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February 1, 2023 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 01 February 2023

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General Debate

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Scott

Last year I documented the appalling state of the roads here in the Wairarapa. The woke organisation Waka Kotahi, devoted to diversity and inclusion, have made the local roads almost impassable.

It will come as no surprise to Kiwiblog readers that nothing has improved. The road from Masterton to Carterton is still all orange cones and roadworks. Nothing has been achieved since last year. It seems that the laying of the orange cones is deemed sufficient and no further work is required? The road from Martinborough is still being repaired and no doubt one day in the distant future will be completely reopened?

However things have got worse! We now have an 80km speed limit from Masterton to Featherston. So the freedom of the open road, the blessing of 100km is forever denied us! And in the town centres of Carterton and Greytown a new speed limit of 40km is the rule!

Our local MP says it’s not up to him, it’s a decision made by Waka Kotahi. I say the socialist control freaks were not content in locking us in our homes and masking us up for two years. Now they want to force us to slowly crawl along the roads in perpetuity!

Can we please for the love of all that is free, carefully consider who we will vote for this year? We have elected a bunch of socialist control freaks to office. Isn’t it time we showed them the exit?
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February 1, 2023 8:02am
- lastmanstanding
  
  How do I stop the bloody ads popping up and blocking the text. Bloody hard to read when ads covering it
  
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  February 1, 2023 8:51am
  - Local Miller
    
    Use DuckDuckGo or install an add blocker.
    
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    February 1, 2023 8:54am
    - Ra Henare
      
      Its actually BRAVE, the browser that blocks the popups. Duck Duck go is a search engine.
      
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      February 1, 2023 1:38pm
      - Ghost
        
        No, duck duck go have their own browser as well, it was caught last year sending stuff back to Microsoft
        
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        February 1, 2023 1:39pm
      - Nickc2
        
        True. You can set up any Search Engine you like with the Brave Browser and the Pop-Up Blocker works equally well.
        
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        February 1, 2023 1:44pm
  - Andy
    
    I use Firefox Focus. A good browser with no ads.
    
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    February 1, 2023 9:53am
  - Alan Wilkinson
    
    After trying several options I have settled on the Brave browser on my phone. Kb is now far more user friendly.
    
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    February 1, 2023 10:19am
    - Sarkozygroupie
      
      Also use Brave and can vouch for that. No ads.
      
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      February 1, 2023 11:11am
  - In Vino Veritas
    
    What? You don’t want an ad “They Used To Be Cheerleaders”? Or “44 Photos of Genetic Mutations”? Shocking lastman, there is so much to learn……..😂
    
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    February 1, 2023 10:37am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    What ads? Install Adblock Plus. Blocking 7 now.
    
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    February 1, 2023 12:44pm
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      I just turned Adblock Plus off to see what happens. Jesus! What a total mess! Some ads are OK, but these just interfere with reading comments. That will make people leave.
      
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      February 1, 2023 1:19pm
  - NZer In Exile
    
    Use a decent VPN like Mullvad or IVPN (go into the setting and turn on ad blocking and malware blocking).
    
    These VPNs also route DNS lookups to their non-snooping DNS server. A DNS server looks up the website/webpage you’ve entered and routes to the underlaying IP address (so you don’t have to remember website/webpage IP addresses). Scummy big tech also snoops standard DNS server lookups to further track your online activity and deliver annoying advertising sh%^ to your face. Your activity is also sold to data brokers and profiles on you with thousands of data points are stored and traded by scummy big tech orgs.
    
    Use Brave Browser. Before using it go into the settings and change the default search engines to something privacy protecting like startpage. Delete the big tech search engines. Change the “finger-printing blocking” and other privacy and security settings to as aggressive as possible (go too hard on this and some websites may be come unusable).
    
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    February 1, 2023 6:00pm
    - NZer In Exile
      
      Oh, and to shed another layer of big tech scumbaggery, use Linux.
      
      Pop! OS seems pretty good to me (I’m keeping things simple here). It’s a modification of the very good (but not newbie friendly, to install at least) Debian Linux. Pop! OS has a good business model and also sells laptops with this operating system on them. Many apps are built for Debian related Linux (like Pop! OS).
      
      Fedora is also these days very polished but there are a few apps you may want that are not built for this type of Linux (Fedora is based around Red Hat commercial Linux and is actually the non commercial test bed for Red Hat Linux).
      
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      February 1, 2023 6:17pm
- pdm
  
  Scott – call them New Zealand Transport Agency.
  
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  February 1, 2023 8:53am
  - kowtow
    
    Yep , regrettably in the current political climate of undermining the constitution , democracy and the ideals of one ,man one vote ;
    
    every ki ora , aotearoa, na mihi , motu etc is an endorsement of far left extremist ethno nationalism .
    
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    February 1, 2023 9:19am
    - Ra Henare
      
      Kia ora and Aotearoa preceded the latest mihi, motu etc social justice posturing
      
      Currently overseas meeting old school Kiwis. (Some with Maori Ancestry) They all understand the first two and use them. The new words usage are foreign to them 🙂
      
      Kowtow, you do know that NZ does not have a constitution? Are you American, or American centric by any chance
      
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      February 1, 2023 1:47pm
      - kowtow
        
        How many times has it been said here that NZ does have a constitution , it’s just not in one single document .
        
        btw the American constitution is based very much on the English constitution and the various colonial constitutions granted by the Crown .
        
        The American constitution is very Anglo centric.
        
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        February 1, 2023 5:14pm
  - tavita
    
    I agree pdm. The name, the new zealand transport agency, is enshrined in legislation. These pretentious alternatives, not so.
    
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    February 1, 2023 12:40pm
    - Sarkozygroupie
      
      Very good point tavita.
      
      Enshrined in legislation.
      
      These days white evil colonial legislation has been cast onto the scrap heap along with Westminster democracy.
      
      Thanks Maori caucus and Maori activist who have infiltrated all strata’s of society now.
      Soooo looking forward to a complete return to canabalistic tribalism, made possible off the back of white liberal apologist Western largesse.
      
      Only one thing to say at the next election-
      
      Get what you vote for New Zealand. Make your choice.
      
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      February 1, 2023 3:44pm
      - NZer In Exile
        
        Unfortunately it appears many actually believe an undemocratic ethno-state will be really neat and “kind”.
        
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        February 1, 2023 6:04pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Or Waka Coathanger.
    
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    February 1, 2023 12:44pm
    - Michael Johnston
      
      ‘Kotanga’ apparently means ‘aerial’ in Te Reo. I expect the provenance of that owes a lot to the now-fading spirit of kiwi DIY. If in want of an aerial, an unfurled coathanger would be ideal. Anyhow, ‘Waka kotanga’ presumably refers to an aerial on a boat.
      
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      February 1, 2023 4:21pm
      - Jim
        
        Is that in reference to the Maori aerospace industry?
        
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        February 1, 2023 5:45pm
- Sarkozygroupie
  
  I am sure Waka Kotahi will have put up at least one briefing paper to Michael Wood either advising the Minister of the speed change, or agreement to amend the legislation if needed. He could have stopped this if he wanted.
  
  Either way the Minister will have agreed to the speed reduction.
  
  So Kieran McAnulty is just being a prick by throwing officials under the bus. He is the worst of these vicious inculcated Ministers. He’s got his Ministerial reward now becoming Minister for Local Government so will do all Labour’s bidding with jack boots.
  
  Wood just fucked over the struggling economy again by reducing the speed limit on the open road.
  
  All the freight schedules will be thrown out trying to make ferry crossings in time, drivers will have to take stops after 12 hours without making their destinations.
  
  But you know…road to zero….and won’t fix the potholes just socialising the costs onto consumers.
  
  Labour have no clue about business or the economy.
  
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  February 1, 2023 9:09am
  - Loddenthinks
    
    KBers should thank their stars they don’t live in Tauranga. The main road (Cameron Road) has been full of cones, diversions, detours, road closures, contra-flows, roadworks – to no discernible purpose, progress or improvement – for almost 2 years now.
    
    The main road in Mt Maunganui has been butchered as well, in several sections, with the most egregious being the Bayfair to Baypark “improvement” which when (if) it is ever finished, will make it easier to navigate what is admittedly a very busy three-way intersection.
    
    However, progress on it has been glacial and it will be no surprise to fellow locals that the project is now in its EIGHTH year. It started in 2015 and is scheduled to be complete by December 2023. I’ll bet anyone who cares a large sum of money that it will not be finished by then. The completion date has been pushed out half a dozen times and it’s a rare day when you see people and machines actually moving on any part of the site.
    
    Whatever business case was made to justify the expense of shaving a couple of minutes off a trip was miles out, when you factor in the massive disruption people are facing every single day for 8 years. Last week I was approaching Te Maunga (the Baypark end) and there was a kilometre-plus tailback at the lights to head to Papamoa. Instead of two lanes turning right onto the Eastern Link, it was down to one, with the other coned off from the intersection.
    
    When I eventually crawled my way to the intersection, expecting to see people, equipment, machines and activity in the coned-off lane, instead I saw nothing. No workers, no materials, no machinery, no foreman – nada.
    
    Just a coned-off lane adding 15 minutes to everybody’s journey that day, even those wanting to go to the Mount, as we all share the same off-ramp. Madness.
    
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    February 1, 2023 2:15pm
- Ruawai
  
  Following link to how NZTA are supporting all things Maori, silly me I thought they were in charge of roads. Also less fuel tax means less to spend on roads and there is alot of flood damaged roads needing urgent repair so all potholes will go on the back burner.
  
  In case link doesn’t work here is info copied from NZTA website:
  Māori and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency
  Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency recognises and respects Te Tiriti o Waitangi (the Treaty of Waitangi) and will work with Māori as partners to build strong, meaningful and enduring relationships to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.
  
  Waka Kotahi is responsible for delivering an integrated transport system. We have an important role to play in finding opportunities to better respond to Māori aspirations while delivering transport solutions. We can contribute by working with Māori and other government agencies to support Māori to achieve their aspirations.
  
  We invest time and effort that reflects the importance of this partnership. Both Treaty partners benefit from working closely together, focusing on long-term outcomes and building strong and enduring relationships.
  Te Ara Kotahi – our Māori Strategy
  
  Te Ara Kotahi (our Māori Strategy) provides strategic direction to Waka Kotahi on how we work with and respond to Māori as the Crown’s Treaty partner, and what this means for how we do business.
  
  The name Te Ara Kotahi symbolises the pathway that Māori and the Crown walk together upon as envisaged by Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It also signifies Te Kotahitanga, the unity and inclusion of all cultures upon the foundation of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
  
  Te Ara Kotahi outlines five strategic pou (pillars) that support te whakakitenga (the vision). Each pou has captured our intentions for how we will develop in the area of working with Māori. Priorities have been identified under each pou to focus our efforts and to operationalise and drive the implementation of Te Ara Kotahi in the work we do. A programme of work is being undertaken to make this happen.
  
  Te Ara Kotahi belongs to everyone at Waka Kotahi – we all have a contribution to make to move us closer to our vision:
  
  Ko koe ki tēna ko au ki tēnei kīwai o te kete
  
  Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and Māori working together to succeed for a better New Zealand.
  
  Te Ara Kotahi – our Māori Strategy [PDF, 985 KB]
  
  Sign up to receive updates about our work(external link)
  Supporting Māori aspirations
  
  Projects where we are supporting Māori to achieve their aspirations:
  
  He Tohu Huarahi Māori bilingual traffic signs programme
  He Pūrongo Whakahaumaru Huarahi Mō Ngā Iwi Māori – Māori road safety outcomes report
  Marae traffic signage
  
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  February 1, 2023 9:29am
  - Odakyu-sen
    
    Why bilingual signage when there is not a single monolingual speaker of Te Reo alive in this country?
    
    Signage to signal virtue, perhaps?
    
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    February 1, 2023 10:28am
    - Ehlana
      
      Bilingual signs are common in places with more than one language in official use or where an effort is being made to sustain or reinvigorate a native language.
      Sensible policy is to replace signs over time and to ensure that they actually read correctly in both languages. Unlike this one: https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2008/nov/01/5
      
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      February 1, 2023 12:32pm
  - Matt Long
    
    When every public servant in order to be hired or advance has to bow towards Huntly three times a day and recite, “There is no law but Te Treaty and Mahuta is His Prophet,” you have to expect more and more of this.
    Will the wet party change this? A good question to ask when they are promising the world for two blue ticks.
    
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    February 1, 2023 10:37am
  - Ehlana
    
    A lot of this is divisive nonsense. The New Zealand Transport Agency should be in partnership with all New Zealanders to deliver an integrated transport system (land, sea and air). As part of that they should be building relationships with various communities around the country and should take their needs and aspirations into consideration.
    
    That will mean balancing competing needs and desires, for example, between local residents who would like to be able to walk and cycle safely around their neighbourhoods and longer distance travellers who just want to pass by as fast as possible. It will mean thinking about those who can’t drive, and people with disabilities, and signs to direct visitors.
    
