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March 28, 2020 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 28 March 2020

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General Debate

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PhilBest

Just how mean-spirited can Trump Derangement Syndrome make someone? This has to be a new low:

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/03/25/nolte-nevadas-democrat-governor-outlaws-antimalarial-drugs-for-coronavirus-sufferers/

How to get potential coronavirus treatments actually banned by a Democrat State Governor? Simple: President Trump mentions those treatments as potential, asks for FDA fast-tracking.

The guy even looks like a monster in the accompanying photograph.
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March 28, 2020 8:00am
- MarkF
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  Because on the other side of the divide, those with Trump Infatuation Syndrome (TIS) are killing themselves!
  https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/24/coronavirus-cure-kills-man-after-trump-touts-chloroquine-phosphate
  Some people just need protecting from themselves.
  
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  March 28, 2020 9:54am
  - JamesP
    
    One idiot self medicating on fish tank cleaner and suddenly “people[plural] need protecting from themselves”. Sounds a little socialist mate.
    
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    March 28, 2020 10:41am
  - JibberJabber
    
    The lying press just cannot help themselves, at no time did Trump ever promote Fish Tank cleaner as a cure.
    
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    March 28, 2020 10:47am
    - Simon Gotlieb
      
      https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1240672025989001221
      
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      March 28, 2020 11:03am
      - mikenmildagain
        
        Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
        It’s the same chemical, formulate differently. Even the medicinal chloroquine can be fatal if not prescribed correctly. After President Orange’s stupid promotion of this drug, there have been reports of shortage of the medicine for its prescribed use – malaria treatment.
        
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        March 28, 2020 11:08am
      - All_on_Red
        
        Who’s going to tell Simon?
        Lol
        
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        March 28, 2020 11:18am
      - Durden
        
        Selectively edited words on tweet to create fake news headline. I watched the video. Within that context what Trrump said made sense. He was projecting hope that this could work.
        
        And the fishtank cleaner is a completely different chemical with one common word. Darwinism works.
        
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        March 28, 2020 11:35am
      - cmm
        
        Well you can kill yourself if you use a ventilator incorrectly.
        
        Perhaps Trump should stop talking about ventilators too?
        
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        March 28, 2020 11:50am
      - septic skeptic
        
        Mikenmild. What you say about shortages for Malaria treatment is mostly wrong. Chloroquine is rarely prescribed now as Malaria has developed resistance to it.
        
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        March 28, 2020 12:15pm
      - Overworked
        
        Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are used for rheumatological conditions such as SLE, and for most people are not easy drugs to take, especially initially. They also have some rare, but very nasty adverse effects.
        
        The irony is that the people with new prescriptions for the drug may end up binning it.
        
        MM – apologies, clicked report instead of uptick
        
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        March 28, 2020 12:23pm
      - Brian Marshall
        
        @MM it’s not the same medication. One that is used as a anti malarial is Hydroxychloroquine SULPHATE!
        The one used in fish tank cleaner is Hydroxychloroquine PHOSPHATE!
        Even if it was the same medicine, one is used in water column, where the other is taken internally. If you take any medication, it needs to be dosed according to the patient’s weight etc. You don’t just add teaspoons full of medication to your Soda drink like these two did.
        
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        March 28, 2020 12:29pm
      - Ed Snack
        
        Mikey, it has other uses as well as for malaria – used for some skin diseases and lupus. It is widely available and easily manufactured in quantity at short notice – and in fact this is happening already.
        
        Anything can be fatal in the wrong dose, the LD50 of water is around 8-9 litres if ingested (much smaller if inhaled !). The LD50 of Chloroquine is around 2 grams, the current treatment suggested for COVID-19 is up to 800 mg a day, just FYI.
        
        I think you’d better stick with the official Chinese option, apparently they’re touting Bear Bile, though you normally have plenty of bile so be careful of over-dosing.
        
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        March 28, 2020 12:38pm
      - trout
        
        I think there may be confusion here because of the usual ‘it cannot be right because Trump suggested it’ TDS.
        The commonly used aquarium tank cleaner in the US is CHLOROMINE trihydrate. It may well be that hydroxychloroqine sulphate (and phosphate) are contained in theraputic drugs. I would guess the man died because he took CHLOROMINE but this all gets lost in the usual stampede to blame Trump.
        
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        March 28, 2020 12:56pm
    - IC5000
      
      @ JibberJabber
      
      Good to see you’ve cleaned up your act.
      
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      March 28, 2020 2:03pm
      - JibberJabber
        
        Ja, Ja, good to see you didn`t have a conniption this time ?
        
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        March 28, 2020 2:40pm
  - PhilBest
    
    Yeah, and banning Chloroquine AS A PRESCRIBED TREATMENT is gonna reduce, not increase, the rate at which idiots self-medicate with harmful stuff!!! D’OH! D’OH! D’OH!
    
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    March 28, 2020 11:11am
    - Overworked
      
      Darwin always wins 🙂
      
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      March 28, 2020 12:24pm
  - Ed Snack
    
    What a stupid headline in your link. Trump most definitely did not tout Chlorquine Phosphate.
    
    Check out the usual distribution packs that the fish tank cleaner comes in – it has a large label saying “NOT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION” and has warnings on what to do if swallowed.
    
    Further note that treatment programs in both Bahrain and Belgium have reported back on the use of Chloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19 and both show a positive impact. These are not double blind randomised tests so the exact effect is not yet known, but the evidence now is reasonably strong that at least for some people, these anti-malarial drugs are of use. Note that the drugs are approved for human use and have a 70+ year history so their side effects and control-indications are well known (best known is the promotion of heart arrhythmia though not typically dangerously so). They can normally be prescribed by any doctor – and it is likely that this ban is in fact “ultra vires” by the Governor, over-ridden by federal regulations.
    
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    March 28, 2020 12:28pm
  - herb1
    
    yeah Mark F how dumb of Trump to mention a drug that the WHO has on their list of most promising drugs, that have been successfully used in a French trial , in Italy and China.
    Not to mention our own Auckland DHB who are currently running a trial on it.
    I suspect you are one of the irrational , emotional deficient people who called Trump a racist for closing the border with China , but lauded Ardern for doing the same a month later
    
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    March 28, 2020 12:38pm
- PhilBest
  
  Update: a second Democrat Governor has imposed a similar ban
  
  https://www.redstate.com/elizabeth-vaughn/2020/03/27/michigan-gov.-warns-doctors-pharmacists-who-prescribe-or-dispense-hydroxychloroquine-of-professional-consequences
  
  See also:
  
  https://creativedestructionmedia.com/analysis/2020/03/27/chloroquine-and-the-unforgivable-lies-of-big-pharma-media-and-democrats/
  
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  March 28, 2020 4:57pm
NewInoffensiveName

“Based on these studies, it seems about 20–80% of people infected with Covid-19 could show symptoms.”

This is why statistics should be mandatory in school! Modelling with factors this widely variable cannot possibly yield valid results, and certainly not results that can be sound enough to justify killing the economy and creating all of the misery that will go along with such a move.

I predict that the Imperial model used to justify all of this lockdown policy will be discredited (much like the worst-case scenarios with climate change have proved to be false) and that the Oxford model (which predicts much milder overall effects and much wider infection rates already, i.e., the ‘herd immunity’ strategy the UK first adopted) will be validated.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/mar/26/virus-infection-data-coronavirus-modelling
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March 28, 2020 8:00am
- KevO'Brien
  
  Others are reporting that 51% don’t show symptoms.
  It’s easy to make a scary chart: just choose to select the data from NZ overseas arrivals then present that implicitly as the NZ population. It really only shows the cumulative progressive sampling of the arrival set. If they had all been tested at the same time there would have been a straight line upwards.
  
  Do the Health officials actually believe those charts are meaningful for prediction?
  
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  March 28, 2020 10:10am
  - rouppe
    
    If they’d all been put in quarantine on arrival that straight line would have been shallower
    
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    March 28, 2020 11:07am
- septic skeptic
  
  Measure it with a vernier caliper, mark it with a felt pen and cut it with an axe. Yep, that length of timber is exactly 150.00 mm long.
  
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  March 28, 2020 12:37pm
- Ed Snack
  
  A range of 20-80% is just about unusable. Best study I have seen is the Icelandic random one which produced a 3% infection rate; 50% asymptomatic, 49% mild symptoms.
  
  This sort of study is really needed here 9and in other places) along with an anti-body test (which may not be readily available yet) to gauge the actual prevalence in places. This would seem to be a bit of baseline data that is badly needed to correctly decide on strategies.
  
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  March 28, 2020 12:45pm
  - Pharmachick
    
    *** BEGIN COPIED TEXT***
    
    FDA authorizes 15-minute coronavirus test
    From CNN’s Arman Azad
    US federal health officials on Friday green-lit a point-of-care coronavirus test that can provide results in less than 15 minutes, using the same technology that powers some rapid flu tests.
    
    Teased by Vice President Mike Pence in a Thursday press briefing, the new diagnostic could accelerate testing in the United States, allowing for rapid results in doctors’ offices. But shortages of critical equipment used to collect patient specimens, such as masks and swabs, could blunt its impact.
    
    The US Food and Drug Administration authorized the test for emergency use, signaling that federal regulators were satisfied with the test’s validation data and believe its benefits outweigh any risks, such as false positives or negatives.
    
    The test’s maker, Abbott, said it expects to deliver 50,000 tests per day beginning next week. The technology behind the test looks for genes that are present in the virus, similar to PCR tests already on the market.
    
    The platform used to run the test weighs less than 7 pounds, according to Abbott, and could be deployed “where testing is needed most,” such as at coronavirus hotspots.
    
    More on this: Last week, the FDA authorized another rapid test – one from molecular diagnostics company Cepheid, which provides results in about 45 minutes. Most laboratory tests for the coronavirus take anywhere from a few hours to days to receive results.
    
    All FDA-authorized tests, however, require samples from patients – and health care facilities say they’re facing shortages of critical supplies needed to collect specimens.
    
    The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday issued guidance allowing some patients to collect their own nasal swabs in health care facilities, which could reduce the amount of protective equipment needed for health care workers.
    
    But some jurisdictions, such as New York City, have said that patients with coronavirus-like illness should stay home – saying that is “safer for the patients and health care workers” and doesn’t change the treatment patients receive.
    
    ***END COPIED TEXT***
    Source: https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/coronavirus-outbreak-03-28-20-intl-hnk/index.html
    
    As I mentioned a day or 2 ago, my ex-Faculty Mentor partnered with Abbot to get the first of these into Africa for Malaria (~20 years ago). I am pleased to see this for SARS-nCoV-2.
    
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    March 28, 2020 3:04pm
titoki

Re: Let butchers open
Here’s a petition https://www.petitions.nz/let_butchers_open_during_the_lockdown
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March 28, 2020 8:02am
- Padraig Payne
  
  The petition says green grocers can open. That is not correct.
  
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  March 28, 2020 10:03am
  - rjay
    
    Our greenfrocers are open. Just been there
    
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    March 28, 2020 11:43am
    - Padraig Payne
      
      wow – I’ll take a drive to check out mine then. If that is true it makes the butcher decision even more stupid.
      
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      March 28, 2020 1:09pm
    - rockape
      
      Mine too. and they sell meat as well.
      
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      March 28, 2020 4:30pm
- Brian McDonald
  
  I signed but afterward thought another good reason for them to be open is more people working.
  
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  March 28, 2020 10:41am
  - rightoverlabour
    
    yes, but less people in queues for less time and less repeat trips to the shops because of limits. These small shops would only have a few workers, supemarkets have lots of workers in shifts. Contact tracing in a small shop would be a lot easier if necessary. Assume I need Milk, meat and vegetables. That’ s three ( possibly 2) shops and contact with maybe 9 ( 6) people. No queues, less time out, less overall potential spreading. And fewer people with financial stress.
    
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    March 28, 2020 11:26am
  - tf78
    
    I said we need them and they need us.
    
    I’m going to refer to this humbug virus as WuFlu from now on.
    
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    March 28, 2020 11:48am
MT_Tinman

Has anyone explained why food retailers selling meat are banned from operating but vegetabilists are free to open?
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March 28, 2020 8:04am
- Padraig Payne
  
  Green grocers cannot open
  
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  March 28, 2020 10:04am
  - MT_Tinman
    
    They can if they call themselves “dairies”.
    
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    March 28, 2020 10:50am
  - bruceavon
    
    I went to one today. Seems to just have opened regardless.
    
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    March 28, 2020 10:58am
- Inandout
  
  MT, supermarkets rule in this country, they even dictate how we shop, how we pack our produce and keep competition at bay.
  
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  March 28, 2020 10:17am
  - kowtow
    
    Yep, duopoly masquarading as competitors.
    
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    March 28, 2020 12:28pm
  - BananaLlama
    
    Thank Helen Clark for that.
    
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    March 28, 2020 3:55pm
  - Loddenthinks
    
    Countdown, the thieving bastard, are not only coining it due to the doomsday preppers, not only raking it in as they’re pretty much the only retailers allowed to open, but are also making super-super-profits by removing ALL specials.
    
    Not a one! And they had the temerity to say that “it would be unfair to put something on special in the current climate, only to have it sell out by lunchtime, and deny all the poor customers the chance to get it.” or some such drivel.
    
    They know damn well that in many cases they are the only game in town, and are fleecing the punters merrily.
    
    Pak n Save and New World are not doing this as yet, they still have good specials at both, and Pak n Save is much cheaper anyway. If you have the choice, avoid Countdown like the plague, or COVID, or something.
    
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    March 28, 2020 9:27pm
- oldfella
  
  Bottle shops in Queensland remain open as they’re considered Essential Services. For mental health or somesuch. Go figure.
  
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  March 28, 2020 11:54am
  - kowtow
    
    And why not ?
    
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    March 28, 2020 12:29pm
Captain Mainwaring

Golfer Davis Love III’s house has burnt down and it apparently started in the garage.
I wonder if he had a Tesla on charge?
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March 28, 2020 8:06am
- mikenmildagain
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  I wonder at lots of things, too.
  
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  March 28, 2020 8:38am
  - sooty
    
    I just hope they were not committing suicide by leaving the shed doors shut and the engine going!
    
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    March 28, 2020 10:20am
    - Paulus Gnome
      
      With a Tesla, all you have to do is lick the battery terminals . . .
      
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      March 28, 2020 11:04am
  - IC5000
    
    Like the lack of an IQ test before being allowed to post here?
    
