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February 11, 2023 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 11 February 2023

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General Debate

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CAKE FACE1

Just before Lenin died, he famously recommended Stalin’s removal from the position of General Secretary of the Party:

“Stalin is too coarse and this defect, although quite tolerable in our midst and in dealing among us Communists, becomes intolerable in a Secretary-General. That is why I suggest that the comrades think about a way of removing Stalin from that post and appointing another man in his stead who in all other respects differs from Comrade Stalin in having only one advantage, namely, that of being more tolerant, more loyal, more polite and more considerate to the comrades, less capricious, etc.”

From wiki, Stalin’s response was interesting:

“Lenin died in January 1924. Stalin took charge of the funeral and was one of its pallbearers; against the wishes of Lenin’s widow, the Politburo embalmed his corpse and placed it within a mausoleum in Moscow’s Red Square. It was incorporated into a growing personality cult devoted to Lenin, with Petrograd being renamed “Leningrad” that year. To bolster his image as a devoted Leninist, Stalin gave nine lectures at Sverdlov University on the “Foundations of Leninism”, later published in book form. During the 13th Party Congress in May 1924, “Lenin’s Testament” was read only to the leaders of the provincial delegations. Embarrassed by its contents, Stalin offered his resignation as General Secretary; this act of humility saved him and he was retained in the position.”

It is interesting to compare Stalin’s response to the passing of Lenin, with Chippy’s response to the passing of Cindy. I thought that the changing of the guard in New Zealand would see Labour institute the same personality cult as their communist forbears.

I thought that Cindy’s wax face would be preserved for propaganda purposes forever, and huge statues would be constructed, for Cindy cultists to forever worship her gurning features.

As it transpires, Chippy simply threw Cindy under the bus.

In this way, the modern Labour Party in NZ is more ruthless at moving on than even Comrade Stalin was.

You can see how committed and unsentimental the socialists are, with their treatment of Cindy. Although I hate to admit it, this ruthlessness is a major reason why they are so successful recently.

The sole means and purpose of the Labour Party are to increase the size and scope of the government, by wielding ever increasing power over the hapless citizens.

In contrast, the National Party only has very mushy, uncertain goals, to try to implement a larger government slightly more efficiently.

The clarity of the Labour brand is the source of their success.

” Power is not a means, it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship. The object of persecution is persecution.” (Orwell)
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February 11, 2023 8:06am
- Tony Stuart
  
  Not so. National’s values on individual freedoms and the size of government are perfectly clear:
  
  * Individual freedom and choice
  * Personal responsibility
  * Competitive enterprise and rewards for achievement
  * Limited Government
  
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  February 11, 2023 9:14am
  - krazykiwi
    
    “Individual freedom and choice”
    
    Shame Luxon forgot this when he supported people being tossed from their jobs for declining to take the experimental genetic injections, Tony.
    
    “Limited government”
    The size of the state grew under the last National government.
    
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    February 11, 2023 9:22am
    - Wayne Mapp
      
      There number of core public servants did not grow under the last National government. The number of teachers and health workers did increase. Most people would applaud the latter.
      
      The percentage of GDP that was public dropped from about 32% of GDP in 2008 to 28% of GDP in 2017.
      
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      February 11, 2023 9:45am
      - krazykiwi
        
        Would you share the source of that info. Thanks.
        
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        February 11, 2023 9:48am
      - Prince
        
        These figures don’t tie to Wayne’s, but they tell one hell of a picture about Labour Govts, and this one in particular.
        Back in the 1970’s/80’s, much of the political debate was around the economy. Given Govt debt under Labour has tripled from $50B to $150B, and the shocking statistic here (from the World Bank), I think National needs to redouble their attacks on Robertson’s trashing of our economy.
        
        https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NE.CON.GOVT.ZS?locations=NZ
        
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        February 11, 2023 10:51am
      - Wayne Mapp
        
        krazykiwi,
        
        The percentages is from various Treasury Budget documents. The public servant numbers are from memory.
        
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        February 11, 2023 11:33am
      - Tom Hunter
        
        The percentage of GDP that was public dropped from about 32% of GDP in 2008 to 28% of GDP in 2017.
        
        If only the growth of government in our lives could be measured by the % of State spending in GDP.
        
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        February 12, 2023 12:24am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      Once again when did Luxon support that? He has stated since day one of being leader he can’t see the point I. Mandates, but the Marxists are in charge
      
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      February 11, 2023 12:57pm
      - Jimbob
        
        We’ll vote for Hipkins then, stop complaining.
        
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        February 11, 2023 3:50pm
  - kowtow
    
    John Key signed up to smoke free tobacco bull , not sure at whose bequest .
    Shop signs , packaging all sorts of attacks on small private businesses.
    Labour carry on the “good work” .
    Banning age groups and now about to direct the bannings of sales to a very few limited outlets.
    
    They’re all on the same continuum , one simply a bit further on from the other.
    
    And recall it was a National govt that started the great eggstinction , again all for some ill defined “good”, but totally contrary to their own claimed “principles”.
    
    They also helped set off the current round of Maori separatism , this from a man who had actually claimed he wanted to end the Maori seats.
    
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    February 11, 2023 9:33am
  - pdm
    
    Inv – please tell Luxon.
    
    I am not sure what he stands for yet.
    
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    February 11, 2023 9:43am
    - Jimbob
      
      Vote Labour, your problem is solved. You know what they stand for.
      
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      February 11, 2023 3:51pm
  - Tom Hunter
    
    * Limited Government
    The RNC (Republican National Committee) tried that bullshit on recently as well with a Tweet about how “Republicans believe in limited government.”
    
    Needless to say they got ratioed to death by GOP voters.
    
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    February 11, 2023 9:46am
  - Loddenthinks
    
    Tony, those were National’s founding principles but it’s abundantly clear by their actions – both under John Key and since – that they have abandoned any pretence at following them.
    
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    February 11, 2023 9:55am
    - ClanMcleod
      
      Indeed, it would be nice if they actually adhered to those excellent principles.
      From memory National’s response to Labour’s draconian assault on freedom of choice and human rights during the ongoing covid fiasco was that they would have done the same only harder and more efficiently.
      Mr Luxon has a bit of work to do yet to get a vote from me.
      
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      February 11, 2023 10:42am
      - Jimbob
        
        Vote Labour then, your obvious choice.
        
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        February 11, 2023 3:52pm
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      MMP dictated that
      
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      February 11, 2023 12:59pm
      - ClanMcleod
        
        G -are you trying to say that MMP dictated the National Party response to covid? That makes no sense to me. Please explain.
        
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        February 11, 2023 2:54pm
    - Mike
      
      Why would the national party adhere to its founding principles now, when it couldn’t be bothered with them even in Sid Holland’s day?
      
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      February 11, 2023 3:10pm
  - Thought Criminal
    
    That lists sounds more like Act.
    
    National are weak on those attributes at best.
    
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    February 11, 2023 10:49am
    - Surely Knott
      
      Even Act was pro mandate and actively disparaged and shamed anyone questioning them. Those mandate were some of the most authoritarian in the western world and we celebrated the fact we were following chinas successful approach?!?!!!
      
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      February 11, 2023 1:34pm
- krazykiwi
  
  “In contrast, the National Party only has very mushy, uncertain goals, to try to implement a larger government slightly more efficiently.”
  
  Flame bait for the Natty tribals… and absolutely on the mark, CAKE. National chase the left-moving centre rather than arrest that move to the left.
  
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  February 11, 2023 9:19am
  - plc
    
    He’ll be along in a minute….with all the zeal of a reformed smoker
    
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    February 11, 2023 11:07am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      Who ? If you are talking about me I will tell you take a hike, we all have s as n opinion
      
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      February 11, 2023 1:01pm
      - ClanMcleod
        
        G – this isn’t an “opinion”, it is a fact that National took the stance that Labour weren’t mandating and removing freedoms hard enough or efficiently enough. ACT weren’t a lot better.
        You can be as indignant as you want, these are FACTS. Counter them if you can.
        
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        February 12, 2023 7:01am
  - Don Beckett
    
    If you will recall, John Key stated back around 2012 that the original aims of the founding members of the National Party: “No longer indicate the aims and principles of the National Party today”.
    Or words to that effect. An abdication of principal.
    
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    February 11, 2023 11:20am
    - slightlyrighty
      
      According to Chris Trotter, the same could be said for Labour.
      
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      February 11, 2023 11:25am
      - Mike
        
        Doesn’t seem to stop some people from calling labour a bunch of commies.
        
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        February 11, 2023 3:12pm
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    What do you think happens to Act if Nats go back to the right ffs
    
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    February 11, 2023 1:00pm
    - mawm
      
      You are worse than the MSM. ACT is not a rightwing party!
      
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      February 11, 2023 2:04pm
      - Mike
        
        It’s as right wing as any party could get in NZ and still get MPs elected. It wouldn’t describe itself as right wing, of course, but like most parties prefers to portray itself as all things to all people.
        
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        February 11, 2023 3:36pm
      - krazykiwi
        
        Correct. ACT is further to the left today than Labour was 30 years ago. The Overton window busy making everyone poorer and more enslaved.
        
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        February 11, 2023 6:00pm
  - Jimbob
    
    Vote for someone else then, simple.
    
