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September 18, 2020 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 18 September 2020

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General Debate

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Tony Stuart

I posted this tweet earlier this morning:

https://twitter.com/TonyStuart55/status/1306670398642159616

The photo shows a maskless Jacinda Ardern taking a selfie with a group of Massey University students, all of whom are in very close proximity with the PM and one another.

Defenders of the PM initially tried to dismiss the photo as an old stock photo. In fact it was taken yesterday, when Ms Ardern visited Massey’s campus in Palmerston North. The Manawatu Standard story accompanying the photo is still visible on Stuff’s website:

https://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/300110276/prime-minister-jacinda-ardern-backs-tangi-utikere-to-win-palmerston-north-seat

This is either an appalling lapse of judgment by the PM, or an outright display of hubris and arrogance. We are still under Alert Level 2 restrictions, which require social distancing, or the wearing of a mass if you can’t socially distance.

Effectively, the PM is giving the finger to everyone who has followed her Covid restrictions to the letter. She should be setting the example, not flouting her own directions. The optics of this are appalling, and are unlikely to do her any favours.
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December 18, 2019 8:03am
- Tony Stuart
  
  How about that Team of Five Million then?
  
  54 2
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  December 18, 2019 8:12am
  - KevO'Brien
    
    What 5 million? I’ve resigned.
    
    62 2
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    September 18, 2020 8:19am
    - Tony Stuart
      
      My point precisely. The “Team of Five Million” was an expensive, go-to PR slogan, part of a $16m spend by the Government on Covid “publicity”. It is essentially an urban myth.
      
      56 1
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      September 18, 2020 8:29am
      - Swifty
        
        It’s just like “The Year of Delivery.”
        
        An absolute empty nothing.
        
        54 1
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        September 18, 2020 8:33am
      - herb1
        
        Tony I would love to know her ‘they are us” slogan which started her international stardom , was also a paid for PR construct.
        Her selfie picture says it all about her.
        She dosent believe Covid is really a problem. Probably thinks she’s so god like Covid won’t effect her and clearly dosent care for the health of her adoring fans.
        Ive thought long and hard about why she seems so adored.
        I think the truth is , in her incompetence , average intelligence , lack of leadership, lack of general knowledge , her supporters see themselves and she validates their miserable lives
        
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        September 18, 2020 8:41am
    - NoCash
      
      Make it 4,999,998.
      
      26 1
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      September 18, 2020 9:13am
      - Flossie
        
        -2 more in this house.
        
        19 1
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        September 18, 2020 9:23am
      - alex Masterley
        
        -4 in chez Masterley
        
        20 1
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        September 18, 2020 9:46am
      - Rich Prick
        
        I was never enrolled at Kindy Cindy.
        
        15 1
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        September 18, 2020 10:24am
      - notreadyet
        
        I reckon there has only been a out 3 mill for quite a while now,
        
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        September 18, 2020 10:48am
      - Unity
        
        Less 2 more for us.
        
        4 0
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        September 18, 2020 2:38pm
      - Agricola
        
        Include me out, too.
        
        2 0
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        September 18, 2020 3:04pm
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      I emailed Jaspinda and asked her to unsubscribe me
      
      14 3
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      September 18, 2020 10:14am
- Kiwi_in_Paris
  
  Bad Jelly the witch!
  
  30 2
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  September 18, 2020 8:06am
- CJames
  
  Well, well, no social distancing and no facemasks. Shows her performances are just that. No sincerity and no truth were harmed in the making of her stage managed appearances
  
  57 3
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  September 18, 2020 8:08am
  - kowtow
    
    Yep , all along many of us have recognised this for what it is , theatre .
    
    Pity the Media Party are a party to the fraud.
    
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    September 18, 2020 8:50am
    - Harriet
      
      Panic Pornographers – the fucken lot of them!
      
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      September 18, 2020 3:12pm
- Chris Walden
  
  I hope National & ACT make good use of this in their campaigning.
  
  Words fail me.
  
  64 2
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  September 18, 2020 8:19am
- Swifty
  
  Four legs good. Two legs better.
  
  Do as I say, not do as I do.
  
  Distancing for thee, but not for MEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
  
  Leaders earn my respect and admiration by their deeds, not their talk. This person treats us all like babies. Like fools.
  
  This photo sums it up.
  
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  September 18, 2020 8:32am
  - plc
    
    Animals shall not sleep in beds………..with sheets
    
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    September 18, 2020 8:59am
  - yossarian
    
    Now and then Winston gets it right (a broken clock is right twice a day) but he was asked if he was enjoying the election campaign, he said “no I’m not, how can you campaign under these restrictions?” Which is a great point…but this obviously hasn’t affected the Supreme One; no restrictions for her
    
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    September 18, 2020 9:36am
- Classic Liberal
  
  This is the woman telling us not just to wear masks in crowded indoor spaces but every time we leave the house! I see poor idiots walking about in the fresh air nowhere near another person, with stupid masks on! Because of Cindy’s instructions.
  
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  September 18, 2020 8:53am
  - Ed Snack
    
    And since masks are essentially useless anyway, why the great push for people to wear them ?
    
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    September 18, 2020 11:22am
- DeepBlue
  
  First thought was ‘it is Meghan Markel’: second thought was ‘it may as well be Meghan Markel’.
  
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  September 18, 2020 8:55am
- Mummy
  
  Thanks for this. I have taken a screenshot of the photo and posted it in a couple of places on FB. Hope it spreads far and wide.
  
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  September 18, 2020 8:57am
  - Classic Liberal
    
    Add this to fully show her hypocrisy: “ Ardern also encouraged Kiwis to wear a mask whenever they leave the house”
    
    It’s a stupid instruction when there is no one else around, but *she* made it.
    
    https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/08/coronavirus-jacinda-ardern-warns-masks-not-a-replacement-for-social-distancing.amp.html
    
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    September 18, 2020 9:07am
    - Don Beckett
      
      I will NEVER wear a mask. They are de-humanising & de-personalising, and a sign of submission under tyranny.
      Give us freedom ,or give us death. Life without freedom is worthless.
      
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      September 18, 2020 10:42am
  - Ronin
    
    Report it here:
    https://forms.police.govt.nz/forms/covid-19-breach
    
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    September 18, 2020 10:20am
    - Michael Duke
      
      Done
      
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      September 18, 2020 10:41am
    - Loddenthinks
      
      Thanks! Done.
      
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      September 18, 2020 11:57am
- Gravelroad
  
  Firstly, this is Massey University where recent history has told us the different ethical standards may apply.
  On the 9am news, Auckland Uni is insisting on mask wearing, social distancing and keep up the distant learning rather than students accessing the campus.
  Ms Ardern is now little more than a cult leader.
  Cult leaders have no boundaries and live in a bubble where there is no such thing as hypocrisy so long as the adoring fans keep believing.
  
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  September 18, 2020 9:15am
- beadgame
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  So funny to see National supporters turning into mask police….I trust Ardern’s judgment on when she should and shouldn’t use a mask. Community transmission in NZ has been pretty much eliminated at this point due to successful efforts of our current government. Get a life folks….
  
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  September 18, 2020 9:24am
  - Tony Stuart
    
    Personally beadgame, I expect our Prime Minister to set an example, not flout restrictions her own government has imposed:
    
    At Alert Level 2, you can leave home, but you should follow public health measures and consider others around you.
    
    Physical distancing
    Keep your distance when outside your home.
    
    You should keep at least:
    
    2 metres in public and in retail stores, like supermarkets and clothes shops.
    1 metre in most other places like workplaces, cafes, restaurants and gyms.
    
    Face coverings
    At Alert Level 2 the risk of COVID-19 being present in the community is higher.
    
    You:
    
    legally must wear a face covering on public transport and aircraft
    are encouraged to wear face coverings in situations where physical distancing is not possible, like in shops.
    
    https://covid19.govt.nz/alert-system/alert-level-2/#gatherings,-events-and-public-venues
    
    Community transmission WAS eliminated, for more than 100 days. But someone got complacent, and the virus returned. The PM should not be so publicly complacent.
    
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    December 18, 2019 9:32am
    - beadgame
      
      Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
      I trust her judgment on this. She is not on a plane or bus, so no legal requirement. I would hardly characterize our current government as complacent. Lots of jealousy driving this:
      “It was a stark contrast to a week prior, when National leader Judith Collins visited the same corner of Massey University’s campus to inspect robots in development. There was no crowd then.”
      
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      September 18, 2020 10:04am
      - alloytoo
        
        Hey beadgame you do realize that Ardern was slower than Trump with border restrictions?
        
        Just asking.
        
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        September 18, 2020 10:24am
      - Nookin
        
        Nice to know that the law does not apply to people whose judgement Beadgame trusts. Tell us, Beadgame, did you trust the judgement of Thelma and Louise? What about the evangelical ministers? Are they exempt because you trust their judgment?
        Maybe you should hire yourself out as consultant to the Police. You can tell them who to ignore/caution/prosecute because of your discerning judgment.
        Or maybe I have missed something? Is there a proviso to the D-G’s directions that says that they do not apply to the PM or anyone else whose judgement Beadgame trusts? Failing such a provision, the law applies to everyone and some are under a much greater obligation to set an example than others.
        
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        September 18, 2020 10:46am
      - Loddenthinks
        
        One law for me, and one for thee. If her judgment is so good, and there’s been no community transmission, why is the South Island in Level 2?
        
        You can trust whoever you like, you poor gullible rube. Me? I always check my wallet after a Labour MP has been anywhere in the area.
        
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        September 18, 2020 11:41am
      - Suze Wainwright
        
        Hey beadgame, you’re not a proud Massey University, Palmerston North student politician are you…?
        
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        September 18, 2020 1:18pm
    - RW Capitalist
      
      Is this why she continued to have confidence in the previous health minister….she didn’t believe her own tripe?
      
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      September 18, 2020 5:55pm
  - Flossie
    
    So why are we at Level 2? I know that’s supposed to end midnight Monday but it is still currently the law. A law made by the CoL.
    
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    September 18, 2020 9:37am
  - Michael Duke
    
    Could you get your head any further up her ass?
    
    Leaders should lead by example, I have no respect for someone who breaks the rules they are expecting the rest of the country to follow.
    
    If masks and distancing are not required in Manawatu why are we still at level 2? Why is the South Island still at Level 2?
    
