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March 9, 2022 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 09 March 2022

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NeverMindTheBollocks

Commerce Commission waves damp bus ticket at supermarkets.

These are the numpties that let Woolworths buy/ consolidate Countdown & Foodtown, thereby cementing the current duopoly.

The solution is US-style anti trust legislation.
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March 9, 2022 8:00am
- H. Upmann
  
  Exactly.
  That is were it all started. Plus under a Labour Government.
  
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  March 9, 2022 8:33am
- bjools
  
  To play devils advocate.
  Why do you think that not one of the other supermarkets overseas, actually opened here?
  or even looked into it.
  To create a 3rd option.
  After all, if there was room for a 3rd player, these money hungry profit driven chains would have been falling over themselves to come here.
  or
  Is it that we ONLY have a population 5mill and are spread out relatively (only Auckland is of a size)?
  This whole argument is being made as if we are a population 5x the size we are.
  The duopoly is fine, it is the behaviour of them, in some cases, that is of concern.
  The best way forward IMO, is to reduce the compliance, some of which is ridiculous, and allow the smaller players the room to expand.
  
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  March 9, 2022 8:39am
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    Good question. One answer is that it’s not easy getting hold of suitable sites, with size, planning permission, easy access to transport etc.
    
    The existing supermarkets hold on to sites that would likely be bought up by the other. Example: in Johnsonville, there are two Countdown & no Foodstuffs supermarkets. This dates back to the Woolworths acquisition of Foodtown. The Commerce Commission should have made divestment of one of these as a condition of approving the merger, but it did not. Numpties, as I say.
    
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    March 9, 2022 12:05pm
    - slijmbal
      
      Progressive (who own Foodtown) acquired Woolworths (not other way around), described it as a merger where the two sets of employees would work as a harmonious unit. They then preceded to lay waste to all things Woolworths and beat up suppliers because of the monopsony the acquisition gave them. I worked in the industry at that time.
      
      Woolworths had gone through several owners (mostly international) who struggled to get sufficient return on their capital. Thus the sale.
      
      Progressive are definitely a more feral company than Woolworths was. Labour and the CC should never have approved the purchase. I was gobsmacked they did.
      
      Post the acquisition returns have improved substantially and are too high by international standards.
      
      That aside, the returns are not that high to cause any substantial reduction in grocery costs should they be addressed. It would be single digit percentages – likely a couple of per cent. There are a number of underlying reasons our groceries are expensive and nothing from the Commerce Commission will substantially affect these and IMO could not anyway.
      
      Note one of the ways to get rich in NZ is to own a Pak & Save – so it’s not just the international owners raking it in.
      
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      March 9, 2022 1:54pm
      - peterwn
        
        Or a New World. But you just cannot bowl up and buy a New World or Pak & Save franchise.You have to do a lengthy training programme at your expense and that includes owning a Four Square along the way. Even a family member hoping to inherit dad’s supermarket is expected to do thet ‘apprenticeship’ and Foodstuffs may still not be satisfied.
        
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        March 9, 2022 7:27pm
- Nigel Kearney
  
  There’s no evidence supermarkets are colluding. If there were, the Commerce Commission already has the power to act on it. Comparing our prices to places with higher population densities does not prove much. To the extent there is a problem, the main thing that needs to happen is to take away the ability of councils to make it hard to build new supermarkets. The same problem as housing really.
  
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  March 9, 2022 8:40am
  - bjools
    
    There are some issues around the power brought to bare on suppliers. Perhaps, because of the individual size, suppliers should band together to negotiate better access and pricing.
    After all, supermarkets don’t exist if there are no products to sell.
    
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    March 9, 2022 9:58am
    - septic skeptic
      
      If they did that they would be prosecuted by the CC for anti-competitive cartel behavior and taken to the cleaners. Some of our laws have very perverse outcomes.
      
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      March 9, 2022 6:01pm
  - mogg
    
    Do you mean the same CC that allowed this problem to happen in the first place.
    
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    March 9, 2022 10:44am
  - lastmanstanding
    
    The reason there is no evidence is because the players are very clever not to leave any evidence like emails for CC to see. If anyone thinks the duopoly dont act in tandem on prices then I have a bridge to sell.
    
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    March 9, 2022 10:45am
  - pilgrim33
    
    The evidence is visable in their land holdings.
    
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    March 9, 2022 10:55am
- I remember when
  
  The Countdown/Woolworths and Foodstuffs duopoly is not a meeting of equals.
  Countdown is part of a listed Company with responsibility to its shareholders to produce a dividend.
  Foodstuffs is an amalgamation of private enterprises with further divisions into Pak’n Save, New Worlds, 4 Square, etc.
  Separate divisions with different purchasing and pricing structures.
  I understand that there is a movement within Foodstuffs to limit the passing on of a store to family.
  Is this an attempt to limit future competition, by preventing current owners from becoming big enough to become competitors.
  Katherine Rich has suggested what is possibly the best solution, being to make the distribution centres available to all stores at the same price.
  An alternative is to wait until the Indian store owners amalgamate and go into competition with the existing duopoly.
  
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  March 9, 2022 9:14am
  - Nickc2
    
    I’m told she has Phil Twyford and Nanaia Mahuta working on a plan to install at least one Govt Owned Supermarket in every suburb of NZ. These will be known as KiwiMarkets and only made available to Card Carrying Labour Party supporters and of course Local Iwi.
    These Supermarkets will be the only outlets in NZ that are permitted to run discounts, specials and loyalty schemes. Naturally, there will also be a Pay-on-Payday scheme whereby payments are only optional.
    Such Supermarkets will be responsible to their only Share-Holder (the Govt of the day) and are not expected to return a profit.
    Another couple of genii have also been tasked with implementing a similar project for Service Stations but as yet, I haven’t been able to ascertain their names.
    
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    March 9, 2022 10:53am
    - Ehlana
      
      That would be KiwiFuel. (Somebody already pinched ElectricKiwi). They’ll be electric vehicle recharging only of course, with solar panels to generate the electricity. None of that disgusting carbon stuff around here.
      And in rural areas, hay and water troughs for those on horseback.
      
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      March 9, 2022 12:36pm
      - NZer In Exile
        
        Getting that cobalt for your electric cars fast as I can Greta:
        
        https://imgur.com/izzaLyx
        
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        March 9, 2022 4:05pm
- lastmanstanding
  
  Heh Cindy. Price Controls. That’ll fix the problem.
  
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  March 9, 2022 9:31am
  - pdm
    
    Do not put ideas in her head. She is silly enough to try them lastman.
    
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    March 9, 2022 9:36am
  - Prince
    
    Perhaps ‘profit controls’ are better. If some 22 year old numpty at the Commerce Commission has decided Supermarket profits are ‘excessive’, regulate that a Supermarket chain can’t make more than, say, $10M profit in a year.
    That would fit Labour philosophy perfectly.
    
    That will do wonders for consumer choice, technology innovation, customer service.
    No unintended consequences there.
    
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    March 9, 2022 10:11am
  - NZer In Exile
    
    Weren’t rent controls on private landlords being seriously discussed/mooted by the Labour brains trust?
    
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    March 9, 2022 1:54pm
- Sacha
  
  Didn’t we have a similar exercise a few years ago? With the same conclusions?
  
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  March 9, 2022 10:06am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Yes, snd from the same rotten party
    
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    March 9, 2022 10:34am
- mogg
  
  At the time wasn’t there a promise to “ring fence” the Hong Kong dairy farms business (Woolworths) in order to maintain competition. That didn’t last long did it.
  
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  March 9, 2022 10:49am
- NZer In Exile
  
  The solution is make it easier for competitors to set up shop in NZ. Break down barriers put up by vested interests also.
  
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  March 9, 2022 4:12pm
Warren

When is the press gallery at Parliament and the female Journalist’s including the idiot Paddy Gower going to wake to the fact that as much as they would like the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to be as popular and have the support of the 5 million in New Zealand, it will never happen again in their life time.
As much as you try to belittle every opposition Leader that’s comes along the general public in New Zealand can see your inability to grasp the facts of what Jacinda Ardern is with her stand up comedy on our economy and shows how out of her depth her knowledge is.
Jacinda Ardern has divided New Zealander’s to suit her cause which by the way many people are still trying to figure out what it is because most of the changes they have tried to make have been downright failures and many people have realized that she is not the saviour that many touted.
The Media and their staff might be laughing now but when the shit hits the fan and New Zealand says that’s it we have finally had a guts full of Jacinda Ardern remember you helped to create the monster she is.
Not my Prime Minister.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2022/03/patrick-gower-slams-national-s-cost-of-living-policy-saying-it-does-absolutely-nothing-for-struggling-kiwis.html
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March 9, 2022 8:00am
- Frank the tank
  
  They won’t stop EVER. Look at the US. What we need to a right-leaning News entity in New Zimbabwe. Unfortunately like supermarkets our market is just too small…..
  
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  March 9, 2022 8:33am
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  Ardern will be gone next election if she has the arrogance to stay till then, the only thing that will see her scrape back in is this idiotic not biting Nats cause Labours mandates, how the he’ll will keeping Labour help with the disgusting state of this country?
  
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  March 9, 2022 8:43am
  - DimChappie
    
    Please explain this bit, I suspect there are typos rendering it meaningless? I value your contribution, just want to understand it.
    “is this idiotic not biting Nats cause Labours mandates”
    
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    March 9, 2022 10:05am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      Not voting , predictive texting
      
      [Instead of continually disrespecting all of KiwiBlog’s contributors with your gibberish posts, how about trying “quality not quantity.” Other posters manage to post coherently. Mod.]
      
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      March 9, 2022 10:36am
      - H. Upmann
        
        Thank you Mod. Too many comments on KB with appalling spelling and grammar. Blaming on predictive text is pure laziness; edit before posting!
        
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        March 9, 2022 11:15am
      - G the giant from Dunedin
        
        [How about you take a break for a week then, and when or if you come back, show respect for your KiwiBlog privileges. mod.]
        
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        March 9, 2022 12:35pm
  - Prince
    
    Say what ?
    
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    March 9, 2022 10:14am
    - Rodion Raskolnikov
      
      I think he said that no matter how bad National are, you’re an idiot if you don’t vote for them anyway.
      
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      March 9, 2022 10:43am
      - Shaun the Sheep
        
        National are studiously trying to win 2023 by being just like Labour only not as bad.
        The party needs to purge its leadership of those who approve these ridiculous strategies, from board level down.
        
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        March 9, 2022 11:21am
      - NZer In Exile
        
        Well when you only have a real choice between disappointing same same slow slide to ruin on the one hand, and 100% certified toxic and ruinous on the other, disappointing same same is probably where one will have to start! At least it could buy some time for someone with balls, brains and integrity to materialise.
        
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        March 9, 2022 2:00pm
    - rockape
      
      So reversing 3 waters, giving tax cuts is just like Labour . Tell me more!
      
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      March 9, 2022 6:57pm
- peterwn
  
  I suspect that Jacinda and co are already concerned – they have a serious fight on their hands to win the next election and it is starting to show in the way their legislative proposals are being watered down.
  
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  March 9, 2022 8:49am
  - oldfella
    
    here’s an interesting overseas media story on NZ and how well we’re doing with Covid. Not! /
    https://notthebee.com/article/remember-how-new-zealand-went-full-tyranny-for-2-years-to-keep-covid-from-spreading-yeaaaah
    
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    March 9, 2022 11:44am
    - oldfella
      
      I particularly loved this line:
      New Zealand’s Prime Minister was a prime example of why Karens should never, ever be put in charge of a nation…
      
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      March 9, 2022 11:46am
      - tf78
        
        Or anything!
        
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        March 9, 2022 8:50pm
- Cinematic
  
  What would Gower know about anything? If he’s keen to shape policy then run for office. Otherwise stick a cork it it. Journalist pleb.
  
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  March 9, 2022 8:55am
- Swifty
  
  So Gower thinks that by punishing landlords and making landlording less attractive that will attract more landlords to the market and increase housing supply?
  
  Good grief, how could you possibly be more stupid?
  
  As others have said – if socialists understood economics (and had a better grasp of human behaviour) then they wouldn’t be socialists.
  
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  March 9, 2022 8:56am
- Suze Wainwright
  
  To be fair to Paddy, aotearoa doesn’t have what this govt calls a cost of living crisis
  
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  March 9, 2022 9:03am
- wgtn_dude
  
  A “journalist” giving us his opinion. As if that carry’s more gravitas than what Mrs Howard from Woburn discusses with her grocer.
  
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  March 9, 2022 9:05am
- Gertie
  
  Gower was a shocker yesterday. I think it must have been the AM show. He just looked stupid. I turned him off.
  
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  March 9, 2022 9:23am
- rockape
  
  You may not like to hear it but the people who created the monster were the three quarters of voters who didn’t vote National. We’re you one of them, will you be again?
  
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  March 9, 2022 9:32am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Not me ???
    
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    March 9, 2022 9:56am
  - Sideoiler
    
    If you think National is the answer, youré doing it wrong.
    National is long passed its use by date, Luxon is just another woke clown.
    Voting National and expecting a better result than we currently have is the very definition of madness.
    
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    March 9, 2022 10:00am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      Utter rubbish, he backed Cindy into a corner over cost of living crisis, she took the bait, now she is being slammed from all directions, if what he is saying that is centrist is woke, then I want more, this crap about one dingle issue of Cindy’s making has to stop
      
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      March 9, 2022 10:39am
    - rockape
      
      So who is the answer? There I have opened the door for you.
      
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      March 9, 2022 11:06am
    - tui47
      
      The answer is not Jacinda. By not voting ACT/National you are helping Jacinda get another term. There is no way an ACT/National Government will do exactly the same things as Labour. Firstly they will reduce the size of Govt/comms/PR costs. Drain the swamp of Labour bureaucrats, reduce taxes and some of the over the top woke madness. There will still be climate change policies but not as extreme as Labour. They have to ride the middle to capture the swing vote. Without it they will never win. They will not full right wing and oppose abortion and they will still uphold LGBT rights. They will not install MP’s in diversity roles. Then there is our foreign policy. We are an international embarrassment under Labour. It is just not possible for National to be as bad as Labour. National are not perfect. I would have preferred them to use the medical evidence to speak against mandates. However, I will do anything to rid NZ of Jacinda.
      
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      March 9, 2022 2:09pm
      - NZer In Exile
        
        Agree. The most important step at this time is to simply get the green/labour/seperatist nutbags destroying NZ out!
        
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        March 9, 2022 3:44pm
      - tf78
        
        New Zealand was in good hands under National with good positive policies which really helped many young ones, especially young mums during their time. Our hospitals worked, our nurses worked our roads worked in fact most things worked very well, especially people and businesses. Communists have a nasty habit of undoing good things. National are the answer to New Zealand whether you like it or not.
        
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        March 9, 2022 8:56pm
  - Gertie
    
    Certainly not me
    
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    March 9, 2022 11:27am
- Gravelroad
  
  “His supervision conditions banned him from consuming alcohol and non-prescribed drugs, but probation found he had consumed methamphetamine and cannabis in August and September last year.”
  
  Above is an excerpt from a local media court report today of a guy prosecuted for eight shoplifting offences at one supermarket. He said he was only stealing to provide food to feed his family.
  No problem buying the drugs though.
  That ok?
  Should supermarkets subsidise groceries so that parents can spend more money on drugs and alcohol?
  
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  March 9, 2022 9:48am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    And that is why Luxon wants to target the dole hand outs, this guys dole should have had his bills paid before he gets a cent in his hand, it’s our bloody money
    
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    March 9, 2022 10:41am
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    He shoplifted the drugs.
    
    Yeah, right.
    
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    March 9, 2022 3:31pm
NeverMindTheBollocks

Oil up around USD$130 per barrel.

Local petrol price increases relatively constrained due to strength of NZD.

NZD boosted by international commodity prices – primarily dairy.

Will the government & media now lay off farmers?
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March 9, 2022 8:01am
- westernScientest
  
  come on, they dont know what GDP is, how can you expect them to understand how exchange rates work.
  
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  March 9, 2022 8:29am
- KiWombat
  
  My price on diesel was .847cpl end November 2020. Today it has risen to $2.409cpl – that’s a 280% increase in 15 months.
  
  Thanks Jacinda & Ivor.
  
  Enquired thismorning when the fuel companies would start a lay-by scheme for fuel. Chuckles from those in the line behind me !
  
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  March 9, 2022 8:45am
  - Matt Long
    
    In the US they’re upset it’s just gone over $1/litre, interesting how we’ve gotten used to paying too much for the basics here to fund our bloated bureaucracy.
    