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    February 11, 2023 3:53pm
- gonzo
  
  …”Chippy simply threw Cindy under the bus…”.
  
  Now I clearly don’t know… but from observation I think the complete opposite happened. I think we have seen a masterful handover of power from Ardern/Robertson/Hipkins.
  
  I just don’t believe that Ardern decided she didn’t “have it in the tank” over the break. I think we saw the execution of a plan months in the making from those three (maybe more). Yes, it was ruthless, but I don’t believe in the way you have positioned. Ardern saw the greater good of the party vs her (and yes – that’s socialism!). Similar re Robertson.
  And now we have an odds-on win for labour later this year.
  Of course, I could be completely wrong in all of this :-).
  Regardless, National are floundering and Labour are in box seat to win.
  
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  February 11, 2023 11:49am
  - Philview
    
    Labour have the most of the media in their pocket. Journalists who were applauding policy last year are now applauding the same policy being ditched. This indicates absolute allegiance to the party rather than philosophical alignment with policy ideas.
    
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    February 11, 2023 3:03pm
- Scooter
  
  As Sharma found out, the party comes before everything else. Poor Cindy must be crying into her almond milk latte, after all it’s down to her alone (crazy as that was) that they had 2 terms. Still I expect she’ll be loyal to the bitter end.
  
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  February 11, 2023 10:54pm
Yvette

What came down ☂ in the last shower

Like shower thought “DO NOT TOUCH” would probably be a really unsettling thing to read in braille, during this morning’s ablutions I wondered “Although owners of ‘Corner Dairies’ are predominantly Indian or Asian, what if such owners were predominantly Māori?

Not whether they would do the “hard yards” to become corner dairy owners, but just pondering What if Māori were dairy owners? What then of ram raiders?
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February 11, 2023 8:06am
- pdm
  
  ` What if Māori were dairy owners?
  
  Ram Raiders would hit Indian Takeaways.
  
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  February 11, 2023 8:58am
- Nickc2
  
  Their tribes would expect giveaways. They’d go broke really quickly unless propped up by Govt Handouts.
  Hang about, isn’t that how Maori survive now?
  
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  February 11, 2023 9:05am
- Inandout
  
  Yvette, Sharma seemingly began the Labour distrust of Indian people. Dairies were once run by ‘mum and dad’ types which included Maori couples.
  
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  February 11, 2023 9:06am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Indian Dairy owners have been getting attacked & killed for years.
    
    https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/93028326/arun-kumars-teenage-killer-paroled-and-back-at-school
    
    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/300084930/dairy-owners-fearful-after-string-of-robberies-demands-higher-police-presence-at-stores
    
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/669855/Dairy-bashing-suspect-nabbed
    
    etc, etc..
    
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    February 11, 2023 11:50am
krazykiwi

Imagine being one of the five former Twitter executives listening to this!

“This is the investigation part. The arrest part comes later “
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February 11, 2023 8:06am
- mawm
  
  You know that will not happen. The DOJ is beholden to the woke/anti-conservative/anti-white/TDS mob.
  
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  February 11, 2023 11:23am
- JackRabbit
  
  We do not know where the FBI ends and Twitter begins.
  
  ‘Who The Hell Do You Think You Are!’: Boebert Explodes At Ex-Twitter Exec For Shadow-Banning Her
  
  At today’s House Oversight Committee, Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) assailed ex-Twitter executives over her shadowban.
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy7mtoyrlXI
  
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  February 11, 2023 11:53am
  - NZer In Exile
    
    Good that big tech scumbags are starting to be put under the spotlight. There is a long, long way to go on this front though.
    
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    February 11, 2023 2:54pm
- virtualmark
  
  Shrug.
  
  The “investigation part” is performative art designed to get the GOP members 10 minutes on Fox News.
  
  The “arrest part” requires pesky stuff like evidence. And it’s up to the DoJ/FBI/local police … not Congress.
  
  When Clay Higgins was on Ingraham yesterday she (a lawyer) was clearly sceptical that so far there’s been nothing like enough evidence shown to justify charges being laid.
  
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  February 11, 2023 1:14pm
  - Clownworld
    
    Very true the depth of corruption means a fair investigation, a fair trial and a fair outcome are very unlikely. Nothing to see here and swept under the carpet.
    
    As for evidence we are living in the new age of the obvious elephants in the room. This is the 2020’s the age of the Emperors have no clothes.
    
    “We know they are lying. They know we know they are lying and yet they continue to lie.”
    
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    February 12, 2023 8:10am
- Master Mariner
  
  The unknown to me is how they affected other Sovereign Nations, Namely NZ.
  Not only Twitter but all Social Media companies.
  Never has there been a Co-Ordinated messaging on a Truely Global scale.
  So in that context was Social media outlets dictating Policies and messaging to other Governments.?
  
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  February 11, 2023 1:29pm
  - Clownworld
    
    There is just one message. Trust us or else.
    
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    February 12, 2023 8:12am
Suze Wainwright

How much strategic planning was required for the sleek transition to Hipkins, the ultra-co-ordinated social media hit campaigns on National, the modelling of public acceptance? Is an early election on the cards?
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February 11, 2023 8:17am
- sirknz
  
  Luke Malpass of $tuff had an opinion piece that looked to be testing the waters for a snap election last night. The comments section appeared to be closed quickly, probably because the majority of comments weren’t going in the direction they wanted as is their MO.
  
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  February 11, 2023 9:24am
  - Colville
    
    Hopkins (as he is often called) has had his dead cat bounce… give it a month and he will be back beow 30%.
    A snap election would see him as the shortest (Ha!) lived PM ever?
    
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    February 11, 2023 1:18pm
- artemisia
  
  One thing in favour of an early election is that Labour ain’t going to be able to bulldoze through unpopular policies using their undoubted majority.
  
  While facing, one hopes, a sustained chorus of ‘Let’s undo this’ and ‘Don’t just stand there, undo something’.
  
  And even now, implementation dates for unpopular policies are likely to be well past October 14 anyway, and come with a large banner saying soz, too late unless you vote us back in. Oh and soz we spent all your money on working out what to do and how to do it, but nothing left to actually do it.
  
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  February 11, 2023 9:52am
  - Nickc2
    
    I doubt Hipkins will call an early election. If he does, he’s opening up his bunch of crooks for a full, frontal, and hopefully final attack by the opposition on #Waters. The longer he delays an election, the more time he has to wind back on this and other stupid agendas.
    
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    February 11, 2023 10:00am
    - Thought Criminal
      
      I almost agree. Except I think it’s more like, the longer he delays the more of his stupid agenda he can install. He knows National are piss weak and will leave most of it in place.
      
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      February 11, 2023 10:56am
      - Nickc2
        
        What and why would they leave anything in place?
        
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        February 11, 2023 11:37am
    - coge
      
      Well if Hipkin’s got his nose in front beyond honeymoon phase he’d be a mug not to go early. And it would be another popular defiance of an Ardern edict. Under Luxon, National are stuck in a buggers muddle.
      
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      February 11, 2023 5:26pm
- Paulus
  
  It has been suggested that Hipkins should call an early election.
  He dare not because despite the anti National sentiments in all aspects of the media, and specifically against Luxon, overall middle New Zealand will not give little boy a chance to continue what he and Ardern/Robertson want.
  Robertson is ducking for out asap.
  Go for it Hipkins, if you dare.
  
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  February 11, 2023 10:15am
  - Jimbob
    
    I don’t know why people complain about National, just vote for someone else. Very simple. Plenty of options, even the Māori party would be better, so vote for them then.
    
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    February 11, 2023 3:55pm
    - coge
      
      Sadly many of us would love to vote National. But under the existing leadership, that’s impossible. We won’t support a National party who happily endorsed the dehumanization, segregation and persecution of the people of New Zealand.
      
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      February 11, 2023 9:27pm
    - Clownworld
      
      Principles.
      Values.
      Integrity.
      
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      February 12, 2023 8:13am
- PeeJay
  
  I think a snap election will certainly be an option being considered by Hipkins etc. I suspect they will be weighing up a range of factors like direction of the polls, economic factors and whether we’re heading into a recession etc.
  
  If they see the economic forecast through to October turning grim (which I suspect it will be based on anecdotal evidence in my own industry) and the positive trend continues in the next batch of polls (and isn’t just a really short term bounce), I wouldn’t be surprised to see them go for a snap election.
  
  Sad thing is I actually think they, and by ‘they’ I mean the dreaded labour-greens-maori party hydra, could actually win a snap election.
  
  I just hope their arrogance blinds them, think the polls trend will continue through to October because they are just so, ahem, brilliant, and they chicken out of calling a snap election!
  
  A three year term under Labour-Greens-MP is a horrendous thought!!!!
  
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  February 11, 2023 10:18am
  - Nickc2
    
    If your scenario comes true, we will be governed by two or three Maori Party members and Labour’s Maori Caucus. Labour’s Maori Caucus only has to let it be known to a friendly PIJF Journalist that they may jump ship and side with the Maori Party and there will be such an uproar that the Labour Party as we know it (spit spit) will disintegrate.
    