    A percentage of the people in all of the groups above will have at least one Maori ancestor. But government agencies should work for all New Zealanders, not give the impression they care more about people of one ancestry.
    
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    February 1, 2023 12:44pm
    - Jim
      
      Well said, but more simply: shamelessly discriminate against 85% of its citizens.
      
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      February 1, 2023 6:01pm
- NoCash
  
  Are traffic cones supplied to NZTA by a publicly listed company? If so, I want to invest in them.
  
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  February 1, 2023 9:54am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Somewhere the bastards are breeding.
    
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    February 1, 2023 12:52pm
    - Deane Jessep
      
      I had a bit to do with some of the first-ever 3D traffic management diagrams; we produced them for a client of ours back in 2003; they were booklets that visually showed cone and barrier layouts for various road and construction types.
      
      I later discovered I was part of the beginning of this nonsense; as I was chatting with a friend in one of the roading companies a few years ago, and he tells me that the safety standards for intersections have been captured by a private sector lobby, pricing was shifted to per metre and per cone models, then over time the standard was “improved” to increase the number of cones and rows of cones required.
      
      Good business if you can get it!
      
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      February 1, 2023 1:24pm
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        Now we have Road Cone manufacturers, road cone distributers (placers on the road), road cone inspectors, road cone measurers, Road cone adjusters, road cone guards, road cone cleaners, and road cone warehouse guards – to make sure the underage road cones are not breeding.
        
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        February 1, 2023 3:44pm
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  Wake Kotahi was thought up by this Labour government, they are expected to be woke, so yes it is up to the local MP, this government cut all funding to fix roads
  
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  February 1, 2023 10:59am
- coge
  
  The road from Martinborough into Hinekura is still impassible after six months. The alternative unsealed route which is higher and longer, could easily end up the same after heavy rain. Meaning residents would be potentially trapped out there.
  
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  February 1, 2023 11:54am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Thats part of the frustrating you out of your car
    
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    February 1, 2023 1:57pm
- Chris Nisbet
  
  This reduction in speed limits across the country _must_ have an impact on the country’s productivity.
  We are all spending more time sitting in our vehicles – time that could be spent doing useful things.
  On average, the lower limits _must_ mean it takes longer for ‘stuff’ to get where it needs to go.
  I’m already getting a few people tailgate me because I’m adhering to the idiotic limits (I don’t want a ticket, and I hope their frustration will result in greater opposition to the idiotic limits), so are the roads actually any safer?
  
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  February 1, 2023 12:51pm
  - Ra Henare
    
    I like the Cambodian peoples approach.
    
    Laws are guidelines. If the people think they are stupid.
    They ignore them.
    
    Speed limits are enforced via checkpoints.
    Which are easily notified by social media. and not manned before 7am or during Lunch breaks.
    
    Brilliant!
    
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    February 1, 2023 1:52pm
  - Jim
    
    Roading is a very complex system with multiple variables. Speed is just one aggravating factor in accidents, and so a speed reduction will never guarantee a reduced annual road toll.
    
    However as Greg Murphy has tirelessly (yet unsuccessfully) campaigned on: It’s new driver competency and existing driver compliance (behaviours) that are two principal factors (alongside median segregation) if NZ is to truly minimise road death risk.
    
    By comparison, imagine the chaos if the aviation sector allowed angry Uncle Bob to teach the next generation of pilots. That is why the aviation regulator mandates the use of licensed training organisations, and has stringent ongoing competency requirements.
    
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    February 1, 2023 6:20pm
- Stellaboxer
  
  Our local MP ? Is that Macanulty the first MP for the Wairarapa that can’t hold mobile surgeries because of death threats? The first MP for the Wairarapa that has had to close his office due to security concerns? The first MP for the Wairapapa that couldn’t safely walk the streets of his own constituency due to safety concerns? Hmmm must be because of far right extremists that seemed to appear at the same time as the proud socialist ( his words) and his government started to impose impossible regulations on the rural community. You see this escalation in political violence has nothing to do with Macunalty and everything to do with the people he and his ilk are trying to fuck over. Bye bye Macanulty you’re going to have to go A on the list and B move out of the Wairarapa oh and as I’ve advised you before don’t take out anymore personal debt as your unlikely to hold a position that will enable you to pay it back.
  
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  February 1, 2023 8:03pm
- softail 1450
  
  Scott, Never fear Scott I have it from a well connected person in Waka Kotahi that they have a cunning plan, they are going around the Country seeking out the largest of potholes, painting a bright yellow line around them and putting up large sign reading “free underground car parking”,, you see all it take is a little innovation and even the greatest problems are easily solved.
  
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  February 2, 2023 6:36am
slightlyrighty

So it seems that Labour Tactics this year are as follows.

Identify the Person fronting unpopular measures.

Replace the person.

Keep the policies

Hope the average punter is too stupid to notice.

They did it with Ardern

They’ve done it with Mahuta in Local Government

They’ve done it with Little in Health.
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February 1, 2023 8:04am
- septic skeptic
  
  Could be a winning formula, seems to be working as planned so far. I guess most journalists fall into the category of too stupid to notice so no problem there!
  
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  February 1, 2023 11:49am
  - Mike H S
    
    Yep, they are all Drongos. Correctly described by Wayne Brown.
    
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    February 1, 2023 12:43pm
- rockape
  
  When all these ministers stuff up who will be Mr Fixit now Hipkins is fully occupied?
  
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  February 1, 2023 12:38pm
  - Roberta
    
    Fixit, or Fuxit?!
    
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    February 1, 2023 7:53pm
- NZer In Exile
  
  I think they are aware that most of their supporters are low resolution thinkers. It appears most can be easily fooled by these cynical shenanigans.
  
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  February 1, 2023 6:31pm
Tomtoddy

Minister Shaw has declared the Auckland/Northland rains as absolute proof of catastrophic climate change. What does he make of the storm in 1868 that killed 40 people, swept away dozens of houses, huge crop damage and if it had happened today would have caused significantly more deaths and damage?

Shaw simply does not know. And history is against him.
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February 1, 2023 8:05am
- G152
  
  Remember.
  facts and evidence do not count with greens.
  Its all emotion and blather
  
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  February 1, 2023 8:12am
  - Matt Long
    
    Never waste a crisis.
    
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    February 1, 2023 10:39am
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      If there is no crisis, manufacture one.
      
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      February 1, 2023 12:55pm
      - softail 1450
        
        Steve NS ,With Labour every F N day is a crisis.
        
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        February 2, 2023 6:39am
  - Jim
    
    Shaw could contact Nick Clegg et al at big tech and have them memory hole the historical facts.
    
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    February 1, 2023 6:22pm
- Southern Raider
  
  Greenpeace local spokesman is all over Twitter posting stories about Shell oil tankers, back handed fossil fuel funding conspiracies etc and linking each to hashtag aucklandflood
  
  No actual reality check with any of these people
  
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  February 1, 2023 8:19am
  - Local Miller
    
    Never mind a reality check, an Internet check would do.
    Go to https://nzhistory.govt.nz/culture/new-zealand-disasters/timeline and search the page for flood and see how many times we had serious floods in NZ since we started recording things like this.
    1863 – Central Otago
    1868 – Country wide “Great Storm”
    1938 – East Coast killed 21
    These are just the “worst”, they don’t have the Auckland flood of the 1930s where most of central Auckland right up to The Strand on the boarder of Parnell was flooded.
    
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    February 1, 2023 9:05am
    - Ruawai
      
      And these earlier floods were before we built houses in areas prone to flooding and put concrete over massive areas of soil.
      
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      February 1, 2023 9:30am
    - Rusty
      
      @ Local Miller.
      
      Just felt like chucking this one in.
      
      In 1975 Auckland had torrential rainfall one weekend and a rugby test was played between the ABs and Scotland on nearly a lake-covered Eden park!
      
      Lucky no player was seriously injured.
      
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      February 1, 2023 10:16am
      - Captain Mainwaring
        
        Or drowned.
        
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        February 1, 2023 10:33am
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        Was that when super Sid got a try in 18 inches of water?
        
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        February 1, 2023 1:01pm
      - Loddenthinks
        
        The Waterpolo Test – never to be forgotten.
        
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        February 1, 2023 4:06pm
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      @Local Miller. When you read that list, NZ has been through a lot of shit.
      
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      February 1, 2023 1:02pm
- sirknz
  
  They are just angling for more legislation and taxes instead of understanding that it is a once in two lifetimes event.
  
  But the political class will never let a crisis go to waste.
  
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  February 1, 2023 8:20am
- kiwikidsnz
  
  There’s also more recent history. Hutt had up to 300mm rain in 24hrs in December 1976 (Auckland Friday 240mm) I remember wading through 1m water across Lower Hutt to get to work at Seaview, parents were cutoff for a week by a slip. Took a long while for the region to recover.
  
  https://hwe.niwa.co.nz/event/December_1976_Wellington_Flooding#:~:text=….
  
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  February 1, 2023 8:21am
  - Southern Raider
    
    1984 half of Invercargill was flooded
    
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    February 1, 2023 8:45am
    - Taieri
      
      1984 half of Invercargill was flooded
      ————–
      
      And so was South Dunedin in 2015, when the Council in their wisdom didn’t see it fit to regularly inspect and clean mud boxes…
      
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      February 1, 2023 9:48am
  - Ruawai
    
    Surely you wouldn’t have gone to work, the government would have closed businesses and schools for the week in 1976.
    
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    February 1, 2023 9:32am
    - kiwikidsnz
      
      /sarc – I worked in the private sector (all my 45year career). No work no pay in those hourly rate days.
      
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      February 1, 2023 2:42pm
  - yobi
    
    Anniversary weekend 2010 the far north had major flooding.
    
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    February 1, 2023 10:03am
  - rangitoto
    
    I remember the Hutt floods in 76. Stokes Valley was particularly hit.
    
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    February 1, 2023 10:25am
- pdm
  
  The word NATURE is not part of Shaws understanding or vocabulory.
  
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  February 1, 2023 8:22am
  - mawm
    
    And probably does not have the intellect to think beyond the “climate change” mantra.
    
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    February 1, 2023 10:25am
- lastmanstanding
  
  I saw some media moron banging on about how we shouldnt have called Cindy Cindy. Said we wouldnt call a man names.
  Obviously too young to remember Rob Muldoon called Piggy with cartoonists depicting him as such as also called Tarmac because he landed on anything in Wellington.
  
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  February 1, 2023 8:48am
  - cas
    
    My recollection was that in those days Tarmac was a woman who followed some of the politicians around and was nicknamed thus because she was easily laid.
    
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    February 1, 2023 8:55am
  - hmmokrightitis
    
    Or some of the more puerile name calling Mallard indulged himself in – when he wasn’t scalping tickets or beating people up.
    
    Ah I miss the days when labour had a spectacularly low standard for its MP’s.
    
    Oh, hang on…
    
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    February 1, 2023 9:07am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    I read that article:
    
    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/the-front-page-the-harm-in-referring-to-jacinda-ardern-as-cindy/E67CKDVIZNCYHFERBAYOAN5EGQ/
    
    and wondered how our Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro coped all these years.
    
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cindy_Kiro
    
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    February 1, 2023 9:17am
  - RoboRob
    
    lol. On Mike Hoskings show this morning Megan Woods put effort in to ensure she referred to Primeminister Hipkins as…… ‘Chippie’.
    
    Clearly this will be part of their campaign this year. By referring to him as ‘Chippie’ I assume they think that gives him the common touch.
    
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    February 1, 2023 9:33am
    - Ruawai
      
      I thought Megan was so unprofessional, he is the prime minister so should not call him Chippy, should be either Chris or Prime Minister. It would be like a student who is family friends with a principal calling them by their first name rather than MR/Mrs…
      
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      February 1, 2023 10:02am
      - RoboRob
        
        Yes totally un professional but clearly that is their messaging for this year. I am sure she didn’t refer to him as Chippie when he was ‘only’ a minister.
        
        23 0
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        February 1, 2023 10:15am
      - Ghost
        
        It’s what he goes by. When he got the vote Robetson put a post up congratulating his mate chippy.
        
        14 1
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        February 1, 2023 10:18am
      - I remember when
        
        Does ‘Chippie’ have the danger that it might unravel.
        Is a boyish looking, shortish person called ‘Chippie’
        the ideal personification for a Prime Minister.
        
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        February 1, 2023 1:46pm
      - Suze Wainwright
        
        I reckon using ‘Chippy’ is a real risk. Notwithstanding fawning media devotion and loyalty, if things are going pear shaped, ‘Chippy’ could well become a term of abuse very quickly.
        
        And the media are concerned at the term ‘Cindy’…
        
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        February 1, 2023 3:38pm
      - Roberta
        
        Ah, but it’s “youth adjacent”!
        