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    March 28, 2020 2:05pm
    - JibberJabber
      
      Pretty rich, coming from a NZ First voter…
      
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      March 28, 2020 2:44pm
      - IC5000
        
        Haha you’re a lively one
        
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        March 28, 2020 4:53pm
- Fletch
  
  Some people we know had a fire start in the garage in their fridge that was in there.
  
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  March 28, 2020 10:49am
Humble Capitalist

Guess who ‘thats why I have decided that of this afternoon that MY _____ will undertake ______. MY expectation is that ______ and I want to _______.’ Its the cult of personality and a mate of mine has knocked back the koolaid already
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March 28, 2020 8:09am
- septic skeptic
  
  This is electioneering not leadership. Let’s see what the language is like in three and a half weeks. My prediction is the WE can’t afford to come out of lockdown and WE have decided…
  
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  March 28, 2020 10:09am
  - Paulus
    
    Not WE – I have decided !
    
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    March 28, 2020 1:34pm
- Prince
  
  Most worrying trend – yesterday an intrepid TVNZ reporter found a butcher open in Naenae. Among the general outrage and campaign of harassment she started, she proudly announced that she had reported this to the PM – cue a clip of Ardern expressing concern and promising retribution.
  
  It’s remarkable that Ardern has the time to take calls from junior reporters let alone take action on them, but it confirms my concern that the state broadcaster has become just another arm of the Prime Minister’s Office.
  
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  March 28, 2020 10:16am
  - Sir Cullen's Sidekick
    
    Thanks for agreeing with what I said yesterday. TV1 is now official Jacinda Propaganda Channel. I hope the Sheeple of this country wake up and smell this, rather than sleeping on the couch.
    
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    March 28, 2020 10:47am
  - the deity formerly known as nigel6888
    
    How did scum journalists get themselves to be “essential?” driving all over the region looking for hard working NZers to dob in.
    
    When the Naenae butcher goes bankrupt we will then get sob stories about “food deserts” for the poor?
    
    Wankers.
    
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    March 28, 2020 11:02am
  - Simon Gotlieb
    
    She had announced that if anyone did have any proof that they were opening that they should tell her.
    
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    March 28, 2020 11:06am
  - rouppe
    
    Was it Katie Bradford?
    
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    March 28, 2020 11:08am
    - Paulus
      
      Tova before on landlord situation at Beehive daily talkfest, so may be her again.
      
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      March 28, 2020 1:36pm
    - Nickc2
      
      No, it was some squeaky chipmunk I haven’t seen before but she was certainly getting her rocks off over the issue.
      From all this, we can now assume all female journos carry Cindy’s phone number and are soon going to be known as NZ’s Stasi.
      
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      March 28, 2020 2:12pm
      - sooty
        
        Why not, drug dealers do!
        
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        March 28, 2020 3:39pm
  - rouppe
    
    Amplified by Grant Robertson saying that the domestic economy is going to have to change. This could mean anything. That’s worrying to me as well.
    
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    March 28, 2020 11:11am
    - tf78
      
      So does the Government Granty boy!
      
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      March 28, 2020 11:51am
  - oldfella
    
    Wow, someone didn’t get the email about the need for slobbering love for Dear Leader and promoting her cult of invincibility. And written by someone at Massey University, bastion of Cindy fan girls and general oppression of free speech.
    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/120581185/antivirus-measures-are-too-late-to-stop-needless-sickness-and-economic-pain
    Expect calls for the writer to be deplatformed to start in 10, 9, 8…
    
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    March 28, 2020 11:50am
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      Steven Elers has penned a few anti CoL opinion pieces lately.
      
      He’s not in the group-think gang at Massey
      https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/106149540/massey-vicechancellor-versus-brash-not-a-concern-for-some-students
      
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      March 28, 2020 12:33pm
      - oldfella
        
        Just went looking for the story again… and suddenly can’t find it! My ageing eyes, or has Stuff pulled it?
        
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        March 28, 2020 12:47pm
      - Ruahine
        
        He is lucky, being Maori he is exempt from retribution.
        
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        March 28, 2020 1:45pm
      - lifesgood
        
        Great article! I put it on my FB page and have already had the dependable lefties crying foul and saying Dear Leader was amazing and wonderful and supreme and has handled it better than any other country. I just told them they were f*****g stupid and instead of being blindly ignorant how about looking at the facts.
        
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        March 28, 2020 2:11pm
    - Steve James
      
      Brilliant article and accurate too. How did it get through the Stuff censors I wonder?
      
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      March 28, 2020 1:15pm
    - Surely Knott
      
      That stuff piece is write on the money. The other key mistake made by the government was the Hereford conference which received only one article in stuff. But is scandalous. The MOH were informed someone from the conference had tested positive for the virus and they gave permission for the conference tours to proceed as planned and enjoy your trip.. Then the group were told to keep the positive test “confidential”. A week later we are in shut down. Coronavirus isn’t being spread by isolated surfers at the beach, or walking in your family group at the park or beach. So I’m tired of the tone as if the public’s behaviour has cause spread and that we need heavy policing They should say Thank you NZ. You are doing overall a good job of lockdown. Thanks for your help.
      
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      March 28, 2020 8:32pm
  - rightoverlabour
    
    We are becoming Like Germany 1939. “Psst there are Jews ( butchers open) next door…” This is not good enough and I hope that silly tart of a pretend journalist gets her just deserts.
    
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    March 28, 2020 12:40pm
  - freethinker
    
    We need pictures name and address of said reporter so we can monitor her for her own protection of course.
    
    7 1
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    March 28, 2020 1:48pm
  - BananaLlama
    
    How the fuck is she providing an essential service.
    
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    March 28, 2020 3:18pm
kiwiracer

I wonder how globalisation is going survive after this pandemic.
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March 28, 2020 8:15am
- PhilBest
  
  I predict the division will deepen. The forces pushing globalization won’t back off, and those opposing it will continue to be deemed deplorwwable WAAAACISTS!!!
  
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  March 28, 2020 9:51am
- Jules99
  
  One prediction I saw was, not global government, but global control by corporations.
  
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  March 28, 2020 11:27am
  - 453mm
    
    Better than what we’ve got now. Just buy a few shares and you have a vote.
    
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    March 28, 2020 6:30pm
- yossarian
  
  Won’t make one iota of difference…the moment the latest iPhone XVI comes out there’ll be queues, only this time they’ll be 2m apart
  
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  March 28, 2020 9:40pm
Humble Capitalist

We have quite a few staff that are considered ‘at risk’ as people with asthma so have been put off work at level 4 as per MOH insruction. Fair enough too these are some of most vulnerable people in our current situation.
I was just wondering when the government of kindness was going to include these employees in the wage subsidy as many employers at the moment are forcing these very worried people to use all of their sick leave and annual leave. Surely fixing this will be a priority for the government of kindness?? Actually surely this would have been a priority before the bennies?
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March 28, 2020 8:15am
- Brian McDonald
  
  The fact that some employers may be acting like arses is nothing to do with the Government. And platitudes such as calling them the Government of kindness is crap. I appreciation the allowance being offered and will discuss with my longest term employee a plan to keep as many of us able to return to work when possible. That the Government with National’s support took this step is a big help and stretching it out to 3 months shows foresight.
  
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  March 28, 2020 10:54am
  - Humble Capitalist
    
    So you dont think people put off work due to being classed at risk should be entitled to the subsidy?
    
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    March 28, 2020 11:04am
    - Brian McDonald
      
      Yes I do.
      
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      March 28, 2020 11:49am
      - Humble Capitalist
        
        Good
        
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        March 28, 2020 12:37pm
Simon

The Clown Show which gave NZ kiwi build have now tasked themselves the role of rebuilding NZ shattered economy – after they utterly ruined it with an over the top home detention.

The Labour Clown Show will undertake significant resource allocation and planning worth tens of billions of dollars in a complex and fast moving economy that not even 1,000 Steve Jobs could manage. But instead of a 1,000 Steve Jobs there is Phil Twyford.

It would be hugely entertaining if it wasn’t so serious. Instead it’s just going to be tragic.
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March 28, 2020 8:15am
- MT_Tinman
  
  From Stuff – The most terrifying headline I’ve seen, ever:
  
  Coronavirus: Government starts economic planning for post-lockdown New Zealand
  
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  March 28, 2020 9:53am
  - Inandout
    
    MT, there are indications the election will be put on hold, with Simon’s nodding approval of course. Lots of other things are being held off until next year; the socialist creep is beginning.
    
    23 3
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    March 28, 2020 10:22am
    - peterwn
      
      If the election is to be put on hold until after November (which would require legislation which 75% of MP’s have to support) Simon will quietly drive a hard bargain including insisting the Government goes into ‘caretaker’ mode until a deferred election is held.
      I suspect there was some bargaining between Simon and Jacinda over the ’emergency’ legislation. Simon is limited in what he can do without looking a ‘prat’ and he may have concluded it was better to not try to force himself into Cabinet during the emergency. Hence the special Select Committee which he chairs with an opposition majority to review Government’s actions during the emergency.
      I think that the best thing Simon can do for now is to provide the COL with plenty of rope.
      
      43 1
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      March 28, 2020 10:46am
      - MT_Tinman
        
        peterwn, surely if there had been bargaining before the “emergency” enactment parliament would have enacted the legislation, not the dictatorship.
        
        5 2
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        March 28, 2020 11:19am
    - Sir Cullen's Sidekick
      
      Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
      Yes the Dud Simon, “in the best interests of saving New Zealanders” will give the nod. BTW, what is his dud committee doing any way? Has it achieved anything?
      
      4 42
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      March 28, 2020 10:49am
      - Humble Capitalist
        
        Its already been as effective as any working group
        
        11 1
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        March 28, 2020 11:07am
      - Paulus Gnome
        
        Got to ‘dud Simon’ and down-ticked, didn’t need anymore.
        
        14 3
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        March 28, 2020 11:07am
    - MT_Tinman
      
      Inandout, the dictatorship can pass legislation at the stroke of a pen.
      
      This ain’t socialist “creep”!
      
      15 1
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      March 28, 2020 10:52am
  - rjay
    
    A planned economy!
    
    5 1
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    March 28, 2020 11:46am
- PhilBest
  
  I’ve noticed the phenomenon of early good comments picking up a single downtick as their first reaction, before accumulating upticks. Mikenmildagain obviously does nothing other than haunt Kiwiblog for much of the start of his morning.
  
  46 7
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  March 28, 2020 9:54am
  - sooty
    
    Might be that other one who shall not be named, getting his own back!
    
    16 2
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    March 28, 2020 10:23am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Oh dear,
    your comment hasn’t been down-ticked yet.
    
    I take the solitary downticker as a sign that at least a comment has been noted by the trolls.
    
    It’s a worry when a comment doesn’t attract at least one down-tick… our trolls might be slacking or have headed off to read “The Standard”.
    
    38 6
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    March 28, 2020 10:31am
    - Ed Snack
      
      Some comments referring to up or down ticks just call out for a “tick” of the appropriate sort…
      
      6 1
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      March 28, 2020 12:50pm
    - Loddenthinks
      
      @Maggie: “…have headed off to read “The Standard”.”
      
      You mean have headed off to write The Standard?
      
      2 0
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      March 28, 2020 9:20pm
  - mikenmildagain
    
    I uptick or downtick nearly every comment when i have read it. That way I can scroll up or down easily to see any new comments.
    I think people are a bit precious about downticking. Do you really care that your ‘good comments’ do not meet universal approval?
    
    6 19
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    March 28, 2020 11:12am
    - John Warren
      
      Proving PhilBest’s point.
      
      5 1
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      March 28, 2020 12:45pm
      - IC5000
        
        That people are easily triggered by nothing?
        
        3 4
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        March 28, 2020 2:17pm
- Humble Capitalist
  
  Kiwibuild and all of the other failings of this lot will be long since forgotten the way things are heading
  
  17 1
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  March 28, 2020 9:56am
  - mikenmildagain
    
    Yes, it is almost as though this is the most important challenge this government will face.
    
    2 15
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    March 28, 2020 11:13am
    - Humble Capitalist
      
      You dont say Mike? What Im saying is have a look at the form book
      
      9 1
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      March 28, 2020 12:21pm
    - PhilBest
      
      One created for them and all progressive politicians, by the fake news everywhere. The progress of SARS and Ebola into the USA only got coverage of how restrained and competent Obama was….
      
      3 1
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      March 28, 2020 12:37pm
- septic skeptic
  
  One an only presume that the electorate will see that.
  
  5 1
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  March 28, 2020 10:16am
- amospicton
  
  Vote them out before they can inflict more damage. The current infatuation will fade with the boredom and loss of quality of life imposed by the lock-down. Questions will be asked about the govt’s preparedness and heavy handedness. The opposition need to play nice now and strike when the mood changes.
  
  31 1
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  March 28, 2020 10:29am
  - peterwn
    
    Like at the end of WW2 in UK when Churchill got the boot and Labour led by Clement Atlee got into power.
    
    10 1
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    March 28, 2020 10:54am
    - David Garrett
      
      Peter: Yes..but the Atlee gummint only lasted one term, before the greatest statesman of the 20th century was brought back…at age 77 IIRC without consulting Mr Google..
      
      26 1
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      March 28, 2020 11:13am
  - lifesgood
    
    They were completely unprepared.
    
    0 1
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    March 28, 2020 2:16pm
- JamesP
  
  Couldn’t succeed with little old Kiwibuild but will totally nail it with the whole freaking economy.
  
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  March 28, 2020 10:45am
- curry4me
  
  Simon: I understand Canada has just gone into lockdown now.
  
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  March 28, 2020 2:16pm
Scott

Tara Reade was a young staffer who years later claims that Joe Biden sexually assaulted her. Her story was picked up by The Hill – Krystal Ball blasts media’s Joe Biden #MeToo coverup

Krystal Ball reached out to mainstream media outlets to see if they were interested in picking up the story? The result? Nothing! No mainstream media outlet wants to touch the story.

Why would they? Joe Biden is their guy. They don’t want to hurt their guy by doing some actual reporting. They might find out the truth. But they don’t want to investigate the truth because it might hurt their guy.

Now imagine this was about Donald Trump. Does anyone think the same media would hesitate for a second to publish this story?
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March 28, 2020 8:15am
- mikenmildagain
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  It says something about you that you are prepared to believe this story about Biden but automatically disbelieve the dozens of of accounts of Trump’s sexual assaults.
  