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    February 11, 2023 10:32am
    - Joe Banana
      
      They can suggest this, although by law they cannot due to the 2018 Waka Jumping Law
      In 2018 a law was passed which requires a defecting MP to give up their seat on the request of their former party leader. Electorate MPs may re-contest their seat in a by-election, whereas list MPs are replaced by the next available person on the party list.
      
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      February 11, 2023 1:14pm
      - Nickc2
        
        I’m fully aware of the Waka thing but remember, we’re dealing with a Maori Caucus and lots of things don’t apply to them eh?
        
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        February 11, 2023 1:56pm
- Thought Criminal
  
  Sadly a snap election is a righty fantasy because we all want a change of government so bad.
  
  There won’t be a snap election because Labour love power and they have so much more of their nonsense to force on us. They also know that they’re highly likely to get smashed in a landslide after a full election campaign where their track record of failure is fully discussed.
  
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  February 11, 2023 11:02am
kowtow

Two weeks ago when Auckland flooded , the Whoreald blamed “climate change” and put the new mayor in the frame.

Today the same newspaper , after a cooling off period is running stories from locals with lines like ; debris in creek , not cleared , flooded carpark then basement.Infrastructure not keeping up with development , high ground water.
or “overland flows from structures and impervious landscaping that find a way to the tops of cliffs….severe pruning or removal , root systems binding rocks and soils……

So much for global climate emergency and net zero when it actually comes down to mismanagement and over development.

The same thing happened , with te media pardy ,and the Batflu narrative.

Initial panic and hyperbole , but now two long years later , the true picture slowly emerging .
And though cases are still relatively very high , it’s as if the whole damn thing never happened.
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February 11, 2023 8:19am
- Sacha
  
  Have you noticed the similarity of ‘information’ directives between the government covid strategy, and the threat of the new storm – which may or may not arrive in full force over New Zealand?
  
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  February 11, 2023 10:35am
  - Clownworld
    
    Fear propaganda the new sustained climate change directive.
    
    Next will be you should all feel guilty for using carbon and fossil fuels etc.
    
    Oh wait they already started, funny how their greenwash aligns with WEF and UN SGs worldwide.
    
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    February 12, 2023 8:22am
Paulus

Something different.
I am totally sceptical of the New Zealand media.
However we have come to listen to Newshub’s European Reporter, Lisette Reymer over recent days since the Earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.
What an exceptionally well done reporting from the these troubles areas.
I never thought I would give this kind of praise but I believe she has been exceptional.
Well done Lissette.
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February 11, 2023 8:37am
- Captain Mainwaring
  
  Lissette Reymer is an incredibly talented journalist. Unlike 99% of her biased and unimaginative colleagues. Hope Newshub is paying her well.
  
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  February 11, 2023 8:56am
- cas
  
  I have written to Newshub a couple of times praising her. There is an interesting story about her in the Australian Women’s weekly about her and how she crafts her prose, looking to add value. She could teach a lot of our so called journos a thing or two.
  
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  February 11, 2023 9:07am
  - oldgolfer
    
    She clearly takes time with her words and, unlike most, is a good writer. She is also aware and empathetic. In short, able and classy.
    
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    February 11, 2023 10:53am
- Jack5
  
  She is doing a good job in Turkey, and we love to hear an NZ accent abroad. However, it’s futile for a tiny country’s State TV to attempt to cover the world with its own staff.
  
  Hundreds of foreign TV services, news agencies, radio broadcasters, and internet sources can supply raw material.
  
  When newspapers were the source of our world information, the vast amount came from international news agencies and prominent overseas newspapers.
  
  I understand four of the main newspapers maintained a reporter in London who wrote largely about NZ exports and their markets. Other news filtered through international agencies to the NZ Press Association, itself an agency. This was economic and New Zealanders were well informed.
  
  Often, a TVNZ reporter based overseas does a “voice-over” on supplied material. This provides an NZ accent over coverage, but could be done cheaper at home.
  
  It seems artificial when an obviously Kiwi reporter, for example, “on the border of Ukraine,” talks about the war, and finishes with a a “voice- over” on foreign-supplied video clips.
  
  We can understand American and British accents, and more exotic folk on Al Jazeera.
  
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  February 11, 2023 9:16am
krazykiwi

Made me smile: Jerry Lee Lewis’ doctor visit
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February 11, 2023 8:47am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IjgZGhHrYY
  
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  February 11, 2023 8:56am
Matt Long

Different location, same moronic regressive policies. Let’s create a world food shortage so we can virtue signal on climate models.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/montana-rancher-predicts-biden-policies-diminish-beef-supply-government-tape
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February 11, 2023 8:47am
- Ruawai
  
  At least the Labour Government won’t be able to end up with egg on their face.
  
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  February 11, 2023 9:11am
BeaB

Hogwash story in Herald about why Robertson didn’t want to be PM. He comes up with far too many excuses.
More likely that he realised we don’t like him and won’t vote for him. Who’d want a selfie with him?
Apart from that puff piece there’s a superb article by Bryce Edwards about the eye- watering amounts of money this awful government has squandered on consultants. It almost amounts to corruption as there is a tight circle of mates and cronies.
Waka Kotahi has spent more on consultants than on actually building roads!
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February 11, 2023 8:48am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Also on Point of Order website:
  
  The most recent figures released by the Public Service Commission show that the Government now spends $1.244 billion a year on such contractors. And it’s rising fast – last year the consultancy spend was up by a third ($300m). Much of this was spent on health reforms, the polytech centralisation, and Three Waters.
  
  https://pointofordernz.wordpress.com/2023/02/10/bryce-edwards-political-roundup-time-for-a-big-debate-about-govt-use-of-business-consultants/
  
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  February 11, 2023 8:59am
  - crikey
    
    Maggy: All this consultant spend on top of significantly increased public service staffing.
    
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    February 11, 2023 10:00am
    - Stellaboxer
      
      Crikey I visited a friend a few weeks ago and when I arrived I found he had another mutual acquaintance already there. During the course of conversation this medium ranking civil servant , rabid leftists as it happens, claimed that the poor performance of Arderns regime was squarely down to a lack of staff in government departments. After picking myself up off the floor and drying my eyes I looked at her and realised she was not joking.
      
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      February 11, 2023 11:16am
      - MCōs
        
        Did you stamp your feet, as well, like one of my six yo granddaughters?
        Or is that your normal reaction when discussing something with a woman?
        
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        February 11, 2023 4:40pm
      - Stellaboxer
        
        It’s my normal reaction when anyone regardless of gender cracks something as absurdly funny as they did.
        
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        February 11, 2023 9:23pm
  - nathie
    
    That’s an unbelievable amount of money spent on consultants – can ACT or National get to the bottom of it please?
    
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    February 11, 2023 11:21am
    - Jack5
      
      The Labour Government showers money on consultants.
      
      What else is there to know?
      
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      February 11, 2023 3:19pm
      - MCōs
        
        Do you know why money is spent on consultants at all?
        Goes back to the good old days when the Lange and subsequent governments chucked the baby out with the bath water.
        I had a friend who made a shit load of money working on an hourly rate because someone at IRD left and a full time replacement couldn’t be hired due to the ‘sinking lid’ policy of the government at the time. They couldn’t employ someone full time at $x, but a consultant could be hired from an agency at $4x.
        
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        February 11, 2023 4:52pm
- Tricati
  
  Don’t forget they spent 9 years in opposition sitting on their arses doing FA until Peters put them into government. They had no policies so spent millions on working groups and consultants so nothing has changed. Just plain lazy and happy to spent, or borrow, with no outcomes.
  
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  February 11, 2023 9:13am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  ‘Who’d want a selfie with him?’
  Jaspinda is going “Me me me”
  
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  February 11, 2023 9:19am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Waka Coathanger. What can be done to rein them in? Totally out of control with other people’s money. It has to stop now.
  
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  February 11, 2023 9:21am
  - kowtow
    
    What a catastrophe.
    
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    February 11, 2023 9:39am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Not much info there. Waka Kotahi and spending more on consultants than roads. $145M?
    MOH could do with that funding, to get the surgeries up and running.
    
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    February 11, 2023 11:46am
    - JackRabbit
      
      Waka Kotahi and spending more on consultants than roads.
      
      So clearly not “Shovel Ready” then.
      
      The object is to maintain the roads, and keep them up to standard for modern vehicles and transport. Not to engage in high powered lunch talk fests paying $500 per hour to consultants, intent on renaming towns and roads to honour cannibals. or discussing rainbow crossings.
      
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      February 11, 2023 11:59am
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        Waka Kotahi is full of losers who would not last 5 minutes in a Private Sector job.
        
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        February 11, 2023 1:18pm
      - rouppe
        
        I’m in Vietnam now. Most of the roads are in far superior condition to nz state highways
        
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        February 11, 2023 1:28pm
      - kisekiman
        
        I am in Vietnam also and while it appears to be a chaotic communist led shithole, rife with corruption and poor governance, my feeling is they are on an ascendant trajectory with a young population seeking the rewards of hard work. New Zealand on the other hand seems to be descending into chaos and will end up where Vietnam has started from.
        
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        February 11, 2023 3:26pm
      - MCōs
        
        My recollections of driving in Vietnam about ten years ago have little to do with the quality of roads, but the mayhem caused by the driving.
        Our bus driver seemed to spend all the time honking his horn, as did everyone everyone else and a lot of time on the wrong side of the road.
        