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        February 1, 2023 7:56pm
      - Jim
        
        Chippie worked well with Ardern, especially as her political and social policies were decidedly ‘fishy’
        
        An example is following mentor Tony Blair’s lead in utilising big tech to censor or shadow ban dissent and political opposition. Unfortunately such tactics are well entrenched and run contrary to strong democracy. Peter Hichins describes the Orwellian tactic in this recent interview:
        
        https://youtu.be/2HrqDi-a0J0
        
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        February 2, 2023 6:50am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      Its making most people sick
      
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      February 1, 2023 1:59pm
      - Nickc2
        
        Megan has that effect on people.
        
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        February 1, 2023 2:06pm
    - Loddenthinks
      
      Blast from the past for those who remember Chip from My Three Sons
      
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3G0hXrNGpc
      
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      February 1, 2023 4:12pm
  - NothingLeft
    
    Labour propagandists on twitter are working to get everyone referring to Hipkins as Chippy. Must have tested well.
    
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    February 1, 2023 9:35am
  - Ghost
    
    When she has stated she doesn’t mind being called it then the media ate ignoring her to push their agenda
    
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    February 1, 2023 10:05am
  - Prince
    
    Piggy Muldoon, Potatohead Bolger, Jenny Shitley, Donkey/Jonkey/Shonky, Soimon Bridges.
    It’s different when the left do it.
    
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    February 1, 2023 10:32am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      Dont forget two Wongs dont make a white
      
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      February 1, 2023 1:59pm
  - the deity formerly known as nigel6888
    
    “Rooting pig shot in Ngaio, PM safe” 1979
    
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    February 1, 2023 12:08pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Jaspinda frames her well. Spin is what she and her minders do.
    
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    February 1, 2023 1:07pm
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  I doubt that James Shaw understands the first thing about NZ’s frequency and distribution of atmospheric rivers.
  
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmospheric_river
  
  NIWA seems to be keeping rather quiet, as they clearly didn’t predict the intensity of rain that dropped from the skies over Auckland last Friday.
  
  And that’s the key thing:… These events happen frequently in NZ….it’s just that they don’t always stall over the main metropolitan area of NZ.
  
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  February 1, 2023 9:04am
  - Ehlana
    
    Something to do with living on small islands in the midst of large ocean perhaps?
    
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    February 1, 2023 9:29am
  - rangitoto
    
    NIWA’s prediction for this summer:
    
    “Everywhere except Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay and Wairarapa are likely to see less rainfall than normal because of periods of excessive humidity and hot temperatures.”
    
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    February 1, 2023 9:45am
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      Woooops!!!
      
      Might be time to retest their Climate models.
      
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      February 1, 2023 9:56am
      - alex Masterley
        
        And wipe the egg from their faces.
        
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        February 1, 2023 10:01am
      - Alan Wilkinson
        
        @Alex, that will never happen. Climate alarmists are shameless and have to be.
        
        20 1
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        February 1, 2023 10:21am
  - Master Mariner
    
    Nope, Not by all accounts.
    Once people understand NIWA is Climate orientated and no use for Weather forcasting the better.
    NIWA by default is NOAA and all there reporting comes from, Hence ” Atmospheric Rivers” and other such nonsense.
    
    https://www.climateconversation.org.nz/2011/04/niwa-versus-noaa/
    https://niwa.co.nz/our-services/online-services/satellite-data-services/about/noaa
    
    That NIWA “guy” that appears occassionally spouts verbatim NOAA Climate for our region, Along with a few Motu’s and Te Reo names.
    There appears to be a huge clash between Metservice and NIWA for Government funding.
    
    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/chance-of-rain-as-battle-between-metservice-and-niwa-gets-dirty/AY75FY6FRSVQVVDBAKQYVO6GTM/
    
    “A decades-long battle for supremacy between two Government-owned weather forecasters turned ugly when one alleged the other might be threatening public safety with the use of its weather forecasts.”
    
    And,
    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/metservice-niwa-grilled-over-forecaster-double-up/EMMSND6FMCRRGRUZIUZP2E6W4Q/
    “Niwa had a focus on impacts from weather – such as flooding, soil moisture and pastoral growth – while MetService did an “outstanding job” in its role, he said.”
    
    I will leave you to your own conclusions, But in all honesty the question that needs to be answered is WHOSE advice were they following ? NIWA or Metservice ?
    
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    February 1, 2023 11:39am
  - NZer In Exile
    
    As I understand it, trying to predict exactly where these big dumps are going to fall with pinpoint accuracy is near impossible. It’s like trying to predict the path of a hurricane. Doesn’t always pan out as they expect.
    
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    February 1, 2023 6:51pm
- cmm
  
  Shaw is a politicizing knob head. He is a prick of the highest order to exploit this for his own political ends.
  
  People with any understanding of the weather expect a few years of weird rain and drought patterns after the Tonga eruption.
  
  To say this is the result of climate change is completely irresponsible.
  
  But what else do we expect from the most hypocritical international traveller in NZ?
  
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  February 1, 2023 9:04am
- Yvette
  
  Minister Shaw has declared the Auckland/Northland rains as absolute proof of catastrophic climate change.
  
  How a Tongan volcanic eruption almost guarantees a ‘flooded summer’ for Australia’s east coast
  This La Niña event is forecast to end early next year, but don’t be fooled into thinking drier weather is coming anytime soon.
  
  One of the key factors of this volcano was that it was a submarine, or underwater, volcano.
  It therefore didn’t just send smoke and ash into the atmosphere, but blasted water upwards in vast quantities – reaching a height of 58km above the earth’s surface.
  https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/how-a-tongan-volcanic-eruption-almost-guarantees-a-flooded-summer-for-australias-east-coast/news-story/3b1be3a36b5681ce70d7327392ed0129
  
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  February 1, 2023 9:22am
- I remember when
  
  If China (35.4%), US (19%), India (8.9%), Russia (6.3%) and Japan (3.8%) are responsible for our rain.
  Should we, increase our emission so that the rain we are experiencing falls somewhere else.
  Perhaps the Bible drew attention to emissions after Noah and the Great Flood.
  Would increasing our emissions to say 10% of the world’s total produce the ‘right’ result.
  
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  February 1, 2023 9:25am
- artemisia
  
  Relatives in north Victoria over the ditch had catastrophic floods late last year. Many more in other eastern states including NSW. A lot of media attention refers to the floods hugely influenced by the Tonga eruption. In New Zealand it is climate change.
  
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  February 1, 2023 9:27am
- Nickc2
  
  James Shaw can’t think for himself. He’s like a not-so-intelligent Robot with two remote controls. One is operated by the WEF and the other by the UN.
  
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  February 1, 2023 9:43am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    I think of him as the robot in Lost in Space.
    
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    February 1, 2023 1:14pm
- The Redbaiter
  
  Tomtoddy- “Minister Shaw has declared the Auckland/Northland rains as absolute proof of catastrophic climate change. ”
  
  You will be disappointed then to learn that Mr Luxon, leader of the National Party, said pretty much the same thing, as reported in the Herald and Stuff on Saturday-
  
  Quote-
  Luxon said the event should be a message to anyone not taking climate change seriously.
  
  “Climate change is real. We have seen increasingly extreme weather events, we can point to the facts and the data.”
  -UnQuote
  
  Vote blue get green.
  
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  February 1, 2023 10:28am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    The climate has changed FFS, its whether its manmade or not, again, Luxon wants to drop emissions by using science, yet you stand back as baiter for red rubbishing him.
    
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    February 1, 2023 2:02pm
  - Local Miller
    
    Another reason I’ll not be voting blue, sorry.
    
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    February 1, 2023 2:17pm
  - The Redbaiter
    
    Incidentally, here’s the data that Mr Luxon says supports his claim that bad weather events are increasing. (clue- it doesn’t)
    
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fnmu09iaUAAGHjf?format=jpg&name=medium
    
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    February 1, 2023 5:00pm
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  So nothing to do with the volcanic discharge as experts keep saying then?
  
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  February 1, 2023 11:00am
- Tom Hunter
  
  Wonder what he thinks of the flooding of Queen Street in 1935 then?
  
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  February 1, 2023 11:42am
- coge
  
  NZ has always been very prone to regular catastrophic flooding. These people who claim otherwise, have no general knowledge, awareness of natural history, or intellectual curiosity.
  
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  February 1, 2023 11:58am
- Chris Nisbet
  
  I watched in disbelief as Wayne Brown said he agreed with some numpty that this (the heavy rain) was ‘climate change’.
  I thought he was an engineer.
  
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  February 1, 2023 12:55pm
- backster
  
  Planet earth is not the only planet being impacted by climate change. Earth is a pimple in the universe. Our sun a small star is 1,300,000 times the size of earth and dictates changes throughout it’s solar system. At present the sun is at maximun sunspot activity in it’s 11 year cycle and problems are compounded by the encroachment of a Galactic current sheet into our solar system. All the planets are undergoing climate change most more than earth ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCp4M33zcJU
  
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  February 1, 2023 1:31pm
aitkenmike

Maybe closing schools want such an over reaction?
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February 1, 2023 8:06am
- Ehlana
  
  I think the point is that local principals know their localities and are best placed to make those decisions. We should be able to trust parents not to endanger their children’s lives to send them to school and teachers ought to possess the same sense. Schools are surely just as capable of dealing with the disruption that occurs when some staff or pupils can’t get in as every other organisation is.
  
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  February 1, 2023 8:17am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    The the Govt loses “CONTROL!”
    
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    February 1, 2023 8:28am
  - Brian McDonald
    
    It’s not just the localities of the schools but the routes used to get to and from them. It also seems common when there is a civil emergency underway, why make any potential problem worse by having more traffic on the roads.
    
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    February 1, 2023 10:44am
- Southern Raider
  
  Do you live in Auckland? Yes there is some more flooding but it’s nothing like Friday night and Auckland is such a large landmass you can’t make generalisations off one photo of a flooded creek. Most Auckland schools have no issues and could have opened today or tomorrow.
  
  Reality is we now have people posting videos of high level back yard creeks which have done the same several times every winter for last 30 years, but now it’s somehow different and worse.
  
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  February 1, 2023 8:22am
  - alex Masterley
    
    Yup – I live in Auckland.
    Drove past EP this am on the way to work.
    The number two ground a lake again. On the other hand the ponding in areas where ponding was expected was no worse than usual.
    The rain affect is however quite widespread and many of the creeks in the Isthmus West Auckland and the north shore are overflowing.
    While i criticised the closure of schools until next week, i think given the recent conditions, it was a good idea in hindsight as legions of kids going to school this morning would have created chaos.
    
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    February 1, 2023 8:56am
    - In Vino Veritas
      
      No one could have predicted this. I mean, there are no maps at all of areas that might be affected by extraordinary rain. Where people may, or may not build or buy houses.
      Except this one: Flood Plains
      
      [Mod – fixed link]
      
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      February 1, 2023 10:53am
  - Deane Jessep
    
    I’ve lived at my property for four years with info from previous owners. This morning is the second highest it’s been with last Friday being the worse. It was 2” over my deck, 6’ over last Friday. I have a wooden path lower down and around the deck, previously it had only been under water twice and was built 20 years ago at the high water line.
    
    As far as I can tell the biggest change is that the culverts have not been upgraded but council has added significant construction/runoff (vanity projects mostly). Also the storm water drains had not been cleaned in three years.
    
    So in summary the rain was really bad last night, but not sure how bad because of council uselessness. It was definitely the worst in 100 years on Friday.
    
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    February 1, 2023 9:04am
    - Brian McDonald
      
      It’s not just the culverts but the maintenance of them and likely being obstructed in a major event.
      
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      February 1, 2023 10:47am
      - Deane Jessep
        
        My local culvert under the bridge is Victorian architecture, Waitemata Blue Stone bridge over two plain pipes. It needs to be expanded with another pipe or expansion of existing ones; they also desperately need diversion guards/grates to stop the culvert from blocking.
        
        Also, whoever is running the crew cutting down willows on Auckland Streams needs a hard lecture on taking away the logs. It was previously cut willow logs that blocked our culvert on Friday.
        
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        February 1, 2023 1:41pm
- I remember when
  
  aitkenmike:
  Maybe the fact that the last day schools are allowed to commence the new school year is the day after Waitangi Day fitted in with the decision.
  
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  February 1, 2023 9:29am
- peterwn
  
  I cannot understand why Ministry of Education can direct independent schools like Dio to close. There seems to be excessive regulatory hold over these schools especially when GST on tuition fees paid to the Government probably exceed any Government grants they receive.
  
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  February 1, 2023 9:53am
Scooter

This Govt has no shame, and have now created a Minister of Auckland, what exact powers will he have over the Mayor?
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February 1, 2023 8:10am
- TS Child
  
  Actually a minister for Auckland? So there’s one for Waikato and Invercargil and everything? What do we elect Mayors for? For Crying Out Loud! As with everything else, let the system work, stop fiddling with it in the middle of a crisis. I have never, ever despised a government so much. How about you, know, pledging to improve storm water drains? Everywhere – because floods happen everywhere. Simple. No committees needed.
  