    Hypocrisy at this level should be exposed, its why I wanted David Clark held to account for his bullshit and its also why this loser of a government should be gone on the 18th of October.
    
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    September 18, 2020 9:49am
  - Classic Liberal
    
    Beady, no: it’s about *hypocrisy*. That’s what we’re calling out.
    
    If she thinks neither masks nor social distancing are required, then she shouldn’t force them on the country.
    
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    September 18, 2020 10:07am
    - Loddenthinks
      
      It’s astonishing you have to spell this out – OP is typical of those who say “Oh no, don’t make a fuss. She’s doing the best she can. Why cause trouble? Just relax…” blah blah blah. Pathetic.
      
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      September 18, 2020 11:42am
  - alloytoo
    
    So you have such low expectations of Ardern that you don’t expect her to comply with her own restrictions?
    
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    September 18, 2020 10:22am
  - Suze Wainwright
    
    Did Siouxie take that photo? I guess that would make everything okay aye, beadgame
    
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    September 18, 2020 11:37am
    - Suze Wainwright
      
      I suppose Shaun Hendy could have taken the photo, or maybe was it just Jan Thomas
      
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      September 18, 2020 11:43am
- Ruawai
  
  Because she knows there is no risk of getting Covid outside Auckland even though she keeps everyone in level 2.
  
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  September 18, 2020 9:25am
- Jimmy White
  
  Where is Mike, No comment in support of your Goddess. You did not take up our suggestion that you use your passport after all?
  
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  September 18, 2020 9:25am
  - Suze Wainwright
    
    Beadgame is presently the only one prepared to fly the red flag
    
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    September 18, 2020 12:49pm
- cmm
  
  Was this what Goff was talking about when he said “failure of intellect” (with his nose sticking out above his mask)?
  
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  September 18, 2020 9:28am
- James Stephenson
  
  The optics of this are appalling, and are unlikely to do her any favours.
  
  There are none so blind as them who will not see and unfortunately there are still a ridiculous number of people who seem to like the pixie dust obscuring their vision.
  
  It certainly doesn’t help that there isn’t a journalist this side of the Tasman with the slightest interest in wiping their eyes for them either.
  
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  September 18, 2020 9:29am
- Ronin
  
  Everyone should report it, using the following Covid-19 Breach link. It was yesterday at Massey University, Palmerston North. Manawatu.
  
  https://forms.police.govt.nz/forms/covid-19-breach
  
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  September 18, 2020 10:16am
- Loddenthinks
  
  Well spotted, and well posted. I do understand that by “epitaph” you mean her political career and not her life, but still…
  
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  September 18, 2020 11:24am
- oldfella
  
  TS: so while our PTPM is not taking her own advice, she’s got this Dunedin pizzeria running scared.
  Well done, Cindy.
  https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12365929
  
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  September 18, 2020 11:28am
  - Loddenthinks
    
    Thanks for the link. My wife and I are heading south for 2 months shortly, this will be on my list of places to avoid patronising.
    
    I’m not from Auckland and haven’t been there for a couple of months, but this is pure BS and needs to be called out. I almost don’t blame them because this government’s over-reaction has helped to cause the blind panic and near-economic ruin that can lead to this sort of behaviour. Almost.
    
    But at the end of the day this sort of nonsense has to be stamped out. They must be really stupid if they think someone that hasn’t been in Auckland for 2 weeks, has no symptoms and no contacts with anyone with the Rona is in any way a risk, and if they’re going to deny people a feed on such spurious grounds, I’m certainly not going to give them my business when I’m in the area.
    
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    September 18, 2020 12:05pm
- greenfinger
  
  Cindy is the biggest hypo out. Will the Po-po be laying charges??
  
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  September 18, 2020 12:52pm
Kiwi_in_Paris

Leaked document in UK shows local authority calls on care home providers to accept Covid positive patients. Could this be the beginning of the end for Matt Hancock, and Boris Johnson?

https://www.channel4.com/news/revealed-local-authority-calls-on-care-home-providers-to-accept-covid-positive-hospital-patients
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September 18, 2020 8:02am
- All_on_Red
  
  No
  
  11 4
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  September 18, 2020 8:56am
- mikenmildagain
  
  Well, Johnson is making a pig’s breakfast of it all at the moment.
  
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  September 18, 2020 9:04am
  - Jimmy White
    
    Bit like te Cindy ay Mike
    
    26 1
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    September 18, 2020 9:26am
Maggy Wassilieff

Our Government has been spinning, spinning, spinning about the management of vaccines.

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/09/government-knew-about-flu-vaccine-distribution-issues-before-it-pushed-a-campaign-to-get-new-zealand-immunised.html
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September 18, 2020 8:03am
- cmm
  
  Of course they knew, so they were lying.
  
  The only other way to spin this is that they did not know, which would have been gross incompetence.
  
  Every GP practice in the land knew there was a shortage.
  Everyone trying to get a vaccination knew there was a shortage.
  Every news outlet was saying there was a shortage.
  It was even on the telly.
  But Team Cindy said they were on top of it.
  
  Same for the hassles getting testing…
  
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  September 18, 2020 8:09am
  - Classic Liberal
    
    As long as they are ‘keen’ to vaccinate.
    
    “Let’s be keen on this”
    
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    September 18, 2020 9:09am
  - Rachael Membery
    
    What does that make Ashley?
    
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    September 18, 2020 1:47pm
- Tony Stuart
  
  In a truly open and transparent government, the Minister in charge of this would accept responsibility and offer to resign.
  
  However accountability has not been a hallmark of the current mob, and Julie Anne Genter won’t suffer any consequences, this side of the election anyway. However we, the voters, can hold her and her party accountable in four weeks.
  
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  September 18, 2020 8:15am
artemisia

Ha, Cactus Kate calling out the Mowbray toy makers for smacking the ethics of some New Zealand companies who take government covid subsidies.

She doesn’t explicitly use the H word.

There’s (currently) a link to her post on the right side of Kiwiblog pages under the heading Links. Worth a read, as usual.
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September 18, 2020 8:03am
- Simon
  
  Cactus K is big on all those New Zealanders overseas who pay no tax (anywhere) fleeing back to NZ during the Wuhan flu panic. She has a point.
  
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  September 18, 2020 8:32am
  - kowtow
    
    ‘She has a point.’
    
    She’s bloody marvellous.
    
    30 1
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    September 18, 2020 8:55am
  - Paulus
    
    I believe Cactus has been back in New Zealand for some time – a couple of years !
    
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    September 18, 2020 11:12am
    - Cactus Kate
      
      Defamatory allegation.
      
      I return for the cricket season only.
      
      And the upcoming cricket season (that Cindy will likely cancel for crowds anyway) will not get me to sit in the hole for 14 days eating microwaved mystery meat curry and rice out of a plastic tray on suspicion of carrying the bloody Wuhan flu.
      
      Expats who have run home to mumsy are truly sooks.
      
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      September 18, 2020 7:09pm
- Libertarians are right
  
  The Mowbrays are hypocrites. They sue anyone that goes near their IP but have no problems with getting awfully close to other people’s IP.
  
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  September 18, 2020 9:01am
- Classic Liberal
  
  “ The wage subsidy also was a thank you to businesses for the ridiculous decisions of the world that we should send everyone home by force to sit on their asses for months on end to save the lives of the real aged but mostly many people who have not necessarily cared about their own health for years as witnessed by the state of their BMI’s.”
  
  Ouch, that will hurt to hear…
  
  Wait for ‘hate speech’ cries from the family of a nice sounding but decidedly overweight Maori guy with kidney problems who recently died.
  
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  September 18, 2020 9:17am
cmm

If you needed any more convincing that the media live in a tiny bubble completely disconnected from reality then have a look over in the Herald.

Liam Dann is saying the recession is already over.

Sure, for “journalists” that might be true. Everyone else? Not really.
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September 18, 2020 8:04am
- Ruahine
  
  Liam Dann and the horrible hack Simon (Latte) Wilson doing good work for their mates.
  
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  September 18, 2020 8:09am
- fernglas
  
  Technically he might be right, as there is certain to be an uptick in GDP this quarter. Beyond that, the article is paywalled so I can’t comment on his reasoning.
  
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  September 18, 2020 8:12am
  - Classic Liberal
    
    Made me wonder: if they introduced cgt and house prices reduce 10% one year you get no compensation. Then if house prices regain 10% the next year, would they charge cgt on that?
    
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    September 18, 2020 9:22am
    - marcw
      
      Values were set at a specific date – CGT levied based on that value from then. So, no.
      
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      September 18, 2020 9:35am
      - Classic Liberal
        
        Thanks. Still a stupid tax on inflation though.
        
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        September 18, 2020 1:07pm
- Paulus
  
  Staggering from Dann in the Herald – almost as fruitful as Grant Robertson this morning – hypocrites both.
  
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  September 18, 2020 8:13am
- KevO'Brien
  
  With $50M of other peoples money they can feel comfortable. However we live jointly in the world where we have to buy and sell. The next 12 months will tax any Min Fin to their utmost. Smiles will just not work.
  The USA defaults will affect us too.
  https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/sell-all-things-stocks-bonds-gold-dollar-dumped
  
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  September 18, 2020 8:15am
- gravedodger
  
  Rolling in the artificial dreamtime of State Tv’s share of the fifty Mil, could induce that euphoric state I guess.
  
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  September 18, 2020 8:17am
- Tony Stuart
  
  Dann is whistling in the wind. Auckland is the biggest driver of the New Zealand economy, but went into Level 3 lockdown on 11 August, and with just 12 days remaining in the September quarter, business is still a long way from returning to normal. There’s no way there will be a bounce-back to anything approaching normal levels of economic activity in Q3.
  
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  September 18, 2020 8:24am
  - Brian McDonald
    
    Wrong on business in Auckland Tony. A lot was open at 3 and more at 2.5. So a bounce back on GDP of 10% is a possibility. Building both residental and commercial is going over the top, so too with infrastructure – there are blokes leaning on shovels everywhere. One looks a bit like you tapping away bad news on a iPhone.
    
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    September 18, 2020 9:41am
    - wimpston peeeders
      
      just because ppl are at work dosent mean the bills are getting paid, alot of subbies will get hung out to dry in coming months.
      
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      September 18, 2020 9:53am
      - Rachael Membery
        
        To say anything else is just political spin.
        
