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August 10, 2023 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 10 August 2023

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General Debate

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Warren

I can see why Labour are on 29% in the Latest Political Poll from the Guardian a Labour Party mouthpiece.
But I would like these questions answered before the 2023 General Election in October, did Jacinda Ardern our Former Prime Minister set up the $2 billion with the intentions of it being released a couple months before the October Election, helping Labour to cover up other problems that could cause damage to the Party whilst also trying to dupe the Public.
It’s not hard to believe this has happened because it was done to cover the fact she was also thinking of Quitting the job of Prime Minister leaving the intentions that it would help who was elected as her replacement.
The other problem I have is in the Health Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall on Hospitals waiting times with Health targets and you have to ask yourself why would you believe a Minister that has already lied to the public on Health issues when already knowing that the statement you have made on targets already improving is a lie knowing already that the Health figures would not be available until after the General Election.
Again a Labour Minister trying to dupe the Public.
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August 10, 2023 8:00am
- Warren
  
  Blackrock funds
  
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  August 10, 2023 9:07am
  - artemisia
    
    Several Blackrock Substantial Product Holder notices posted on NZX today.
    
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    August 10, 2023 11:00am
    - Surely Knott
      
      So if Blackrock becomes a substantial product holder in a NZ company, they would not be subject to a greens wealth tax because they are not based here?
      
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      August 10, 2023 11:27am
    - Aquarius
      
      Now all withdrawn; looks like a real stuff up; shows what happens when you cuddle up to Labour !
      
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      August 10, 2023 2:33pm
      - artemisia
        
        Be interesting to see if there is any decent explanation from Blackrock. Well apart from the usual Dolly Did It. Not holding my breath.
        
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        August 10, 2023 4:17pm
  - Martonman
    
    Larry Fink, CEO of Blackrock also on Board of WEF.
    
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    August 10, 2023 12:37pm
    - sirknz
      
      It’s a big club and you ain’t in it.
      
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      August 10, 2023 3:31pm
    - Jim
      
      Martonman, Ha the NZ MSM announcement sounds more like BlackRock are making a substantial charitable donation to NZ. All good, nothing to see here.
      I’m certain this same announcement is linked to our last rather duplicitous PM, who was likely summonsed to the said headquarters last year during her 2022 kind leadership adoration tour of America (remember her sycophantic Harvard honorary degree, and speaking about gun crime resolution on that omg canned laughter Stevie Colbert chat show etc). Sorry I’ve got to go, bringing up bile……….
      
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      August 11, 2023 12:35pm
- lastmanstanding
  
  For the past 50 years we have had a stream of race based legislation and regulation. None of it has Closed the Gap in fact the Gap is wider than ever. The only beneficaries have been the Maori Elite the Maori Royalty their hangers on the lawyers and the so called Advisers.
  I say it time to throw out race based legislation and regulation and treat ALL citizens equally and provide Government services based on need NOT on the colour of skin.
  
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  August 10, 2023 9:35am
  - mic
    
    That’s precisely what Nat/Act say they will do. No co-governance or separate Maori health authority. One person one vote.
    
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    August 10, 2023 1:46pm
- RoboRob
  
  This is labours biggest problem. Anyone following politics now knows that Ministers are lying and hiding data. When a Minister comes out and says ‘crime is actually down’ people just nod and think ‘BS’. Same is true for delivery. People paying attention know Labour can’t actually deliver on promises so when they promise harbour tunnels people think ‘sure you will’.
  
  Re JA. Her exit was well planned, with Hipkins and GR knowing well in advance. It seems highly likely that
  1) She is getting some reward for the blackrock deal
  2) Labour are using this solely for political purposes.
  
  We should note that although the announcement has happened nothing is actually currently planned. Its just an announcement of potential intention.
  
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  August 10, 2023 10:30am
  - Stellaboxer
    
    Funny thing is that Blackrock and it’s ESG dreams are as near to fascism as you can possibly get without large stadium get togethers and coloured shirts. Ardern being the lightweight that she is couldn’t see the gaping hole between her alleged beliefs in socialism and the goals of international corporations. I say alleged because anyone on the left must surely see that the WEF and Blackrock have little interest in the proletariat and much interest in the share holding classes. I personally believe she is just another grifter.
    
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    August 10, 2023 6:28pm
  - Drone
    
    Every since I saw Hipkins stumble over the numbers in the Blackrock announcement I have looked for what it actually means. I came across a post on “Point of Order” that lists Government press announcements, one on the Blackrock deal on windfarms had a short piece on the bottom about the scale and location of the first three wind farms that “might” be built, it lists number of turbines, generation, workers to build and worker to operate once built.
    
    “The largest referred project is the Southland Wind Farm. Applicant Contact Energy’s proposal is to operate 55 wind turbines, generating 300 Mw at peak output, on a site east of Wyndham. If approved, the project will create an estimated 240 construction jobs and 14 fulltime workers would operate the completed wind farm.
    The 18-turbine Waiuku Wind Farm near Auckland would produce 80 Mw at peak output. It could create up to 330 jobs during construction and would be run by 30 fulltime staff when operational.
    Applicant NZ Windfarms Limited wants to operate nine turbines at the Te Rere Hau Wind Farm near Woodville to generate to 39 Mw at peak output. Construction will be at Aokautere, south-east of Palmerston North, and will require up to 270 workers. About 30 fulltime staff would operate the wind farm when completed.”
    
    Interesting differences in numbers of operational staff relative to the number of turbines. Are wind turbines the latest Labour party job creation scheme ??
    
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    August 10, 2023 7:38pm
- Sir Cullen's Sidekick
  
  Warren bro – Here is the link for the poll for the benefit of Kiwibloggers.
  
  https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/aug/09/guardian-essential-poll-new-zealand-national-holds-clear-lead-over-labour-as-election-nears
  
  NAT/ACT hold just one seat majority. Winnie is back with 7 seats and when he joins with the toxic trio it will be 59 seats for the coalition of chaos.
  
  Dangerous times ahead. Luxon should rule out working with Winston to knock him out.
  
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  August 10, 2023 10:35am
- jon
  
  Warren, your first sentence, re the Essential poll released yesterday, when you google Polls NZ, it shows figures at variance with the figures reported yesterday for this poll. Now Lab 30.9, Nat36.7, Greens 9.1, Act 12.4, Maori 2.7 and NZF 5.6. ALL the percentages have been bumped up somewhat. Could be just a error or they are amended updated figures. As at 10.45am these are figures on Polls NZ page.
  
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  August 10, 2023 10:50am
  - Matt Long
    
    Probably dropped out the undecided to get the higher percentages.
    
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    August 10, 2023 11:31am
    - jon
      
      Matt thanks for that. Of interest just again checked Polls NZ and they have reinstated the original percentages that were there yesterday.
      
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      August 10, 2023 4:30pm
  - mic
    
    They’ve adjusted the percentages by adding undecided voters to the totals.
    
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    August 10, 2023 1:49pm
Benedict Yu

Thomas Cramer tweets about an OIA request submitted to the Police in March. This was seeking information about internal communications regarding police deployment at the Kellie Jay Keen event in Albert Park.

https://twitter.com/CranmerWrites/status/1689112152815042560?t=fQRnf_DSZI0fCjTbdDe6fw&s=19

The Police extended the time required to respond until 17 July citing the complexity of the request. That date has come and gone and the OIA request remains outstanding. The OIA request was submitted on 29 March, so this is now a serious breach of the legislated time frames for responses.

The Police official dealing with the request is Elsa Wenfang Wu. Seriously.

She advised “We can fully comprehend your frustration caused by this delay….we unreservedly apologise.. while we work on your request.”

IMO this is deliberate delay tactics by the police. There is nothing about this OIA request that warrants this delay. I suspect that that the request may uncover embarrassing information that discloses the decision making by the police that led to no police being deployed at Albert Park, despite intelligence that thousands of hostile protesters were likely to turn up.
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August 10, 2023 8:00am
- Matt Long
  
  The reported conduct of police reported at the local Stop Cogovernance meeting at Whareora leads me to believe they were trying all avenues to shut the meeting down, not to keep the peace and allow people to attend.
  
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  August 10, 2023 8:06am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Senior Sergeant Dean Begbie is in the gun for that shit at Whangarei. Resign now before you get sacked Begbie.
    
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    August 10, 2023 8:34am
    - Loddenthinks
      
      Whangarei Police, you say? No surprises there – they have been the worst force in the country for a generation.
      
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      August 10, 2023 1:43pm
  - pdm
    
    Someone who was there told me yesterday that the Police were very passive bystanders at the Hastings Co Govrnance meeting 10 days or so ago too. Pretty much gave the protesters free rein.
    
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    August 10, 2023 8:35am
    - Albert_Ross
      
      Can’t make a judgement on that without information as to what the protestors actually did with that “free rein”.
      
      If protestors beat meeting-goers bloody, standing by would obviously be disgraceful in the police. If protestors waved placards, called out “co-governance is the way forward, whatever Batchelor might think”, or handed out leaflets, there’s no reason for the police to intervene.
      
      So what actually happened?
      
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      August 10, 2023 8:46am
      - pdm
        
        AR – belted on the walls and windows of the venue – an empty retailoutlet in the main street of Hastings. Obstructed entrance and exits.
        
        There was some limited (biased) coverage in HB Today and the Herald as I recall.
        
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        August 10, 2023 9:11am
      - Benedict Yu
        
        I suggest that you watch the video. It is easy to find on YouTube.
        
        Edit… apologies I thought you were referring to the Kellie Jay Keen event.
        
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        August 10, 2023 9:31am
      - Albert_Ross
        
        Thanks pdm.
        
        So where’s the video? Because if Batchelor and his friends aren’t making very sure that all of this is recorded and publicised, then they are missing a wide open goal. New Zealanders are still, for the most part, fair minded people and I would think many of them would be shocked by video of police passively observing such behaviour.
        
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        August 10, 2023 9:57am
      - Loddenthinks
        
        What happened? They all made daisy-chains and sung Kumbaya, then – recognising the lawful right of people to hold views different to their own – they stood silently while people entered the meeting, and did nothing to prevent them entering, leaving or being able to listen to what was said at the meeting.
        
        Are you really that disingenuous, because I can’t imagine you’re that stupid.
        
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        August 10, 2023 1:45pm
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      Senior Sergeant Begbie was laughing and joking with the rent-a-mob.
      i follow this Stop Co-Governance movement.
      
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      August 10, 2023 8:50am
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        Add, Julian Batchelor is now not telling the Police the venues of the “Private Meetings” Guess what? The protesters don’t turn up. What does that tell us?
        
        This is the state of today’s Police – corrupt!
        
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        August 10, 2023 9:30am
      - Ghost
        
        And do you have evidence the police are telling protestors
        
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        August 10, 2023 9:32am
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        @Ghost. No hard evidence that I know of, but it has happened like that many times.
        The protesters are being told by someone and it is not the fairies in the garden.
        
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        August 10, 2023 9:53am
      - Ghost
        
        Or perhaps they just go to the website and find out where it is, and when’s it’s not listed they can’t go there Steve
        
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        August 10, 2023 10:00am
      - Albert_Ross
        
        I really think it’s a bit of a reach to infer that the police must be providing the protestors with information as to where and when these meetings are going to happen. It’s hardly beyond the wit of even the numptiest of protestors to get his kid, or sister-in-law, or Greg from the pub, to sign up to Batchelor’s newsletters or whatever other media he uses to get people to attend.
        
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        August 10, 2023 10:02am
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        @Ghost 10.00am.
        The venues are not posted on the website now, yet the protesters still turn up if Police are told the venue. 2 + 2 = 4, always. It is that simple to work out.
        
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        August 10, 2023 10:08am
      - Ghost
        
        Yes they are, last one listed with an address was 4 days ago
        
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        August 10, 2023 10:10am
      - Ghost
        
        Oh btw, it took me 30 seconds on Google to find that the meeting not listed yet check back soon for August 12th is at the Wharf Hotel in Dunedin.
        
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        August 10, 2023 10:17am
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        @Ghost 10.10am.
        The venue is put up after the meeting is held.
        The next meeting is Dunedin, venue confirmed, but no address.
        That goes for the future venues.
        
        https://www.stopcogovernance.kiwi/2023-nz-stop-co-governance-tour/
        
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        August 10, 2023 10:22am
      - Ghost
        
        It’s at the wharf hotel in Dunedin, took me 30 seconds to find
        
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        August 10, 2023 10:27am
      - Matt Long
        
        Ghost did you find the address of the one yesterday in Whangarei that was livestreamed in the morning.
        No? I’m told neither did the police or the protesters.
        https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=190760167168406&id=100090627822581
        
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        August 10, 2023 4:02pm
      - Ghost
        
        Well Matt do you want to supply evidence the police are leaking because the Dunedin meeting location was posted a week ago by the former business owner of that pub. No, because there is no evidence
        
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        August 10, 2023 4:06pm
      - Matt Long
        
        I have no view on the police leaking to protesters, apart from what I have stated that neither the police or protesters were aware of the meeting I have linked to, and someone down thread suggesting police leaked to other protesters.
        It does appear that the police at Whareora were friendly with the protesters and hostile towards the organisers of the meeting, and were looking for excuses to derail the meeting.
        
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        August 10, 2023 4:43pm
    - Yabster
      
      Have a listen.
      
      https://theplatform.kiwi/podcasts/episode/a-first-hand-account-of-an-assault-at-a-stop-co-governance-event
      
      The cops are a disgrace under Coster-add them to the list of a clean out required when the next Government comes in.
      
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      August 10, 2023 8:51am
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        That was a good 18 minutes. Thanks. The Police need a wakeup call.
        
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        August 10, 2023 9:55am
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        This is the Police lack of action at Orewa. Mikaela Matenga ripping up booklets. They are not hers to rip up. She has not been charged with destroying private property.
        
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FU74OBJtrDQ.
        
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        August 10, 2023 10:13am
    - jon
      
      pdm, to think, the police use to be a police force, now they just a police unit!
      
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      August 10, 2023 11:16am
  - ClanMcleod
    
    With the concerning events in your post, Benedict Yu’s and the new one from Warren at the top, it’s difficult to NOT come to the conclusion that NZ as a democratic, sovereign nation is under dire threat from woke, ethno communists and they have infiltrated all areas of governance.
    
    It is very concerning what is happening to this place.
    
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    August 10, 2023 9:12am
    - Nickc2
      
      Until otherwise proven incorrect, conclusions will forever be drawn from impressions.
      Therefore, prompt, accurate, and truthful responses to FOI Requests are essential in a free and democratic society.
      Unfortunately, NZ is neither free nor democratic at this point in time, and unless actions are initiated ASAP, it will be too late to reverse the situation.
      