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  February 1, 2023 9:02am
- greybeard
  
  You forgot to mention that the Minister for Auckland’s wife is an Auckland City councillor.
  
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  February 1, 2023 9:02am
- Bobba Fret
  
  I think they have created the minister for Auckland as they do not like the fact that Efeso Collins lost out on becoming the mayor and we no longer have a left leaning mayor. If you can’t win a democratic vote, then change the rules.
  
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  February 1, 2023 9:23am
- I remember when
  
  Scooter:
  He will have to Ad Minister.
  
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  February 1, 2023 9:31am
- NothingLeft
  
  Necessary due to Mayor not being Labourite. Left showing how much they love democracy.
  
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  February 1, 2023 9:39am
- RoboRob
  
  Labour / the left are the masters of tokenism. In Australia they have a ‘voice’ for Aborigines. In NZ we have ministers for PI, Woman etc
  
  These don’t actually do anything but give appearance of caring. Aucklanders are, rightly, upset with labour after being ignored during Covid. Solution, appoint a minister for Auckland to show we care. Sadly it will work for many.
  
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  February 1, 2023 10:11am
- MCōs
  
  Interestingly Mr Luxon has accused Chippie of pinching his idea having previously appointed Mr S Brown Spokesman for Auckland.
  
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  February 1, 2023 10:12am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    I think he did suggest having a minister of Auckland, I think he has a spokesperson for Auckland, simply because of the damage these muppets have created
    
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    February 1, 2023 12:23pm
  - TS Child
    
    I don’t understand why anyone thinks we need a minister for Auckland? What would they do that the other ministers and the mayor can’t / shouldn’t do? The biggest growth industry in New Zealand might currently be politics. Has anyone done the numbers?
    
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    February 1, 2023 12:59pm
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      I think it was to try and get the place back up and running after Labour has smashed that city to bits during covid, look at all the closed businesses and buildings
      
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      February 1, 2023 2:04pm
  - mikenmildagain
    
    Phil Twyford was Labour party spokesperson for Auckland issues before the 2017 election. I don’t know if there was ever a ministerial or associate ministerial role before then.
    
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    February 1, 2023 3:55pm
    - mikenmildagain
      
      Ah, Judith Tizard was Minister for Auckland Issues, 2002-07.
      
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      February 1, 2023 3:57pm
- Prince
  
  The aim will be to improve Labour’s popularity in Auckland, which tanked during the long shutdown.
  Nothing else – using Govt funding to improve the ruling party’s vote.
  
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  February 1, 2023 10:36am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Well lock them down again virtually has got them on the back foot
    
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    February 1, 2023 12:23pm
Tomtoddy

The real story of Mayor Brown and the flooding is emerging. All the earlier stories were simply the nasty, vindicative, media, particularly the Ferald who are still sore losers over their “coloured” pin up boy getting trounced losing the mayoral election.

Seems like any problems of delays and incompetence were at staff level. Wow!! that’s a surprise.
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February 1, 2023 8:11am
- peterwn
  
  It was not his job to personally direct operations as his distractors have claimed he should have. If he did, he would have been like Hitler. When things were going wrong he would take direct command and tell the Generals what to do. This pleased the British Army chiefs as he would generally make a hash of it.
  
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  February 1, 2023 8:19am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  The left can get very nasty when they lose.
  
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  February 1, 2023 8:30am
  - Alan Wilkinson
    
    They are very nasty win or lose.
    
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    February 1, 2023 10:23am
- kowtow
  
  Continues in today’s Whoreald ;
  
  ‘Antipodean echo of Donald Trump like self endorsement ”
  
  This from a state subsidised media with Pravdaesque characteristics.
  
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  February 1, 2023 8:36am
- Paulus
  
  Surely the newly appointed Minister for Auckland Michael Wood is there to sort out the Mayor.
  It will also help him that his strong and active Wife is an Auckland Councillor I understand – and she is said to be is a formidable person, so we will watch who wears the trousers as Minister (like his other portfolios).
  In addition I heard Ayesha Verrall this morning following Little’s sacking saying that she could not really comment on her new role as MInister of Health as she had not been briefed – has she not been Associate and Deputy for the last 2/3 years so wtf does she not know about the role or what has been kept from her ?
  I wonder whether being a Medical person is the right person for such a political role – which is now paramount with the hundreds of changes already inplemented.
  The new Director General of Health Professor Diana Sarfeti is one of the country’s top medical scientists heading our Cancer Research organisation.
  No disrespect to either Doctors but the new Health is a political very hot potato that primarily requiere some tough adminstrators to fight the new onslaught and get waiting lists down rather than following Maori protocol as pprimary requirement.
  
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  February 1, 2023 8:36am
  - Phronesis
    
    The Associate ministers have a very narrow area of responsibility. I’ve worked with Verrall. She isn’t stupid but I doubt she has the political experience to run Health. Although she is often described as an infectious disease expert she is essentially a public health doctor. To generalise, she is more likely to think your medical problems can be fixed by improving your accommodation than by seeing a specialist doctor.
    
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    February 1, 2023 9:46am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      She is stupid when she is asked simple questions , for a start she said Little had done a wonderful job as minister
      
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      February 1, 2023 12:25pm
      - Nickc2
        
        I listened to her on the radio this morning and she wasn’t speaking freely. IMO, she was reading pre-prepared answers to forewarned questions.
        
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        February 1, 2023 12:41pm
  - I remember when
    
    Does the appointment of the husband of a sitting Auckland City Councillor to Minister for Auckland raise the possibility of a conflict of interest?
    
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    February 1, 2023 9:57am
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      I don’t think Labour understands the concept of Conflict of Interest:
      
      https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/480643/nanaia-mahuta-contracts-probe-finds-poor-handling-of-perceived-conflicts-of-interest-but-no-favouritism
      
      https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/469530/reserve-bank-rejects-criticism-of-nz-post-chair-s-board-appointment
      
      …Until the bleeding obvious is pointed out to them.
      
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      February 1, 2023 10:29am
  - Nickc2
    
    We can pretty much guarantee all Council determinations will be communicated to the Beehive before Mayor Wayne Brown can announce them to Akld Ratepayers.
    Beware Mayor Brown, a Labour Party spy is operating from within.
    Stand her aside from sensitive Council Meetings and see what happens eh? Akld’s MSM will go ape-shit and there’ll be more calls for Mayor Brown to resign.
    All this stinks of Mahutaism.
    
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    February 1, 2023 12:26pm
- Oskar
  
  From this Crammers Substack the issues were identified long ago – see https://cranmer.substack.com/p/auckland-clr-sharon-stewart-it-could?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
  
  From the above article two issues that were identified last year were
  “The first issue is that whilst the Auckland Emergency Management (AEM) team is headed by some highly experienced individuals, many of the team personnel are relatively new to the job and, as at the last meeting, the AEM team was struggling to fill several roles due to a countrywide skill shortage in emergency management.
  
  The second issue is that infill housing in areas where the council is aware of a flood risk is identified by the Chair of the committee, Councillor Sharon Stewart, as a problem that could “come back to bite the council”.”
  
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  February 1, 2023 8:46am
  - lastmanstanding
    
    Infill housing is the problem. I live in Browns Bay in an area that was developed in the mid 1970s sections 809sm one house on each. Now we have 4 and 5 houses on the same site. No upgrade to the infrastructure. Councils have taken the additional rates and pissed them up against the wall instead of upgrading. Thats the issue. It aint climate change. Its gross neglience and incomptence and its ongoing.
    
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    February 1, 2023 9:13am
    - Ruawai
      
      And way more concrete per square metre which causes water to run off rather than soak in. Not rocket science.
      
      20 1
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      February 1, 2023 10:08am
    - alex Masterley
      
      The same thing is happening in Sandringham Mt Roskill and Wesley with KO putting in breeding boxes all over the place. Permable ground is being lost at a great rate.
      
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      February 1, 2023 10:42am
    - Brian McDonald
      
      It’s been noted in California that concrete also adds to temperature rise.
      
      9 3
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      February 1, 2023 10:52am
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        Sure does…
        
        especially when official climate monitoring equipment is stationed alongside concrete buildings or parking lots.
        
        https://wattsupwiththat.com/2019/05/03/big-news-verified-by-noaa-poor-weather-station-siting-leads-to-artificial-long-term-warming/
        
        https://joannenova.com.au/2019/07/murray-bridge-south-australia-where-thermometers-record-junk-every-second/
        
        https://joannenova.com.au/tag/surface-stations/
        
        etc, etc
        
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        February 1, 2023 1:16pm
- Flossie
  
  Yesterday it was reported that state of emergency was called in Northland by Civil Defence. No mention of their mayor.
  
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  February 1, 2023 8:56am
  - Alan Wilkinson
    
    And via the NRC I think?
    
    We got 30mm over the past two days. Slightly more than heavy dews.
    
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    February 1, 2023 10:25am
    - Matt Long
      
      The state of emergency was declared around 1pm when it was fairly clear that most of the forecast rain had not occurred and forecast amounts were minor falls for Northland.
      Why were emergency powers needed?
      It seems under Labour various organisations have become more than a little addicted to authoritarianism.
      
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      February 1, 2023 10:52am
      - 70andstilllearning
        
        Haven’t seen much “press” from WDC/KDC mayor’s but FNDC ……..
        
        3 0
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        February 1, 2023 2:54pm
- maggiemay
  
  With the appointment of minister for Auckland,Isnt this a win for Wayne Brown, they have come to him as he requested.
  
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  February 1, 2023 9:14am
- Tom Hunter
  
  And he can do nothing to change that, such is the powerlessness of Mayors vs the CEO and company.
  
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  February 1, 2023 7:00pm
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  It’s great to see my new center right mayor is going into battle over these idiots cutting the size of NZs new hospital down further, the new hospital they say is only three quarters the size of the old hospital. time to give these bastards a hurry up in Labour Dunedin, this project was supposed to be complete by 2025, it still has not started.
  
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  February 1, 2023 7:43pm
pdm

Joke of the Year is Locked In:

Willie Jackson at no9 in Cabinet and on the Front Bench.

Surely Hipkins jests.
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February 1, 2023 8:13am
- peterwn
  
  A former Labour leader had an ‘extended’ front bench of 10 Ministers (or spokespeople). Possibly at the time the 9th and 10th front seats were a double bench (as most seats are). But a 1995 photo shows the 9th seat as a single bench and this is reflected in the current seating plan. So a leader can choose whether to regard the 9th seat as an ‘extended’ front row or just treat it as a ‘cross bench’.
  
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  February 1, 2023 8:32am
- oldpark
  
  @pdm 8.13 am
  Throw in Michael “Rivers of Filth” Wood as he peered over the crowd from Parliament Steps who were protesting their ignored human rights regarding compulsory vaccine inoculations.
  Perhaps in his latest role to woo long suffering Aucklanders he will realise so called “Rivers of Filth”comes in many many Guises ,as he sets out to correct the many many problems visited on hardworking Aucklanders by his now departed so called leader named Ardern and still in residence her replacement Hipkins who aided and abetted her in every day and every way over the disastrous and mismanagement of Lockdowns and sending Businesses to the wall.All because of misplaced ideology she/he knew best what was good for Auckland at that time .That also includes you as well Mr “rivers of filth”Wood .
  
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  February 1, 2023 8:43am
  - Ian Boag
    
    Wow. That will make (previous Labour voters) people flock to Nat/Act. Such clear and irrefutable logic 🙂
    
    Feeling better with that off your chest …. ?
    
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    February 1, 2023 9:11am
  - krazykiwi
    
    I am, in a way, thankful for Woods. His disgusting “River of Filth” verbal faeces gave visibility to the ugliness that lies hidden in those the advocate for state-led human rights abuse.
    
    This epithet will remind those of us who value and pursue freedom that defending freedom will be a continuous task.
    
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    February 1, 2023 10:55am
    - Brian McDonald
      
      KK
      The plastic soldier with a tongue pierced by adjectives.
      
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      February 1, 2023 11:51am
  - Nickc2
    
    Well said, thank you!
    
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    February 1, 2023 1:09pm
- Spam
  
  Clearly a SOP to keep the Maori caucus on side after Mahuta’s demotion.
  
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  February 1, 2023 10:07am
  - Brian McDonald
    
    Spam:
    And obvious from the outset when Willie insured the public knew that it was a united caucus. I’m not sure Hooten got it completely right as to the depth of preparation for Jacinda’s resignation. But one clue was her saying the “tank was empty.” From that point forward we’ve seen a fairly well-oiled machine in progress while half of KB and Luxon were congratulating themselves all Labour hands were attached to the rug under National’s feet. Hard not to appreciate smartly exercised planning.
    
