders”.
  
  Maybe a bit tactless, but understandable.
  
  If I was a parent sending kids off to school, I would be very worried too. Screw PC.
  
  If the schools and authorities are not dealing with the issues head-on then of course parents are going to be concerned.
  
  8 2
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  February 4, 2020 5:45pm
- cmm
  
  And there go 20 cops to kick down the door of some poor freaking-out parents.
  
  Better that than dealing with scum gangs eh?
  
  5 2
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  February 4, 2020 6:13pm
UrbanNeocolonialist

Chinese confirmed infections now over 20000, about 2.5% mortality in the origin Hubei/Wuhan, many other Chinese cities above 500 infections – about where Wuhan was 10 days back. Doubling about every 3-4 days. Infection rate still increasing all the time, it’s a rapidly growing Pandemic in China, and if it becomes Endemic there then could kill 10’s of millions.

Lots of dead have been heavy smokers or have other health issues – more men dying perhaps because they smoked more? And china has an old population with more 60 year olds than 5 year olds. Only one death outside of China so far in 188 cases (Phillipines). Seems to take 10-20 days to die. During which time 8-30x more are infected, so hard to gauge actual mortality rates due to lag of death and high growth rate. Probably won’t have accurate mortality for another few weeks.
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February 4, 2020 3:10pm
- cmm
  
  The case in Phillipines was Chinese national and a Wuhan resident just visiting in Phillipines.
  
  Yup lots of time needed until this is fully understood.
  
  7 1
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  February 4, 2020 5:01pm
fightingtemeraire

JACINDA TO FACE MAORI WRATH AT WAITANGI

The Guardian
9 2
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February 4, 2020 3:33pm
- Tall Man
  
  Sounds like the “construction” of yet another trough.
  
  2 3
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  February 4, 2020 6:29pm
Maggy Wassilieff

Get off those e-bikes you old fullas.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/408830/pensioners-make-up-40-percent-of-ebike-injury-claims-to-acc
10 1
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February 4, 2020 4:54pm
- cmm
  
  I must say I am not surprised.
  
  Grampa: I want to buy a motorbike, drive fast and feel the wind through my hair.
  Nanna: No.
  Grampa: I want to buy a new bike to keep me healthy.
  Nanna: Ok.
  Grampa: Yeeeee-haaaa!
  
  10 0
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  February 4, 2020 5:08pm
  - Classic Liberal
    
    What hair?
    
    4 1
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    February 4, 2020 7:02pm
- cmm
  
  The other point is that older fullas don’t bounce as well as we used to as the Vitamin T wears off.
  
  I’m only 58, but I needed a whole lot of physio when I fell off my non-e bike at about 5kph.
  My 20-something sons would have had zero damage.
  
  10 0
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  February 4, 2020 5:12pm
- info@cruzpro.com
  
  Could it be possible that e-bikes are all that many pensioners these days can afford to buy/maintain these days? What with the cost of living and petrol prices they may have few options.
  
  1 1
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  February 4, 2020 8:18pm
cmm

Is the Coronavirus racist, targeting some Chinese-only genes?

Looking at the wikipedia entry on the outbreak, two things stand out:

1. So far every one of the 427 reported deaths has been a Chinese person: most of those within China and two outside of China, but none would make it past the Twyford filter.

Hint: A virus does not look at your passport.

2. Why is Inda so late to the party? THey have over a billion people living cheek by jowl. The Coronoavirus is known to spread via poo and somewhere up around 40% of India crap in the streets and have poor sanitation. It surprises me that the Coronavirus has not yet run riot there.

I guess at this stage it is too early to tell. It could all be different tomorrow.
7 1
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February 4, 2020 4:56pm
- UrbanNeocolonialist
  
  Been a huge drive the last few years to build toilets in India to stop them crapping int he streets. Apparently much improved
  
  5 0
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  February 4, 2020 8:13pm
  - Ian Boag
    
    Not that this has anything to do with coronavirus.
    
    There is some serious cultural shit (excuse me :-)) here. There is a TED talk by Rose George that casts some light (!) on the subject. Interesting that campaigns to end open defecation in Bangladesh have had much more success than similar ones in India.
    
    If you REALLY want to understand about shit around the world – spend some money on Amazon and get the book “The Big Necessity: The Unmentionable World of Human Waste and Why It Matters” . Rose George … it’s a good read …
    
    5 0
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    February 4, 2020 8:22pm
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  There’s 2000 folks being checked out in Kerala.
  3 positive cases to date
  https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/third-coronavirus-case-reported-from-india/articleshow/73895001.cms?from=mdr
  
  5 0
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  February 4, 2020 9:48pm
  - cmm
    
    all three from Wuhan
    
    1 0
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    February 5, 2020 7:26am
Maggy Wassilieff

Coronavirus: Three private flights from China touch down in NZ in last 10 days
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12305742

Looks like NZ has become the bolt-hole of some significant folks.
11 1
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February 4, 2020 5:22pm
- cmm
  
  I suppose they won’t have to endure the squalor of 2 weeks of quarantine in a an old military base either.
  
  10 0
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  February 4, 2020 5:34pm
- mikenmildagain
  
  From the article:
  
  Leach’s company provides services for hundreds of private aircraft each year and would normally deal with seven to eight private or corporate flights during the Chinese New Year period..
  