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      August 10, 2023 10:05am
- Simon
  
  Luxon should met with Keen. Would reinforce NZ’s Western values and counter the woke hatred of the left.
  
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  August 10, 2023 8:13am
  - Notsofast
    
    Unfortunately Luxon is bound by the cult as are all current parliamentarians.
    
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    August 10, 2023 9:05am
  - pdm
    
    Simon – one of your better ideas.
    
    Luxon won’t but Seymour might and Peters probably will if someone suggests he should.
    
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    August 10, 2023 9:14am
    - Notsofast
      
      Peters , Shane Jones and Jill Ovens are the candidates that speak out against the cult of transing minors.
      All the sitting mps voted to trash science with birth certificate SEX self ID.
      
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      August 10, 2023 9:21am
- Scott
  
  Great work posting this Benedict.
  It seems that the police and the media and the government have brought into the narrative that trans people are an oppressed minority and deserving of special consideration and protection.
  So they get a pass for violence towards a small woman who just wanted to speak out for women’s rights.
  The police made it clear they would not protect her.
  
  It seems this approach also extends to anti co governance speaker Julian Batchelor who found the police completely unhelpful to the point of obstructive when he spoke in Northland recently.
  
  It seems the police have become totally woke. They will protect some people, like protestors for trans rights but not co governance protestors. They also appear to be very deferential to gangs.
  
  Policing appears to depend on who the perpetrators are and who the victims are?
  
  How about all citizens have equal rights and are entitled to equal protection under the law?
  
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  August 10, 2023 8:14am
  - ClanMcleod
    
    Scott – we saw exactly the same during the worst parts of the covid nightmare. Anti mandate protesters were battered and punished around the planet.
    Meanwhile, cops took the knee for BLM protesters and dance with the alphabet people. It’s hard not to think there is an agenda at play that is devastating to most normal people.
    
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    August 10, 2023 9:16am
    - graham
      
      Not to mention joining in a good old sing-song with the trespassers at Ihuamatao.
      
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      August 10, 2023 9:21am
    - kowtow
      
      The police perversely justified the illegal roadblocks using ‘Peel Principles ” ( policing by consent ) and then breached ,egregiously , the same princples by acting on the instructions of the govt .
      
      Zero credibility , but frighteningly, zero accountablity.
      
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      August 10, 2023 10:48am
    - Jim
      
      Especially if people recognise the very same things are happening globally.
      
      Maybe the thoughts of people like Dr John Campbell, Neil Oliver, Jimmy Dore and Russel Brand aren’t so fringe as their MSM critics will have you believe.
      
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      August 11, 2023 12:43pm
- Rodney Hide
  
  Hi Benedict
  
  A further answered OIA reveals 15 officers were deployed and then another 18 making a total of 33 but the police told Kellie-Jay’s police liaison multiple times they were not there to protect the women. They stood on the sidelines while women were beaten multiple times by multiple men and did nothing. They did nothing. The police MEN did nothing.
  
  Rodney
  
  Rodney Hide
  
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  August 10, 2023 8:14am
  - Benedict Yu
    
    The police will delay providing all of the requested information as long as they can. Their decision to hide around the corner from the park was clearly a deliberate decision. The police officers on the ground were instructed to not protect the women. There will be internal communications that reveal who made this decision.
    
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    August 10, 2023 8:22am
    - G152
      
      Did any of the videos catch a few numbers to find who the cops were and allow us to know who the perps are????????
      
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      August 10, 2023 8:25am
    - ClanMcleod
      
      Being held back until at least after the election no doubt, same as with Ayesha Verrall. It’s corruption.
      
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      August 10, 2023 9:41am
  - cmm
    
    I find it quite amazing that the police can get away with an attitude of just standing by while violence is occurring.
    
    Do they do that on domestic violence call outs too?
    
    What were they there for then? Had the tables turned and the demonstrators” had got thumped would they have stepped in then?
    
    Or was it just a nice sunny day for a walk in the park?
    
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    August 10, 2023 8:37am
    - Benedict Yu
      
      Well the police have doubled down. They have advised Kellie Jay Keen to not visit New Zealand in September because it is not safe for her to do so. What an advertisement to the world.
      
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      August 10, 2023 8:49am
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        So the Police do not want to allow Kellie Jay Keen her right to free speech?
        NZ is fucked.
        
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        August 10, 2023 8:53am
      - cmm
        
        Do they do that for domestic violence calls too?
        
        We advise you to cook him his favourite steak just the way he likes it and serve it to him with a beer and give him an (inaudible) if he wants one.
        
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        August 10, 2023 8:54am
      - Notsofast
        
        Reading the tea leaves, the autogynephiles and deep fake feminists would be outnumbered by the lapsed left real worlders.
        
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        August 10, 2023 10:19am
      - mogg
        
        ‘Let women speak’ is not just KJK , by now there will be hundreds of NZ resident women supporters. The message from police is that they should not speak either, and we will not protect you because you deserve everything you get.
        
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        August 10, 2023 10:50am
    - ClanMcleod
      
      The double standards of the NZ police are of extreme concern. At the behest of the government they beat, tear gassed, shot with rubber bullets and attacked with illegal sound cannons the 99.9% peaceful protesters at Wellington.
      
      It now looks like, at the behest of the government, they do nothing when groups they disapprove of can be attacked and abused by counter protesters. Posie Parker, anti oco-governance.
      
      This is a very, very dangerous situation. It needs brought under control very urgently but to do so is going to require some very drastic measures and substantial cleaning out of people currently holding powerful positions.
      
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      August 10, 2023 9:49am
    - Jim
      
      I’m sure you’re aware cmm, during the 20th century we were all seduced into supporting the notion of expanding human rights, believing that they were universal. It always seemed both fair and reasonable.
      However 21st century human rights certainly aren’t universally applied. Ohh no. Politicised police are now observing the established new normal human rights hierarchy.
      Protest for Just stop oil, BLM, Pride etc and you get cosseted protection, whereas anyone protesting for democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of movement, or women’s rights (like KJK) will often face aggressive riot police.
      
      Just in case anyone is still wondering, law abiding men, particularly white men and especially women (for Chippie: I mean the real ones, not the ones with penises) are right down that hierarchical list.
      
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      August 11, 2023 12:58pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Were they really MEN Rodney? Wimps more likely.
    
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    August 10, 2023 8:37am
    - muzled
      
      One could easily argue they’re – forever children
      
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      August 10, 2023 9:43am
  - In Vino Veritas
    
    This nonsense seems endemic now. There was a reason armed groups of citizens were patrolling around damaged, abandoned properties in Napier after the cyclone. After all, there was no looting according to the Government.
    
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    August 10, 2023 8:39am
  - Grizz
    
    Hi Rodney,
    
    I listened to your long interview with the police liason person and marshall (I am sorry I forgot her name) of the Speak Up for Women Rally at Mt Albert Park.
    
    It highlighted to me some concerns:
    1) There is corruption and leaks in the police. There are elements within the ploice force that were prepared to leak information to counter protests and the media to disrupt the rally. It became clear that if you speak up against the narrative, you cannot trust the police to help you.
    
    2) There is a downside to having a rainbow tick. It creates bias within an organisation that signs up to it. The police always had to side with the counter protests. They were given a licence to ignore the women and the result was many were assaulted and hurt.
    
    I feel that if there is a further similar rally, I note that KJK is planning to return there needs to be a different approach to involving the police. Withhold information. Use your own security. For Speak up for Women Rallies I feel real men – Fathers, Husbands, Brothers etc should come along in their numbers. It would reinforce to the police thet they are blindly pandering to a fringe group and signal to them that there is a real world out there they should be working for.
    
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    August 10, 2023 10:16am
    - Rodney Hide
      
      Hi Grizz
      
      Thank you. I reached similar conclusions.
      
      Her name is Linda Sutton.
      
      Her interview can be replayed from here
      
      https://realitycheck.radio/replays/real-talk-show-replays/
      
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      August 10, 2023 11:36am
    - Jim
      
      Very concerning Grizz, but seems most plausible seeing how events unfolded in Mt Albert Park. At least some police dutifully escorted KJK away in the car.
      
      I just don’t get it, as surely those same woke police, media, academics have daughters and granddaughters too don’t they? What about their futures?
      
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      August 11, 2023 1:03pm
- pdm
  
  Is there a Higher Authority?
  Speaker
  Police Compaints Authority
  Auditor General
  Ombudsman
  Solicitor General
  
  All of the above or someone I have not thought of.
  
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  August 10, 2023 8:17am
  - peterwn
    
    The relevant relevant higher authorities are the Ombudsman, the High Court (judicial review) and Parliament.
    
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    August 10, 2023 8:35am
    - kowtow
      
      The highest authority is us .
      
      And if we can’t have accountability through our elected representatives , then the rule of law and democracy are dead .
      
      The whole thing becomes a stage show .
      
      And we but players ( poorly paid and abused by the producers and directors) .
      With apologies to the Bard.
      
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      August 10, 2023 9:19am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Ask Ginny…
    she’s bound to come up with a lame quip for us all.
    
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    August 10, 2023 8:36am
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      I have two short planks that are not as thick as she is.
      
      22 2
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      August 10, 2023 8:40am
    - Sir Cullen's Sidekick
      
      Ginny is a winner Maggy. Watch on election night how she crushes Get Boosted Bishop boy.
      
      6 6
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      August 10, 2023 10:40am
  - Benedict Yu
    
    The Ombudsman.
    
    13 0
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    August 10, 2023 8:50am
  - Rusty
    
    @pdm,
    
    God?
    
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    August 10, 2023 8:52am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  The Police were at Albert Park, hiding around the corner apparently.
  On whose orders? That will be the delay.
  There is also the possibility that Police were in cahoots with TV3 – making news about a good old fashion brawl! Let’s face it, the news is pathetic these days.
  So, who was the head honcho holding them back? Are Police sorting out a fall guy? Someone who was going to be sacked anyway.
  This whole thing reeks of woke corruption.
  
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  August 10, 2023 8:27am
- cmm
  
  One of the worst fall outs from this is that many of the boots-on-the-ground (aka valuable) cops will be getting sick of the actions of their management. They will get frustrated and leave.
  
  Right now Queensland is hiring away NZ cops with better pay, warmer weather and a $20k relocation package/sign on bonus.
  
  If I was young and wearing blue I know what I would do.
  
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  August 10, 2023 8:40am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Does Queensland really want Cops of our level of stature
    
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    August 10, 2023 8:43am
    - pdm
      
      Steve – they wouldn’t take Coster but most of the policemen and policewomen on the front line in New Zealand would `cut it’ over there I would think.
      
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      August 10, 2023 8:47am
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        Only if Queensland does not have Fat Controllers.
        
        13 2
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        August 10, 2023 8:56am
      - Keith White
        
        pdm – The policemen and policewomen you laud, were / are in boots and all when it came to locking up people in quarantine hotels, taking legally-acquired firearms off legally-licensed owners, enabling iwi roadblocks, facilitating gang takeovers of highways for gang assemblies while making lawabiding motorists park in a queue for hours, etc., so forth.
        
        27 1
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        August 10, 2023 9:18am
      - Burtland
        
        do they cut it if theyre diversity hires?
        
        8 0
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        August 10, 2023 10:06am
      - cmm
        
        Keith: There’s an element of “just following orders”.
        It is unfair to tar the boots-on-the-grouds cops with the failures of their management.
        
        However it does come to the point where the good cops leave and all that are left are the new breed of cops that agree with the way the police are being managed.
        
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        August 10, 2023 10:07am
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        They get to have a gun too! I think I saw that on an ad.
        
        5 0
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        August 10, 2023 10:28am
    - Rusty
      
      @Steve,
      
      Didn’t the govt/NZ police recruit cops from the UK 10 or so years ago?
      
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      August 10, 2023 8:56am
      - Inandout
        
        Rusty, indeed they did and you would have seen them on Police10. Some would say the rot started when John Banks amalgamated Transport Dept and the Police. This was seen by the average copper as a very unwise move because it allowed those Transport officers who originally didn’t make the grade in joining the Police were then accepted into the Police ranks. We have for years seen a slow decline in Police standards which culminated in the non interference at Albert Park.
        
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        August 10, 2023 9:27am
    - cmm
      
      I think there are three issues at play:
      * They desperately need cops.
      * They know it is easier to get current cops and retrain them than fresh recruits for whom there is a high drop-out rate.
      * They know the difference between poor management and poor boots-on-the-ground cops.
      
      I am picking that Coster’s application would go in the bin.
      
      24 1
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      August 10, 2023 8:57am
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        Just imagine Coster trying to handcuff a thief, what a laugh!
        
        12 1
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        August 10, 2023 10:32am
      - Keith White
        
        cmm: “It is unfair to tar the boots-on-the-grounds cops with the failures of their management.”
        
        1. Each and every one of those cops had the opportunity to walk away and change career as many on this board have done when faced with the situation “do I obey this Befehl?”
        2. The numbers voluntarily belonging to the Police Union bely any dissatisfaction with Axis Of Cahill.
        3. Life ain’t fair.
        
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        August 10, 2023 12:09pm
      - cmm
        
        Keith: I completely agree that every one of those cops had the opportunity to walk away.
        It is hard to do so at the time, especially since there’s a peer pressure effect and things like mortgages to pay etc. but I suspect there have been many that have since questioned their career choice.
        
        Quite likely many thought they were going to do the right thing when they got sent out, but only realised they were mislead afterwards. I don’t know.
        
        I know at least one cop who packed it in because the job description changed from protecting the community from bad guys and harassing the bad guys to protecting the bad guys from the community and harassing the good guys.
        
        I expect many cops are submitting their applications to Queensland and we can add cops to the brain drain.
        
        Raising police union membership is interesting. This provides many services to police, so possibly many are joining for the benefits and holding their noses over the other stuff.
        
        Unless this massive slide in policing/prosecution/conviction/corrections is reversed then the community will be forced to sort things out itself. I’ve seen that movie. It isn’t always pretty.
        
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        August 10, 2023 2:48pm
  - Loddenthinks
    
    Resign in disgust?
    
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    August 10, 2023 1:50pm
- Stellaboxer
  
  The result of a politicised police force. The removal of those indulging their bias must be one of the first tasks of a new government. After that start on all the other departments .
  
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  August 10, 2023 8:46am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    The whole Public Sector is a total bloated mess.
    
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    August 10, 2023 8:58am
    - PeeJay
      
      You are not wrong mate.
      