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    February 1, 2023 11:00am
    - Nickc2
      
      Willie insured the public knew that it was a united caucus.
      I’m not usually pedantic, but in your case Brian, I will make an exception.
      Don’t you mean Willie ensured?
      Ensured, Verb:
      To make certain that (something) will occur or be the case.
      
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      February 1, 2023 1:15pm
    - In Vino Veritas
      
      Sorry Brian, but it seems to me that no one in Labour would know what a plan is, and would certainly have no idea how to pull a rug from under anyone’s feet. Maybe they could pull together some random passers by that could form a loose committee to discuss the pros and cons of the rug?
      
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      February 1, 2023 2:47pm
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      Good luck, Aucklanders are already pissed off over school closures again, telling workers to stay home, now they have flip flopped again over the anger.
      
      Today they tell us they will keep the fuel tax cuts, thats the guts of it, no plan , no change
      
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      February 1, 2023 7:51pm
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  Something went on with Jackson, they tried to say he had covid complications, he is back now, no mention of covid, i think a shit fight has ensured, i would not be surprised if Labour start leaking, if they cut three waters completely, cut co governance, then i would say it’s all on
  
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  February 1, 2023 7:45pm
Widogast Corwin

I am skeptical about this new “Minister of Auckland” role.

https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/early-edition/audio/michael-wood-minister-of-auckland-says-he-will-work-alongside-mayor-to-get-things-done-for-the-city/

It looks like a plan to get in the face of an Auckland mayor who they never wanted.
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February 1, 2023 8:19am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  I think you will see that National preempted this position when Christopher Luxon appointed Simeon Brown as Shadow Minister of Auckland Issues on 19th Jan 2023.
  
  https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/chris-bishop-judith-collins-and-todd-muller-winners-in-national-reshuffle/GSJOIE4DVNDA5CSUFBUZI6RK6U/
  
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  February 1, 2023 8:26am
  - slightlyrighty
    
    I think you might find that this was pre-empted by Labour when Judith Tizard was the Minister for Auckland in a position created by Helen Clark in 1999.
    
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    February 1, 2023 8:39am
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      Txs
      
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      February 1, 2023 8:42am
    - Widogast Corwin
      
      And what did Judith Tizard actually achieve in such a role?
      
      The national issues pertaining to Auckland – such as transport, resource management, etc can be dealt with by Government Ministers responsible for such matters. The policies of this Government have made life for people in Auckland worse, just like the rest of New Zealand. What is this new Minister actually going to do? All he has said so far is that “he will work alongside the mayor”. I am sure the mayor is thrilled. 🙁
      
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      February 1, 2023 8:45am
    - lastmanstanding
      
      Judith was known as Minister to Carry the Prime Ministers Handbag amongst other things that I wont go in to here but some will know what I am refering to.
      
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      February 1, 2023 9:16am
- Lee C
  
  Well, finally Woods got the ‘Rivers of Filth’ he had such a hard-on for last year.
  
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  February 1, 2023 8:31am
  - Captain Mainwaring
    
    Is this ‘Woods’ a relative of John Keys?
    
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    February 1, 2023 8:41am
    - Widogast Corwin
      
      No he is a cousin of Mike Hoskings 🙂
      
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      February 1, 2023 8:46am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Wood is best ignored. Whatever he says, do the opposite or it will fail.
  
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  February 1, 2023 8:33am
  - slightlyrighty
    
    So we now have a Mens-ware Shop Assistant with a BA in charge of Auckland Issues as well as National Transport?
    
    How on earth is he remotely qualified for this?
    
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    February 1, 2023 8:42am
    - alex Masterley
      
      His wife/partner (whatever) is Julie Fairey. The power behind the throne so to speak.
      
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      February 1, 2023 9:36am
      - peterwn
        
        Chris Hipkens should have that appointment gives rise to a potential conflict of interest. Now Wayne Brown needs to handle this by ensuring she is not conflicted at the Council table. Should be interesting especially as Wayne is not afraid to call a spade a spade (and journalists drongos).
        
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        February 1, 2023 10:01am
      - alex Masterley
        
        Bugger Peterwn @10.01 – pressed report by mistake, apologies.
        Meant to say that a conflict of interest probably didnt occur to Mr Hipkins.
        
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        February 1, 2023 10:45am
      - Brian McDonald
        
        peterwn;
        Wayne Brown is not use to backtracking as he has had to do. He might team up well with Wood.
        
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        February 1, 2023 11:06am
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        @Peter. Wayne Brown should treat all Councilors just as Craig Jepson did.
        
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        February 1, 2023 12:11pm
      - artemisia
        
        Would Ms Fairey be required to leave the room whenever a discussion or decision overlaps with the Minister’s responsibility? Could be an easy life. Good pay though.
        
        9 0
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        February 1, 2023 12:18pm
      - peterwn
        
        No worries, Alex. I received 10 demerit points some years ago, so a few more won’t make much difference.
        
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        February 1, 2023 2:40pm
    - NothingLeft
      
      He, like rest of Labour self-identifies as a competent intelligent politician. Reality be buggered.
      
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      February 1, 2023 9:44am
  - artemisia
    
    AKA a twyford.
    
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    February 1, 2023 9:18am
Deane Jessep

The entire back half of my property is under water again this morning. So I jump on the news for updates, and find four more articles having a go at the Mayor and nearly no info of use.

Sick and tired of lefties and the media trying to score points on Wayne Brown. Disgusting ghouls the lot of them. Even if they are right (doubtful), there is a time and place, in the middle of this madness is not it.

If you narcissistic vampires want to write some negative nonsense instead of helping; how’s about we get some articles written about how the last two mayors have not maintained or upgraded storm water infrastructure?
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February 1, 2023 8:22am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Indeed… the nastiness of the anti-Wayne Brown brigade is on full display.
  
  They are behaving like shop looters… trying to exploit a situation during an emergency.
  
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  February 1, 2023 8:31am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Same is happening to Luxon.
    
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    February 1, 2023 8:36am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      Yes, its planned, even the guy on three this morning tried to shaft him over trust, it turns out the poll did not even ask about trust, they tried to say that because of the favorables that is trust, when he told the guy that they did not ask the question of trust, he agreed and laughed, he did not treat Luxon like this before Christmas.
      
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      February 1, 2023 8:04pm
  - I remember when
    
    What, like COVID???
    
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    February 1, 2023 10:04am
  - Brian McDonald
    
    Maggy:
    He wouldn’t care.
    But I have to say compared to Goff on the sky tower fire he started slow and it’s not about waiting, its about communicating.
    
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    February 1, 2023 11:16am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  9 hard long years under National is the normal go to.
  
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  February 1, 2023 8:35am
  - Local Miller
    
    What happened to 9 long years of Liebour Mayors in Auckland?
    
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    February 1, 2023 8:42am
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      It’s different when the left do it.
      
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      February 1, 2023 10:12am
  - slightlyrighty
    
    but if you’re Wayne Brown, and have only been in the job 12 weeks, you’re fair game?
    
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    February 1, 2023 8:48am
- kowtow
  
  If they had any proper stories about the flooding they’d be contradicting their “cliamte change” narrative.
  
  Many of these media orgs have signed up to Covering Climate Now , which is an activist , propaganda outfit.
  
  “CCNow collaborates with journalists and newsrooms to produce more informed and urgent climate stories, to make climate a part of every beat in the newsroom — from politics and weather to business and culture — and to drive a public conversation that creates an engaged public. Mindful of the media’s responsibility to inform the public and hold power to account, we advise newsrooms, share best practices, and provide reporting resources that help journalists ground their coverage in science while producing stories that resonate with audiences. ”
  
  https://coveringclimatenow.org/about/
  
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  February 1, 2023 8:43am
- nathie
  
  If the MSM wanted to get the inside tip on Utility/Service Contractors being told to reduce cleaning out stormwater drains (to save the Councils money, to deliver to other pet projects) then they need to talk to these Utility/Service companies (like Downer for example).
  
  And in other places say like Wellington …
  
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  February 1, 2023 8:46am
- TS Child
  
  To my great shame I broke my vow to not ever again read NZ MSM in order to see what what was happening here – I’m under water too – the section, thankfully not the house. I’m now back on the wagon. Suggest just using the Auckland Emergency Management and Met Service Sites. Much better for both your understanding of what is happening and your blood pressure. The greatest irony is that what the MSM are complaining about is all just words – communication matters, don’t get me wrong. But absolutely no one can magic up good infrastructure over night. What I’m hoping Wayne Brown will do is commit to stormwater drains – noting he now has a Minister for Auckland like a rotting carcass around his neck. For this week’s miracle: I would like the politicians to stop talking please. And the MSM to stop having opinions – just report the facts. Oh That’s two miracles I’m asking for …
  
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  February 1, 2023 9:11am
  - Brian McDonald
    
    TS Child:
    Auckland has been flat-tack on stormwater drains and was already behind when the latest housing push happened. What is needed is for the books to be opened and housing consents to be paused from some point later in the year with some thought given to stormwater storage that can be retained in some areas during heavy rain and pumped later.
    All the arguments in the world will not make heavy rain events not happen but preparation could control the stormwater to a manageable level in key areas. There’ll be 100s of owners of cliff-top homes thinking about that right now, how to reduce the water runoff in a rain storm rather than adding to it.
    Our volcanic cones were a gift for water storage that wasn’t recognized apart from Maungarei and perhaps others I’m not sure. Many of course were turned into roading aggregate by generations (like my own) that didn’t see how big the city would grow and what great natural water storage areas the cones could be.
    Maybe the downtown tank farm missed a cleanup and a second calling.
    
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    February 1, 2023 11:44am
- Brian McDonald
  
  Deane Jessep;
  If you don’t know how to survive in a street scrap don’t get into one, but I wouldn’t write off Wayne Brown’s ability to get things moving with Woods – that’s the message I see coming from Hipkins. Get Auckland going and every train needs an engineer.
  
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  February 1, 2023 11:12am
  - Deane Jessep
    
    My read on this is that Wayne Brown has done a very good job of ignoring the media. In this situation, he basically opened up to questions from the media by saying they were a “very important (communications) part of the response plan, and he wanted them involved”. Their response? Self-serving, distracting, and annoying nonsense aimed at nothing but causing conflict. With the damage to my property making me uncharacteristically annoyed and sensitive, part of me wishes they all drowned in the flood. Ghouls the lot of them.
    
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    February 1, 2023 1:52pm
- Nickc2
  
  Is there any truth in the rumor that when it was suggested to Mayor Len Brown that the Chinese piping in Akld was in urgent need of re-plugging, he immediately headed for the Ngati Whatua room?
  
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  February 1, 2023 1:31pm
Tomtoddy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqkUUZc_N3M – well worth a few minutes. Jordan Peterson in full cry and relevant to NZ. He raises really hard questions that climate change extremists need to answer.
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February 1, 2023 8:25am
- Widogast Corwin
  
  I never get tired of his videos.
  
  The College of Psychologists of Ontario is currently going after him, threatening to revoke his licence to practice. They are demanding that he attend “social media training” for several months, which he needs to pay for at circa $C 200 per hour. This follows anonymous complaints about some of his social media comments. One of them related to a sarcastic comment that he made about Jacinda Ardern.
  
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  February 1, 2023 8:35am
Lee C

Climate Crisis is the new Covid.

Keep people terrified for political ends.

Use it to cherry=pick the scandal-de-jour and attempt to discredit those you disagree with.

Use the fear to distract people from the real problems.

In my day, if people used terror to achieve their political goals, it made them a terrorist.

Whether it’s bullets or bullet-points, fear is a wonderful mechanism to control the credulous.
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February 1, 2023 8:29am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Jaspinda will be fuming about losing control.
  I feel so sad.
  
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  February 1, 2023 8:38am
- mogg
  
  It’s always the way, invent a problem where there are none then employ your mates and pay them lots of money to fix it.
  
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  February 1, 2023 1:20pm
Surely Knott

We had on this blog a post headlined “Will Trump be Indicted?”
In the interests of fairness will we see an article on Bidens growing document trove.

And looks like the Feds were quiet and had executed a search back in November of “the penn Biden centre” .

“ The president’s legal team had uncovered about 10 classified documents — some involving issues related to the United Kingdom, Ukraine and Iran”
Pretty serious and relevant document subjects about a country that the USA are
Currently sending money to for a war.
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February 1, 2023 8:34am
- cmm
  
  Was there just one? I seem to remember a few.
  
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  February 1, 2023 9:17am
  - Surely Knott
    
    “HOLY SHIT!! Biden documents scandal includes 1850 Boxes, enough to fill a tractor trailer, plus 415 GB of electronic records! The Senate Intelligence Committee is demanding Biden turn these documents over, but they are refusing to do so!!”
    