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    March 9, 2022 9:02am
    - oldfella
      
      America’s brilliant Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg, has a fix for gas prices that’s so easy it’s almost ridiculous. Why, you just need to buy an electric vehicle, you silly goose. (You can’t make this stuff up!)
      https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/chris-queen/2022/03/07/buttigieg-says-the-solution-to-high-gas-prices-is-simple-just-buy-an-ev-n1564411
      
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      March 9, 2022 10:33am
      - Nickc2
        
        Yes, he can flick his ‘fairy wand’ and zap, you’ve got an EV.
        That won’t work in NZ, our Fairies don’t carry wands, they carry knuckle dusters and capsicum spray I’m informed.
        
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        March 9, 2022 2:13pm
    - KiWombat
      
      Yep – even in Australia they are upset that petrol is about to hit the $2 mark – if only !!
      
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      March 9, 2022 11:07am
  - Master Mariner
    
    Like I said on here 1-2 years ago’ish ? It will be carrots Tuesday, Spuds Thursday and Fuels Friday.
    Or words to that effect.
    
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    March 9, 2022 10:10am
    - 70andstilllearning
      
      But the carrots will arrive Wednesday, Spuds Saturday and Fuels – maybe Noday soon
      
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      March 9, 2022 11:27am
      - Paulus
        
        The last oil supply vessel arrived at Marsden Point yesterday.
        Now on it’s world market supply – when the boat comes in !
        
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        March 9, 2022 1:29pm
  - gorse
    
    At least you can still get some. My fear is it might become rationed when world oil supplies get tight.
    
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    March 9, 2022 10:12am
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    You can already do this. Z offers Share Tank, where you can prepurchase fuel at today’s price & pump it when required.
    
    I wish I’d done this a couple of weeks ago.
    
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    March 9, 2022 3:35pm
    - glowworm
      
      Future hedging of fuel at the pump. Now that’s a really cool idea – inflation on fuel could go parabolic if market forces are allowed, and following the Marsden cracker closure. Is there a limit on how much you can purchase?
      
      Does anyone know of any information/analysis on future scenarios following the closure?
      
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      March 9, 2022 6:54pm
- MCōs
  
  The NZD is much lower than the average for the whole of last year.
  https://www.exchangerates.org.uk/NZD-USD-spot-exchange-rates-history-2021.html
  
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  March 9, 2022 8:57am
- tf78
  
  Our farmers are the equivalent of Aussie’s mining. Both incredibly necessary for our way of life and living standards (for as long as we can keep them).
  
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  March 9, 2022 8:59pm
Lee C

What she says when she wnats your vote:
https://www.facebook.com/1193302986/videos/1273939826430160

What she says when she’s got it:
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/10/24/new-zealand-prime-minister-admits-she-wants-create-two-classes-citizens-based-vaccination-status/
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March 9, 2022 8:13am
- Simon
  
  At least Ardern was honest in admitting to two classes. Or more likely she got carried away in the moment of triumphant in being able to identify and label the unclean.
  
  Whereas National & ACT were also quite happy for two classes of citizens and supported Ardern without question. They fell in line so willingly.
  
  Luxon said he was getting impatient with the unjaxxed. That was his feelings on the matter, no different to Ardern.
  
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  March 9, 2022 8:23am
  - Gertie
    
    Luxons comments wont be forgotten either.
    
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    March 9, 2022 9:25am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      Only the deluded will remember, he did not want to talk to those idiots we seen at parliament, and thank god for that, all while saying since early December mandates should be gone, so vote Cindy, that will serve you well, it was her cabinet( no vote) that gave you your poison
      
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      March 9, 2022 10:44am
  - Lee C
    
    I fully agree, Simon.
    
    In fact I’d go one further (and have before).
    
    At least ‘Comrade’ Ardern was reared on the socialist teat. Her one-size-fits-all notions are totally consistent with her post-Marxist upbringing and ideologies as President of the International Socialist Yuth.
    
    So in a way, she is being consistent.
    
    National and ACT, on the other hand, have traditionally championed ‘freedom of choice’ – the notion that libertarian values unerpin their philosophical outlooks.
    
    Yet they totally seccumbed to the soft-totalitarianism that Ardern peddled (and has been peddling for years). In fact, we even had Chris ‘Get Vaccinated’ Bishop running as PR for Ardern’s socialist wet-dream
    
    So in this respect,, National and ACT were total sell-outs, in my opinion.
    
    They sold out their electorates, they sold out their principles and they sold out their supposed intellectual traditions upon which they aere apparently based.
    
    In fact, they acted more like Labour’s eunachs than the peoples’ representatives.
    
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    March 9, 2022 9:54am
    - RockyJ
      
      I think you, and a lot of Kiwiblog commentators are being too harsh on Luxon. He knows he has to take middle voters off Labour. He can’t keep taking votes off Act as Collins did.
      Collins was more direct and dare I say honest when she confronted Ardern over issues like our slow creep to apartheid. But that put the willies up the soft centre of kiwis who don’t like conflict or honesty. It is a flaw in our national character.
      At some stage Luxon will have to address these distasteful topics but he can do it by only expressing positives like “one standard of citizenship for all”, “equal rights under the law”, that sort of thing.
      If he goes onto the attack that will frighten the horses.
      His low key strategy seems to be working according to the polls.
      Don’t waste your vote on some minor party.
      
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      March 9, 2022 10:24am
      - G the giant from Dunedin
        
        Exactly, with his cost of living crisis call he has backed Cindy into a corner, she is now publicly being hammered by all, including much of the media, his job is to go for the centre, Acts job is yo ho for the right, has been for several years, since MMP, he will never win an election by going hard right
        
        19 1
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        March 9, 2022 10:49am
      - Lee C
        
        “Don’t waste your vote on some minor party”
        
        Like that time under 15% got to elect Ardern courtesy of Winstoon?
        
        12 1
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        March 9, 2022 11:22am
      - Gertie
        
        Luxon didnt have to get quite so anti the protest. He was over the top.
        
        14 2
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        March 9, 2022 11:30am
      - Miritu
        
        In other words you need to mislead in order to win elections? A party cannot have principles that it applies consistently? This says a lot about democracy and its not good.
        
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        March 9, 2022 12:06pm
      - RockyJ
        
        Hey Moritz, I agree. It is just that when Judith attacked He Puapua the thing was only just in the public domain and I reckon most of us could not believe a government of this country could commission such a divisive document. In the USA Ardern could probably be impeached for that.
        Timing is everything. As Three Waters, the theft of the DOC estate, brainwashing our children with CRT becomes more widely known Luxon can let fly.
        Im the meantime he can refrain from using the M…i word and the a…….d word.
        
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        March 9, 2022 12:58pm
    - Paulus
      
      What part of Ardern’s 25 year early upbringing as a Mormon directed her towards Communism she now espouses.
      Couldn’t believe it was blatant lying however.
      
      11 1
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      March 9, 2022 1:32pm
      - NeverMindTheBollocks
        
        Moving from one group of cool kids to another?
        
        5 1
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        March 9, 2022 3:38pm
- tf78
  
  That was just cruel!
  
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  March 9, 2022 9:02pm
cmm

Yesterday DPF was running some more vaccination stats up the flagpole trying to add some “science” to the debate.

There is a fundamental problem with all these statistics – they are self selecting. Thus statistical inferences should be taken with a grain of salt.

Unless stats are truly randomised, or otherwise controlled, it is hard to say anything definitive unless there is a massive effect (like, say the 95% effectiveness of real vaccines like smallpox etc).

For example, let us take a silly example: Eating KFC causes your far to fail WOF. Yup it is true, we know that people who eat a lot of KFC are more likely to have their car fail WOF.

Why? Do the chicken fumes damage the rubber on tyres and the brakes? Nope, of course not.

Instead it is not a direct causal relationship but a more complex one: the people that eat KFC a lot tend to be poorer (and I’m not saying that is causal either) and poorer people tend to have older cars that fail WOF more often.

Because KFC is not the problem, banning these people from eating KFC will not make their cars improve.

What has happened is that KFC-eating is a statistically biased to poorer people. Other similar biases exist in race, age, gender… and people getting vaccinated (or not).

It is important that people do not fall into similar statistical traps when dealing with CV19 statistics (or any other statistics used to drive public policy/opinion).
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March 9, 2022 8:15am
- Ford Prefect
  
  Is there a correlation between the sale of ice cream and shark attacks? They both increase at the same time of year.
  In fact didnt they try to link polio with ice cream.
  
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  March 9, 2022 8:26am
- R
  
  Or we could look at the numbers supplied by the Health Ministry which are found on its website.
  
  Since 14 February 2022 until yesterday, the number of hospitalisations of unvaccinated people (with Covid) had increased by 44.7 percent (from 418 to 605). At the same time, the the number of hospitalisations of fully vaccinated people (with Covid) had increased by a whopping 1,251 percent (from 72 to 973).
  
  Since 16 August 2021, the fully vaccinated account for 91.5 percent of new Covid cases (excluding those ineligible for a vaccine).
  
  It’s clear we have a pandemic of the vaccinated and that the vaccine mandates are worthless, if they were ever worth anything.
  
  It’s difficult to comprehend why a vaccine that is meant to be very effective should produce such numbers.
  
  https://www.health.govt.nz/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-data-and-statistics/covid-19-case-demographics#aug-2021
  
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  March 9, 2022 8:26am
  - R
    
    Because KFC is not the problem, banning these people from eating KFC will not make their cars improve.
    
    Well, maybe instead of spending on KFC they could spend to fix their cars. Less KFC = more roadworthy vehicles. 🙂
    
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    March 9, 2022 8:30am
    - Sacha
      
      Not necessarily – they might swap to Maccas, or Fish ‘n Chips.
      
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      March 9, 2022 10:15am
  - cmm
    
    “It’s clear we have a pandemic of the vaccinated and that the vaccine mandates are worthless, if they were ever worth anything.”
    
    I am no shill for these vaccinations, but I think you’re reading too much into this.
    
    On the face of it, yes that is correct and that would be consistent with what has been seen elsewhere (eg. studies done at Baragwanath hospital): on a % basis, more vaccinated people in hospital than unvaccinated.
    
    But there are other factors too because, even with all the coercion, getting vaccinated is still reasonably self selecting.
    
    For example, one could argue that those feeling more compelled to get vaccinated would be those who are older, sicker and have higher health risks and are therefore more likely to end up in hospital anyway.
    
    Thus, it is fairer to say that these stats are not highly conclusive either way, but they certainly do not make a strong case that there is a huge benefit to vaccination against Omicron.
    
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    March 9, 2022 12:00pm
- Simon
  
  Self selecting stats to cover for backing the mandates ‘at the time”. The real position is that no one should not be forced into a medical procedure regardless.
  
  A lot of good people are right now embarrassed and shamed they supported the mandates. Others will continue to push the mandates to cover for their lack of shame.
  
  But next comes the vaccination injury claims. Those employers who forced the jaxx are going to be in trouble.
  
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  March 9, 2022 8:31am
- Odakyu-sen
  
  Correlation is not causation.
  
  18 1
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  March 9, 2022 8:31am
  - Clownworld
    
    What is the cause of correlation?
    
    5 3
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    March 9, 2022 11:00am
- cjn
  
  When I tick up a comment on General Discussion I wait to see what will happen. Sometimes my tick will earn the comment 5 marks of approval, sometimes 3, sometimes 1. So much for data collecting
  
  [Your assertion is wrong – when you register your vote, the new total reflects the change from all voters since you loaded that page, however long ago that was. mod.]
  
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  March 9, 2022 8:33am
  - cjn
    
    Thank you Mod. That is interesting. It does not happen when I reply to something on DailySceptic but not to worry…..
    
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    March 9, 2022 6:35pm
- Brian McDonald
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  Startling work cmm, you turned a crap topic into crap.
  
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  March 9, 2022 8:44am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    He’s using an analogy to illustrate the point that the way our covid health statistics are presented is deceptive.
    
    We’ve all been led along the garden path to the vax-shed under the mistaken belief that each & everyone of us is potentially susceptible to a deadly form of covid-19.
    
    But the truth appears to be that only a tiny proportion of the population are vulnerable.
    
    Had the statistics been presented in a more informative way from the start, we wouldn’t have had to endure 2 years of lockdowns or mandated vaccines, I reckon.
    
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    March 9, 2022 8:58am
    - Salacious Crumb
      
      An excellent comment from a credentialed scientist in response to obfuscating drivel from a serial troll who demonstrates the appalling state of the collective intellect in our government and its supporters.
      
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      March 9, 2022 9:16am
      - H. Upmann
        
        Top comment — “obfuscating drivel from a serial troll”
        
        13 0
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        March 9, 2022 11:25am
    - mogg
      
      Exactly, it has been obvious for a long time now, protect the vulnerable and let everybody else get on with their lives. As usual Ardern needs to have everything spelled out for her.
      
      25 0
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      March 9, 2022 10:26am
  - cmm
    
    Brian, I am curious: what is the point of your life?
    
    38 3
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    March 9, 2022 9:12am
    - ClanMcleod
      
      Minor irritant.
      
      19 2
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      March 9, 2022 9:41am
      - Loddenthinks
        
        Wannabe minor irritant
        
        12 1
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        March 9, 2022 10:27am
    - UrbanNeocolonialist
      
      Adding joy to other’s lives obviously.
      
      12 0
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      March 9, 2022 9:56am
    - MCōs
      
      I often wonder that about some of the people who comment incessantly on this forum.
      
      4 4
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      March 9, 2022 11:24am
      - RightNow
        
        Introspection is good.
        
        6 0
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        March 9, 2022 12:48pm
      - NZer In Exile
        
        “I often wonder that about some of the people who comment incessantly on this forum.” says
        MCōs ?
        
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        March 9, 2022 4:18pm
      - glowworm
        
        For me, I can no longer stomach MSM of any type. Reading the MSM news, filtered through this site, and these comments helps keep me a bit more sane and a bit happier. Thank you David.
        
        There’s some good humour here, and strong opinions… even insults thrown around at times, but at the end of the day, there seems to be a pretty good bunch commenting on here and it feels very genuine – unlike the MSM. I only started contributing(?) after the events of last week… maybe, through these comments, we might help get this country a bit more united and back on track? Or, I don’t know maybe I’m just being niave…
        
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        March 9, 2022 11:11pm
  - Lee C
    
    Spoken like a master, Brian.
    
    12 2
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    March 9, 2022 9:56am
- Surely Knott
  
  The Australian Provisional Mortality stats are some of the best because they are all causes.
  For 2020 (the original most severe alpha variant) Death Total 2020: 141,116
  Expected avg Death (2015-19) : 140,892
  
  Respiratory Diseases: 12,022
  Expected Avg Resp Dis: 14,350
  
  Covid 19: 832
  
  So even with Covid respiratory deaths are significantly below expected. The biggest covid outbreak peaked on the 4 August with 3297 infections. But as per below quote, there were no flu deaths recorded from July to November 2020 in Australia.
  
  Influenza: “From 1 January to 24 November 2020, there have been 42 deaths due to influenza, with 40 of those deaths occurring before 22 April and none since late July.
  
  Statistically covid replaced flu and it was milder. And it’s easy to say that the measures we took to suppress covid suppressed the flu but we didn’t test for the flu. And when we had our biggest covid outbreak why was there no flu outbreak at the same time. There were Zero flu deaths instead.
  
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  March 9, 2022 8:51am
  - rockape
    
    Breaking news! Omicron prevents flue and colds!
    
    20 0
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    March 9, 2022 10:08am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      Huh, what about brain shrinkage?
      
      4 2
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      March 9, 2022 10:50am
      - rockape
        
        At 75 my brain can’t shrink any more!
        
        9 0
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        March 9, 2022 11:14am
      - James Stephenson
        
        Brain shrinkage is correlated with Covid, but the actual cause is listening to 1pm briefings from the Podium of Strewth.
        
        13 0
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        March 9, 2022 12:10pm
      - RightNow
        
        If it works for you who are we to judge? I prefer healthy diet and exercise myself.
        
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        March 9, 2022 12:49pm
      - NZer In Exile
        
        Most of these freakouts about this or that long term effect from covid are simply possible side effects from ANY respiratory illness. It’s almost like the far left have a vested interest in beating up covid! I wonder why?
        
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        March 9, 2022 4:21pm
- surfing
  
  Benedict Yu posted this link yesterday, ….
  
  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1201971221009887#
  
  What does this say about ivermectin effectiveness against covid to you?
  
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  March 9, 2022 8:52am
- cmm
  
  Just today we see another article on such a study:
  drinking increases suicide risk.
  
  Yes, there is certainly a link (ie. a heavy drinking and suicide are correlated), but is it a causal link that is alleged here? Or maybe:
  * A suicidal person is also depressed and drinks to get away from the depression. (ie. it is the depression that is causing both the drinking and the suicide).
  * Alcohol suppresses inhibitions making it more likely that a suicidal person will act on their suicidal thoughts (the same way a boozed up person is more likely to act out their aggressive thoughts).
  