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        September 18, 2020 2:52pm
    - Hollyfield
      
      Businesses being open at level 2, and open for online shopping at level 3 is not the same as people spending money in those businesses. Many people have lost their jobs. Many more still have jobs but have no confidence their jobs will continue when we can be shoved back into lockdown at any time. Lots of people are being cautious with their spending. And if they aren’t being deliberately cautious, many have changed habits simply through becoming used to a “new normal”.
      
      I used to go to the mall at least once fortnight and would inevitably buy something. I haven’t been once in 6 months.
      
      I used to go to some kind of entertainment business (eg movies) at least once a fortnight. I haven’t been once in 6 months.
      
      I used to eat at a cafe once a week. I have done that twice in 6 months.
      
      I used to make purchases for my youth group’s activities every week. When we are not allowed to meet, or like now due to group limitations of 10 we cannot meet in person, there is nothing I need to buy.
      
      We used to get takeaways once a week due to “I can’t be bothered cooking tonight” or “I forgot to take something out of the freezer”. We got out of the habit of takeaways during level 4, and have only bought takeaways once in 6 months.
      
      I used to get my nails done once a fortnight. I haven’t done that once in 6 months.
      
      I used to put petrol in my car once a fortnight. Now that same petrol lasts a month.
      
      My workplace has lost 1/6 of its staff. We have a drastically reduced income and have therefore drastically reduced our expenditure, which affects other businesses. My daughter’s workplace has lost over half its staff, and those remaining are on 80% hours and pay until at least the the end of the year due to lack of work.
      
      The Prime Minister can say businesses are open as usual as much as she likes; it doesn’t mean those businesses are doing business as usual.
      
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      September 18, 2020 10:28am
      - Brian McDonald
        
        Beg to differ Hollyfield online shopping has boomed as has the warehouse work behind it which is considerable. New businesses are sprouting up as a result. One store I know that went online during stage 4 delivering bread and other such items, is now open 7 days.
        Although things are tighter, I make a point of spending locally at cafes and bakeries a few times a week. I agree some people are being cautious with their spending but I think younger people are more willing to be upbeat which is the sentiment that we need.
        No one said it was not going to be tough. Largely however the various predictions as to the economy have been less severe than considered. A young couple in the family are looking for a first home so I’m seeing a lot of the building activity which is considered even as some projects in East Auckland have been trimmed somewhat. Tradies are flat out.
        Fortunately, I haven’t seen the job losses that you have and it must be gut-wrenching. I know of only 1 neighbour who has lost a job but of course, there will be many more. I’ve seen the malls struggling and read about rent problems in the city. On the other hand, there remains a shortage of truck drivers which is a signal about business activity.
        
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        September 18, 2020 10:59am
      - Tony Stuart
        
        Yes Brian. Online shopping is doing so well that The Warehouse is getting rid of hundreds of staff right around the country. I’m sure that will really benefit the economy.
        
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        September 18, 2020 2:48pm
- alex Masterley
  
  I read Dann’s article.
  It was incoherent.
  It just demonstrated to me he doesn’t know what he is talking about.
  My son, who is doing year 11 economics, could do a better analysis of our economy on a postage stamp.
  
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  September 18, 2020 8:35am
  - Classic Liberal
    
    Yes, here it is: ‘no work, no income’.
    
    17 0
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    September 18, 2020 9:25am
    - alex Masterley
      
      I was thinking something along the lines of “Screwed”.
      
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      September 18, 2020 9:47am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  I don’t think the Warehouse workers who have just lost their jobs will be agreeing that the recession is over.
  https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/122810133/the-warehouse-confirms-restructure-job-cuts-at-62-stores
  
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  September 18, 2020 8:39am
  - RW Capitalist
    
    The unite union is kicking up a fuss over this:
    My first thought…..why did you support Labour in the first place……a demented cockroach could have predicted this result.
    
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    September 18, 2020 9:18am
    - Rachael Membery
      
      Tindall going to comment?
      
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      September 18, 2020 2:58pm
- RW Capitalist
  
  More of the same old Labour.
  https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/10621/nz-recession-confirmed
  Note the numbers -0.3% and -0.4%.
  Compared to Robertson….Cullen was a genius.
  I’m still waiting for Robertson to announce the FACT that the “cupboard is bare”……again.
  
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  September 18, 2020 9:23am
Benedict Yu

What a contrast with New Zealand. The Australian Government is signalling major tax cuts, much of which will be targeted at higher income earners.

“Tax relief worth $158 billion, much of which will go to high income earners, is due to start in mid-2022 and mid-2024.”

“Mr Frydenberg on Thursday made it clear that pulling forward previously legislated tax cuts as well as incentives for businesses to expand their operations would underpin the government’s recovery plan to be revealed in the October 6 budget.”

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/tax-cuts-in-the-budget-as-job-figures-show-strength-of-gig-economy-20200917-p55wnj.html

This will super charge the exit from New Zealand if these guys are returned to Government.
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September 18, 2020 8:05am
- Honorary Kiwi
  
  I have been wondering about the different dynamic between OZ and NZ and know that many Kiwi’s have not entirely hunkered down around “Nanny knows best.”
  
  If this gone on “Let’s Keep Moving- Backwards” I see a brain drain as we called it in my youf.
  
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  September 18, 2020 9:09am
  - Jimbob
    
    Keep New Zealand rolling, downhill.
    
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    September 18, 2020 9:42am
Classic Liberal

Just switched on radio to hear ancient-sounding Bolger promoting compulsory Maori. On red radio telling us it should be compulsory in schools and that this would somehow be good. I didn’t catch why he thought forcing this on people would be so good, did anyone else catch that?
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September 18, 2020 8:08am
- Swifty
  
  Because it will make us all more friendly and connected, something like that.
  
  No talk whatsoever of what must be foregone if a new subject is made compulsory (there are only so many school hours in a day) and no talk whatsoever on the likely effects on levels of numeracy and literacy – but I would presume these will fall even further.
  
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  September 18, 2020 8:38am
  - kowtow
    
    ‘Because it will make us all more friendly and connected, something like that.’
    
    It already gives the fascists an excuse to attack ie failure to “correctly” pronounce or macron a word indicates you are a racist . And in time failing to call New Zealand the preferred “Aotearoa” will also be a marker for racism , and I suspect if you work in gubmint or academia would amount to a sackable offence.
    
    Be very afraid.
    
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    September 18, 2020 9:02am
  - Bob
    
    It is time for one of our over paid academics to do the research; and report the correlation between the introduction, and emphasis, on the teaching of the artificial language Te Reo, and the decline in English literacy competence.
    
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    September 18, 2020 9:33am
- info@cruzpro.com
  
  If I wanted to learn another language it would be a more useful one.
  
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  September 18, 2020 8:44am
  - wimpston peeeders
    
    schools cant even teach kiwi kids to speak english properly so no hope for te reo
    
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    September 18, 2020 9:09am
    - Unity
      
      How long have they been trying to force ‘this language’ upon us all?!! Obviously it isn’t working. You can’t force people to learn a language if they aren’t interested in it, and if they don’t learn it at their mother’s breast then they can’t value it too much themselves. What use would it be anyway?
      
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      September 18, 2020 2:49pm
- Clyde
  
  I didn’t think that there was a reason given for his stupid view. Moaning Report is driven by a bunch of radical far-left people hell-bent on promoting East Polynesian points of view. If the programme was interested at all at being objective (which its not) then it should be examining just what has resulted from pouring millions of dollars into “saving” the language. Short answer, NOTHING. The basic reason is that people don’t want to learn a language that has no use or understanding anywhere other than a few enclaves in Universities.
  
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  September 18, 2020 8:48am
  - Rachael Membery
    
    Including many Maori.
    
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    September 18, 2020 3:03pm
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Irish has been a compulsory subject in the Republic of Ireland’s state schools since 1922.
  
  It is a necessary subject for entry to the National University of Ireland.
  
  After all these years and effort, only 1.7% of the population use the Irish language in their daily conversation.
  
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Status_of_the_Irish_language#:~:text=number%20of%20colleges.-,Irish%20in%20English%2Dmedium%20schools,examination%20in%20the%20final%20year.
  
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  September 18, 2020 9:07am
  - cmm
    
    I suspect there’s some small print to allow in refugees etc without Irish.
    
    Welsh is similar, but perhaps worse than Irish.
    
    There are numerous regional versions of Welsh and the English to Welsh translators have massive fights over how to translate government documents properly. Doesn’t help anyone (because they all read the English documents) but it keeps a lot of government employees in gravy.
    
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    September 18, 2020 9:14am
  - Classic Liberal
    
    Maggy, at least Maori has sensible spelling. Irish and Welch spelling do my head in.
    
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    September 18, 2020 9:33am
    - cmm
      
      Maybe because the English invented Maori spelling while the Irish and Welsh were, well, being Irish and Welsh.
      
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      September 18, 2020 9:45am
      - Classic Liberal
        
        I’m so glad they didn’t go for the ‘ee’ way of spelling ‘i’ (as seen in a lot of transliterated Hindi words). That strange vowel shift is too specific to English. At least Maori is spelled in a way most European languages are.
        
        Hey, I just found the purpose of learning Maori: get the concept of sensible spelling to learn Italian, German, Spanish…
        
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        September 18, 2020 10:15am
  - Kiwi Dave
    
    From MW’s link: “The vast majority of Irish in the Republic are, in practice, monolingual English speakers.”
    
    More than 20 years ago, in response to a Herald column supporting compulsory Maori, I made the same points as Maggy, that Ireland was a clear example of how imposing a language on people in school does not mean it will be used or valued outside school.
    
    Ireland is now half way through a plan to reinvigorate how the language is taught in school, but the key determinant of success is outside school – the value and use it has in families and communities. Unfortunately, language zealots are blind to this reality.
    
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    September 18, 2020 2:47pm
- cmm
  
  I have absolutely nothing against people learning a language and, being multi-lingual myself, I think there are huge advantages because different languages can express concepts and ideas that others cannot.
  
  But expending massive resources forcing a language down people’s throats is broken. When you add up all the money and effort being put into pretending Maori is viable then it just does not make sense. It’s even worse than the huge subsidies put into EVs to pretend they’re sustainable.
  
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  September 18, 2020 9:10am
  - oldfella
    
    And if our kids are forced to learn Maori, what other subjects will be dropped, or cut back, to fit it in? Only so many hours in the school year.
    