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        February 11, 2023 4:25pm
      - MCōs
        
        Vietnam has over 30 road death /100,000, NZ about 7
        
        Look it up.
        
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        February 11, 2023 4:27pm
    - Mummy
      
      Yesterday we counted no fewer than 9 lots of significant roadworks between Motuoapa and Taihape. By significant I mean several hundred metres of 30kph, dust and gravel, millions of cones and some with a stop/go girl or traffic lights. There were at least 4 more before Bulls. None on the Desert Road. Must be spending a fortune on the roads ATM.
      
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      February 11, 2023 3:01pm
      - JackRabbit
        
        Must be spending a fortune on the roads ATM.
        
        As with temporary fencing, road cones can make you a millionaire.
        
        A fortune on roads for over priced contracts.
        
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        February 11, 2023 3:49pm
- PeeJay
  
  Re consultants, there is absolutely zero accountability for any project failing to come in on time or budget.
  
  In my industry, construction, the same useless ‘procurement teams’ in councils or central government hire the same consultants and contractors all the time. Mostly, these are the same architects, engineers, quantity surveyors and project managers that cocked up the design / cost estimates / project management of the last ‘big project’. Then the same contractor is hired – you know, the same contractor that was late, had poor quality and was massively over budget. Rinse and repeat. Every time.
  
  No accountability, even time out on the naughty step for a year or two, for the underperforming consultants or contractor. No accountability for the council / government procurement team that hired everyone.
  
  If we had real accountability, relationships between the key players would be examined – everyone in the industry knows of suspicious behaviour going on but there is nothing to be gained from raising the alarm and being black balled from a vital revenue stream.
  
  In truth, nobody really wants anything to change – the system works – who cares if ‘someone else’ (eg ratepayer or taxpayer) foots the inflated bill eh?
  
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  February 11, 2023 10:34am
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  Waka Kotahi is a corrupt government franchise, this government should be punished severely for this, but it’s Nats fault
  
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  February 11, 2023 2:57pm
blue collar

I applaud national for keeping their powder dry . Their dossier for Brenda will need to be re jogged to hammer ginge .
There’s plenty of ammo , things need to be done properly and not rushed .
Do not reveal policy until later . Labour are clueless and will claim as theirs after tweaking .

Seymour keeps saying what needs to be said to keep the centre right enthusiastic . Doesn’t matter if he gets 15% and nats 36 % . So long as they get over the line together

But cmon …. It’s a done deal . Labour are going to get a pasting no matter when the election is called . These polls are meaningless crap .
People don’t forget . Chippy is a massive part of what was done .
Scrapping policies is so embarrassing for a party , it shows pure incompetence. It’s still ginge’s party , him binning it is ok , but nothing to laud .

My biggest criticism is no one says sorry . Chippy might bin policies but where’s the apology for getting it wrong and wasting tax payer money ?

This is the reason why they can’t climb out of their doom . They can’t relate , in a meaningful way , with the population. Labour still think we serve them . They hv totally forgotten they are supposed to serve us .

Want arrogance ? Introduce a raft of policies not elected on .
You want to start a tyranny , find another country , this is New Zealand , it’s our country , and kiwis don’t put up with that kind of shit .
It will be brutal . Labour 23% my pick .
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February 11, 2023 8:51am
- Captain Mainwaring
  
  Let’s hope you’re right and the sheeple wake up.
  
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  February 11, 2023 8:59am
  - Debsta
    
    God I hope you’re both right, I have been getting more nervous! Ignorance, apathy and a “fourth estate” pretty much MIA I despair at some of what I hear and see.
    
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    February 12, 2023 1:14am
- Ruawai
  
  Not scrapping policies you understand, rather refocusing and re-prioritising to combat the cost of living crisis. Remind me again who caused the cost of living crisis.
  
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  February 11, 2023 9:09am
- sirknz
  
  I know otherwise intelligent people who agree that things have gotten worse over the last five years but will still vote Labour “Because Labour are nice to the poor people and National will just screw them over”.
  
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  February 11, 2023 9:31am
- Observer of Life
  
  I really hope so Blue, but right now I feel like Kiwi’s have lost their critical thinking skills.
  
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  February 11, 2023 9:42am
  - Bridgenag
    
    I’ve posted before but…
    
    Scared Witless …worth a look
    https://open.substack.com/pub/boriquagato/p/rationalizing-rationality?r=1aj1bv&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
    
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    February 11, 2023 11:28am
- MCōs
  
  One of the Nats’ problems is they have to accommodate ACT who have policies disliked by the vast majority of the electorate, as indicated by their polling numbers.
  Even though Seymour has nowhere else to go if he rejects National, Luxon will still need him to form a government & that means a shift to the right that he doesn’t want to announce right now.
  
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  February 11, 2023 10:26am
  - Cassandra
    
    Good analysis, although I suspect lots of Nats are closet ACT.
    
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    February 11, 2023 10:37am
    - MCōs
      
      True blue Nats are already in the bag.
      They’re not the ones he has to win over.
      
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      February 11, 2023 12:14pm
  - Peter Lane
    
    You could say the same about Labour and the Greens.
    
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    February 11, 2023 10:48am
    - MCōs
      
      Except at the last election Labour won a majority and they did that on the back of their first term performance re covid and the PM’s handling of the mosque massacres.
      Also National ran a pitiful campaign after numerous leadership changes and scandals.
      
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      February 11, 2023 12:12pm
  - virtualmark
    
    Alternatively … because ACT have the well-to-the-right-of-centre vote nailed down that means National can afford to drift a little more to the centre in order to maximise the total National-plus-ACT vote.
    
    The key to winning an election is getting the votes of the 10% in the middle who swap from Labour to National and back again.
    
    The reality is that if Luxon wants to win in October he doesn’t need to appeal to me. He (or ACT) have already got my vote. He needs to appeal to the middle. But appealing to the middle means most of the commenters here will froth about Luxon going communist.
    
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    February 11, 2023 1:19pm
  - Jimbob
    
    I don’t know why people complain about National, just vote for someone else. Very simple. Plenty of options, even the Māori party would be better, so vote for them then.
    
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    February 11, 2023 3:57pm
- David Garrett
  
  blue collar: When you say “people don’t forget”, I’m afraid you are quite wrong. On the contrary, the sheeple frequently forget or choose to overlook egregious failings by politicians of all stripes.
  
  That very short memory span is behind the saying “a week is a long time in politics”.
  
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  February 11, 2023 10:32am
  - kevn
    
    @DG… Indeed. It is only 12 months since the anti-mandate protest in Wgtn.
    
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    February 11, 2023 11:26am
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  Sadly most on here think Nats are crap, and they are happy for another term of treachery
  
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  February 11, 2023 2:59pm
blue collar

I’m intrigued by what went down inside the beehive during protest .
I expect the lockstep crap from woke national but am extremely disappointed in Seymour . I’ll be upfront , he’s my man .
For me , this was totally out of character for Seymour .
So again …. What the fuck went down in the beehive to bring them all into line ??

I’m picking either fear . Some kind of threat , or scenario they all fell for . Or politically mis read the room , and thought wd get more votes by not engaging than engaging with protestors .

Can’t wait for someone to do a tell all . Especially how unhinged mallard had become . Will be fascinating
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February 11, 2023 8:57am
- Souvlaki
  
  Seymour DID meet w protestors…off site at the Back Bencher Pub as I recall.
  
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  February 11, 2023 10:27am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Only after being called an asshole
    
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    February 11, 2023 3:02pm
- nathie
  
  Don’t forget that Mallard, as Speaker, as in charge of Parliament’s security operation and had supreme control over everything, including preventing the MSM and all Politicians from meeting the protesters.
  
  Of course National and ACT could have disregarded Mallard’s orders (like Barry Soper did), but all Mallard had to do is show the likes of the Opposition official “disinformation” that shows some protesters wanted to do harm to them.
  
  Yes it was a failure of National and ACT to act independently, I quite agree … but it was also under the auspices of one of Labour’s greatest ever misinformation campaigns in which ordinary people (some of whom had lost everything) were first vilified (as far-right white extremists) and then as a whole were being prevented from protesting peacefully on Parliamentary grounds.
  
  Not only was this hypocrisy out of this world (Mallard and Hipkins challenged the right to protest at Parliament in earlier times), Mallard (Labour/Ardern/Robertson) sanctioned state violence upon its own citizens.
  
  It was disgraceful but the worst aspect of all of this is …. no-one from Labour is being held to account. That is the truly frightening aspect in our so-called democracy.
  
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  February 11, 2023 11:37am
  - Nickc2
    
    no-one from Labour is being held to account
    Not quite right nathie. Mallard was rewarded on account of his actions and given the prime job of Ambassador to Ireland.
    
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    February 11, 2023 12:12pm
- pussycat
  
  Seymour’s Mother had polio pre polio vaccine, and while she over came some terrible odds as a child, my guess Seymour’s view on the covid vaccine was coloured by what happened to his mother.
  
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  February 11, 2023 1:40pm
  - Inandout
    
    pussy, Salk’s vaccine was introduced here mid 1950’s so how old was Seymour’s mother at the time? I believe David was born in 1983.
    