      I’ve a close friend that works for KO. Good solid guy, but not a superstar employee – solid and reliable. In the private sector, he’d struggle to get much more than $100k a year. He’s good but nothing special. At KO he is on close to $250k at the moment. This is not unusual – whole departments are earning these sums with some real junior staff earning more than very experienced private sector staff ever could. It’s frankly insane – but hey, someone else’s money eh?
      
      I tend to agree with some on this blog that state this is one of the reasons the Labour / Greens numbers remain relatively high – that the government has created this dependency culture through a highly paid and bloated state sector – these folks would be turkeys voting for Christmas if they voted for National, or more realistically ACT.
      
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      August 10, 2023 9:31am
      - Tauhei Notts
        
        Peejay,
        Your final paragraph is chilling.
        
        4 0
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        August 10, 2023 2:19pm
- Random T Person
  
  I got a whitewash letter from IPCA over the police preventing the citizens of Whakatane from going about their business while providing a guard of honour for gang members. The excuses in the letter directly contradicted what the police dude interviewed by Mike Hosking said.
  Shouldn’t have wasted my time.
  
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  August 10, 2023 8:56am
- softail 1450
  
  B Y, the cops are doing that because they can ,the IPCA are just another branch of the NZ police force and should be disbanded and reconfigured.
  
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  August 10, 2023 9:26am
- Phronesis
  
  Cranmer is no fool but he also needs to OIA all correspondence related to his original OIA request, including phone calls etc.
  
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  August 10, 2023 12:42pm
Scott

Over in America the Republicans are doing good work exposing the corruption of Joe Biden and his family.

“The committee has now identified over $20 million in payments from foreign sources to the Biden family and their business associates. That’s $20 million and counting.
The press release summarizes the bank records memo:

The memorandum outlines how the Bidens and their business associates received millions from oligarchs in Russia, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine during Joe Biden’s vice presidency. After Hunter Biden received millions of dollars in payments, then-Vice President Joe Biden dined with his son’s foreign associates in Washington, D.C. Devon Archer, Hunter Biden’s former business partner, recently testified that then-Vice President Joe Biden was “the brand” sold to enrich the Biden family and was used to send “signals” of access, power, and influence.”

Don’t hold your breath waiting to hear mention of this from the NZ media.

So in summary, not only is the president of the United States a very old man who can’t remember where he is and what day it is, he’s also a crook.

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2023/08/20-million-and-counting.php
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August 10, 2023 8:03am
- virtualmark
  
  Scott,
  
  There is, as yet, no evidence of that at all.
  
  Hunter Biden is a sleaze, and if he’s committed crimes then he should be indicted. But the US Senate investigated him during the Trump admin and found no crimes. You can read their 87 page report at https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/HSGAC%20-%20Finance%20Joint%20Report%202020.09.23.pdf
  
  Just last week Devon Archer testified before the House oversight committee and his testimony didn’t support Comer’s fever dreams. Comer knew this would be the case, which is why he wasn’t even there to hear that testimony. But you can read the transcript of what Archer said for yourself, at https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Devon-Archer-Transcript.pdf
  
  Hunter sold the illusion of political access to sleazy characters who then overpaid him. But there is no proof, or even a plausible allegation, that Joe Biden was involved or that any official actions or policy were changed because of Hunter’s interests.
  
  Meanwhile the GOP is stuck in a “butt Hunter” doom loop when they should be legislating.
  
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  August 10, 2023 2:08pm
  - virtualmark
    
    And before anyone misunderstands…
    
    I detest Hunter Biden type characters who trade in grift and sleaze. I’d love to see karma catch up with him.
    
    But, so far at least, I can’t see proof that he’s done anything different from, say, they Trump kids … benefit from shady money that flows from their proximity to an important political figure.
    
    It’s sleazy and improper, but not illegal.
    
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    August 10, 2023 2:21pm
- Scott
  
  Thank you for your response virtual mark. That’s what CNN says as well.
  
  However to believe CNN you have to believe that $20 million went from oligarchs and other shady characters representing governments to Hunter Biden for the “illusion of access”. You have to believe that Joe Biden never discussed business with these people even though he was on speakerphone with them at least 20 times. Even though he dined with them on a number of occasions. Even though he denied that he even met them. Even though he denied that he ever spoke about business.
  
  Who are you going to believe? Do you really believe that governments would pay Hunter Biden $20 million for nothing, for illusions? The whole thing is totally corrupt. The Biden family is very rich even though Joe Biden has been in public office his whole adult life.
  
  Joe Biden is the “big guy” who enabled Hunter Biden to gain millions of dollars to spend on drugs and hookers.
  
  And your reference to the Trump family is ridiculous. If Don Jr did 1% of what Hunter Biden has done he would be in jail for the rest of his life.
  
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  August 10, 2023 2:41pm
  - virtualmark
    
    Scott, equally …
    
    Just a few months after he left the White House the Saudis gave Jared Kushner $2b to manage, against the advice of their own experts.
    
    The Chinese suddenly freed up approval of a bunch of trademarks for Ivanka Trump once Trump was President, and just after Trump met with Xi.
    
    Countless overseas delegations stayed at the Trump International Hotel in DC, when Trump was President.
    
    Sleaze. Grift. Shady. But not criminal.
    
    I think all of it stinks, and none of it should happen. But I’m also realistic that it does happen, and I’m sceptical of the GOP’s high horse here.
    
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    August 10, 2023 3:58pm
Chuck Bird

THE GLOBAL WARMING RATIONAL DEBATE GROUP

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1137138173085884/?multi_permalinks=3053635508102798&notif_id=1691555664927913&notif_t=group_activity&ref=notif
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August 10, 2023 8:05am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Private Group, they want me to join.
  RATIONAL DEBATE my left tit.
  
  6 3
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  August 10, 2023 9:00am
  - Chuck Bird
    
    Steve. the group is not alarmist.
    
    7 2
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    August 10, 2023 9:17am
- Mark Hanley
  
  Neil Oliver’s view of the Earth’s warming, the relevant literature, the treatment of dissenters, and the huge profits gained from the climate disaster fearmongering; is the most succinct summary of climate lies and the profits gained from those lies!
  
  Oliver outlines the irony of those predicting catastrophic sea level change (e.g, Obama, Kerry, Gates) buying beach front properties. He also reports that actuaries have not identified sea level rise as a threat to London.
  
  Oliver gets to the crux of the issue by identifying the huge wealth attained by the climate catastrophe cheerleaders and their obvious hypocrisy.
  
  Oliver also picks apart the IPCC lies!
  
  Worth watching to the end…
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kD9KG-j7C0M
  
  Clintel is also worth a browse. Clintel counters the old “1000 scientists agree” BS!
  https://clintel.org/
  
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  August 10, 2023 9:22am
  - Ra Henare
    
    Further to the reports mentioned above.
    This from NZs leading(now retired) weather guru.
    https://clintel.org/climate-change-both-sides-of-the-discussion/
    
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    August 10, 2023 2:17pm
Chuck Bird

The video is less than 8 minutes.

Judith Curry: How Climate “Science” Got Hijacked by Alarmists

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVi01vJ4nxM
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August 10, 2023 8:06am
- Simon
  
  Is the national party interested in the truth about the climate change scam or do they want something convenient.
  
  Can Luxon be honest with NZ? We dont expect explanation or debates from the left. But the National party can they be open on the specifics of climate change? Or are they too far gone. Not to be trusted?
  
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  August 10, 2023 8:18am
  - Chuck Bird
    
    As far as I know Luxon supports James as he has said so. Has anyone seen anything that indicates that he has changed his mind? For that reason I am voting Act.
    
    16 2
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    August 10, 2023 9:22am
  - Chuck Bird
    
    Simon, Chris Luxon will be on with Kerri Woodham at 10 am. Why not call in and ask him if he has changes his mind about Shaw and climate alarmism?
    
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    August 10, 2023 9:28am
    - Mark Hanley
      
      Thx Chuck. Anyone listening to Luxon’s absolute command of the detail of callers’ issues, will be reminded of the fierce intellect of Helen Clark.
      
      The big difference between the two aforementioned Primr Ministers is morals.
      
      Clark’s moral compass was pointed directly at using our money to enrich herself followed up by the enrichment of Jacinda Adern.
      
      Luxon suffered a multi million dollar salary decrease when he entered politics!
      
      8 3
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      August 10, 2023 10:43am
      - Loddenthinks
        
        The big difference between the two aforementioned Prime Ministers is that only one of them has been a Prime Minister.
        
        Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
        
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        August 10, 2023 3:33pm
      - Mark Hanley
        
        Intentional faux pas.
        
        I offered to take bets on Luxons annointment in October, no takers yet.
        
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        August 10, 2023 4:57pm
  - Mark Hanley
    
    Simon, the National Party’s nuanced response to climate change requires a smidgen of joined up thinking to understand.
    
    1. denying the internationally publicized and largely accepted anthropogenic climate disaster BS will only supply fuel to NZ’s competitors and damage our clean green image.
    2. If you read between the lines, National’s proclamations demonstrate they recognize NZ is already carbon neutral but the skewing of the carbon formula by those profiting from the climate disaster BS (Adern, Shaw, Robertson, etc.) shows otherwise.
    3. That is why National are advocating the far more intelligent approach to achieving net zero. National have floated including NZ wetlands, NZ sea area, and NZ pasture carbon sinks into our formula.
    
    Changing the formula will allow NZ to meet net zero with no cost, and will allow National to free up the carbon tax rort for investment in infrastructure.
    
    13 4
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    August 10, 2023 9:35am
    - Chuck Bird
      
      National think wind turbines and solar farms with get us to net zero whereas the only thing that will eleminate emissions is SMRs.
      
      5 3
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      August 10, 2023 9:58am
      - Mark Hanley
        
        Chuck. I’m not sure a nuclear reactor in the shaky isles is such a good idea.
        
        We don’t share the Japanese culture of honour or death so there will be no volunteers for the suicidal task of securing a nuclear reactor damaged by an earthquake.
        
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        August 10, 2023 10:04am
      - Fuzzysnuggleduck
        
        Hi Mark,
        $100 vouchers, tickets to the Warriors, or KFC is the traditional way to get people to act above and beyond the call of duty in NZ.
        
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        August 10, 2023 1:51pm
      - kisekiman
        
        We had plenty of relatively clean burning gas for power generation until the oil and gas industry was kneecapped by our saviour, her holiness, Saint Jacinda of the Pestilence in her fight against climate change or “her generation’s nuclear free moment” as she described it. So yeah nah, nukes are out as well it would seem.
        
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        August 10, 2023 2:15pm
      - Chuck Bird
        
        Mark, they would not be put near a fault line but one place they could be put is at Huntly. I do not think Huntly is near a fault line.
        
        I would not suggest installing one for a few years after we see how they go in Oz after a change in government.
        
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        August 10, 2023 2:16pm
    - kisekiman
      
      New Zealand’s “clean, green image” is a lazy dated trope that exists only in the minds of the marketing execs who dreamed it up more than 20 years ago. Anyone who still believes it has any traction is in serious denial. Aussie produces most of the same stuff we do and markets it on a individual quality branded product basis and gets better returns. The 100% Pure bullshit that was put out as a safety blanket for NZ producers to hide under is well past it’s use by date. Difficult to damage something that doesn’t exist.
      
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      August 10, 2023 10:52am
      - Mark Hanley
        
        kisekiman
        
        why is NZs baby formula so popular in China?
        
        5 0
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        August 10, 2023 12:24pm
      - kisekiman
        
        Mark Hanley. The companies that produce the baby formula in NZ are more or less owned by the Chinese, it’s their formula. On the issue of climate change, the way Chinese burn coal, it is safe to assume they dgaf.
        
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        August 10, 2023 1:52pm
      - kisekiman
        
        In addition the true NZ owned baby formula brands produced by Fonterra and sold in China took a huge reputational hit with the melamine adulteration scandal. Clean and green, I feel a Tui billboard ad coming on.
        
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        August 10, 2023 2:21pm
      - Mark Hanley
        
        Really? Fontera is owned by the Chinese is it?
        
        And the Chinese companies producing baby formula in NZ – why? It is cheaper for them to setup and produce milk powder in Chin.
        
        Could it be NZ’s clean green image helps sell their product?
        
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        August 10, 2023 2:50pm
      - Mark Hanley
        
        Kisekiman. here is a little light reading for you which should alter your view.
        
        https://openrepository.aut.ac.nz/server/api/core/bitstreams/970c07fa-a7b1-4d9a-b8aa-384f9264c059/content
        
        Of course clean green is a marketing ploy – and the results of the study show above show it works!
        
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        August 10, 2023 3:17pm
      - kisekiman
        
        Mark Hanley, you will see in my post above that I acknowledge that Fonterra is a NZ farmer owned cooperative and that the melamine scandal did huge reputational damage to them in China. Your 12 year old MBA thesis supports my point that the clean green image is a tired and lazy baseline that NZ producers sit on thinking that is all that is needed to sell overseas. Everyone knows NZ is so awesome that naturally everyone should just buy our stuff, right? Well apparently not. That paper points out Chinese consumers evaluated the appearance of New Zealand milk powder as being the worst of the six countries in the study. Which supports what I said about Aussie branded food products (beef in particular) giving NZ a towelling in the marketplace while Kiwi marketers sit on their arses congratulating themselves on their clean green credentials. It’s a cop out and we need to do a lot better.
        
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        August 10, 2023 5:44pm
    - Keith White
      
      “Changing the formula will allow NZ to meet net zero with no cost”.
      
      No. Not possible.
      
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      August 10, 2023 12:11pm
      - Mark Hanley
        
        Keith, thanks for your considered and informative reply.
        
        I particularly liked the way you justified your response.
        
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        August 10, 2023 12:25pm
      - mawm
        
        Mark – he’s probably right as we will never be allowed to achieve “net zero” as long as we have ICE’s, farms producing meat and landscapes devoid of windmills and solar panels. It’s the process of depriving us that is the globalists’ goal.
        
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        August 10, 2023 1:39pm
      - Mark Hanley
        
        main. People around the world have had a gutsfull of net zero.
        
        2 2
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        August 10, 2023 2:16pm
      - Mark Hanley
        
        MAWN. People around the world have had a gutsful and are slowly waking up to the con.
        
        More and more scientists are speaking up against the climate fraud
        
        You can fool all the people some of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time
        
        The climate fraud DAYS ARE NUMBERED!
        
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        August 10, 2023 2:56pm
      - mawm
        
        Mark – I hope so.
        
