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January 26, 2024 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 26 January 2024

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General Debate

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krazykiwi

The CDC has just released its updated 2024 Vaccine Schedule. It runs to 15 large pages. I will summarise so you don’t need to read it.

💉 130 shots of 4 different vaccines for adults (>18)

💉 70 shots of 17 different vaccines for children (1-18)

💉 20 shots of 9 different vaccines for babies (<12 months)

💉 4 shots of 4 different vaccines for pregnant women

💉 0 injury or death liability for any vaccine manufacturer

Here is a visualisation of the recommended child/baby shots. For recommended, read demanded as most US schools won’t let children attend unless their jabs are ‘up to date’.

When deciding who to trust on this topic, it is worth remembering that the CDC owns 20 vaccine patents, and their vaccine schedule sees more than $US5 billion spent on vaccines annually in the US alone. They earn royalties every time their product is injected into any human, anywhere on the planet. They also accept ‘donations’, and over 2019-2021 received $US10.9m from Gilead, $US18.8m from Pfizer, and $US40.8 from Gavi/BillGates.

It is understating things to call the CDC a fox guarding the henhouse, rather they are a fox running a football field sized, 24×7 poultry slaughterhouse.
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January 26, 2024 8:02am
- Bridgenag
  
  Published today in the medical peer-reviewed literature: The COVID vaccines should be stopped
  “Given the extensive, well-documented SAEs and unacceptably high harm-to-reward ratio, we urge governments to endorse a global moratorium on the modified mRNA products…”
  
  https://open.substack.com/pub/stevekirsch/p/published-today-in-the-medical-peer?r=1aj1bv&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
  
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  January 26, 2024 8:27am
  - Lee C
    
    Thank God they managed to change the laws so than eight year old is empowered to give ‘informed consent’ to receive a vaccination, otherwise nobody with two brain-cells to rub together would be left to line up for this ‘safe and effective’ ‘vaccine’ from ‘the sole source of truth’ to ‘protect granny’.
    
    Mind you plenty of people were only too keen to offer up their children for it, weren’t they?
    
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    January 26, 2024 9:31am
- Bridgenag
  
  My generous offer sent to Health New Zealand today… you’re going to love it!
  I offered to redact any record(s) which reveal someone’s PHI. In short, I’m calling their bluff.
  
  https://open.substack.com/pub/stevekirsch/p/my-generous-offer-sent-to-health?r=1aj1bv&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
  
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  January 26, 2024 8:44am
- ClanMcleod
  
  I’m currently reading ‘Turtles all the way down’. The ‘approval’ process for vaccines is farcical. Hence the title of the book.
  
  https://www.amazon.com/Turtles-All-Way-Down-Vaccine/dp/9655981460
  
  I’ve been jabbed fully up until the covid madness, I went to get a tetanus jab just before the jabs wee rolled out. It was due to the my concerns about the covid jab rollout that I started investigating everything. I then found out what I thought was a tetanus jab was actually D-Tap, 3 jabs in one.
  
  Nobody told me this. Nobody told me about the issues that had already been found with the D-Tap jab. Nobody advised me whether I was getting D-Tap or T-Dap or Dtap/IPV. Nobody told me anything. They simply stuck it in my arm.
  I didn’t need or ask for a Diphtheria shot. I didn’t need or ask for a Pertussis shot.
  
  I’m now looking back realising my trust in medical authorities was misplaced, pretty much my whole life. They will struggle to ever get it back again.
  
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  January 26, 2024 9:03am
  - cmm
    
    Clan, just remember that the medical staff you generally deal with (ie. GPs and nurses) are hardly better informed than you are.
    
    Close to zero front line staff have the understanding of the underlying biological processes or the competence in statistics required to actually do, or evaluate, research.
    
    They do exactly what the general population do: take it on faith from the gods in the ivory towers.
    
    It is impossible to do all the research you need to do to be well informed on everything, but try to be well informed on the important stuff.
    
    Front line staff are not miracle workers. They deal with thousands of medicines and ailments. It is impossible for them to have a good understanding of everything.
    
    If you have an ongoing ailment (eg. mine is Atrial Fibrillation), then it is a good idea to become well informed about it. If you get admitted to the ED, chances are that the front line people dealing with you will have less understanding of the condition than you do.
    
    Note, I am not slagging them off. There;s just too much information out there for any medical worker to know it all.
    
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    January 26, 2024 9:20am
    - ClanMcleod
      
      CMM – cheers for that. I watched a video recently and a US doctor was explaining how the only education medical professionals get regarding vaccines is to memorise the schedule!! That is extremely concerning.
      No wonder they didn’t give any informed consent. They don’t have any information!
      
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      January 26, 2024 10:15am
      - Sacha
        
        The thing is it’s us, the consumer, who has the time to research, watch endless online talks and discussions. GPs have full waiting rooms –
        Often the informed patient actually knows more (if superficially) than the GP. There have been articles where a doctor reports being surprised by being presented with a sheaf of print-outs on the latest developments of treatment.
        
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        January 26, 2024 11:24am
      - cmm
        
        A thing that shocked me in the past was that doctors attempting to do some research often have the best of intentions, but often lack the basic statistical tools to do the job.
        
        For example, in the early 1980s I had some friends running a small mission hospital in Zululand. A lot of their patients were there for TB treatment and some died (IIRC it was about 35 per month). If they had only 32 deaths then smiles, because it was a good month and they must be doing something good. If they had 38 deaths then upset because it was a bad month and they must be doing something wrong.
        
        I gave them a wee lecture and trained them up on a few elementary statistical tools and they soon realised that the death rate was the same and all they were just observing normal statistical noise (ie. anything between 30 and 40 is not really a change).
        
        It is often medics at this level generating the information that eventually flows into various reports. Kinda makes one wonder about the data quality.
        
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        January 26, 2024 11:39am
      - cmm
        
        @Sascha: “The thing is it’s us, the consumer, who has the time to research, watch endless online talks and discussions. GPs have full waiting rooms”
        
        I somewhat disagree. Most of us are busy professionals and have no more disposable time than GPs do.
        
        The role of a GP in society is to be an authoritative source of medical information. It is their duty to understand. If there is a pandemic, then it is their duty to spend extra time and effort to learn what is happening (and not just follow the corporate line).
        
        We have to start way lower down the ladder of understanding, yet many have managed to reach far higher understanding than the trained professionals.
        
        Sure, it is impossible for a GP to understand everything. The human body is a complex thing we’re only just vaguely starting to understand. But during a pandemic is is pretty important that they understand the picture well.
        
        And, when there are questions then they should be prepared to say “I/we don’t know.”. Unfortunately medics, like many other professionals, hate saying those words.
        
        Good doctors, like good engineers or whatever, are always questioning the official line. They are always learning. Good medics I know have messy houses with journals everywhere. They work hard and still read 5 to 10 hours a week. They don’t just go to presentations from drug companies.
        
        Good doctors also encourage their patients to become informed. Far too many prefer their patients to be passive listeners.
        
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        January 26, 2024 4:12pm
    - Close Hen Counters
      
      Sweet – so you have got into a medical school and know do much ‘cause you have AF
      
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      January 26, 2024 7:11pm
  - Grunter
    
    Thanks Clan – good to know.
    
    Also, try this one….
    https://brownstone.org/articles/the-re-education-of-new-zealand-medical-doctors/
    
    If your trust of ‘medical authorities’ is already low, this fully referenced article will sink it even further.
    
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    January 26, 2024 9:35am
    - ClanMcleod
      
      Grunter – cheers, I will read that in a bit. The revelations of the last few years have been something to behold.
      
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      January 26, 2024 10:15am
    - krazykiwi
      
      Thanks for posting that. The article should send shivers down the spine of anyone committed to principles of the Nuremberg Code and/or The Declaration of Helsinki.
      
      Medical fascism should have ZERO place in our country, yet it appears to have arrived, metastasize, and dug in.
      
      Scary stuff.
      
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      January 26, 2024 11:40am
    - Keith White
      
      At one stage I was offered re-education. The bureausmurf who offered it appeared genuinely surprised that I did not gratefully accept the chance of having my wrongthink corrected.
      
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      January 26, 2024 2:00pm
      - Lee C
        
        Yup me too. After my second injection. the woman who administered suggested there is mental health assistance available.
        Like the only reason I could possibly object to the invasion of my privacy was that I a mental health issue.
        
        This from a brainwashed fool who had been readily secconded to overide the oath she took when she became a health professional.
        
        Allowed herself to be terrorised by the state to overlook even basic research.
        
        Yet.
        
        I was the one with a mental health problem.
        
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        January 26, 2024 3:07pm
      - Ghost
        
        I never had any issues. I was rung up and told their records showed I hadn’t had the covid vaccine would I like to book in for it. No. Oh can I ask why. Sure my gp and I discussed it and that it was not safe for me to take. She then thanked me, said she put a note on my file so I wouldn’t be contacted again.
        
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        January 26, 2024 3:12pm
      - Keith White
        
        Ghost: the re-education I was offered was by my profession’s regulator. Without agreeing it to I would never get another practicing certificate. I didn’t, and I haven’t.
        
        Refusing to re-licence qualified staff because they disagreed is just one of the many reasons NZ is so short-staffed in hospitals and clinics and practices.
        
        And yet the MOH, the NZ Medical Council, the NZ Nursing Council, all the ‘suspects’ – resolutely refuse to admit they arrogantly screwed up.
        
        Note also that the NZ Medical Council did not retract their threat-decree; they only revoked it. This is significant as to revoke is to cancel while to retract is to take back or withdraw something said.
        
        They have chosen to cause our profession to expire on the metaphorical hill of their wilful blindness to reality.
        
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        January 26, 2024 3:43pm
      - mawm
        
        KW – What astounds me is, despite having more access to the literature and many assistants in his department to highlight relevant information, Sir Dr Ashley Bloomfield went against everything that he as a doctor was educated in from ethics to informed consent. How could he stand there day after day and support all this? He must have been part of the discussions about the message, disciplining doctors and knowingly forcing an unsafe and ineffective medication on a hoodwinked public. Spineless Cnut!
        
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        January 26, 2024 9:05pm
Yvette

NZ First’s Shane Jones tells critics of Treaty Principles Bill to tone down ‘rhetorical hyperbole‘
But did I and they understand what he said?

Politicians from all parties except for ACT undertook their annual pilgrimage to Rātana near Whanganui for the political year’s curtain-raiser.
“Except for ACT” – but why, in one sense, would David Seymour attend such a religious venue, if one of his intentions is not to be hypocritical, and another is to disestablish the likes of te Puna, the exclusive Maori Advisory Council to Taumata Arowai, the Water Regulator, when their seeming mains (sic) function is to infuse public service water with te Ao Maori – the Maori religious world view.
While this may be valuable in reminding the populace of the absolute vital value of water to life, it may be frustrating to Islamic residents and should even cause a mild dicomfort to the life of Brian.
Maori specialised water knowledge may be of valid value, but they should probably make submissions on a basis of equal “British subjects” (Article 3) as any other citizen, ratepayer or ethnic representative entity, as Shane Jones might obfuscatorilly proclaim.

Where in the Treaty does it say that Maori should control all public water?
And, in ignorance, can one ask, “Is Auckland syphoning off so much of Waikato-Tainui’s ancestor, the by law personage-endowed Waikato River, to in a sense then be cannibalised (the ‘c’ word) by Aucklanders, including many Maori, correct tikanga or not?
Or in a modern context, is it what it is? And 2024, not 1840?
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January 26, 2024 8:03am
- pdm
  
  `Maori specialised water knowledge may be of valid value.’
  
  I am not sure it would be though.
  
  Did Maori?
  1. Dam water?
  2. Purify or cleanse water?
  3. Boil water?
  4. Irrigate their cropping land or pasture – if they had either.
  
  There will be more that I have not thought of.
  
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  January 26, 2024 9:40am
  - Damocles11
    
    Saying that maori inherently know more about water than the rest of us…..that’s deeply racist. I find any move to imbue maori with supernatural qualities such as ‘enhanced spirituality’ is deeply racist as well, and akin to the language of Nietzsche about the Ubermensch (the ‘Overman’) that the Nazis latched on to with their promotion of the Aryan ideal. Already we have seen Te Pati Maori claim that Maori are “genetically superior” to other races, and the Kiingi declare “we are all elite maori”. The Left are working up an ideal of ‘Te Ao Maori’ being a superior system to ‘pakeha institutions’. This is a dangerous route we are going down.
    