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    February 11, 2023 2:20pm
  - Jimbob
    
    Vaccines are very crucial to life on this planet, however the hybrid crap from Pfizer is a different story.
    
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    February 11, 2023 3:59pm
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  I thought Mallard made all MPs sign something that they would not meet the protesters, the arrogant speaker is the boss around parliament
  
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  February 11, 2023 3:00pm
  - Mike
    
    How did he force MPs to do something?
    
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    February 11, 2023 3:06pm
Matt Long

Various commenters on the plethora of crime stories lately have said the causes of crime and its increase are complicated.
What’s the bet that regressive jurisdictions where crime is “complicated” have soaring crime rates and jurisdictions where the causes of crime are simple crime rates are low and stable?
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February 11, 2023 8:57am
- kowtow
  
  Whoreald editorial says those people trundling shopping trolleys full of products out of supermarkets is ” symptomatic of hard times ” and a police response is not necessarily needed but some community work ……
  
  Can’t get woker than that , innit.
  
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  February 11, 2023 9:52am
  - David Garrett
    
    kowtow: “Hard times” my arse. I am presently working in Tonga, where serious labour shortages have been created by the RSE scheme under which Tongans and other Islanders are recruited to do fruit pruning and picking work which other New Zealanders turn their nose up at. (It’s not very hard work; I did it in my youth).
    
    If we stopped handing out benefits to fit young people who are quite capable of picking fruit, we would have unemployment at levels not seen since the 1960’s, when then PM Holyoake said, with only slight hyperbole, that he knew all the unemployed personally.
    
    Sure it must be hard to survive on a benefit, but we have created an environment where to be “on the benefit” is a perfectly valuable lifestyle choice.
    
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    February 11, 2023 10:51am
    - David Garrett
      
      Bugger: Of course I meant “A perfectly VALID lifestyle choice.”
      
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      February 11, 2023 11:11am
    - kowtow
      
      Couldn’t agree more.
      
      Benefits started out as assistance for the most needy at the bottom of economic cycles ,when times really were tough .The current economic cycle requires workers .
      
      But instead we have drugs and benefits as a life choice .
      
      If these people were working and earning they ‘d have some personal pride , ambition , pay taxes or at least not soak ours up, contribute etc .Possibly a lot less crime ( less prison and huge services re directed at them) again win win.
      
      But no , it’s all about being ‘nice’ and not being an evil right winger who forces the poor to work.
      
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      February 11, 2023 12:56pm
I remember when

Josie Pagani: “If your business model depends on paying people less than they need to live on, the problem is your business, not wages.”
Except it largely ignores a number of inconvenient facts.
.How much do you need to live on, and can you adjust in any way.
. How much can we do to to control the costs of living.
.Why is increasing the minimum wage better than allowing market forces to control costs.
. Does constant lifting of the minimum wage act as a disincentive to workers taking greater control of their life outcomes.
. Big government versus personal decision making.
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February 11, 2023 9:06am
Ruawai

Our 16 year old daughter asked yesterday “Do you think school will close with the cyclone?” Crazy how young people expect the Government will close schools for bad weather, they are conditioned to Government control after covid years and Auckland floods. Back in the day, schools were only closed if snow prevented access or the school had burnt down.
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February 11, 2023 9:06am
- Ghost
  
  Schools closing is nothing new with a storm. It’s been happening before this government and Covid.
  
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  February 11, 2023 9:35am
  - Sacha
    
    Do you remember when schools closed down south because of snow and ice, and there were icicles hanging from power lines?
    How we envied the kids there, not for days off school, but for the adventures of icy, slippery footpaths, and snow drifts –
    
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    February 11, 2023 10:45am
    - MCōs
      
      I went to school in Timaru for thirteen years.
      Our schools never closed for bad weather because there was none.
      However
      Not everywhere is so lucky and if a school is under any amount of water and all the paraphernalia is wet of course it will close while they sort their shit out.
      BTW
      What happened to the kids in Chch if their schools were wreaked?
      I know some of the whanau relocated to schools in Timaru and stayed with my 90yo Mum!
      
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      February 11, 2023 12:49pm
      - Inandout
        
        MC, speaking of Timaru do you realise there are but 5 police stations in NZ that are open 24/7. Timaru is one of them and the other four are in cities.
        
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        February 11, 2023 2:24pm
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Never used to in my days, snow only delayed the start till 10 am, an it took a large snow to close for the day, never did we close for a storm
    
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    February 11, 2023 3:07pm
    - Ghost
      
      How old are you? Schools were closed because of Cyclone Bola
      
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      February 11, 2023 3:55pm
      - NeverMindTheBollocks
        
        My Wellington school was open on the morning of the Wahine storm but was closed after playtime.
        
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        February 11, 2023 9:01pm
Maggie Pie

My partner’s mum was chuffed to hear that wide-boy Eric Watson may now face bankruptcy, that’s if he doesn’t stump up with $57 million the liquidators claimed against his company which was granted by the High Court this week.

She’s sent us a copy of the KPMG liquidators report. The bit I found funny was the para at the bottom of p4.

https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/23596744/cullen-jan-2023-liquidator-report.pdf

Although I see where Eric has called it “a-load-of-horseshit” and referred to the liquidators as “Keystone Cops”

LOL!!
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February 11, 2023 9:08am
- peterwn
  
  And there is some guy Aaron (Don’t you know who I am) who also is going out of his way to avoid being served with court documents. For example using company registered addresses that are empty lots or up cable cars that the server cannot ride etc.
  
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  February 11, 2023 9:20am
  - Matt Long
    
    Another great candidate selection, up there with Jaime L Ross and Muller.
    
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    February 11, 2023 9:53am
    - peterwn
      
      Nothing wrong with Todd Muller as MP. His selection as a candidate was quite sound. He is currently ranked no. 12 and will be in Cabinet if National wins the 2023 election. The problem with his time as leader was trying to do a ‘Mission Impossible’ in a short space of time.
      The important lesson to be learned here is a late leadership swap is very likely to lead in failure (Jacinda being a noticeable exception). So anyone who thinks dumping Chris Luxon is going to improve National’s election chances are just deluding themselves.
      
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      February 11, 2023 10:49am
- Bill Felt
  
  How is it that Watson went from a net worth of $400m to nothing? I read the full court case involving Owen Glenn and it appeared then that Watson had very little money. Something doesn’t add up.
  
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  February 11, 2023 10:55am
  - Maggie Pie
    
    According to Owen Glen, Eric’s brother and a ‘close friend’ have been squirreling away money for him.
    
    Ma was telling us Owen has been successful with his case in the US Appeals Court and is pursuing them as well for about $80 mill.
    
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    February 11, 2023 11:33am
    - Colville
      
      Squirrelling money away?
      
      Its well known that the only way three people can keep a secret is if two of them are dead.
      
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      February 11, 2023 1:39pm
- MCōs
  
  Lock him up!
  
  Another example of Labour soft on crime like those blokes who stole sixpence worth of ice cream from the pizza shop.
  
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  February 11, 2023 12:56pm
  - peterwn
    
    It is a civil matter, not a criminal matter. The law that allowed debtors to be imprisoned was repealed 40 to 50 years ago.
    
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    February 11, 2023 3:02pm
    - Maggie Pie
      
      Yet my partner recons poor old Eric copped a 4 month lag in Pentonville for failing to disclose where the money had gone.
      
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      February 11, 2023 3:24pm
- stiglet
  
  Metaphorically speaking, that’s flogging a dead horse.
  
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  February 11, 2023 6:42pm
Matt Long

Forecasters may or may not regard this as a particularly bad storm, however they want to hype it in case it turns out bad and their backsides aren’t covered.
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February 11, 2023 9:09am
Burg

One sentence from Chippie this week almost had me fall off the couch, ” we’ve done too much too quickly”.
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February 11, 2023 9:10am
- kevn
  
  @Burg… Not ‘we did wrong stuff NZ didn’t want’. Sounds as if it will just get parked for another crack later.
  
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  February 11, 2023 9:35am
- Grumpy Silver Haired Female
  
  Tell me again? What did they actually DO?
  
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  February 11, 2023 9:54am
  - pussycat
    
    Banned plastic bags!!
    
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    February 11, 2023 1:59pm
- ClanMcleod
  
  Too much damage maybe.
  
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  February 11, 2023 10:53am
- MCōs
  
  How can you possibly fall off the couch?
  
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  February 11, 2023 12:23pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

‘not going to be as bad as thought’
So TV and Radio can piss off with the fear porn.
Had enough of that shit with Covid. How about letting people live their own lives instead of being TOLD how to live?
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February 11, 2023 9:13am
NeverMindTheBollocks

WCC has lost revenue through the replacement of car parking with cycle lanes. To alleviate the shortfall I suggest a tick box is added to the quarterly rates invoice saying’ yes! Please add extra $100 to my direct debit. I support cycle lanes’ Then we will see how many Green voters put their money where their mouth is.
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February 11, 2023 9:19am
- krazykiwi
  
  That’s not how socialism works. Everything you own belongs to the state. Their privilege is to requisition the net maximum permitted by their mandate, and to graciously leave people just enough so that they don’t riot.
  
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  February 11, 2023 9:46am
- artemisia
  
  Wellington CC spending $13mill buying a CBD parking building. Meanwhile still lots of boarded up shopfronts as workers and shoppers decamp.
  