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    September 18, 2020 10:40am
    - Cantabrian
      
      I bet it wont be the ‘soft’, ‘touchy-feely’, ‘woke’ subjects that have appeared since I left school (in the 1960’s, mind!)
      
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      September 18, 2020 2:59pm
- Paulus
  
  Heard man on radio – without realising he sounded just like Biden, but was Bolger- both past it ~!
  
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  September 18, 2020 11:16am
Tomtoddy

Someone calling himself a “Senior Writer” at the Ferald declares he knows more about business than all the leading CEO’s around the country. Arrogant, biased and stupid.

He writes that business leaders voted the Coalition’s dishing out money as not being a plan for the future. They were asked in a survey did they think the Coalition was planning wisely for the future and they said “no”. Very sensible of them.

However Mr Simon Wilson the Senior Writer of the Ferald thanks they are ungrateful and foolish because the Coalition dished out millions of your and my money to business. He thinks that is a plan for the future. What a mess MSM is in. We are poorly served.
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September 18, 2020 8:08am
- CJames
  
  The money “dished” out was only because the government compulsorily closed their business. That is commonly called compensation. The government had to do it otherwise they could be sued. So self-interest.
  
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  September 18, 2020 8:11am
  - info@cruzpro.com
    
    Actually the amount “dished out” was less than the minimum wage. All businesses that received the wage subsidy had to top up the difference themselves. Not one penny went to the business owners.
    
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    September 18, 2020 8:47am
    - Flossie
      
      Did they have to top up themselves? My partner got the $585 per week, and had the option of voluntarily living off just that, or using his holiday pay to bring his net take home up closer to his usual wage. I can’t see where any of that was from his employer’s pocket?
      
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      September 18, 2020 9:07am
      - Classic Liberal
        
        Maybe the business is on tight margins. Why should the owner pay out of own pocket for being forced to close supposedly for the public good?
        
        11 1
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        September 18, 2020 9:37am
      - info@cruzpro.com
        
        I don’t think what happened to your partner was legal. Any reduction in wages or requirement to use annual leave would have had to be by mutual agreement. Talk to a lawyer.
        
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        September 18, 2020 10:32am
    - Flossie
      
      Classic Liberal. I’m not complaining, or saying the employer SHOULD have paid him. Just disagreeing with info@cruzpro.com that all businesses “had to top up the difference themselves”.
      
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      September 18, 2020 10:58am
- crikey
  
  Yet more hypocrisy from the Prime Minister.
  
  The time is upon NZers to pull down this virtual statue of Jacinda Ardern.
  
  40 1
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  September 18, 2020 8:12am
- KevO'Brien
  
  Financial journos have to write copy that sells not
  embarrass their employers.
  
  29 2
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  September 18, 2020 8:18am
- Tony Stuart
  
  Simon Wilson is a hardcore Labour toadie. Every word he writes is written with the intention of helping Jacinda Ardern’s campaign.
  
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  September 18, 2020 8:25am
  - Swifty
    
    How many businesses has Simon Wilson owned and run?
    
    24 2
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    September 18, 2020 8:40am
    - the deity formerly known as nigel6888
      
      He tanked a couple I believe.
      
      City Voice, and the Listener?
      
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      September 18, 2020 11:07am
Critical Thinker

“Where is the voice for the abused, trafficked and killed children?
Where is the voice for the thousands of livelihoods lost?
Where is the voice for all the suicides?
Where are the voices for the critical thinkers analysing and looking unbiasedly at all sides?
When did it become not ok to ask questions, and have a transparent government?” – Renee – Refugee from socialist dystopia Zimbabwe.

I highly recommend having a listen to this moving speech from this passionate speaker from last weekends National Rally for Freedom. Even if only to have a bit more of an understanding of what these patriotic New Zealanders are actually marching for ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQvd5uPK0tU

“Complicity Theorist
(noun)
A person who accepts the political narratives of the day unquestionably;
consumes mainstream media like it was 1980;
and is prone to submissiveness, outbursts of irrational fear, and public-shaming of free-thinkers.”
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September 18, 2020 8:14am
- RW Capitalist
  
  Except in the 80’s and before, they were very precise about equality for each party.
  I believe they even timed the amount of time each exposure for each candidate had.
  
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  September 18, 2020 9:05am
mikenmildagain

Happy World Water Monitoring Day!
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September 18, 2020 8:17am
- RW Capitalist
  
  I don’t want to monitor the water of every pregnant woman.
  None of my business
  It will eventually break anyway.
  
  4 4
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  September 18, 2020 8:59am
Maggie Pie

TRENDING NOW 😀

Daily Dose of Dementia……

https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1306306828574351362
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September 18, 2020 8:23am
- Simon
  
  Apparently creepy Joe is on a heavy daily dose to cover his dementia and as a side effect its giving him the shits.
  
  18 3
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  September 18, 2020 8:52am
  - Jimmy White
    
    I think its called verbal diarrhea.
    
    12 1
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    September 18, 2020 9:44am
- RW Capitalist
  
  I can see the debate
  Joe:……You know what I mean……
  DJT:…..No Joe, we didn’t quite get that, please explain it again….
  Debate won.
  
  22 2
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  September 18, 2020 8:57am
  - cmm
    
    You forget:
    
    Joe: The President is like a like a hamburger seller and should know where the bicycle shop is.
    
    CNN: Wow, thanks for the deep philosophy Joe. It is so amazing that most people will fail to grasp it. We mere mortals do not deserve you. We’re all honoured to have a deep thinker like you for our next President.
    
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    September 18, 2020 9:26am
- cmm
  
  Poor bastard should be in a rocking chair with his grandkids around him.
  
  About the only upside is that dementia impacts self awareness so he probably doesn’t feel any pain.
  
  I notice they haven’t shown Jill Biden recently. Maybe she is now refusing to play this torturous game any more.
  
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  September 18, 2020 9:20am
  - Ed Snack
    
    Dr Jill Biden is out on the campaign trail for Creepy Joe. He can’t get out of the basement, but she is out campaigning !
    
    There’s a video of a vehicle parade of supporters for Biden/Harris – and it has all of three cars in it ! The enthusiasm for Biden is unbelievable !
    
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    September 18, 2020 11:34am
- Classic Liberal
  
  Wtf??
  
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  September 18, 2020 9:40am
- Critical Thinker
  
  I wonder how Joe “Dementia” Biden will do in the Presidential debates without his teleprompters? ?
  
  https://twitter.com/DanScavino/status/1306398852505890817
  
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  September 18, 2020 10:48am
  - UrbanNeocolonialist
    
    The DNC will never allow Biden to do a straight debate. They will find some way to cheat. He’ll ‘get sick’ (maybe give him covid? to martyr him),and be replaced by Harris. Or some other pretext will be found for him to avoid it.
    
    DNC must push him aside to retain any shred of legitimacy. I expect Kamala to be switched in to lead campaign before election.
    
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    September 18, 2020 11:22am
Swifty

That’s it for me, if I am to be true to my beliefs then this announcement from ACT secures my 2020 vote.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300110270/david-seymour-plots-radical-overhaul-of-state-slashing-spending-over-a-decade

Fat, bloated government, government overreach, government promising NZers that they can solve all ills (when we know they can’t), government crowding out the private sector and governmental overspending and overtaxation is one of the biggest threats we face as a country in the long term and has to be resisted.

The resultant impacts on the wellbeing, productivity and resourcefulness of NZers from this bloating of the public sector is ruining us.

Well done ACT.

I’d like to see a root and branch review of exactly the value delivered of any government function which has emerged in the last, say, 50 years and establish some essential value criteria which if not met will result in their demise.

COVID merely makes this review of government even more essential.
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September 18, 2020 8:24am
- Benedict Yu
  
  I think that conservatively you could cut Government operating expenditure by 20 percent over three to five years – that is $22 billion per year. there are some really soft targets – e.g. the crazy decision to index welfare payments to wage growth rather than CPI. It just reinforces welfare as a legitimate “job”.
  
  I’d say there would be about $5 – $7 billion of “easy no brainer” cuts – eg provincial growth fund, fees free education etc. New Zealand on Air and on and on. There might be 50 or so of these easy targets where decisions could be taken over about a month and implemented within three months.
  
  Then you get on to the regulatory side where a knife is required eg RMA. In parallel appoint a Royal Commission to turn Local Government upside down with 6 months to report.
  
  The fact is that New Zealand could be a great place with high growth. But it would require the exact opposite of so many of current policies.
  
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  September 18, 2020 8:41am
- Tall Man
  
  However, do what with them? Dole?
  
  It is easy to promise the world when you haven’t got a hope in hell of being in a position of having to deliver. Look at cindy and “what’s in it for wynston” in 2017.
  
  Nothing wrong with a party vote for Act but for them to have any hope of delivering even a portion of theiur promises we need a National Government. Anything else is just pie in the shy rubbish IMHO.
  
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  September 18, 2020 8:50am
  - Simon
    
    “However, do what with them? Dole?”
    
    Easy. They pick fruit, drive trucks, work at petrol stations and pizza shops.
    
    Workers needed for fruit picking and NZ has a Ministry for women. Close this down for six months. They can all go off and pick fruit.
    
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    September 18, 2020 9:17am
    - Benedict Yu
      
      I think that is correct – If you are young and able bodied you could easily work all year on farms and orchards. The fact that some crops are in danger of not being picked is shameful. Of course it is much easier to get welfare (no questions asked any more) and do a couple of cash jobs each week.
      
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      September 18, 2020 9:32am
    - gravedodger
      
      No bloody truck I have a financial interest in please.
      One mistake and not just the truck out of service there will be a raft of associated losses incurred.
      Put Diesel into a petrol car or worse the other way around.
      The fruit picked will be pig fodder, it requires a degree of skill.
      Pizzas done with robots would be more profitable.
      
      With the penchant to relabel and create new packaging in marketing, I am wondering why there has never been an Unemployable Benefit, hang on is that where UBI came from, silly me.
      
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      September 18, 2020 9:54am
  - Classic Liberal
    
    Also, if we paid less tax we’d be able to spend more on daily conveniences. I’d love to be able to get a gardener in now and then, more house washing and maintenance, maybe a cleaning service, eating out more. And more people could afford by business.
    
    Small businesses popping up everywhere with less gst putting customers off. Basically more New Zealanders trading goods and services with less prohibitive government surcharge.
    