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    January 26, 2024 10:15am
  - Dave
    
    5. Develop a reliable test for measuring ‘mauri’?
    
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    January 26, 2024 10:26am
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      All ready done….and being used by some local authorities
      
      https://www.mauricompass.com/
      
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1WJMDuY-98
      
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      January 26, 2024 12:34pm
      - Dave
        
        Quite interesting – a mix of science and non-science, and fun for school kids, but I’ll stick with the science parts and leave measuring the strength of spiritual feelings for the body of water and prevalence of cultural practices to others.
        
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        January 26, 2024 2:03pm
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  Seymour did not go to Rātana, but he is going to Waitangi
  
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  January 26, 2024 12:23pm
Tony Stuart

Why is the former Justice Minister all over the media just days before she is due to appear in court?
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January 26, 2024 8:03am
- G152
  
  Because media
  
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  January 26, 2024 8:07am
  - nathie
    
    Sympathetic media.
    
    Also given away by their use of “former Minister” (rather than “disgraced former Minister”).
    
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    January 26, 2024 9:47am
- Paulus
  
  So we can all say Ahhh!
  And sympathise with the lovely Kirimata as she was depressed, as she and her latest partner parted.
  She should and almost certainly will get a very wet bus ticket from a judge who will also sympathise.
  
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  January 26, 2024 8:07am
  - the deity formerly known as nigel6888
    
    Hey at least she didn’t kick her partner down the stairs! Eh Tony?
    
    The rumours were strong with this one. Obviously she has hired a first-class PR consultancy. Who are now doing reputation management 101.
    
    Strong young Wahine, facing immense pressure, made regrettable lapse of judgement…
    
    You’d have to be a Cisgendered male bigot to convict and imperil her Practicing Certificate – disproportionate hardship and all that.
    
    Wonder if the ex will be a character witness?
    
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    January 26, 2024 10:01am
    - pdm
      
      You’d have to be a Cisgendered male bigot to convict and imperil her Practicing Certificate – disproportionate hardship and all that.’
      
      Not sure about that (ex) Nige.
      
      mrspdm already has her doing prison time.
      
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      January 26, 2024 1:25pm
- imalwaysright
  
  It’s her “Don’t Jail Me” tour.
  
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  January 26, 2024 8:17am
  - Scooter
    
    Maybe was she singing “It’s a fine time to leave me loose wheel” before she crashed.
    
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    January 26, 2024 11:03am
- Simon
  
  Why is it MSM head line stuff? Where is the counter factual about the criminal scum the police have to always scoop off the streets.
  
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  January 26, 2024 8:19am
- Inandout
  
  TS, and why the Hollywood background music on the ZB sound bite when she spoke?
  
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  January 26, 2024 8:19am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Indeed…
  
  I can’t quite see the logic in boozed-up criminals having access to a lawyer before they’ve been taken down to the cop shop for processing.
  
  I don’t expect lawyers would be too keen dealing with incoherent folk at ungodly hours of the night out on a wet Wellington street.
  
  However, I am pleased that Kiri Allan has started feeling better.
  
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  January 26, 2024 8:21am
  - peterwn
    
    The Supreme Court (based on a Canadian precedent) has ruled that defendants must be given a reasonable chance to seek legal advice before alcohol testing procedures can proceed or continue). Goodness knows why, since all the lawyer can do is warn the client that if they do not allow the test they will be booked for refusing to undergo a breath test or giving a blood sample.
    She seems to be trying to push case law so that a defendant is entitled to a lawyer at the scene rather than at the police station. Hopefully the judges will not fall for that one.
    
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    January 26, 2024 8:37am
    - Ghost
      
      Once she asks to speak to a lawyer that has to be allowed. Doesn’t matter if she is on the side of the road or at the police station, or in the booze bus
      
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      January 26, 2024 9:10am
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      Txs for the explanation…
      
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      January 26, 2024 9:14am
    - David Garrett
      
      Peterwn: I believe you are a member of the brethren ? (by which I mean the legal profession, not the weird religion)
      
      Having been “processed” and later convicted of drink driving, I believe it is right and entirely proper that those detained who fail the breath test are entitled to seek legal advice before deciding whether to choose to take a blood test rather than simply rely on the evidential breath test.
      
      Let’s just say that my failing to avail myself of the right to take legal advice was a big mistake.
      
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      January 26, 2024 9:17am
      - cmm
        
        “Let’s just say that my failing to avail myself of the right to take legal advice was a big mistake.”
        
        Or you could man up and take the lumps.
        
        If you wanted advice you’d have taken it before going on the piss.
        
        Sorry DG, got lots of respect for you but bugger all for drunk drivers. My father, rot his bones, also a member of your brotherhood, drove drunk twice a week. Luckily he never managed to kill or hurt anyone – unluckily not even himself.
        
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        January 26, 2024 9:26am
      - David Garrett
        
        cmm: I wasn’t trying to defend myself; I was always going to have to plead guilty. But failing to take legal advice made things considerably worse than they otherwise would have been. I’ll say no more than that.
        
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        January 26, 2024 9:46am
  - alex Masterley
    
    Once upon a time in a previous life I was on the legal aid list, was a duty solcitor and was on the emergency contact roster for those who decided that they needed legal advice at 4am or thereabouts.
    I can confirm that such people were generally pissed, angry and incoherent. What I said went completely over their heads.
    Our “advice” fell into the category of a box to be ticked by the police in the arrest process.
    A complete waste of time.
    
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    January 26, 2024 10:01am
- In Vino Veritas
  
  Let’s see now. Let’s go through the checklist. Female Maori lesbian who is trenchant Labour (which by default these days means she’s done something stupid). Ticks a good few boxes for being oppressed and a victim. NZ media will be all over support for her like a bad fitting suit.
  
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  January 26, 2024 8:38am
- Matt Long
  
  Last time the press were priming the pump for the unexpected announcement that Luxon was asking his good friend Jacinda to continue spending tax payer money on suppression of free speech.
  Won’t it be interesting this time.
  
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  January 26, 2024 8:51am
  - thirteenstars
    
    At Luxon’s press conference he expressed support for Ardern’s Christchurch Call which is a direct attack on free speech along like the lines of the DIA’s online speech regulation discussion paper which the coalition has supposedly rejected.
    
    https://www.fsu.nz/dia_online_censorship_plan
    
    But Luxon says, yip, yip, I agree with Ardern and support her work:
    
    https://youtu.be/MrzATjvx-lw?si=nD9-dPzPSeE9T76g&t=31
    
    He can’t be trusted. Middle management mentality. Thank goodness he’s currently managing in the middle of Seymour and Peters.
    
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    January 26, 2024 9:56am
- 70andstilllearning
  
  Hooked me there Tony – #1 in your face on virtually every MSM outlet- although Newshub were very slow only putting it up on main page a few minutes ago – they must still be in holiday mode!
  
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  January 26, 2024 9:00am
  - pdm
    
    ………..- they must still be in holiday mode!’
    
    Maybe the memo was late coming through.
    
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    January 26, 2024 9:10am
- RoboRob
  
  Seems like the media are working with Kiri and Golly to ‘smooth’ any turbulence caused by them actually being charged for the crimes they committed. The line I heard was that Kiri had sympathy and understanding for Golly as they both experienced mental stress.
  
  What a load of bollocks and the tame media should be ashamed of themselves for assisting in an obvious PR campaign.
  
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  January 26, 2024 9:02am
  - NothingLeft
    
    I have a lot more sympathy for Kiri (likely genuinely emotionally overwrought/heartbroken) than pathologically entitled GG (narcissist taking what she thought she deserved).
    
    Conviction and fine for Kiri seems appropriate, But throw the book at GG
    
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    January 26, 2024 10:03am
    - kowtow
      
      Both of them were party to all manner of intentions to screw over the NZ public , particularly the very hard working , often struggling grafters in the productive , primary sectors.We were all put through the wringer by them , they’d still do it if they could due to their deep seated politics of envy ,division and yes , even hatred for certain classes of citzens .
      
      I wonder how many people committed suicide under their watch and at their hands of oppressive regulation ……..
      
      Throw the book at them ?They deserve the whole damn library andthat will never make up for the damage they and their fellow travellers have done.
      
      Ordinary NZers get no fair treatment from the likesof them or the media . who’ve gone into over drive on account of both these extremely well educated , lawyer , Elite , priveliged ex MP’s.
      
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      January 26, 2024 2:38pm
  - Paulus
    
    Perhaps it remains somewhat obvious that many of the so called media are still suffering from mental stress at losing the election.
    Look at the usual ladies at Ratana – yes, they were all there like hungry dogs looking to make a story of their choosing, whilst they still have jobs as circulations continue to reduce and after back to school next week will continue at a pace towards closure with these experts being first to get DCMs.
    After all Jessica has gone to ANZ Bank so I will reconsider my deposits with them.
    I am sure who will get her job – no guessing but another lady, wahine this time.
    
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    January 26, 2024 10:38am
  - gravedodger
    
    Geez if I had only known.
    c1978 driving North between Balmoral Forest and Culverden, just North of the Pahau River bridge, 0800 hrs, taking my children to Mt St Patrick, NW of Hanmer Springs, on a straight road sans any other traffic, I was pinged by a Traffic Officer for speeding.
    Nothing dramatic but over the limit by around 7Kph from memory.
    I was in a state of serious euphoria at the prospect of a day skiing.
    Clearly in a state of non responsibility, yet no one considered my action to be just an aberration while escaping the constant pressure of finance, work stress, combating climate change and weather, I needed a lawyer to advocate for me.
    Perhaps not, pale male, clearly intending to participate in an elitist activity , driving a nice car, and an officer with a penchant to oppress such undesirable persons from an obscured place under trees, guilty, take him down?
    
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    January 26, 2024 11:15am
    - hookerphil
      
      That T.O. positioned himself in a natural dip in the road so that his radar would latch onto the vehicle as it came to the end of the bridge. Any radar detector in a vehicle was still pointing in a straight line and did not pick up the T.O. radar until it dipped as it left the bridge.
      It was his favourite spot.
      
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      January 26, 2024 5:18pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Bleeding hearts looking for sympathy.
  
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  January 26, 2024 9:06am
- Homas
  
  I propose a Mental Health Register for Members – akin to the disclosure of financial interests.
  
  To be updated regularly, it would constitute contempt of court for any miscreant Member to publicly allude to any undisclosed MH issues in any case where their shenanigans result in Police involvement.
  
  Like my dear old Nan always said ” a mental illness not blamed, is a mental illness you STFU about”.
  
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  January 26, 2024 9:30am
  - RoboRob
    
    Under health and safety rules employers are required to check for and work to help with mental illness. If these MPs had mental illness their employer (their parties / state services?) can be charged by OSH. Employers are also supposed to take steps to monitor and check for issues. Perhaps someone needs to lay a complaint with OSH?
    
    I think Galrez’s ‘mental stress’ is just a bs excuse. However Kiris seems much more believable and their were many signs before the car crash. I can see how one might get boozed up and do something stupid due to depression. I cant see how stress makes one steal exclusively from high end cloths stores.
    
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    January 26, 2024 9:47am
    - Homas
      
      Re Kiri – sorry, but ending as it does with a serving Justice Minister participating in Exercise Roseneath (applied escape and evasion), the demonstrable element of petty self-interest puts it in the common shitfuckery pile pour moi.
      
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      January 26, 2024 10:46am
- Fuzzysnuggleduck
  
  Because she is selling the ‘it is harder for brown women in politics line’, as she was recorded saying in the news on ZB this morning.
  Incredibly, the news said ‘she crashed’ and she has mental health issue, but she admits ‘she made the decision to drive’.
  The media missed out the drunk part.
  She decides to drive drunk. Drunk drive.
  The justice minister.
  It was like the news subtly omits or presents things in a sympathetic and down-played way.
  I long since stopped listening to National radio, but even ZB news is infected with subtle left-leaning statements, like the ‘redefining the Treaty’ lie. It is being repeated so often by the enemedia it will be hard to de-programme even casual listeners let alone the rabid race hucksters.
  In short, Tony, it is because the media sets the agenda and decides what the proles need to hear.
  