  And, for the slow of wit, I am in no way shilling for alcohol. My father, rot his bones, was an alcoholic who never sought treatment so I am very aware of its potential downsides.
  
  https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/127998614/excessive-drinking-can-significantly-increase-suicide-risk-study-finds
  
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  March 9, 2022 11:16am
Lee C

cmm if I get McBooster #4 – can I get fries with it?
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March 9, 2022 8:16am
- pdm
  
  Lee you may need to get the jab at a Marae for that.
  
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  March 9, 2022 9:38am
crackle

We’re already so short of nurses that they’re going to allow covid positive nurses on the ward…
If only there were a pool of health professionals that could be perhaps available… if asked nicely…
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March 9, 2022 8:16am
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  Insanity, isn’t it.
  
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  March 9, 2022 8:44am
  - Nickc2
    
    Four years of blaming National for the state of the Health System and what has this bunch of amateurs done?
    Wasn’t Angry Andy increasing the number of Nurses and ICU facilities?
    He was probably too busy understudying Phil Twyford’s successes in increasing the State Housing stock.
    
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    March 9, 2022 11:13am
    - Master Mariner
      
      Andrew Little and ICU.
      ICU equals I Cocked Up again.
      
      10 0
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      March 9, 2022 1:51pm
- artemisia
  
  Fired health professionals – and other sectors as well – if politely invited back should be paid for the period they were laid off.
  
  Let’s see how many other employers want back staff who were fired because of once-was ‘Health and Safety’ but no problem now. Class actions waiting in the wings.
  
  As for those laid off, they are no doubt well aware there is a serious skills shortage in New Zealand and employers are struggling to hire. Plenty are angry at their old employers and if rehired will take that anger with them.
  
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  March 9, 2022 8:47am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Makes you wonder how deadly/debilitating this disease is if folks are expected to turn up to work while infected.
  
  59 2
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  March 9, 2022 8:49am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Quite a few I know have it, they never even knew Thames were sick until they had RATs at work
    
    12 1
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    March 9, 2022 10:52am
- 7kiwi11
  
  It makes no sense! You can be vaxxed, have covid and work. Or you can be unvaxxed, healthy and not work. You couldn’t make this stuff up!
  
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  March 9, 2022 8:52am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    That’s right, direct your anger at the COVID queen, she knows it all
    
    16 2
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    March 9, 2022 10:52am
  - Rodion Raskolnikov
    
    They can and they are just making it up.
    
    17 1
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    March 9, 2022 10:54am
    - Nickc2
      
      Ah, but they have reduced the isolation time from ten days to seven to take your mind off all previous fuck ups.
      That means you can now go about your leisure activities on long weekends free of Govt interference unless Maori Road Blocks are reinstated.
      
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      March 9, 2022 2:28pm
Matt Long

Just been reading John le Carre’s latest, Agent in the Field, he sure swallowed the TDS bs.
Isn’t it funny how Trump is Putin’s toady, yet Trump is the only President that Putin didn’t engage in wars of aggression with his neighbors while he (Trump) was in office.
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March 9, 2022 8:21am
- Okahu
  
  What’s it like realising so many of the people you knew to be intelligent and politically aware have the same ‘syndrome’? You ever wonder just a little that maybe LeCarre and so many other fine minds have a point about the danger sociopathic narcissists and fantasists present if given power?
  
  I would have thought the war being waged by Putrin against the women, children and men of Ukraine would give you pause in labelling anti fascists as suffering some ‘syndrome’. But hey, kiwiblog I suppose.
  
  By the way. You do realise that The howling Shitgibbon was told by his own intelligence agencies that Putrin had ‘interfered’ in the last presidential election? But the Shitgibbon thought Putrin’s denial of same was true? That he was a trustworthy, honorable man? It’s almost as if he was somehow motivated to think that way.
  
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  March 9, 2022 9:12am
  - Loddenthinks
    
    “…the danger sociopathic narcissists and fantasists present if given power”
    
    Yes yes, but enough about Ardern.
    
    25 3
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    March 9, 2022 10:31am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Can I help here…
    
    The Russian spelling of Putin’s surname is:
    Путин
    
    The Ukrainian spelling is:
    Путін
    
    There’s no r (p – Russian/ Ukrainian scripts) in his name.
    
    15 2
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    March 9, 2022 10:31am
    - Swifty
      
      Calling people names makes Okahu feel superior.
      
      Scratch the surface and you’ll realise he has little else.
      
      16 4
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      March 9, 2022 10:45am
  - Matt Long
    
    No it’s just gone completely past me that intelligent people have TDS, what has not gone past me is that Fascist Mandate Joe has emboldened Putin the KGB savage to rape his neighbours again, just like his old boss who also had a dislike for free enterprise and personal freedom. It’s almost like there’s a pattern.
    
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    March 9, 2022 10:55am
- trout
  
  An excellent presentation on the genesis of the Ukranian imbroglio; what was predicted in 2015 has now come to pass. Russia’s response to Nato’s unwelcome expansion is to wreck Ukraine.
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrMiSQAGOS4
  and Tucker Carlson in full flight on how the Dems are inviting war with Russia:
  https://video.foxnews.com/v/6299953110001#sp=show-clips
  
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  March 9, 2022 9:14am
  - Ehlana
    
    Why unwelcome expansion? Was any country forced to join NATO?
    
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    March 9, 2022 3:00pm
- mikenmildagain
  
  Alternative explanation: Trump was already giving Putin what he wanted: pulling out of the INF treaty and probably would have let START lapse.
  But is it true that this noted stable genius suggested putting Chinese insignia on F-22s and ‘bombing the shit out of Russia’?
  
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  March 9, 2022 9:55am
  - Matt Long
    
    Ahh, the “intelligent and politically aware” Okahu was talking about. Here we are to believe Trump is seriously advocating putting Chinese insignia on US armed forces because the more obvious Trump’s jokes are the more “intelligent and politically aware” TDS sufferers get hysterical.
    
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    March 9, 2022 11:14am
    - mikenmildagain
      
      I merely asked if it were true. I fully expect the quote to be denied or, if verified, to be characterized as a joke or ‘sarcasm’.
      But, fun as it is finding stupid things Trump has said, my comment was actually about treaties he abandoned that suited his Russian chum.
      
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      March 9, 2022 11:21am
      - All_on_Red
        
        Disingenuous as usual.
        Putin wasn’t complying with INF and had effectively pulled out.
        But liar that you are, you blame Trump.
        
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        March 9, 2022 11:56am
      - Phronesis
        
        Biden’s joke during the SOTU where he deliberately said Iranian instead of Ukrainian was much funnier. Strangely it didn’t get nearly as much airtime as if Trump had said it. Must be all in the delivery.
        
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        March 9, 2022 12:08pm
      - mikenmildagain
        
        Now do New START, without your usual lies.
        LOL
        
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        March 9, 2022 12:16pm
      - Matt Long
        
        Trump didn’t like New START because it tied America’s hands with regard to defense from China.
        But the real reason is Yellow Man bad, waffle, waffle, waffle, isn’t Adern wonderful etc. //
        
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        March 9, 2022 12:57pm
      - virtualmark
        
        Mike, to be fair both INF and START were past their use by date.
        
        Any new treaties need to at least cover the US, Russia and China, and it wouldn’t hurt if they also included the UK and France.
        
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        March 9, 2022 3:41pm
- virtualmark
  
  Why fight the neighbours when your patsy is going to give you what you want? (destroying NATO, and sowing discord between the US and EU).
  
  If you don’t think that Trump is Putin’s toady then please explain this photo … https://twitter.com/MaryLTrump/status/1496344857358606336
  
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  March 9, 2022 3:38pm
  - virtualmark
    
    Oh, and if you don’t like that photo then here’s two others you might like more.
    
    https://twitter.com/nealrogers/status/1498531069536133121
    
    https://twitter.com/reedgalen/status/1501244511707492354 (Zelenskiy knew)
    
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    March 9, 2022 5:27pm
  - Matt Long
    
    If you are going to use a cropped image to “prove” something ensure the Twitter thread doesn’t fisk the image on the very next Tweet.
    I’m not sure asking Germany to keep to the terms of NATO on defense expenditure and not to become dependent on Russian energy is destroying NATO, but I sure can see how a person like you would think that.
    
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    March 9, 2022 5:51pm
    - virtualmark
      
      Perhaps you missed John Bolton this week … “Putin was waiting for Trump to withdraw the US from NATO if he had won re-election”.
      
      Bolton has often talked about Trump’s intent to withdraw the US from NATO. And Trump himself has been clear that he doesn’t believe NATO is in the US’ interests.
      
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      March 9, 2022 7:53pm
westernScientest

Gold is hovering around its all time high today, oil is up to 125 USD/Barrel. Things are turning bad real quick at the moment, it just hasnt filtered through yet.
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March 9, 2022 8:23am
- cmm
  
  Until approx mid-January, the oil price had been bobbing along in the USD60-80 range for over a year. It broke out of that before the Russian/Ukrainian problem started, so was already stressed. The conflict made things far worse because of this pre-existing stress.
  
  The crude oil cost is a relatively small portion of the cost of petrol. There are approx 200l in a barrel, and the yield of petrol/diesel/whatever out of oil is pretty high (let’s call it 90%).
  
  That means for a USD60-80 oil price, the crude oil going into a litre of petrol is around NZ60c. For USD125 it is $NZ1.05 – ie. the crude oil cost for a litre of petrol has risen NZ45c.
  
  I don’t think we’re quite seeing the full impact yet.
  
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  March 9, 2022 8:44am
  - westernScientest
    
    Yeah my thoughts on that was the early increase was partly due to increasing demand as expectations for the world to return to normal at the end of the pandemic, plus the currency supply inflation. When sanctions started coming on to Russia, the futures market started trying to secure supply from other markets in case they couldnt get it from the Russians in the future. The same thing appears to be playing out more broadly in the gsci index
    https://tradingeconomics.com/commodity/gsci
    
    The small proportion of the cost of fuel that crude is, can multiply to become quite large. Lots of margins increase in proportion with the the cost increase, it gets doubled up lots of times etc. It also permutes into virtually every other product. For example, the price of urea is partially dependent on the cost of crude, it already had a run up last year of about 50%, what will the next jump be as crude increases. https://www.indexmundi.com/commodities/?commodity=urea&months=12
    Urea and diesel costs both increase input costs to agricultural products, before they even leave the farm gate, then processors and middle men slap larger markups on the food products to maintain their lifestyles, food prices increase….. the same goes for plastics etc.
    
    The gold price indicates that traders are really concerned that we are not seeing much of what is to come yet. I may well indicate a market perception that they have finally given up on the notion of reserve banks getting on top of inflation, because now there is the double wammy of the currency over supply issue and further restrained supply of goods and increased geopolitical risk re russia.
    
    The good news is that the NZD will hopefully buffer some of the force due to our strong agriculture sector providing income in booming ag commodity markets.
    
    Still hard times to come
    
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    March 9, 2022 9:15am
  - Master Mariner
    
    Heres the thing, During Covid ( Ie No flying, Bugger all travel etc) the OPEC aligned countries were struggling to meet there Quota regardless of the Bravado / Nonsense spouted.
    The under investment in Oil and Gas last Decade is what has got us to this point along with all the “green washing” renewables.
    Look at NZ super Fund not allowed to invest in Oil and Gas as one small drop in the bucket.
    The only “Saviour” at this time in place for bringing down Energy prices is Iran and Venezuela’s Oil. Steps underway to bring them online. What the unintended consequences are at this stage is any ones guess. Think Saudi and Israel etc.
    
    The under investment in New Fields will take a decade to sort out and the high prices are the “New Normal” unless highly subsidised by Governments.
    This is what Asian countries are doing now and I believe NZ should have a Floating Fuel Tax rate to dampen and smoothen the Pump price by some sort of Base line etc.
    OK, Ukraine and Russia.
    
    Here is a very little known fact that has huge implications in the Maritime Industry.
    Russian Seafarers ( Times of War) on Russian ships are “Obliged” to deliver there vessel to a delivery Point. With all cargo etc.
    So how many Russian ships deliver Cargo world wide. Quite a few, Again this is why Energy security should rely on NZ Coastal shipping.
    
    Any cargoes on Russian ships ( And I believe Russian crewed on Foreign ships) will be confiscated under War.
    All’s “fair in Love and War”.
    
    Ill ask again, How is NZ Green Policy going to affect you ?
    
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    March 9, 2022 9:24am
    - Master Mariner
      
      Latest update.
      This will have far reaching consequences for NZ than
      bloody Covid.
      https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Nothing-But-Bullish-News-As-Oil-Prices-Soar.html
      Some good links on site above.
      And ,
      https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/462954/ukraine-us-eu-and-uk-target-russia-oil-and-gas-sector
      Estimated approx 30-40% of Russian Oil goes to Refineries in Asia.
      
      How long before they are Threatened/coerced into not buying from Russia?
      
      Remember this IS where NZ gets its Oil and Gas from.
      
      Just hope like hell its not Russian Tankers bringing it down too NZ as Insurance premiums will be extremely high in case they do the “Runner”.
      
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      March 9, 2022 9:54am
      - Jack5
        
        Economic blowback from Ukraine invasion and Western economic restrictions…
        
        About 200 ships are trapped at Ukrainian ports according to Windward, Ltd, of London, which tracks world shipping.
        
        Ukraine and Russia account for about 16 per cent of world corn exports and 30 per cent of world wheat exports.
        
        The Wall Street Journal reports an American academic (and former mariner), Salvatore Mercogliano, of Campbell University, North Carolina, as saying, “This shock to global grain supply is the biggest supply shock since the OPEC oil cuts in the 1970s.It will mean food shortages in the Middle East and Africa, and inflation across the world.”
        
        Five ships off the Ukraine coast have been hit by artillery.
        
        The newspaper says thousands of Ukrainian and Russian seafarers are stranded in ports around the world, leaving shipowners scrambling to find replacement crews to keep strained supply chains rolling.
        
        Meanwhile, petrol prices in the United States are now above $US4 a gallon, and approaching the record price of $US4.114 in July 2008.
        
        World prices of aluminium, copper, tin, and zinc have soared. In the more exotic metals, palladium, which is used in car catalytic converters, has bounced to more than $US2500 an ounce. Palladium had fallen in price from the middle of last year because the shortage of computer controllers hit world car production. Russia produces about 40 per cent of world palladium.
        
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        March 9, 2022 10:23am
      - Jack5
        
        Re world metal prices …
        
        The most spectacular price rise triggered by the Ukraine invasion has been in nickel. It jumped as much as 250 per cent in two days on the London Metal Exchange before settling at $US82,250 a tonne.
        
        So strong was the movement, that at one stage the exchange suspended trading.
        
        Bloomberg reports that a Chinese speculator, Xiang Guangda, known as “Big Shot”, had held a substantial short position on nickel expecting it to dive in price. It is suggested Xiang faces multi-billion losses.
        
        The trading suspension by the London Metal Exchanged echoes the “tin crisis” of 1985, reports the Telegraph. Then, a number of metal brokers were forced out of business after the contract for the metal was suspended following the collapse of a tin cartel.
        
        Russia supplies about a tenth of the world’s nickel, mainly for stainless steel and electric vehicle batteries.
        
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        March 9, 2022 10:39am
      - westernScientest
        
        Mariner really good points, I hadnt even considered the issues of the ships being Russian crewed becoming an issue.
        
        @Jack5 Not only does Ukraine export ~30% of the worlds wheat, Russia exports a further ~20%. They are also major exporters of barley, corn, rye and oats, as is Ukraine.
        
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        March 9, 2022 10:44am
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      Russian and Ukrainian seafolk make up 14.5% of the merchant shipping workforce
      
      https://www.ics-shipping.org/press-release/russian-and-ukrainian-seafarers-make-up-14-5-of-global-shipping-workforce-according-to-ics/
      
      and how many Russian crewmen are working for Sealord?
      https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/428907/russian-fishing-crew-not-feeling-too-unwell-sealord-boss
      
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      March 9, 2022 2:11pm
      - Master Mariner
        
        “and how many Russian crewmen are working for Sealord ?”
        I was going to make that link as well,
        Actually mostly Ukrainian, But like I say, All’s fair in Love and War.
        https://www.offshore-energy.biz/container-shipping-companies-halt-shipments-to-and-from-russia/
        The Shipping Majors are concerned due to High Ukrainian / Russian Seafarers in Command onboard there Ships.
        Like I say , In times of War they will be instructed to Re Deliver their Ship to a Safe Port of refuge.
        The question in regards to Loyalty, Russia first or Shipping company.?
        
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        March 9, 2022 3:54pm
- bjools
  
  Maybe when our dear leader made her “captains call” on oil exploration, she should have bought gold with OUR taxes?
  