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    February 1, 2023 9:25am
    - All_on_Red
      
      They have found an email on Hunter Bidens Laptop from when he was being paid $83,000 a month by Burisma which is a detailed Intelligence Briefing he shared with Burisma
      https://www.foxnews.com/media/miranda-devine-unusual-hunter-biden-email-contained-information-classified-docs
      
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      February 1, 2023 12:26pm
    - Deane Jessep
      
      Tucker Carlson thinks the Dems are pulling a Watergate style setup on Biden to get rid of him.
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe8XvgJsn60
      
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      February 1, 2023 1:56pm
      - Ghost
        
        Would be easier to just admit the guy has dementia.
        
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        February 1, 2023 2:00pm
      - G the giant from Dunedin
        
        It’s starting to sound like these documents may have been planted.
        
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        February 1, 2023 8:05pm
NK

Last August, Auckland Emergency Management told Auckland Council it was understaffed and lacking experienced staff. They said immigration settings were to blame. That’s Michael Wood’s fault. He’s the minister of immigration. He’s now Minister of the city he has stuffed through his immigration settings.
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February 1, 2023 8:38am
Rusty

Has anyone else noticed the lack of media coverage on 5 black police officers beating to death another black man in Memphis, USA?

Little condemnation from the msm on a black man being murdered by the police and no mass protest marches worldwide on police brutality that occurred after George Floyd was killed.

And we know the reason why – the woke/left are racialist hypocrites!
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February 1, 2023 8:39am
- MCōs
  
  I’ve noticed a ton of coverage of that beating/death and subsequent arrests of the five perpetrators.
  In the case of George Floyd and plenty of other similar cases the problem was usually the initial failure to charge anyone. In the George Floyd case it was four Fay’s, by which time the protests had been going for three days.
  You might say there was little condemnation of the the black police who killed Tyre Nichols.
  You can’t be serious.
  https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/least-1-ex-memphis-police-officer-indicted-tyre-nichols-death-attorney-rcna67632
  
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  February 1, 2023 10:42am
  - mikenmildagain
    
    Quite sadly, he is serious, and it is quite common for Kiwiblog commenters to make this sort of patently absurd claim.
    
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    February 1, 2023 1:17pm
    - All_on_Red
      
      Got any links to local coverage
      We’ll wait
      
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      February 1, 2023 1:29pm
Maggie Pie

As you’ll all be aware, on a recount the Minister-for-Auckland’s wife Julie Fairey was elected to the Wayne Brown led City Council.
Since then, I’ve been foll0wing her on Twitter.

As you’d expect, when I received this Tweet from Jules on Sunday, I immediately swang into action.

https://twitter.com/juliefairey/status/1619479460025344002

Donning my Chux rubber gloves and Wellies, I was able to clear the debris from the road-drain outside our place within an hour or so.

So, for any other community-minded citizens like myself, you can follow Julie on Twitter for even more great suburban-housekeeping tips & ideas.

Remember: your Council needs you.
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February 1, 2023 8:56am
- TS Child
  
  It’s a bit like slowing down on the roads. The infratructure is poor. There is no intention to upgrade. If we don’t clear the drains, we will be the ones who suffer the inconvenience of flooding. If we don’t slow down on the roads, we will be the ones whose cars are damaged from potholes (you’ll look like you’re drunk if you try to drive around them). I’m a little unclear right now where our taxes and rates are going. Because roads and drains seem like foundational services. And if they’re not working right, there needs to be Questions. Oh. MSM. Right. Even bigger problem …
  
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  February 1, 2023 9:25am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  I’ll be nominating you for a gong this King’s b.day.
  
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  February 1, 2023 9:27am
  - Maggie Pie
    
    With the amount of rates we pay I thort they may have just given me one 😀
    
    12 1
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    February 1, 2023 9:42am
- Local Miller
  
  About 6 months ago a new storm water drain extension was added to cross under the street outside our house. To prevent the adjacent storm water outlet becoming blocked with soil and stone etc. the crew placed a cloth screen under the grill. Four weeks ago it was still there, so I took it upon myself to remove it. I’m really happy now that I did because we would have had a lot more water problems on our street were it still there with all the soil and stone blocking the grill.
  I wonder what claim I would have had against the crew/compony that did the work had the drain still been blocked like this.
  
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  February 1, 2023 9:28am
- Local Miller
  
  I see Julie Fairey stills promotes the more than useless (cloth) masks.
  
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  February 1, 2023 9:29am
I remember when

The first “All Black” player to come out as gay.
Well, I guess it’s only a matter of time before we hear about the first gay “Black Fern” and female cricketers.
What!!! It has already happened!
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February 1, 2023 8:59am
- Rusty
  
  @I remember..
  
  Why does this ex-AB (who I can’t remember playing) have to come out as being gay?
  
  I thought gays and others want to be treated like anyone else without the publicity?
  
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  February 1, 2023 10:28am
  - Don Beckett
    
    Narcissism is part of the brand. Most of his team member knew years ago when he was playing. Ian Roberts from Aussie rugby league came out around 15 years ago without so much fanfare. What’s the big deal ? there are many prominent people who are gay, are accepted as such, and just get on with their lives.
    Maybe we should start promoting other minority groups as well, to show our “Diversity”.
    
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    February 1, 2023 11:07am
- Taieri
  
  The first “All Black” player to come out as gay.
  ————
  
  Who cares?
  
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  February 1, 2023 10:45am
- David Garrett
  
  I remember: I think you have to be a lezzie to play in the – White Ferns is it? The women’s cricket team, whatever that is called.
  
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  February 1, 2023 11:04am
  - Nickc2
    
    In the Black Ferns Rugby 7s team, the forwards are married to the backs. //
    
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    February 1, 2023 11:08am
cas

A first world problem I know but I am trying to read a book Called Elusive about how Peter Higgs discovered the Higgs boson particle. My problem is that while I can read the biographical stuff OK, I am completely flummoxed by the science, which of course is crucial to the story. It’s well over my head, the protons, neutrons, photons and pions. Should I keep reading and hope I develop some sort of awareness, no matter how slim. He sounds an amazing man. As well as his scientific discoveries, he lived in a 3 storied building without a lift and at age 84 had to climb 84 steps every time he returned to his apartment.
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February 1, 2023 9:02am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  When I come across something in Science (or maths) which I want to get my head around I check out a number of sources (at different levels… popular/schoolkid/review papers/ youtube talks) to build up more background and often just to get a handle on the jargon.
  
  Some folks can just make an analogy or place the focus on a key point that turns on the light-bulb of understanding.
  
  Try looking at a few popular overview articles about the Higgs Boson and the Standard Model of Particle Physics
  
  https://www.space.com/higgs-boson-god-particle-explained
  
  https://www.energy.gov/science/doe-explainsthe-standard-model-particle-physics
  
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  February 1, 2023 10:46am
  - cas
    
    Thanks I will persevere and check out those articles.
    
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    February 1, 2023 11:19am
I remember when

Latest Polls.
Have much are they the result of the”Jacinda” effect?
Are those voting for the Left hoping that Chris Hipkins will repeat the 2017 result.
Or, is it the elation that Jacinda has been replaced.
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February 1, 2023 9:04am
Surely Knott

Expert opinion on stuff: Geotech , engineer “and a leading expert on natural hazard resilience and risk.” says Wayne browns delayed response put thousands at risk.

Expert man woke up looked at met service. Thought gosh there’s a monsoon of rain coming, will Elton John be cancelled? It wasn’t. So he went to the Elton John concert. But disaster weather struck , he Had to drive through floods on the bus, a person fell over on wet tiles, and it took ages to get home.

He asks “So, given the “river of rain” that was clearly evident, and the monsoonal intensities that started to arrive and be recorded around 5pm, and the car strandings and road closures that were occurring around 7pm, why was a state of emergency not declared and announced earlier?”

But I ask , why did the expert go to Elton John if the danger was so bleeding obvious. No one made him and he could have exercised personal choice and even warned others. He had more knowledge than most. Clearly he didn’t anticipate the scale of the storm either! And he’s a natural disasters expert!

But clearly expert man thought it was safe to go to the concert. When did expert guy know it was an emergency. Clearly not before going to Elton John.

https://i.stuff.co.nz/opinion/131114283/a-disaster-experts-experience-of-a-disastrous-friday-night-in-auckland
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February 1, 2023 9:09am
- Alan Wilkinson
  
  Clearly a disaster expert who creates disasters. Reading Stuff is hazardous to your sanity.
  
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  February 1, 2023 10:30am
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Trump believes he would stop the Ukraine War in 24 hours by negotiating with Putin.
https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/other/trump-shocks-nation-with-claim-about-trusting-putin-over-us-intelligence/ss-AA16WhaV?
Trump has some famous words about dealing with Putin and Kin Jong-un.
‘You don’t have to like someone to respect them, and with that respect you gain respect back’
The Ukraine War would never have been started under Trump – same for the Afghanistan withdrawal.
You know he is coming back. Trump 2024.
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February 1, 2023 9:18am
- Matt Long
  
  I don’t know if he’s coming back and Trump was responsible for the fast roll out of the mRNA injections that lead to Cindy’s mandates here in New Zealand.
  Certainly the best president of the 21st century so far but I think they could do better.
  
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  February 1, 2023 11:11am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    4 years was a very short time to try and fix things. Trump made a mistake, the Swamp is much bigger than he estimated. Been like that for decades.
    
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    February 1, 2023 12:29pm
kowtow

Yesterday the retiring Orions did a fly past .

I think that’s great .

However here was me thinking we were in a generational climate emergency and we’ve been told to get out of our utes onto busses , to kill our cows and stop bbqing.

But then the regime itself wastes huge amounts of fuel on a jolly.

Hypocrites of the first order.
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February 1, 2023 9:23am
Steve Otto(North Shore)

They’re all Fired. Pt 2.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDqz3lPa7aw
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February 1, 2023 9:29am
Taieri

With all the criticism and political point scoring, what is often overlooked is the significant progress that Auckland City Council has made in combating climate change.

The action towards creating “A low carbon, resilient, local food system that provides all Aucklanders with access to fresh and healthy food” is just one example of the Council’s activities in this area. A household consumption survey conducted last year considered dinner preferences of Aucklanders, with a view of encouraging a broader adoption of vegetarian dishes as healthier and more environmentally friendly option.

https://assets.nationbuilder.com/taxpayers/pages/204/attachments/original/1668547857/Live_Lightly_Survey.pdf?1668547857

Nga mihi! Save the Planet! F..k the infrastructure!
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February 1, 2023 9:30am
- Swifty
  
  Good grief.
  
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  February 1, 2023 10:09am
- Alan Wilkinson
  
  And we pay these wankers – thousands of them.
  
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  February 1, 2023 10:32am
Inandout

I watch many UK housing shows and I can’t recall seeing old houses bulldozed and many boxes built on the section. However plainly infilling does happen, but with a difference.
https://www.homebuilding.co.uk/ideas/narrow-infill-houses
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February 1, 2023 9:31am
- MCōs
  
  Old houses are protected over there.
  Houses have been jammed in up against each other for hundreds of years.
  They have about thirteen times our population in the same area so housing density is going to be higher
  
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  February 1, 2023 10:58am
  - Inandout
    
    MC true, but a hell of a lot still have a small plot of land at the rear. Our boxes invariably don’t.
    
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    February 1, 2023 11:12am
    - Nickc2
      
      My observation of current Govt Housing projects is that they are slums, fire traps, and marriage break-up zones in waiting (and that’s before the gangs move in) and I haven’t mentioned the kids eh?
      
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      February 1, 2023 11:28am
  - Maggie Pie
    
    And how are you guys faring Cossie?
    Looked like there’s a few flood-ravaged houses over your way 🙁
    
    (genuinely concerned btw)
    
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    February 1, 2023 11:14am
    - MCōs
      
      No problems that I’m aware of in Mangere Bridge.
      My kids live in Onehunga and they’re ok
      Thank you for your concern.
      
      9 0
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      February 1, 2023 2:08pm
      - Maggie Pie
        
        See 😀
        You labeled me as ‘uncaring of others’ last week.
        
        Just saying.
        
        5 4
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        February 1, 2023 3:05pm
      - mikenmildagain
        
        I’m not concerned about you, MCōs, but I could write something that reads empathetically if you’d like that.
        
        3 8
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        February 1, 2023 3:28pm
trout

Another perceptive article by Richard Prebble in the Herald. He effectively dares Hipkins to call a snap election before the shine wears of his newly constructed cabinet; could it happen?
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February 1, 2023 9:39am
ex-golfer

And just like that Climate Change was over and tax cuts are good again:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/131113698/pm-chris-hipkins-set-to-reverse-petrol-tax-hike-retain-halfprice-public-transport-fares

The hypocrisy from the left is amazing when they want to be re-elected and the pork barrel is full.
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February 1, 2023 9:46am
- Yabster
  
  yep- but smart politics- Chippy is doing alot of things the average punter will approve of. It will all go to shit but he only needs 7mnths of approval and they get re elected – which is amazing given the past 5 years of complete fuck ups, non-delivery, and race based policy.
  