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  March 28, 2020 9:43am
  - PhilBest
    
    Interestingly, Hillary Clinton’s hypothesis always was that anyone accusing a good progessive icon, had to be a member of the vast right-wing conspiracy committing perjury for the sake of the cause – but of course no progressive is sufficiently dedicated to THEIR cause as to think this justifiable. We all know, don’t we, how progressives are dedicated to the standard of objective truth while conservatives embrace relativism – (SARC)
    
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    March 28, 2020 9:56am
  - JamesP
    
    Trump’s sordid past is baked in. People believe it but tend not to care. The difference is he doesn’t pretend to be squeaky clean and isn’t seeking votes from the Church of SJW [Dem].
    
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    March 28, 2020 10:49am
  - Ed Snack
    
    No, it’s the hypocrisy. Joe Biden is on record saying that we must believe all the accusers – with reference to the Kavanaugh hearings. So why should we be induced to believe all accusers EXCEPT the ones who accuse Joe ?
    
    Personally, I find this accusation a bit of a stretch, but more credible in general than the obviously manufactured ones against Kavanaugh.
    
    So maybe a few weeks of hearings in the senate with orchestrated press releases, FBI ‘friends” of the accuser, and envelopes of something passed in full public view between potential funders and legal council. Accuser should get free legal representation as well, and be allowed to change her story so it is less checkable, just to stick with the apparent established protocols.
    
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    March 28, 2020 12:51pm
- Inandout
  
  Scott, I sincerely hope she hasn’t had a connection with Bill…Krystal Ball..who?
  
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  March 28, 2020 10:25am
rightoverlabour

Hi Greta. Enjoy.
https://electroverse.net/europes-big-spring-freeze-arctic-blast-to-grip-the-continent-delivering-sub-zero-temps-and-rare-april-snow/
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March 28, 2020 8:18am
- Sir Cullen's Sidekick
  
  She will now say, this is a sign of global freezing and we need to tax anything that moves to stop this.
  
  28 2
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  March 28, 2020 10:51am
  - the deity formerly known as nigel6888
    
    Climate change is a helpful religion, look out the window – oh my god! it’s ……….. See! Evidence of climate change!!!!!!
    
    It’s a religion. Belief is required. Belief in the absence of evidence is True Belief ™
    
    13 2
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    March 28, 2020 11:06am
- Ruahine
  
  We in the South are not doing too badly either.
  
  https://electroverse.net/antarctica-just-set-its-coldest-march-temperature/
  
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  March 28, 2020 1:53pm
- yossarian
  
  Again you’ve fallen into your own trap, we don’t believe in global warming anymore (that’s so like 2005) we believe in man made “climate change”.
  
  Last week Europe wasn’t in some polar vortex, and now this week it is, do we need anymore proof? Now give me your money and let’s bring on global socialism!
  
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  March 28, 2020 9:48pm
- rightoverlabour
  
  Also this… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoVPDE33tSY
  
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  March 28, 2020 10:33pm
slightlyrighty

On Sept 11, 2001, the US Grounded all its air traffic in a matter of hours. Now, the US has more cases of Covid 19 than any other country, and yet it’s skies remain full of planes according to Flightradar24.

The US is not doing enough. It has shown itself in 97000 confirmed cases, and 1500 deaths so far. 3000 people died in the sept 11 attacks, and the US is well on its way to surpassing this total.
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March 28, 2020 8:20am
- emmess
  
  The US is such as large country.
  I don’t think a blanket nationwide lockdown is appropriate there. It needs to be handled on a state by state basis.
  
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  March 28, 2020 10:18am
  - septic skeptic
    
    Of course. China locked down Wuhan, not the whole country!
    
    14 1
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    March 28, 2020 10:48am
    - kowtow
      
      Al Jazeera doco on at the moment 101 East . Whatever about the rest of the country , they locked down Beijing. Google it.
      
      2 0
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      March 28, 2020 2:21pm
  - the deity formerly known as nigel6888
    
    Which is what is happening. It is a Federal system.
    
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    March 28, 2020 11:07am
- Surely Knott
  
  Agree the USA problem is growing. But Italy is 1/5 the size of USA and yet has the approx same infections. But yet there is little criticism for the European leaders. Agree with Emmess, there is a role for individual states who are handling the rules and shutdowns in their own areas. Donald Trump is only one part in the decision making process.
  
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  March 28, 2020 11:00am
- Ed Snack
  
  Almost all freight if you check, passenger traffic is way, way down.
  
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  March 28, 2020 12:56pm
Simon

Minister of Finance, who got his economics degree from the East German School of Finance, said about 14 days ago that increasing the minimum wage will create demand in the economy.

This is the clown in charge of the Economic Central Planning Committee. Success will be judged by tractor production numbers and turnip yields.
62 2
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March 28, 2020 8:22am
- Tarquin North
  
  He has qualifications?
  
  24 1
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  March 28, 2020 10:09am
  - Inandout
    
    TN, his father had qualifications; well sort of.
    
    24 1
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    March 28, 2020 10:26am
    - igm
      
      In: He was an exponent in the art of creative accountancy . . . like father, like son!
      
      15 2
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      March 28, 2020 11:11am
  - sooty
    
    The only shopping they can spend their new windfall are the supermarkets!
    
    10 1
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    March 28, 2020 10:27am
- Suze Wainwright
  
  Lawnmowers could still be the new metric yet…
  
  21 1
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  March 28, 2020 10:25am
- Humble Capitalist
  
  A chap at work returned after 3 sick days this week and declared that what was going on was ‘good for the economy’. Nobody said a word. He then said ‘with the amount of money being spent at supermarkets’
  Well he did vote for the current minister of racing in 2017 hope that puts thing in perspective
  
  24 2
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  March 28, 2020 10:53am
- In Vino Veritas
  
  Of course it will create demand. Business will go out of business, more people on the dole, the dole has just been increased, and Labour create demand for their socialist policies and get more people voting for them! Simple really.
  
  15 1
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  March 28, 2020 11:15am
  - Sacha
    
    Just as well the farmers are still at work. Confined to ‘home’, looking after the cows and sheep and planting crops, while the rest of the country is on holiday at home.
    
    10 0
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    March 28, 2020 1:26pm
- IC5000
  
  So explain to us all how businesses will survive if there is no one buying their products and services?
  
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  March 28, 2020 2:20pm
rightoverlabour

What? More confusion an mixed messages by this wonderful bunch of caring Government ministers? Never. They are been kind to us remember?

Twats.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/120614723/coronavirus-tears-and-confusion-as-kiwis-face-surprise-hotel-quarantine-for-weeks

And as for the Butcher/ Bottle Store Horse racing fiasco. Unfucking believable. This government has coated along without having to deal with any major crisis ( except the Mosque shooting) and now their incompetence is glaringly obvious in a real crisis. And what did they do after the mosque shooting – Fuck up the gun legislation big time. Everything they have done has been a disaster. Hopefully kiwis will wake up now.
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March 28, 2020 8:24am
Yvette

Not everyone has the forgiveness that Farid Ahmed offers Brenton Tarrant.
So will Tarrant actually ever want want to receive parole and have to leave the supposed protection of prison?

Turkey’s Erdogan calls on New Zealand to restore death penalty over shooting
Ankara (Reuters) – President Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday called on New Zealand to restore the death penalty for the gunman who killed 50 people at two Christchurch mosques, warning that Turkey would make the attacker pay for his act if New Zealand did not.

“You heinously killed 50 of our siblings. You will pay for this. If New Zealand doesn’t make you, we know how to make you pay one way or another,” Erdogan told an election rally of thousands in northern Turkey. He did not elaborate.

… New Zealand should make legal arrangements so that the Christchurch gunman could face capital punishment. “If the New Zealand parliament doesn’t make this decision I will continue to argue this with them constantly. The necessary action needs to be taken,” he said.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-newzealand-shootout-erdogan/turkeys-erdogan-calls-on-new-zealand-to-restore-death-penalty-over-shooting-idUSKCN1R01O6
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March 28, 2020 8:30am
- MT_Tinman
  
  Mr Tarrant will spend most of his time in an Ocker prison – just like Marfart and Prieur did their time in French prison.
  
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  March 28, 2020 9:58am
  - septic skeptic
    
    You mean Frech island resort.
    
    15 2
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    March 28, 2020 10:21am
    - MT_Tinman
      
      No, I mean be set free as soon as he regains Ocker soil.
      
      8 1
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      March 28, 2020 10:55am
    - Brian McDonald
      
      I think it was Lange that got leaned all over, the bombers went to New Caledonia after a short time in NZ prisons, then back to France and were released.
      
      11 1
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      March 28, 2020 11:01am
      - MT_Tinman
        
        France apologised and paid NZ $6m (from memory) before Marfart went back to France on sick leave, never to return – but to take photos for Greenpeace (also from memory).
        
        Don’t know what happened to Dominique.
        
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        March 28, 2020 11:23am
      - tf78
        
        After that France got really good deals on our lamb- I still can’t figure out why.
        
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        March 28, 2020 12:11pm
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    yep,
    
    Looks like something is in the wind….
    https://www.theage.com.au/world/oceania/australia-nz-yet-to-talk-terrorist-swap-20200327-p54en8.html
    
    7 1
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    March 28, 2020 10:36am
  - fernglas
    
    Bullshit. He will stay here until he is paroled, if ever. Ardern is blowing yet more smoke
    
    16 0
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    March 28, 2020 10:41am
  - igm
    
    If he stays here Little/Davis will have him paroled before we come out off lock down!
    
    7 2
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    March 28, 2020 11:06am
  - MCos
    
    Talking about two entirely different situations, of course.
    Those two were part of a team sent by the French government to scuttle the Rainbow Warrior, because they were an irritant.
    They never thought they’d be caught, but they were much to NATO’s embarrassment. They pleaded guilty to some minor charge and were sentenced to ten years and under pressure from the French were released to their care.
    Dominique Prieur was pregnant upon her return to France two year later and promoted shortly thereafter.
    
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    March 28, 2020 11:34am
    - mikenmildagain
      
      Manslaughter is not ‘some minor charge’…
      
      1 8
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      March 28, 2020 1:20pm
      - MCos
        
        Should have been terrorism, but that may not have been available at the time.
        
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        March 28, 2020 9:11pm
    - stuarts-burgers
      
      IIRC Dominique Prieur husband was a Fireman and he strangely got reassigned to a French Pacific Territory just after she was set free by Lange
      
      5 0
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      March 28, 2020 3:29pm
- David Garrett
  
  Yvette: What do you think – Mr Erdogan is really so stupid he thinks we can – even if we wanted to – retrospectively alter the law for one person’s crime…Or is he just electioneering? One certainly hopes its the second…
  
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  March 28, 2020 10:05am
  - Yvette
    
    David, I assume Erdogan was electioneering, but in doing so he must think he is saying something that his masses approve of, and is also appealing to a lone wolf as errant as Tarrant, that if ever there is the chance, someone may be inspired to take it.
    
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    March 28, 2020 10:35am
  - Engelbert Humperdink
    
    Well ‘we’ retrospectively altered the laws of NZ to make all LFAOs criminals. Why not do it again to put this murderer Tarrant to death? Ardern set the precedent.
    
    8 1
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    March 28, 2020 11:05am
- Inandout
  
  Erdogan reminds me of that Mexican drug lord Felix, a man completely devoid of any sense of humanity. Erdogan-Mengel..same stable.
  
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  March 28, 2020 10:29am
- Scott
  
  Personally I think if there was ever a case for capital punishment it’s this one. He did it. No one believes otherwise.
  Capital punishment is no worse than life confined in a small prison cell until you die.
  
  Capital punishment is just, it has a deterrent effect (especially hanging). And the taxpayer is not out of pocket.
  It’s the right thing to do.
  
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  March 28, 2020 11:22am
- In Vino Veritas
  
  And the Muslims that killed Americans, British, French, NZ’rs and others?
  What will Erdogan do about the siblings of THOSE countries killed by Muslims?
  But we all know, don’t we? Perhaps Ardern should tell Erdogan where to go in two short words.
  
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  March 28, 2020 11:30am
  - Swifty
    
    Exactly IVV.
    
    Erdogan is just playing to his supporters at home and abroad. If he had his way he’d be the leader of a new caliphate – it’s what he’s always wanted and fancied himself for.
    
    But notice his subtext. Revenge trumps law, and should do so retrospectively.
    
    What a scumbag. It’s just more of the same from the guy who is dragging Turkey back to the stone age.
    
    And what’s he going to do? Send assassins here to somehow break into Pare to kill Tarrant? Bribe some screws to poison his breakfast?
    
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    March 28, 2020 1:20pm
MCos

https://twitter.com/mitchfel/status/1243444731545300992?s=21
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March 28, 2020 8:34am
Happychappy

Everyone is allowed a opinion but I fear those on kiwiblog will go out there way to condemn John Key for his praise of Jacinda Ardern and how she delivered this lock down, this doesn’t mean he agrees with the many other things she has delivered but know one an say she doesn’t have the knack to convince people with her daily addresses.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/03/former-prime-minister-sir-john-key-praises-jacinda-ardern-s-faultless-covid-19-communication.html
I am know fan of Jacinda’s but give credit where it is due it would a thankless job addressing the NZ Public on this pandemic.
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March 28, 2020 8:37am
- Tony Stuart
  
  Can you imagine Helen Clark ever offering such fulsome praise of Key?
  
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  March 28, 2020 9:50am
  - PhilBest
    
    Even when she should have, for his capitulation to almost everything she did! I keep saying this: make concessions to the progressives programme of ratcheting society and the economy leftwards, and all they’ll do is ratchet it even further and still condemn YOU as a “right wing extremist” because you aren’t as enlightened and progressive as them! Merely capitulating every time doesn’t change their attitude to you.
    
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    March 28, 2020 10:01am
  - Captain Mainwaring
    
    Lefties don’t do praise unless it’s for one of their own.
    Despicable bastards the lot of them.
    While I think of it, who else saw the communication from Simon B. regarding Covid 19? No National logo on it and he didn’t even use his surname.
    That’s the definition of keeping politics out of it.
    
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    March 28, 2020 10:12am
    - Sir Cullen's Sidekick
      
      Who is Simon B?
      
      2 18
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      March 28, 2020 10:56am
      - Captain Mainwaring
        
        Have a guess you silly man.
        