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  January 26, 2024 10:35am
  - Paulus
    
    At least she has the Media on her side so do not worry.
    
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    January 26, 2024 1:32pm
- jon
  
  Tony, just watch too, the MSM pulling a similar story of excuses, prior to the ex Green MP G.G. appearing in court for her alleged shoplifting.
  
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  January 26, 2024 10:45am
- MCōs
  
  Why was the former President of the USA all over the media wailing about his various impending court cases with the full backing of people who are now criticizing the publicity given to Keri Allen and Golriz Ghahraman?
  
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  January 26, 2024 10:56am
  - Graeme Hall
    
    You make a good point. I saw the evil Trump last might celebrating his New Hampshire primary result. And, after he arrived at his last packed out venue (people waited 4 hours outside in sub-zero temperatures to see him), he met in person those in the many overflow rooms before going on stage in the main auditorium to address & entertain the crowd. Despite being the most deeply flawed character on the planet, I don’t think in his short spectacular political career he has ever been excused by the media for kicking a partner down the stairs, drunk to excess, crashed his car, panicked, ran off like a coward, been tracked by police dogs, fought with police & then begged in public for sympathy based his sexual preferences, gender, & race. Also doubt he made a career of constantly criticising hard working citizens who pay his excessive salary, advocating genocide, cheering for murdering monsters, & shoplifting very expensive clothing in his spare time.
    
    I guess no-one is perfect.
    
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    January 26, 2024 4:53pm
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  I note she has now agreed her down fall was not mental health, and has admitted beating her ex GF
  
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  January 26, 2024 12:24pm
  - kevn
    
    G… No wonder swabrick gave her the flick. As well.
    
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    January 26, 2024 12:44pm
Maggie Pie

I see where Kiri Allen’s lawyer has already opened for the defence.

😀 😀 😀
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January 26, 2024 8:03am
- kowtow
  
  Who needs a lawyer when you’ve got NZME and Claire Trevet doing all your work for you.
  
  The article says the events of that night are before the court so can’t detail and yet the whole tenor of the start of the article is over her mental state on the night and previously ( ADHD, ptsd,dysregulated emotions) She was also a victim of a religious upbringing and conversion therapy .
  
  Later in the article she was also the victim of being a Maori woman in a powerful position who the Opposition were after .
  
  Nudge nudge wink wink say no more .
  
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  January 26, 2024 8:45am
  - Paulus
    
    Do you have to be a drunken, mental person to be an MP now as well ?
    
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    January 26, 2024 1:35pm
    - kowtow
      
      Not mandatory , but probably helps…….
      
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      January 26, 2024 4:10pm
- Media hater
  
  On 1ZB this morning, I heard she was in a better headspace now that she is re-engaging with “her people”. How lovely for her.
  
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  January 26, 2024 8:54am
  - kowtow
    
    The Claire Trevett hagiography today included the charming little snippet that ; “She also turned 40 at the end of the year ,and celebrated that with family in Hawaii , spending quality time swimming with turtles”.
    
    All good but how many ‘ordinary’, working class , or indeed imprisoned ,New Zealanders can afford to do that .You know the kind of people she and her legions of media admirers have made such a virtue of representing and being an example to.
    
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    January 26, 2024 10:39am
    - Damocles11
      
      ‘Elite Leftist’
      
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      January 26, 2024 11:22am
    - Lee C
      
      I call it ‘Socialism for the Wealthy’ KT
      
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      January 26, 2024 3:09pm
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Rallying them for activism
    
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    January 26, 2024 12:26pm
- Bobba Fret
  
  And I thought this statement was the kicker:
  ““I got to that point where I had decided I wanted to take my life that evening and had a very clear plan, and went to execute that plan and commenced that process.”
  Will any jury or judge convict her now after she made that statement?
  
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  January 26, 2024 12:26pm
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    OK< you've got a clear plan to top yourself…and you're off to do it…… but WAIT…..perhaps you'll have a few beers before you set off….
    
    (Something doesn't ring true with that scenario)
    
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    January 26, 2024 12:46pm
    - Ghost
      
      Alcohol, drugs numb the pain to make suicide easier.
      
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      January 26, 2024 12:48pm
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    A self-confessed failure, then
    
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    January 26, 2024 8:54pm
Vinicius

A couple of high-profile roles are coming up for grabs very soon. Stuff has opinion pieces on these roles.

1News Political Editor

Jessica Mutch Mackay is leaving TVNZ in a couple of weeks.

The article suggests possible candidates could be (in no particular order):

• Maiki Sherman
• John Campbell
• Rebecca Wright
• Jack Tame
• Katie Bradford
• Jason Walls
• Craig McCulloch

For me the first four, no way! Not sure if I could hold my nose and say Jason Walls is the best of the bunch. Haven’t heard enough of Bradford to make an informed comment. Ditto McCulloch.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/350158218/whos-next-line-tvnzs-top-political-job

Public Service Commissioner

For me this key role is a critical appointment for the new government with major reform needed inside government and the public sector.

Stuff thinks candidates could be:

• Sir Brian Roche
• Rebecca Kitteridge
• Andrew Kibblewhite
• Carolyn Tremain
• Debbie Power

See the URL below for more about these people.

Would it be too political to appoint someone like Steven Joyce or Wayne Eagleson? Any other suggestions for the role?

https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/350158086/who-will-be-new-top-dog-public-service
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January 26, 2024 8:03am
- Grunter
  
  Steve Joyce would be a good choice.
  
  Sir Bob Jones would be even better!
  
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  January 26, 2024 9:42am
  - peterwn
    
    He is not eligible. He had a public service job and decided to quit without giving any notice, The staff clerk told him that he would never get another job in the public service again. So he burnt his bridges with respect to the public service.
    Source – ‘Jones on Property’.
    
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    January 26, 2024 10:16am
    - Steve Todd
      
      He’s also 84. (I think people often overlook just how old he is.) And he wouldn’t want the job, anyway.
      
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      January 26, 2024 12:52pm
    - Nigel Kearney
      
      Bob Jones would be a better fit for the 1 News political editor role.
      
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      January 26, 2024 2:04pm
  - KH
    
    Stephen Joyce or Bob Jones.
    An inspired suggestion.
    
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    January 26, 2024 10:38am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Bob jones is 84…
    
    Let the man rest.
    
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    January 26, 2024 12:48pm
  - riffer
    
    I don’t understand.
    
    If the first four should be ineligible due to a perceived conflict of interest with their political views, how could Joyce or Jones possibly be eligible?
    
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    January 26, 2024 12:53pm
    - Vinicius
      
      You sure you’ve read my post carefully?
      
      I discuss two roles in two lists.
      
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      January 26, 2024 1:37pm
      - riffer
        
        My apologies. I reread your original post. You are correct.
        
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        January 26, 2024 2:17pm
  - Grunter
    
    My Bob Jones suggestion was tongue in cheek……but it would only be a 5 minute job for him….
    
    “Gather around, you’re all fired, and no the scones aren’t vegan friendly….. please leave the building in an orderly fashion”
    
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    January 26, 2024 1:44pm
  - pdm
    
    I was thinking this morning that Tony Ryall would be a very good choice if Steven Joyce is not available.
    
    On the other matter I have a very pertinent question:
    Did Katy Bradforf not move in with David Cunliffe a few years ago?
    If that is so and they are still an item she should be ruled out – not to mention the political affiliations of her mother..
    
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    January 26, 2024 1:48pm
- Matt Long
  
  Katie Bradford, being the daughter of former green mp Sue would no doubt be the most disinterested of the lot.
  
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  January 26, 2024 9:43am
- Bobba Fret
  
  I thought it was almost certain that Maiki Sherman was a shoo in for the job.
  
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  January 26, 2024 10:15am
- Damocles11
  
  So a bunch of Leftist activists in line for the TVNZ political top dog role. Maiki Sherman will get it, and you can bet the house on it. Female, young, maori, leftist….she ticks most diversity boxes & is already the deputy Political Editor. The last Political Editor was white so it’s a lay down misere she will get it. TVNZ will be basking in woke kudos once the appointment is rubber stamped, and they must be counting the days until the can make the announcement.
  
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  January 26, 2024 10:21am
- PurplePen
  
  Any top technocrat or government CEO from Singapore. No nonsense, no namby pamby business.
  
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  January 26, 2024 12:24pm
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  Wright is TV3 Bradford was overlooked last time, possibly because she would not be part of the filthy red media attacks, even though she is a leftie, she does just seem to report the news
  
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  January 26, 2024 12:29pm
  - Damocles11
    
    Agreed on Bradford. She doesn’t have that look of zealous mania that the Leftist activist journalists have. She will forever be remembered for that ‘whatever we do, whatever we say, the polls aren’t changing’ quote however.
    
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    January 26, 2024 12:48pm
artemisia

Another leak. This time a Cabinet paper on Fair Pay Agreements accidentally leaked to a “national union organiser” by a staffer at Oranga Tamariki. Just an honest mistake apparently. Then passed to the media by parties unknown.

Oh look. There’s a trout in the milk.
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January 26, 2024 8:04am
- RoboRob
  
  The staffer should be sacked as should the manager that passed them the paper.
  
  National needs to take a much harder stance with these leaks. It’s one thing to have the public service secretly working against them but another to have them actively working with Labour.
  
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  January 26, 2024 9:56am
  - Fuzzysnuggleduck
    
    It is pretty clear the public service will be hostile against the government.
    The ministers need to come down hard and purge any who aren’t going to facilitate what the public voted for.
    After all, they want to reduce numbers, so certain folk and departments should be under the lens & deservedly so.
    We don’t need D&I, paper pushing, Te Reo shoe-horning, wasteful and arrogant back office ideologues.
    Surgery needed to cut out the cancer.
    
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    January 26, 2024 10:44am
  - Paulus
    
    Leaking of confidential information will become more common as certain people along with their media friends will continue to try and destabilise the elected Government.
    
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    January 26, 2024 10:47am
- Damocles11
  
  It’s always a ‘mistake’ or an ‘error’. By taking no action whenever this occurs the NZ deep state are saying they tacitly approve the leaking. Why would it stop when there are no consequences?
  
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  January 26, 2024 10:26am
  - RoboRob
    
    Exactly my point above. If they know who the staffer is, they should be gone. All these people sign contracts promising confidentiality with personal information.
    
    If the CEO doesn’t do this the board should remove he CEO. The board in this place being the government.
    
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    January 26, 2024 11:04am
- Paulus
  
  TVNZ, it is a secret but top of the list is best favoured as she is a Maori speaker.
  SSC Roche has been a very well favoured Labour appointment over recent years, so no do and he is too old.
  Probably Kitteridge, as ex SIS she has a good quiet insight and is considered very capable.
  
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  January 26, 2024 10:45am
- gravedodger
  
  Many of the so called “Elite” revel in the implied “ownership” of “their people”, chattels?
  
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  January 26, 2024 11:38am
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  This the same thing they said they couldn’t find any substance to the leak? It’s pretty clear it was given to rotten unionists so that’s a leak as far as I am concerned
  
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  January 26, 2024 12:31pm
kevn

Two opposing viewpoints….
In the UK…
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-13001483/PETER-HITCHENS-no-wonder-mentally-ill-killers-large-Britain-streets-stink-cannabis.html
In the USA… vote buying?
https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/fda-studied-science-of-cannabis-and-said-it-should-be-reclassified-while-us-issues-pardon-to-every-american-whos-ever-used-it/
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January 26, 2024 8:05am
- David Garrett
  
  I was an “enthusiastic” smoker of what we all thought was a harmless drug in my late teens and twenties. Regular readers will know that I had a major breakdown 45 years ago – ironically when I had knocked off the weed because it was starting to do bad things to me – and have been “on the pills” on and off every since. (one thing in Hitchens’ article which I strongly disagree with is his denigrating anti-depressant drugs – those are the only things which keep me on an even keel)
  
  What part my heavy cannabis use played in what happened to me is unknown – and of course my story is just one example; what I do know is that the shrink who treated me for more than 30 years became more and more concerned with the effect cannabis was having on his patients.
  
  I well remember meeting an American shrink in New Plymouth many years ago. He said that every single one of his acutely psychotic young male patients was a heavy cannabis user. Hitchens cites other doctors who have had exactly the same experience.
  