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  March 9, 2022 8:47am
  - westernScientest
    
    we do actually have a gold mine or two, just dont say it too loud, she might shut them down
    
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    March 9, 2022 9:59am
- Maggie Pie
  
  Vlad is promising 300 USD/barrel.
  
  – Fox
  
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  March 9, 2022 8:56am
  - cmm
    
    That would be around $4.50 a litre for petrol.
    
    This is really going to hurt economies that burn a lot of diesel for electricity (eg. the various Pacific islands, South Africa and similar).
    
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    March 9, 2022 9:10am
    - westernScientest
      
      interestingly at somewhere around that price it starts to become viable to be producing biodiesel here….
      
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      March 9, 2022 9:19am
      - JJ56
        
        That point has been and gone. See https://www.scionresearch.com/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/63332/Biofuels_TechnicalReport.pdf. The issue is whether the price will stay high to justify the investment.
        
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        March 9, 2022 6:17pm
NeverMindTheBollocks

The Commission into Abuse in State Care is currently holding hearings. Cue pile-on outrage of the type inflicted on the religious orders ‘caring’ for minors? Nope. Usual double standards from Lefties who hate Christianity.

I also note that Cardinal John Dew apologised on behalf of the Catholic Church for past failings by his clergy. Jacinda Ardern is Minister for Children. Will she apologise for past failings by her State ‘Care’ staff?
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March 9, 2022 8:24am
Warren

Economist Brad Olson sys inflation will worsen and morgage rates will increase.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/money/2022/03/leading-economist-says-inflation-will-worsen-could-see-kiwis-pay-bit-more-towards-their-mortgage.html
So will our Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern use the Russian invasion as the excuse for the rises as you could bet your bottom dollar that she will blame everyone except herself for what’s about to happen.
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March 9, 2022 8:25am
- ClanMcleod
  
  That was already the headline in her poodle media yesterday. “War causing inflation” etc etc. Predictable as it is frustrating.
  
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  March 9, 2022 9:51am
  - Rodion Raskolnikov
    
    Of course. When economies turn to shit and the bills become due, that’s when wars are started, or at least, that’s when they are proposed. Don’t forget to “Stand with Ukraine!” everyone, because it’s all about them, not about sweeping a whole lot of junk under the carpet.
    
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    March 9, 2022 11:00am
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  She has already tried
  
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  March 9, 2022 10:15am
Tom Hunter

Had to chuckle about the old, fat communist at Bowalley Road, Chris Trotter, refusing to allow me to link to DPF’s stats on C-19 infection rates. I haven’t bothered asking why because I know his rationale is that such stuff is “disinformation”.

He and his aging frightened, collectivist hoard of commentators over there, still in full Kulak mode about the scary unvaxxed people spreading the disease, are in for a hell of a shock at some point.
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March 9, 2022 8:25am
- ClanMcleod
  
  I look at people like Trotter in disbelief in the knowledge I used to believe they were decent, intelligent and well meaning people. The modern left are nothing of the kind. Latte swilling, self serving, fake twats every last one of them.
  I grew up among the real left, fathers and uncles who worked in shipyards and engineering factories. Those men would despise the current weak poseurs pretending to be “left”. There is nothing “left” about them.
  A bunch of psuedo intellectual wannabes.
  
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  March 9, 2022 9:57am
- Steve Todd
  
  […], Chris Trotter, refusing to allow me to link to DPF’s stats on C-19 infection rates.
  
  Can you provide proof of this, Tom? Your comment at 19:47 last evening reads quite seamlessly. Surely CT would have at least inserted something like “[removed; disinformation / (or whatever)]”.
  
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  March 9, 2022 2:34pm
  - Steve Todd
    
    Can you provide proof of this, Tom?
    
    Apparently not, in which case your comment means nothing, and should never have been made. You have done yourself, and us, a disservice.
    
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    March 10, 2022 9:27am
    - Tom Hunter
      
      … [Deleted]
      
      Trotter does not make responses such as you suggest when he dumps comments, as the mods do here. They just vanish into the ether and unless you ask why he doesn’t bother explaining.
      
      The reason I know why my comment was dumped is that he has been quite upfront about banning any “disinformation” about the vaccines, masks, lockdowns or just about anything else that goes against official government advice on those subjects. Only on one occasion did somebody forget this and ask why their comment had been dumped, to which Trotter responded:
      
      To: Doug Longmire
      
      From memory, Doug, I disallowed your comment because it contained disinformation and/or ad hominem abuse. Neither of which are permitted on Bowalley Road.
      
      But how about a test? You, as a good Old Leftie, should try putting in the same link with the same information. Maybe if you explain up front how good a Leftie you are, he’ll let it through.
      
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      March 10, 2022 10:37am
      - Steve Todd
        
        Okay, so why not post the relevant part of your original BR comment here (including the reference to DPF’s post about infection rates), so we can see where CT’s deletion was made. I’ve read your 19:47 comment two or three times and there is no ‘disjointedness’ to indicate where that occurred.
        
        In any event, if you knew you were ‘pushing it’ by including a link to ‘disinformation’ at another blogsite, you could have attempted to get around that by saying something like “Only this afternoon, at David Farrar’s blog, figures were posted showing a different picture.” That might have worked. I suspect you were being deliberately provocative, and paid the price. Hopefully, we’ll get a clearer picture once we’ve seen exactly what you wrote, and therefore what CT deleted.
        
        My point is, the first paragraph of your 8:25AM comment yesterday lacked detail. You clearly expected us to simply accept what you said (including that you knew “his rationale is that such stuff is ‘disinformation’”). You should have included an explanation as to why you can’t prove what you say, along the lines of this morning’s response to me (for which I thank you, even though it looks like you had to be pushed into making it).
        
        This is not a left or right issue. It’s about commenters being considerate of those who read their comments.
        
        Finally, the “… [Deleted]” was childish and unnecessary.
        
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        March 10, 2022 12:48pm
      - Tom Hunter
        
        … so we can see where CT’s deletion was made. I’ve read your 19:47 comment two or three times and …
        
        It was an entirely separate comment on another post of his where I thought it was more appropriate and I don’t keep copies of comments I make on blogs.
        
        you could have attempted to get around that by saying something like
        
        I embedded the link back to DPF’s post which he would have seen had he scanned his mouse over it. Perhaps he just saw the cut-and-paste and dumped it without further thought or investigation. It would be entirely in keeping with what he regards as debate. I note that his limited selection of other blogs does not include Kiwiblog so perhaps he regards it as too much of a “sewer” to deal with.
        
        But take your own suggestion and give it a go: I’ll be highly amused if he posts it and I’ll certainly have him up on it.
        
        even though it looks like you had to be pushed into making it)
        
        Pushed is right. I don’t mind people saying what I write is crap but I certainly object to being called a liar by anybody who is not a shit-posting troll. Same goes for my “childish” (and mod-deleted) first sentence response to you. BTW, glad you saw that because otherwise there’d be no “proof” that I wrote it. You see how this works?
        
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        March 10, 2022 1:04pm
      - All_on_Red
        
        One could say that your pickiness, pedantry and demanding manner is ‘childish and unnecessary’.
        Its just a blog dude.
        
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        March 10, 2022 1:17pm
      - Steve Todd
        
        @Tom Hunter @ 1:04PM
        
        Ah, we’re slowly getting somewhere.
        
        It was an entirely separate comment on another post of his […].
        
        You say this now!
        
        You made a comment at Bowalley Road at 1947 hrs on Tuesday 8. DPF’s “infections rate” post was put up at 3:00PM that afternoon. You then came on Kiwiblog yesterday morning accusing Chris Trotter of removing the link to DPF’s “infections rate” post from [a comment of yours].
        
        Yesterday, I went through the Bowalley Road posts, going back about a week, just in case you were referring to a post previous to the Tuesday post, Conservatives and Revolutionaries: Together At Last. I found nothing relevant.
        
        Logically, to the outside observer, you could only have been referring to your Tuesday evening comment. If, as you now say, you were referring to “an entirely separate comment on another post of his where I thought it was more appropriate”, you must have some idea as to which post it was. How far back was it? (CT only puts up a few blogs a week.) If it was too far back, no-one would see it. Therefore, it would have been pointless. Also, if it was too far back, it would be unfair / inappropriate to embed the just-released results of current research into it. You would appreciate that, so therefore the BR post you refer to can’t have been too long ago. Please find it and let us know which one it was.
        
        Also, if it was an historical post that you embedded DPF’s link in, why didn’t you say that yesterday morning, or today!? Why did you give the impression, to anyone who went looking, that you were referring to your Tuesday evening comment, when you were, in fact, referring to an historical comment? Or were you really just seizing upon any excuse to have a crack at CT, safe in the knowledge that Kiwibloggers wouldn’t think, much less bother, to check out what you said?
        
        You see how this works?
        
        But take your own suggestion and give it a go[…].
        
        It was not my suggestion; it was yours — twice now.
        
        As it happens, I most certainly do not think what you write is “crap”, whether it be here or at No Minister / Bowalley Road. Indeed, I read pretty much everything you put up with great interest.
        
        I certainly object to being called a liar by anybody who is not a shit-posting troll.
        
        Oh, dear. Now we get the nastiness. Not used to being called out, Tom? Tough! But you’re right about one thing; I’m not a “shit-posting troll” — charming, I’m sure — and our exchange here does not make me one.
        
        Nowhere have I called you a liar, explicitly or implicitly. I merely asked you if you could provide proof that what you say happened (8:25AM yesterday), happened. (And I did it nicely, too.) You have not been able to do that, so I say again, you should have said nothing. (That is my point: don’t accuse someone of doing something if you can’t show that they did it.)
        
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        March 10, 2022 3:58pm
      - All_on_Red
        
        Hahahahahahaha
        Pedants gonna pedant eh.
        Don’t you have better things to do Todd?
        So sad and more than a little pathetic.
        
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        March 10, 2022 5:09pm
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  Kulaks, eh? We know what Stalin did to them
  
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  March 9, 2022 7:24pm
fightingtemeraire

Jacinda, Robbo and Co have now got a REAL crisis on their hands,

Do they know how to handle it???

No Way Jose
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March 9, 2022 8:27am
- Master Mariner
  
  “Jacinda, Robbo and Co have now got a REAL crisis on their hands,
  Do they know how to handle it???”
  
  There reply is Covid, Covid, Covid.
  Slowly changing to Russia , Ukraine, Russia Ukraine
  
  Dont worry Mahuta is on the Case.
  
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  March 9, 2022 10:20am
glowworm

Agreed.

In my line of work – a niche and complex field, I’ve found expert statisticians, with high qualifications from top overseas university’s, can sometimes develop, quite unintentionally, demonstrably incorrect conclusions…
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March 9, 2022 8:28am
- Clownworld
  
  Gigo or sometimes big data does not equal wisdom.
  
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  March 9, 2022 11:16am
Nickc2

That will of course depend on your ethnicity.
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March 9, 2022 8:29am
- Nickc2
  
  My post above was supposed to be an indent post to
  Lee C @8:16AM
  Don’t know how it got here.
  
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  March 9, 2022 11:00am
  - glowworm
    
    Mine too…
    
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    March 9, 2022 12:03pm
Okahu

Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Wonderful news! The first of the roaring retards that fought to stop the democratic transfer of power on the steps of the Capitol has been found guilty. He faces 20 years imprisoned on just one of the charges he faced.

Let’s only hope that similar hammer blows land on the ignorant cretins that through a defiant show of force tried to make our democratic government bend to their will at our parliament.

We can only hope that every means the police have at their disposal are set to uncover and hold to account the rabid mongrels and their backers and provocateurs in both countries.

Democracy is not the plaything of thugs, halfwits and wannabe tyrants.
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March 9, 2022 8:34am
- ClanMcleod
  
  “Democracy is not the plaything of thugs, halfwits and wannabe tyrants.”
  
  Patently wrong, we only need to look at the actions of Ardern and her supporters in the last few years. I never thought I would witness the rise of fascism in NZ, particularly from the Labour ranks, but here we are.
  
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  March 9, 2022 10:00am
- UrbanNeocolonialist
  
  heartily agree; more show trials and persecution of opposition to oligarch’s and economically protected classes (via their campaign finance mediated ownership of US politicians and through them effective control of principle agencies of governance) is definitely the way to fix ~~democracy~~ the political system of the USA.
  
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  March 9, 2022 10:03am
- Tom Hunter
  
  The fate the Left would love for all Trump supporters
  
  Matthew Perna did nothing wrong on January 6, 2021. The Pennsylvania man walked through an open door on the Senate side of the building shortly before 3 p.m. that afternoon. Capitol police, shown in surveillance video, stood by as hundreds of Americans entered the Capitol. Wearing a “Make America Great Again” sweatshirt, Perna, 37, left after about 20 minutes.
  
  Less than two weeks later, Perna was ensnared in what the former top U.S. prosecutor called a “shock and awe” campaign to round up Trump supporters and deter them from demonstrating at Joe Biden’s inauguration on January 20, 2021. After he discovered his image on the FBI’s most wanted list for January 6, Perna immediately contacted his local FBI office and voluntarily submitted to questioning; on January 18, six FBI agents arrested Perna at his home.
  
  His life from that point turned into a nightmare. Perna was indicted by a grand jury in February 2021 on four counts including obstruction of an official proceeding and trespassing misdemeanors. Despite his nonviolent participation in the events of that day — he did not assault anyone, carry a weapon, or vandalize property — Biden’s Justice Department and local news media nonetheless made his life pure hell. Whenever his hometown paper, the Sharon Herald, published an article on its social media account about Perna, the majority of replies were “horrible and brutal,” his aunt, Geri Perna, told me on the phone Sunday. After more than a year of legal and public torture, Perna saw no way out.
  
  On Friday night, Matthew Perna hung himself in his garage.
  
  “They broke him, they mentally broke him,” Geri said through racking sobs as she explained why her loved one ended his life. “He had run out of hope. I know he couldn’t take it any more.”
  
  I suggest you change your nym from Okahu to Blokhin. It’s far more appropriate for you.
  
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  March 9, 2022 11:48am
  - virtualmark
    
    I think the problem with the January 6 indictments is that they’re going after the foot-soldiers while the people that planned and incited it have (so far) remained at liberty.
    
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    March 9, 2022 3:45pm
    - Batman
      
      Gotta start with the little fish before you go after the Mafia Dons…
      
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      March 9, 2022 4:18pm
      - All_on_Red
        
        Lol
        You two are such a couple of losers
        
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        March 9, 2022 4:35pm
- Phronesis
  
  Mallard is obviously the thug, Ardern is most likely the halfwit and Little the wannabe tyrant. Although really there are so many plausible combinations that it’s hard to know exactly who you’re referring to.
  
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  March 9, 2022 12:13pm
- glowworm
  
  Comments like this one make me deeply concerned where we are heading as a nation. God help us.
  
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  March 9, 2022 12:22pm
Morry45

Not knowing much about these things, but I wondered if now would be a good time to overturn the “Captains Call” to stop our Oil and Gas Exploration.
With Russia going off line, couldn’t we possibly save or even make a bunch of money using our resources?
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March 9, 2022 8:35am
- Clownworld
  
  Logic? Rationale? Wisdom?
  Surely you cannot be serious?
  Sound economic and admission of mistakes in ideology in a time of woke mystic new world disorder around energy decisions by this govt?
  
  Great reset.
  Vision for 2030 or before.
  Attack anyone in media not compliant.
  Pandemic shut majority world down.
  Expose under investment in healthcare systems and people.
  Worldwide supply chain issues.
  Worldwide inflation.
  Raise problems like money supply, cybercrime, population growth and then provide solutions.
  Increase distrust in govts and opinions.
  Increase divide and conquer tactics like pro govt vs dissenting voices.
  Censor speech.
  Ban culture.
  Cancel culture.
  Divest parents from responsibility raising their children.
  
  And on and on it goes…
  
  The NZ govt and it’s opposition all support the above.
  
  Escape from reason. Read that book before it is banned.
  
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  March 9, 2022 11:25am
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  On the contrary. All going according to plan, comrade! High oil prices will hasten green “investment”.
  
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  March 9, 2022 7:27pm
Inandout

Was that latest Roy Morgan poll a dream? I would have thought Mumbling Mark Mitchell would have mentioned it on Hosking, like Nash used to crow when Labour polled high.
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March 9, 2022 8:36am
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  Nat MOs font usually mention polls unless they are asked
  
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  March 9, 2022 9:57am
Maggy Wassilieff

Covid-19 Spin….
How we define words/terms matters in science.

Last night Batman made a comment that the Pfizer vaccine was not gene therapy.