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        August 10, 2023 8:47pm
- Grunter
  
  I feel so relieved to have survived July – the hottest month on record. I am worried however that we have now entered a new phase of “global boiling”. This has created a ripper frost in Dunedin today!
  And if July is the worst month on record…..
  ….. how many unprecedented hurricanes did we see?
  ……how many wildfires (not lit by arsonists) did we see?
  …..how many people died from surging sea levels?
  ……..how many towns and cities were wrecked by unprecedented tornados?
  If that’s the worst month, I think I’ll live.
  
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  August 10, 2023 9:53am
  - Burtland
    
    record cold winter in Tonga
    
    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/aug/09/hoodies-sell-out-in-tonga-as-el-nino-brings-wintry-chill
    
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    August 10, 2023 10:18am
    - Chris Nisbet
      
      And Argentina, apparently.
      
      3 0
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      August 10, 2023 2:08pm
Matt Long

Are any parties going to improve the impossible situation charitable organisations are facing with banking and AML laws?
https://thebfd.co.nz/2023/08/09/how-banks-make-life-hard-for-new-zealand-charities/
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August 10, 2023 8:10am
- david
  
  There are hundreds of NFP organisations that need banking facilities to be successful. For example, almost every retirement village has a Residents Committee that organises social events and often runs the resident’s bar. Quite high cash flows but zero profits and it becomes an annual nightmare with ever changing treasurers and committee members who often purchase supplies at the local supermarket or consolidate small amounts into funding for bus hires and catering charges sometimes running into $’000’s fora single event. Doing this without a bank account would break the willingness of the most committed volunteers.
  
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  August 10, 2023 8:31am
- peterwn
  
  It is generally not the rules themselves but the way banks treat them. Much of the problem would go away if the banks documented well organised processes for charities and non-profits to set up and operate banking known to staff and customers. For example if a proposed cheque signatory is a personal customer of that bank, then ID checks should not be necessary. The Government does need to look at address verification requirements as there are now very few items received by snailmail that can be used for address verification. Perhaps one of the few methods may to go past a speed camera at speed then use the ensuing mailed infringement notice as evidence (but then in due course drivers will probably receive them by email and be required as a condition of getting a driving licence to set up a direct debit in favour of NZTA).
  
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  August 10, 2023 8:32am
- Tauhei Notts
  
  Not For Profit outfits.
  Have a look at the complex requirements for re-registration under the new Incorporated Societies Act. Unbelievable.
  Then, if you are really silly, have a look at the financial reporting standards for very small (Tier Four) groups that have less than $120,000 in annual income. The accounting policies cover 31 pages and the explanatory notes cover 46 pages.
  Somebody somewhere is trying their damnedest to destroy our country’s voluntary sector, and I do not know why.
  
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  August 10, 2023 2:33pm
  - sirknz
    
    Then they can let Blackrock take it over…
    
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    August 10, 2023 4:12pm
Maggie Pie

You sure gotta hand it to the ‘Ministry-for-Pacific-Peoples’…..

if there’s one thing they know, it’s how to lafo se pati
😀 😀 😀
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August 10, 2023 8:14am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  How culturally insensitive of the Public Service Commissioner…
  
  It’s not as if he’s ever cast an eye over the spend-ups by Government Departments on opening ceremonies and blessings every time a new room is opened or when they are “gifted” a new name or when they sends folks overseas to provide cultural entertainment when accompanying the PM.
  
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  August 10, 2023 8:45am
  - pdm
    
    Yep Maggy.
    
    How much did it cost to take a `Haka party’ to China a few weeks ago.
    
    Did they fly on plane number 2?
    
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    August 10, 2023 8:49am
    - gravedodger
      
      If they did pdm they only got as far as Manilla as when “Airforce .91” successfully took off for Peking AF .72 took off and headed “south”
      
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      August 10, 2023 9:04am
- bjools
  
  Nothing new or unusual.
  I was at an IRD office, doing some repairs, last year.
  When, in came 2 waiters and started setting up.
  Cases of wine
  Catered food, served by said waiters.
  From then on and all afternoon, people came in and out.
  After asking they told me “it was a leaving do”, for nobody special,.
  Q: Is this how they spend our taxes, on a regular basis?
  
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  August 10, 2023 9:38am
Benedict Yu

Lesson… You are a woman who wants to become a man. You instruct a surgeon to remove your ovaries and uterus. Ensure that you are not pregnant before you do this ☹️

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12387829/Female-male-patient-loses-baby-hysterectomy-Royal-Womens-Hospital-Melbourne-didnt-know-pregnant.html
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August 10, 2023 8:16am
- In Vino Veritas
  
  Two words: Stupid. Karma.
  
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  August 10, 2023 8:41am
- Notsofast
  
  As Jordan Petersen would advise, imprison the surgeon.
  
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  August 10, 2023 9:11am
- grumpy
  
  “His” baby…….. bloody hell!!
  
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  August 10, 2023 7:07pm
Tomtoddy

The giant and historically successful company Siemens employs 375,000 people and has revenues of over E80 billion is struggling to manage its way through the manufacture of wind turbines. They are encountering massive failures with blades up to 100 metres long, having to repair and replace a high percentage. Its taking a huge toll on their bottom line despite taxpayer subsidies and huge orders.

Kinda makes you cry. Yeah right.
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August 10, 2023 8:18am
- All_on_Red
  
  There’s problems all over. Material costs and repairs are rising.
  ‘…a 40% cost increase recently halted a giant project in the U.K., a global leader in offshore wind, while developers delayed two investment decisions in the Baltic Sea.
  Another three projects in the North Sea totaling about $19 billion in planned spending are potentially delayed or revising terms too, said Peter Lloyd-Williams, a senior analyst at Westwood Global Energy Group.’
  ‘We have problems both offshore and onshore,” said Tim Proll-Gerwe, spokesman with Siemens Energy. The company, which had previously said quality issues related to its subsidiary’s flagship onshore turbines could cost up to $1.1 billion to fix, on Monday raised that estimate to about $1.75 billion.
  
  Blade supplier TPI Composites, which has agreements with several wind manufacturers, issued a profit warning last month that it was seeing higher inspection and repair costs.’
  
  They keep breaking.
  https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2023/08/wind-energy-a-doomed-industry.php
  
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  August 10, 2023 8:34am
- kowtow
  
  And if the manufacturing is done in Germany all that “green” product relies on lignite to power the factories.
  
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  August 10, 2023 8:44am
- peterwn
  
  Siemens made a blunder over 100 years ago which must have cost society a fortune. In the early days of alternating current electricity scientists versed in mathematics, physics and electrical engineering did studies to determine the best way of transmitting and distributing electricity and concluded three phase 60Hz (as used in North America etc) as the optimum method. However 60 was not a standard series number (the nearest is 63) so Siemens settled on 50 Hz when manufacturing early power station equipment. This means a 50Hz system requires slightly larger items and operates slightly less efficiently than a 60Hz system. Curse Siemens!
  
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  August 10, 2023 8:45am
  - cmm
    
    That is partially true and partially false.
    
    50Hz, being a higher frequency with a longer wavelength can be coupled together into larger grids (ie over a larger area). However the difference isn’t that large. Larger grids are split into different AC “islands”, often with DC intergrid connections. Those “islands” can be a bit bigger at 50Hz.
    
    These days with modern electronic regulation etc, there are not really many differences between 50 and 60Hz at the component level. Load a different setting and you get 50 or 60Hz.
    
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    August 10, 2023 9:07am
    - Taieri
      
      50Hz, being a higher frequency
      ————
      
      50 Hz being a LOWER frequency you mean?
      
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      August 10, 2023 9:43am
      - cmm
        
        Yes, of course. Thanks.
        
        Lower frequency with a longer wavelength.
        
        I had originally written the sentence starting with longer wavelength but screwed up the editing.
        
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        August 10, 2023 10:09am
  - NothingLeft
    
    AC is becoming less useful outside of it’s residual current safety feature. Pre-silicon it was great for simple voltage changing, but there isn’t much left in your house that needs it – almost everything outside of resistive heaters uses DC rectification at input, with smoothing out AC being more of a hassle than a boon and most motors (aside from ventilation fans) are no longer synchronous AC-induction.
    
    Industrially a large proportion of motors now have frequency control meaning AC isn’t helpful there either. Power supplies are more efficiently designed to switch at 10’s to even 100’s of kHz to reduce size and cost of capacitors and inductors.
    
    The big downside of AC now is larger electrical losses for a given wire size compared to DC, and huge expensive transformers and 3 wire transmission grids with higher losses than HVDC has over long distances and particularly under-sea
    
    There’s a lot of inertia in our infrastructural choices, but if we were starting again setting up best systems to operate world on with out current technology level, we might not bother with an AC grid. Eg a Mars or Moon base is unlikely to use it.
    
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    August 10, 2023 10:57am
    - Taieri
      
      but there isn’t much left in your house that needs it
      ———
      
      Yes there is. Hot water cylinder and kitchen range are two big AC consumers. Another one is heating.
      
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      August 10, 2023 12:25pm
- cmm
  
  What really, really, makes you cry is seeing how pathetic the electricy output is.
  
  The total output of the top 25 offshore windfarms in the world (including ALL the windfarms in UK and Europe) could not even supply NZ’s electricity needs.
  
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  August 10, 2023 8:48am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Disposal? They bury the bloody things!
  
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  August 10, 2023 9:06am
- kowtow
  
  Siemens getting all that climate woke work?
  
  They used slave labour within living memory .
  
  Here was me thinking that sort of thing was strictly verbotten among the Wokists and the work should go to some other more worthy company.
  
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  August 10, 2023 9:31am
  - cmm
    
    Siemens use the same excuse used by the Hitler Motor Company (aka VW): We’re nice guys, honestly. Hitler made us do it.
    
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    August 10, 2023 10:10am
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      Indeed….
      
      https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/siemens-defends-slave-labour-again/
      
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      August 10, 2023 10:45am
- softail 1450
  
  Tomtoddy, they must be buying the materials for their wind blades from the same place as labour have arranged our bitumen to come from, another monumental cock up.
  
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  August 10, 2023 9:32am
SmokerGuy

It’s amazing how depressed this country is at the moment. People I know just aren’t the same as they were 3 or 4 years ago, everyone seems a bit miserable and over it. There’s a definite vibe of negativity, we have lost our spark. Whether you like John Key or not, he was relentlessly positive about New Zealand and pushed for us to be on the global stage as much as possible. This government has none of that ambition, it’s all negative and inward looking. It’s sad, we really have gone backwards in attitude over this government’s 2 terms. It’s like we have lost belief in ourselves as a country.
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August 10, 2023 8:22am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  I am not depressed. I am just pissed off with 6 years of lies, deceit, and control.
  Get rid of the bastards for at least 15 years. But sadly we know the socialists/commies will be back, and the person responsible has run away.
  
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  August 10, 2023 9:12am
- Prince
  
  Hard to be positive when the Economy, Health, Education, Law & Order and Race Relations have all been trashed by the Govt.
  But according to Andrea Vance, none of that matters when we vote for our next President.
  
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  August 10, 2023 9:56am
Surely Knott

These Citibank scam stories are weird.

New scam victim woman transfers $350k.

But on 4 July the Herald Reported “He (Ares) understands his money was paid into an ASB account controlled by a North Island resident, and then wired to accounts in Singapore, Belgium and the UK. The mule is likely to face money laundering charges.”

“And despite police having compelling evidence about the prime suspect, they are yet to make an arrest, telling Ares they are waiting to interview several other victims, some of whom have yet to learn they’d been scammed.”

Why hasn’t the “mule” been arrested. Or at least had the bank account frozen? Is it still the same bank account. Where did the woman send her $350. Why hasn’t the website been shut down as it sounds like she went to the same investor site as the last guy.
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August 10, 2023 8:25am
- Ghost
  
  There have been several arrests, it it’s an ongoing investigation by the sound of it there are a few people carrying it out
  
  Police
  
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  August 10, 2023 8:59am
Maggie Pie

So if we don’t get a change of government come October….could it be because nearly half of Wellington are reliant on Labor for their livelihood?

https://twitter.com/bryce_edwards/status/1689031892954488834
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August 10, 2023 8:33am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  I think the problem lies further north.
  
  How many Labour and Green MPs come from the Greater Auckland area?
  
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  August 10, 2023 8:48am
  - Notsofast
    
    Labour/Green 50.9% in Wellington.
    The Auckland figures will be driven by immigrants of colour, who do most of the work.
    
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    August 10, 2023 9:18am
    - kowtow
      
      I suspect they’re not happy being the chosen target of the regime’s Chosen People.
      
      Otherwise I’dda thunk they’d choose Labour .
      
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      August 10, 2023 10:37am
- In Vino Veritas
  
  Quite true and no surprise at all Mags. If Government shifted from Wellington to say, Mt Somers, then 40% of Wellingtonians would become unemployed. They would then be followed by mass unemployment of professional service firms followed by unemployment of everyone else that does shit for all those people. Wellington would become a whopping great housing estate.
  
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  August 10, 2023 9:01am
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    Mt Somers would experience an influx of Wellingtonians
    
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    August 10, 2023 9:16pm
    - In Vino Veritas
      
      Nope, none of the lovey’s and cloth cap, great coat wearing, bearded loons would dare go to Mt Somers.
      
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      August 10, 2023 9:49pm
- ClanMcleod
  
  Yes. As well as pretty much every beneficiary in the country. Turkeys don’t vote for early Xmas.
  
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  August 10, 2023 10:10am
- cmm
  
  Are they really reliant on Labour? Or are they more reliant on the “Yes Minister”-like structures that they have created for themselves that operate the way they like – impervious to any ministerial/government oversight.
  
  Once the swamp gets too cozy it’s close to impossible to get rid of it. Sure Labour was quite friendly to them and let them grow out of control, but will National really have the guts to turn that around and make a difference?
  
  I think where things are now, what we need is a complete fire and re-hire through the whole government – top to bottom, side to side.
  
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  August 10, 2023 10:16am
- Grunter
  
  And also a huge number of people busy watching Barbie Movie, the latest developments from the Kardashians, the next episode of Love Island…….
  
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  August 10, 2023 10:18am
- virtualmark
  
  Wellington is equally jaded of Governments of all shades. The public service sees politicians of all ilks up close and recognises that most of them are tools.
  
  But Wellington, and the public service, skews strongly to young University-educated workers … who historically tend to vote left. So it’s more voter demographics than anything else.
  