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  January 26, 2024 9:37am
  - NothingLeft
    
    The problem is it is extremely difficult to separate out the cause and effect; Nuts so seek cannabis or nuts cause used cannabis?
    
    My personal feeling is it does great harm (particularly to youngsters) and I would rather it wasn’t available – destroys memory and drive for people who use it chronically making them unemployable in many cases. Saw a couple of uni acquaintances drop out as a result of use. And worst of all it appears to bring on schizophrenia and other serious mental illness in some.
    
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    January 26, 2024 10:14am
  - Damocles11
    
    Thanks for speaking up about your personal experience. Many wouldn’t.
    
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    January 26, 2024 10:32am
  - KH
    
    It’s not always drama effects with weed. Mostly it keeps the “nephs on the couch”.
    Life destroying all the same.
    
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    January 26, 2024 10:41am
    - David Garrett
      
      KH: A guy I met when I was first at uni in 1975 was one of those “all rounders” who were good if not great at everything: exam results – at least at first – sports of several kinds, and a real ladies man.
      
      He became psychologically dependent on weed, and eventually suffered similar problems I had ten years earlier. (I was a student at the time, having completely stopped smoking years before.) My friend was in a bad way, and came down to Christchurch looking for my help, which I of course readily gave.
      
      I told him there was one condition: he could not smoke dope or have it in the house since I was a second year law student at the time. About ten days later I came back at 11pm after the library had closed, to find the house in darkness, and D gone. He had left a note saying “Sorry Dave, reality was just too hard”
      
      Over the next ten years his drug used increased, and he had moved on the LSD and mushrooms – while still smoking dope daily. He became psychotic, and thought his closest friends – including me – were planning to kill him.
      
      He then developed lung cancer – whether from his heavy tobacco smoking or his equally heavy cannabis use, or both – and died aged 43. A completely wasted life, and one that had held such promise.
      
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      January 26, 2024 11:06am
      - NZer In Exile
        
        DG there are reports of people having great results using well guided psychedelics sessions. At one’s own risk of course. Disclaimer: I am not recommending this. Just saying.
        
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        January 26, 2024 6:20pm
    - NZer In Exile
      
      KH I have some knowledge of this. One of the key downsides is reduction in motivation. The next would be a reduction in mental acuity.
      
      If you are of working age you should be using this stuff very very rarely (probably better not at all). Like once at the beginning of a very long holiday (takes about a month to get the haze 99% out of your brain).
      
      If you are in a bad habit with the stuff, try reducing the amount used by 15% each day. The main side effect of cold turkey stopping is the inability to sleep. People who use regularly and abruptly stop commonly get hit with a wave of dark depression anywhere from one week to one month after stopping, so gradual tapering off may be better, if that can be managed.
      
      I believe also that excessive use can lead to some subtle (as in hard for you to get a handle on) but insidious effects on your relationships with other people.
      
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      January 26, 2024 6:18pm
  - Inandout
    
    DG, I admire you laying your life bare for all and sundry to witness but all I can say is that meditation can be added to the mix of treatments. Any medication for depression comes with ‘risks and benefits’ as drug companies commonly announce to cover their arses.
    
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    January 26, 2024 10:55am
    - David Garrett
      
      Inand: Tried meditation – which was of some assistance – complete absence from alcohol (no difference) ditto vegetarianism – but not veganism, I wasn’t that mad – serious exercise – I’m talking about 330 ks a week on the bike.
      
      All of the above helped to some degree – but nowhere near as much as the two red pills I take every morning. I almost certainly would no longer be here but for them.
      
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      January 26, 2024 11:30am
      - Ghost
        
        I struggle with medication, my Dr prefers alternative or natural. The one time he tried me on antidepressants I lasted 3 days and just felt dead. Slept all the time. My muscles are screwed on the left side of my body but can’t take muscle relaxers as they drop my blood pressure too low. Can’t take the subsidized acid medication as it gives me tachycardia.
        
        Meditation helps a lot. But I use a range of alternative options with the support of my gp. Gp and Chiropractor have suggested cannabis but I’ve seen the results of people using it growing up so it’s not for me.
        
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        January 26, 2024 12:00pm
      - NZer In Exile
        
        Cold shower or cold swim upon getting up. Get (non harmful) sunlight on your skin in the early morning. Don’t F around into the late hours. Get to bed reasonably early so you can get up with the sun. Exercise to raise a sweat several times a week (this could simply be a brisk 45 min walk 3 times a week). Eat in a manner close to keto diet (or at least reduced carbs) and avoid sugar and processed crap at all costs. Do intermittent fasting.
        
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        January 26, 2024 6:27pm
  - Cassandra
    
    The other characteristic of marijuana use is the increase in the risk of stroke. A research project a few years ago at Auckland Hospital (the neurological centre for most of the North Island) by Professor Alan Barber showed that marijuana use increases stroke risk hugely. It is not a harmless recreational substance. Used moderately it’s probably not awful but many users can’t keep it moderate. DG sounds like a very good example of a pretty normal dope user – it doesn’t work that way. And as well as stroke there’s its impact on schizophrenia etc. Avoid it.
    
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    January 26, 2024 11:15am
    - kevn
      
      Cassandra… and so biden is giving all those users a free pass. Plenty of data saying not to use.
      
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      January 26, 2024 12:47pm
    - NothingLeft
      
      Is that stroke risk the cannabis or is it (strongly correlated?) Meth use.
      
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      January 26, 2024 2:19pm
  - Homas
    
    So we’re all agreed then. Under no circumstances whatsoever should it be made compulsory.
    
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    January 26, 2024 12:46pm
  - riffer
    
    Interesting stuff. The big problem is that because it’s been illegal there is very little scientific study of it. That may change now that it can be studied with a number of countries legalising it.
    I am of the opinion that, rather than cannabis causing psychosis, it’s more likely that psychotic people are self-medicating with it. That makes more sense, as the vast majority of users do not seem to be psychotic, well at least at the same level as alcohol users.
    
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    January 26, 2024 12:58pm
- miltonF
  
  I think there is much stronger evidence linking alcohol to negative mental and psychical outcomes. Very strong and well known links to depression, suicide, violence, cancers, liver disease, heart disease, obesity, accidents, alcohol foetal syndrome, severe impairment of judgement, learning and memory problems, dementia, anxiety, brain damage, high blood pressure, stroke. List goes on and on.
  
  No one seems to care about that?
  
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  January 26, 2024 3:56pm
Simon

Is Iran winning? Looks like it. (Doesn’t make someone pro-Iranian when someone points this out. )

On Wednesday, A.P. Moller-Maersk said that two of its U.S.-flag ships had detected nearby explosions while transiting Bab el-Mandeb, and had turned back from the strait on the U.S. Navy’s instructions. The company says its U.S. ships will now also suspend Red Sea operations.

An estimated 70-90 percent of international container traffic has abandoned the Red Sea-Suez route because of the risk of Houthi attacks, even though the route is the fastest seaborne connection between Asia and Europe.

https://maritime-executive.com/article/maersk-reports-attack-near-two-u-s-flag-ships-off-yemen
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January 26, 2024 8:09am
- Grunter
  
  Who would have thought putting water on a fat fire would make it worse? Maybe even more water will work……?
  
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  January 26, 2024 9:47am
  - Colville
    
    Water will put out a fat fire. It’s just messy!
    
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    January 26, 2024 11:28am
  - Damocles11
    
    So the correct option would have been ‘do nothing’?
    
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    January 26, 2024 1:34pm
    - Grunter
      
      I can’t see any ‘correct option’ anymore, just lots of dumb options.
      
      I’m not pro-Muslim nor pro-Jews (or pro-whatever they identify as). Just being realistic here.
      
      The more this mess escalates, the bigger the mess it becomes. That’s all I’m saying, so why escalate??
      
      But the majority of KBers seem to think its a great thing to be dropping more big bombs. That is not the solution – unless of course, you go full nuclear! That would definitely fix Hamas, but then what????
      
      I challenge anyone to outline how this thing now resolves itself by dropping more bombs and shooting more Muslims? And remember, that failed in Afghanistan.
      
      The default position is ceasefire and shake hands and makeup – but that’s not going to happen either is it.
      
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      January 26, 2024 2:08pm
- the deity formerly known as nigel6888
  
  Yes, obviously quaking in their boots in fear of the US response!
  
  Or slavering at the chance to take down a Carrier with a drone attack?
  
  The US can’t continue shooting down thousand dollar drones with million dollar missiles indefinitely.
  
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  January 26, 2024 10:05am
  - Grunter
    
    Exactly my point
    
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    January 26, 2024 11:28am
  - Colville
    
    One missile for the drone and one for the pilot. He won’t do it again.
    
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    January 26, 2024 11:29am
  - Damocles11
    
    As far as drone attacks go, my bet would be Houthi leadership will be taken out by drone strikes in due course.
    
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    January 26, 2024 1:35pm
    - the deity formerly known as nigel6888
      
      Doubt that the Iranians will care much though!
      
      Proxy wars seem to be very much back in vogue. The Great Game is back on, or in reality never went away.
      
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      January 26, 2024 3:55pm
peterwn

“A 24-year-old man has been convicted and fined at a court in Auckland today after driving his boat at a flock of protected birds.”
I suspect if it was people, not birds he would have been discharged without conviction for all sorts of BS reasons.
https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/01/24/auckland-man-convicted-after-driving-boat-at-protected-birds/
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January 26, 2024 8:10am
- Clown
  
  I hate birds
  
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  January 26, 2024 11:37am
  - Colville
    
    A lot of people really hate clowns!
    
    🤡🤣
    
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    January 26, 2024 1:59pm
- MCōs
  
  I suspect you would be wrong
  https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/2594035/Daughter-swimming-in-blood
  
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  January 26, 2024 12:27pm
Clyde

At what point does the Justice system get corrupted by those who are awaiting trial going to the media to offer causes for the actions they took before being charged?

First [Mod – use correct names] pleads the whole mental health card backed up by standups by the two leaders of the Watermelon Party, and now Kiri Allen doing more or less the same thing.

TBF, Allen says that she is not saying that it is an excuse, but then she sets out why it could be considered a mitigating factor.

My point is that if a “normal” person was charged with theft from a shop on multiple ocassions and another “normal” person was charged with drunk driving and failing to accompany, then any “reasons” for these offences would not receive the MSM sympathetic approach – nor any coverage. The place for mitigation is in the court.

Interesting to note in the soft interview with Allen that it was she of the [Mod – use names not insults] and recent bridal gown that was driving the maorification agenda of the Liemore Pardy and Allen had to swallow a rat when Chippie started reading the polls. Bet the MSM don’t follow up that little gem of a story.
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January 26, 2024 8:10am
- Drone
  
  I think Clyde, that everybody of whatever race being charged by the police on any charge is entitled to a “Section 27” report and an article in the Herald. That way we can all appeal to the public rather than to just a small sample of 12.
  
  That way the whole nation can see that justice is being done for all.. //
  
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  January 26, 2024 10:28am
Yvette

Let Shane Jones orate at Waitangi, but not self-engradise that much that his sense is rejected
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January 26, 2024 8:12am
- David Garrett
  
  Yvette: For Shane Jones, self-aggrandisement – and showing off how many multi-syllable words he knows – are as natural, and as essential, as breathing in and out.
  
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  January 26, 2024 9:42am
  - Opie
    
    Yet somehow I still prefer to listen to him than anyone on the other side.
    
    Probably because he is one of the few standing up to this nonsense
    
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    January 26, 2024 9:56am
    - kowtow
      
      I think the expression ” Runs with the hares and hunts with the hounds” applies to Jones and the rest of the Winston First party.
      
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      January 26, 2024 10:45am
      - riffer
        
        Couldn’t agree more.
        
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        January 26, 2024 12:59pm
      - pdm
        
        Casey Costello will probably be an exception ktow but it is early days yet.
        
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        January 26, 2024 1:56pm
  - Paulus
    
    Shane is showing his potential leadership position recently.
    As Winston’s Party Deputy he appears to be the right person to assist Winston as he gets older.
    I did not like Shane but mmmmmm now.
    Did he not go to Harvard too ?
    
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    January 26, 2024 1:43pm
NeverMindTheBollocks

Tourism NZ and other industry shills are lauding the rapid growth of visitor numbers, back towards pre covid numbers.