Where did that come from, I thought…as loads of Cell Biology, Genetics and Biochem Journals refer to
mRNA vaccines as Gene therapy

e.g. the Covid Symposium by the American Society for Cell & Gene Therapy

https://asgct.org/research/news/november-2020/covid-19-moderna-nih-vaccine

So , I discovered that last year Reuters ran a “factcheck” piece arguing that the mRNA vaccines were not Gene therapy…as cell DNA was not altered….

https://www.reuters.com/article/factcheck-covid-mrna-gene-idUSL1N2PH16N

and that new distinction….. mRNA is a “genetic-based therapy” not gene therapy… seems to be the way we are all meant to view the mRNA vaccines.

But as far as I’m concerned, a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.
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March 9, 2022 8:36am
- cmm
  
  It really is dancing on the head of a pin.
  
  The fact that genes are involved is right there in the name: mRNA. RNA is a bunch of genes.
  
  Releasing those mRNA into cells does, of course, modify the genetics of the cell – just like a virus does. It might not be a long term DNA modification (ie. does not lead to a GMO), but that is another matter.
  
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  March 9, 2022 8:56am
  - rangitoto
    
    There is already in vitro evidence that certain cell lines do incorporate the Pfizer MRNA reverse transcribed into the cellular genome.
    
    https://www.mdpi.com/1467-3045/44/3/73/htm?s=09
    
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    March 9, 2022 11:17am
- ldypen
  
  And where are the Greens, as they are rabid anti gene modification you would of thought that Golly and co would be marching down Queen Street demanding an immediate holt to this evil!
  
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  March 9, 2022 9:09am
  - Shaun the Sheep
    
    Genetically modifying a tomato is bad.
    Genetically modifying people is – meh.
    
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    March 9, 2022 11:44am
- Aunty
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  On this issue, Maggy, you don’t know what you are talking about, and for those of us who do understand all this stuff, you are just making yourself look silly and your back peddling a tad self-serving. You clearly don’t understand the molecular biology or the function of these various classes of nucleic acids (so why not be honest about it?) and therefore you are misinterpreting and failing to understand what these molecules can and can’t do and how they differ from each other in both form, function, structure and chemistry. Why don’t you go off and buy yourself a used copy of an up-to-date Stage I Cellular and Molecular Biology textbook used for teaching at one of our Universities and start reading?
  
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  March 9, 2022 9:21am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Feel free to list your Genetics /biochemistry papers here Aunty.
    
    I have Cell Biology I
    Biochemistry I and II
    Genetics II
    and Plant Genetics III
    and Honours papers in Genetics, and Plant Pathology
    
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    March 9, 2022 10:38am
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      oh woops….
      
      I forgot my Microbiology II paper.
      
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      March 9, 2022 10:58am
      - All_on_Red
        
        I think Aunty Karen is going to need some ointment for that severe Burn
        
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        March 9, 2022 11:26am
      - Tom Hunter
        
        I know I already did this earlier in the day when you dropped the hammer on “Batman” over something similar but …
        ???????????????
        
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        March 9, 2022 11:41am
      - Fuzzysnuggleduck
        
        Die your hair, and for the next pandemic, you will be on TV news and Stuff giving advice to the public and the government!
        
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        March 9, 2022 1:40pm
    - Don Beckett
      
      Good morning Aunty Karen. Sounds like you have a few degrees in micro-biology & the likes.
      Why don’t you put up your schedule of degrees, like Maggy has, who you disagree with ?
      Can’t do it? Thought so.
      
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      March 9, 2022 11:34am
    - Aunty
      
      If what you say is correct then it is a disgrace that you don’t understand what genetic material is and what genetic modifications are, which leads me to conclude that either you did these papers 40 years ago before the molecular biology revolution when these things were not widely practiced or taught (certainly not in botany) or that you have forgotten the content of most of them, or that your grades were poor meaning you are neither a scholar nor a master of them.
      
      As for my qualifications, I am not going to enter into a pissing contest with you. Given my background that is just so incredibly juvenile and not worthy of a response. Suffice it to say I am very confident with my qualifications and experience in this area which certainly trumps yours, but I am not going to beat you over the head with them.
      
      As a person with strong right-wing leanings, the disappointing feature for me in all of this is the sad reality that so many of you have fallen so far down the rabbit hole of crazy over the last two years that it is pointless coming here to engage in a rational discussion on this issue or any other issue of the day quite frankly. I might as well go to a lunatic asylum and listen to the patient’s screaming. It amounts to the same thing.
      
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      March 9, 2022 1:34pm
      - RightNow
        
        All I heard was wah wah wah
        
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        March 9, 2022 2:34pm
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        I have a 1st Class Honours degree and a PhD.
        
        I received a damn good grounding in Biochem at Massey University and had the privilege of Dr Margot Forde as my Genetics lecturer in 3rd Year.
        
        At Vic University I had Dr Rickards and Prof Heyes lecturing in Genetics and Molecular Biology.
        
        Sure my degrees were in the 1970s… but never forget that viruses were first isolated from a plant – Tobacco (Tobacco Mosaic virus) in 1892…
        
        You made a mistake by stating that my knowledge of molecular biology/nucleic acids was zilch… when I hadn’t Written a damn thing about them.
        
        and as for or that your grades were poor meaning you are neither a scholar nor a master of them.…
        I must admit I do not hold a masterate of anything…
        
        I must have been one of those precocious shits who could go from a honours straight to a doctorate (and have a baby on the side).
        
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        March 9, 2022 3:28pm
      - Don Beckett
        
        Aunty Karen, you’re pathetic.
        
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        March 9, 2022 5:19pm
      - glowworm
        
        What’s more Maggy, back in the 70s I’d suggest your PhD was more difficult to obtain and better quality than many more recent PhDs.
        
        I wish I had your education in the biological sciences. Really struggling with trying to read and understand the Janeway’s Immunology textbook I have… only up to page 10 in the introduction and it’s already overwhelming…. one thing I can state, quite certainly, is that the immune system is a very complex system! within the human body, another very complex system, within the madness of our current complex society! Complex systems cubed really… The precautionary principle should definitely have been applied.
        
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        March 9, 2022 9:02pm
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        @glowworm
        
        I’m no immunologist or biochemist, so that’s why I have NEVER posted anything on this blog indicating that I’ve got some superior knowledge of how the Covid-19 vaccine is operating in our bodies.
        
        But I have enough basic knowledge of viruses to know that it was bullshit when our Experts told us that folks in MIQ became infected with Covid-19 from touching frozen goods or rubbish-bin lids or lift buttons or had been incubating the virus with no symptoms for 14 days.
        
        I’m also not impressed by a Government mandating mass vaccinations of folks in compressed time frames with a demonstrably “leaky vaccine”.
        
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        March 9, 2022 9:40pm
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    @ Aunty
    
    You make a specific charge against me that I clearly don’t understand the biology of the various nucleic acids.
    Now, if you could point me to the places on this blog where I have written about the role/function of the various nucleic acids, we might be able to clear up where I have made a mistake.
    
    For as far as I can recall, I don’t think I’ve ever discussed the nature of mRNA in the human cell on KB, let alone the synthetic mRNA manufactured by Pfizer – which substitutes N1-methylpseudouridine as a nucleo-base.
    https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acscentsci.1c00197
    
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    March 9, 2022 11:56am
  - RightNow
    
    Lol pwned.
    
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    March 9, 2022 12:59pm
- Fuzzysnuggleduck
  
  Heh.
  Yesterday Batman called a post of mine questioning his own assertion of 6 million deaths as whether these are excess deaths, or even caused primarily by Covid itself, as “weak bullshit hair splitting from the pro-virus lobby”.
  
  Not sure what “pro-virus” means. That’s a first in the arena of slurs thrown around over Covid!
  I am not even anti-vaxx (don’t even engage in the daily posts on this theme), but I assume a pro-virus person is worse?
  So don’t expect any walk back, or openness, modification or position or actual dialogue around points of contention.
  Evidence will be chosen or discarded to support an already held position. The trend to often these days is to perceive others as a good person or an irredeemably bad person depending on what they believe vis-a-vis own belief.
  
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  March 9, 2022 1:31pm
NeverMindTheBollocks

Wellington City Council voted 11-4 in favour of the most expensive of four options for environmental restoration work – $4.3m.
The option recommended by council officers was less than half that – $2m.

They still don’t get it, do they.
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March 9, 2022 8:39am
- UrbanNeocolonialist
  
  they never will while local body elections are dominated by the fringing nutty zealots who actually bother to run (and vote), and don’t care if they waste other’s money.
  
  How about giving a 1% discount to all rate payers who vote, 2% if they read and answer a questionnaire on the council budget.
  
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  March 9, 2022 10:06am
Maggie Pie

An (ex) Jacinda supporter posts….

“I feel sad. This isn’t a place I ever expected to be in my life. I’m angry because something is broken. I hate Labor. I hate the fucking Supermarkets. I hate the Petrol companies and the Telco’s. I feel like the whole fucking country is rigged to extract money out of me – money I don’t have.
The only thing free is breathing. I’m just SO angry, man!”

– Name withheld.

🙁
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March 9, 2022 8:40am
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  Give it time the air your breath will given to Māori, and you will have to pay what the Māori say.
  
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  March 9, 2022 8:45am
  - plc
    
    But hopefully National are in power so we can rely on Luxon making sure the charges are handled efficiently
    
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    March 9, 2022 10:21am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      He has already stated there will not be separatist agendas, no rules for a few, why don’t you lot listen before it’s too late.
      
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      March 9, 2022 11:06am
  - Master Mariner
    
    Not quite correct.
    We will be given the Co2 component and methane due to our colonial past by Birth right.
    Same as water, We will get the shit.
    
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    March 9, 2022 10:26am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      He has already ruled separatist agenda out FFS
      
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      March 9, 2022 11:07am
- info@cruzpro.com
  
  Don’t forget electricity pricing. Around NZ$0.30 per Kwh in New Zealand as opposed to NZ$0.081 to NZ$0.13 in the USA.
  
  https://www.energybot.com/electricity-rates/texas/
  
  And we have a huge amount of hydro power where Texas has to burn gas and coal for 72% of its power.
  
  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_power_stations_in_Texas
  
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  March 9, 2022 8:51am
  - UrbanNeocolonialist
    
    rooftop PV getting ever more economically attractive. Another couple of years will see batteries cheap enough to make going off grid viable for many people living in sunnier parts of NZ.
    
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    March 9, 2022 11:27am
    - info@cruzpro.com
      
      We put 5.3 Kw solar on the roof five year a ago.
      
      Best investment we ever made. The return on investment has been over 8%. The price of electricity in this country is ridiculous and getting worse by the day.
      
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      March 9, 2022 7:23pm
- Flossie
  
  That free breathing…
  Only with a mask on.
  
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  March 9, 2022 8:53am
- RockyJ
  
  Don’t hold your breath over free air. After taking over ownership of water I am sure Nanaia Mahuta will be thinking how the iwi elite can start charging us for breathing. Air is a taonga surely?.
  
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  March 9, 2022 9:02am
  - Nickc2
    
    The sorry part of all this is that she can do whatever she wants. The Govt she serves has the numbers and nothing short of revolution will stop them. Thanks Winston – NOT!!!!
    
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    March 9, 2022 3:27pm
- Libertarians are right
  
  One day “Name Withheld” might take the next step and realise that most of the hate for the petrol companies is because of Government decisions (like 50% tax) and this goes into everything, including their hatred of the Supermarkets.
  
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  March 9, 2022 9:06am
- MCōs
  
  Whoever it was forgot to mention the banks, the councils/landlords, online subs . . . .
  
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  March 9, 2022 9:12am
- Frank the tank
  
  Wait till winter Mags.
  
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  March 9, 2022 9:20am
- Gertie
  
  Arab spring?
  Something is brewing here in NZ
  
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  March 9, 2022 9:29am
- fernglas
  
  You should have put in the whole quote, including the bit where he says he hates National. And spells Labour properly.
  https://www.reddit.com/r/newzealand/comments/t94bg7/today_i_had_to_accept_charity_for_the_first_time/
  
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  March 9, 2022 9:34am
- Lee C
  
  LoL – He thinks air is free.
  
  Wait till he hears about Carbon Emissions..
  
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  March 9, 2022 9:59am
NeverMindTheBollocks

Good news! Maccas has closed down all its Russian outlets. Total war. That’ll learn ‘em!
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March 9, 2022 8:42am
- fightingtemeraire
  
  Kept the staff on pay
  
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  March 9, 2022 9:53am
- ClanMcleod
  
  No Maccas, no coca cola. We’d better be careful, we might turn the Russians into the healthiest people on the planet.
  
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  March 9, 2022 10:02am
  - MCōs
    
    I doubt it.
    Russians have a life expectancy of around 71
    1/4 males don’t make 55 due to excess alcohol intake.
    Maybe with no Coke they’ll just drink more vodka?
    
    I read somewhere once that Coke & white bread were the two biggest sellers in our supermarkets.
    How depressing is that
    
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    March 9, 2022 11:43am
    - Nickc2
      
      It’s the only stuff on the shelves FFS.
      
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      March 9, 2022 2:50pm
      - MCōs
        
        Dairies aren’t supermarkets
        
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        March 9, 2022 9:33pm
- Tauhei Notts
  
  I studied the McDonald’s menu in a store in Kaliningrad when I was there in 2019. It helped me learn parts of the Cyrillic alphabet.
  
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  March 9, 2022 10:05am
- virtualmark
  
  It would be interesting to know how much of the Russian McDonalds ingredients are sourced in Russia. They may be able to keep “McDonaldov” going without the support of the US parent?
  
  (Kind of like how Coca-Cola Germany carried on in WWII)
  
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  March 9, 2022 3:48pm
Maggy Wassilieff

Oh Grief..

The Antivaxxers are pro-Putin according to the Research arm of Auckland University.

Already, New Zealand’s conspiracy theorists are almost unanimously supportive of the Russian invasion

https://www.newsroom.co.nz/nz-anti-vaxxers-fall-for-tsunami-of-russian-disinformation

I do hope the Te Pūnaha Matatini folk have a fun time reading “The Standard”….. not that I’ve noticed that it is full of anti-vaxxers.
https://thestandard.org.nz/denazifying-ukraine/
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March 9, 2022 8:45am
- graham
  
  I think some of the most rabid and extreme conspiracy theorists are already working for the media as reporters and journalists.
  
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  March 9, 2022 9:14am
- judith8409121
  
  yep – thats what labour does – takes your money and makes it worthless – but, lets be honest, the people of New Zealand choose woke and pronouns. Effectively voting for wastage. This is what you get – people who take your money and spend it on look and feel. Shame.
  
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  March 9, 2022 9:16am
- ClanMcleod
  
  There’s that “misinformation” and “disinformation” garbage again. These people are seriously off the scale fucked in the head. I’ve seen nothing like it since the 60s and the pronouncements from the former Soviet Union. These bureaucrat, technocrats and academics are very, very dangerous people.
  
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  March 9, 2022 9:17am
  - Frank the tank
    
    I saw one of the clowns on FakeNewsHub last night. He looked all of 19, judging by appearances a recent immigrant into the country and had half a dozen left-wing journals propping up a computer.
    
    And we pay for this garbage.
    
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    March 9, 2022 9:37am
  - RockyJ
    
    I went on to the Te Punaha Matatini website. It was a revelation to a dumb schmuck like myself. I obviously need to get out more.
    How did we get to a point where such jibberish masquerades as intelligence? The swamp is deep and wide indeed.
    
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    March 9, 2022 9:39am
    - Frank the tank
      
      And our taxes pay for this.
      
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      March 9, 2022 11:12am
    - glowworm
      
      I just had a look. Hadn’t heard of this place. Almost fell of the couch, it is outrageous!!
      
      Thanks for waking me up. I’m getting angry now!
      
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      March 9, 2022 9:53pm
- Surely Knott
  
  NGO’s are a way the govt exerts influence and appears independent.
  “Te Pūnaha Matatini ” who are they and who funds them. At the bottom of the website it says Partners: and then a number of university logos and landcare research . But right at the bottom is a little. http://www.govt.nz
  
  A look at their annual report shows from Jan to they were funded $3.2 mill from Tertiary Education Commission. -This report covers the period from 1 January 2020 to 30 June 2021 and
  details funding received and funds distributed to collaborative partners of the CoRE. (not sure why the report only covers half the year..)
  
  So it appears to be 100% govt funded. But the logos make it look like they answer to the universities. And they supply the modelling and news commentators. Their people include director Shaun Hendy, Siouxie Wiles, Cate Mcinnis-ng
  
  They receive money but they don’t appear to be a company or a charity or society. They say they are hosted by Auckland Uni. So what is there legal status. Are they a branch of Auckland Uni. What is the name of the legal entity.
  
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  March 9, 2022 10:18am
  - Clownworld
    
    Do they pay tax on the tax money they get?
    