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  August 10, 2023 2:18pm
Tomtoddy

Day 1 MSM News: Luxon makes a faux pax.
Day 2 MSM News: Luxon unpopular with voters
Day 3 MSM News: Luxon fails to impress
Day 4 MSM News: Luxon struggles
Day 5 MSM News: Luxon makes a strange call
Day 6 MSM News: Luxon performing poorly
Day 7 MSM News: In a surprise announcement today polling company claims Luxon support is running at all time low.
Day 8 Eketahuna Chronicle News: Luxon draws largest crowd ever seen in town before election race starts.
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August 10, 2023 8:35am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  He had a full house in Gisborne on Monday….
  
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  August 10, 2023 8:53am
- slightlyrighty
  
  I’ve been saying this for some time. Luxon is, either by accident or design, the target of a campaign to discredit him by a faction of left leaning journalists. There is a clear bias in the types of stories about him.
  
  I do not think it is deliberate, however, there are examples of Journalists uniting to attack a party and politician with the stated goal of preventing that politician from gaining power. This happened in Canada in 2019, but there is now a big pushback as some within the Media recognise that they may have gone too far, and that Trudeau is becoming a busted flush.
  
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  August 10, 2023 9:16am
  - Souvlaki
    
    I disagree….it seems a concerted effort to discredit him…both TV1 & TV3 are attacking Luxon almost on a daily basis…together with both major papers.
    There’s no doubt in my mind at least, its deliberate & possibly ‘co-ordinated’
    Disclaimer : I’m an ACT voter
    
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    August 10, 2023 10:06am
    - Tricati
      
      Couldn’t agree more – You don’t have to be an Einstein to see the MSM bias just by the headlines.
      
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      August 10, 2023 10:18am
    - Captain Mainwaring
      
      Now $tuff is having a crack at Seymour in today’s ‘cartoon’. Even to the extent of suggesting he drives a Rolls-Royce (he actually drives a Suzuki Swift).
      
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      August 10, 2023 10:24am
      - lifesgood
        
        I saw him driving a car yesterday. It definitely wasn’t a roller but it sure as eggs wasn’t a Suzuki Swift either. To be fair it was a campaign car so maybe his personal car is different.
        
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        August 10, 2023 1:24pm
    - Matt Long
      
      Did all the unconscious bias stuff not work because in fact they have conscious bias?
      
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      August 10, 2023 12:39pm
    - zulumonster
      
      I also am not going to be voting National this election – but to think there is not an obvious bias in the MSM against the National Party and in particular Chris Luxon you have to be deluded.
      
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      August 10, 2023 1:45pm
  - Grunter
    
    It’s deliberate.
    
    The MSM is corrupt, end of story. Just stop reading/watching it. All part of the bigger global plan by these nutters.
    
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    August 10, 2023 10:23am
    - mawm
      
      The “Trusted News Initiative” – a global partnership to control the narrative.
      
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      August 10, 2023 5:10pm
  - grumpy
    
    Why is the non stop media destruction of Luxon not treated as an undeclared campaign contribution?
    The equivalent political advertisement cost would be millions!
    
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    August 10, 2023 7:14pm
- Dave
  
  Fortunately, we will soon have have a taxpayer-funded public service organisation to explain to us ignorant plebs that the Eketahuna Chronicle News is an extremist organisation misinforming us with its fringe views.
  
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  August 10, 2023 10:14am
pdm

nz Herald headline today:

`Election 2023: Audrey Young – What would Cabinet look like in a Labour-Greens-Māori Party government.’

Very bloody scary!!!!

Rest is behind paywall so no idea on portfolio allocations – but:

Still bloody scary!!!!
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August 10, 2023 8:44am
- kowtow
  
  Their cartoon offering today is having a go at Luxon on the school phone thing as “state over reach”
  
  Can anyone recall Emmerson taking on Ardern/Peters for state over reach ? It would have been a very rich field indeed.
  
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  August 10, 2023 8:57am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    I think State Overreach maxxed out under Jacinda’s despotic rule.
    
    DON’T TALK TO YOUR NEIGHBOURS
    
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PtMgfESqp4
    
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    August 10, 2023 9:17am
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  Think – the cast of the Rocky Horror Show.
  
  I’ll let you guess who is cast as the hapless Brad.
  
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  August 10, 2023 9:02am
- mandk
  
  A short while ago it was looking like it would need a 3-way coalition of Lab/Grn/TPM to beat Nat/ACT, but now it looks like it would take a 4-way coalition to include NZF.
  
  That’s what I call scary.
  
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  August 10, 2023 10:43am
slightlyrighty

It beggars belief that the Head of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples, seeing members of his own family brought in without his knowledge, the spread put on, the amount and value of the gifts, didn’t, at some point, wonder how much this is costing.

and if that thinking did not occur, then he is unsuitable for the role he has moved to.

Our public service seems to be full of people who beleive so much in the morality of what they are doing that any spend is justifiable.
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August 10, 2023 8:45am
- the deity formerly known as nigel6888
  
  But he, he deserved it!
  
  He is one of the chosen people. Also look at his track record of major achievements!
  
  (you may have to look fairly hard to find those however)
  
  Alternatively, Mac is a grifter and a waste of space, but he is reliably obedient and doesn’t rock any boats or act as some uppity Pasifika person, so has been promoted by Peter Hughes accordingly.
  
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  August 10, 2023 11:25am
All_on_Red

Not looking good for the Bidens
‘Firms tied to the Biden family collected more than $20 million from foreign sources, including big payments from controversial oligarchs who afterwards had private dinners with Joe Biden as vice president, congressional investigators disclosed Wednesday.

In its third memo analyzing bank records, the GOP-led House Oversight and Accountability Committee reported it had found a clear pattern of the Biden family and its partners doing business with Russian, Ukrainian, Kazakh, Chinese and Romanian figures who had legal and other troubles and then collecting money around the times of gaining access to Joe Biden.’
https://justthenews.com/accountability/political-ethics/hldforeign-oligarchs-moved-millions-biden-tied-firms-meeting-joe

Heres a link to the Congressional Report. Summary on page 2 and then all the evidence.
Its pretty damning
https://justthenews.com/sites/default/files/2023-08/Third%20Bank%20Records%20Memorandum_Redacted.pdf
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August 10, 2023 8:48am
- NothingLeft
  
  Its (D)ifferent when the left does it. Rule of law only applies to the plebs/oiks.
  
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  August 10, 2023 11:01am
hullkiwi

Six years ago we mocked that Labour had spent 9 years in opposition and had not been able to develop policies as a programme for government. Six years on in government and after spending a fortune on working groups, advisory groups & the like, we have had no delivery by Labour on anything.

Now on the eve of the 2023 election what do we get from Labour:
1. After the election we’ll build 2 youth justice facilities – there are no budgets, business cases or anything to show any thought;
2. After the election, we’ll see more legislation to deal with ram raiders. The ideas were so full of holes, this will die on 15th October;
3. We’ll get legislation to protect the victims of rape – no we won’t, as no thought has been put in;
4. Promise of more legislation to protect the Hauraki Gulf, really why? Why not just amend the Hauraki Gulf Maritime Park Act & why did this take 6 years, and how is the Kermadec Sanctuary?
5. A grand scheme for transport in Auckland. This has been in the drawers of NZTA for the past 20 years, and should be shown the threader. It is a bonkers plan, that addresses what?
6. On Tuesday, we had the Govt and Black Rock announcing the launch of a fund that will help NZ achieve the goal of 100% renewable electricity by 2030. But it won’t, and as many have already pointed out, it will not. This from the party that claimed in 2017 that”climate change was this generation’s nuclear free moment.” Oh dear….
7. Meanwhile, we are still waiting for Chippy to announce his much leaked tax plans…..
8.Last week we learn that because economic activity hasn’t been as strong as planned in May’s budget (a mere 2 months ago), the tax take is down, meaning the govt’s deficit is going to be considerably bigger. To solve this, Robbo summoned government HoD to meetings to tell them to find savings,& cut spending (reminiscent of 2008 or what?);
9. Then finally, and to reassure us that the govt and the Orr lead RB have everything under control, ANZ and Westpac are now both predicting difficult economic conditions ahead for next year….

With all of the above, and after 6 years of government, Labour are still a disjointed, clueless, lacking in vision. If what we’ve seen to date, is evidence of Labour’s vision for 2023 & beyond, and they are returned as the govt, we will need more than whatever deity people worship to help or save NZ, because NZ will be in the biggest sh***est hole I will have ever seen in my lifetime. We must all work hard to ensure Labour are not returned and that on 15th October National/Act have a mandate to form the next government!
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August 10, 2023 8:52am
I remember when

It’s not a real wildfire or weather event now if it’s not ‘unprecedented.’

The other thing that is ‘unprecendented’ is the number of times the word ‘unprecedented’ is being used.
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August 10, 2023 8:54am
- Blog-aholic
  
  An unprecendented number of times……
  
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  August 10, 2023 9:55am
- PeeJay
  
  What I tend to find amusing about the climate alarmism folks is how often a certain “unprecedented” weather event has had similar occurrences. Take the ridiculous reporting in relation to cyclone Gabrielle. Unprecedented. Except it wasn’t. At all. A brief examination of historic records or newspaper reports showed this was far from the only time “ever” that this had happened. Unusual most certainly but not unprecedented. It wasn’t enough to report on a devastating human tragedy affecting our fellow kiwis – nope, they had to go all in with climate change alarmism.
  
  The real problem with such alarmism is that it is so counterproductive. I try to maintain an open mind about most things – even the supposed climate crisis (I use try as I am like anyone and occasionally prone to bias and unconscious bias so am far from perfect but I do try to be openminded). I suppose one could say I am more agnostic than sceptic on climate change, but tending to be more sceptical as a result of the hysteria and false reporting being put forward as irrefutable evidence of calamitous climate change caused by humans. This alarmist rhetoric that tends to rapidly fall apart after the most basic encounter with facts does not help their argument.
  
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  August 10, 2023 10:01am
  - I remember when
    
    And the problem is compounded by the fact that no Pro-Climate-Change scientist ever comes forward to
    correct the over statement.
    
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    August 10, 2023 10:20am
  - mawm
    
    It’s things like changing weather maps to be filled with red in an attempt to hoodwink the captured audience, or lying so obviously about something that can be easily checked that has made me agnostic. They are not even clever about it.
    
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    August 10, 2023 5:38pm
- Dave
  
  Using vogue words dubiously has grown exponentially, not that Kiwi Blog is the epicentre of this practice. Perhaps young, illiterate and enumerate journalists are to blame.
  
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  August 10, 2023 6:50pm
Matt Long

There has been a lot of unfair criticism directed at reserve bank governor Adrian Orr lately I feel.
https://croakingcassandra.com/2022/11/09/reappointing-orr/
It’s hardly the governor’s fault if Tane Mahuta is giving him bad advice or the astrologers and tohungas aren’t getting the message straight.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/kahu/reserve-bank-pays-nearly-400k-for-art-work-labelled-by-act-leader-david-seymour-as-an-over-priced-monstrosity/KOSQ46SYHLJZB4XO7Y27BTARCQ/
https://www.rbnz.govt.nz/about-us/tane-mahuta-and-our-financial-system
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August 10, 2023 9:09am
- Aquarius
  
  Known in banking
  As the Clown Prince of Central Bankers……
  
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  August 10, 2023 9:32am
  - kevn
    
    Aqua… Must have ‘pals’ in high places…
    
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    August 10, 2023 10:07am
- kowtow
  
  It would have been a lot cheaper if these people had stuck to reading tea leaves at breakfast , but that would be “Eurocentric”.
  
  Mind you a case could be made for Orientalist.
  
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  August 10, 2023 9:47am
- Grunter
  
  Matt – now you are just being racist……
  Of course the stars have caused inflation!
  
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  August 10, 2023 10:35am
- ClanMcleod
  
  The astonishing thing for me regarding Orr is that when he was in charge of the Super Fund he was the highest paid civil servant in the country. (Hasn’t the ‘servant’ come a long way!?)
  
  He was paid this for ‘managing’ the Super Fund during the biggest bull market in a century. Paul the Octopus could have done the job at least as well.
  
  He knew when to jump though, I’ll give him that!
  
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  August 10, 2023 10:39am
Rusty

Does anyone recall our beloved ex-PM Jacinda Ardern say a few years ago our snow fields and mountains may not get enough snow in the near future due to climate change?

Doesn’t look that way in 2023 or maybe she meant in 2030 which is a year climate change alarmists are obsessed with doom and gloom for the human race if we don’t fix up the climate problem by spending billions and billions of dollars of our tax payers money.
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August 10, 2023 9:12am
- PeeJay
  
  As an avid skier & snowboarder, I was told by some climate change friends that the lack of snow during the early part of the year was proof of climate change. Also had that phrase again – unprecedented. Except it wasn’t – on the various snowsports blogs, there were soon loads of photo’s of various resorts showing lean snow years going back decades. It happens from time to time. Bad time for the ski resorts though as they make the majority of their revenue during the school holiday period so a few smaller operators will no doubt be in a bit of trouble.
  
  And now in August we’re getting regular powder days and the mountains are covered in snow. And most mountains are packed out every weekend.
  
  As I said, there was a real news story there without the climate alarmism crap – limited snow during the school holidays can be problematic for the ski resorts business model. But nope – unprecedented (which it isn’t) and climate change (which it probably isn’t).
  
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  August 10, 2023 10:11am
  - NothingLeft
    
    It’s not having as much impact in NZ – in middle of enormous ocean where warming is much slower than continental land masses of northern hemisphere. We’ve only warmed a fraction of a degree in last 100 years – lifting average snow lines perhaps 100m. (100m per 0.6°C). But in Europe and America the change is more noticeable, some regions have genuinely seen 1-2degrees of warming that has lifted snowlines by a very noticeable 2-300m ending viability of some ski-fields.
    
    Much of climate alarmism is hockum, with no real impact on humans (a century of warming is less impactful than moving to live 100km closer to equator), but snow lines are one area where there is noticeable impactful change to lifestyles – recreationally at least.
    
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    August 10, 2023 10:39am
    - PeeJay
      
      Thanks for the sensible reply. Always appreciate some rationale responses.
      
      For what it’s worth, I tend to be open minded on this. Snowline changes and glacier retreats are sound evidence of something changing – it’s pretty hard to dispute this and we have good records to compare.
      
      However, the automatic linking of these changes to anthropometric climate change can be a stretch and is prone to creative interpretation.
      
      It may be, it may not be – you can conclude that climate is changing and average temperatures are rising without this being as a result of human impact. There may be / will be other factors at play. Climate has always changed and will continue to change. Is it as a result of human behaviours? Possible. Is it as a result of other factors? Again, quite possible. I’m open minded and respect well researched, scientifically robust and verifiable arguments.
      