Have they forgotten so quickly the stories that bemoaned the pressures on our wild spaces, and the suggestions that tourism should be limited?
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January 26, 2024 8:15am
- riffer
  
  Probably, but, by God, those tourist dollars are wonderful.
  
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  January 26, 2024 1:00pm
- Morry45
  
  Perhaps Jacinda in all her wisdom could have spent some of the lost $160 B in tourism infrastructure while no one was here!
  
  Tourism makes us a lot of money. It should be encouraged.
  
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  January 26, 2024 1:33pm
Simon

Until GAE folds the best NZ can hope for is a Luxon type running things with some oversight by ACT & NZ First. Without this oversight National would look something like the UK Conserative party. However without Luxon types the grifting sewage of hate to the left of National would take over.

Whatever you can say of Luxon is that he doesn’t hate success and hard work. The polar opposite of Labo, Gweens & Maori party. Luxon / National are not the same as Labo.

When will GAE fold? It’s late stage for GAE and they cant recover. But before they fold they will wreck entire countries.
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January 26, 2024 8:15am
- David Garrett
  
  What is this GAE??
  
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  January 26, 2024 9:43am
  - Grunter
    
    Global American Empire
    
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    January 26, 2024 9:50am
  - Matt Long
    
    https://www.gea.com/new-zealand?&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=branded&utm_term=wa&gclid=Cj0KCQiAqsitBhDlARIsAGMR1RiJXdJKnwA4T7EJqX_VX2AT8KM_qeTbCHbauF77VEyOuAQLSlzW6BgaApKHEALw_wcB
    But Simon means the Global American Empire who take the place of Che’s Joos in his mind.
    
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    January 26, 2024 9:54am
    - Simon
      
      GAE
      
      Darren Beattie calls the “Globalist American Empire,” is anti-white and seeks to impose this cultural order on the entire world. The GAE is defined by the rejection of the historic American nation’s achievements and it celebrates the destruction of traditional Western civilization.
      
      Scott Greer talks with Revolver proprietor Darren Beattie about the globalist American Empire, Russia, China, and conservative dweebs.
      
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW8f3YrlUsQ
      
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      January 26, 2024 12:40pm
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Another load of shit dreamt up by the protest movement, all things WEF, Who and now GAE
    
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    January 26, 2024 1:08pm
Maggie Pie

TBH, I’d never even heard of ‘Steve Abel’ till this appeared on X yesterday.

Yet I’m expected to contribute to his 200k salary…. to do WHAT exactly?

And another thing. Why do they always look like that 🙁

https://twitter.com/TheConsultant18/status/1750129982180085887
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January 26, 2024 8:18am
- Opie
  
  I don’t think a forensic examination of his computer would end well.
  
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  January 26, 2024 8:27am
- CJames
  
  People like him are a really good object example of the faults and failings of MMP and List Candidates. And having Green MPs who say idiotic things guarantees their vocal supporters have to stay on the defensive. But that is only if they are challenged, which is something the MSM doesn’t do. Another failing which can boost the 5th estate.
  
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  January 26, 2024 8:27am
  - Maggie Pie
    
    I see from the Wiki profile this was about his 17th attempt to get into parliament on the Green List. It’s all that nasty Chloe’s fault. Can hardly wait to see what Celica Wade-Brown has to offer.
    
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    January 26, 2024 8:44am
    - pdm
      
      MP – will she ride her push bike into the Parliamentary Chamber to take the oath on her first sitting day?
      
      20 2
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      January 26, 2024 9:13am
      - Opie
        
        Yep, straight down the cycle lane she had built in the middle of the road from her house to the wellington cbd. Using ratepayers money of course
        
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        January 26, 2024 9:58am
      - Steve Todd
        
        @Opie @ 9:58AM
        
        Another commenter who simply won’t be told.
        
        I pointed out to you a couple of weeks ago she had already shifted to Mt Victoria by then.
        
        (See https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2024/01/general_debate_11_january_2024.html/comment-page-1#comment-3497541.)
        
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        January 26, 2024 11:39am
    - Paulus
      
      Rainbow Coloured Cycleways of course.
      
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      January 26, 2024 1:45pm
  - Che Guava
    
    Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
    What did he say that is wrong? He said:
    
    “Shameful for @chrisluxonmp to back up US imperialist violence in the Red Sea with NZ military. In the middle of a US supported genocide in Gaza NZ should be fiercely asserting our independence and condemning attacks on Palestine and Yemen, not poodling up to America.”
    
    I agree. It is irrelevant what party the guy happens to be in. As a sensible approach, we should be asserting our independence and be neutral on this. In fact, if we want the Red Sea shipping issue (and thus attacks on Yemen) to be resolved, we should make it clear to Israel that they should cease and desist in Gaza.
    
    When the justification is “1,220 Israelis were killed” then I think it’s fair to say that vengeance has been well and truly achieved when the IDF has already killed 20,000 plus Gazans and counting, while also making much of Gaza uninhabitable.
    
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    January 26, 2024 9:02am
    - Yabster
      
      firstly- look up the defintion of genocide- , secondly the Houthi rebels have been attacking shipping before the Hamas attack so fuck Yemen- why wouldn’t nations protect shipping routes- next you will be in support of the fucking Houthi’s and Iran
      
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      January 26, 2024 9:39am
      - Che Guava
        
        [Mod – deleted]
        
        I think the world would be a much better place if the Israelis were grateful for the land they’ve been able to muster in the last century. This aim of complete control of the region through the submission of their neighbours is going to get us all killed.
        
        I just don’t think a Jewish ethnostate in the Middle East is worth the obvious problems that the project has inevitably caused.
        
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        January 26, 2024 11:07am
    - JimBobJoe
      
      1/ Houthis are not involved in Gaza – if they feel so strong they should put their boots on the ground in Gaza.
      2/ Attacking international shipping is piracy. End of
      3/ International Shipping attacks effect all trading nations – via capacity issues due to longer routes and cost issues due to Insurance, extra fuel etc
      
      NZ has every reason to support an American led response to the Houthis.
      
      Bottom line: The Houthis are just puppets in Irans game. Iran sponsored the Hamas attacks on Israel, they are sponsoring the Houthis and Hizbollah in their side show attacks. America will respond and it wont end well for Iran
      
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      January 26, 2024 9:41am
      - Paulus
        
        And Iran is still a puppet of Putin.
        
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        January 26, 2024 1:46pm
      - Che Guava
        
        Client states are a fact of geopolitics. Iran is indeed a puppet of Putin, but equally, the last 20 years of Wars for Israel by the US military shows who is the puppet of whom in that relationship.
        
        And don’t forget Syria and their ties to Russia. Iran and Syria being obstacles to Israel’s obvious long-term designs in the region, and the fact that Russia sponsors them, also ties in with the historical fact that Jews have a deep-seated enmity towards Christian Russia (so many Jews of the diaspora being Russian Jews, and some of whose descendants are employed in the State Department and the Pentagon), all of which again results in the 100s of billions of US taxpayer money being poured into their project in Ukraine versus Russia.
        
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        January 26, 2024 2:37pm
    - Jigsaw
      
      Che – Just incredible that you seek to justify and defend pirates. That’s what they are, no more and no less.
      I guess that’s a good demonstration of your lack of logic.
      
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      January 26, 2024 9:43am
      - Che Guava
        
        Logic has nothing at all to do with content, only the form of propositions and their interrelationships and entailments.
        
        For instance, Israel’s logic may very well be valid, but if its premises are faulty as a matter of fact, which they are, then the conclusion will always be something like feeling justified in killing anyone who stands in the way of their Zionist project.
        
        The basic rationale that most of you apparently accept as self-evident is that Israel can kill anyone and do anything they like simply because God told them they could.
        
        If a defendant used that as their defence they would be deemed mentally unfit to stand trial.
        
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        January 26, 2024 11:13am
      - Dave
        
        To Che @ 11.13.
        
        The basic rationale that most of you apparently accept as self-evident is that Israel can kill anyone and do anything they like simply because God told them they could.
        
        I read KB regularly, but don’t recall anyone arguing this – someone could have, but ‘most’? I do recall many arguing that Israel is entitled to self-defence, with much debate (and considerable misunderstanding by Israel’s critics) as to what ‘proportionate’ self defence permits.
        
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        January 26, 2024 12:44pm
      - Che Guava
        
        Just listen to the Jews themselves if you don’t believe me: the fact that Jews see themselves as specially favoured by God, inherently more spiritually elevated than Gentiles, and that they believe God promised them the land that comprises modern Israel (literally a “promised land”) and therefore this gives them a unique and privileged claim to the land despite any objections by anyone else, is as well-known and accepted a theological fact as that Muslims believe that 72 virgins await martyrs in Paradise or that Christians believe that Jesus was the Messiah and rose from the dead.
        
        You can certainly doubt the theological claims made, but you cannot doubt the content of the beliefs in each of these cases.
        
        To seriously assert that the Jews don’t think they have a God-given right to the land, and have always said so to anyone who’ll listen, is to willfully self-deceive.
        
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        January 26, 2024 2:28pm
      - Dave
        
        To Che @ 2.28.
        
        My disagreement is not about what Jews believe but rather your claim that most of us [ie, KB commenters] “apparently accept as self-evident that Israel can kill anyone and do anything they like simply because God told them they could.” Who on KB has assumed/argued that? This is a straw man.
        
        I do not accept and would never argue that “God told me” is a justification for Israel’s actions in Gaza, but do accept that Israel has a right to exist and to proportionate self defence – we probably disagree about the meaning of ‘proportionate’.
        
        I think this is the position of many other readers of this blog and since a number of Jews are ‘cultural’ Jews rather than believing Jews, it might well be their position too.
        
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        January 26, 2024 5:25pm
    - Libertarians are right
      
      US imperialist violence in the Red Sea:
      It has nothing to do with imperialism. The terrorists are attacking international shipping routes and are harming civilians. It is right to stop them.
      
      US supported genocide in Gaza:
      Not a genocide. They are trying to remove a terrorist organisation that is a threat to them and that is still actively attacking them. Again, yes, the civilian deaths are a tragedy but not a genocide.
      
      Should be condemning attacks on Palestine:
      Why? They are attacks on Hamas terrorists who openly admit to wanting to commit genocide against them and openly admit to be planning to commit more attacks like Oct 7.
      
      Should be condemning attacks on Yemen:
      Why? They are attacks on Houthi terrorists who are indiscriminately attacking Israelis.
      
      As for the idiotic “vengeance” justification. It was never about vengeance. Again, the Terrorists openly admitted that they planned to do it again and again and again. AND they hold hostages that they will not release (because they have been raped, tortured and/or murdered). Israel wants to completely rout Hamas and that is entirely justified. Again, we have not been told what percentage of the 20,000 + Gazans are Hamas or what percentage were killed directly by Hamas actions (misfires, human shields, straight up murder of people trying to flee etc). Every death has been put at the hands of Israel and has been treated as a civilian death and only an idiot would believe either of those things.
      
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      January 26, 2024 9:55am
      - Che Guava
        
        “It was never about vengeance.”
        
        Well that’s just wrong. Ask Benjamin Netanyahu if you don’t believe me.
        
        https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/07/israel-declares-state-of-war-alert-after-surprise-hamas-attack.html
        
        ““We will take mighty vengeance on this black day,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.”
        
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        January 26, 2024 11:25am
      - artemisia
        
        Israel reported recently that over 9,000 of deaths in Gaza were Hamas operatives. Believe it or don’t believe it, but there is a reasonable chance IDF has collected and holds some evidence. Hamas may also have evidence. Suspect less so given their current environment.
        
        One day each might have the chance to produce their evidence for examination and cross examination. A war crimes hearing could be that chance.
        
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        January 26, 2024 12:49pm
      - Libertarians are right
        
        Che – sorry, I meant it was never about vengeance against the Palestinian people. It was never about “you killed 1,200 of ours so we’ll kill 20,000 of yours”. That seems to be what you were suggesting which as I said is plainly wrong.
        
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        January 26, 2024 2:42pm
      - Che Guava
        
        “One day each might have the chance to produce their evidence for examination and cross examination. A war crimes hearing could be that chance.”
        
        Israel are currently set to be tried for the war crime of genocide, so you’ll get your wish soon enough.
        
        But let me meet you half way: I’m happy to dismiss the Palestinian’s figures, if you are willing to dismiss any of Israel’s counter claims, because clearly they are both deeply self-interested combatants and thus inherently biased towards their own cause.
        