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    September 18, 2020 9:54am
- Durden
  
  Can we add local governments to this too please.
  
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  September 18, 2020 9:46am
Simon

“Some of them receive millions from the Chinese Government, so it is not surprising they go out of their way to placate their funders.”

DPF on the book burning NZ left wing universities.

Accurate statement and very Trump like. That is to speak the truth that upsets the political & ruling class.
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September 18, 2020 8:26am
wimpston peeeders

I really dont understand the media, for months they push fear of the economic fallout of covid blah blah blah then the day the carnage is official they downplay it greatly nothing to see here and it recession dosent really matter anyway…
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September 18, 2020 8:27am
- ex-golfer
  
  It’ll take a few days for the junior journalists to get their collective heads around yesterday’s announcements.
  All they’ve been taught to do is put fluffy headings on press releases.
  None of them would have a clue how to analyse economic news.
  
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  September 18, 2020 10:27am
mikenmildagain

How come our politicians can’t be as entertaining as those seeking office in the United States?
Like Lauren Witzke, whom the lucky voters in Delaware could choose to represent them in the senate. QAnon promoter, former heroin addict and smuggler, and antivaxxer.
Just the sort of representative America needs!
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September 18, 2020 8:29am
- Scott
  
  Hi Mikey – do you believe in giving people a second chance? As a Christian that’s what I believe. It’s called redemption.
  
  If you look on her website she admits her former addiction and participation in drugs. But she is now going on another path to fight drugs and to fight for the ordinary people of her home state of Delaware.
  
  So it could be an inspiring story? Just saying.
  
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  September 18, 2020 8:47am
  - mikenmildagain
    
    Cool story bro. I’m sure we can all imagine what you’d have to say about her if she ad the despised (D) after her name.
    And her QAnon and anti-vaxxing bullshit. you’re also cool with that I guess.
    
    7 21
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    September 18, 2020 9:07am
    - Jimmy White
      
      Mike you have a very vivid imagination. Use it to think what another three years of Fu*k ups will do to NZ rather than putting words in Scotts mouth
      
      15 2
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      September 18, 2020 9:48am
    - Scott
      
      Mikey – she does seem to have turned her life around. That she is a Republican is a point in her favour, I will concede you that.
      Anti-vaccine – lots of people are concerned about vaccinations. There is quite a group here that is concerned about it. I don’t see that as outside the bounds of normal discourse.
      Q a non-I don’t know anything about it sorry.
      
      But the point that she is getting a second chance after turning her life around is still a valid one. You may not agree with all of her ideas. But that’s the point of politics. We get to vote. Maybe she would go on and surprise you and make an excellent representative for the good people of Delaware?
      
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      September 18, 2020 9:50am
      - mikenmildagain
        
        Scott ‘doesn’t know’ about the QAnon conspiracy theories, so naturally he is unconcerned that over 20 congressional candidates support this crazy nonsense.
        
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        September 18, 2020 10:03am
      - Classic Liberal
        
        Milky, Scott very politely considered your points. You abuse him in return. Nor the best way of persuading anyone.
        
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        September 18, 2020 10:21am
      - mikenmildagain
        
        Um, he evaded the conspiracy theories in favour of Christian ‘redemption’ bullshit that he would never swallow from a candidate that did not share his politics.
        But +1 for encouraging politeness on Kiwiblog.
        
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        September 18, 2020 11:18am
      - Ed Snack
        
        QAnon is just the latest bit of word salad that lefties like Mikey like to throw as a insult. Must have received the latest talking point memo on what to say about Republicans as it seems to be a pretty well coordinated campaign.
        
        In real life, “Q” is fad that has passed its best by date and is very much of minor concern to almost anyone. I have some sympathy with the view that Q was a 4Chan “joke” that snowballed initially but over the past year or so has faded to near invisibility. It is about as credible as the “Russian Collusion” conspiracy which is still promoted by almost the entire Democrat party, to what should be their shame- if that had any sense of that.
        
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        September 18, 2020 11:43am
    - Ed Snack
      
      Well, the Democrats are going full on anti vaccination right now. They do use the excuse that it would be “Trump’s vaccine” and hence “unreliable and politically incorrect”, but antivax they are.
      
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      September 18, 2020 11:37am
      - mikenmildagain
        
        There is literally no lunacy spouted by a candidate with (R) after the name that Ed would find himself able to condemn.
        Remember, these are the guys that find it unremarkable that a senior administration official claims the CDC is plotting to assassinate him!
        
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        September 18, 2020 11:51am
      - virtualmark
        
        Ed, got a link to support that?
        
        All I’ve heard is that the Democrats (or Biden specifically) are saying “I trust vaccines. I trust scientists. I don’t trust Donald Trump.”. How is that anti-vaccination?
        
        Trump meanwhile is a long-standing anti-vaxxer. Right up until 6 months ago when he figured that a Covid vaccine might be the only thing that salvages his election chances …
        
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        September 18, 2020 2:13pm
  - RW Capitalist
    
    Sentiment is good…but I believe you have to EARN your second chance.
    
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    September 18, 2020 9:13am
    - Scott
      
      RW Capitalist – well that is the point of redemption. That is the point of God’s grace. It’s not what you have earned. God’s grace is God’s undeserved favour. So you don’t earn it, you don’t deserve it. God gives out his grace as he pleases.
      Maybe she is a recipient of God’s grace?
      
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      September 18, 2020 9:52am
      - mikenmildagain
        
        And maybe she’s not. I can imagine what freaks like Carlson or Hannity would have to say about drug addicts running as democratic candidates.
        
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        September 18, 2020 10:04am
      - Ed Snack
        
        Former addict might be more adequate. Did you have the same views about “I did not inhale” Bill Clinton ? Or “Choom gang” member one B Obama ? Or for that matter, alcoholic Pelosi ?
        
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        September 18, 2020 11:45am
- CJames
  
  At least she has a backstory, which is so much better than the usual anonymous people that represent them. Look at photos of the Senators or House members. So many are cookie cutter that it is hard to tell them apart.
  
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  September 18, 2020 8:52am
- RW Capitalist
  
  Our politicians give residency to Jailed drug dealers.
  
  24 3
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  September 18, 2020 8:53am
- Tall Man
  
  Trust me mikey, the loons in labour and the greens are just as bad, just not as honest.
  
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  September 18, 2020 8:55am
- Fletch
  
  You mean like Bill Clinton, alleged former drug smuggler when he was governor in Arkansas in the 1980s? Apparently he had quite the operation going. There is still the controversy about the two boys who were killed by the train tracks who supposedly stumbled over the operation.
  
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  September 18, 2020 9:04am
  - Fletch
    
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kp1aWflBuAs
    
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    September 18, 2020 9:25am
    - Fletch
      
      The full documentary. Can’t be denied, really. People who were there.
      
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhTHQKwtRvA
      
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      September 18, 2020 9:33am
      - mikenmildagain
        
        Sure Fletch.
        
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        September 18, 2020 10:00am
- Simon
  
  “How come our politicians can’t be as entertaining as those seeking office in the United States?”
  
  Its interesting. A lot of grass root support in Merica for all sorts of different people.
  
  In NZ no grass root support for anyone as they are all plastic generic NPCs.
  
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  September 18, 2020 9:09am
  - mikenmildagain
    
    Perhaps we should be merely grateful that there is no grassroots support here for conspiracy theorists.
    
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    September 18, 2020 10:05am
    - Simon
      
      “there is no grassroots support here for conspiracy theorists.”
      
      A lot of people here believed the Russian collusion hoax. Including NZ MSM. You believed Trump taxes conspiracy run by the NYT.
      
      The point is Wellington is produced from some PC factory there aint any grassroot support for anyone.
      
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      September 18, 2020 10:56am
      - mikenmildagain
        
        Um, those aren’t conspiracy theories. US intelligence agencies concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 election and is doing so again, in favour of Trump.
        If speculation about Trump’s taxes were a conspiracy theory, it could be swiftly debunked by the release of his records. Instead, he is fighting to the last to avoid that exposure. he might not have cheated the IRS, but, even worse for him, the tax returns will probably show he is not as rich as he claims.
        
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        September 18, 2020 11:16am
      - Ed Snack
        
        Lies Mikey, Russian Collusion was and remains a loony conspiracy theory.
        
        We have on oath testimony as to money spent by “Russians” on Facebook and Google – and it was as much as $200,000 with over half it spent AFTER the election. Their biggest single successful event was a BLM anti-Trump March supported by and attended by Michael Moore. Very pro-Trump.
        
        The Russians were no doubt interested in undermining the governments of their opponents, just as the US does. Their identified primary interest was NOT to support Trump but to undermine the American people’s confidence in their political system. They have indeed succeeded beyond their wildest dreams because they found a willing partner in the Democrat party who have amplified their message way beyond its original scope.
        
        Unwittingly or otherwise, the Democrats have been treasonously supporting Putin’s campaign for 4 years. It is their typical habit of projection that they try to throw suspicion on Trump for that.
        
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        September 18, 2020 11:53am
      - RW Capitalist
        
        Miky miky miky
        If there was a Russian attempt to interfere in the US elections….(which I would be staggered if there wasn’t)
        1. Wasn’t OBAMA president and in charge of the intelligence agencies. Why didn’t he warn Clinton and Trump?
        2. The only reason to interfere in the US elections, wouldn’t be to get any single person in the white house as the result is too unpredictable,as to whether it would benefit you or not. Instead it would be to disrupt all US politics/policies, no matter who won.
        Mission accomplished, for the Russians, with the help of Obama and the Dems.
        If Obama had done what ALL previous presidents have done, take a back seat. The Dems had accepted the loss and attempted to work with, instead of against this President…..imagine what would have been achieved.
        