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    March 9, 2022 11:36am
Cassandra

Surprise, surprise! The review committee looking into 3 Waters, composed of 7 Maori and 7 people appointed by Minister Mahuta recommends only a token change. Only one dissenter, Mayor Goff. Labour has established a 3 Waters organisation with multiple staff and will no doubt spends heaps introducing this blatant racism and then National will unpick it n 15 months time. Note that committee member T Morgan set out Maori tribes’ plan to get royalties for water. Rust and tribes never sleep. Count your spoons.
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March 9, 2022 8:47am
- oldfella
  
  if that’s Tuku Morgan, count your underpants. /
  
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  March 9, 2022 10:18am
- virtualmark
  
  Patsy votes on the review committee won’t count for bumpkiss in the 2023 general election …
  
  There is always a cost to every political decision. You rarely ever “get away with it”. If you do shit stuff then you tend to find yourself on the opposition benches after the next election.
  
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  March 9, 2022 3:50pm
Maggie Pie

And b4 that ‘milkey’ gets his slack-ass out of bed….

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY!

https://twitter.com/secretsexpot/status/1501282128407019523
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March 9, 2022 8:47am
- Cassandra
  
  He missed International Gin Day too, a few weeks ago. Losing his touch.
  
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  March 9, 2022 8:48am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  He missed it…
  It was Yesterday.
  
  (Our politicians noticed….
  https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/hansard-debates/rhr/combined/HansDeb_20220308_20220308_12/tab/video?page=10&mode=form)
  
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  March 9, 2022 9:04am
  - MCōs
    
    Not in America where the expression ’slack-ass’ is used.
    (& Labor for that matter)
    
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    March 9, 2022 9:20am
- Andrew S
  
  Milkey is probably non binary so I doubt that he’ll celebrate, least of all acknowledge ‘International Wommins Day’
  
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  March 9, 2022 9:08am
I remember when

Placebo and Nocebo:
Recognised and carefully adjusted for in trials for new medicines and vaccines.
It is the human body’s ability to fight and cure illnesses and disease, with or without additional medicines.
Or react as if it has been given a cure even when that is not the case.
The ‘experts’ have mentioned the possibilities of ‘placebo and nocebo’ in relation to adverse effects for covid vaccinations.
Interestingly, it is curiously missing from the discussions about the effects and dangers of ‘long covid.’
There has also never been any serious research into the ‘placebo/nocebo’ effects of the two years of endless covid speculation and publicity.
If your are increasingly fearful of getting covid does it influence the outcome when if you are infected.
Are you more likely to be hospitalised if you have convinced yourself that will be the likely outcome.
Where has covid had the highest number of deaths and hospitaliations.
In the elderly, a group that is aware of it frailties.
Do the ‘experts’, epidemiologists, researchers, doctors, medical staff, media and social media have to look at the results – and wonder whether they helped.
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March 9, 2022 8:51am
- Ehlana
  
  Nocebo – “a situation where a negative outcome occurs due to a belief that the intervention will cause harm. It is a sometimes forgotten phenomenon in the world of medicine safety. The term nocebo comes from the Latin ‘to harm’.” Thanks Medsafe.
  
  It does suggest a real difficulty in assessing the effects of the current Covid outbreak and medical responses to it. How much harm was caused by the belief that harm would happen?
  
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  March 9, 2022 3:12pm
TripeWryter

Dr John Battersby, a Massey University academic, is the latest to punch a hole into the Government-Left-Media-Maori narrative they’ve been pushing about the protest occupation at Parliament.
See this morning’s New Zealand Herald.
This follows the Human Rights Commisioner’s piece in Stuff earlier – how did that get past Stuff’s censors?
Especially when Stuff was so editorially antagonistic towards them.
Equally astonishing was a Bolton cartoon earlier in the week that suggests the wider issues behind the protest and occupation remain despite the Left and Radio New Zealand, Television New Zealand, and Stuff conveniently trying to ignore them.
How did that get on to Stuff?
Then at the weekend was an excellent, balanced column in the NZ Herald by John Roughan.
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March 9, 2022 8:53am
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  A not-so-subtle hint to the Government that the next funding instalment is due?
  
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  March 9, 2022 7:40pm
Sir Cullen's Sidekick

The Muppet who is leading National now won’t say whether he will ditch the 39% envy tax or not. Newshub has made it a headline news. What is wrong with this clown? Can’t he take a firm stand and stick to it? In his state of the nation vomit on Sunday he said every tax imposed by the communists will be reversed. Now he won’t commit to removing the envy tax. He may as well kiss the election in 2023 good bye.
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March 9, 2022 8:55am
- Frank the tank
  
  SCS are you on the plane ride across in May for our Glorious Leader’s job interview? Rumor has it it will be straight after her honorary doctorate – cos it will sound better as Doctor Cindy during the interview.
  
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  March 9, 2022 10:10am
  - Sir Cullen's Sidekick
    
    Frank the tank – if you are expecting Cindy to resign after her May junket, you are mistaken my friend. She knows she can win 2023 election with the help of the stinking hippies and form a gummit which can further wreck NZ with green taxes.
    
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    March 9, 2022 1:07pm
- kevn
  
  I do wonder if Luxon is just keeping his powder dry for closer to the election.
  
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  March 9, 2022 10:12am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Of course he is, this tax thing was just a small slice of several policy setting that will make life easier and happier in our dying country, he backed Cindy into a corner over cost of living crisis, set a trap do to speak, and she tripped right into it, she is getting hammered from pillar to post over her weasel words, yet centre voters want to blame Nats
    
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    March 9, 2022 10:21am
  - coge
    
    I doubt that very much. He doesn’t seem to have read and understood the NZ Bill of Rights act. “Educated” doesn’t necessarily mean a well rounded education.
    
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    March 9, 2022 10:31am
  - Shaun the Sheep
    
    I think Luxon’s powder got wet a very long time ago
    
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    March 9, 2022 11:49am
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  The media said that, he has already stated he will get rid of all Labours tax hikes
  
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  March 9, 2022 10:18am
Opie

New Zealand all cause mortality up by a staggering 2000 last year, matching the timeline of the vaccine rollout.

No flu last year.

Bugger all covid deaths last year, except for you know, the one with the gang member shot dead in his driveway who tested positive afterwards.

So why 2000 excess deaths? It can only be vaccine reaction.

Do you get it yet?

There are people involved in this who following an enquiry should spend the rest of their loves in prison. From the head of pfizer, to the PM, hipkins, Roberrson, Chris Bishop, David Seymour and anyone else who forced or coerced you into getting jabbed. They are all complicit in these deaths. Even your local golf course committee that mandated it to your mates that pressured you into getting it.

They will continue to come for you. They want your kids too
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March 9, 2022 8:59am
- cmm
  
  Exactly the same statistic was used in 2020 to “prove” how terrible CV19 was. Of course they stopped citing that “proof” as soon as the numbers went the other way.
  
  I am no shill for vaccination, but I think it is an oversimplification to try to peg these mortality figures on the vaccine, or any other single cause, without a strongly smoking gun.
  
  The thing about mortality is that it is highly variable due to many factors: diseases as well as changing demographics etc. Excess mortality is just the difference from the average mortality. Some years it will be up, some years down. That’s just averages for you.
  
  Just one example: consider all the Boomers born in the 1950s. That set up a demographic wave that has travelled through time:
  * In the 1960s there would have been a boom of schooling as they went to school.
  * In the 1970s there would have been a boom of wedding dresses as they got married and a boom in building as they set up families and needed houses.
  * In the 2010s there would have been a boom in tourism as they started retiring and doing cruises etc.
  * Now, in the 2020s they’re in their 70s and are starting to hit the end zone so we can expect the start of a boom in deaths, peaking in the 2030s as the wave hits the life expectancy line.
  
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  March 9, 2022 11:37am
  - 70andstilllearning
    
    Wow cmm – just what my palmist said way back in…….. – only thing she missed was the “interest” bit on *2 :):)
    
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    March 9, 2022 12:05pm
  - UrbanNeocolonialist
    
    this could be assessed with more detailed data on ages and causes for those that died in 2021. That data will exist – hopefully some researcher will be motivated enough to obtain it and analyse it. But I think your explanation is unlikely given it is such a huge ≈10% delta change in the number of monthly deaths between 2020 and 2021, and is a very similar picture in both NZ and Australia with similar conditions and an individuals and populations normal risk of death increases relatively slowly year on year – annual variation is generally driven by pathogens (which were mostly absent).
    
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    March 9, 2022 2:00pm
- DeepBlue
  
  This is not to say it wasn’t the vaccines, but there was also an RSV outbreak, suicides, and delayed cancer diagnosis /treatment playing a part.
  
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  March 9, 2022 3:26pm
  - UrbanNeocolonialist
    
    RSV kills an estimated 50-200 per million elderly annually (of which there are less than half a million in NZ). It does not explain 2000 extra deaths in 2021
    
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    March 10, 2022 5:35am
nathie

Fancy a job at Te mahi ki Te Reo Tātaki?

They offer some interesting “perks”.

Which is nice for employees. But in some respects it may explain the disconnect the company has with the general public especially those that are struggling (and may be angry with the Labour government) with the increasing cost of living.

In other words “we are ok and are doing fine” (and perhaps if one were cynical “we love this Labour government so much, we are aligning our values to theirs”)!

Here’s their blurb from Linkedin, and the name of the company, but wait there is more (at the end)!

We are looking for a talented journalist and a creative storyteller ….

We are looking to expand our Digital News team so we can continue inspiring the conversations of Aotearoa – kia whakaihiihi i ngā korero o Aotearoa. In this role you’ll contribute to how New Zealanders feel and experience the stories that matter. Here at TVNZ we’re proud of our New Zealandness – our Aotearoatanga. This role will help us give voice – mana reo – to celebrate the rich diversity of our people and communities. We encourage our teams to be brave – kia māia – so we ask the hard questions and do what it takes to earn the trust of New Zealanders.

Te Reo Tātaki (TVNZ) translates to ‘the leading voice’. We’re a diverse bunch of creative, passionate, talented individuals who come together to deliver for our viewers and customers. We believe in challenging ourselves and each other to be curious and open to learning, so we can nurture an inclusive, flexible environment where we can do great mahi together.

Working at TVNZ – Te mahi ki Te Reo Tātaki

* A vibrant culture where we celebrate our content and our successes, and where we’re encouraged to continue learning and growing our careers.
* A $350 up front allowance to contribute to home office set up expenses.
* Comprehensive parental leave – topping up the Government’s offering to 6 months at full pay, as well as 6 weeks working at 80% of your normal time at full pay when you return to work, plus 4 week’s paid leave and an optional extra 2 week’s unpaid for partners.
* Lifestyle Leave – the option to buy an extra week or two of leave annually if you want it, to take leave without pay if circumstances allow, or to cash up leave if you’ve got more than you need.
* A $350 annual wellbeing allowance, discounted Southern Cross health insurance, free flu shots, and access to a confidential support, guidance and counselling service.
* Superannuation covered – with employee contributions matched up to 5% of salary.

Plus just announced and coming from July:

* Hauora Leave – A bonus 5th week off annually to find your balance and focus on you – whether that’s by connecting with whānau, taking time for yourself, or escaping the everyday.
* A new Broadband and Mobile benefit offer so you’ll be able to work from anywhere and be free to stream and binge watch with no limits.

Now this may be fine and dandy for TVNZ employees, after all they generate 90% of their income so can do with it what they want (only 10% is taxpayer funded according to wiki) …. but what happens when Labour merges TVNZ with the largely taxpayer funded Radio NZ?

Well apart from an increase in Te Reo, will these perks increase or decrease? Or be ring-fenced and grandparented so hard working RNZ employees, used to running operations on the smell of an oily rag, miss out?
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March 9, 2022 9:06am
- Prince
  
  ‘Diversity’ ! Try going to the interview and telling them you support conservative polices and parties, and see how far the ‘diversity’ extends.
  
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  March 9, 2022 12:16pm
Rusty

Just imagine if all the unvaxxed in this country created their own community with unvaxxed officials, businesses, police force, hospital/health workers, schools etc,

I bet you there would be little difference with covid cases, hospitalisation, ICU’s, and deaths compared to the vaxxed — perhaps even less.

That would be an apartheid system Jacinda wouldn’t want.
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March 9, 2022 9:08am
- ClanMcleod
  
  They tried it at parliament, did an astonishing job of building a community, working together, with limited resources. Ardern couldn’t handle the way they showed her up as the incompetent dictator she actually is so she had to crush them.
  This is what happened in Wellington. The crushing of any potential opposition that showed Ardern in a bad light. Get used to it, it’s all she has.
  
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  March 9, 2022 10:06am
- coge
  
  Absolutely. But they shouldn’t have to do this at all. Better for everyone to live in a fair and equal society.
  
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  March 9, 2022 10:32am
- Rodion Raskolnikov
  
  If the unvaxxed segment broke away and formed their own genuine parallel society, separate from the bamboozled masses, they’d be Waco’d in about 5 seconds.
  
  While a two-tier society has been created, it cannot be allowed to become two functionally independent societies. Segregation is instrumental. It’s not about segregation, it’s about segregation as a further means of coerced compliance.
  
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  March 9, 2022 11:19am
My

So Covid positive nurses can can now work with Covid positive patients.
So I assume the Covid positive working nurses have been fully vaxed.
But unvaxxed nurses can’t work at all.
I’m confused.
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March 9, 2022 9:22am
westernScientest

How come stuff have all of a sudden started pushing this fetal alc syndrome coverage so hard? Im sure its bad an all, and probably best not to get wasted while your pregnant, but havnt we known that for decades? What changed that there is all of a sudden multiple articles a day about it
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March 9, 2022 9:28am
- oldfella
  
  Fetal Alcohol Syndrome needs a new, Te Reo, name so we all know it’s serious. //
  
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  March 9, 2022 10:21am
- Master Mariner
  
  For me was the PM “Science ” advisor and Anti Biotics ?
  It really does make you think why now ?
  
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  March 9, 2022 10:34am
- Rodion Raskolnikov
  
  I suspect that they are talking about FAS for the same reason they are also trying to normalise heart problems among young people, strokes, other birth defects, and so on.
  
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  March 9, 2022 11:26am
Kiwi_in_Paris

So the pandemic was to stop movement and crush small businesses, and the war is to stop movement and crush small businesses. Stay at home, it is not safe. Stay at home, it is too expensive to travel.

You have to hand it to those WEFs, it’s a clever plan.
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March 9, 2022 9:32am
Maggie Pie

TRENDING….

A gay academic from the University-of-San-Francisco is calling for the word ‘CAKEWALK’ to be banned, due to it’s racist connotation.

He makes the case…. “That it’s historical context, shows it referring to a Dance Contest performed among black American slaves, in which a cake was awarded as a prize by the Plantation owner.
This unique American dance was performed by black couples standing in a square formation, with men on the inside, then dancing around the ballroom in a mimicry of the white man’s attitude and manners. The steps included a ‘high-leg prance’ with a backward tilt of the head, shoulders and upper torso.”

(And fair enuff too, my partner reckons 😀 )
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March 9, 2022 9:36am
- Rodion Raskolnikov
  
  We should never have gotten rid of bullying and ridicule in schools.
  
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  March 9, 2022 11:28am
Gertie

My darling brother works for Fonterra. He is about to be sacked. APRIL 1ST. Unjabbed. He took the Pfizer trial results to his monday morning health and safety meeting. Got told to fuck off. He doesnt swear. So his text telling me was using their words. The venom with which the unjabbed have been sacked is off the charts. Unbelievable that its still happening.
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March 9, 2022 9:40am
- kevn
  
  Some NZer’s and companies have lost their brains.
  
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  March 9, 2022 10:46am
- Rodion Raskolnikov
  
  Your brother is right and he will be shown to be right. Deep down they know he’s right too, hence the venom.
  
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  March 9, 2022 11:40am
- Clownworld
  
  Shame he didn’t record it. Would be a great headline – ” Inclusivity award winning company Fonterra tells employee with a diverse thought to f off”.
  
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  March 9, 2022 11:43am
- Tauhei Notts
  
  Fonterra, a co-operative dairy company, is presently negotiating the Dairy Industry Restructuring Act.
  It is a basic ploy in negotiations to lick the haemorrhoids on the party with The Power, that is, the Ardern junta.
  Honest dairy companies;
  (a) Pay N.Z. income tax.
  (b) Sometimes ignore these silly mandates.
  Tatua does both; Fonterra do neither.
  Tough on Gertie’s brother that he was employed by a dairy company, the truthfulness about whom I doubt a bit.
  
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  March 9, 2022 2:09pm
Maggie Pie

Interesting to hear that McDonald’s have closed over 600 stores in Russia…but will continue to pay the 62k staff.
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March 9, 2022 9:53am
- oldfella
  
  ‘temporary’ closure. At this stage.
  