        16 1
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        March 28, 2020 11:07am
      - Paulus Gnome
        
        A backing singer for the Spice Girls.
        
        Simon Bridges is a consummate legal prosecutor and the leader of the largest single voting block in New Zealand, National.
        
        Please feel free to ask anything else you are confused with, I have the time to reply becasue, as it happens, I am not going anywhere for the foreseeable future . . .
        
        20 2
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        March 28, 2020 11:17am
  - In Vino Veritas
    
    Or Jacinda for that matter?
    
    6 1
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    March 28, 2020 11:31am
- KevO'Brien
  
  Ardern can do straight face from an autocue but prefers junior school visits as more her level. Lucky she has Tywford and Winston as backstops and Robbo on monetary guidance.
  Her above-neckline movements are a bit irregular and smiling can result in some awkward contortions. “T”s are a problem I recommend she change to coffee.
  
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  March 28, 2020 10:22am
- bruceavon
  
  Yes. I am a national supporter but I am not like most commenters here who will hate Ardern whatever she does. I think they deserve credit for the way they are managing this. Clearly better than Aussie, Britain and the US. I would love Bill English and Joyce were in charge, but I can’t say the same of Bridges. His response early on was very panicked. I like the way many politicians have suspended their left/right stuff at this time. The only criticism I have is that Ardern clearly runs everything by Bridges at the moment. I don’t see why they just formally include National ministers in the main Covid 19 team like they would in a war.
  
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  March 28, 2020 11:09am
  - KevO'Brien
    
    Winston wouldn’t like it.
    
    9 1
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    March 28, 2020 11:54am
    - bruceavon
      
      True! I forgot about that. The old boy seems very much out of the picture of late.
      
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      March 28, 2020 12:28pm
  - MCos
    
    The reason there isn’t some sort of grand coalition is that there needs to be an opposition that can speak out if the government becomes dictatorial.
    A lot of people on this forum attempt to liken our situation to East Germany or Venezuela.
    Under those types of administrations people disappear, blogs like this would be closed down, any dissension would be quashed.
    That wouldn’t happen here with an opposition in place.
    Furthermore
    Whatever the outcome the public expects the government to take responsibility for leading the country.
    
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    March 28, 2020 12:11pm
    - Ed Snack
      
      Also note that in a grand coalition, by tradition the largest party leads. That could be tricky for Labour, though they and NZ First would have a majority of cabinet seats, just.
      
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      March 28, 2020 1:01pm
- Jules99
  
  I wonder if he wants a job.
  
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  March 28, 2020 11:33am
  - PhilBest
    
    Winston can actually bring down the government any time, by withdrawing his support.
    
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    March 28, 2020 12:42pm
    - PhilBest
      
      Winston, I mean. Comment might have been in the wrong place.
      
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      March 28, 2020 12:43pm
- G152
  
  One address (what is being done and how) yes but not using a TV channel for several hours haranguing a day
  
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  March 28, 2020 11:42am
- tf78
  
  I thought it was very carefully worded saying she “communicated” very well – that was the only praise I read into it.
  
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  March 28, 2020 12:14pm
- rangitoto
  
  Shutting down the country is the only thing labore are any good at.
  
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  March 28, 2020 5:42pm
Durden

Has anyone else noticed higher prices in supermarkets already? Isn’t there supposed be a group in MBIE or commerce commission that monitors retail prices. Hope they are considered an essential service and are on the job to highlight subtle clipping by what are effectively monopolies, rather than try to find open price gouging.
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March 28, 2020 8:38am
- Steve James
  
  Yip, in Christchurch, Edgeware Fresh Choice, gauging big time. They were already more expensive than Merivale Fresh Choice. Arseholes!
  
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  March 28, 2020 8:41am
- yomcat
  
  They’ll probably just say “we haven’t raised our prices, we’ve just stopped putting 60% of our stock on sale”.
  
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  March 28, 2020 8:42am
- rightoverlabour
  
  Ever since the stupid bint closed the fruit shops and butcheries etc, they killed competition and forced more people to congregate more often ( limits at supermarkets). Complete and utter fuckwits in charge here. We usually buy 4 bottles of milk about twice a week. Now we will have to double the number of visits, thus doubling the time we are in long extended ques either spreading or picking up the virus. Its not rocket science. Open up all the stores that supply food. ( not fastfood etc).
  
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  March 28, 2020 8:43am
  - RiP NZ
    
    My local butcher was told 3pm on the Wednesday they were to close, after being told all week the opposite and stocking accordingly.
    2 business hours notice, security stock staff, life,
    Muppets
    
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    March 28, 2020 11:04am
  - Jules99
    
    Yep, my 80 year old ma used to shop once per month. Now it’s every week. ? She can’t even go to her favourite local shop for a pint of milk, because it was forced to close.
    
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    March 28, 2020 11:35am
  - MCos
    
    You can buy milk at your friendly local dairy.
    
    Go for a walk. The fresh air and time away from social media might be good for your temper.
    
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    March 28, 2020 12:17pm
    - rightoverlabour
      
      Meeting you in a dark alley might be good for my temper. Now please don’t take that as a threat, just an opinion. But thanks for the advice, anyway.
      
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      March 28, 2020 3:25pm
- Simon Gotlieb
  
  I believe the higher prices to be inevitable. When we stressed the supply chain and they had to put on more trucks and find more food, inevitably this came with more costs. When every supermarket is asking for more, supply and demand rules insist that regular specials no longer apply. There’s nothing on sale any more. I have to go to the supermarket this morning (haven’t been since Wednesday) and I’m girding my loins for a price shock). Anyone with the faintest grasp of economics can work out why this is hurting us in the pocket. It isn’t going to get better in a hurry.
  
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  March 28, 2020 8:46am
  - PhilBest
    
    I have still noticed, though, some items “Reduced” because of getting close to use-by date. Obviously things that are both relatively expensive and not so popular. It is popular cheap items that get cleaned out and prices maxxed.
    
    One interesting phenomenon that I wonder if others have noticed: all the “sugar free” versions of things are the first to have empty shelves – is it panic buyers, or the supply chain not bothering?
    
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    March 28, 2020 8:58am
  - yossarian
    
    I can’t believe I’m saying this but there does need to be some type of price controls or open book policy with the govt and the supermarkets, to insure thet they are not profiteering through this. They have effectively been given a licence to print money as the shut off all competition, has allowed them free reign to price gouge during a national crisis. And I’ll put pharmacies in that camp too.
    
    One thing socialists may now realise is that capitalism and competition help control pricing.
    
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    March 28, 2020 9:04am
    - gravedodger
      
      A daft hope, their philosophy precludes even understanding such truths.
      Of course had any of them been actually in commerce such things are learnt very quickly.
      You may be correct in that further controls will be their “FIX”.
      I can almost hear Old Piggy chuckling.
      
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      March 28, 2020 7:58pm
  - The Other Enoch
    
    We supply supermarkets. From what we can see, New World and PAKnSAVE have not increased their prices. Countdown have stopped promotions, New World and PAKnSAVE haven’t. However, fruit and vegetables have rocketed up everywhere. F&V always increase in price during periods oh high demand or a crisis. Been that way since, well, forever.
    
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    March 28, 2020 9:44am
    - kowtow
      
      Who makes /gets the increase ?
      The retailer , the middle man , the farmer ?
      
      Genuine question.
      
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      March 28, 2020 10:08am
      - The Other Enoch
        
        All parties usually get a share of the increase where the old auction system is still in play.
        
        The sad thing here, however, is that our supermarket duopoly has created a power vacuum whereby each party within the duopoly now negotiates directly with a small number of growers. The growers then become dependent on the supermarkets. Whereas the agreement between supermarket group and the growers looks good in the beginning, it quickly deteriorates. All in all, it is a very unhealthy relationship.
        
        And guess who we have to blame for this? Aunty Helen and her socialist mates made a very bad decision for the economy and consumers alike. Same reason behind this decision that we see behind some of the Coronavirus decisions. We have decision makers with no real world experience.
        
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        March 28, 2020 4:56pm
      - gravedodger
        
        I will warrant it will not be the producer.
        
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        March 28, 2020 7:59pm
    - David Garrett
      
      Enoch: (My physical resemblance to the great man was also noticed when I was an MP !)
      
      I have just come back from a supermarket run, Countdown, Helensville. One of the few items I went for was fresh fruit (I am very well stocked with everything else)…I didn’t notice the prices had increased at all…Royal Gala apples, 3.99 a kg; peacherines a very reasonable 7.99…they even had bananas, which Rodney Hide noticed had gone out of stock in Christchurch.
      
      I am a great people watcher. It was amusing to see the people – maybe a quarter? – wearing utterly useless paper face masks or even more useless, a cloth bandana around their faces. And then there was the young girl on the till who had nothing…I remarked upon it, and blow me down, she understands that as paper mask might as well be a chicken wire mask worn to keep out dust. Lovely young gal…chatting to her brightened my day.
      
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      March 28, 2020 11:22am
      - kowtow
        
        To my way of thinking the ready way so many people have taken to masks and bandanas , shows how much of this is media/govt driven fear / mass hysteria.
        
        Plenty of info out there , in these days of universal education to realise they’re useless.
        
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        March 28, 2020 2:17pm
  - Padraig Payne
    
    Which is why it was stupid closing butchers and green grocers. In Christchurch there are some brilliant establishments providing high quality nutritious food. That is ALL they sell. And now some of them may go broke and will destroy millions of dollars worth of food. It is fucking lunacy.
    
    On the afternoon before the lock down my green grocer was selling all his produce at cost. The guy is a legend.
    
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    March 28, 2020 9:45am
  - Fletch
    
    We placed an order with a supermarket a week ago and it was only delivered today. Quite a few things left out, and substitutions. They couldn’t even supply light blue top milk. We were given dark blue top (of two different brands) as a substitute.
    I would have thought that at least milk was a regular item – especially since we placed the order a week ago.
    
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    March 28, 2020 10:55am
    - David Garrett
      
      Fletch: Milk fully stocked at Countdown Helensville this morning…And I have just discovered that light blue top milk freezes fine…turns yellow when frozen, but then reverts to its normal colour upon defrosting.
      
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      March 28, 2020 11:24am
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        All milk can be frozen
        
        Should retain all its nutritional qualities for at least 3 months in the freezer.
        
        https://milkgenomics.org/article/fresh-frozen-facts-freezing-milk/
        
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        March 28, 2020 11:37am
      - Pharmachick
        
        Random piece of useless info for the day: It goes yellow because the riboflavin freezes slower so separates out in the freezing process. Bu then you taw it the milk returns to its usual form and the riboflavin disperses again. (I looked it up once as we use milk in the lab for blocking proteins, had a trainee make several 50 mL tubes and freeze them and notices the phenomenon).
        
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        March 28, 2020 12:47pm
    - UrbanNeocolonialist
      
      My family has used milk powder for preference for many years. Half the price, no difference in flavor or nutritional value, no taking up space in fridge or masses of heavy bottles to lug home from supermarket each week. Also no milk containers for landfill. We normally have months of supply in the cupboard (buy on special).
      
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      March 28, 2020 8:09pm
  - In Vino Veritas
    
    Except for the Fruit World vege shop on Botany Rd in Auckland that tripled prices BEFORE the lock-down.
    
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    March 28, 2020 11:35am
- Bill felt
  
  Welcome to Socialism!
  
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  March 28, 2020 9:06am
  - Rich Prick
    
    The supermarket queues and empty shelves remind me of the news clips from Venezuela a few years ago. Toilet paper availability should be the index for how socialist a country has gone.
    
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    March 28, 2020 10:03am
    - sooty
      
      Communists give everybody the runs!
      
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      March 28, 2020 10:34am
      - Ruahine
        
        Only socialists and communists have the ability to ruin the toilet roll supply chain.
        
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        March 28, 2020 2:05pm
- Humble Capitalist
  
  How about the government set up KIWIMARKET and put a competent minister in charge of it. Perhaps someone like Twyford, Clark or Little
  
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  March 28, 2020 10:02am
  - Sir Cullen's Sidekick
    
    Let me set up a working group for that.
    
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    March 28, 2020 11:00am
  - Nutta
    
    Opening in a suburb near you in 2127…
    
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    March 28, 2020 11:01am
- KevO'Brien
  
  Business will be down so there will be more overhead costs to be met from lesser revenue. That’s a recipe for higher prices.
  
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  March 28, 2020 10:25am
- Komata
  
  Durden@0838:
  
  Certainly: One local supermarket (no names, no locations), has Caulies on sale for $9.99, which is just a bit more expensive than usual. With no greengrocers allowed to be opened, it’s a case of money for jam for the supermarkets and they are definitely making the most of a heaven-sent situation. They can of course justify their actions in all sorts of ways.
  
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  March 28, 2020 12:38pm
- Sacha
  
  I haven’t been to the local NW for 10 days, but already there were price increases. Last night I thought I’d investigate online shopping (amazing what seems interesting when you have time to waste) and compared last weeks receipts for about 20 items. Over $10 more, plus the various extra charges for delivery in 7 days.
  I guess I’ll have to brave the virus laden crowds myself –
  
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  March 28, 2020 1:37pm
Nigel Kearney

You may have noticed there has been increased demand, partly due to panic buying and partly because butchers and greengrocers have been forced to shut by the government. I’d rather they put up prices than have the shelves empty.
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March 28, 2020 8:46am
- kloyd0306
  
  No, it’s a stitch up. There is no good reason why green grocers and butchers had to close.
  Supermarket owners are gleeful – they have a monopoly. Therefore, the supermarkets can charge what they like and they are.
  Also, produce at green grocers is fresher and less expensive.
  Leftist governments like ours have no appreciation of market forces. They are against competition. The two supermarket chains will no doubt be making sizable donations to Labour.
  
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  March 28, 2020 9:40am
rightoverlabour

More kindness from the [Deleted – Mod]

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12320513
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March 28, 2020 8:46am
- GT Build
  
  In a national emergency there has to be rules and some might like them but if you didn’t have them it would be a free for all. This supposedly educated twat needs to think before he runs to the media his wife and baby were in the best place. I know it might be hard but these are hard times and going to get harder.
  
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  March 28, 2020 10:26am
  - Paulus Gnome
    
    Unlike the twat in the Galápagos Islands who loudly proclaims he is a NZer and wants the NZ government to fly him home to Melbourne where he lives (because he is a NZer and NZ ‘owes’ it to him – paraphrasing here)
    
    Like the reporter outside the Naenae butchers shop, our Leader took his call and has put Twyford on the case.
    