  2 6
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  February 4, 2020 6:50pm
  - cmm
    
    … and….?
    Clearly whatever comes out his mouth is biassed as he has a pile of coin on the line.
    
    1 0
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    February 5, 2020 7:14am
greybeard

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket/black-caps/119273483/gary-stead-to-miss-black-caps-odi-series-against-india
I hope he takes Southee and Williamson with him.
Maybe even Taylor, who seems to have lost all commitment and application.
Time for a complete cleanout, of players and management. And board.
4 2
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February 4, 2020 6:04pm
- mikenmildagain
  
  That would be a stupid overreaction.
  
  2 6
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  February 4, 2020 6:51pm
Gravelroad

It is reported that Simon Bridges has allowed himself to be drawn into a slanging match with Peters today.
Please don’t fall into that all too predictable trap, Mr Bridges.
It won’t do you or your party any favours with the electorate which now expects better than kids in the school yard stuff.
I want to see a smart leader who tells the truth with dignity.
7 4
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February 4, 2020 6:24pm
- Tall Man
  
  And I’m happy to see Simon Bridges pointing out the hypocrisy of both ardern and “what’s in it for wynston” and slapping the useless pair of them down when required.
  
  11 3
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  February 4, 2020 6:37pm
- Suze Wainwright
  
  You’ll have to forgive Winston – it might just be me, but I think he’s suddenly sounding a bit more stressed than he was last week.
  Almost like something didn’t turn out the way he’d planned…
  
  7 1
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  February 4, 2020 9:19pm
  - Suze Wainwright
    
    Then again, he’s told the nation he’s not fazed by anything, so it’s obviously just my imagination…
    
    4 1
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    February 4, 2020 9:32pm
  - Tony Stuart
    
    The digging that RNZ journalists are doing into the NZ First Foundation won’t be helping his mood…
    
    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/408843/nz-first-foundation-donor-thought-they-were-giving-to-party
    
    6 0
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    February 4, 2020 9:56pm
emmess

Dodgy AF DNC
2 1
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February 4, 2020 6:42pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Banned. Just found this, so MSM must have been silent,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcDZqMgjYM0&fbclid=IwAR0F536PaFz6trmcuFnMb3YA_pHkfMRjsmsF3Rnk0NmNHMMhjtBAcxmXz3g
3 2
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February 4, 2020 7:15pm
- mikenmildagain
  
  George Soros: favourite bogeyman for morons.
  
  2 11
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  February 4, 2020 7:19pm
  - Suze Wainwright
    
    Nothing wrong with funding a bit of real disruption now and then, aye…?
    
    2 1
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    February 4, 2020 9:20pm
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      Yeah, who funds you Mike?
      
      0 0
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      February 5, 2020 9:07am
Paul Marsden

Re: Coronavirus: This is worth a look if you have the time. Draw your own conclusions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1266&v=TsyujjitOFM&feature=emb_logo
0 1
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February 4, 2020 7:24pm
Maggy Wassilieff

Coronavirus mutating with human to human spread
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3048772/striking-coronavirus-mutations-found-within-one-family-cluster
6 0
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February 4, 2020 7:48pm
Maggy Wassilieff

Haven’t seen this story in the NZ media

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3048857/coronavirus-chinese-sex-workers-new-zealand-suffer-dip
4 0
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February 4, 2020 8:05pm
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Oh woops…..those intrepid folks at the NZ Herald were on to it…
  
  https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12305810
  
  3 0
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  February 4, 2020 8:09pm
Fletch

So much for precautions in New Zealand against the corona virus. A man on a flight from China claims he just walked right off and no one was checking.

Entering New Zealand from the country at the centre of a global virus outbreak, an Air China passenger says no one aboard his flight was screened.

The passenger, who did not want to be named, told the Herald he arrived in Auckland from Beijing on Monday evening.

“There was no one checking passengers’ temperatures at Customs, through immigration, anywhere,” he said.

“I just walked out.”

Even though he and other passengers mentioned they had recently travelled to Wuhan, they left Auckland Airport only clutching a health pamphlet, he said.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12305734

This is not damn good enough. Authorities in NZ have been treating this whole thing as a joke. Maybe if they were afraid it would affect the climate they would take it more seriously…. ?
9 2
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February 4, 2020 8:08pm
- cmm
  
  “This is not damn good enough.” Yup, Hugzilla owes this guy a hug too!
  
  1 0
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  February 5, 2020 7:16am
Paul Marsden

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern today announced $1.75 million over three years to set up a National Body of kaupapa waka hourua experts to strengthen the mātauranga and tikanga or knowledge in Māori and Pacific voyaging traditions

Meanwhile,

Coronavirus shuts down Gisborne log exports ‘until further notice’

Great to see prudent and fiscal economic management here been exercised by Ardern, as an out of control, economic recession hurtles down the tracks towards New Zealand
7 1
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February 4, 2020 8:45pm
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Yep,
  Here’s the scene at the bottom of Kaiti Hill…
  http://www.gisborneherald.co.nz/frontpage-featured/20200204/the-perfect-storm-exporters-stop-buying-wood/
  
  2 0
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  February 4, 2020 9:10pm

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