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  February 1, 2023 10:15am
- alloytoo
  
  This leads directly to road underfunding……but Chippy doesn’t care about consequences any more than Ardern.
  
  Same Lipstick different pig.
  
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  February 1, 2023 10:27am
  - Matt Long
    
    Drop the road tax, drop the speed limits, save the planet, it’s genius. You can see it working in failed states the world over.
    
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    February 1, 2023 11:15am
Swifty

You are a shopkeeper. You’ve experienced a bad run of broken windows and mysterious fires out the back of the shop.

Then one morning three middle-aged guys in Members jackets turn up and talk with you about their ‘neighbourhood security’ services and how they can protect you from future bad events…….

https://i.stuff.co.nz/pou-tiaki/131105675/floods-a-wakeup-call-that-three-waters-reforms-needed-says-iwi-chairs-forum
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February 1, 2023 9:48am
- Inandout
  
  Swifty: Rukumoana Schaafhausen seems a strange mixture of Maori and German. Oh, I also see she is a director of Genesis Energy Ltd.
  
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  February 1, 2023 11:18am
  - Taieri
    
    Rukumoana Schaafhausen seems a strange mixture of Maori and German
    ——————
    
    Wilhem Schaafhausen is her husband.
    
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    February 1, 2023 12:34pm
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      Schaafhausen – Samoan surname……
      
      (Bit like all those Maori surnames: Ormsby, Tapsell, Jackson, O’Regan, Morrison, Williams, Kruiger, Sciascia, etc)
      
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      February 1, 2023 1:47pm
      - Inandout
        
        Maggy, silly me. Yes I used to work in a company that had Samoans on the payroll and one or two had German surnames. In fact one was as bald as a badger and I once asked him how come he didn’t have some hair like most Samoans. He jokingly said it was those bloody Germans who once occupied parts of Samoa.
        
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        February 1, 2023 2:18pm
      - Taieri
        
        Schaafhausen; wasn’t he a German bloke who discovered the Neanderthal Man?
        
        4 0
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        February 1, 2023 3:13pm
Maggie Pie

Bill Gates maintains….”He only ever had dinner with Jeffery Epstein”

https://twitter.com/AntonioSabatoJr/status/1620041459444613120

Wonder if he ordered something off the Kid’s Menu?

😀 😀 😀
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February 1, 2023 9:48am
- cmm
  
  Bill Gates is a scumbag and always has been in my dealings with his perverse organisation Microsoft.
  
  His ex-missus suggested that Bill had far more of a relationship with Epstein. You don’t kick a husband to the curb for just eating a burger with somebody.
  
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  February 1, 2023 10:08am
- Biscuit
  
  ‘Do you do takeout?’
  
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  February 1, 2023 10:09am
- Inandout
  
  Maggie, over 30 dinners with Epstein and also against the advice of Gate’s wife at the time, but wasn’t close to the pedo. Unbelievable.
  
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  February 1, 2023 11:24am
  - Maggie Pie
    
    Great chef apparently.
    Even Prince Andrew was suitably impressed with the kids menu as well 😛
    
    6 3
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    February 1, 2023 12:08pm
TripeWryter

I’ve just finished reading the story of David Fisher’s interview with Wayne Brown, Mayor of Auckland.
Fisher has done a better job of talking to the Mayor than Simon Wilson has or Todd Niall of Stuff has.
I’ve been in Auckland since before Christmas. I looked out a window of where I’ve been staying about 5pm on Friday and was astonished to see a river racing along the road. If my daughter had been five minutes later getting home she might not have made it.
I never gave the Mayor or his council a thought until I saw a blog post by Martyn Bradbury.
Then Simon Wilson joined in. The tone of his story about where was the Mayor suggested a ‘Gotcha!’ glee.
He had found something he could stick it to the Mayor he had virtually used his position as a writer for a newspaper to campaign against.
Only he was never a candidate.
Then I saw Todd Niall of Stuff had penned – or keyboard-tapped – a similar story.
I think Sean Plunket could be right – this was a pile-on by two aggrieved hacks who were snotted that they could not bully a local politician into playing their game.
I’ve wanted to say for weeks: if I was Wayne Brown I wouldn’t be giving interviews and talking to journalists who were hostile to me because I’d won an election, either.
Bugger them. They wore their inclinations on their sleeves. They wanted somebody else who suited their political inclinations better. They were hacks and not journalists.
David Fisher at least appears to have given him a fair enough hearing and made some effort to try to explain ‘Wayne Brown’.
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February 1, 2023 10:03am
- Frank the tank
  
  You are aware of the dotted reporting lines for Wilson, Fisher and Niall don’t you.
  
  This was orchestrated from L9 in the Beehive
  
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  February 1, 2023 10:52am
- kowtow
  
  Yes and no .
  
  He couldn’t help get this in though ‘
  
  ‘Antipodean echo of Donald Trump like self endorsement”
  
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  February 1, 2023 1:27pm
Biscuit

Have been getting NASTY emails from folk pointing out that the odds of my Liverpool winning anything this year are s-l-i-g-h-t-l-y longer than my chances of becoming a mother…

Sniff, eh?

But, today, I learn that Liverpool WILL win something in 2023.

Yay, eh?

Okay, so the ‘win’ is that the city gets to host both the Semifinals (Tuesday 9 May and Thursday 11 May) and the Final (Saturday 13 May) of the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest.

Snatching at straws?

Me?
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February 1, 2023 10:04am
Maggie Pie

TRENDING …..

I see where the Sodomites are about to hit the city streets again.
Auckland’s long awaited ‘PRIDE FESTIVAL’ swings back into force from today.

https://twitter.com/nzherald/status/1620469909040799748

Although can’t see Mayor Brown approving ratepayer-funding for the ‘KIWIFIST’ Event like that idiot Goff did in 2018 🙁
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February 1, 2023 10:17am
- Biscuit
  
  Careful, Maggie, now that Campbell Johnstone has ‘come out’ it can only be a matter of time before a Tennis hunk or two get emboldened enough to tell us that they are gay, too, and that they’ll be heading the parade at the Festival!
  
  I trust Auckland is clued-up enough to state ‘Swimwear’ as the suggested costume for the occasion…
  
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  February 1, 2023 10:27am
  - Maggie Pie
    
    “New Balls” ya recon then Bikkie? 😛
    
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    February 1, 2023 10:37am
alloytoo

It doesn’t really matter if extreme weather of the past few days is climate change or a volcanoes or anything.

These events demonstrate just how useless Labour and the Greens climate change policies are.

Nothing they did prevented or mitigated this even, worse their policies left us poorer and less able to adapt and respond to not just climate change but any disaster.

This is a Greens\Labour policy failure of the highest order.
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February 1, 2023 10:23am
- rangitoto
  
  Yeah but Cindy declared a climate emergency. Are you saying that didn’t sort it out?
  
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  February 1, 2023 10:38am
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Stop Co-Governance. Julian Batchelor.

https://www.stopcogovernance.kiwi/blog/the-latest-on-sport-northland-the-human-rights-commission-and-what-we-are-wanting-from-sport-northland-to-resolve-the-issue/
Update On The Dispute Between Sport Northland And
The Lobby Group Stop Co-Governance.
https://www.stopcogovernance.kiwi/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Press-Release-Sport-Northland-31-Jan-2023.pdf
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February 1, 2023 10:33am
Ghost

Stuff are running an article from this expert about how bad the floods, an expert who decided to go to the Elton John concert. Hmmmm, if you are an expert and you see how bad it is getting would you not stay home?

I understand rainfall, and stormwater runoff. With a masters degree in hydrology, I started my professional career doing flood modelling. Living in Malaysia I experienced monsoonal rains. The warmer the temperature, the higher the rainfall intensities and the greater the amount of flash flooding.

Does anyone know of such a footpath that you step off and you are thigh deep in water, never seen a footpath that high above a road that you would just step off from., usually a footpath running up a bank beside the road that you wouldn’t step off

At 4.50pm near Commercial Bay, in torrential rain, a man walking towards me slipped on the flooded footpath and fell heavily onto his back.

Stepping off the footpath to help I went up to my thighs in water. Just like Malaysia I thought.

And still the expert decided to go on to the concert.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/opinion/131114283/a-disaster-experts-experience-of-a-disastrous-friday-night-in-auckland
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February 1, 2023 10:49am
- rockape
  
  Those monsoon drains in Singapore could be bad news when you were walking back to the base pissed after a night out !
  
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  February 1, 2023 12:57pm
- krazykiwi
  
  If the last three years have taught us anything, it includes that experts and common sense are commonly not found together.
  
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  February 1, 2023 1:10pm
Scooter

As if this Govt doesn’t have enough shit to sort out and lack of competent ministers, it creates a Minister of Auckland.
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February 1, 2023 10:52am
- krazykiwi
  
  I’m assuming that Luxon won’t continue this malarkey, or will he?
  
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  February 1, 2023 1:11pm
  - Gravelroad
    
    But what will a Minister for Auckland actually do?
    Will there now be another Government department/ministry established with heaps of new public servants and consultants on big money?
    Surely there will need to be a few new working groups set up to find out what Aucklanders want?
    Then what?
    
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    February 1, 2023 2:10pm
    - Taieri
      
      Surely there will need to be a few new working groups set up to find out what Aucklanders want?
      ———–
      
      Perhaps not this?:
      
      https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/traffic-updates/300795866/auckland-transport-backpedals-on-fines-after-ticketing-cars-in-flooded-areas
      
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      February 1, 2023 2:26pm
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      I expect the Minister will relay distorted shit to the media. I think that’s how it works.
      
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      February 1, 2023 3:52pm
  - ex-golfer
    
    I’ve heard that Luxon is claiming Hipkins stole the idea of a Minister for Auckland from him (some justification that Auckland is so important to NZ that it needs some sort of central Govt oversight blah, blah, blah). So thats a clear sign he’s in favour of it.
    
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    February 1, 2023 2:35pm
- ex-golfer
  
  To be fair this Governments always had a Minister for Auckland. They just disguised Phil Goff in mayoral robes.
  
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  February 1, 2023 1:37pm
- Mobile Michael
  
  At least the Minister for Auckland knows something about Auckland.
  
  The new Minister for Small Business was a policy manager at Police before becoming an MP. Prior to that she was a Ministerial Advisor to several Labour Ministers.
  
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  February 1, 2023 2:16pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

https://breakingnewspapers.com/2023/01/30/elon-musk-puts-jeffrey-epsteins-friends-and-clients-on-notice-with-powerful-move-shouldnt-at-least-one-of-them-go-down-4/
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February 1, 2023 10:59am
- krazykiwi
  
  Here’s Bill Gates telling a national media reporter that he “regrets” having, ahem, ‘dinner’ 37 times with Epstein, on his island.
  
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  February 1, 2023 1:15pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Other interviews, Gates said he has never been to any of Epstein’s Islands.
    Plural. Epstein had more than one Island??? All for different purposes if true.
    
    4 3
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    February 1, 2023 3:49pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Will this work?
https://www.facebook.com/KyleReyesCEO/posts/pfbid02jUsZaBk1n6gcN5bUhyRCWppjfn7Dbcvr5rdqSHkZmTaQdbHQuPmAC2n666wec819l
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February 1, 2023 11:02am
Ghost

Unemployment inches up to 3.4% ahead of expected recession

https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/131113245/unemployment-inches-up-to-34-ahead-of-expected-recession
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February 1, 2023 11:37am
Maggie Pie

BREAKING!

Minister-for-Auckland’s PA issues plea to Aucklanders….

“STAY OUT OF THE POO”

https://twitter.com/juliefairey/status/1620510713591771137
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February 1, 2023 12:01pm
- Ghost
  
  It’s strange. When Auckland was under lockdown the rest of the country remained in orange for Auckland. Now Auckland is flooded shouldn’t the rest of New Zealand remain home as well for Auckland? What if an Aucklander doesn’t stay home and they bring rain on their car into another district….
  
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  February 1, 2023 12:06pm
- kevn
  
  @Maggie… Isn’t wonderful Wayne has these two wood retards helping him?
  Next thing they will telling Aklder’s how to vote and where to go shopping.
  Love the mask, it’s like a disguise…
  
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  February 1, 2023 12:09pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Didn’t take her long to put her oar in Auckland’s lockdown.
  There will be much more to come from her.
  
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  February 1, 2023 12:35pm
70andstilllearning

Northland SoE lifted
“MacDonald thanked Northlanders for their understanding and preparations.

“For our partner agencies — emergency services, councils and contractors, health and welfare agencies, community groups, electricity network and telecommunications providers, community groups and iwi — it has been one of the biggest exercises in advance preparation that I can recall in Northland.”