    I am taking bets on how this pans out.
    
    Paypal connection attached
    
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    March 28, 2020 11:26am
- Sacha
  
  I expect was asked to leave because his wife and child were doing well. Also, because he would have to leave the bedside to go to the toilet, find food, and then return, possibly create an infection risk to both his wife and daughter, other patients, and staff.
  Not to mention other fathers who could justifiably claim that ‘if he can, so can I’.
  
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  March 28, 2020 1:44pm
rouppe

Grant Robertson says: the entire domestic economic structure of New Zealand could need rethinking.

Is this the warning for a shift to hard core Marxism?
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March 28, 2020 8:50am
- Wired-one
  
  The left will use this pandemic to force socialist ideals on all of us. Who’s going to stop them when our media are all fangirls and the opposition is silenced.
  
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  March 28, 2020 10:27am
  - sooty
    
    Not long to the election. So he will have to be quick!
    
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    March 28, 2020 10:36am
    - Paulus
      
      Don’t assume the election will not be delayed for a year or so.
      
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      March 28, 2020 1:49pm
- Brian McDonald
  
  It’s being rethought now. I’d say the majority of businesses closed now are looking at what they will be doing when they re-open. The Government will be planning advice that will be given on that.
  I think it has become clear the idea that people work in the cities when they could be working from home is past its use-by date. A lot of distribution where houses could re-open now with protocols around how staff handle goods, associate with one another, and the manner in which inward and outward goods are handled. Getting them onto trucks or into vans safely is relatively easy and the supermarkets are already using a model (I hope) of unloading and unpacking them safely. Probably sanitiser at both ends, ppe, and medical clearance. We are already obviously picking up produce in an approved way so that is also a model.
  I worked on the wharf until last Saturday, apart from some paperwork transfers which could have been in plastic bags placed in an unmanned area and a couple of other small areas of screening at entrance and exits points, where there are glass petitions anyway, will probably be as safe as could be by now and keeping the economy churning.
  When the time arrives businesses might be checked to see what steps they are taking or should take to limit contact and hopefully get a pass mark.
  In the meantime, more mobile testing stations are opening. I think the next step to that will be to test those not exhibiting any symptoms to get a more complete picture of virus spread.
  Meanwhile, some states in America are establishing priority lists for ventilator treatment, critical care, etc. I hope NZ is spared that.
  
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  March 28, 2020 11:29am
  - Brian McDonald
    
    Should have been warehoused.
    
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    March 28, 2020 11:54am
- kloyd0306
  
  Socialism is just one small step from communism, the left’s holy grail – ultimate control over the masses. Communist China is their model.
  We should not be surprised that Labour are salivating over the possibilities on offer, but we should be alarmed.
  Reduced choice re basic food, shelves emptying fast as human nature (survival of the fittest) kicks in.
  Meanwhile, those in power are in no way affected. “Some are more equal than others,” under socialism and communism.
  Don’t believe me? Ardern’s own self admission, that her greatest accomplishment was becoming President of International Socialist Youth.
  
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  March 28, 2020 12:04pm
JibberJabber

Thomas Sowell

Although the big word on the left is “compassion,” the big agenda on the left is dependency. The more people who are dependent on government handouts, the more votes the left can depend on for an ever-expanding welfare state.

And…
https://twitter.com/TitaniaMcGrath/status/1243579387729129473
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March 28, 2020 8:51am
- MCos
  
  That Sowell bloke must have cringed when Trump signed the two trillion dollar welfare handout to all and sundry.
  
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  March 28, 2020 1:30pm
SGA

butchers and greengrocers have been forced to shut by the government.

I’m mixed on the butchers and greengrocers business. My local supermarket has extra staff for nothing but hygiene/safety. Someone at the door keeping the numbers inside moderate and hand sanitizing everyone going in, others spraying and wiping down every trolley and basket after use, rules on packing bags, and so forth. It’s like a military operation. Perhaps my supermarket is an exception.
I am not convinced that all small operators would have the resources or will for similar levels of care.
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March 28, 2020 8:56am
- Padraig Payne
  
  Can they stop people picking up an apple and putting it back? No. Can they stop kids touching stuff? No.
  
  I would feel much safer at my local green grocer and butcher. It is insane that they have closed. And BTW the 2 butchers I use have impeccable, spotless shops. With well trained staff in spotless uniforms. These are EXACTLY the facilities that we need right now.
  
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  March 28, 2020 9:51am
  - Ed Snack
    
    Butchers make extensive use of stainless Steel fittings, and the virus can stay viable for up to 2 days on steel.
    
    I reckon insist that everyone wear masks outside when shopping or the like. Be a definite way to improve hygiene standards and reduce viral spread.
    
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    March 28, 2020 1:05pm
- septic skeptic
  
  My local Countdown has none of that. The staff have been too busy removing all the special prices.
  
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  March 28, 2020 10:30am
lastmanstanding

Wuhan Flu has the potential to change the geopolitical balance.

Whilst China was on track to overtake the US in 2025 it is likely this will occur much earlier possibly within the next 12 months.

So why does this matter.

The US is a democracy. China is a Communist State.
As the worlds largest economy it has the potential to influence the politics of Western countries even more than it does now.

For instance it could demand certain laws and regulations be enacted as a condition of trade or trade volumes.

Refusing could see the economy of a country decline causing civil unrest and allowing a political party with support from the CCP to gain power.

Of course many will scoff at my comments. I say be careful and think about history.
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March 28, 2020 9:07am
- Simon Gotlieb
  
  I look to the USA with unease. New Orleans in particular, with its large homeless population is rife for an explosion in cases. We may see a total destabilisation of that country.
  When we all get back on our feet again it will be interesting to see how the world regards our reliance on China as a centre for globalisation. Perhaps there will be a move to a less globalised world, perhaps not. It’s hard to know how long this will last, and whether capitalism will survive a downturn this bad. I feel our depression will make the great depression look like a minor downturn. I just hope we don’t have to have a major war to bring us out of it this time.
  
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  March 28, 2020 9:11am
  - Simon Gotlieb
    
    That should probably be ripe, not rife.
    
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    March 28, 2020 9:11am
    - mikenmildagain
      
      New Orleans is ripe to become rife with cases.
      
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      March 28, 2020 9:15am
      - Ed Snack
        
        Maybe the Democrat Mayor should have cancelled Mardi Gras, and take responsibility for her careless actions instead of blaming Trump.
        
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        March 28, 2020 1:07pm
  - Padraig Payne
    
    I agree. Also Australia is totally stuffing this thing up. The states are now off doing their own thing, some closing borders to inter state travel.
    
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    March 28, 2020 9:54am
    - Brian McDonald
      
      The 3 bonzos, Morrison, Bolsonaro and Trump.
      
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      March 28, 2020 12:07pm
- surfing
  
  Just wait until China starts snapping up distressed assets from around the globe.
  
  This virus is perfect for Chinese global aspirations.
  
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  March 28, 2020 9:18am
  - All_on_Red
    
    What with?
    They’re struggling to repay debts due.
    
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    March 28, 2020 10:09am
  - emmess
    
    We should be seizing Chinese state or politically connected owned assets as compensation.
    
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    March 28, 2020 10:26am
    - kowtow
      
      Nek minnit a Chinese gunboat in the Waitamata .
      
      Are we ready ?
      
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      March 28, 2020 11:58am
  - Simon Gotlieb
    
    I imagine a number of countries around the world are aware of the potential for this. At some stage I can see Trump announcing that the USA has cancelled all of their debt with China.
    I wonder what Xi would do were Trump to say that? It’s not like the Chinese are prepared to go to war over it. I reckon they’d be screwed. And if USA does that, then the rest of the world will follow, and that will be very interesting.
    
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    March 28, 2020 11:22am
    - mikenmildagain
      
      I doubt that would happen. Unilaterally cancelling debt would be very dangerous as the world faces a massive recession. But wait! Perhaps a very stable genius might see it differently.
      
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      March 28, 2020 11:30am
      - emmess
        
        Unilaterally cancelling debt would be very dangerous as the world faces a massive recession
        
        Remind me again what are we facing already due to the Chinese Communist Party’s incompetence at best?
        When all this is over, it would have wiped out any gains from trade with China by an order of magnitude at least.
        
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        March 28, 2020 3:56pm
  - Fletch
    
    A Trump official was immediately cut off on CNN for criticizing China. Why? It’s true that this is China’s fault because of the delay by covering up the fact that they had this happening and not allowing experts over there to help or find out more.
    
    On Thursday, White House Trade Advisor Peter Navarro appeared on CNN. Hosting the show was Brianna Keilar.
    
    As the clip begins, Navarro is saying,”We all, as a country, got dealt a bad hand by China.”
    
    It takes a second for Keilar to absorb Navarro’s comment. Then, she puts her hand up and tells him, “Uh, Peter, that is just a waste of time to say that. I’m gonna leave it there. Peter Navarro.”
    
    Navarro is gobsmacked. He interrupts, “No, hang on, wait a minute. Why is that a waste of time to say that?”
    
    Keilar ignores him. “We’re just trying to get our hands around it. No. Peter Navarro. That’s it. We’re out of time. We’re out of time. And that’s just, that’s ridiculous. Peter Navarro. Thank you so much.”
    
    https://www.redstate.com/elizabeth-vaughn/2020/03/27/breathtaking-trump-official-says-us-was-dealt-a-bad-hand-by-china-cnn-host-abruptly-ends-segment/
    
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    March 28, 2020 11:39am
- PhilBest
  
  Unless the current crisis wakes America up. I think the rest of the west including NZ is a goner.
  
  America is actually divided on this. Everywhere else, it is the P.C., self-loathing, managed decline of our own economies and civilization that is the “orthodoxy”. By the way, if America was the southern and heartland States only, it would be the world’s soundest economy right now. If California and New York seceded, they might look pretty strong to start with, but it is them who are decadent and throwing the game.
  
  Even before Trump became president, there was a phenomenon of “re-onshoring” of industry (Joel Kotkin is a good regular chronicler of the trends) and almost all of this was going to Texas, and the Southern and heartland States. It has sped up now. Low costs of locally-extracted resources are a plus there too.
  
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  March 28, 2020 9:18am
- Andrei
  
  It has been obvious for some time this is a “black swan” event.
  
  And that a different world will emerge on the other side.
  
  I’d suggest that due to advances in science and bio technology that we have observed the emergence of a new strain of corona virus and its propagation throughout the world in real time and that is something that actually occurs on a regular basis but due to senationalist media coverage we have panicked.
  
  And as we know panic is not the best response to dealing with the unknown, particularly from those in positions of authority.
  
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  March 28, 2020 9:21am
- All_on_Red
  
  I say be careful about believing any numbers China tells us.
  For example, for years they repeatedly say that GDP growth is 6% – it just isn’t.
  I’ve seen estimates of China’s GDP being more likely to be around $12 Trillion. (Iirc they claim over $16 T)
  The US is $22 Trillion. China is not catching the US.
  
  Anyway- I hope everybody is safe.
  
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  March 28, 2020 9:41am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Perhaps we can have Gordon Brown’s NWO
  https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/mar/26/gordon-brown-calls-for-global-government-to-tackle-coronavirus
  
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  March 28, 2020 9:41am
  - MrTips
    
    Now that is very scary. A trial balloon that statement.
    
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    March 28, 2020 10:00am
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      I don’t think Gordon Brown has much influence these days…just another has-been politician.
      
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      March 28, 2020 10:43am
      - Paulus Gnome
        
        He never was never good enough to even qualify as a has been because he really really was a ‘never was’
        
        His name belies his methodology, right behind Blair without the decency of one pace behind.
        
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        March 28, 2020 11:32am
  - KevO'Brien
    
    No way. That may be what is underneath the global economic madness. The helicopter money is enormous and how will it be recouped? States will be in debt to the credit-creating banks. Will those banks forgive that debt or prefer to show their new found master status?
    The scenario, which I understand has been some years, is to have a UN takeover through a world health crisis. Expect then the Bilderberg power-elite to become a government as they have control or ownership of the States’ debts.
    Is Bill Gates a potential nominee for World Supremo? Nice guy, trusted, capable, wealthy and with clean hands.
    
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    March 28, 2020 10:40am
- The Proper Ghandi
  
  I disagree. In the aftermath, this whole sorry affair will lessen (not strengthen) China’s international influence, as countries will no longer want to have all of their eggs in the Chinese basket, so to speak. They won’t want to rely on foreign entities as much, so will seek to be more nationally self-sufficient. This virus is the perfect metaphor for why lax borders and Globalised free-trade are negatives to all but the significant capital investing classes. If the solution is to close borders, then it obviously follows that the problem is too lax borders and inadequate controls on goods and people.
  
  It will see the end of expanding Globalisation and a commensurate rise in Nationalism. Just as we have probably mostly turned inwards towards our families in recent days and weeks, so too will we turn inward towards our national ‘family.’ The Globalist propaganda cannot overcome the real effects this affair will have on everyday people. In many ways, such a wide-reaching and serious event was the only way to alter the pre-virus trajectory.
  
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  March 28, 2020 9:52am
  - Simon Gotlieb
    
    Yes, I agree with you. The world was already turning more towards Nationalism, and this will exacerbate it. Free trade accords will be torn up and countries will become far more inward looking.
    
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    March 28, 2020 11:24am
    - mikenmildagain
      
      Given that free trade accords have demonstrably boosted wealth, particularly in the third world, now would be a peculiar time to get rid of them and impose additional barriers to prosperity.
      
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      March 28, 2020 11:31am
      - Suze Wainwright
        
        Hey that’s brilliant! So the neoliberal, free market approach does work…?
        
        6 0
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        March 28, 2020 12:09pm
      - PhilBest
        
        Since when were you a principled supporter of “competition”?
        
        4 1
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        March 28, 2020 12:48pm
      - KH
        
        Increased wealth. ?? Yes but not for ordinary New Zealanders.
        
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        March 28, 2020 7:14pm
- Suze Wainwright
  
  On the positive side, the prominence and importance of woke social commentators with liberal arts degrees would probably wane under the regime change…
  
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  March 28, 2020 10:31am
  - Paulus Gnome
    
    . . . and this a bad thing why?
    