      What depresses me about the climate change debate is that we rarely get this – we get hysterical / alarmist reporting, data is cherry-picked and ‘updated’ to support a conclusion (NIWA – looking at you here), arguments are selective and emotive language is the default.
      
      What is so wrong about facts?
      
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      August 10, 2023 11:30am
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        If you really want some detail about snow trends in Southern NZ…
        
        Since 1909, annual mean temperature in New Zealand has increased at a rate of 0.91 ∘C per century, although this rate is reduced for the southern South Island (0.58 ∘C per century at Dunedin) (Mullan et al., 2010), and climate change is expected to result in a reduction in both the duration of snow cover, and peak snow depth in the South Island of New Zealand (Hendrikx et al., 2012). The 16-year time series presented here, however, remains largely dominated by inter-annual variability, concealing any temporal trend that may exist in SCD or SLE. This indicates that for the 2000–2016 period, short-term variability in seasonal snow exceeds any longer-term signal driven by climate change, which contrasts a tendency toward warmer than average air temperatures within the Clutha Catchment (Fig. 17). While this daily observational record of snow presence remains short, it is consistent with earlier findings of Fitzharris and Garr (1995), whose snow storage index reconstructed by temperature-index models (in turn driven by sparse observations) for the major hydro-electric catchments of the South Island showed significant inter-annual variability, but no long-term trend over the period 1931–1993.
        
        https://hess.copernicus.org/articles/23/3189/2019/hess-23-3189-2019.html
        
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        August 10, 2023 1:57pm
  - Grunter
    
    PJ – it’s “global boiling”!! Why are people still calling it climate change??? Please keep up – this is an emergency!!!!!!!!!
    
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    August 10, 2023 10:45am
    - PeeJay
      
      Apologies – I really must keep up with the official language guidance!
      
      One of my acquaintances was out in California over their recent winter where they had record snowfall (couple resorts still going for their independence weekend holiday) and is laughing about how quickly this record snowfall and widespread winter storms throughout North America was forgotten about in the media reports about the planet boiling alive and being on fire.
      
      Climate reporting and consistency eh? Ha!
      
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      August 10, 2023 11:39am
      - NeverMindTheBollocks
        
        Lakes drying out & never filling again …
        
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        August 10, 2023 9:22pm
  - hullkiwi
    
    Peejay, back in 1990, as Treasurer of one of the ski clubs with a hut on Whakapapa’s loop road, I can remember attending a meeting of Ruapehu Ski Clubs about the future management of the ski field. The meeting was hosted by DoC and RAL.
    
    DoC were proposing to introduce user licence fees payable by the club’s, RAL staff told the assembled of future developments the company were planning for the mountain. This was because the previous 3 seasons had been indifferent because of El Nino causing patchy snow (1988 was the year of Bola).
    
    However, 1990 was post ElNino, that year at Ruapehu we had an incredible season for snow. Indeed, I skied at Ruapehu every month from July to December, and during January, I skied in British Columbia, and Vancouver experienced snow from prior to Christmas until late February, with the “whitest” winter for 26 years at the time.
    
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    August 10, 2023 10:54am
    - PeeJay
      
      Great post – had a friend who skied Ruapehu in December one year – said it was awesome!
      
      Especially like that you included the El Niño aspect which often seems to be dropped from reporting on climate – almost like it doesn’t quite fit a certain narrative.
      
      I’ve read some good articles on the impact of El Niño / La Niña – even read some articles on the combination with the Tongan volcanic irruption and increase water vapour potentially resulting in the relatively extensive wet weather in the North Island and the Australian east coast.
      
      As I say, I’m open minded on climate change. It is possibly changing. But it always has changed and will probably always continue to change. It might be because of human impact, but as likely (or more likely) other factors are at play.
      
      What we don’t need is the juvenile reporting and selective editing we get from the climate alarmist camp. It’s so counterproductive – like in the case of worst snow season ever, it doesn’t even take much to blow a hole in the reporting!
      
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      August 10, 2023 11:49am
      - All_on_Red
        
        You might find this of interest.
        Tonga’s Eruption Fallout: How It Worsened Australia’s Flood Crisis | In-Depth Analysis’
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hO147e33RKI&list=PLExysz5eLZvDKk3c7ygez2ysWaUFoj5El&index=3
        
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        August 10, 2023 12:13pm
  - Rusty
    
    @PeeJay,
    
    Agree with you 100%
    
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    August 10, 2023 11:38am
Steve Otto(North Shore)

We don’t have this sort of Patriotism in NZ.

https://therightwingclub.com/americanpatriotclub/85-mph-winds-batter-arlington-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier-still-being-watched/

https://twitter.com/pneaville/status/1685421974980308993

I like this sort of thing.
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August 10, 2023 9:19am
I remember when

America’s museums are getting more expensive: NY Times.
The heightened fees are in large part to make up for inflation-fueled costs and declines in membership and attendance.

I wonder if the higher fees will increase membership and attendance.
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August 10, 2023 9:23am
- cmm
  
  I think that a large part of this is that rising petty crime around many of these areas is turning the punters away.
  
  This might be the thin end of the wedge for NYC tourism as a whole.
  
  Huge numbers of people have left NYC. Those that leave are generally the richer, more skilled end of the spectrum who are also more likely to be net tax payers and more likely to be the sort of people that go to museums.
  
  If NYC wants to go down the Detroit/Chicago route then they’re doing the right things.
  
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  August 10, 2023 10:03am
- Albert_Ross
  
  So what? What exactly is your point here? In a a market economy all commercial enterprises, all the time, have to make pricing decisions which trade off between more revenue per buyer/fewer buyers, and less revenue per buyer/more buyers, and whether to seek to cover costs or to bear a loss in one revenue stream in the hopes of making it up elsewhere, eg (in this case) from the associated cafe and gift shop. This is not unique to the US, to the museum sector or to this particular time.
  
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  August 10, 2023 2:06pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Stop Co-Governance. Julian Batchelor.

https://www.stopcogovernance.kiwi/blog/private-meetings-a-huge-success/
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August 10, 2023 9:25am
cas

Chippie’s going a bit grey. Must be all that pressure. How does a grey Boy Scout sound?
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August 10, 2023 9:29am
Maggie Pie

RANDOM IMPERTINENT QUESTION….

Was there a similar bounty put on the heads of New Zealanders?

https://twitter.com/JackStr42679640/status/1689118790116941825
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August 10, 2023 9:48am
- Ghost
  
  My gp told me not to get it, guess he didn’t any bonus
  
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  August 10, 2023 9:51am
  - kevn
    
    Ghost…. Good work him. You will have thanked him no doubt.
    
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    August 10, 2023 10:11am
- kevn
  
  Maggie… Nothing surer. A grubby inhouse secret.
  
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  August 10, 2023 10:09am
- Keith White
  
  We didn’t get bribed by the NZ Medical Council or the NZ Medical Association (the latter now deservedly defunct); we just got threatened. “Nice Practicing Certificate ya got there, be a real shame if something happened to it.”
  
  https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/445179/doctors-spreading-misinformation-about-covid-19-may-lose-their-job-medical-council
  
  Mod: link goes to press reports on the June 2021 threat.
  
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  August 10, 2023 4:30pm
Jack5

There’s a culture clash on booze retailing between some entrepreneurs from India and mainstream New Zealanders.

Christchurch’s migrants converting dairies in old suburban shopping strips in Christchurch into takeaway booze outlets are matched in Auckland, a Stuff report shows.

Labour had, or has, legislation impending that would put local residents on a equal footing with lawyered-up businessmen in this issue. Good.

In the Auckland example from Stuff, the shop owner talks of selling “single cans” of beer. However, the accompanying photograph of long racks of liquor bottles tells the real story.

Supermarkets had a long battle to sell alcohol, and still don’t sell spirits, but these newcomers think they ought to be able to set up easily.

Call it NIMBY, buy I’d call it NIOBY – not in our backyard. I’m very far from the only person on the Right who draws the line on suburbs being trashed by open-slather booze retailing.

This issue isn’t enough to help beleaguered Labour in the coming election, but it might in the following one.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300945461/boutique-bottle-shop-shut-down-after-selling-cheap-single-beers
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August 10, 2023 9:51am
Bullion

These are not serious people:

National used figures from as far back as 2015 for its road costings but didn’t adjust any of them for subsequent inflation.

That leaves a gap of at least $2.5-3.5 billion in their transport plan.

https://www.newsroom.co.nz/nationals-road-costings-dont-include-inflation
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August 10, 2023 10:11am
- ClanMcleod
  
  Clutching hard. Here ya go, don’t say I don’t help out…..!
  
  🥤
  
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  August 10, 2023 10:44am
I remember when

Road costs worry locals: Kapiti-Observer.
Includes:-
Transmission Gully turned from a $850m project at the time of its 2012 announcement into a $1.25bn project by the time it was completed in 2022.
That same year, the Peka Peka to Otaki expressway tacked on an extra $115m to the price by the time the 13km stretrch of road was opened.
The budget rose from an estimated $250 m in 2012, to $445m when it opened in Dcember, 2022.

So why is Grant Robertson allowed to get away with his constant attacks on National’s use of private partnerships with Transmission Gully.
Is it the switch from millions to over a billion?
Looking at the figures, the cost of Transmission Gully only increased 47% from inception.
This would seem quite reasonable, especially with inflation starting to rise and covid lockdown.
Also, Labour was in charge of oversight of the project for the last 5 years.
As a comparison, the Peka Peka to Otaki expressway increased in cost over the same period by 78%.
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August 10, 2023 10:11am
Kiwiguy

Heard some interesting stuff last night. A friend of mine employees a policeman on his off days.
He had some interesting info about those young toe-rags who went up on the prison roof and only came down after being bribed with KFC. Here’s what happened:
They had to provide a ladder to let these prisoners down off the roof, give them their KFC, then LET THEM CLIMB BACK UP WITHOUT HINDERANCE.
So they had them down on the ground where they could have slapped handcuffs on them and chucked them back inside, but they were instructed to let them climb back up – “right to protest” or some such BS.
HDPA or Hosking need to interview the police minister about this.
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August 10, 2023 10:25am
- Inandout
  
  Kiwi, if one was cynical it could be said that those on the roof were future Labour voters, especially now 3 yrs of porridge gives them the vote.
  
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  August 10, 2023 10:43am
- cmm
  
  Has your friend’s employee/cop sent off his application to Queensland yet?
  
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  August 10, 2023 11:41am
  - Kiwiguy
    
    No; he’s a Pacific Islander who feels that being a NZ policeman is his calling from God.
    He also reports that it’s an incredibly demoralising occupation and cops are leaving left right and centre; but he’s persevering because he feels it’s his calling to try make a difference…
    
    Don’t get him started on the Maori and PI domestic violence situation. Typically the victim (Often the wife) won’t press charges because they know that when the perp gets out again, the wife will get beaten up even worse…
    
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    August 10, 2023 11:54am
    - kowtow
      
      marama d would beg to differ.
      
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      August 10, 2023 12:29pm
      - Captain Mainwaring
        
        Marama D would beg to differ with anything that makes sense.
        
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        August 10, 2023 2:09pm
    - Flossie
      
      I know from personal experience that wife pressing charges is not how it works, and hasn’t been for many years. Police can decide that a crime has been committed and they bring the charges.
      
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      August 10, 2023 3:47pm
Warren

Blackrock deal with Government a money making venture leading Academic says.
Remember when when Labour joined forces with Winston Peter’s and NZ First in 2017 to become the Government the screamed we have teamed up to crush “Capitalism”in New Zealand but the facts may say different.
A leading Academic says the Blackrock deal with the Government to get New Zealand to 100% renewable energy by 2030 is a money making venture.
Brett Christopher’s, a social and economic, geography professor from Sweden Uppsala University, believes the deal would include many terms and conditions in the small print to financially benefit Blackrock.
Although the Government is describing the investment as having “hugh economic potential”, Christopher’s believed it it was ” pretty risky business”.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2023/08/blackrock-s-deal-with-government-a-money-making-venture-leading-academic-says.html
Another reason not to trust this Labour Government.
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August 10, 2023 10:30am
- the deity formerly known as nigel6888
  
  Well of course it is.
  
  Blackrock takes zero risk, makes all the money, and government ministers get a book advance and a couple of publicity shots looking suitably leaderly.
  
  What’s not to like?
  
  Oh yes, sorry about your sovereignty, but you pissed that away years ago, so don’t go getting all squeamish when the robber barons move in.
  
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  August 10, 2023 11:31am
- mogg
  
  There are already many of these renewable energy partnership funds operating around the world.
  They identify, plan and finance renewable energy platforms in partnership with governments. What they don’t say is that most of their profit will come from tax payer funded government subsidies.
  They know full well that idealism in governments do not care about the cost, their approach is not how much will it cost, as Cindy said ‘climate crisis’ we can’t afford not to do it. They love all this talk of ‘global boiling’ and ‘our nuclear moments’.
  
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  August 10, 2023 11:42am
- Chris Nisbet
  
  I can’t help thinking that if these renewable energy projects made such great financial sense, investors would be clambering over themselves to invest in them – they wouldn’t need taxpayer money to convince them to invest in it.
  
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  August 10, 2023 2:31pm
- mawm
  
  This current bunch of monkeys were taken to the cleaners by Pfizer, one can only imagine how much more sophisticated the BlackRock contract will be in bleeding us dry.
  
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  August 10, 2023 6:04pm
A deplorable

Jan Tinetti has reportedly said she was proud to be able to make the $4.4 billion, 14.5% offer of a salary increase for secondary teachers. This is more than twice the current inflation rate. Under Labour, since 2017 secondary teachers at the top of the scale have had an increase of 35%. That halfwit couldn’t negotiate a discount at the corner diary on expired goods. I’d hate to have her representing me in a business deal. And that’s exactly what she’s doing for the taxpayer: she’s supposed to be getting the best deal for the taxpayer. Instead she’s been royally shafted by the union, with Abercrombie barely able to contain his glee. Unions in this country know full well that Labour is an incompetent soft-touch and that a National / Act government will play genuine hardball, so they’re getting in now, knowing the left is likely to be out on its ear come October.
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August 10, 2023 10:33am
- rockape
  
  The pay increase is over time and covers the period since the last pay rise so in reality it’s closer to 4.5% per years . Nurses been offered 3% so both are short of inflation. Funny that the bill for these pay rises will fall on the next Government not this.
  
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  August 10, 2023 11:20am
- Burtland
  
  these wage negotiations are just political theater
  – the unions fund Labour and in return Labour give them soft pay rises
  the net tax payer gets to watch and wear the cheap pantomime
  
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  August 10, 2023 2:12pm
PeeJay

Genuine question on wind power.