        Seems reasonable, right?
        
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        January 26, 2024 2:43pm
      - Che Guava
        
        Quite the paradox isn’t it: downtick old Che Guava and in doing so deny the words of Bibi, or uptick Guava and thus accept that he is 100% right about the motivation being vengeance.
        
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        January 26, 2024 2:51pm
    - David Garrett
      
      Guava: So, you believe the death stats provided by Hamas do you? To be clear, I share the view that civilian casualties are a tragedy, and they should be avoided as much as possible, but I have zero trust in whatever Hamas says.
      
      But consider this: the Palestinians in Gaza continue to be ruled by the murderous Hamas with their consent. There are numerous examples of countries which overthrew their rulers – Mussolini in Italy; Gaddafi in Libya: fuck, even the American colonists in 1776.
      
      If the vast majority of those in Gaza didn’t want the horrible consequences which come from having a terrorist government, surely they can overthrow it?
      
      If I am being unrealistic, please do point out why and in what way.
      
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      January 26, 2024 9:55am
      - G152
        
        No David.
        You are not being unrealistic.
        The blame is on Iran and its footsoldiers.
        Israel is protecting herself and the moment there is a truce Iran will rearm her footsoldiers and have another go at destroying Israel
        
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        January 26, 2024 10:57am
      - Che Guava
        
        That’s a good title for an article on Israel’s activities in the Middle East over the last few decades:
        
        “Offence is Defence and other Orwellian Inversions”
        
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        January 26, 2024 11:16am
      - Che Guava
        
        I disagree as a first principle that Gazans should reject Hamas. What’s the alternative? Capitulate to the Israelis who have been blockading the area for the last 16 or 17 years? Why would they do that?
        
        If I was a Palestinian living in Gaza and being subjected to the oppressive actions of the Israelis, I’d support Hamas too. It is completely rational and predictable that a “terrorist organisation” would materialise in that case
        
        After all, Israel itself was founded on Jewish terror perpetrated by groups like the Irgun and Lehi, in the aim of fighting the “oppressive” and “hostile” Arab majority in proto-Israel. Even people who later became Israeli Prime Ministers, like Yitzhak Shamir, were former terrorists.
        
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        January 26, 2024 11:32am
      - David Garrett
        
        Guava: I thought you knew a thing or two about the Gazan situation? Unless I am much mistaken the Gaza strip was governed by an outfit called the Palestinian Authority headed by a fellow called Mahmoud Abbas as PM. I am no expert, but I think he was later voted out, along with his government, and Hamas took control. Or Hamas took control by force?
        
        So for the ordinary Palestinians it is clearly NOT just a binary choice between being ruled by Hamas or by Israel.
        
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        January 26, 2024 12:31pm
      - Lance
        
        @Che
        How come the West Bank Palestinians have rejected Hamas and are quite prosperous compared to the neighbouring Arab states?
        
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        January 26, 2024 1:36pm
      - Paulus
        
        It is suggested that the Palestinians photographed on TV twice over the last three days were shot by Israeli troops, but it is said the there were none in the area at the time and it is possible that a Hamas gunman shot him for the cameras and the publicity.
        Not for the first time they have killed their own people for Al Jezeera.
        
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        January 26, 2024 1:50pm
      - Che Guava
        
        Lance
        “How come the West Bank Palestinians have rejected Hamas and are quite prosperous compared to the neighbouring Arab states?”
        
        I suppose they are quite prosperous compared to, certainly Gazans, as the latter are being slaughtered wholesale or made to flee for their lives by the IDF, while the former are merely being illegally settled by Israelis and only sporadically killed by them: “Bloody Lookshury” as the Four Yorkshireme line goes.
        
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        January 26, 2024 2:48pm
      - Lance
        
        @Che
        No, your reply was woefully ignorant and ill informed.
        They are actually prosperous. The point being they choose NOT to attack Israel as a group. Colossal difference to Gazans who have allowed billions in aid to be pissed away on weapons and corruption perpetrated by the obscenely venal ‘leaders’.
        I do agree the illegal settlements on parts of the West Bank are completely unacceptable.
        
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        January 26, 2024 3:47pm
    - Jake Dee
      
      here is an edited version of a comment I just posted on The Democracy project about this particular issue.
      
      The ships hit by the Houthis in 2017-2021 were either warships enforcing a blockade or directly trading with Saudi Arabia. Commercial ships trading with belligerents in wartime are not innocent civilians minding their own peaceful business.
      We hear that these attacks are “illegal” yet the exact law that it violates is never mentioned. Sinking or otherwise interdicting supplies in wartime has always been regarded as normal practice. The US Navy has been stopping and sinking commercial ships as recently as last week. The British Navy has been doing it for centuries.
      It’s very important to realize that The Houthis /Ansar Allah are not mad dogs., they are the first group in history to score an operational hit with an anti-ship ballistic missile, they aren’t idiots. No doubt, mistakes are always possible but the idea that they don’t know what they’re doing is just not credible.
      There is every reason to suggest that they will respond to both carrots and sticks, they’ve made deals with Saudi Arabia after several years of war, and if there is to be any law in international affairs, we cannot allow it to be whatever law Washington, London or Brussels decide to write for themselves.
      In addition, comments like “Fuck Yemen” or how dare you defend pirate/terrorists etc. are not aimed at any solution, they are attempts to build a pseudo-moralistic alibi so that as the whole situation gets worse and worse you can still feel that none of the responsibility can be pinned on you or your faction.
      Don’t fix The Blame, fix The Problem.
      Additional additional.
      The winner of any war between America and Iran is going to be China. That’s worth considering.
      
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      January 26, 2024 7:41pm
  - the deity formerly known as nigel6888
    
    Another Green MP turns out to be a complete idiot? Remarkable, never saw that coming!
    
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    January 26, 2024 10:08am
- pdm
  
  Maggie to paraphrase Steve Abel.
  
  I pdm say it is shameful for he and the New Zealand Green Party to support the Hamas terrorists who slaughtered Israeli women and children in the 7 October Massacre.
  
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  January 26, 2024 8:32am
  - kowtow
    
    And while they condemn “American imperialism” they say nothing about the Persian Mullah’s fundamentalist religious imperialism that is behind this most dreadful business , including the fate of the hostages , whom no one seems to care about , not least the Saturday marchers.
    
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    January 26, 2024 8:50am
    - Damocles11
      
      As soon as you see that word ‘imperialist’ you know you are dealing with a Marxist or Trotskyite or some manner of ultra-Leftist. These are people Labour would have to go into coalition with if they want to get back into government.
      
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      January 26, 2024 9:22am
    - Che Guava
      
      Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
      Muslim nations tend to be Muslim by choice. That’s why places like Iran or Afghanistan revert back to type as soon as the US’s direct influence ends.
      
      Assuming that everyone wants to have a liberal democratic society, if only they could “move forward” from their “backward” illiberalism, by military force if necessary, is just a function of your own bias and personal prejudice.
      
      I can’t immediately think of any act of “fundamentalist religious imperialism” in the last few hundred years by a Muslim hegemon, whereas, at least since the end of WW2, the US has been constantly engaged in its imperialist project, by soft means where possible and by hard power where not, spreading it’s justifying doctrine of “liberal democracy” (i.e. being under the US’s sphere of ideological, social and economic influence) for its own benefit.
      
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      January 26, 2024 9:23am
      - kowtow
        
        ‘Muslim nations tend to be Muslim by choice.’
        
        Yeah right . The Middle East amd much of North Africa was Christian before what is historically and accurately called “the Arab conquests”.
        
        Persia was Zoroastrian ( remember how ISIS treated the yazidis)
        
        In the same way Jews have been ethnically cleansed in modern times from nearly every “Muslim” country in the ME , so too have the indigenous Christians .
        
        What “choices” have minorities there and that also applies to the numerous Islamic sub sects and marginalised tribes in those Muslim countries too.
        
        Choice .pffffffffft.
        
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        January 26, 2024 10:53am
      - Grunter
        
        Che – I’m genuinely interested, what is your view as to why Hamas did what they did on Oct 7th?
        
        I can not for the life of me get my head around why they would do it. Even the usual argument of “they were locked in an open-air prison” doesn’t logically work. What was their expectation to their action? It has clearly made their lives much worse (those that are still alive).
        
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        January 26, 2024 10:54am
      - Che Guava
        
        Isn’t it completely obvious why they did it? Because of the way they have been treated by the Israelis, particularly for the preceding two decades. To pretend that this isn’t the main reason and that the behaviour of the Israelis wasn’t the impetus is either willfully ignorant or delusional.
        
        People can support Israel all they like, but it is the almost total denial of facts, causality and complete disregard for the role of Jewish behaviour (in this as well as all the other Jewish “persecutions” throughout history) that indicates that it’s an emotionally-grounded support rather than any rational and sober conclusion they have reached.
        
        I ultimately really don’t give a shit about either the Palestinians or the Israelis, I am essentially just a disinterested onlooker, which is probably why I can assess the situation with a level head and clear eyes.
        
        “Even the usual argument of “they were locked in an open-air prison” doesn’t logically work.”
        
        Seems completely logical to me. Wouldn’t you be pissed off if you were them? I would.
        
        But you are correct: it certainly hasn’t benefitted the Palestinians, and it has greatly assisted the wider aims of the Zionists. No wonder the latter both failed to stop the 7 October attacks, and then sat on their hands for 7 or 8 hours before they responded.
        
        As I have rationally argued before, I you want an excuse to wage war, one of the best ways is to let yourself be attacked and use it as a pretext to do what you already wanted to do.
        
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        January 26, 2024 1:04pm
      - kowtow
        
        Grunter
        
        I see C G has answered your question.
        
        No serious analysis or even opinion on the latest outrage by Hamas can be complete without even a passing mention of the Tehran regime. And yet no mention.
        
        Much of the answer is there and that explains why all their proxies are involved , not just Gaza . But Lebanon , Syria , Iraq and Yemen .
        
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        January 26, 2024 2:23pm
      - Grunter
        
        Che – thx for the explaination, I agree with the general gist of what you are saying. I don’t see any innocent party in any of this, but after Oct 7th any 2-State type solution is gone forever I’m afraid – just being realistic – don’t downtick me for that at least 🙂
        
        I haven’t heard anyone credible come up with any solutions to this mess.
        
        I do follow plenty of commentators who actually predicted some time ago that something like this would blow up in the ME.
        
        None of them have nice predictions of where this is heading. I would love to hear from anyone who has a plausible “happy ending” story to this catastrophe.
        
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        January 26, 2024 2:28pm
  - Che Guava
    
    Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
    Is it any wonder that this conflict is completely unresolvable when the response to 1,200 dead on your own side is to kill 20 times that amount in retaliation, destroying most of Gaza, while sparking a wider conflict in the Middle East that may spread to most of the globe? Being justified in your response is not licence to act in unmitigated vengeance and to drag the rest of the world down with you. To say that Israel’s response has been radically disproportionate is the understatement of the decade.
    
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    January 26, 2024 9:07am
    - riffer
      
      Yes the response has been entirely disproportionate. But that is completely in character for Israel. They have ALWAYS done that. Hamas poked the bear. They knew that the bear was going to eat their women and children as retailiation. And they still did it.
      
      The only possible way now for Israel to get a win from this is to kill all the Palestinians. Anecdotal evidence says that the vast majority of Hamas fighters are orphans from previous Israeli actions, be they retaliation or provocation, I don’t really care any more.
      
      But if Israel don’t eliminate all the Palestinians, or drive them from what remains of their land, then whatever is left of the Palestinians are going to come at them very hard and very nasty – they are completely hardened as a population now and death will no longer matter.
      
      And that’s a big problem for Israel. I have no idea how they get out of this without actually performing a genocide, as the alternative is that they will find themselves on the receiving end, again and again.
      
      And gods help us if the Palestinians get one A-bomb. Because when you have nothing left to lose, taking your opponent out alongside you starts to look really attractive.
      
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      January 26, 2024 1:09pm
    - Paulus
      
      Israelis believe in Life whereas Muslims believe in Martyrdom and enough virgins.
      Sadly they are comparatively very generationally ill educated (at least).
      
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      January 26, 2024 1:54pm
      - riffer
        
        I wouldn’t dare generalise so flippantly.
        