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    March 28, 2020 11:35am
    - Suze Wainwright
      
      I just don’t see Lizzie Marvelly being taken seriously by the Chinese Communist Party… (I could be completely wrong of course)
      
      6 1
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      March 28, 2020 12:10pm
- Engelbert Humperdink
  
  I do not disagree with what you say but suggest we build in an important caveat: many Chinese people have lost everything including their family members and their jobs. If the ChiComPartygoers are seen to lose the Mandate of Heaven – it ends badly for them. They’ll be suspended. From lampposts. For Chinese-style utu.
  
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  March 28, 2020 11:26am
Ceejay

I’m not generally into cheap political point-scoring at times like these, but one thing I will not forgive the government for is the voice of the woman on all the radio and TV announcements.

Was it not possible to find one who doesn’t sound like a kindergarten teacher?

Now I have nothing against her, and all kindergarten teachers, but would it not have been possible to mention to her before she started that she’s not in the kindergarten now, and she’s actually addressing adults?

Her pronunciation of “alert level fo-wer” will live with me long after the virus is a specimen in the med school museums.
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March 28, 2020 9:11am
Tauhei Notts

This lock down boredom is having me look at other sites on the net.
I notice that in the soccer game; Sluts versus Dinamo Brest, that the away team is the $1.65 favourite. I wonder if that is women’s soccer.
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March 28, 2020 9:12am
BK Scurfield

NYC doctors — eg in Lenox Hill hospital — reportedly successfully using Hydroxychloroquine to treat acute Coronavirus victims.

NY governor has ordered 70,000 doses of Hydroxychloroquine, 10,000 doses of Zithromax, and 750,000 doses of Chloroquine for emergency trials beginning next week.

If these drugs work we should see the death rate start to flatten in NYC while the number of cases continues to climb.

So what are our stockpiles of these drugs in New Zealand? And when will we use them for emergency trials here?
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March 28, 2020 9:24am
- PhilBest
  
  Trump said they represent hope, so progressive pundits response is to diss them. Shows how low TDS can drag people.
  
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  March 28, 2020 10:06am
- Tall Man
  
  Only after the triumvirate have had their pick.
  
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  March 28, 2020 11:11am
- Pharmachick
  
  These drugs are not paracetamol.
  
  Both chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are QRS extenders as is azithromycin – prefer a heart attack or arrhythmia anybody? Elderly are already at highly increased risk of these, elderly with underlying CV disease at even higher risk.
  
  Moreover the antimalarials can be associated with audio-visual hallucinations, blood dycrasias and a bunch of other nasty side effects.
  
  Best that the cure is not as bad or worse than the disease.
  
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  March 28, 2020 1:16pm
  - mikenmildagain
    
    But Trump said they represent hope…
    
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    March 28, 2020 1:32pm
    - Pharmachick
      
      They do represent hope – if they work. The thing I’m worried about is these drugs have really nasty side effect profiles int he Cardiovascular realm, including causing arrhythmias and heart attacks. Given the elderly are disproportionately hit by COVID19, and they are already at risk from QRS extending drugs (because (1); age and (2); most people over 65 have underlying CV pathology) I think there needs to be careful evaluation.
      
      I utterly KNOW the ICU people will go to heroic lengths to save people, that’s as it should be… but wholesale adoption of drugs that are OLD and have long-known nasty side effects needs to be a balanced process (I also think balanced processes can happen *fast* if need be… but not by a Govt. working group).
      
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      March 28, 2020 3:17pm
  - Jules99
    
    These are drugs that are already prescribed for other conditions. Stop it with the alarmism. If someone is in ICU and a doctor wants to prescribe it, they should go ahead. And we’re only talking a few days, not months or years. Get a grip. One day there might be vaccine – until that time, we use what works.
    
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    March 28, 2020 1:54pm
    - Pharmachick
      
      I am not being alarmist. When Chloroquine or hydroxychloroqione are prescribed e.g. for lupus the patient is usually monitored extensively for up to A YEAR.
      
      Jules99 when you have acquired 20 years of experience in drug discovery and development, and teaching medical and pharmacy students and residents (“house surgeons”), come back and chide me about alarmism then. Until such time shhhh the adults are in the room.
      
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      March 28, 2020 3:09pm
      - Pharmachick
        
        PS In support: http://products.sanofi.us/aralen/Aralen.pdf
        
        Beware this is a PDF… look at the side effects profile in the document, if you like
        
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        March 28, 2020 3:43pm
      - projectman
        
        There is some evidence that hydroxychloroquine (chloroquine too?) can cause retinal toxicity so it is important, particularly for people with eye problems, to monitor them before and during taking this medication. Like most medications, side-effects may be dose-related, dependent on the length of time taking it and of course weighing up risks and benefits if it is demontrated to be beneficial against COVID-19.
        
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        March 29, 2020 6:20pm
David Garrett

So, day three…Sanity didn’t prevail re the butchers…Unless I missed it, Cindy didn’t tell Bush to tell his cops to pull their heads in…

Happy for someone more up with the play than me to correct me…
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March 28, 2020 9:27am
- jv
  
  And I’m sick of being told to “be kind”. She hasn’t got a clue about Jo and Josephine Kiwi psyche. Seems to think we are all like her bullying union and political masters and the usual lowest common denominator stuff.
  
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  March 28, 2020 9:35am
  - Tall Man
    
    A mod told me to be kind, I wasn’t being” kind” to R so got deleted.
    
    I think kindness is crap. Kindness allowed a labour mp to escape consequences for assault. Kindness allowed twyford to actually do nothing. Kindness is allowing a very limited group of retailers to gouge you and I.
    
    Kindness has allowed a serious sex offender to have his character endorsed by a labour affiliated judge. Kindness has allowed the speaker of the house to label an innocent man a rapist without proof or consequence.
    
    So I’m sorry people, like poverdee and pardy, renaming a word doesn’t work for me.
    
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    March 28, 2020 10:26am
    - Humble Capitalist
      
      TM you need to have a conversation that will fix it all
      
      11 1
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      March 28, 2020 10:58am
      - Tall Man
        
        Jeez you’re not going all religious on me are you 🙂
        
        6 1
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        March 28, 2020 11:09am
  - MCos
    
    I’ve never been kind before; why start now?
    
    7 0
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    March 28, 2020 2:01pm
- kloyd0306
  
  Woolworths and Foodstuffs will be the biggest donors to the Labour Party later this year.
  
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  March 28, 2020 9:47am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Don’t think there will be a cheque in the mail from The Warehouse though.
    
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    March 28, 2020 10:48am
    - Humble Capitalist
      
      The Warehouse are as woke as anything so Id say still be a juicy cheque
      
      10 2
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      March 28, 2020 10:59am
rightoverlabour

Are the moderators breaching quarantine????

[mod – apologies from this Mod, who has just arisen from the best sleep-in he’s had in years!]
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March 28, 2020 9:28am
- rightoverlabour
  
  No need to apologise, and I won’t grumble about my choicer words being deleted…. But I am beginning to really despise a certain female politician….
  
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  March 28, 2020 11:04am
  - Tall Man
    
    And there is a certain mod with a very low bar that they apply.
    
    6 1
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    March 28, 2020 12:38pm
    - lifesgood
      
      Yes, we all know who that is.
      
      2 1
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      March 28, 2020 2:33pm
      - Ian Boag
        
        Care to share?
        
        1 1
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        March 28, 2020 7:43pm
Poppa

A fine day where I am so it looks like more outside jobs for me today.

Will I start with lawns, or deck cleaning, or fence painting? I am mindful that the jobs need to last another 28 days or more
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March 28, 2020 9:36am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Lawns are a good one.. you’ve no sooner finished and admired your mowing skill than the little buggas are growing again….. bound to give you hours of entertainment over the next 4 ~~weeks~~ months.
  
  Once done, fence painting is finished for the next 10+ years… and fence colour fashion may change post-lockdown… wait ’til next year.
  
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  March 28, 2020 9:49am
  - Biscuit
    
    A Biscuit Award (far more vaulable than a boring Nobel) awaits any boffin who can genetically modify grass so that it still lookslike and smells like grass BUT DOESN’T GROW…
    
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    March 28, 2020 10:14am
- Tauhei Notts
  
  Poppa, take hope. I hear that the Society of Procrastinators meeting has been postponed.
  
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  March 28, 2020 9:52am
  - sooty
    
    Poppa paint the fence and watch it dry, should be saved up for a bit later, go and have a nap!
    
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    March 28, 2020 10:45am
- the deity formerly known as nigel6888
  
  Pissing down here, 51mm of rain overnight, 10 degrees. Brrrr
  
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  March 28, 2020 11:16am
Lee C

SHARE THIS!

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/high-consequence-infectious-diseases-hcid?fbclid=IwAR0ke0A2WkQkAhFQolBDhtECx1CyJsawyrBTST572gd-SNSNVSB90ZOzEzU#status-of-covid-19
Definition of HCID
In the UK, a high consequence infectious disease (HCID) is defined according to the following criteria:

acute infectious disease
typically has a high case-fatality rate
may not have effective prophylaxis or treatment
often difficult to recognise and detect rapidly
ability to spread in the community and within healthcare settings
requires an enhanced individual, population and system response to ensure it is managed effectively, efficiently and safely
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March 28, 2020 9:45am
- Albert_Ross
  
  Why must we share this? What does it tell us that we need to know and haven’t already been told here?
  
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  March 28, 2020 10:33am
Wired-one

This pandemic, health outcomes aside is a wet dream for Ardern and her government. Let’s face it they were failing badly and very likely heading to be a one term government. This crisis has effectively silenced the opposition, given Ardern and her government a platform everyday to make announcements and smile to the voting public as well as allowing her ministers to politicize their response in adverts and the like, as has been seen recently with Tamati Coffee etc. Add in the facts that they can freeze rents, announce policies that take us down a frankly socialist route and will be able to impose new taxes and entitlements after we have hopefully come through this, which will shift the public to the left. Frankly an election victory for the right side of politics is not going to happen. Kiwibuild, light rail, the economy already heading into recession, incompetent ministers, none of that matters now. Ardern and her government are going to get a large boost in the polls just like after March 15th and they have their media love child to sell there story. Let’s be blunt here people. National is stuffed here through shear luck of circumstances towards the Ardern regime.
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March 28, 2020 9:45am
- Padraig Payne
  
  You are probably right. But Churchill got thrown out of office in 1946.
  
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  March 28, 2020 10:00am
  - kevn
    
    @Padraig… We ain’t got no Churchill on the NZ throne.
    Chalk ‘n cheese.
    
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    March 28, 2020 10:22am
    - Tall Man
      
      His point is still valid, very very valid.
      
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      March 28, 2020 10:28am
  - Inandout
    
    PP, Churchill wrote books and was literate to the extreme. Jacinda reads Kindy books and sounds illiterate.
    
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    March 28, 2020 11:00am
    - Kiwi
      
      Speaks and sounds illiderate!
      
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      March 28, 2020 7:51pm
    - MCos
      
      Having the ability to write books or be ‘literate to the extreme’ isn’t a prerequisite for a successful leader.
      
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      March 28, 2020 9:48pm
- Humble Capitalist
  
  Ardern is that pool player that keeps on pulling off fluke shots to win on the black ball. Looks like she will dodge a major bullet with the gross mismanagement of this crisis in the early (well sign posted) stages. You cant keep on fluking the 8 ball forever though
  
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  March 28, 2020 10:27am
- KevO'Brien
  
  Six months is a long time in politics. We have had the Kindy Circus now we are in the management phase.
  Twyford and the Rest do management with ~~aplomb~~ a bomb, obliterate everything through lack of reason and inability. How many houses did they deliver? Can we expect anything better over the next six months of our ordeal?
  
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  March 28, 2020 10:54am
  - Wired-one
    
    It doesnt matter how incompetent they are. Our media dont call them out on it and often give them a pass mark because of their unwillingness to critique their queen and savior Ms Ardern. It doesnt matter if the election is in six days or six months. The media have already decided that they dont like Bridges. Sorry, I hate it as much as anybody else here. But she’s getting a second term. Not based on her ability to govern but because shes apparently a kind young women. That is what NZ politics has descended into to. Fake populism over policy delivery.
    
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    March 28, 2020 11:12am
    - KevO'Brien
      
      You sensed the malaise–it’s up to us to stop them.
      ☑️☑️Rout2020☑️☑️
      
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      March 28, 2020 11:56am
MCos

Here’s someone’s experience of Covid-19.
Not for the faint hearted
https://twitter.com/shirazmaher/status/1243554346396246018?s=21
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March 28, 2020 9:52am
MrTips

Dear diary

Day 3: woke up cold and shivery. Doc said “you’re fine”. I wanted a second opinion but he didn’t have to say I was ugly as well.
Slight altercation with neighbour last night, who told me to turn off loud music. Then he got run over, so I guess I’m going to lose my licence when this is all over.
Asked wife to cook me some eggs. Its actually quite spacious in the cupboard under the stairs. Should be ok here for the next few days.
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March 28, 2020 9:57am
- the deity formerly known as nigel6888
  
  shame I can’t double tick! 🙂
  
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  March 28, 2020 11:17am
greybeard

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/120581185/antivirus-measures-are-too-late-to-stop-needless-sickness-and-economic-pain

I am amazed that Stuff let this one through.
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March 28, 2020 10:02am
- Humble Capitalist
  
  Im stunned! I didnt believe it when Mrs Humble told me there was a story on Stuff that didnt tow the party line
  
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  March 28, 2020 10:40am
  - mikenmildagain
    
    ‘Toe’ the line…
    
    13 10
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    March 28, 2020 11:21am
    - Humble Capitalist
      
      Concern noted
      
      12 1
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      March 28, 2020 12:32pm
    - Tall Man
      
      Nope, tow was right, all the way down the road so others can see it.
      
      6 2
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      March 28, 2020 12:36pm
    - Ed Snack
      
      What I really dislike is the tendency for people to use rouge when they mean rogue – makes me see RED !
      
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      March 28, 2020 1:15pm
      - mikenmildagain
        
        That’s just rough.
        
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        March 28, 2020 1:53pm
- KevO'Brien
  
  It’s spot on though. The worm is turning–that poor thing will be spit roasted by the Selection. The time to have been alert is when first aware, not after the Mar 15 photo call.
  Management skills are sadly lacking in this amateur govt. The virus being hard to detect surely would have alerted them to the fact that the borders were almost the only place they had control for the future.
  Kindness to a adder may result in death from misadventure.
  
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  March 28, 2020 11:07am
- Jules99
  
  He might not have a job at Massey for much longer.
  