How is it that this technology is considered renewable? I’m genuinely struggling with this based on what we know about the technology and some of the reading I’ve been doing on this.

Consider the construction process alone. Steel, concrete, copper, rare earth metals etc, composite blades (that apparently get dumped in landfill). All require manufacture and mining – in the case of rare earth metal – that can leave horrendous environmental impacts on some of the poorest countries in the world – not to mention using effectively child slave labour. And I doubt trucks that transport all this gear to remote locations, nor the cranes required to lift the turbines, blades and towers are powered on electric battery technology either.

They then generate ‘clean’ energy during their lifespan, but never reaching the rated capacity and apparently needing substantial maintenance – blade performance is apparently a huge issue from what I’ve read recently.

At the end of their lifespan, which can be as short as 18 years but can be up to 25years, they then need to be decommissioned with some parts recycled, some just dumped (blades) and some parts being apparently toxic. And the land needs to be remediated to return it to the ‘as was’ state.

When considering this as a lifecycle from mining to decommissioning, how is this considered renewable or green energy?

Is it selective? Is the ‘renewable / clean’ aspect strictly limited to the actual generation and ignores all other aspects of the projects lifecycle?

It may well have lower carbon impact than oil, gas or nuclear, but it seems to me this is a pretty significant impact.

Be genuinely interested in views from both for and against sides on this one.
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August 10, 2023 10:41am
- the deity formerly known as nigel6888
  
  Simple. It’s not.
  
  It is a massively expensive boondoggle.
  
  a) The equipment is expensive fragile and needs to be replaced years before it has washed its face.
  
  b) There isn’t enough copper to supply the demand for motor windings, and
  
  c) The actual generation capacity is lucky to be 10% of “installed” capacity,and places erratic loads on the grid.
  
  But its economics are probably slightly better than for wave generation – which has the additional benefit of an impossibly harsh operating environment too.
  
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  August 10, 2023 11:37am
  - PeeJay
    
    Thanks for the response.
    
    As I wrote, I’m honestly struggling with the concept when you consider the whole cradle-to-grave process for wind farms and then see them reported as green or carbon neutral. I’m not arguing that gas or coal fired generation is better or worse from a cradle-to-grave approach as there will be some significant environmental impacts with building, operating and decommissioning gas or coal plants, but as one of the main arguments put forward for wind power is that it’s supposedly green, the evidence doesn’t really seem to back this up. Suspect we are talking about marginally better at best re environmental impact (and that seems debatable), but then for an electrical output that is unreliable.
    
    At best it would seem the output could be considered clean or renewable, but the commissioning and decommissioning process is no better or worse than conventional generation.
    
    Starting to do some reading on wave and solar and seeing the same gaps in logic.
    
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    August 10, 2023 12:25pm
  - Kiwiguy
    
    And have you seen the sheer size of the concrete foundations for these windmills?? It’s absolutely colossal, as you can imagine. There are YT vids on it.
    And Greenies hate concrete…
    
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    August 10, 2023 12:51pm
    - Drone
      
      Kiwiguy, the foundations are as you say absolutely colossal, in 18-25 years time when they need to be replaced the next generation of towers will be taller and require new larger foundations. It will be uneconomic to remove the old foundations so I suspect they will be left and new foundations dropped in next to them. In a few million years archeologists will discover fields of concrete foundations and spend years pondering the purpose..
      
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      August 10, 2023 6:38pm
- kowtow
  
  What about damage to flora and fauna , and the visual pollution.
  
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  August 10, 2023 12:33pm
- mogg
  
  You forget to mention political ‘virtue signaling’.
  
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  August 10, 2023 1:24pm
  - mawm
    
    Or the 12 million trees Scotland cut down for their latest wind “farm”.
    
    This world has gone mad. Pandering to the greens never works out well and they are never held accountable for the cost/damage/deaths caused by their policies – eg the South Australia fires.
    
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    August 10, 2023 6:12pm
    - Piniwi
      
      Or Slash mawn.
      
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      August 10, 2023 8:29pm
- Chris Nisbet
  
  From time to time you’ll see stories about wind/solar being used to create ‘green’ hydrogen. I’m not sure there are any such ventures doing well out there, but what I’d like to see is wind energy being used to create ‘green’ wind turbines. If they really do make large volumes of ‘green’ energy they should at least make enough to supply the energy needed to reproduce themselves.
  So, wind energy to power the electric trucks and diggers used to mine the materials needed, to power the factories, to smelt the metals…
  Once they’ve do that job we can have more confidence that they’re not just a blight on society.
  
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  August 10, 2023 2:37pm
- Burtland
  
  So the green dream is you dig them out of the ground ONCE using hydrocarbons but then going forward you build new ones in a circular economy by recycling everything.
  
  The circular economy is the missing bit, but is currently being built as-we-fly.
  
  Some commentators dont believe its possible.
  
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  August 10, 2023 2:44pm
Maggie Pie

NOTE TO SELF…..

https://twitter.com/Kieran_McAnulty/status/1689101233045569536

Couldn’t see it being from his ex wife 😀 😀 😀
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August 10, 2023 10:44am
- wairarapapaul
  
  There’s a story there no doubt; the MSM would never dig and find it.
  
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  August 10, 2023 12:30pm
- Ghost
  
  Awww, leaving himself a message then claiming someone left it for him
  
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  August 10, 2023 12:34pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

What would happen here in NZ? The 80 year old store owner would be arrested and charged with reckless shooting or something. Think of the life long trauma of being shot.//
The 4 robbers? Well they are good boys you know.
https://rumble.com/v1eicmd-80-year-old-store-owner-turns-the-tables-on-armed-robber.html
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August 10, 2023 10:52am
ClanMcleod

Re covid vaccine injuries and deaths.

“We won’t be talking about this for the next ten years. We’ll be talking about this for the next two centuries. This is going to impact everybody throughout the globe for years to come,” asserted Ed Dowd during an interview with Greg Hunter (USA Watchdog).

Ed Dowd is a former Blackrock asset manager who used his number-crunching skills to expose the alarming rise in excess mortality across the globe, which was tightly correlated with the COVID vaccine rollout and COVID vaccine mandates. He boldly asserted in March of 2022, “This is what we call democide, death by government.”

Dowd isn’t a partisan hack. He’s a cold, calculating number cruncher. He first saw the alarming data via insurance company numbers.

He has zero skin in the game.

https://vigilantfox.substack.com/p/ed-dowd-the-covid-vax-is-the-greatest

“They’re either dumb, covering it up, or they’re systemic fraud,” he continued. “And either way, this is going to become too big to hide.Congress needs to act. These people in the GOP are forming all these committees on January 6 and all these other things. Great. Good on you. How about the COVID vaccine committee? Call me up. I’ll share my numbers.”

People who think we should just forget this ever happened? Dreamers.
As Dowd says, this is one of the biggest events in a century. It’ll be studied and talked about for the next couple of hundred years.
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August 10, 2023 10:52am
- Bullion
  
  Stats don’t back this up. Comparing top 10 vaccinated states to bottom 10 vaccinated states in the US before and after covid show higher vaccinated states have lower cardiovascular and cancer deaths compared with lower vaccinated states after covid – before covid there was no difference.
  
  The same for all cause mortality, its lower in highest vaccinated states and highest in lowest vaccinated states.
  
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  August 10, 2023 12:11pm
  - Matt Long
    
    Link please.
    
    6 0
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    August 10, 2023 12:58pm
    - Bridgenag
      
      Just look at anything from Robert. W. Malone
      
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      August 10, 2023 1:17pm
  - mawm
    
    Bull – That’s not true. Once one breaks the cardiac disease down to age groups the 20 to 65 range show a marked correlation to vaccine rates. Those over 65 show very little difference which is probably a result of the pull forward effect.
    
    Clan – The other issue that Dowd has highlighted is the number of people who are now disabled and unable to work.
    
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    August 10, 2023 6:23pm
I remember when

Australia is already preparing for bigger bush fires this summer.
The reason isn’t going to be ‘climate change’, although CO2 emission levels will have had some growth impact.
They have had two wet years in a row and this has resulted in extra material being available, once it dries and the hot weather arrives.
People in NSW have been advised to ensue that their properties are cleared of hazardous materials.
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August 10, 2023 10:54am
- Captain Mainwaring
  
  But the Greenies won’t let them clear out the undergrowth.
  
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  August 10, 2023 12:35pm
ClanMcleod

Over the past three years, journalists have come up with many reasons for the rise in heart damage (e.g. showering). However, none blamed it on the experimental gene therapy administered to billions around the globe.

This is beyond belief. Concerning excess mortality and injuries that correlates directly with vaccine rollout, yet it is dismissed as having zero chance of being a contributory factor?

Dr Simon Goddek presents his list of the top 20 ludicrous excuses for this excess injury, particularly heart damage. It’s as tragic as it is hilarious.

Among them are:

Showering habits……

The weather, too hot or too cold. (same for the climate change loonies)…..

Gardening…….

Artificial sweetners…….

Worth checking out the list of things you need to be wary of to prevent a heart attack.

https://twitter.com/goddeketal/status/1688979934683770881

Not the jabs though! Shit no, get your booster!!
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August 10, 2023 11:05am
kevn

Clan… In NZ we give ‘them’ gongs and accolades. With indecent haste.
No hesitation.
Other recipients wait for years.
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August 10, 2023 11:06am
Maggie Pie

PARTY, PARTY, PARTY…..

Also interesting to see that since Labor were elected, the Ministry for Pacific Peoples staffing numbers have increased from 34 to 130.

And 78 of them are each pulling in over $100k.

Nice work if you can get it 😎
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August 10, 2023 11:11am
- Suze Wainwright
  
  Yes, but surely since this has happened, Pasifika peoples in aotearoa have never been happier – have they…?
  
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  August 10, 2023 12:29pm
Bridgenag

The La Cosa Nostra approach to free speech
More Fifth Gen Warfare- The Biden Censors’ Henchmen RevealedBombshell revelations reported this weekend by The Australian, a leading broadsheet owned by the Murdoch group, have huge implications for pandemic policy here in New Zealand.

https://open.substack.com/pub/rwmalonemd/p/the-la-cosa-nostra-approach-to-free?r=1aj1bv&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
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August 10, 2023 11:13am
ClanMcleod

Tragically funny Twitter post.

Post your most ridiculous Covid Meme or Picture here. I’ll start…

https://twitter.com/DiedSuddenly_/status/1689120575438913536?s=20

Have a look then remind yourself why we just can’t ‘let this go’. Why we can’t just ‘move on’. Not yet.

Not until it is acknowledged and measures implemented to never let it happen again.
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August 10, 2023 11:14am
- Fuzzysnuggleduck
  
  “Well all the time ya spend trying to get back what’s been took from ya, more is going out the door. After a while you just have to try to get a tourniquet on it.”
  
  No Country for Old Men (2007)
  
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  August 10, 2023 3:37pm
- Keith White
  
  “Never forgive. Never forget.”
  
  Peace Crimes Tribunals.
  
  And sure, put a tourniquet on it Mr Duck, but don’t ignore the phantom limb sensations. Because someone will likely try it again.
  
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  August 10, 2023 4:36pm
- mawm
  
  Clan – that is immeasurably sad, and yet there are 3 (down votes @6.30) people on this blog who lack the humanity to see what was done to people.
  
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  August 10, 2023 6:31pm
ClanMcleod

New Variant EG.5

More variants > more boosters > more variants > more boosters > more immune systems wrecked > more sickness and injury > more deaths.

More variants > more boosters . . .

On and on it goes.

💉☠️💰

https://twitter.com/c_plushie/status/1689398006473490436?s=20
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August 10, 2023 11:18am
- mawm
  
  With the next pandemic you will be forcibly vaccinated with another untested vaccine that its neither safe nor effective.
  
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  August 10, 2023 6:34pm
  - ClanMcleod
    
    mawm – I won’t. Nor will my close family members. Not without a lot of problems for somebody. Promise.
    
    Read some Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn:
    
    “And how we burned in the camps later, thinking: What would things have been like if every Security operative, when he went out at night to make an arrest, had been uncertain whether he would return alive and had to say good-bye to his family? Or if, during periods of mass arrests, as for example in Leningrad, when they arrested a quarter of the entire city, people had not simply sat there in their lairs, paling with terror at every bang of the downstairs door and at every step on the staircase, but had understood they had nothing left to lose and had boldly set up in the downstairs hall an ambush of half a dozen people with axes, hammers, pokers, or whatever else was at hand?… The Organs would very quickly have suffered a shortage of officers and transport and, notwithstanding all of Stalin’s thirst, the cursed machine would have ground to a halt! If…if…We didn’t love freedom enough. And even more – we had no awareness of the real situation…. We purely and simply deserved everything that happened afterward.”
    
    ― Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn , The Gulag Archipelago 1918–1956
    
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    August 10, 2023 9:15pm
Maggie Pie

And just for the record 🙁

That horrible creep who bashed the old lady in the face at Albert Park appeared in Court this morning and pleaded guilty.

Judge did not convict, instead directed him to ‘restorative justice’

Sentencing date to be determined…..
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August 10, 2023 11:22am
- Libertarians are right
  
  “restorative justice”?
  Does he have to put her face back together?
  Or do they have to surgically reattach his male reproductive organs?
  
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  August 10, 2023 11:27am
- Maggie Pie
  
  Name suppression to remain….
  
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  August 10, 2023 11:27am
- rouppe
  
  Did the victim agree to this process?
  
  Otherwise it’s just another ploy to reduce the sentence.
  
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  August 10, 2023 11:51am
cmm

Has anyone else noticed that we now have the pre-Tarrant editing policy back again?

People can go back in and edit their posts without these having to go through moderation.

This is useful for people like me who often make mistakes and need to go back and change things.
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August 10, 2023 11:43am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  So you can troll someone, then go back and change your wording to make them look stupid?
  
  6 1
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  August 10, 2023 12:31pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Can too, inside the allotted time.
    Mods will know.
    
    6 0
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    August 10, 2023 12:34pm
  - cmm
    
    Like pretty much any technology, it can be used for good or bad.
    
    If the mods see you doing this as part of your trolling pattern they might just give you a forever holiday.
    
    For someone with dyslexia, like me, editing is highly valuable. I can read and re-read in the edit box and miss spelling mistakes and missing words etc, then only see them when they are in the published form.
    
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    August 10, 2023 2:54pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Stop Co-Governance Dunedin meeting has changed.
From FB:
The Dunedin event on Saturday 12 August at 7.00pm will now be held at a private venue, and live streamed on Facebook. We’ll post a link to the live in the next few days.