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        January 26, 2024 2:18pm
- Jethrod
  
  He comes from that group called “The great unwashed”.
  
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  January 26, 2024 8:32am
- Southern Raider
  
  Is it just me or is Steve Abel trying to pull off the “Lenin” look?
  
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  January 26, 2024 8:45am
  - Maggie Pie
    
    OMG just googled and see what you mean!
    
    My fave comment….. “Ears like a Trophy”
    
    LOL,
    
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    January 26, 2024 9:16am
  - Damocles11
    
    Ho Chi Minh.
    
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    January 26, 2024 9:16am
  - JimBobJoe
    
    More Trotsky I would have thought with the glasses and beard…
    
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    January 26, 2024 9:43am
    - Jethrod
      
      Beware the ice pick!
      
      12 0
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      January 26, 2024 10:04am
      - kowtow
        
        In Mexico , oddly enuf.
        
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        January 26, 2024 1:26pm
    - the deity formerly known as nigel6888
      
      Unlikely to suffer the same fate however….
      
      Fortunately his fate will be worse, to share a caucus room with the lovely ladies of the Greens…
      
      Can’t imagine anything worse, personally. No wonder Shaw always looks haunted.
      
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      January 26, 2024 10:11am
      - Damocles11
        
        Shaw looks like that on the inside. He’s just cunning enough to wear a sharp suit.
        
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        January 26, 2024 1:39pm
- nathie
  
  First we have sloppy dress standards in parliament (by some) and now the Greens give us someone who has the appearance of a hobo that is on a continuous train journey.
  
  Would it be too much to ask to get a haircut (of what’s left) and tidy up the beard?
  
  After all it’s not like he can’t afford to do so on his “rich prick” salary.
  
  And Wellington does have its fair share of hipster barber shops so should come out looking quite “youth-adjacent”!
  
  Otherwise “our representative” sheesh what a disgrace!
  
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  January 26, 2024 10:01am
  - riffer
    
    Having said that, why should a representative to Parliament look like a narrow part of the population?
    
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    January 26, 2024 1:11pm
    - nathie
      
      Heh nice come back! I was in Cuba St recently and some older people seemed to look like him whilst the younger ones were dressed as fashionable hipsters. Then it seemed a small number of guys dressed like girls and a small number of girls didn’t dress with bras (maybe they thought they were guys but otherwise appeared feminine).
      
      Wokeington – thankfully there is only one!
      
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      January 26, 2024 1:49pm
      - riffer
        
        Cuba Street has always been thus. It’s the heart of alternative-ville.
        
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        January 26, 2024 2:20pm
Pope Punctilious II

The Royal Society of NZ is crowing about how they intend to discriminate against white males in this year’s awards.
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January 26, 2024 8:19am
- Arthur Fleck
  
  They ruined their credibility some time ago. I’d be embarrassed to call myself a member.
  
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  January 26, 2024 10:02am
NeverMindTheBollocks

Tory pedals while Rome drowns

Disgraced addict and Green Mayor Tory Whanau’s Council is pressing ahead with wildly unpopular cycle lanes to the Western Suburbs. Meanwhile, water use restrictions are applied while reticulate water supplies literally run down the drain.

It’s one thing to blame the pipes on previous Councils (true); it’s quite another not to prioritise their fixing. Why is Wellington Water not on a war footing?

If Tory had any integrity, she’d resign.
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January 26, 2024 8:19am
- Drone
  
  OMG NMTB, integrity in a green politician. Dream on.. //
  
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  January 26, 2024 10:42am
- jon
  
  Minister of Local Govt, Simeon Brown, needs to appoint commissioner/s to run the Wellington City Council. I undersatnd he is giving some consideration to doing so.
  
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  January 26, 2024 11:04am
  - artemisia
    
    Yesterday (ZB 16.45) Barry Soper thought a Wellington CC commissioner a good plan, and believed the Minister should be looking at this. He also said there are some good councillors but they are not well led.
    
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    January 26, 2024 12:59pm
- Damocles11
  
  Puff piece with her last night on OneEwes. In reality she is fiddling while Wellington drowns; the streets are running with water from the proliferation of leaks….and they want to press on with the luxury of cycle lanes. Water is a human necessity; access to plentiful clean water is one of the bedrocks of a highly developed society. Living standards in the nations capital are under attack due to intransigence and the bizarre priorities of the incompetent leftist mayor and council.
  
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  January 26, 2024 11:29am
  - riffer
    
    Well that’s a bit chicken licken.
    
    The water woes have been there for decades, with both left and right leaning mayors.
    
    You can’t claim that it’s only happened under this mayor.
    
    Besides, surely there is room to do more than one thing at a time? Perhaps Wellington Water needs to have a shakeup.
    
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    January 26, 2024 1:15pm
    - Bobba Fret
      
      Yes but maybe a good idea to prioritise fixing water leaks rather than cycle lanes.
      
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      January 26, 2024 2:04pm
- Paulus
  
  Tory would not know how to spell resign !
  
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  January 26, 2024 1:56pm
Simon

Ardern fronting something like disinformation project bollocks is like Michael Barrymore becoming a swimming pool salesman.
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January 26, 2024 8:21am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  The WEF has identified disinformation as the #1 problem facing the World.
  
  This year, the WEF has upped the ante, releasing a report that lists “misinformation and disinformation” as the No. 1 short-term risk facing the world—beating out interstate armed conflict, climate change, and lack of economic opportunity.
  
  https://news.yahoo.com/world-economic-forum-begging-trust-152711783.html
  
  Thank goodness we’ve got our Dear ex-PM looking after us all (again).
  
  Be safe.
  
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  January 26, 2024 9:22am
  - Taieri
    
    Thank goodness we’ve got our Dear ex-PM looking after us all (again)
    ————
    
    Indeed. I’m very optimistic about that. As we well know she was very successful with reducing child poverty and with building houses. Not mentioning planting trees and all sorts of other undertakings. The lady has a Midas touch.
    
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    January 26, 2024 9:46am
    - Don Beckett
      
      The difference between disinformation(think conspiracy theory) and the truth, is about 6 months.
      
      10 1
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      January 26, 2024 11:47am
  - Grunter
    
    The WEF and Ardern (same thing I know) are a very effective tool to spot disinformation.
    
    Whatever they say, the opposite is almost always true.
    
    13 1
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    January 26, 2024 10:58am
  - herb1
    
    Disinformation is the No 1 problem facing the World. Did WEF say there was too much or not enough?
    
    14 1
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    January 26, 2024 11:18am
    - Paulus
      
      Our so called media are experts at information – anything to get printed or on TV.
      
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      January 26, 2024 1:57pm
  - Ghost
    
    Problem is a lot of disinformation is coming from ‘experts’, and politicians.
    
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    January 26, 2024 11:40am
  - Jake Dee
    
    I actually agree with this one. I do think that disinformation and misinformation are our No.1 problem. Of course, I will the use the more common vernacular names of Lies and Bullshit (plus Liars and Bullshitters).
    
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    January 26, 2024 7:50pm
- ClanMcleod
  
  I’ve been away a fair bit, I’m guessing it’s been discussed in KB, but wtf was Luxon thinking giving Ardern a half million dollar a year gig to help restrict free speech even further?
  
  She’s hated by a substantial number of the people who helped him and his coalition partners get into power. What is he thinking? Is it one of those ‘keep your enemies closer’ things?
  
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  January 26, 2024 9:31am
  - Arthur Fleck
    
    They aren’t enemies, they are birds of a feather.
    
    15 3
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    January 26, 2024 10:08am
    - kiwi_chileno
      
      “The creatures outside looked from Labour to National, and from National to Labour, and from Labour to National again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.”
      
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      January 26, 2024 4:30pm
  - imalwaysright
    
    Luxon is naive.
    
    He thinks that appeasement and reason will win over the left.
    
    They are vindictive, entitled, and they hate him.
    
    They are already digging his political grave and will bury him in red tape.
    
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    January 26, 2024 11:15am
  - Ghost
    
    He didn’t. Chris Luxon did. National have not given any new funding. As Luxon said he doesn’t know much about it and is awaiting advise from officials before deciding what to do. My guess will be it will be rolled back into a govt department. All he has done is ask her to remain on while they decide what to do with it
    
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    January 26, 2024 4:39pm
- NothingLeft
  
  “Disinformation” really means Mal-information; Things that are true but damaging to preferred govt/elite narratives.
  
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  January 26, 2024 12:33pm
peterwn

Casey Costello (NZ First Associate Health Minister) is bringing some common sense to the cigarette business. She would be wanting to tread a reasonable path between smoking reduction (which is occurring) and mitigating issues (especially serious criminal activities) which would occur if taxes and other clamp down were excessive. With all due respect to Health Coalition Aotearoa co-chairperson Boyd Swinburn (whi incidently sued Cam Slater for defamation some years ago re his sugar tax proposal) if would be useful if he and his organisation assessed the best way of dealing with issues without brute force methods which could cause problems in other areas. For there used to be a ‘sugar tax’ in pre GST days but that did not seem to curb consumption of sweets, fizzy drinks etc.
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January 26, 2024 8:23am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  It’s as if folks on the left have no understanding how Black markets work…. but then again, they don’t seem to be very good at operating white markets, either.
  
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  January 26, 2024 9:26am
  - nathie
    
    Wonder if this might help with their understanding?
    
    Australia: Cigarettes now $50/pack v $20 on the blackmarket. The result?
    
    Australia’s tobacco turf war has escalated.
    
    Gangs are using youths to steal tobacco and firebomb stores and now the government is moving fast to crack down on the black market.
    
    Like a bomb, explosions continuously punctured Melbourne’s night sky overnight on Thursday, as flames engulfed a small neighbourhood tobacco store.
    
    It’s part of a string of suspected arson attacks in the city, fuelled by rival underworld gangs battling for control of the lucrative tobacco black market.
    
    Australian authorities call it “earn or burn” – where gangs target small tobacco stores and force them to either sell their smuggled smokes or go up in flames.
    
    It’s because Australia is one of the most expensive countries to be a smoker, where a pack costs AU$50 at retail price but just $20 on the black market.
    
    “Illegal cigarettes and illegal tobacco are an ATM for organised crime,” said Australia health minister Mark Butler.
    
    And the likes of the health academics, Labour, Greens, TPM and sympathetic media do not think this could happen here in NZ if the cost of cigarettes continue to increase?
    
    https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2024/01/australia-s-illegal-tobacco-turf-war-escalates-government-announces-188-million-to-stop-smuggling.html
    
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    January 26, 2024 10:34am
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      Well, the collateral damage is usually some poor Indian trying to keep the wolf from the door…and we know our Last Labour Government didn’t give a stuff about them being terrorised, beaten, or killed by our gangsta-wanna-bees.
      
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      January 26, 2024 11:45am
- Taieri
  
  Health Coalition Aotearoa
  ———–
  
  Health Coalition Aotearoa doesn’t seem to have had much success with reducing surgery waiting times. Is it because of the lack of interest?
  
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  January 26, 2024 9:41am
  - riffer
    
    No, it is more likely due to the ageing population bulge.
    
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    January 26, 2024 1:17pm
- nathie
  
  Be great if we could see MSM headlines like:
  
  “Out of touch rich-prick ivory tower academics want to further screw over the poor and addicted forcing some to steal to fund their $300/week smoking habit”!
  
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  January 26, 2024 10:15am
Damocles11

I’m hoping that the Coalition speakers train their verbal guns on that baleful ginger imp Hipkins when they get up to Waitangi. Labour is like an arsonist showing up gleefully at the conflagration they started, impeding the work of the fire fighters who are trying to extinguish the blaze. Hipkins bandied about inflammatory words such as ‘racist’ and ‘enemy’ at Ratana, as is trying to sheet stir as much as he possibly can. The media may disingenuously pretend that such rhetoric is normal from a Labour leader, but we all know it is beyond the pale. He is the true divisive figure in all of this, along with his ‘maori caucus’ side kicks Pene Henare, Willow Jean Prime, and Willie Jackson. Labour sent Maori up the garden path on co-governance, put them on a path of confrontation with other New Zealanders, and now wants to point the finger of blame at Seymour and the Coalition. Labour does not care about New Zealanders and the turmoil it has unleashed, it only cares about securing a path back to power by seeking to normalise radicals; it knows it is dead in the water without the crazed Te Pati Maori and Green activists and marxists. If ‘the gloves come off’ at Waitangi, Hipkins should be the number one target.
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January 26, 2024 8:24am
slightlyrighty

Each day, I get more astounded at the sheer Chutzpah of the political left, and the absolute belief of their own moral standpoint in all things.