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  March 28, 2020 11:49am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    He’s a senior lecturer and with Maori heritage.
    
    He’s safe…. and he may have quiet support from others at Massey.
    
    14 1
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    March 28, 2020 12:46pm
    - Suze Wainwright
      
      The silent majority might actually be everywhere
      
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      March 28, 2020 1:48pm
- Suze Wainwright
  
  And the writer is from Massey University!!
  
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  March 28, 2020 1:47pm
Clyde

Over 9000 deaths in Italy alone, and some people are still burying their funny little heads in the sand. The USA is on course to be a major Covid disaster and still some people think that it will all be over by Easter.
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March 28, 2020 10:04am
- mikenmildagain
  
  “I would love to have the country opened up and just raring to go by Easter.”
  – President D J Dotard
  
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  March 28, 2020 11:24am
  - Ed Snack
    
    Perfectly sensible desire, can’t see why you insist that the the country stay locked down if it isn’t necessary.
    
    And just BTW, Joe Biden isn’t POTUS.
    
    6 2
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    March 28, 2020 1:17pm
    - mikenmildagain
      
      No sensible person expects the US to be out of it in another 10 days.
      Did you see now that the very stable genius thinks states are ordering more ventilators than they will need?
      
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      March 28, 2020 1:55pm
- kowtow
  
  9000 deaths from what ?
  
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  March 28, 2020 4:08pm
Tauhei Notts

I was chatting to a woman, who was brought up in Vladivostok, in the queue at the supermarket. Her comment was delightful;
“I haven’t queued to get into a supermarket since I was a teenager.”
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March 28, 2020 10:13am
- sooty
  
  Brilliant, I liked that one?
  
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  March 28, 2020 10:48am
Mummy

Good article on Stuff today (for once). Call me paranoid but I have printed it in case it gets lost.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/120581185/antivirus-measures-are-too-late-to-stop-needless-sickness-and-economic-pain
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March 28, 2020 10:14am
- Humble Capitalist
  
  Good idea to archive that one…
  
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  March 28, 2020 10:44am
- Souvlaki
  
  Guess Steve Elers probably in the paddy wagon already….off to re-education camp.
  
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  March 28, 2020 11:36am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    He served in the Western Australian police… so I don’t think our cops would dare touch him.
    
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    March 28, 2020 12:49pm
    - lifesgood
      
      Good man.
      
      2 1
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      March 28, 2020 2:37pm
- kowtow
  
  OK , he gives a time line about the gubmint’s failure to shut the borders , but he’s calling Hone a hero and in a previous article he implied Chinese money in the unis trumped free speech……
  
  A bit more context on him , like with all opinion pieces would be useful.
  
  Time now more than ever to ask questions of everyone. Testing the Koolaid .
  
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  March 28, 2020 12:34pm
- emmess
  
  https://help.archive.org/hc/en-us/articles/360001513491-Save-Pages-in-the-Wayback-Machine
  
  https://web.archive.org/save/https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/120581185/antivirus-measures-are-too-late-to-stop-needless-sickness-and-economic-pain
  
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  March 28, 2020 4:01pm
Captain Mainwaring

Clearly most other news has been eliminated from the airwaves but has anyone heard if there’s been any developments regarding the young French guy who went missing on the way to Piha?
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March 28, 2020 10:17am
- sooty
  
  The kid was not in a good place and they sent him here? Should have been home!
  
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  March 28, 2020 10:52am
Greg Ettridge

Tomorrow actually puts a line in the sand for Australia.
I have said all along you just have to watch 5 minutes of Borderforce to see how people lie through their teeth about their intentions.
Giving people a piece of paper at the airport is just bullshit.
The Vasco De Gama and Aratania are now both berthed at Fremantle Harbour.
The Australians are all going into Quarantine.
I suspect NZ 176 has been cancelled and rescheduled to to 3.30am tomorrow to fly all the Kiwis out to Auckland.
Germans off one ship will go on three charter flights by Sunday night.
One ship reports Wuflu the other says none.
Will they walk out of Auckland Airport with a piece of paper and told to do the right thing.
They all go on about Scomo being weak.
Here is a real test for Jacinda Ardern, has she got the ticker to actually start doing something about these floating disasters, or is it status quo.
Mark McGown the Labor WA Premier has my full respect and admiration, had the balls to say enough is enough.
If Jacinda thinks for a moment she can let in hundreds of cruise passengers and trust them all to do the right thing, then her turnaround date of April 8th is in tatters before it starts.
There are cruises being sold for May would you believe, it is just all fairyland stuff.
Just check Flighcentres website.
Time to get real and tough, no more pussy footing around.
There are just three international flights scheduled into Perth today.
McGowan is a real politician of the people, I take my liberal conservative hat off and salute him.
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March 28, 2020 10:23am
- sooty
  
  Comrade Cindy will have a ticker tape parade down Queen street!
  
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  March 28, 2020 10:54am
- MCos
  
  I heard on the news that the hundred or so NZers will be quarantined for 14 days in Auckland before being released into the wild.
  
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  March 28, 2020 1:16pm
Belinda

Is it really only day three of lockdown?
Living in a retirement village, I’m rapidly losing the will to live. Even going for a solitary walk turns into a drama.
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March 28, 2020 10:44am
- Tall Man
  
  At least hang on until 20 September so you can wave bye bye to ardern and “what’s in it for wynston”.
  
  I’m sure there are books you have left unread and Viber is an excellent way to video chat with family. My kids talk daily with their 94 year old grandfather also enduring lockdown alone.
  
  https://www.viber.com/en/download/
  
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  March 28, 2020 11:05am
- Sir Cullen's Sidekick
  
  Another 180 more days to go Belinda. Hang in there. Cindy will save you. Have faith. Keep a photo of her near your bed.
  
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  March 28, 2020 11:08am
  - rightoverlabour
    
    What an irresponsible post!
    
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    March 28, 2020 12:30pm
- kevn
  
  @Belinda… Imagine how it would be without the internet ?
  
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  March 28, 2020 11:11am
- KevO'Brien
  
  Keep it up. You will survive as will the rest of us. If you can, get an orange, scratch the skin and take a good sniff or a little lavender if available. It’s amazing how that can be uplifting.
  
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  March 28, 2020 11:12am
  - Belinda
    
    Yes but that would require a trip to paknsav..
    
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    March 28, 2020 12:52pm
septic skeptic

Current thinking is that we might move in and out of stage 4 lockdown several times as the pandemic waxes and wanes – in order to prevent hospital overload.
How is this supposed to work for butchers and green grocers? If they stock up and re-open they will have to lose all their stock each time we go back to stage 4.
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March 28, 2020 10:57am
kevn

@septic… Ask the Mad Butcher shops
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March 28, 2020 11:12am
Goon

Consider this….

https://www.covid.is/data

Iceland has tested a higher proportion (3.7%) of its population for the bateaterpox than any other country.
– Of those tested (13613), 890 were positive (6.5%)
– Of those positive approximately 50% exhibited no symptoms
– Of those positive, 18 (2%) required hospitalisation
Of those in hospital, 6 (0.6%) were in intensive care
Of those infected, 2 (0.2%) have died

Sure, maybe an outlier but seems not entirely inconsistent with other figures now starting to come out indicating that maybe the sky will still be there after all with a modest response (…as opposed a south European shambles), rather than the loss of civil liberties and economic meltdown were are facing in Jacindzuela.
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March 28, 2020 11:13am
- KevO'Brien
  
  Those numbers are similar to the Diamond Princess which also had a 0.2% death rate.
  
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  March 28, 2020 12:04pm
- emmess
  
  Uptick for Jacindazuela
  I came up with that name (also?) before the election.
  Never thought it would be like this though
  
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  March 28, 2020 4:04pm
Andrew Worth

The PM has stated the rules, but increasingly there have been reports of police confronting people who are obeying those rules and threatening them with fines: People driving to appointments to do what is something the state agrees is “essential”, people driving to local places suitable for walking the dog, even people in the same “bubble” who are traveling in the same car to do a legal activity have been threatened by the police for being in the same vehicle.

Some heads need to be banged together as some cops are providing wonderful examples of Acton’s famous maxim.
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March 28, 2020 11:14am
- kowtow
  
  Is Plod still working with Hone’s illegal lockdown busting “health” roadblocks?
  
  If yes , why ?
  
  Why do some citizens get to break the law , with assistance from Plod ,while others get charged or warned by Plod for doing the same thing?
  
  There’s something rotten in the state of Aotearoa , formerly New Zealand.
  
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  March 28, 2020 11:41am
- Rich Prick
  
  I see they even harassed a couple of surfers. That’s a fairly solitary activity I would have thought. I’m getting the sense this isn’t about disease control for them, this is about exercising powers beyond their wildest dreams.
  
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  March 28, 2020 11:45am
  - mikenmildagain
    
    There is a reason for discouraging surfing and boating. Just saying.
    
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    March 28, 2020 1:36pm
    - kowtow
      
      Gardening can require hospitalisation too …….
      
      So can falls in the bathroom and kitchen . So don’t wash or cook…….
      
      6 1
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      March 28, 2020 2:05pm
      - rightoverlabour
        
        Oh bugger, I intended doing some chain sawing… Should I check with “be kind to others Arderne first…”?
        
        I read this, so I suppose this activity is also out of the question!. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_during_consensual_sex
        
        Do you think the cops will come knocking on the door to check up on this dangerous activity????
        
        STAY THE FUCK OUT OF OUR LIVES …
        
        Most of us understand isolation and the need to stop the virus. Sort out the real arseholes, and raid the gangs, they are all at home….
        
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        March 28, 2020 3:39pm
      - Rich Prick
        
        Yet weirdly, cycling is perfectly fine. I guess it all depends On how “PC” the activity is.
        
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        March 28, 2020 6:23pm
    - Ruahine
      
      Ardern don’t surf.
      
      Acknowledgement to Killjoy.
      
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      March 28, 2020 2:11pm
    - Rich Prick
      
      Yes, it’s to remind us that the plod is in charge over every aspect of our lives now. Don’t do anything without your permission slip.
      
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      March 28, 2020 2:41pm
    - Andrew Worth
      
      Most accidents happen around the home.
      
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      March 28, 2020 3:00pm
      - mikenmildagain
        
        It’s not about accidents so much as its about any incident at the beach, out at sea, or in the bush might mean mobilising numbers of people for search and rescue. Avoiding those risks is sensible at the moment.
        
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        March 28, 2020 4:52pm
- cmm
  
  The people really breaking the rules are the government by not isolating people coming into the country.
  
  They are the hole in the boat.
  
  The 4 week shutdown is all theatre and completely destructive to the economy (and future generations) if they keep on adding more sick people to the population.
  
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  March 28, 2020 11:53am
- PhilBest
  
  “…Some heads need to be banged together as some cops are providing wonderful examples of Acton’s famous maxim.”
  
  Amen! Latest anecdote from the grapevine: Island Bay resident walking his dog, reached next bay round the South Coast, stopped by a plod, “given a warning this time” that he’d gone too far from home.
  
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  March 28, 2020 1:04pm
  - septic skeptic
    
    I reckon the time he was at greatest risk of catching Covid was while he was talking to the cop.
    
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    March 28, 2020 3:26pm
Tall Man

So, we are victims of the great Qantas con job.

Our flight to Sydney in May has been cancelled and rather than refund we now have a voucher. The flight cost through Qantas to defer it a month or 3 has increased from $519 to $799. Same flight time, same ticket discount level. The same ticket through a booking agency is selling for $465 through to $540 but the voucher cannot be used outside Qantas and can not be used for a similar flight at a lower cost.

No wonder Folau didn’t like them.
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March 28, 2020 11:25am
- septic skeptic
  
  Qantas own Jetstar. Nuff said?
  
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  March 28, 2020 12:07pm
  - Tall Man
    
    I know, my bad but they were the only ones that had a nice plane leaving at a civilised hour 🙂
    
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    March 28, 2020 12:57pm
- Hard Cheese
  
  If they’ve cancelled your flight, according to their Conditions of Carriage you can ask for a full refund. You just have to ring them (try early hours of the morning) and stay on hold for hours and hours.
  
  They’re automatically converting cancelled flights into travel vouchers because it’s good for their cashflow and most people are none the wiser.
  
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  March 28, 2020 9:02pm
Humble Capitalist

Quite a few medical certificates coming through saying ‘xxxxx has a cough, runny nose and headache. xxxxx currently does not meet the criteria for testing for COVID-19 therefore I cannot definitively confirm that he/she does not have COVID-19. However his/her risk of currently having COVID-19 is low based on current NZ medical guidelines’. Wouldnt it be great if we could test more people
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March 28, 2020 11:43am
Engelbert Humperdink

Cahill’s Blue-Patched Gang got the taste for forcing their personal views and interpretations on the law-abiding last year, and they’re off and running.
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March 28, 2020 11:45am
MrTips

Question for computer whizzes out there:
– am using Cisco AnyConnect VPN module on PC
– was working fine then stopped, lost contact with work
– now refuses to link says “VPN service not available, exiting”.
– AnyConnect on laptop still works fine, so suspect is a PC problem not a Cisco problem.
– Have scoured the Cisco help blog and tried everything
– &*%@###!!!

Any one know of solution to this, that most likely resides in PC itself?

cheers in advance
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March 28, 2020 12:00pm
- KevO'Brien
  
  Are the PC and the laptop in the same office?
  Is the PC connected by ethernet cable to the internet?
  How is the laptop connected: cable or wireless?
  
  If both are in the same location and the PC is cabled and the laptop not, suspect the ethernet connector on the PC.
  Test by using the ethernet cable on the laptop. If you don’t know how to change over best not to try without further help.
  
  The failure of an ethernet hardware connection is common. They work most of the time the PC is attached to the network as seen by the lights they have. The fix is usually a simple cheap card replacement or to put in an wireless USB adapter instead. Getting parts at present could be hard.
  
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  March 28, 2020 3:05pm
- curry4me
  
  Mr Tips: If you just need a VPN, install Opera. It has a free one.
  
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  March 28, 2020 3:09pm
jimbo3

Anybody know about level 5 lockdown? I heard a rumour the military are preparing for it.
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March 28, 2020 12:10pm
- mark15
  
  All 4000 of them?
  
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  March 28, 2020 1:07pm
  - mikenmildagain
    
    Yeah, but they’ve got 100 unused light armoured vehicles, so there is that.
    