Private venue, live streamed. Those who want to go will be notified by text. Yes they have been verified.

https://www.stopcogovernance.kiwi/2023-nz-stop-co-governance-tour/
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August 10, 2023 12:42pm
Maggie Pie

TRENDING JUST MOMENTS AGO… watch

Equador’s President shot dead at rally 🙁

https://twitter.com/ecuainformado/status/1689422460393754624
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August 10, 2023 12:42pm
- Ghost
  
  Candidate not president?
  
  Candidate in Ecuador’s presidential election shot dead
  
  5 0
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  August 10, 2023 12:50pm
  - Maggie Pie
    
    Thx ghost…lost in translation
    
    6 0
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    August 10, 2023 12:56pm
  - ClanMcleod
    
    Well, certainly not getting past ‘candidate’ position any longer……
    
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    August 10, 2023 9:20pm
- cmm
  
  Good old South America back to the LP vinyl records days: 33 revolutions a minute.
  
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  August 10, 2023 2:56pm
Bridgenag

‘End Big Pharma vaccine indemnity’: new bill tabled in Australian Parliament

https://open.substack.com/pub/rebekahbarnett/p/end-big-pharma-vaccine-indemnity?r=1aj1bv&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
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August 10, 2023 1:09pm
Handyman

Another example of a poor education of journalists, in this case someone describing herself as a Business Reporter on the Stuff website.
The headline ran in large font “Why food prices are dropping around the world – but not here”.
She was reporting that inflation in the US was now 5.7% rather than the previous figure of 6.7%. Sigh!

The article went on to blame New Zealand’s high food inflation on the supermarket duopoly, which is just more lazy reporting.
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August 10, 2023 1:15pm
- graham
  
  And Stuff then have the nerve to call out others for spreading so-called “dis/mis-information” …
  
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  August 10, 2023 2:43pm
mandk

From a story in the NZH: “In neighbouring Sweden’s second-largest city, Goteborg, large parts of the harbour were underwater.”

Harbours with water in them!

Whatever next?
18 2
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August 10, 2023 1:15pm
Bridgenag

The Bayh-Dole act is what make all of this corruption possible. Yet another case of “the road to hell is paved with the best of intentions”. The enabling of taxpayer-paid federal workers (and their corresponding agencies) to capture millions of dollars in royalties from what is essentially public-private partnerships while also being involved in funding private industry via grants and contracts was never envisioned. The only people that can solve this problem are Senators and Congresspeople, and on a short term horizon a POTUS via executive order. This essay just begins to crack open the data documenting the systematic corruption which this law has enabled.

Anthony Fauci Defended NIH Culture Of Secrecy – The $325M Third-Party Royalty Complex. Now We Know More Details.
Big-Pharma, Chinese and Russian companies, and nefarious characters from around the world all benefited by licensing tech developed at the National Institutes of Health and paid for by U.S. taxpayers.

https://open.substack.com/pub/openthebooks/p/anthony-fauci-defended-nih-culture?r=1aj1bv&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
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August 10, 2023 1:21pm
Maggie Pie

Just asked a German friend if she knew the square root of 81 ?

She said no.
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August 10, 2023 1:29pm
- Ghost
  
  That sounds like a Simon Barnett joke……
  
  3 0
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  August 10, 2023 1:36pm
  - Blog-aholic
    
    jawohl
    
    3 0
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    August 10, 2023 1:38pm
  - Maggie Pie
    
    Woke lefties don’t get my jokes 😀
    
    8 3
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    August 10, 2023 1:39pm
kevn

But we luv your work with Twitter/X links Maggie.
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August 10, 2023 1:48pm
- Maggie Pie
  
  Here’s one for ya Kev….do you see what 2.8m others can see?
  
  https://twitter.com/DschlopesIsBack/status/1660860338173083648
  
  2 2
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  August 10, 2023 2:10pm
  - mawm
    
    It was photoshopped out. //
    
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    August 10, 2023 6:43pm
Maggie Pie

Thomas Cranmer asks the hard questions.
Gotta luv his work, eh boy….

https://twitter.com/CranmerWrites/status/1689407399730544640
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August 10, 2023 2:36pm
- ProtectBabiesFromPredators
  
  Well noted. We are the under the surface, the Government sails the Ships above, and never the twain shall meet!
  
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  August 10, 2023 6:10pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Blackrock.
Time and time again Labour have shown they have no fucking idea about money. Roving decimal point.//
Blackrock invest other people’s money. Speeding NZ to 100% renewable energy is bullshit. You can NOT charge all the EVs at night from solar power.
What Guarantees is Labour offering? Mortgaging the Super and ACC funds to Blackrock? These investment companies are Capitalist, and rarely lose. If they don’t lose, we lose. That is plain and simple. Legally if the shit hits the fan, Blackrock has a bit more money than NZ does.
Ardern made a diversion on the way back from US, to have a chat// She has no clue.
The more I write, the stronger the smell gets – and it fucking stinks to high heaven.
Don’t let Labour do this to NZ. They have been turning very vindictive and evil this year.
I will leave now before I get real angry!

https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/national/pretty-risky-leading-academic-says-blackrock-deal-with-govt-a-money-making-venture/ar-AA1eZfVu
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August 10, 2023 3:00pm
- Blog-aholic
  
  A totalitarian regime will see the country burn to the ground before they give up power.
  
  11 0
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  August 10, 2023 3:08pm
- kevn
  
  SteveO… The 3-5 Waters NZ ratepayers/councils asset base, was planned to be the security for ‘water-tight’ finance via Blackrock.
  
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  August 10, 2023 3:54pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    You and I can believe this ‘water-tight’ finance right?
    I am not a money man at all, but I do understand numbers. This sniff test reeks of Nigerian type deals. No offence to Blackrock (they know what they are doing) but the money people in NZ do not know what they are doing.
    Example of my numbers: At high school I could multiply 3 numbers against 4 numbers – in my head! It is just natural for me, but not so much now at 71.
    
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    August 10, 2023 4:08pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

I don’t really like this ‘Dominick Izzo’ guy, but here he is spot on.
There are some right little shits out there, and they rule, not you. Yep, right here in NZ.

https://spreely.video/v/1659330500/How-the-Liberal-Left-Has-Been-Programming-Your-Children-and-Destroying-Your-Family-for-YEARS
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August 10, 2023 3:27pm
Jethrod

Hello to the Moderator,
There is several colors appear at times on comments on Kiwiblog.
There is a pale lemon and a pale pink.
Can you advise me of the significance of these and who makes the decision to award colours?

[ Mod – it’s to do with the votes a post gets, posts that reach a certain number of up votes turn yellow, those that reach a certain number of down votes turn pink]
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August 10, 2023 3:28pm
- Jethrod
  
  Ok , thank you.
  
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  August 11, 2023 10:59am
Ghost

Ouch

Curia Poll has Labour crashing and puts Winston Peters back in Parliament

The latest Taxpayers’ Union – Curia Poll suggests National and ACT are holding their lead over the Labour Party, and gives them enough seats in Parliament to form a government.

National increased by 1.6 points to 34.9% compared to its July poll, while Labour dropped 4.0 points to 27.1%

Article
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August 10, 2023 3:30pm
- surfing
  
  Ha ha 1/4 of kiwis benefit from a labour govt.
  
  That would account for the ram raiders, gangs, dole bludgers!
  
  15 0
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  August 10, 2023 3:42pm
  - kevn
    
    surfing… Core labour (lifestyle) supporters.
    
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    August 10, 2023 4:15pm
- Notsofast
  
  NZ First profiting from Act. David Seymour has been uncharacteristically and unnecessarily unpleasant about his elder, who assisted him with his suicide bill.
  This was such an obvious development, and potentially very good for New Zealand.
  
  7 10
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  August 10, 2023 3:49pm
- Flossie
  
  Makes a bit of a mockery of the story in Stuff this morning about Luxon and his “deficiencies” when you read that he and Hipkins are neck and neck as preferred PM in this poll.
  
  20 0
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  August 10, 2023 4:00pm
- kevn
  
  Ghost… labour. Gone for a generation says Bob Jones.
  
  14 0
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  August 10, 2023 4:16pm
  - Matt Long
    
    I’d like to believe that, but after the 80s Labour lost by a landslide in 1990, National only just scraped in in 1993.
    It’s like to be a very tough few years ahead and voters tend to blame that on the people in power.
    
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    August 10, 2023 4:48pm
- fightingtemeraire
  
  How long before Labour is sub 25%???
  
  13 0
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  August 10, 2023 4:20pm
  - Keith White
    
    Far too long, unfortunately.
    
    13 0
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    August 10, 2023 4:39pm
- PeeJay
  
  Really struggling with the sense that this is a good poll – if you acknowledge NZ First are as likely to go left as right (and some would say more likely to based on the bribes labour will offer), this is potentially 59 plays 61. This is margin of error stuff.
  
  Doesn’t really help if labour votes dive into the 20’s if they all seem to go to the greens.
  
  Suspect it’s still advantage centre right as I just can’t see a coalition of Labour / Greens / Maori / NZ First happening or lasting more than a month – but then again, I thought that Labour / Greens / NZ First wouldn’t work in 2017 and look where we are now!
  
  Desperate reporting from Stuff on the preferred PM ranking. Even for an organisation as biased as they are, painting a tie between Hipkins and Luxon as great news for Hipkins and terrible for Luxon takes some gall.
  
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  August 10, 2023 4:38pm
- rouppe
  
  But still…
  
  A 1-seat majority. That is not enough. If NZF were under 5 it’s probably be 3 seats, but that, and the Greens polling 12% are a real worry.
  
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  August 10, 2023 8:09pm
Prince

Latest Curia poll has Luxon still lagging on a lacklustre 25% preferred PM.
Meanwhile Hipkins riding high on 25% preferred PM.
The even-handed Bridie Witton tries to paint a good picture for Hipkins on Stuff…
“But Chris Hipkins is still popular for preferred prime minister, up 2 points on last month to 25%. Christopher Luxon is up 5 points to 25%. This is the first time the two have been tied in the poll.”
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August 10, 2023 3:35pm
- mandk
  
  “… Chris Hipkins is still popular for preferred prime minister …”
  
  LOL! That’s a pretty desperate spin to put on it.
  
  When was a sitting PM that low?
  
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  August 10, 2023 3:57pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Rubbish, CNN……
  
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  August 10, 2023 4:11pm
- jon
  
  Luxon up 5% clearly has the m0mentum. Both Labour and the media will be rattled by that!
  
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  August 10, 2023 4:36pm
Frank the tank

Can we have an Auckland only sample – they must be close to sub 20% and at that level a whole lot of seats become competitive.

Can we finally rid ourselves of Wood?
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August 10, 2023 3:59pm
kevn

Frank… The Akld Mayor Brown must be finding m.wood useless and generally ineffectual, aka waste of space.
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August 10, 2023 4:34pm
Swifty

Of late, Labour have been at pains to repeatedly lecture us about their laser-like focus on ‘bread and butter’ issues.

They lie.

I struggle to think of a more low value spend of money taken from the pockets of New Zealand families than this, apart from $40,000 for a leaving do that is:

https://i.stuff.co.nz/pou-tiaki/132711660/papua-new-guinea-and-solomon-islands-language-weeks-to-be-celebrated-from-2024

A Minister with a laser-like focus on the basics would tell the various Pacific communities that if they value their languages so greatly then get off their asses and organise something yourselves. Just as countless other migrant communities in NZ have done over the last couple of hundred years.

But of course, doing so would rob, would deny, Labour a great talking point heading into the election wouldn’t it?

“Look at all we’re doing for you celebrating your languages! Vote for us if you want this to continue!”

It’s blatant vote-buying with public money and it’s anything but bread and butter.
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August 10, 2023 4:49pm
- mandk
  
  Which of the 1,000, or so, PNG languages will we be celebrating?
  
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  August 10, 2023 5:24pm
  - Swifty
    
    The ones from the communities with the greatest potential voter numbers.
    
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    August 10, 2023 6:22pm
Chris Nisbet

WTH? Labour voters are apparently looking for another party to vote for and are shifting to the Greens.
Talk about moving from the frying pan to the fire!
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August 10, 2023 5:07pm
Keith White

Labour and Greens have a lot of common ground. They don’t expect anybody to take responsibility for their own outcomes and futures; they both promise to take money from people who have more than you and give it to you; they both provide a replacement religion to believe in, either socialism done right this time or global boiling; and very specifically and directly, they promise the State will be your baby daddy with a lifelong shower of OPM (Other People’s Money) if you can’t be bothered putting the effort into maintaining a flesh-and-blood lifelong-adult married relationship and raising your babies together.
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August 10, 2023 5:16pm
Ghost

A young LGBTQ rights activist who was filmed punching a 71-year-old woman in the head during the heated Posie Parker counter-protest in Auckland this year has pleaded guilty to assault.

The 21-year-old Gisborne resident, who continues to have interim name suppression, appeared in Auckland District Court today.

Judge Debra Bell granted defence lawyer Emma Priest’s request to not yet enter a conviction until sentencing. A date for that hearing has not yet been scheduled.

The victim, who did not attend today’s hearing, told the Herald she was pleased to hear about the guilty plea.

“I am feeling very good today,” said the grandmother of six, who suffered a concussion and facial bruising as a result of the attack. “I’m glad he has pleaded guilty. That made me feel a lot better.”

The man’s lawyer indicated today that she intends to seek a discharge without conviction. She also requested a referral for restorative justice, in which the defendant and the victim could meet in a controlled setting if the victim agreed.

The victim told the Herald today she is ready for the meeting.

“I want to meet up and have my say with him, but the thing which sticks in my craw is even before we have had that face-to-face restorative meeting his lawyer is making submissions for dismissal without conviction and permanent name suppression,” she said.

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August 10, 2023 6:13pm
Ghost

You have to love how this government cares about money

You drive to the airport, get a helicopter to take you to a beach that would be 20 minutes drive from the airport, what a waste of money.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/132718579/councillors-make-case-for-south-canterbury-to-get-a-slice-of-governments-6b-resilience-fund
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August 10, 2023 7:50pm
Prince

Andrea’s terrible, horrible, very bad day.
Morning – have a column published rubbishing Luxon’s personal brand. Claim he will be National’s downfall. He can’t live up to Hipkins’ power ranking.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300947046/tova-obrien-christopher-luxons-deficient-personal-brand-distanced-from-the-campaign

Afternon – find Luxon level with Hipkins as preferred PM. Oh shit.
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August 10, 2023 10:01pm

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