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  February 11, 2023 9:57am
  - peterwn
    
    Wellington CC were SELLING parking buildings some years ago.
    
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    February 11, 2023 10:24am
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  Here’s the WCC rates story. And there’s a comment that will make you weep:
  ————————————————————————-
  Good to hear all that’s being done to cut costs is being done but I don’t really believe it.
  A small example from over Xmas was that my friends child ( still at school) was given a 6 week job to work at the Botanic gardens – to dress up and wander around entertaining small kids.
  They weren’t sure how much they’d get but hoped they’d get a little more than the minimum wage.
  They were paid $70 p/hr and couldn’t believe it – neither could their parents!
  —————————————————————
  I can’t verify the truth of the comment, but equally have no reason to doubt it.
  
  http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/wellington/131170810/it-is-depressing-another-eyepopping-rates-rise-on-cards-for-wellington
  
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  February 11, 2023 10:00am
  - ClanMcleod
    
    Isn’t it great to know that you are governed by people who don’t suffer the consequences of their inane actions because their own salaries are protected from inflation and council stupidity by the “independent” remuneration authority…..
    
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    February 11, 2023 10:59am
  - JackRabbit
    
    That’s a similar amount they were paying medical students to shove needles in the arms of people and worse, children with an untested DNA experiment.
    
    I understand that a number of vaccinators quit and sought counseling, after a number of “patients” dropped dead within hours of the jab. Some of them children under 12.
    
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    February 11, 2023 12:10pm
- artemisia
  
  Overseas voters. I think they usually deliver a bump to Greens and Labour, longing for the green green hills of home. Might not be quite so keen this election after the mandates, border and MIQ debacles.
  
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  February 11, 2023 10:07am
- Paulus
  
  I hear from Wellington that the cycle lanes are too narrow as it is difficult for cyclists to overtake other slower ones.
  
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  February 11, 2023 10:20am
  - PeeJay
    
    Same thing in the very few places in Christchurch where the cycle lanes actually have more than a few on them. Saw one last night at a traffic light where but for some quick thinking by a few drivers (myself included) there could have been a nasty accident as the cyclists and scooter riders jostled and pushed each other into the car lanes either side to try and get past the few slower riders. I missed one guy by millimetres, ute on the other side had to slam on the breaks – bloody chaos. I suppose if you are morally superior through ‘saving the planet’ that makes you somehow immortal?
    
    I’ll probably regret writing this though – the roadworks have just finished and if some nut job from council sees this comment will recommend that they dig up the road again to increase the cycle lane widths!!!
    
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    February 11, 2023 10:45am
  - Peter S
    
    Easy fix. Waka Kotahi obviously needs to set an appropriate safe speed limit on bike lanes. Then there will be no reason to overtake.//
    
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    February 11, 2023 12:59pm
Maggie Pie

And what about this then….according to MSNBC the Pentagon have just reportedly downed ANOTHER ‘unidentified-flying object’ off the coast of Alaska!

Not more Chinese baloons, surely?
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February 11, 2023 9:21am
- PeeJay
  
  Respect where it’s due though, Biden is no wimp when it comes to dealing with these kinds of issues. I really didn’t see him as a hawk when it came to national security – pleasant surprise on my part.
  
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  February 11, 2023 10:48am
  - mawm
    
    I’d be surprised if Biden was dealing with these kinds of issues.
    
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    February 11, 2023 12:06pm
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Just shows he lied when he said down the ballon at first sight, how come they can down this over Alaska, but not the ballon
    
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    February 11, 2023 3:12pm
Lee C

Squirrel Hipkins scraps Ardern’s ‘projects’, Robertson doth protest too much. Ardern spat the dummy. They say ‘Be kind’, I say ‘crabs in a bucket…’
https://simplicable.com/en/crab-mentality#:~:text=Crab%20mentality%20is%20the%20worldview%20that%20you%27d%20rather,to%20climb%20the%20side%20such%20that%20none%20escape.
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February 11, 2023 9:22am
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Dr Muriel Newman.
https://www.nzcpr.com/newsletter/

She would like more readers of the newsletter.
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February 11, 2023 9:27am
- krazykiwi
  
  The content is good, but the presentation is rubbish. She’s in a competitive space for eyeballs. Muriel needs help with, for example, having emails delivered in responsive format so the can be read on a phone. I’ve quit trying to read them.
  
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  February 11, 2023 9:43am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Did not know it was a problem on the phone.
    I am on an email list. I use a laptop.
    Might send her a message.
    
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    February 11, 2023 11:43am
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Biden and the balloon. Dems are saying ‘but Trump did it and we didn’t know’
Dirty Dems not saying that Trump did not know either. Mad Dog Mattis is looking at treason for witholding info about 3 balloons from Trump. POTUS should have been told so he had the option of shooting them down or not.
Not just Mattis, there are a group that could face treason.
https://quicknewsupdates.com/trump-outraged-biden-just/
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February 11, 2023 9:38am
- kowtow
  
  What about all the Presidents over the past 50 years who encouraged huge numbers of CCP scientists, academics etc to come and work in US industry , institutions etc and then took back all that intellectual property to China enabling them to fly spy ballooons and satellites , to build a huge military , a surveillance state , or how about financing them to do “medical research” on bat viruses ………..
  
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  February 11, 2023 1:08pm
Grumpy Silver Haired Female

Tell me again? What did they actually DO?
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February 11, 2023 9:56am
- MCōs
  
  Fell off the couch.
  
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  February 11, 2023 12:25pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Nord Stream Pipeline. America’s Act of War.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfqacYEXtKQ&list=TLPQMDkwMjIwMjPnZ6AAYDBvXg&index=4
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February 11, 2023 10:12am
- kiwikidsnz
  
  https://seymourhersh.substack.com/p/how-america-took-out-the-nord-stream
  
  The US states this is “utterly false”
  
  Cui Bono ?
  
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  February 11, 2023 1:01pm
  - Ghost
    
    And the USA have never lied before……
    
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    February 11, 2023 1:07pm
- virtualmark
  
  Seymour Hersh is not a credible source. At least not any longer.
  
  In the last 10 years he’s claimed that Bin Laden didn’t do 9/11, that Assad didn’t use chemical weapons on his own citizens, and that Seth Rich leaked DNC info to Wikileaks. He’s gone off the rails and there’s no reason to believe anything he says lately.
  
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  February 11, 2023 1:25pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Stop Co-Governance. Julian Batchelor.

Maori spin machine now in full swing.

https://www.stopcogovernance.kiwi/blog/maori-spin-machine-now-in-full-swing/

NZ on Air is now attacking Julian Batchelor with fake commentators and lies.
NZ on Air said the Stop Co-Governance website has been taken down.
Hey NZ on Air, where the fuck do you think I got this to copy and paste today??
Lies lies lies, all paid for by the Net Taxpayer!

https://www.stopcogovernance.kiwi/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Racist-rally-going-ahead-after-organisers-legal-threats-Te-Ao-Maori-News.pdf
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February 11, 2023 10:22am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  The event at Sport Northland is going ahead as planned. Sport Northland had to comply with the Human Rights Commission.
  Stop with the bullshit NZ on Air.
  
  https://www.stopcogovernance.kiwi/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Whangarei-updated-flyer-both-pages-with-register-to-attend.pdf
  
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  February 11, 2023 10:27am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Something is starting to stink with Stop Co-Governance and Sport Northland/McKay Stadium. Civil Defence may require the Stadium as an evacuation point.
  Seriously? The Stadium is public funded yes, but what if is not required? This will plain and simply be a Political move to stop Stop Co-Governance.
  I did have a feeling that there would happen. I was thinking along the lines of them saying at the last moment ‘ sorry we double booked, clerical error, sorry’
  
  https://www.stopcogovernance.kiwi/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/MCKAY-STADIUM-CIVIL-DEFENCE-EMERGENCY-EVACUATION-POINT.pdf
  
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  February 11, 2023 3:26pm
Maggie Pie

Maori might be baffled….we’re not!

https://twitter.com/waateanews/status/1623872268807045130
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February 11, 2023 10:34am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Waititi baffled. Doesn’t take much.
  
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  February 11, 2023 1:25pm
Sacha

I caught up with ‘Country Life ‘ programme this morning on national radio after a long absence.
I gave up after while because all the ‘name’ words were in Maori and I didn’t know what part of the country, New Zealand, they were talking about.
So I’ll stick with ZB for now.
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February 11, 2023 10:54am
Grunter

Another perspective on Zelenskyy. You won’t find this in our MSM. Make up your own mind what to follow. But you can’t ignore the fact that we’re heading to full on confrontation between NATO & Russia – in other words WW3 between the 2 biggest nuclear powers. Absolute nuts!

https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/world-news/war/zelensky-the-man-to-destroy-the-future-of-the-entire-world/
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February 11, 2023 11:11am
- kowtow
  
  What ever happened to that aspiration of ridding the world of nuclear weapons …….
  
  …….oh that’s right we took our eye off the ball and suddenly the great ambition was to be carbon free .
  
  I know which is the real danger.
  
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  February 11, 2023 1:15pm
- info@cruzpro.com
  
  I sure hope not because with the weapons the world has these days the results are going to be a whole lot worse than previous world wars.
  