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  March 9, 2022 10:23am
- cmm
  
  US-based corporations are required to shut down their operations, but want to hold onto their staff.
  
  One of my customers is in this boat with engineers all over the world – including Russia. Russian workers all sent home and have been cut off corporate email etc. There is no way to get cash into Russia to pay them their salaries come end of the month.
  
  Maccas probably already has a bundle sitting in Russia so they should be able to pay their staff.
  
  It’s a damn shame. All these sanctions kick the common man in the nuts – they don’t really hurt Putin.
  
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  March 9, 2022 12:38pm
G the giant from Dunedin

I see lawyer Ron Mansfield has his hands full today
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March 9, 2022 9:58am
- kevn
  
  Gone fishing and caught a big one?
  
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  March 9, 2022 10:44am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    The funny thing is, Mansfield was Tarrants lawyer too
    
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    March 9, 2022 11:13am
Philview

I see the media are blasting Chris Luxon for using the phrase “High Calibre Maori”. Is it not a fact of life that some people are very talented and some are not. The National Party is hardly going to recruit unemployed, gang members as potential MPs. I think the words “High Calibre” are a reasonable adjective to describe the ability of people putting their hand up to be MPs.
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March 9, 2022 10:00am
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  I would suggest it may well be high flying business people he is talking about, possibly NGA Tahu leaders
  
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  March 9, 2022 11:14am
- rockape
  
  That’s all he can recruit because the low calibre Maori are all MPs in the Labour caucus!
  
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  March 9, 2022 1:53pm
ecco

Interested to read of the ‘Housing correction underway’ articles in Ardern’s media arms the Ferald and Stuffed. The housing market decline is almost solely due to the ham fisted CCCFA changes implemented around early December. Whereby large numbers of nzers who could previously get loans, can’t now. This has taken liquidity out of the market and stopped all sorts of things like developments dependent on pre sales.

Of course Ardern won’t care as long as she tanks the housing market, somehow. Sent out her main stooge David Clark to front this. People already think he’s an idiot so no further damage to be done there to Labour. Appears that the worm has already turned anyway judging by the polls trends. Thank goodness!

I’d predict Labour will stonewall those CCCFA amendments that should be made. They are just giving the banks lip service that they are doing something about it. Will lift the idiotic rules they made next year going into the election.

If you are trying to sell a high end property it would be better to remove it from the market and wait several months if you can. That along with the pandemic chaos due to Ardern’s munted response means it’s way harder to sell at the moment. Ardern’s just looking for certain headlines now. Doesn’t care what collateral damage she’s doing along the way to business. We know that. She can easily buy up the student and Maori votes to make up for pissing off middle nz home owners.
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March 9, 2022 10:09am
- Prince
  
  Totally agree.
  The fuss about CCFA changes was last month’s news. David Clark batted that away with the old ‘I am seeking advice on the issues (that I was warned about by National and Act when I introduced the policy).
  So hopeful first-time house buyers are being left out in the cold, but the media sees this as ‘Labour bringing house prices under control’ ! Speculators and second-home buyers have the field to themselves.
  
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  March 9, 2022 12:05pm
ClanMcleod

I can’t recommend this highly enough. It is damning testimony.
“Dr Tess Lawrie – A Letter to Dr Andrew Hill”
Ivermectin suppression likely killed millions.

https://rumble.com/vwg569-a-letter-to-andrew-hill-dr-tess-lawrie-ivermectin-suppression-killed-millio.html
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March 9, 2022 10:17am
- cmm
  
  Rinse and repeat for even the most basic and non-controversial stuff like Vit D.
  
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  March 9, 2022 11:47am
Warren

Financial Mentor Charity Worker report increase in working poor as cost of living jumps.
Financial Mentors say they are seeing more working people seeking help as skyrocketing cost of living takes hold , but Jacinda Ardern our Prime Minister admits while things are bad nowthey are expected to improve soon.
Our Prime Minister is in fairy land if she expects people to believe the lies she has stated because food ,housing, clothing, petrol are only a few of the things causing inflation and interest rates to
rise with also the Russian war against Ukraine not helping the situation.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2022/03/financial-mentor-charity-worker-report-increase-in-working-poor-as-cost-of-living-jumps.html
Jacinda Ardern has also highlighted wage growth increases to the minimum wage and family tax credits under her Government.
It’s always the blame game with Jacinda and Labour they will never take accountability for the problems they cause.
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March 9, 2022 10:24am
Prince

NZ Government debt $138B and climbing at $83M per day.
$77K per household (Robertson’s gift to the future).

In 2017 debt was $50B.
Inflation expecting to run over 7% this year.

Crisis, what crisis ?
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March 9, 2022 10:28am
- Littletramp
  
  Yes but it’s not our fault -it’s them, and them, and that, and those. They made us shut down the economy, the country, disrupt all supply chains and then print all that money to distribute to those we considered worthy.
  Now go away because we have to solve the problems in Europe.
  
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  March 9, 2022 11:33am
- Paulus
  
  Inflation expected to run to 7% this year.
  Sorry, you are already out of date – it is amost 7% currently – March 2022.
  I cannot think how high it will be later in the year but Cindy and Grunter will have it all worked out, and continue to lie about it, again and again.
  
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  March 9, 2022 1:44pm
- bjools
  
  https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/marketplace/music-instruments/cds/pop-rock/other/listing/3499036616?gclid=Cj0KCQiAmpyRBhC-ARIsABs2EAp-9lhUDhSSxZWqMNIP2EmyVMN0uMhS7k-m5_00X2O41Cn07b0jk8IaAhuNEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
  Not what Ardern is saying, but where she is taking us.
  
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  March 9, 2022 1:49pm
OverseasKiwi

Hello Everyone,

First, I want to convey to those who post here my gratitude for the comments on this and previous threads about NZ and beyond over the last two years. For an academic from NZ but living in the USA (I am a historian), the comments have been on the whole very informative. Second, it is therefore dismaying to see that this blog has too succumbed to the propaganda propagated by the West in the current Russia-Ukraine conflict. It is as if the last thirty years of post cold war history has been conveniently forgotten. To deviate from the chosen narrative is now tantamount to treachery (Putin apologist!) and is a miasma to the West, whose soul is now pure as snow, which can pontificate on how evil Putin and the Russians with no limits as to how absurd the emotionally-driven judgments have become. It is 2003 again but on steroids. Third, you can criticize me to your heart’s content, but please remember that while Russia is wrong to have invaded Ukraine, the latter is by no means an innocent party. Please also note that the USA is very happy with the war, since it provides a fading superpower with an opportunity to shore up its declining global influence. I am not confident that the present administration has the intellectual firepower to navigate its way successfully through this, however. If a conflict develops between Russia and USA/Nato, it will go nuclear! I see no alternative if it comes to a shooting match. Fourth, this conflict has demonstrated to me just how easy it is to manipulate people’s emotions and make them conform to the desired narrative. All of us, me included, are very selective about what matters and what does not. What about the wars in Ethiopia and Azerbaijan? Where was the coverage there? Or is it that the dislike for Russia never really dissipated after 1990 and it is a simple matter to revive it whenever it serves a useful purpose? Fifth, be very careful what you wish for. Sanctions on Russia will just strengthen China and will intensify the economic problems in NZ and elsewhere. In my opinion, for what it is worth, the sanctions are intended ultimately to break up the Russian federation or to weaken Russia so much that it will become a compliant client state of the USA. Or it could backfire and plunge the world into a economic malaise which will make 2008 look like a storm in a tea cup. The protagonists in this drama are playing for very high stakes. NZ may well be caught in the cross fire.
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March 9, 2022 10:34am
- Tom Hunter
  
  Greetings. It is I, your local friendly Kompromat who, despite being highly educated historian, not know how to use things called paragraphs to break up rants. I am entirely believable and not at all from Moscow bot farm.
  
  Nice country you have there. Be shame if something bad happened to it.
  
  Dasvidaniya – and see you on other side of nuclear winter.
  
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  March 9, 2022 11:16am
  - Rodion Raskolnikov
    
    How’s he wrong? Dismissing people you disagree with, without argument, does you no credit. It makes you come across and an unthinking automaton.
    
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    March 9, 2022 11:41am
  - nathie
    
    I’m with Tom on this. Although “Overseas Kiwi” makes some good points (Ukraine is by no means innocent on many issues, and maximises their own propaganda to their own advantage , yes there has been Western hypocrisy eg Iraq, Libya, Syria etc, yes China will benefit, yes there is potential for much worse to happen eg crop failures and famine possibly worldwide, tactical nukes issue etc), “Overseas Kiwi” barely acknowledges Putin invading another nation and committing war crimes by deliberating targeting civilian populations (and nuclear reactors etc) and setting off or triggering all these very concerning events being highlighted!
    
    Sure I do believe most Russian people don’t want war (that’s “people”, not those in power), so I also wonder whether “Overseas Kiwi” is a pro-Russian propaganda agent or simply a “pro-Russian people” individual (nothing wrong with the latter I guess).
    
    But sure once Putin is disposed by his own, yes let’s not see the West watching Russia disintegrate into further chaos, we need a kind of “Marshall Plan” to help the Russian people rebuild democratically and increase ties with the West (like pre-Commie revolution times). Unsure though what to do with the flippin fascist and murderous control freaks running the place currently (as per the Iraq invasion, De-Ba’athification made things worse), but hey there are others above my paygrade who can provide solutions!
    
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    March 9, 2022 1:23pm
    - OverseasKiwi
      
      Thank you Nathie for at least dignifying my points with a response! But the motivation behind my points, which you speculate on, is utterly irrelevant. An argument rests upon the validity of its premises and underlying assumptions (admittedly it is difficult to make a complex nuanced argument in a few hundred words, something I am unused to doing). I am neither pro-Russian nor a Russian bot (funny however such an accusation is never leveled against those who vociferously maintain the US line, should we call them US bots?). Why should I care about the Russian or Ukrainian people, anymore than the people of the Congo, who have been exposed to the utter brutality of war?
      
      You will not like this, but killing civilians, sometimes in huge numbers, is a fact of war. War, after all, is the destruction of human bodies and the artifacts of human labor. Every nation plays that game. Interestingly, it does not appear that Russia is using its most advanced weapons in Ukraine – perhaps the Russians are conserving their military strength should a conflict arise with Nato. Just speculating!
      
      True, I did not mention that Russia invaded Ukraine, but that is an obvious statement which hardly needs to be elaborated. To be sure, no one knows what the hell is going on, and as yet no reconstruction of the conflict can be relied upon. Yet misinformation abounds.
      
      If you want my opinion, for what it is worth (I freely admit my epistemic humility on this), this is Russian payback for Yugoslavia. If you listen to Putin’s speech, it mirrors the US in 1999, with the same false claims and distortions. As Kennan warned in 1997, constant Nato expansion eastwards would eventually provoke an aggressive pushback (“a fatal error” as he put it).
      
      I live in the southern United States and work at a tier-one research institution, and daily I see the increasing hysteria in this country, not excluding my fellow academics. There seems to be no rational discussion of anything anymore and both political parties are next to useless (the democrats have just gone off the rails – it is like fifty Fred Daggs running the country – I cannot explain it).
      
      As I see it, all the democracies in the west are becoming more authoritarian and the people more and more easily manipulated. This is distressing to say the least.
      
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      March 9, 2022 2:17pm
      - Alan Wilkinson
        
        Is Ukraine not entitled to be an independent nation and make its own mistakes?
        
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        March 9, 2022 4:16pm
      - nathie
        
        So-called “Overseas Kiwi”.
        
        Hello Russian Bot! What unit do you work for? How much do they pay you? I hear the pay in Russia is pretty poor these days. Shame your currency collapsed because of Putin’s madness.
        
        Hey Putin did say yesterday that NZ will now “join his list” (presumably of “undesirables”) and now up you pop!
        
        You know you almost did a convincing job (who couldn’t disagree with most of what you wrote just now!) until you casually dismissed civilian deaths as being, well sigh, “just one of those things.”
        
        If I were in charge I would increase NZ’s defence spending by so much more that even the hard-nosed Aussies would be impressed!
        
        I support the need for a strong, collective and interoperable NZ defence force …. so just saying I’m not a woofter peacenik.
        
        But I (and probably 99.9% of everyone else here) do not condone the casualness of civilian deaths.
        
        Even in the Ukraine. But you do. And so does your hero Putin.
        
        Like I said nice try, but you failed. Do you still get paid though?
        
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        March 9, 2022 4:28pm
      - nathie
        
        Oh and another thing you Russians don’t understand is our humor, although Fred Dagg is satire and uncouth and laughed at, at least he can run a successful business (farming) which is more to say than the West’s crop of socialist poseurs! Struth Trev!
        
        So Fred wasn’t a good example for you to use you silly commie!
        
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        March 9, 2022 4:37pm
I remember when

Bold Golf Plans for Ohau in the Horowhenua:
Talk in golfing circles is that it will be comparablwe with nearby Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club.
When Transmission Gully and the new areas of motorway are completed, it will be almost a local course for Wellington.
Xero co-founder Hamish Edwards, through his company Grenadier, has applied for resource consents to develop an 18-hole course (Douglas Links Golf Course) on what was farmland.
Is the Horowhenua returning to the riches of its caravan and apparel manufacturing days.
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March 9, 2022 10:59am
- Inandout
  
  Irw, I am certain the golf course (private) will be finished but the motorway (govt) will be stalled due to lack of funds.
  
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  March 9, 2022 3:03pm
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  Hmmm. Some of the better farming & hort land in the lower North Island there. Use as a golf course is not really the best use of the land.
  
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  March 9, 2022 8:09pm
Maggie Pie

RANDOM IMPERTIENT QUESTION

Just shot up to NW and thinking to myself on the way back home…

Does anybody REALLY give a sh*t what a Block-of-Cheese or a 2L bottle of Milk costs?

SHEEESH!!
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March 9, 2022 11:02am
- Prince
  
  Not when WINZ is paying.
  
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  March 9, 2022 11:55am
Gravelroad

I am a fan of the All Blacks and had a family member who was one.
But this below is just plain embarrassing.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/300535941/all-blacks-criticised-over-tone-deaf-tweet-to-mark-international-womens-day
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March 9, 2022 11:04am
- Rodion Raskolnikov
  
  Who cares? Do self-proclaimed “strong women” really need constant validation from men? Clearly they do. They should have their bogus International Women’s Day revoked.
  
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  March 9, 2022 11:35am
  - Gravelroad
    
    Did you read the story?
    
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    March 9, 2022 1:26pm
    - Rodion Raskolnikov
      
      Yes. No mention of the Black Ferns. Outrage ensues due to lack of validation; exposes female fragility.
      
      8 1
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      March 9, 2022 1:40pm
Blog-aholic

Realising the MSM have been for sometime owned by the regime I have noticed since toward the end of the Wellington protest that both the Herald and Stuff have upped their game.

Almost everything written is spun one way and one way only. The balance that was perceptive (just) has now completely disappeared…..maybe I am too cynical now but I am of the beleif that the new attacks on dis/mis- information are a lead up to the Hate Speech Legislation getting some grounding from the regime.

IMO if they get enough citizens ‘on board’, they will be able to justify the theft of free speech as being acceptable to the majority of New Zealanders…..

They truely are dispicably manipulative.
21 1
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March 9, 2022 11:10am
Maggie Pie

DISTURBING TO SAY THE LEAST 🙁

Tatiana has just retweeted this most worrying link…..
she expresses concern the next Pandemic could be far more serious than Covid (?)

https://twitter.com/ASBMilitary/status/1501302981848936449
4 4
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March 9, 2022 11:37am
bjools

Been thinking about Ukraine.
We should have continued supplying arms…Biden stopped them.
Should have had NATO exercises with Ukraine., during the first sign of build up by Putin.
BUT that is gone and we have war, instead of preventing by displaying strength.
My solution, from left field.
Declare war…..on Ukraine
Invade the western half of the country, avoiding all Russian forces.
Move all defensive equipment in
anti air batteries
Planes (the best we have)
Tanks
missiles
etc
Create a buffer zone where all Ukrainians are welcome, especially their armed forces. Supply the fighters in Ukraine, fighting the Russians, from this new country Ukraine 2.0.
3 4
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March 9, 2022 11:46am
- Captain Mainwaring
  
  What a load of codswallop.
  
  8 3
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  March 9, 2022 12:22pm
  - bjools
    
    and your solution?
    Putin is and never will listen to Biden, he has set up relations with China to nullify sanctions (that he saw coming from a mile back).
    He is doing deals with Iran and Pakistan.
    Again..what……. now that war has started….is your solution?
    