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        September 18, 2020 5:46pm
greenfinger

This election isn’t a referendum on the Princess’ leadership. It is a referendum on her popularity. That’s how shallow the left wing media and her supporters are. Her supporters thinks she is great because she is the youngest female to ever become a prime minister in NZ. Strip that title and bright lights away, what has she actually achieved for NZ in the last three years? Massive kiwibuild failure, child poverty is worse than before, all the infrastructure projects are running late, higher cost to do business, higher unemployment, higher debt even before the coronavirus hit NZ. Those who think she deserves a Nobel prize for her success in tackling the coronavirus are clearly still hypnotized by her cheesy smile. Had it not been for the virus, in a quiet moment, not ever Cindy would have given herself a “C-“ grade on her own report card. It is embarrassing.
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September 18, 2020 8:40am
- LTA1955
  
  The “Appointed One” will become like all socialist dictators, yes it’s the “C” word again it’s only a matter of time.
  Question is will NZ voters give her that historical chance to defy history and not trash the future of this country?
  If the selfie photo from Palmerston North yesterday is a marker to go by, then yes our country will get trashed, you lose your job and future.
  Be careful who you support this election because you can’t indulge yourself in a voter WTF moment and support NZ Labour Party.
  
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  September 18, 2020 9:29am
- Bob
  
  The coming election is a choice between a communist economic system, and a benevolent judo-christian capitalist system that provides real employment.
  
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  September 18, 2020 9:38am
- RW Capitalist
  
  Cindy would have given herself a “C-“ grade on her own report card
  ‘F’ for failed to show up, as a real PM.
  
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  September 18, 2020 5:49pm
I remember when

Power outages in North Canterbury due to the wind.
Dairy farmers will be anxiously chasing around trying to hire generators.
Once they have one, then they will have to get in a line for the electrician so that it can be connected to the milking shed. It is a race against time as the cows must be milked before their health suffers. Also milk in the vats may have to be discarded, so loss of income.
Right at the busiest time of the season.
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September 18, 2020 8:43am
- wimpston peeeders
  
  Any half descent dairy farmer up there got a generator and plug installed after the earthquakes.
  plus any dairy shed pre year 2000 will have one as pretty much every farmer in nz done so for the y2k bug.
  
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  September 18, 2020 9:15am
- chuk
  
  Sounds like they should have a backup power supply of their own if it is that critical to their business.
  
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  September 18, 2020 9:15am
- gravedodger
  
  The cost of Standby Generators is crumbs in a breadbin.
  Sure CCP made but cheap as chips and if maintained and run once a week the life span is of little moment compared to potential losses.
  
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  September 18, 2020 10:13am
I remember when

Talking to someone whose firm has hired a pilot who is on standby for his airline.
Ask them how things were going.
They said the business was “just taking off!”
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September 18, 2020 8:48am
Raphael

Babylon Bee posts a satirical article about CNN focusing on the lack of Social Distancing at the signing of the Historic Peace Deal between Isreal, UAE and Bahrain.

Not 30 minutes later, CNN has a chyron below the footage about the lack of social distancing at “White House Event” (the event being the signing of the peace deal).

Babylon Bee follows it up with another satirical article about CNN giving up entirely and just copying their satire.

The Left and never Trumpers are doing their damnedest to try and ignore/downplay this one (Pelosi “it’s just a distraction”, MSNBC “just a business deal, not real diplomacy”)
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September 18, 2020 8:51am
RW Capitalist

So
We are in recession
2 quarters of negative growth
-12.2% in the June quarter
Doesn’t that mean negative growth in the March quarter too?
BEFORE the Covid19 lock downs.
Q:
What would the negative growth in the June quarter have been, WITHOUT covid19?
Conclusion
We were heading to recession to spite Covid19, not because of it.
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September 18, 2020 8:51am
- Raphael
  
  Yes. but the Jacindamaniacs will blame all failings on COVID-19, White Island, Eco-fascist.
  
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  September 18, 2020 9:41am
- MCos
  
  The NZ borders were closed on 19-March. However everything wasn’t hunky dory before that due to international tourism declining by 22% in the first quarter.
  You may recall many countries put restrictions on their borders well before we did.
  The Level 4 lockdown went from 25-March to 27-April, Lev 2 on 13-May and to Level 1 on 8-June.
  Apart from six day wholly within the second quarter.
  The current restrictions started on 12-August viz Lev 3 Auckland & Lev 2 elsewhere. On 31-August Auckland was moved to Lev 2.5
  Nowhere near as onerous as the first lockdown, for most people inasmuch as all the shops are open and with planes are flying, building sites never stopped.
  
  Your question is pointless, because we have to cope with the situation as it is not how it might have been.
  The next thing to contemplate is who is likely to make a better fist of handling the recovery.
  
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  September 18, 2020 10:01am
- beadgame
  
  This was happening worldwide though – big decrease in US GDP as well in Q1 – global economic activity started dropping before lockdown. Any pre-covid weakness was likely more related to international central bank policy than domestic NZ government performance. https://www.bea.gov/news/2020/gross-domestic-product-2nd-quarter-2020-advance-estimate-and-annual-update.
  
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  September 18, 2020 10:23am
RW Capitalist

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWyCCJ6B2WE
Is someone finally pulling back the curtain on Jacinda?
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September 18, 2020 9:11am
lastmanstanding

So, why is the CCP collecting intel on the close family of people with significant roles on NZ.
Most of the Sheeple will think its so the CCP can send them birthday cards and gift at Christmas.

Of course the reason is when the CCP seek these people to follow a certain path and they refuse the CCP can remind them they know who their close family are and where they live.

The CCP long game is to exert influence on NZ to the point its people provide cheap labour and cheap goods and services to the CCP and their people.

Over time the Government of NZ will become puppets installed by the CCP to carry out the CCP agenda.

We can blame the short sighted thinking of previous NZ Government who were filled with people who were naive on the one hand and received ( cough) encouragements on the other.

In time NZ will become but a South East Province of the CCP.
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September 18, 2020 9:11am
Nerraw

The Bobblehead Princess does not want to follow Winston’s lead and reduce the tsx on cigarettes because of the goal of eradicating smoking by 2025. Why the hell is she allowing a referendum on legalising recreational marijuana. Are they not both forms of inhaling smoke into the lungs??
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September 18, 2020 9:13am
- Jimmy White
  
  And to make it worse they are ruling out Edibles.
  Three cheers for Gummy Bears
  
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  September 18, 2020 9:57am
Fletch

Joe Biden’s Ukraine phone call. If Trump had done this, they would have impeached him a second time over!

A recently leaked phone call between then-Vice President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko directly after the 2016 presidential election shows that Biden sought to sabotage the incoming Trump administration before Donald Trump even took office, and much worse.

During the course of the call, Biden badmouthed the incoming administration, saying, “The truth of the matter is that the incoming administration doesn’t know a great deal about [Ukraine]” and that they were unprepared for the transition. This in itself is inappropriate, but it was meant to set the stage for Biden’s next statement and future plans.

Biden then told Poroshenko, “I don’t plan on going away. As a private citizen, I plan on staying deeply engaged in the endeavor that you have begun and we have begun.” In a matter of moments, Biden undermined the incoming administration, branded them as not knowing anything about Ukraine, and attempted to set up a foreign policy backchannel for himself after he left office as a private citizen, which could violate the Logan Act.

To fortify his position and to make Poroshenko more confident that he should continue to deal with Biden once he left office, in the call Biden also intimated that there is a problem with the incoming administration: “The reason I bother to tell you that is I have been somewhat limited on what I am able to tell their team about Ukraine.”

https://thefederalist.com/2020/09/17/leaked-2016-call-reveals-joe-biden-risked-national-security-to-sabotage-trump/

Totally crooked.
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September 18, 2020 9:14am
- mikenmildagain
  
  The Logan Act? Really?
  
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  September 18, 2020 9:58am
  - Fletch
    
    Yep, the same Logan Act that Biden sought to use against Flynn….
    
    Ironically, this is the same act that, at Joe Biden’s suggestion, the FBI accused National Security Advisor Michael Flynn of violating as a result of a discussion Flynn had with the Russian ambassador to the United States around nearly the same time as Biden’s call with Poroshenko.
    
    And it was actually Biden that brought it up in the meeting with Obama et al. What’s good for the goose, etc… Total hypocrite.
    
    https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/biden-raised-logan-act-in-oval-office-discussion-about-flynn-peter-strzok-notes-show
    
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    September 18, 2020 11:19am
  - Ed Snack
    
    Joe’s main concern was to protect the money flows his family and others were receiving from the Ukraine. An awful lot of the US aid provided (as loans) to the Ukraine has just gone “missing”, most of it laundered through Privat Bank. Privat has since gone broke and taken over by the Ukrainian government, but before it was owned by the same person who controlled Burisma.
    
    And Joe has a certain connection with Burisma, no ?
    
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    September 18, 2020 11:59am
- virtualmark
  
  Those “phone calls” are widely known to be fakes manufactured by the KGB and provided to the Republicans via Derkash and Guiliani.
  
  But hey, no Russian collusion right?
  
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  September 18, 2020 2:17pm
  - mikenmildagain
    
    These guys don’t care, mark. They’re barely putting any effort into the lies anymore. It’s cult follower behaviour.
    
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    September 18, 2020 3:20pm
    - virtualmark
      
      Yep, it’s a cult. I’m just waiting till the message goes out to move to Trumptown. Lots of people are saying the Kool-Aid there is the best ever.
      
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      September 18, 2020 4:10pm
Flossie

Does everyone forget that this CoL government was in power for more than two whole years before covid reared its head? That period of time seems to be being brushed under the carpet and all that has failed (i.e. everything) is because of the pandemic! What a load of hogwash.
What success can they point to in 2018 and 2019?
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September 18, 2020 9:14am
- sooty
  
  Kiwi build, light rail!
  
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  September 18, 2020 10:02am
- Raphael
  
  They followed what the ecofacist wanted and banned certain firearms.
  They recovered some bodies from White Island.
  
  6 0
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  September 18, 2020 11:44am
  - Rachael Membery
    
    Not from Pike though.
    
    3 0
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    September 18, 2020 4:18pm
    - Raphael
      
      NINE YEARS OF NEGLECT!!!! ???
      
      1 0
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      September 18, 2020 4:37pm
Philview

I just read the Stuff article calling this election a referendum on Jacinda Ardern. The Left can try and spin it that way but voters should be thinking very carefully about what a majority Labour Government will mean using their last manifesto as a guide. Structural industry agreements and mass unionisation, Crown Iwi Sovereignty Partnership, emptying out prisons, controls on freedom of speech etc. Muriel Newman rightly says in her blog that National voters must not vote Labour to keep the Greens out. It failed last time with NZ First and that same strategy will be a disaster for NZ this time.
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September 18, 2020 9:20am
Maggie Pie

And I’ve just blocked this silly bitch as well…..

https://twitter.com/kathleen_w1/status/1306698656507031552
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September 18, 2020 9:25am
- the deity formerly known as nigel6888
  
  Why? She seems pretty sensible.
  