“Police, Fire and Emergency, Hato Hone St John and NZ Defence Force all brought additional personnel and equipment into Northland and there was a strong presence of responders in some of the locations that have historically been the first to be cut off by flooding,” he said. ”

Perhaps Graeme can tell Notrthlander’s just how much this “exercise” has cost taxpayers, ratepayers, utility users, local businesses, …….

“The reason for declaring a State of Emergency was to give Civil Defence and emergency responders extra powers, ….”

So why all the other costs, unless something else actually started to happen? Can understand standby actions but -full throttle? Just OPM suppose?

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/northlands-state-of-emergency-could-be-lifted-today/3JKD2H7E2NEUBL2WKAKOHZQJNI/
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February 1, 2023 12:24pm
- Alan Wilkinson
  
  Posturing idiots. As I noted before we got about 15mm/24hrs.
  
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  February 1, 2023 2:22pm
  - Alan Wilkinson
    
    In the local shop tourists were panicking when the SoE alarm came through on their phones and were asking what they should do. The locals said “Ignore them, they’re idiots.”
    
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    February 1, 2023 2:40pm
  - 70andstilllearning
    
    Lol! – ” …. and Wekaweka Rd in South Hokianga with 79.5mm.” Wekaweka 80? – will be watching out for the h2o restrictions hoarding tomorrow.
    
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    February 1, 2023 2:43pm
Nickc2

Why did Chippy retain Willie Jackson as Minister of Broadcasting?
My guess is that Willie knows where all the bodies are buried and if he didn’t get his way, he couldn’t help himself running off at the mouth (as he does).
Blackmail from within? Most probably IMO.
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February 1, 2023 12:49pm
- mikenmildagain
  
  Willie Jackson has the real details of Hipkins’s years at Petone Tech in the 1990s. IMO.
  
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  February 1, 2023 1:19pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Willie is part of the ‘Elite’ in the Coup.
  
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  February 1, 2023 1:23pm
Nookin

This may be of interest/assistance.

https://www.civildefence.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/publications/Declarations/Factsheet-declaring-states-of-local-emergency.pdf
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February 1, 2023 1:17pm
Maggie Pie

WORTH SHARING!

Aunty Heihei calls out Iwi and Maori politicians…..

https://twitter.com/ElliotIkilei/status/1620272530232836096
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February 1, 2023 1:28pm
- fightingtemeraire
  
  Well said Auntie
  
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  February 1, 2023 1:39pm
Taieri

Dr Azeroo Rahimi, an expert in road slope technology from the University of Auckland reckons that the expertise required to repair road damaged in the recent downpours may not be available in NZ and may need to be imported.
I don’t know how many roads Dr Rahimi designed/built/repaired but have no reason to question her expertise as she is an expert and I’m not.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300796101/no-timeframe-for-sh25a-fix-amid-warning-nz-might-have-to-import-expertise

I have only one little question:
who built these roads in the first place?
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February 1, 2023 2:24pm
- Alan Wilkinson
  
  Repair? What an old fashioned idea. Now we just put up warning signs and road cones – much quicker.
  
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  February 1, 2023 2:43pm
- Jack5
  
  Rahimi is talking of steel and concrete bridges.
  
  New Zealand must cut its transport coat according to its financial cloth.
  
  The scales of population density, traffic volume, gross economy, and the geomorphology differ greatly between India and NZ, and, between, say, Switzerland and NZ. If New Zealand had Switzerland’s population density and national wealth, we would have scores of long tunnels through diffiuclt country, and mighty viaducts and huge bridges.
  
  We’ve long had good civic engineers in NZ. Perhaps it’s the multiculturist-journalist programme that sends a reporter to a university for a foreigner’s view.
  
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  February 1, 2023 2:48pm
- kevn
  
  @Taieri… We have qualified car park consultant in the gummint, one J (aka bike rider) Genter.
  Gosh, imagine her input.
  
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  February 1, 2023 2:56pm
Maggie Pie

Had to larf 😀

my partner just txt…. there’s not a urinal in the Viaduct’s wharepakus where someone hasn’t taped a color poster of Simon Wilson.

LOL!!
11 3
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February 1, 2023 2:54pm
- Jimbo666
  
  A photo would be great.
  Qu? Is that classified as misandry or misogyny?
  
  5 1
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  February 1, 2023 3:41pm
  - Maggie Pie
    
    https://twitter.com/simonbwilson/photo
    
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    February 1, 2023 4:26pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Mike Rowe – Davos, and other stuff.
https://patriotunitednews.com/mike-rowe-drops-bombshell-that-leaves-everyone-speechless/
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February 1, 2023 3:29pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Biden and the Dems build jobs right? How can you be off by one million, or are they just telling lies again, as the left do?
https://patriotunitednews.com/they-were-fudging-the-numbers-by-a-million-2/
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February 1, 2023 3:34pm
Jack5

Australia’s Foreign Minister, Penny Wong, tells the UK to “confront its colonial past”, but she’s careful to acknowledge her own family’s benefit from that “colonial past” in both Australia and Malaysia.

But will Minister Wong tell China to confront its colonial present in Tibet, in Xinjian, in Manchuria, in Inner Mongolia? Will she tell Indonesia to confront its colonial present in
West Papua (West Irian)?

And what’s she going to say to New Zealand? And to Fiji?

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11698379/Penny-Wongs-brutal-words-UK-experience-colonisation.html
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February 1, 2023 3:39pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  In my opinion, Penny Wong is running Australia. The idiot PM does not even know Wong is calling the shots.
  Is Mahuta still Minister of Foreign Affairs? Wong runs rings around her.
  
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  February 1, 2023 3:58pm
  - mikenmildagain
    
    The NZ cabinet lineup was probably not featured in
    Patriot United News, Steve, but many NZ media sources have conveyed the news that Mahuta has been demoted in the cabinet rankings, lost the local government portfolio, kept her foreign affairs gig and been told by the PM to do more overseas travel.
    
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    February 1, 2023 4:18pm
Ghost

A beat up by the nz herald

American tiktokers put a video up that their New Zealand trip was cancelled .piled on abuse of how insensitive they were because of the flooding.

They were “ unable to board their January 24 flight as they didn’t add their lap-seated infant to their Air New Zealand booking and had no idea about the devastating floods.”

Ummm, you dick heads at the herald can you tell me when the Auckland flooding happened, hint it wasn’t on the 24th.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/mummy-bloggers-husband-reveals-truth-behind-tone-deaf-nz-travel-cancellation-video/L5TT4FVUCVE7BNZQJ7J6PD3WUY/
4 2
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February 1, 2023 3:48pm
Maggie Pie

Finally!! After 5 days brought the sheets in off the line. Stiff as a board.
7 2
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February 1, 2023 3:53pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  We don’t need to know if your partner was home early to help you make the bed.
  
  6 3
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  February 1, 2023 3:59pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Joe and his Classified Documents.
https://rightwingnewshour.com/joe-biden-under-investigation-doj-called-in-3/

Now, how come nobody is asking Obama about how the Vis President got these documents? President can ‘declassify’ but the VP can not.
Different rules for the left as usual.
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February 1, 2023 4:46pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Errr, we don’t have these people her in NZ do we? Well do we? I just don’t know. Many crazy freaks yes, but these nutters?
https://rightwingnewshour.com/police-arrived-at-this-home-depot-to-break-up-an-exorcism-3/
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February 1, 2023 4:56pm
- Taieri
  
  Nothing wrong with a good old blessing. Accompanied by a suitable koha of course…
  
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  February 1, 2023 5:12pm
Hugh Jarse

When will the Parole Board realise that there are some offenders, particularly violent sexual offenders who are nothing but predators. They hunt down their victims in a planned and calculating way. They cannot be given parole under any circumstances or the result is inevitable. Two recent sentencings, Wilson and Brider in Christchurch amply demonstrate that. Sadly it seems to take a second victim before society gets the protection it deserves from them. Mindhunter by John Douglas is an excellent book on the subject.
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February 1, 2023 5:00pm
freemark

Just about fell off my chair today. This is how far the woke infiltration has gone… from HERA (industry body for heavy/structural engineering & fabrication)
“Behind the scene I work closely with our management team. All in an effort to better understand the needs of our membership and ensure we’re delivering the best level of value we can. The works our team deliver collectively will see our members become industry leaders in Industry 4.0, innovation, sustainability and mātauranga Māori, and supported through our research and development, training and thought leadership.

A key area I am privileged to lead is our mātauranga Māori project. Its focus is to find the intersection between heavy engineering and the indigenous knowledge of Aotearoa and a framework to make that happen. I believe this journey will not only bring rewards to the bottom line, but more importantly – to the legacy a business will leave for intergenerational wellbeing”

There is more on the site. WTF has happened to New Zealand. Worse is that the large proportion of people that know this is utter bullshit are generally too cowardly to call it out.
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February 1, 2023 5:34pm
Ghost

Too many cooks in the kitchen. The mayor should be the one releasing information

Leaked emails obtained by Stuff reveal Auckland mayor Wayne Brown has tried to silence fellow councillors and leave him to be the “one voice” on the city’s flooding matters.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/local-government/131122167/leaked-emails-reveal-auckland-mayor-wayne-brown-trying-to-gag-councillors-amid-flood-response
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February 1, 2023 5:55pm
- Hugh Jarse
  
  Five days of sustained attacks and bullying by the media pursuing regime change. Disgraceful sidestepping of the democratic process. I hope Luxon has his media team up to strength and ready to go, he is going to need them.
  
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  February 1, 2023 7:17pm
- Ghost
  
  Nz herald releases the email, obviously stuff did a beat up story when you read the email, scum media
  
  https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/auckland-floods-mayor-wayne-brown-tells-councillors-i-will-take-care-of-the-big-picture/5ULYL7MO7ZC37IUEIVZCZBPHYU/
  
  Good afternoon Elected members,
  
  Thank you again for the tireless work you’re doing to support our communities as we deal with this unprecedented event.
  
  My team and I have been working hard to strengthen communications and get clear, timely messages out to Aucklanders.
  
  Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson has been doing a great job assisting me with this, alongside her work in the Orakei Ward, for which I’m grateful.
  
  To ensure that all communications remain clear and consistent, we need to speak with one voice. For that reason, I ask that it be left to myself and the Deputy Mayor to lead public communications on regional matters.
  
  That said, I strongly encourage you all to continue talking publicly about what’s happening in your local communities – indeed, it’s essential that you continue to do this.
  
  I will take care of the big picture.
  
  And I would ask that you all take care of the local picture.
  
  Kind regards
  
  Wayne
  
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  February 1, 2023 7:47pm
NothingLeft

“When religion and politics travel in the same cart, the riders believe nothing can stand in their way. Their movements become headlong – faster and faster and faster. They put aside all thoughts of obstacles and forget the precipice does not show itself to the man in a blind rush until it’s too late.” Frank Herbert

I think that describes a lot of late-stage religious like lunacy we see arising out of academia – pseudo-scientific climatology, woke craziness and love of forever-failing left wing economic ideologies. Feels like we are nearing a society wide break-down of some sort.
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February 1, 2023 6:30pm
Maggie Pie

Just sitting here having a cheeky little French Chablis and my partner brought up a very good point….how the F can someone who only got into parliament thru the vote of Mt Roskill residents, expect to be recognised as the ‘Minister-for-AUCKLAND’?

It’s just ridiculous…they never even take their rubbish-bins in for a start 🙁
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February 1, 2023 6:46pm
- Hollyfield
  
  We can just ignore him. He’s campaigned on light rail down Dominion Road since 2017, promised it would be built by 2022, and nothing has yet happened. Despite Dominion Road being in his electorate, despite him being Labour Electorate Chair when Phil Goff was the MP (therefore buddy buddy when Phil Goff whas the Mayor) and despite him being Minister of Transport for some of those years. Don’t get me started on the cycleway across Auckland Harbour. It really doesn’t matter what he says, it won’t happen.
  
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  February 1, 2023 7:36pm
Ghost

As a medical student and researcher, I staunchly supported the efforts of the public health authorities when it came to COVID-19. I believed that the authorities responded to the largest public health crisis of our lives with compassion, diligence, and scientific expertise. I was with them when they called for lockdowns, vaccines, and boosters.

I was wrong. We in the scientific community were wrong. And it cost lives. As a medical student and researcher, I staunchly supported the efforts of the public health authorities when it came to COVID-19. I believed that the authorities responded to the largest public health crisis of our lives with compassion, diligence, and scientific expertise. I was with them when they called for lockdowns, vaccines, and boosters.

I was wrong. We in the scientific community were wrong. And it cost lives.

https://www.newsweek.com/its-time-scientific-community-admit-we-were-wrong-about-coivd-it-cost-lives-opinion-1776630
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February 1, 2023 6:57pm
jon

See Radio NZ are carrying a story of how Hipkins will go up against Luxon, in Question Time, when the House resumes on Tues 7th Feb. There is only one problem here though, Parliament sittings for the 2023 year , dont start until Tues 14th Feb!! Shoddy reporting.
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February 1, 2023 9:28pm

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