  On a positive note, if WW3 happens then there will be a lot fewer people to feed but the survivors are not going to be happy with the people in power that allowed this to happen.
  
  Food for thought for the people in power: You won’t be able to hide forever.
  
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  February 11, 2023 5:46pm
Maggie Pie

Sounds like Auckland is going to be spared the ravages of Cyclone Gabrielle.

We just heard the dick from NIWA saying it’s on course to hit Tamaki Makaurau instead.
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February 11, 2023 11:20am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  The cyclone can totally destroy Aotearoa as far as I am concerned. Wipe it off the map.
  
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  February 11, 2023 11:22am
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Trump’s energy proposals post 2024.
Video 4.11.
https://valiantnews.com/2023/02/agenda-47-trump-outlines-energy-policies-in-latest-2024-campaign-video/
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February 11, 2023 11:21am
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Here we go again. An object shot down off the coast of Alaska.
I guess the fighter jets from the Northern Command came across is on routine patrols.
Alaskan and Russian jets patrol the borders. Object landed on the ice.
Two videos.
https://valiantnews.com/2023/02/second-high-altitude-object-shot-down-over-skies-of-alaska/
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February 11, 2023 11:32am
- JackRabbit
  
  Having launched some weather balloons, they start out at 2m in diameter, but as they reach the low air pressure at high altitude, they increase in size to 10m or more.
  
  You have no control over a balloon speed and direction as it follows the weather, the reason it was released.
  
  Given that by the early 1970s/80’s or even earlier, some spy satellites were capable of reading the text on a newspaper being read by someone in a park.
  
  And it is more fruitful to just have some spys get a job in the country of concern at an agency of interest.
  
  Balloons were used a century ago for surveillance, but like using string and tin cans for telephones, technology has moved on.
  
  I would say it is a hit piece on China because they are not happy with the USA’s bullying war on Russia, and because China won’t get into bed and spoon with WHO/UN/NATO/WEF.
  
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  February 11, 2023 12:33pm
  - NothingLeft
    
    Google’s now cancelled project Loon was very successful at controlling general vicinity of balloons by controlling altitude (changing volume of gas in balloon) and riding different wind directions at different altitudes. In particular it is common to have different wind directions in stratosphere and troposphere (tropopause is generally 4-14km and marks altitude where convection of lower atmosphere halts, with air temperature above it rising with altitude due to solar heating.
    
    The large chinese balloon recently popped apparently had propellers for limited course correction. No reason why that can’t be done on smaller balloons.
    
    Spy satellites can’t see any detail less than about 10-20cm across due to fundamental physical limitations of optics (diffraction limit on image resolution is linked to mirror diameter). Reading news papers is fiction – it would require mirrors many km in diameter.
    
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    February 11, 2023 1:07pm
    - JackRabbit
      
      Reading news papers is fiction – it would require mirrors many km in diameter.
      
      There is no point arguing that these spy satellites do not have this capability, when you are unaware of their existence.
      
      Obviously you are unaware of secret spying satellites that have massive lenses and that do have good resolution, combined with digital enhancement through multiple images at fractionally different locations / angles to build a complete hi res image.
      
      The height above the earth that satellites fly varies from 150km and 2000km, and spy drones from 20km at max height down much lower as required.
      
      https://science.howstuffworks.com/question529.htm
      
      https://www.airforce-technology.com/features/featurethe-top-10-longest-range-unmanned-aerial-vehicles-uavs/
      
      And in case, there have been documentaries (not on NZ TV) from time to time that show the capabilities of surveillance satellites and drones.
      
      And you also have to taken into account that whatever technology that the US military / Airforce / NSA / CIA acknowledge to the public that they have, is usually 25-30 years behind what they actually have. They wouldn’t be covert Spys or MIB if they released their latest technology on google or github.
      
      And even google maps has a resolution of 5-10 cm:
      Typically Google Maps may have 5 to 10 cm resolution in some places. The best satellite imagery that you can buy is 28 to 30 cm resolution
      
      https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-highest-resolution-satellite-image-Earth-viewer-like-Google-Earth-for-free-or-paid-available-to-the-public
      
      The resolution of commercial satellite imagery is not set by technology, but by law.
      
      The military with a giant floating platform the size of Hubble, and a mirror to match, will have resolution far far exceeding that.
      
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      February 11, 2023 3:38pm
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        Jack, you seem to know a lot more than Joe Bloggs.
        Thanks, keep it coming.
        
        4 1
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        February 11, 2023 4:13pm
    - NoCash
      
      That suggestion about propellers on the Chinese balloon is pure BS. At that altitude the air is so thin, any propeller that’s so small that can’t be seen in any of the photos of the balloon wouldn’t be much use, especially when the giant balloon is also subject to the jet stream. Using tiny propellers to steer the balloon would be like using spoons to steer while whitewater rafting.
      
      The Adm who talked about propellers either wasn’t taught physics at naval academy, or mistook anemometers as propellers, or both.
      
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      February 11, 2023 7:44pm
  - Master Mariner
    
    If interested why things travel in the direction that it did, ie Weather Balloon then check out the Jet Streams.
    There’s your answer.
    While we are at it, Jet Stream is showing the direction of Cyclone Gabrielle.
    On another note on the Off course “Spy” Balloon , Then people have not heard of Satellites.
    It makes absolutely no sense sending a Spy Balloon.
    
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    February 11, 2023 1:50pm
    - NothingLeft
      
      It makes a lot of sense sending a spy balloon if you are trying to precisely locate the source of weak radio signals for targeting purposes. A balloon can be 50-60x closer than a satellite, so can be 50-60x smaller with antennas less than 0.01% of the area to achieve same sensitivity and precision.
      
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      February 11, 2023 3:23pm
      - cmm
        
        That is an interesting observation about being close to listen to radio signals. However, you’re off by quite a bit.
        
        The Chinese balloon was at about 18km altitude. From a radio monitoring perspective, that’s extremely close.
        
        A satellite that could dwell for monitoring purposes would need to be in geostationary orbit at approximately 36,000 km (ie 2000x the distance). Geostationary orbits are only stable along the equator.
        
        Radio signal strength drops off with the square of distance, so getting in to 18km makes the signal 4 million times as strong as monitoring it from geostationary orbit.
        
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        February 11, 2023 4:03pm
  - cmm
    
    JackRabbit: I too have a past with weather balloons – having been involved in designing software for tracking them.
    
    Weather balloons just rise to bursting point and typically travel no more than 200 km from their launch site.
    
    The balloon from China clearly was not one of these.
    
    As they rise, they will travel in different directions (eg. have a look at the website here).
    
    Controlled balloons can rise and fall to follow the desired wind direction and can move in a desired direction.
    
    https://sondehub.org/#!mt=Mapnik&mz=10&qm=3h&mc=-36.84556,175.24841&f=U2740376
    
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    February 11, 2023 3:56pm
- virtualmark
  
  Nothing new about spy balloons.
  
  https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/cold-war-balloon-surveillance
  
  The only surprise is that up until now the Americans haven’t been shooting them down.
  
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  February 11, 2023 1:27pm
ClanMcleod

The latest batch of purveyors of newspeak. Be afraid.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/kahu/a-new-generation-of-young-journalists-from-10-ethnicities-graduates-from-te-rito-programme/DZPLWTNY5NE5VCQENPM7TMHK6E/
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February 11, 2023 11:50am
- fightingtemeraire
  
  No world experience, brainwashed at school on Climate Change etc/
  
  Wet behind the ears and just worked out how to clean their teeth.
  
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  February 11, 2023 12:00pm
  - Swifty
    
    Red Guards.
    
    One and all.
    
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    February 11, 2023 5:57pm
    - Swifty
      
      “Chairman Mao has defined our future as an armed revolutionary youth organization…. So if Chairman Mao is our Red-Commander-in-Chief and we are his Red Guards, who can stop us? First we will make China Maoist from inside out and then we will help the working people of other countries make the world red…and then the whole universe.”
      
      https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Guards
      
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      February 11, 2023 6:00pm
- Nickc2
  
  What a load of crap Willie Jackson and his racist mates tell.
  Who gives a flying eff about their ethnicities? It’s the stories they tell and how they tell them. The bias toward a separatist society governed by Maori Elites will be the outcome Willie Jackson is seeking.
  
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  February 11, 2023 12:01pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    That is all part of the Coup. This is what Stop Co-Governance is all about.
    Head to the website and brows the daily blogs. This Coup is happening under our noses. It is not a guns and fighting Coup. It is done by stealth.
    
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    February 11, 2023 12:28pm
    - Nickc2
      
      Agree Steve. It’s done by stealth and a paid-up MSM. These new Child Reporters are Jackson’s Brown Shirt brigade modeled on Hitler’s Brown Shirts.
      
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      February 11, 2023 12:32pm
      - Jack5
        
        What will these “Te Rito” candidates do for a living when State subsidies are withdrawn from the Ardernist media conglomerate?
        
        The surprise is NZME being up to its ears in Wily Willie Jackson’s bullshit.
        
        Maybe it’s time for some shareholder activism at NZME.
        