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  September 18, 2020 11:14am
cmm

According to the “new normal” way of counting fatalities, about 7,000 men died of prostate cancer in the last 6 months.

What is being done about that?
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September 18, 2020 9:33am
- Bob
  
  They are only old pale stale males!
  
  20 2
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  September 18, 2020 9:40am
  - cmm
    
    Male and stale, yes.
    Pale, not so much.
    
    While Maori men are less likely to get prostate cancer, Maori men are more likely to die from it.
    
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    September 18, 2020 10:07am
- Ruawai
  
  Very true, highlights the difference between ‘died of’ and ‘died with’.
  
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  September 18, 2020 9:56am
- Tony Stuart
  
  Indeed. Far more men die WITH prostate cancer, than OF it.
  
  My father however was one of the latter. He was late getting diagnosed, and although he had surgery and radiotherapy, it was only ever with palliative intent. He later developed secondaries in the spine, then went into renal failure and died. He was just 72.
  
  Prostate cancer doesn’t get the attention it deserves because it afflicts older men. 70% of men in their 70’s have malignant cells in their prostates, rising to 90% of men in their nineties. It’s not enough to kill them, but it certainly effects their quality of life. But elderly men are largely expendable, as opposed to younger women who develop breast or cervical/ovarian cancer..
  
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  September 18, 2020 9:58am
  - cmm
    
    Yup, if we counted CV19 “deaths” the way we count prostate cancer deaths there would be very few.
    
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    September 18, 2020 10:01am
- wimpston peeeders
  
  Is that dying WITH or FROM prostate cancer?
  
  5 1
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  September 18, 2020 10:04am
Maggie Pie

BREAKING!!

Donald Trump tries for hole-in-one as US Open

https://twitter.com/i/events/1306568831062564865
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September 18, 2020 9:41am
- cmm
  
  What’s going on with her jubbs in the photo near the bottom of the page? It looks a bit “wardrobe malfunction” to me or is hasn’t she adjusted herself since Trump was grabby 23 years ago?
  
  Maggie: Your partner is an expert in this field. Maybe he can lend his expertise?
  
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  September 18, 2020 9:53am
  - cmm
    
    To clarify because I see that it is easy to misunderstand my last post.
    
    As Maggie has told us, her partner is an expert in the fine art of boobology and that is the expertise I am calling on.
    
    I am not at all suggesting that he is an expert in the nasty business of sexual assault and I apologize to Maggie and her partner if it came across that way.
    
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    September 18, 2020 10:12am
    - Maggie Pie
      
      Did you get to try that Maderia Cake recipe yet? 😀
      
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      September 18, 2020 11:09am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Na,
    
    it’s a look favoured by some choice-looking females of a certain age…(especially Brits)
    Think Nigella Lawson, Bettany Hughes, Dawn French (before she dieted)
    https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/07/25/07/42A6BECC00000578-0-image-a-3_1500965136685.jpg
    
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    September 18, 2020 12:08pm
- wimpston peeeders
  
  love how its taken 23yrs to surface and conveniently a couple of months before an electioin what are the chances of that being coincidence…
  
  bet her bank account got a donation from george soros in the last few months
  
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  September 18, 2020 10:07am
- Classic Liberal
  
  She needs to go to the police and have it properly investigated.
  
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  September 18, 2020 10:28am
  - wimpston peeeders
    
    she likely protested to defund the police…
    
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    September 18, 2020 10:59am
I remember when

At least some power back on in North Canterbury so not as bad as the last big wind, when it was up to three days before it was restored.
Apparently they have had a reasonable snowfall over night.
10 1
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September 18, 2020 9:43am
- Jimmy White
  
  Brought all the cows into the house and got the wife to hand milk them. Cheaper than a generator.
  
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  September 18, 2020 10:04am
I remember when

University of Edinburgh study – Global mortality associated with seasonal influenza epidemics:
A 2017 study indicated mortality at 290,000-650,000 from respiratory causes alone.
In 2019 study estimated deaths at 99,000-200,000 from lower respiratory tract infections directly caused by influenza.
More than 200,000 NZers get influenza every year with 400-500 deaths.
To date 2020 influenza deaths almost non-existent.
So in summary:
Due to lockdown so far up to 400-500 lives saved.
Most deaths (67%) are in the 65 age group.
Obviously we must lockdown every influenza season to prevent unnecessary deaths.
Also, with 33% of the deaths being in the under-65s it is probably more dangerous to this group than covid-19.
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September 18, 2020 9:58am
ex-golfer

I said yesterday that Labours strategy will now be to talk about everything but their own failures.
Lying as well.
Seems Labour has decided dirty politics is OK – hypocrites.
They have no plan to get NZ out of the mess they have created – so will try scare tactics instead:
https://twitter.com/grantrobertson1/status/1306696019757867008?s=20
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September 18, 2020 10:02am
- niggly
  
  Labour = 3 years of Failures.
  
  Let’s not give these incompetent imposters another 3 years (in govt) as the only result will be 6 years of failures!
  
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  September 18, 2020 10:25am
- niggly
  
  Also I understand (according to a ranting leftie on twitter) that Judith Collins called Grant Robertson the Minister of Misinformation the other day … if that’s true then what an excellent description of Grant Robertson – very apt!
  
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  September 18, 2020 10:28am
  - igm
    
    Robertson displayed his fiscal illiteracy this morning with Hosking. He, like Ardern, could not even count out a $20 dollar float, let alone undersand a profit and loss account . . . they are nothing but political mongs.
    
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    September 18, 2020 2:21pm
niggly

It is ~~a lie~~ incorrect for Jacinda Ardern and Grant Robertson to say that Covid has caused job losses/recession/decline in GDP etc.

It is the Labour Government’s response that has caused that.

After all it’s not like tens/hundreds of thousands airline pilots and aircrew, hotel and hospitality workers, tourism operators, associated service industries, small and large retailers and sales people, education providers … died of Covid.

No it was the heavy handed, inconsistent (and sometime illogical) Government responses, managed and led by Jacinda Ardern and Grant Robertson that made things much worse than they needed to be …
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September 18, 2020 10:22am
- Libertarians are right
  
  There is also evidence that the March quarter was already in decline for Labour, not Covid reasons.
  
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  September 18, 2020 1:08pm
ex-golfer

Robertson has today declared the recession is over.
Could the guy be any more deluded?
I can’t wait for this braindead declaration to be thrown in his face when the next quarterly result is released.
https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/grant-robertson-finance-minister-on-bouncing-back-from-recession/
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September 18, 2020 10:37am
- Paulus
  
  As long as they get re elected they will say whatever they think the morons who vote for them do – any lie is irrelevant – they will decide what to do once they get elected because that is all that matters.
  
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  September 18, 2020 11:27am
- Libertarians are right
  
  The next quarterly result will be after the election. That is why he’s lying now. The truth is irrelevant to him. He’s just trying to deceive voters (yet again).
  
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  September 18, 2020 1:07pm
beadgame

“Judith Collins promises ‘massive’ temporary tax cuts in National’s economic plan”
This is vote buying by National…..cuts would only benefit those that still have jobs, who are not most in need of this benefit. Policy should instead focus on helping those that have been hurt the most Also economy is expected to bounce back strongly over next couple quarters, so this form of stimulus should not be needed. NZ taxes are already below OECD average, and are not in need of further reductions.
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September 18, 2020 10:45am
- ex-golfer
  
  So your plan is to just give more money in benefits to people who have lost their jobs? And tell me, how does that create jobs for those people to get?
  It doesn’t.
  
  In order to create jobs, businesses need to be in business – and be growing with the confidence to employ more people.
  You do that by stimulating the economy giving people more of their own money to spend in the economy. As we spend our money in the businesses around us, they get bigger and need more people to service the increased custom they receive. They have the confidence to employ more people.
  This goes across the whole economy as people choose to spend their money (hospitality, holidays/domestic tourism, investing in their homes, DIY, household spending etc).
  Boosted economic activity creates better results than Govts spending money on the bureaucracy and attempting to “pick winners”.
  You cannot tax your way out of a recession as most Govt spending is wasted money.
  
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  September 18, 2020 10:56am
  - Tall Man
    
    You’re wasting your time. He is spouting ideology not sense.
    
    Expect a lot more of this when common sense is at odds with labour policy…. sorry aspirations.
    
    13 2
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    September 18, 2020 11:15am
  - Rachael Membery
    
    Especially this lot, there was money in the kitty when they took over.
    
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    September 18, 2020 4:58pm
- wimpston peeeders
  
  Its better to incentivise work then to make the dole more attractive.
  
  handouts to beneficiaries is also vote buying, infact anything that comes from any politicians mouth is either lies or vote buying.
  
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  September 18, 2020 11:03am
- 70andstilllearning
  
  Income tax is assessed on all income including benefits, super etc so your base premise not right beadgame
  
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  September 18, 2020 11:19am
- Libertarians are right
  
  SMEs are in the most need right now. They drive our economy.
  This policy will help them. They will then be able to retain staff and grow, moving our economy out of recession.
  
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  September 18, 2020 1:05pm
- KevO'Brien
  
  Do you approve Labour should have a monopoly on vote buying? They have done a lot of what looks like election rigging. Spraying money around like water, preventing meetings, constant fear campaign, PM frightening everyone on TV..
  National are going to h ave to insist on win through others cheating. Where has the 50M gone? Did National get equal air time to the PM? The $50Bn Covid slush fund is barely constitutional, if that. It completely breaches the sovereignty of Parliament in respect of monies exacted through taxes.
  This COL and any of its Ministers cannot ever continue again.
  
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  September 18, 2020 6:27pm
  - mikenmildagain
    
    Why do you keep spouting this bullshit? Is it some kind of compulsive disorder?
    
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    September 18, 2020 6:43pm
greybeard

Maybe someone here can provide me with this information, in regard to the “homeless” being housed in motels and other places. I’m not trying to be mean-spirited, just wanting facts.

The government ( i.e. the taxpayer ) is paying for the cost of the accommodation. Is the taxpayer also paying for food and other necessities ?

If a homeless person has a job, are they obliged to contribute to the accommodation cost ?

If a homeless person is already on a benefit is the cost ( or partial cost ) of accommodation deducted from their benefit ?