    6 2
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    March 9, 2022 1:12pm
    - bjools
      
      Waiting for an answer….
      WE HAVE WAR NOW….people yes PEOPLE not mannequins, not paper targets….died yesterday…..are dying today and will DIE tomorrow.
      What solution do you or they (NATO) have?
      BTW where the FUCK is the UN…the organization put together to prevent this?
      
      4 2
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      March 9, 2022 1:58pm
    - rockape
      
      I would line up a couple of tank brigades in Poland, line of a squadron of wild weasel aircraft. A couple of squadrons of F15s and a couple of Squadrons of ground attack aircraft. Point them all at Moscow and see where his troops and reserves want to go.
      If the enemy sends reinforcements everywhere, he will be weak everywhere. SUN TZU.
      
      3 2
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      March 9, 2022 2:02pm
- Nickc2
  
  My solution’s a little more simple. Promise Putin Ukraine can join NATO if it wishes as part of a trading pact but NO NATO Weapons or Military will ever be stationed in Ukraine.
  
  1 3
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  March 9, 2022 1:39pm
  - MCōs
    
    I’ve got an idea.
    Let Ukraine decide for itself what they want to do.
    
    5 0
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    March 9, 2022 4:53pm
    - bjools
      
      Agreed…don’t you think Ukraine would agree to my idea?
      Gives them everything they want and puts them on the front foot against Russia.
      
      0 1
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      March 9, 2022 5:55pm
    - rockape
      
      Not only have they decided, but they seem to be putting their lives on the line to back that decision.
      
      2 0
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      March 9, 2022 7:30pm
  - bjools
    
    Putin’s answer…NO. I play online chess, when I’m winning, my opponent will offer me a draw.
    Take a guess how many times I agree….yeah…..none.
    
    1 1
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    March 9, 2022 5:53pm
Nickc2

The Many Faces of Joe Biden
What a fucking hypocrite.
He was on a TV Link to the World stating he had terminated imports of Russian Oil. Well, not quite, his Russian Oil termination was with the exception of Oil provided via the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC (a Kazakhstan Company which was previously part of the USSR)) which is currently 24% owned by the Russian Federation.
Why didn’t he include that Oil? Simple, the Chevron Corporation (California) has a 15% holding in CPC.
https://www.michaelsmithnews.com/2022/03/bidens-caspian-pipeline-consortium-exemption-24-owned-by-russian-govt-15-by-us-chevron-.html
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March 9, 2022 12:03pm
- bjools
  
  Biden is also claiming (rightfully) that there are 9000 land leases for drilling in the USA, that are not being used.
  Why are they not being used,…..Biden won’t give them the PERMITS they need to drill.
  
  10 1
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  March 9, 2022 1:14pm
  - Nickc2
    
    Very true. His Radical Green Democrats have got him by the ‘shorts’ and he doesn’t have the ballz to tell them where to go. A lot like our PM really. Hasn’t got a clue and wouldn’t know if she did.
    
    9 1
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    March 9, 2022 1:29pm
    - bjools
      
      Also many of the leases and permits actually issued, don’t have any oil one them!!!!
      
      6 1
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      March 9, 2022 2:07pm
OverseasKiwi

Oh, you want to make asinine comments rather than engage with anything I said! Such a level of civility.

Well, what can I say (yes, I too know how to make paragraphs!)? FYI (as if it is any of you business), I was born in Nelson, lived most of my life in Christchurch, before moving to the USA to do my PhD. My wife is Texan, who would be rather amazed that I live in Russia.
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March 9, 2022 12:06pm
Tony Stuart

Daily Petrolwatch:

There’s been another five cents/litre increase in the price of unleaded 91 octane fuel overnight. Progress over the last week is as follows:

2/3/22 – 2.929
3/3/22 – 2.979
8/3/22 – 3.169
9/3/22 – 3.219

That’s an increase of 29 cents in seven days, or a percentage increase of almost 10%, even though it’s still less than two weeks since Russia invaded Ukraine, and any fuel products ordered after that date (when the prices started to rise) will not be in the country yet.

And as if that wasn’t bad enough, Marsden Point has just received its last shipment of crude oil for refining before the refinery closes on 1st April. After this Marsden Point will serve solely as a storage depot for refined fuel.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/end-of-an-era-northlands-marsden-pt-oil-refinery-gets-last-crude-ship-visit/6QJHAV3G72QRPLQJK5FQ2KXDGM/
21 0
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March 9, 2022 12:12pm
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  How much were we paying for petrol back in the oil-shock days (1980-81)?
  
  5 0
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  March 9, 2022 2:23pm
  - rockape
    
    I haven’t been here long enough to tell you that. However I can tell you that when I arrived in 1999 start of the Clark Government it was 96 cents a litre. At the end of the Clark government it was $2.06 at the end of the Key government it was $2.08 and now well, you can drive past a petrol station and see for yourself.
    
    12 0
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    March 9, 2022 2:42pm
    - nathie
      
      It was also just over or under 90-odd cents/litre in the late 80’s/early 90’s.
      
      5 0
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      March 9, 2022 3:06pm
  - greybeard
    
    In early 1967 I bought low-octane fuel for my Vauxhall Velox for 10 shillings for 3.1 GALLONS.
    That is, 14 litres.
    For the equivalent of what became $1.
    I could only afford to spent 10 shillings at one time.
    
    2 0
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    March 9, 2022 7:58pm
- MCōs
  
  From what I understand the price is related to the replacement cost of the fuel.
  Furthermore
  The price of oil was on the way up before the Ukraine War.
  
  1 0
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  March 9, 2022 5:01pm
  - rockape
    
    Agreed, but if fuel is a dollar a litre the GST would be 15 cents. At $3 the GST take is 45 cents so the big winner is the government and the big loser is the customer.
    
    7 0
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    March 9, 2022 5:47pm
    - MCōs
      
      The big winners are the oil companies.
      The govt gets 15% of any increase through gst & the oil companies get the other 85%, minus whatever extra cost goes towards increased transportation costs.
      
      0 0
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      March 9, 2022 9:41pm
Tony Stuart

It’s not a good idea for MP’s to tweet late in the evening, but that message seems not to have been passed on to Julie Anne Genter:

Julie Anne Genter
@JulieAnneGenter
Wellington Airport. SMH.

After 2 years of Covid, they’ve got cash to burn fighting a safe pedestrian crossing that will have no discernible impact on their (parking) business.

What’s a few dead pedestrians? The real issue is VIPs travelling by car should never have to *wait*
10:09 PM · Mar 8, 2022

https://twitter.com/JulieAnneGenter/status/1501122975311228929

It’s fair to say that JAG got a pretty robust response after this tweet at 10.09pm last night. She’s been called a liar, accused of gaslighting and of a “terrible misrepresentation”, especially with regard to the “What’s a few dead pedestrians?” line. And she brought it on herself. Oh dear; how sad; never mind.
32 1
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March 9, 2022 12:26pm
- Nickc2
  
  Every country in the world has its share of idiots in Govt but why are we so over-blessed with such a curse?
  On a more serious note, these bastards can spell success or failure to the carriage of a bill through Parliament.
  
  11 1
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  March 9, 2022 1:49pm
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  She should avail herself of airport facilities & not let the departure gate slap her arse on the way out
  
  4 0
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  March 9, 2022 8:15pm
cmm

Stuff: “Tairāwhiti records first Covid-19 death”

Except, of course, it doesn’t:
“A 77-year-old man with pre-existing health conditions, who was also positive for Covid-19, died on Tuesday after being discharged from Gisborne Hospital.”

Yup the CV19 was so bad he was sent home!

C’mon stuff how long are you going to keep lying for? Why didn’t you mention he had breakfast and died of that?

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/128002232/tairwhiti-records-first-covid19-death-three-others-admitted-to-hospital
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March 9, 2022 12:45pm
- graham
  
  And the same in the NZ Herald.
  
  “Live: First Covid death in Gisborne, South Auckland rest home sees half residents test positive”
  
  But, err, when you read the first line of the story, it’s virtually word for word the same as what’s in Stuff.
  
  Yes, this is the same NZ Herald who, just two days ago, stated (in answer to a reader’s question), “Murray K: Thanks Steven. We try very hard not to publish alarmist headlines etc.”
  
  https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/we-invited-our-readers-to-grill-nzh-editors-they-didnt-hold-back/H7IHBYAG46VVYPPVDTF2PY77WE/
  
  12 1
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  March 9, 2022 1:35pm
- Inandout
  
  cmm, I trust Luxon or someone will put an end to this double language. Public servants have Maori titles a mile long.
  
  16 1
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  March 9, 2022 2:02pm
Maggie Pie

I wonder if the ex KLM Air Hostess and now Labor list MP Marja Lubeck, actually knows there’s a War being fought in Ukraine…. or this country is facing a ‘cost-of-living’ crisis?

https://twitter.com/MarjaLubeck/status/1501139230105346052

And even if she does….does she give a shit?
14 3
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March 9, 2022 1:03pm
DeepBlue

Megan Woods has a new hair cut, Nanaia Mahuta looks to have had rapid weight loss (in some recent photos). It seems like an Indian Summer BBQ season is about to start in the Labour camp.
16 1
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March 9, 2022 1:28pm
- bjools
  
  Will there be under aged drinking and child molestation?
  If not, are you sure it’s a Labour party camp?
  
  10 1
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  March 9, 2022 2:11pm
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  Gotta look smart for upcoming business class travel on the taxpayer’s dime
  
  2 0
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  March 9, 2022 8:17pm
Oldmate

Could I see your source for all cause mortality please?

I would’ve expected lower than usual last year.
Also, how many people died ‘with’ covid in 2021?

Cheers
7 0
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March 9, 2022 1:30pm
Yvette

Russia-Ukraine war: Neighbours divided over Russian oligarch’s lodge in Northland
Northlanders living near a luxury lodge owned by a Russian oligarch are putting up Ukrainian flags on their properties.
,,, here are protesters on yachts on their way to Helena Bay, calling for the government to freeze Abramov’s assets under the new Russia Sanctions Bill, to put pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to end war. They plan to anchor just offshore from the lodge’s private beach.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2022/03/russia-ukraine-war-neighbours-divided-over-russian-oligarch-s-lodge-in-northland.html

Has anyone asked Alexander Abramov what his position on Putin is.
Putin’s attempt to resurrect a fractured Soviet Union, may be a conspiracy, or even reality, on a level be deeply anti-Semitic, so Abramov, of Jewish descent, may not be greatly in favour of Putin’s actions.

Abramov had neither political leverage nor financial resources to help him benefit from Russia’s chaotic privatisation of the 1990s. In recent years Evraz-Holding has emerged as one of the most aggressive vertically integrated business groups in Russia. Its assets include three large steel mills, three coal mines and several ore-enriching plants, as well as a large commercial port, Nakhodka, in the east of the country.

Why piss him off, unless Abramov actually indicates the need to be pissed on.
Will a politician voting on measures to censor him, or a journalist writing about that, actually ask Abramov the most simple and obvious question?
Or have I missed something?
11 0
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March 9, 2022 1:53pm
- MCōs
  
  If someone wants to ask Alexander Abramov if he’s a mate of Putin first they have to find him.
  Then they have to get him on the phone.
  
  Then
  
  If he says ‘Never heard of the bloke’, what next?
  
  4 0
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  March 9, 2022 5:19pm
Nickc2

Question without notice.
Have all those Russian Fishermen who were imported complete with Covid been expelled from NZ due to sanctions against Russia?
I haven’t seen/heard it in any form of media as yet.
11 2
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March 9, 2022 2:36pm
Maggie Pie

-1
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March 9, 2022 3:44pm
Maggy Wassilieff

So, only 1 week off work, now…
and don’t use the covid excuse again for another 3 months.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/462982/covid-19-isolation-period-reduced-by-government-to-seven-days
10 0
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March 9, 2022 3:47pm
Maggie Pie

National MP Mark Mitchell dispels rumors……

https://twitter.com/MarkMitchellMP/status/1501374467410251777
6 4
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March 9, 2022 3:48pm
- MCōs
  
  Tomorrow he starts a new rumour.
  
  3 4
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  March 9, 2022 5:21pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Make of it whatever.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qblBMd2RwAk
2 2
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March 9, 2022 4:01pm
Maggie Pie

FOX reporting…. Saudi and Emirati government ministers refusing to take calls from Biden re stabilizing oil prices.

“Hello. Hello. Are you there? Bloody raghead hung up on me”

LOL!!
8 3
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March 9, 2022 4:22pm
- virtualmark
  
  Shrug.
  
  They might find Biden doesn’t take their calls when they next ask for armaments.
  
  Or when he says he’s drawing down the US troops in Saudi and the Gulf states.
  
  And they might find that Plan B is to cut a deal with Iran that involves freeing up sanctions on Iranian oil.
  
  The US has way more levers to pull than they do.
  
  #realpolitik
  
  11 0
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  March 9, 2022 5:08pm
  - All_on_Red
    
    Biden will be gone soon enough and what levers will Biden pull anyway?
    The guys has no respect from anyone. Even that girl Macron scolded him like a child.
    Meanwhile the Sauds have a lot of Oil- which the US desperately needs due to Bidens policies.
    Am really surprised you are happy to see Iran get the Bomb.
    Jew hater are you?
    
    4 2
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    March 9, 2022 8:04pm
    - virtualmark
      
      I just try to breathe through my nose instead of my mouth.
      
      Biden will be there for 2 more years. I gave you three examples of levers he could pull during that 2 years.
      
      Biden’s built a lot of credibility and respect internationally for the way he’s handled this Russia-Ukraine crisis. He’s anchored an international alliance, but let the Europeans have their place in it without bullying them. He’s kept calm in the face of Russian provocations (like their raising nuclear alert levels).
      
      And no I won’t be happy to see Iran get the bomb. But they will get there one way or the other – it’s just a question of how quickly. And the people most afraid of them getting it are Saudi and the Gulf states, not Israel. Watch for Saudi to quickly become a nuclear state (using nukes sourced from Pakistan, that the Saudi’s paid for, and already configured to bolt on to Saudi’s IRBMs).
      
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      March 10, 2022 11:14am
John

Yet another covid boss https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300536709/covid19-nz-peter-mersi-appointed-new-boss-of-governments-covid19-response
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March 9, 2022 4:33pm
Suze Wainwright

Is it just me, or has NZ now got about the same control NSW had over their Omicron situation a couple of months ago – and to which lefties here were laughing and proclaiming that NSW had no control…? (Certainly not like Cindy had provided us in aotearoa through her abundance of caution).
9 1
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March 9, 2022 4:34pm
Surely Knott

NZ Herald top story: Wairoa predicting 14 unvaxxed dead from covid in their pandemic plan using modelling. Wairoa has a population of 8680.

I cannot find the pandemic plan or the modelling. It doesn’t seem to be on the iwi organisations page, nor the Wairoa district council page.

The Wairoa District Council page has a news update from December 2021: ““In terms of a major outbreak, the majority of COVID care will take place from home. Even if Wairoa was to reach 90% full vaccination, that could still leave 700 unvaccinated community members of who 140 may become very sick in a major outbreak and 14 people could die.” 700 in the community unvaxxed and 14 will die. Nonsense. That doesn’t align with the data we have at all . Does NZ Herald stand by their information. Which covid deaths after the vax was widely available were unvaxxed. We are always getting told we are mis-disinformation conspiracy theorists. Did they check this modelling before they put it up.
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March 9, 2022 5:07pm
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  perhaps they were adding in the numbers that periodically get shot-up in Wairoa.
  
  https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/five-shootings-since-june-extra-police-brought-in-to-tackle-rising-gang-tensions-in-wairoa/SVKLKTVQ6RA776USXL5O67ZEUU/
  
  10 1
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  March 9, 2022 6:29pm
Maggy Wassilieff

Oh Grief..

another entertainer with name suppression

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/300536457/global-organised-crime-sting-entertainer-and-three-others-seek-name-suppression
14 0
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March 9, 2022 5:29pm
Maggie Pie

Anyone else noticed that ‘Countdown Hot-X-Buns’ are about 10% smaller than last year?

🙁
10 1
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March 9, 2022 6:10pm
- Biscuit
  
  Be fair, Maggie, I bet they cost 10% more too!
  
  11 0
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  March 9, 2022 7:17pm
TT500

The PM might wish she didn,t get Andy to
( Stamp Out the Freedom Village).

As the focus has returned to her appalling housekeeping.
12 0
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March 9, 2022 6:56pm
Maggie Pie

Jacinda disputes price of petrol has gone up.

Tells reporter ClarkE still only puts $50 worth in his Ute.
13 1
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March 9, 2022 7:36pm
- virtualmark
  
  Has Clark been talking with Shaq?
  
  5 0
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  March 9, 2022 7:56pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  91 is $3.10 in Albany today
  
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  March 10, 2022 12:46pm

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