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        February 11, 2023 2:05pm
- Inandout
  
  CM, I see the NZME chap stands in reverence of Willy and maybe this list of shareholders may provide a clue.
  https://www.nzme.co.nz/investor-relations/major-shareholders/
  
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  February 11, 2023 2:31pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Some fun.
98 year old man finds out how old he is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McRNSFGwqtY
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February 11, 2023 12:28pm
I remember when

Josie Pagani: “Our largest retirement care operator, Ryman, announced its underlying profit for the most recent six months was up by 44.8% on the previous year.”
Looking at the underlying profit she highlighted, to justify the increase in the mnimum wage, it is stated that the result is driven by strong resales margins, as well as continued strong growth in its Australian business.

Hardly a ringing endorsement of the intended rise in NZs minium wage.
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February 11, 2023 12:39pm
- Nickc2
  
  Josie Pagani: Once a Labour Party tool, always a Labour Party tool eh.
  
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  February 11, 2023 12:46pm
- JackRabbit
  
  strong resales margins
  
  Units resold after the “tenants” kicked the bucket more often resulting in higher turnover of units.
  
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  February 11, 2023 3:42pm
- Littletramp
  
  Looks like the covid boosters have been good for the retirement home resale business. Who said they didn’t work?
  
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  February 11, 2023 7:14pm
  - ClanMcleod
    
    Funeral directors doing a roaring trade too. There’s always an upside for every bad thing that happens.
    
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    February 12, 2023 7:17am
Maggie Pie

Now they’re saying Auckland has run out of… Sand-Bags!

I remember when Goff was asking residents to ‘Save Water’.
You couldn’t buy old bricks for love-nor-money to put in the toilet.

Sheeple, eh 😀
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February 11, 2023 12:48pm
- cmm
  
  I’ll bet 50cents and a servo pie a whole lot of sandbags get stolen tonight and some enterprising youth and rangatahi will be selling them in a pub parking lot tomorrow.
  
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  February 11, 2023 3:43pm
  - Mike
    
    I don’t think you should float your business plan quite so openly.
    
    4 4
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    February 11, 2023 5:56pm
Nickc2

Geez, this dopey cow (Hilary Clinton) doesn’t give up!
Now she’s taken her women’s crusade to India to fight Climate Change (bludge more money).
https://www.michaelsmithnews.com/2023/02/the-clinton-grifters-are-back-and-on-target.html
I wonder if she has done a deal with Al Gore?
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February 11, 2023 1:03pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Too many journalists want to shape your opinion, rather than inform you.

Elon Musk.
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February 11, 2023 1:32pm
I remember when

RTE News: Anti-refugee protests sow division in communities – Immigrant Council of Ireland:
Protest against the arrival of applicants for asylum and international protection in places like East Wall Dublin and Fermoy in Co Cork threaten to cause division within communities.
In Fermoy an anti-immigration rally (70) was followed, later in the week, by a rally in support (370).
Assistant Gardia Commissioner Angela Willis to Dublin’s Joint Policing Committee that in the first 30 days of January, An Garda Siochana policed 64 protests.
The Guardian: “There is no room”: anti-immigration protestors march in Dublin:
Pickets and blockades of roads often held outside refugee centres in working-class neighbourhoods.
On Staurday about 350 marched in the heart of Dublin.
An acute housing and homelessness crisis has collided with the State’s struggle to accomodate Ukrainians and asylum seekers.
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February 11, 2023 1:50pm
Maggie Pie

Blow?

https://twitter.com/PeImeniPusha/status/1624076525988347906
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February 11, 2023 1:54pm
Jimbob

Looks like Ukraine is going to have Migs in the air next week.
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February 11, 2023 4:01pm
- ClanMcleod
  
  How long for?
  
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  February 12, 2023 7:22am
Maggie Pie

And this will be very VERY interesting…..

Courts to release final set of ‘Jeffery Epstein’ trial
documents containing salacious allegations of known associates of the pedo – including Prince Andrew!!

https://mol.im/a/11736361
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February 11, 2023 4:13pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  It will not be released if there are any Judges or the Elites, or Politicians are on that list.
  Is it a list, or contents of contacts in the hidden ‘Black Book’?
  
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  February 11, 2023 4:39pm
  - Maggie Pie
    
    It’s no secret that both Bill Gates and Bill Clinton have been linked to Epstein in the past. It will be interesting to see if they’ve been referenced in the upcoming docs.
    
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    February 11, 2023 5:06pm
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      Possibly many in the Judicial right down to the sort of Bailiffs could be in the black book. Epstein had control over them to STFU about kiddie trafficking.
      We know there are Politicians on the left and right involved as well. They will never be prosecuted.
      
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      February 11, 2023 5:22pm
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        Oh lookie, two downticks. They must be in that Epstein Black Book!!!
        
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        February 11, 2023 6:07pm
    - Mike
      
      And Donald Trump was another buddy, too.
      
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      February 11, 2023 5:52pm
      - Ghost
        
        Yeah, Donald was the only person approached by Epstein victims who sat down with their lawyer and gave them everything he knew about Epstein.
        
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        February 11, 2023 6:09pm
      - Mike
        
        Shared enthusiasms. Did Trumpy invite Epstein to join him on his backstage tours of Miss Teen America?
        
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        February 11, 2023 6:52pm
      - Ghost
        
        And that was long before Epstein had even been charged and found guilty of a crime. Do you know what your friends do behind closed doors Mike? I don’t. Most people don’t know their friends are pedophiles, rapists, etc. most people don’t even know their family members are.
        
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        February 11, 2023 7:15pm
      - Mike
        
        Most people don’t go to absurd lengths to defend an idol as broken as Trump, sorry ‘Donald’, despite his obvious and odious misbehavior.
        
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        February 11, 2023 7:28pm
      - Ghost
        
        Not my idol, so your accusations are wrong, as usual. Just pointing out that you’re wrong, that trump gave evidence against Epstein and was the only one when knew him to do so and the friendship ended long before Epstein was charged with a crime. Can’t you handle that without trying to make a personal attack mike? What are you hiding?
        
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        February 11, 2023 8:05pm
      - Mike
        
        Does asking me what I’m hiding not count as a personal attack?
        It’s pretty simple: people go to ridiculous lengths to petsuade themselves that Trump is a worthy person, despite his long career of mendacity, fraud, sleaze and failure.
        He is entertaining though, and his shit-fight with Ron de Santis promises many lulz.
        
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        February 11, 2023 8:13pm
      - Ghost
        
        He’s just part of the swamp, playing his part, all playing their parts,
        
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        February 11, 2023 8:21pm
greybeard

Stuff headline.
“The women’s Māori All Stars team came back from behind to defeat the Indigenous All Stars 16-12 at Rotorua International Stadium.”
Nothing racist about this game !
Imagine the furore if the headline read :”The women’s White Ladies NZ team came back from behind to defeat the Maori All Stars team 16-12 at Rotorua International Stadium.”
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February 11, 2023 5:52pm
- ClanMcleod
  
  They are in the process of creating an apartheid state. Add in Ardern’s othering of the unjected, this country is as divided as never before in history.
  
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  February 12, 2023 7:30am
Maggie Pie

Thought I might take Desley’s advice and prepare a pack of ‘essentials’ in case we have to evacuate during the Cyclone heading our way 🙁

Glad I did….found about 6 brand new tubes of make-up in my cosmetic cupboard that I’d completely forgotten I’d bought.
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February 11, 2023 6:06pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Shame, if you had to evacuate with no makeup on.//
  
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  February 11, 2023 6:09pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

https://www.windy.com/?-44.642,-177.715,3,i:pressure
Yeah, not in line with NZ media.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nR0lOtdvqyg
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February 11, 2023 6:16pm
Chris Nisbet

Really, really big fricken sigh.
When James Shaw realises that biofuels aren’t that good an idea shortly after the policy gets canned by our glorious leader, he doesn’t get branded a denier. He doesn’t even get much of a hard time about the fricken idiotic policy being thrust upon us in the first place. Is was just as bad of an idea when they introduced it as it is today.

When asked about what they’re going to thrust upon us next to ‘save the planet!’, he tells us they’re ‘taking advice’, which is fricken useless politician speak for ‘we don’t know’.

Suddenly, One News is able to show us a bloke who isn’t in favour of biofuels, and is even able to tell us about some of the -ve consequences of them (e.g. deforestation).

The bullshit we have to endure from these fricken people is enough to make a bloke spit.
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February 11, 2023 6:52pm
Jack5

Controls on alcohol sales to Aboriginals are being re-introduced in the Northern Territory after a crime wave in Alice Springs.

Stronger Futures, a set of federal laws introduced in 2007 with a sunset clause, expired last July. The laws were opposed by human rights groups and some Aboriginal activists.

The Age, of Melbourne, reported Aboriginal “town camps” around Alice Springs were no longer dry and the results – medical, legal and social – had been catastrophic, with massive jumps in property crimes, assaults, hospital admissions and ambulance call-outs.

Under Stronger Futures, controls included stationing armed police auxiliary officers at bottle shops to check identification,

https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/politics/northern-territory-alcohol-bans-returning-by-the-end-of-next-week-natasha-fyles-says-as-she-defends-government-approach/news-story/f581a66fff7db1e5ff4b0a367efef822

AND:

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/the-missing-factor-in-a-town-called-alice-20230208-p5cit0.html
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February 11, 2023 8:47pm

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