Is there some sort of expiry date on this taxpayer-funded accommodation ?

Is there any sort of obligation at all, in return for accommodation ?
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September 18, 2020 10:57am
- ex-golfer
  
  Its a good assumption that a homeless person/family that the Govt has housed in a motel does not have any form of decent income.
  So yes, you are paying for their food and living courtesy of the additional welfare benefits they will also be receiving.
  
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  September 18, 2020 11:10am
  - greybeard
    
    Thanks for that.
    I think that an OIA request is in order here.
    
    3 0
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    September 18, 2020 5:35pm
- artemisia
  
  This page has information about payments for emergency housing. Strangely enough, from 19 October people have to pay for emergency accommodation after the first week, heavily subsidised. They already pay for their own food but power bills are included in the weekly rate.
  
  https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/about-work-and-income/news/2020/emergency-housing-changes.html
  
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  September 18, 2020 6:55pm
ex-golfer

Sir Bob nails it again:
https://nopunchespulled.com/2020/09/17/new-zealand-2020-health-statistics/#more-1672
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September 18, 2020 11:12am
Fletch

Trump says that November Rain by Guns ‘n Roses is the greatest music video of all time. I’m not sure about that (maybe Thriller?) but it’s a contender ?

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/donald-trump-november-rain-video-1059876/
3 2
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September 18, 2020 11:16am
- mikenmildagain
  
  Holy shit! Fletch is ‘not sure’ that Trump is not 1005 about everything.
  
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  September 18, 2020 11:31am
I remember when

New Zealand Forest Ringlet Butterfly reports wanted.
The Forest Ringlet Butterfly is thought to be in serious decline. Patron of the Moths and Butterflies of NZ Trust, Bob Harvey, is worried the may be extinct.
Threats are thought to include deforestation, predatory wasps, flies and introduced birds.
In January and February, the butterflies may be seen among shrubs and tall trees.
Sightings of the Forest Ringlet Butterfly can be reported on the Moths and Butterflies Trust website.
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September 18, 2020 11:26am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  It is also known as Helm’s butterfly.
  
  It’s main food plant is a native cutty grass – Gahnia…. often found in Beech forests or areas of second-growth with kamahi.
  
  Worth looking out for if you’re in the back-country…
  
  https://www.nzbutterflies.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Dodonidia-helmsii-S-R-Wheatley.pdf
  
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  September 18, 2020 12:20pm
artemisia

Looks like the Sudima MIQ in Rotorua didn’t get the message about deep cleaning. Or that there is this highly contagious virus thing. Some of this person’s photos of the isolation room are quite astonishing. And not in a good way.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12365861
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September 18, 2020 11:31am
- ex-golfer
  
  Tamiti Coffey declined to comment.
  He couldn’t understand the story.
  Even though it was in pictures.
  
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  September 18, 2020 11:56am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  How can this be legal accommodation?
  
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  September 18, 2020 12:21pm
  - sooty
    
    If the mould don’t kill you covid will,
    
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    September 18, 2020 12:38pm
Fletch

New Cat Stevens album out today (well, tomorrow in the U.S but it’s on iTunes). A re-recording of the Tea for the Tillerman album on it’s 50th anniversary.
There’s a couple of music videos from it on youtube, too. Interestingly, he redoes ‘Father and Son’ singing with a younger recorded live version of himself playing the ‘son’ part.

https://ew.com/music/cat-stevens-yusuf-tea-for-the-tillerman-50-interview/
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September 18, 2020 11:33am
- Rusty
  
  Saw Cat Stevens play in Auckland 10 years ago — great show.
  
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  September 18, 2020 12:48pm
- Swifty
  
  He lost me forever when he openly called, on live British tv, for the execution by burning of Salman Rushdie for writing a book.
  
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  September 18, 2020 2:51pm
Critical Thinker

Palestinian Authority Social Affairs Minister Ahmed Majdalani: “Oman, Sudan, Comoros, Djibouti and Mauritania are engaged in normalization discussions with Israel.” ??
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/are-these-the-five-countries-on-the-way-to-ties-with-israel-642626
8 1
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September 18, 2020 12:10pm
- Critical Thinker
  
  Why did it take a political outsider like Donald Trump to finally deliver the start of peace in the Middle East? ?
  
  https://twitter.com/neontaster/status/1306377971863871489
  
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  September 18, 2020 12:57pm
  - mikenmildagain
    
    Well, he hasn’t delivered even the start of peace 9whatever that means) anywhere, has he? how about stopping the wars in Yemen, Syria and Afghanistan?
    
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    September 18, 2020 3:17pm
ex-golfer

If you are in Wellington I would not recommend going to The Old Bailey for a drink or lunch (.
They insist you sign a manual guest register, even if you have scanned the COVID app.
When I asked why they are making people sign a register they could not answer the question – “its policy”. I asked what they intended to use the information for – and the girl had no idea what I was talking about.
I took my business elsewhere (including the 3 guests I was hosting).
13 0
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September 18, 2020 12:14pm
Maggie Pie

Maybe it’s just me – but has anyone else noticed that the Lip Plumping Injections don’t last anywhere near as long as they used to?
8 1
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September 18, 2020 12:20pm
Rusty

Starting to wonder if Cindy and Ashley now realize this whole covid-19 pandemic is so over exaggerated that they are just keeping up the scaremongering rhetoric for political purposes and saving face.

25 covid-19 deaths as opposed to 40,000 projected deaths in March surely tells them this virus kills less Kiwis than the common flu and other health problems many elderly Kiwis end up dying from.
11 1
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September 18, 2020 12:55pm
ex-golfer

I’ve come to the firm conclusion that Twitters LouieTheRed is Clint Smith’s sock puppet account.
4 0
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September 18, 2020 2:15pm
curry4me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pg_M3ecOGqE

China Threatens Putin.

Chinas media, the Global Times is rather cross with the New
World Order that has resulted from the CCPs wolf warrior diplomacy,
and Covid culpability. Now, they’re having a go at Russia, which is getting
Closer to India. There have been arms sales. They think Beiing, and
Moscow should be closer. China sees Russia as a strategic partner,
But not an ally. They see Russian arms sales to India as a ‘stab
In the back’.
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September 18, 2020 2:37pm
curry4me

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

Trump Ad Savages Beijing Biden….. Again.

The Trump team does killer ads. They’ve used Bidens
own TV appearances against him. It doesn’t look
good. The Biden campaign is sustained elder abuse.
6 2
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September 18, 2020 2:38pm
- mikenmildagain
  
  Did you like their ad featuring Russian jets?
  
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  September 18, 2020 3:15pm
Maggie Pie

And here’s a little tip from my partners mum for those in the group who may experience trouble getting to sleep? Buy a wee bottle of ‘Lotus Peppermint Oil’ (mentha piperita).
Now you don’t need a lot. Just shake the bottle gently up and down on the tip of your index finger and then apply the oil carefully under the nose before retiring. You get a bit of a tingling sensation and a strong smell of peppermint, but this soon quietens down. Once your head is on the pillow, take a few deep breaths thru the nostrils and before you know – its ‘sleepy-byes’
My partner has been doing this for months now and swaers by it. He gets a good 6 – 7 hours sleep. The other benefit is, its even stopped hm snoring so much. Worth a try.
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September 18, 2020 3:06pm
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  I turn my trannie on….
  
  Tuned to RNZ…and I’m asleep in a wink.
  
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  September 18, 2020 3:24pm
  - sooty
    
    How on earth do you get to sleep with the high pitch squealing by your trannie?
    
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    September 18, 2020 9:16pm
RW Capitalist

Just saw this on youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALGkQq3RJ7k
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September 18, 2020 3:51pm
RW Capitalist

If you want to know, how expensive bull shit really is:
Read this
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/122774439/nzs-new-mega-polytech-to-pay-six-deputy-chief-executives-250k-to-400k-each
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September 18, 2020 3:53pm
Komata

Umm, Maggie W @1524….

Perhaps your first sentence may be a tad more ambiguous than you intended…

(Just saying)
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September 18, 2020 3:56pm
- 70andstilllearning
  
  was gonna say something but thought nah. Someone else will. I remember comment about a week ago…………
  
  3 0
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  September 18, 2020 4:19pm
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Honi soit qui mal y pense.
  
  3 0
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  September 18, 2020 5:37pm
  - Komata
    
    Maggie W@1737
    
    Thank you, but done with honorable intent.
    
    2 0
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    September 18, 2020 8:35pm
RW Capitalist

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/122774439/nzs-new-mega-polytech-to-pay-six-deputy-chief-executives-250k-to-400k-each
Wow….more unqualified people promoted past the level of their incompetence.
8 1
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September 18, 2020 4:13pm
- cmm
  
  Something for the Kool-Aid hair types to aspire to.
  
  6 1
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  September 18, 2020 5:18pm
greybeard

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300108625/calls-for-changes-at-rail-crossing-where-bus-driver-died-in-collision-with-train
This is very sad, the senseless and preventable loss of life is always a tragedy.
But one has to ask the obvious: if she was a regular and experienced driver on this route then why would she attempt to cross the tracks before the train had fully passed and the alarms had finished, given that she knew she had responsibility for lots of kids ?
This event requires complete honesty and investigation, as well as full disclosure.
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September 18, 2020 5:42pm
- cmm
  
  Buses and dangerous goods vehicles are legally required to stop at rail crossings regardless of whether there is a train coming or not. I’ve often seen them doing this.
  
  Perhaps the driver had a medical event.
  
  Regardless, more legislation won’t fix the problem.
  
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  September 18, 2020 6:24pm
  - mikenmildagain
    
    I’ve heard speculation that sun strike may have been an issue.
    
    2 1
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    September 18, 2020 6:44pm
- Maggie Pie
  
  A very sad incident indeed.
  Before reading the Stuff link, i had no idea there was such a place called ‘Bunnythorpe’.
  Does it have a Maori name perhaps?
  
  2 0
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  September 18, 2020 7:04pm
  - Mike
    
    Rapititoru
    
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    September 18, 2020 7:21pm
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Pepi Rāpiti kainga
    
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    September 18, 2020 7:34pm
RW Capitalist

On Sky News Australia, tonight.
Australia’s unemployment is DOWN to 6.8%
So Australia’s unemployment is falling while ours is rising.
exodus next year?
3 0
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September 18, 2020 8:26pm

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