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    March 28, 2020 1:39pm
- mikenmildagain
  
  I’ve heard some rumours too, in my time. most of them turned out to be wildly inaccurate.
  
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  March 28, 2020 1:38pm
- bruceavon
  
  Yes. I have heard that too. But it also sounds like an urban myth. But the person that told me is in a position to knows things, and he told me several days before it was announced we were going into lockdown in two stages. So who knows? He said there will be curfews, checkpoints, only certain times you can shop. etc.
  
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  March 28, 2020 2:00pm
MrTips

Oh dear, its possible Trump might be right about chloroquine and azithroymycin.

“Twenty cases were treated in this study and showed a significant reduction of the viral carriage at D6-post inclusion compared to controls, and much lower average carrying duration than reported of untreated patients in the literature. Azithromycin added to hydroxychloroquine was significantly more efficient for virus elimination.”

Heads will explode. For sure.
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March 28, 2020 12:19pm
- MCos
  
  So
  Twenty people were allegedly fixed by some drug promoted by President Trump, but unfortunately their heads exploded.
  
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  March 28, 2020 2:08pm
  - sooty
    
    Yeah, quick give it to all them Democrats!
    
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    March 28, 2020 3:27pm
Paul Marsden

Still waiting to receive Sole Trader Business Number (applied x 6 days ago) so I can’t complete wage subsidy application for my staff. I can’t keep paying them much longer out of my own pocket since my factory is in lockdown. I manged to call them immediately after my application went through (x 2 hour wait on phone) and they told me to be patient, as they were inundated with applications. Thought I’d try and call them again today (NZ Bus Register Office) but guess what??? Their office is closed for the weekend. I can’t believe this! I thought we were all in this together?? Meantime, I’m bleeding to death and my staff (after 20 years) are about to lose their jobs and these bureaucrats decide to have the weekend off! Crisis? What crisis?
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March 28, 2020 12:26pm
- lofty
  
  Paul you should have received it by now, I applied for our staff subsidy last Monday and it was in by Wednesday evening, small comfort I know, but it seems like something may have gone wrong in you application. I know when I submitted mine it took hours to get accepted and I thought that I had fucked it up…maybe just maybe a posting problem?
  As for them being off for the weekend, lucky bastards, I am guessing that like you, I am exhausted by the planning, structures for redeployment for staff etc.
  I feel for you mate, ?‍?
  
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  March 28, 2020 1:42pm
- Bob Durham
  
  I misunderstood what you are applying for Paul,
  ( see my Lofty post below)
  
  Even so it seems a bit slow.
  
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  March 28, 2020 2:24pm
kiwiracer

I wonder how all those kids are surviving that require to be fed at school.
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March 28, 2020 12:44pm
MCos

Tweet of the day
https://twitter.com/davidmackau/status/1243681172837851137?s=21
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March 28, 2020 12:48pm
Nickc2

Has anyone got an update on the illegally occupied Fletcher land? Is there still a Maori Malitia occupying the land and if so, how are they doing the lockdown bit or has the CoL secretly paid out Fletchers under the guise of the COVID drama?
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March 28, 2020 1:03pm
- Engelbert Humperdink
  
  Forgot about them – would be interesting to hear news!
  
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  March 28, 2020 1:16pm
Belinda

Is “be kind” going to be the most overused word in 2020?
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March 28, 2020 1:12pm
cmm

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12320560

That’s just stupid says PriNZess about people playing frisbee in the park.

Sweetie, I’ll tell you what REALLY is stupid is not isolating people coming into the country. The vast majority of new cases are coming from those people and you’re releasing them straight into the community to undermine our lockdown efforts.

Here’s the deal: you have lost the soft power option. People are playing frisbee because they see the lockdown as just theatre.

What is the harm in a few playing frisbee if hundreds of infected people are let into the country every day?

While you continue to screw up, the non-compliance will just increase.
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March 28, 2020 1:18pm
- Paul Marsden
  
  As sure as night follows day, there will be anarchy.
  But perhaps worse, will be the domestic violence and mental health issues. My heart goes out to all the people who will be caught up in the maelstrom. NZ will be reading some very different and sombering headlines in a week or two.
  
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  March 28, 2020 1:45pm
  - cmm
    
    Correct.
    
    As I said yesterday, the first ICU that is going to get overcrowded is Starship with beaten up kids.
    
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    March 28, 2020 2:58pm
- MCos
  
  A couple of days ago, from memory, there were a paltry 360 international arrivals at Auckland. Anyone who couldn’t provide a viable self isolation plan, which was the majority, were put in isolation at a local hotel where they are periodically checked.
  
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  March 28, 2020 2:38pm
Shut the hell up you Fascist!

A good example of why New Zealand is in this mess:

https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/climate-news/119994801/climate-change-symptom-of-obsession-with-growth-says-young-leader
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March 28, 2020 1:20pm
- Suze Wainwright
  
  Raven – what a lovely name for such a pretty young woman… That gathering she spoke at would be illegal now
  
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  March 28, 2020 1:57pm
- kowtow
  
  Another over priveliged self loathing middle class twit.
  
  I see she says the indigenous should be ‘put’ in the centre of decision making. Well ain’t that , coming from a Honkie Girl just another form of (m)paternalist colonialism.
  
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  March 28, 2020 2:01pm
  - Suze Wainwright
    
    Yep, no matter what way she spins and has herself otherwise publicised, she’s still a middle-class, Pakeha girl.
    
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    March 28, 2020 3:23pm
- emmess
  
  Extinction Rebellion wankers celebrate
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NO-91BT7GIA
  
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  March 28, 2020 4:10pm
Stu2

The Italian lockdown might have stopped new cases from increasing out of sight, but they are not plummeting

Wonder if extra testing lies behind this

Hope we do better

Mar 20 +627
Mar 21 +793 (daily peak)
Mar 22 +651
Mar 23 +601
Mar 24 +743
Mar 25 +683
Mar 26 +712
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March 28, 2020 1:21pm
- septic skeptic
  
  Those are deaths – not tests.
  
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  March 28, 2020 1:37pm
  - Stu2
    
    Opps, got them off the wrong graph
    
    ———————
    
    The Italian lockdown might have stopped new cases from increasing out of sight, but they are not plummeting
    
    Wonder if extra testing lies behind this
    
    Hope we do better
    
    Mar 20 +5986
    Mar 21 +6557 (daily peak)
    Mar 22 +5560
    Mar 23 +4789
    Mar 24 +5249
    Mar 25 +5210
    Mar 26 +6203
    
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    March 28, 2020 2:22pm
Paul Marsden

What contingencies have the Govt made for a major weather event, or even a local one say effecting Auckland and where the power goes off? So far, the weather gods have been kind to us, but when they turn angry (which they will very soon), it doesn’t bare thinking about
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March 28, 2020 1:32pm
curry4me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3-EEOSSBIc
Rishi Sunak Bails Out the Self-Employed!
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March 28, 2020 2:03pm
curry4me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsOx5yF6_3o

NPC University at lock down time.
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March 28, 2020 2:04pm
curry4me

https://www.nationalreview.com/the-morning-jolt/chinas-devastating-lies/
CCP Corona virus cover up.
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March 28, 2020 2:05pm
Paul Marsden

I have pleaded to Govt via email on several occasions, to sanction my business as an essential service, but to date, I have not received a reply. I need to drive across the city very day to my factory (and back), and expect to be stopped by the police god knows how many times, and I want to have a piece of paper on hand to prove same. I don’t expect a reply from Govt anytime soon (if ever), but Trademe have just advised that I appear to meet the ‘essential services’ category and will allow me to trade specific items on their platform. In the absence of a written sanction from Govt, would presenting this letter from Trademe, be a good enough stay- out of jail card for when I get stopped?
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March 28, 2020 2:47pm
- Bob Durham
  
  Oops downticked by mistake..fat fingers sorry Paul.
  
  In the absence of any other agency supplying a letter of confirmation, the trademe could be OK, who knows in these very uncertain times.
  
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  March 28, 2020 4:56pm
- rightoverlabour
  
  I’d use David Garett’s advice. After 15 minutes tell them to arrest you ( for what?) or let you go.
  
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  March 28, 2020 6:46pm
Chuck Bird

Imam Calls Coronavirus “Soldier of Allah,” Celebrates non-Muslim Deaths

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3uQr1924nY&feature=youtu.be
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March 28, 2020 2:48pm
- Nickc2
  
  For F sake Chuck, Don’t tell Cindy. She will begin screaming for her head scarf. I think the fisherman hid it in the washing machine. Not much chance of her finding it there.
  
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  March 28, 2020 2:53pm
Nickc2

Believe it not, Queensland Aust. is holding Local Body Elections today across the whole state. So much for the 2m separation and PPE stuff:

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/mar/27/queensland-elections-coronavirus-poses-lethal-risk-to-voters-experts-say
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March 28, 2020 4:00pm
Poppa

Does anyone else get a very uneasy feeling when we are ruled by police state?

It goes against all that my father fought for in WW11

I realise some idiots will do the wrong thing, but they will anyway, it just feels wrong to me. I get the feeling we will be seeing army vehicles(if they have any) rolling in to a town near you very soon
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March 28, 2020 4:03pm
- rightoverlabour
  
  Its interesting the increase in posts pointing this out. I lived in South Africa during the riots and the Governments clampdowns “State of Emergency”. There are a lot of similarities….. and a lot of innocent people suffer because of this. A bunch of kids throwing a frisby around are not going to increase the spread of the virus. Going surfing, or fishing is not either. And I don’t buy the bullshit, “what if they get into trouble line”. If the cops can stop and interrogate civilians going about their daily tasks ” safely”, then the coast guard can rescue a boatie “safely”. But we are being treated like moronic children and I have had a gutsful of this shit. Fortunately I have 10 acres and a shit load of work to do to keep my mind of this abomination of a government and that useless twat Bush.
  
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  March 28, 2020 6:42pm
Faroffsound

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/120646560/coronavirus-jacinda-ardern-says-no-change-in-australias-stance-to-new-zealanders

No surprises there. Pity the PM didn’t think twice before having a go at Scott Morrison about the deportations during her last visit. Not the way to make friends and influence people …
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March 28, 2020 4:46pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

I really don’t know what it is with these leftie fuckheads.
“Yes, they’re in a stockpile because that’s where they are supposed to be, because we don’t need them yet,” Cuomo said. “We need them for the apex, the apex isn’t here, so we’re gathering them in a stockpile.”
And yet more are being made. This means the stockpile is there forever (you make shit and never use it) ffs.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/03/27/gov-andrew-cuomo-admits-stockpile-of-thousands-of-unused-ventilators/?fbclid=IwAR0rcRmmGkKIYbVn0mhJiScha1qAQKezCvTMWMcWJ6gyOhRVdzKRUmP8hjU
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March 28, 2020 5:22pm
Jack5

A must-read for those who backed a $470 million sports stadium in Christchurch.

Australian sports columnist Peter FitzSimmons on plans to build big stadiums for rugby league:

“It was already absurd to build those grand stadiums when there was no need, but it will look criminally absurd if there is not much of a rugby league on the other side of this to even begin to fill them.”

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/stadium-rebuilds-will-make-even-less-sense-if-sports-get-demolished-20200327-p54ems.html
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March 28, 2020 5:25pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

From the US.
If you are looking for food during this pandemic, look for houses that have ‘Bernie 2020’ signs. They have no guns, and they want to redistribute right?
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March 28, 2020 5:40pm
- MCos
  
  I think you’ll find Sanders is more pro gun than you think.
  
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  March 28, 2020 9:59pm
Iamright

Can someone tell me what status Pike River is in the current climate. Is it deemed to be an essential operation?
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March 28, 2020 5:48pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Geez this place is dead. I guess the Mods went out to dinner in the carpark at the petrol station.
OK.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7F7Gucl_FqI
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March 28, 2020 5:48pm
Monique Watson

FRA has approved a fifteen minute Covid-19 testing kit. Will be able to ship next week.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/thehill.com/policy/healthcare/489959-fda-authorizes-15-minute-coronavirus-test%3famp
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March 28, 2020 6:24pm
Monique Watson

FDA I mean.

And a little bitch from me to finish the evening on.
I love all my friends on Facebook. But the left wingers have a fucking annoying habit: Whenever I post something about the States or the difference between the two countries, the lefties pop the fuck up and say wa wa wuh: “We don’t have guns and Jacinda Ardern poops candy floss.“
It’s really fucking annoying and stressing me out as I watch New Zealand turn into a police state and civil liberties are destroyed.
Do you have friends like this and do you tune them out. So far I’ve refrained from asking them not to praise the odious child woman on my page. Should I A: ding then, B: defriend them or C: not take them so fucking seriously.
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March 28, 2020 7:52pm
- Martin Williams
  
  You should probably wake up.
  
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  March 28, 2020 8:19pm
  - Tall Man
    
    Was it my comment about mallard and the rapist that rattled your cage.
    
    You always had a penchant for defending rapists but I suggest you wake up and ready yourself for unemployment 20 September 😉
    
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    March 28, 2020 9:12pm
- Humble Capitalist
  
  Definitely C I think Monique
  
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  March 28, 2020 8:50pm
  - Tall Man
    
    I thought all of the above unless their handle is sir cullen………
    
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    March 28, 2020 9:14pm
- Tauhei Notts
  
  Monique, your comment was a breath of fresh air.
  Now I know that I am not the only New Zealander becoming distressed by my country’s descent into a police state as civil liberties are destroyed.
  
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  March 28, 2020 9:47pm
- Rich Prick
  
  Fucking delete them. When we emerge from this, the feeble minded will be an undue burden.
  
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  March 28, 2020 10:27pm
Rich Prick

Sleeping Dogs. Who would have thought Roger Donaldson could have predicted this. The only thing he didn’t foresee was the massive gun confiscation beforehand. Cindy got ahead of the crowd.
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March 28, 2020 10:25pm
Rich Prick

Sorry, I’m just catching up with State/Police news, are we only to go outdoors within our neighbourhoodS now?

Can some one a) show me a law limiting us in such a way, and b) define a neighbourhood?

These fuckers will be met by a pitchfork, I’m sure of that.
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March 28, 2020 11:49pm
- cmm
  
  I’d like to recommend that each neighbourhood wear different colour armbands so we can tell when people have traveled out of their zone.
  
  I’m sure we can also get the vets to install those microchips in everyone….
  
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  March 29, 2020 1:03pm

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