We see Golriz and Kiri being labelled as victims for their own bad behaviour as adults, while National MPs get trolled for behaviour as teenagers.

We see Australia tying themselves in knots over the celebration of their national day, as if being Australian is something to be ashamed of!

We see Labour criticising the government for sending 6 NZDF personnel to the Red Sea to help protect freedom of the seas, while seemingly forgetting that Labour sent a Frigate to the area for the same reason on 3 separate occasions.

The Left will claim Race as a virtue, while claiming that being white is a privilege that we should be ashamed of. They claim that Gender should not matter, while crying out about Toxic Masculinity. They claim that Cis White Men are evil, while portraying anyone outside that definition as somehow without fault.

The Looney Left is getting more looney by the day
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January 26, 2024 8:25am
- kowtow
  
  ”The Looney Left is getting more looney by the day’
  
  A bigly part of the problem is te media fosters and normalises this lunacy .
  
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  January 26, 2024 10:58am
Tomtoddy

The WEF – a.k.a. the elites – couldn’t give a rat’s back end about poverty or the third world. There was no focus on dealing with the injustices, lack of opportunity, the continuing tragedy of poverty at Davos. Why would there be? Out of sight, out of mind. Private jets fly high enough to avoid any ‘unhelpful’ images of degradation, humiliation and pain of being poor.

Like tossing pennies into a beggar’s hat on the street, the developed nations have offered up some miserable dollars to appease the last vestiges of conscience as they ban developing countries use of coal, oil and gas. The very resources that made us wealthy and raised standards of living for the west is being denied to the poor nations. They have the resources, too.

The problem with the ‘miserable dollars is they get snavelled by consultants, politicians, supply companies at home. Sweet fanny gets to do anything of value in breaking poverty.
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January 26, 2024 8:28am
- cmm
  
  Part of this problem are the big questions:
  * Apart from wringing your hands, what can you really do?
  * Unintended consequences are a bitch. Playing nanny-knows-best in cultures you do not understand often backfires.
  
  People make the broken assumption that other people feel exactly how they do. Nope, they don’t they value things differently – even human life.
  
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  January 26, 2024 8:34am
  - Tomtoddy
    
    You can do exactly what the dear old mother country, England did with her colonies 200 years ago – trade with them, foster freedom, democratic processes, invest in exploiting their resources, fight corruption and injustice. Simple remedies that work.
    
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    January 26, 2024 8:45am
    - cmm
      
      Yup, I think that is the best you can really do.
      
      “Exploited” is a bit of a loaded word. I’d have said “developed”.
      
      There is a reason South Africa is the least shithole part of Africa. That’s because it was the most developed and most colonised by Britain.
      
      There are also solid reason why South West Africa (now Namibia) completely changed its fortunes after the Germans were replaced by the Brits. The Brits brought stability and development that the Germans did not. They stamped out slavery that the Germans turned a blind eye to.
      
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      January 26, 2024 9:07am
      - mandk
        
        From everything I’ve read and heard, Botswana wins the prize for rule of law, lack of corruption and democracy.
        
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        January 26, 2024 9:19am
      - cmm
        
        mandk: Botswana is effectively still colonised – by the mining companies.
        
        The mining companies need roads, so they build them and everyone uses them.
        They need electricity, hospitals, airports, etc etc so all these things get built and happen and the people get to participate.
        
        What makes Botswana different is that the people and the government understand this. They do not get greedy and try to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.
        
        There have been a few attempts in Botswana to stir up the people through envy and greed (like they have in the whole of the rest of Africa), but these have never taken root.
        
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        January 26, 2024 9:50am
      - Paulus
        
        The Indian Railways are the largest, and still one of the very best in the World, as put in by English Railway people over 120 years ago.
        
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        January 26, 2024 2:02pm
      - Jake Dee
        
        In partial response to mandk, Botswana is an interesting case. I found this article from Palladium magazine very interesting.
        
        ” it seems that Botswana is actually an unofficial adoptive monarchy around the old royal family, quite similar to the case of the Roman Empire, where the head of state picks the successor and gives him the junior position”
        
        https://letter.palladiummag.com/p/what-botswana-can-teach-us-about
        
        Political alliances by marriage across racial lines have also played an important part. So two cheers for democracy.
        
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        January 26, 2024 8:04pm
- Random T Person
  
  And as we well know Tomtoddy, money doesn’t solve poverdy anyway, productivity does.
  
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  January 26, 2024 8:53am
- Dudley Quaffquaff
  
  But, as you yourself say below, we know what needs to be done about poverty at the global level. We’re doing it, we’ve been doing it for years, and it’s working. Isn’t it more important to explore problems and potential solutions where we’re still floundering?
  
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  January 26, 2024 8:59am
Bridgenag

For the thinkers….
Cognitive Warfare, Targeting your Subconscious
There is only one rule in warfare. There are no rules.

“Cognitive warfare is no longer science fiction. Cognitive warfare is a fact of the modern age and everyone, whether civilian or military, is a potential target. Cognitive attacks are aimed at exploiting emotions rooted in our subconscious, bypassing our rational conscious mind. This is achieved by exploiting biases, fallacies, emotions and automatisms, but also through nanotechnology, biotechnology and information technology.”

Commander Cornelis van der Klaauw, Royal Netherlands Navy and Strategic Communications

https://open.substack.com/pub/rwmalonemd/p/cognitive-warfare-targeting-your?r=1aj1bv&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
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January 26, 2024 8:30am
- Che Guava
  
  “Cognitive attacks are aimed at exploiting emotions rooted in our subconscious, bypassing our rational conscious mind. This is achieved by exploiting biases, fallacies, emotions and automatisms.”
  
  That neatly explains the frothing-at-the-mouth Zionism evident on these pages for the last few months.
  
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  January 26, 2024 9:30am
  - JimBobJoe
    
    Ahhh Che…… you dont like Jews and everyone who disagrees with you is frothing at the mouth.
    
    You are some special kind of Useful Idiot, truly you are. Please dont change, the belly laughs at your posts of the last 14 weeks have been therapeutic…
    
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    January 26, 2024 9:47am
    - Che Guava
      
      “…you dont like Jews and everyone who disagrees with you is frothing at the mouth.”
      
      I think that’s a complete projection: most of you apparently love Jews no matter what they do and anyone who doesn’t similarly love them is anti-semitic. It’s like a mass delusion or something.
      
      It’s not that I don’t like Jews in a vacuum, it’s that I am very critical of their behaviour and its effects.
      
      These are very different propositions, but when Jews pretend that anyone who criticises them is the one with the problem, rather than them being at fault, this is an effective rhetorical device for never having to be held to account for their actions.
      
      This is no different that the tactics Maori use, borrowed from the Jews, that any criticism of Maori must be an expression of racism. I think we can all understand the fallacy and the motivations for it in that case, yet when it comes to “anti-semitism” claimed by the Jews, you typically brainwashed dullards don’t seem to even notice that the same game of deflecting criticism and avoiding accountability is being played.
      
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      January 26, 2024 10:49am
      - imalwaysright
        
        If Palestinian and Israeli were interchanged most commenters on this site wouldn’t notice the difference.
        
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        January 26, 2024 12:02pm
  - Libertarians are right
    
    Or your own anti-Zionism?
    
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    January 26, 2024 10:05am
- Jake Dee
  
  thanks for that, I’ll check it out.
  Perhaps you might be interested in Nick Land’s Xenosystem Fragments, particularly the short essay
  “War is God” which covers similar themes.
  
  “Colonels Qiao Liang and Wang Xiangsui argued that war was no longer about “using armed forces to compel the enemy to submit to one’s will” in the classic Clausewitzian sense. Rather, they asserted that war had evolved to “using all means, including armed force or non-armed force, military and non-military, and lethal and non-lethal means to compel the enemy to accept one’s interests.” The barrier between soldiers and civilians would fundamentally be erased, because the battle would be everywhere. The number of new battlefields would be “virtually infinite,” and could include environmental warfare, financial warfare, trade warfare, cultural warfare, and legal warfare, to name just a few…
  https://ia601609.us.archive.org/25/items/xenosystems-fragments/XENOSYSTEMS_FRAGMENTS.pdf
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QxRu1_6m9E&t=13s
  
  Nick Land serves up some pretty weird and heavy stuff. He’s gone so far out into the cold dark deep space of cybernetic artificial intelligence that he’s actually flipped back into the hermetic intelligence of the ancient sorcerers.
  Spooky stuff but probably one of the most interesting thinkers alive today. Proceed with caution.
  
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  January 26, 2024 8:21pm
My-Gumboot

I guess I’ll never know what John Campbell’s controversial \ curious career twist at TVNZ is, or get a take on Jack Tame’s wedding party.
Thankfully, NZ Herald has put it in premium, behind the paywall.
I’ll save the buck 5o.
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January 26, 2024 8:40am
- Damocles11
  
  Some utter mug is paying up for the privilege of reading a gossip column devoted to leftist media jackals. ‘Premium’, yeah right.
  
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  January 26, 2024 10:38am
Yvette

Is the current Kiri Allen defence, being conducted through the eager media, a little like SVU (Universal channel10) when a lawyer says something the Judge disallows and the lawyer knew already that would be the reaction and immediately withdraws the inappropriate remark or question, and says “No more questions for this witness” as the Judge tells the jury to disregard the last statement – but, Merde! – DO THEY EVER?!
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January 26, 2024 8:43am
Matt Long

Medical student in US will move states if she doesn’t get to kill full term babies in her course in Wisconsin.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/wisconsin-medical-student-admits-support-full-term-abortion-leave-state-training-banned
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January 26, 2024 8:54am
- lifesgood
  
  Pure evil. What have we come to when people feel free to express the wish to murder babies?
  
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  January 26, 2024 9:47am
- G152
  
  She is going to see things that the usual population should never see. Maybe the world of medicine is not for her
  
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  January 26, 2024 11:03am
cmm

Digging for info for a response elsewhere, I came across this:

We spend more per prisoner than any other country mentioned: EURO350 a day ($NZ 620 a day)!

Japan spends only EURO 13 a day ($NZ25). Their prisoners work and are, essentially, self supporting.

Guess which gets the best results (as measured by recidivism rates)? Japan!
Guess which has the worst results? NZ!

Spending $600+ per day per prisoner is disgusting. Where is that all going? Clearly it isn’t being spent well.

https://www.penalreform.org/blog/imprisonment-is-expensive-breaking-down-the-costs-and/
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January 26, 2024 9:00am
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  Well, CMM, those costs will include head office. Wellington cafes don’t fund themselves, you know.
  
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  January 26, 2024 9:07am
- MCōs
  
  While not defending whatever it costs to house prisoners it seems there’s a certain amount of disagreement
  Accorded to this article it’s way lower than that article, though still expensive
  Where do these people get their “facts” from?
  https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/exclusive-expensive-failure-new-zealands-cost-per-prisoner-rises-while-jail-population-dwindles/PUIH52GXWSLRYXFWZAUM3L5SZU/
  
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  January 26, 2024 9:33am
  - cmm
    
    Of course it is going to depend on how you measure and likely, or hopefully, people writing reports are using a reasonably consistent yardstick.
    
    I would says a reasonable way to measure cost per prisoner is to take the whole corrections budget (almost $2bn) and divide that by the number of prisoners (about 8800). Yes, I know that they also manage home D people etc, but they cost way less.
    
    $2bn/8800 = $222k per year = $620 per day. That is consistent with the report.
    
    Absurd!
    
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    January 26, 2024 10:00am
    - cmm
      
      Even the Herald numbers you give are $150k per year = $410 per day. These likely exclude some of the overheads. Still a ridiculous number.
      
      All that is spent and the recidivism rate (ie. the effectiveness of the “corrections”) is the lowest in the world (or very close).
      
      People are coming out of NZ prisons still unable to read and write.
      
      Even a student in med school only cost us a third of what a prisoner costs us!
      
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      January 26, 2024 10:14am
      - NothingLeft
        
        We should establish offshore prisons in the Pacific Islands we support – they’d get jobs and we could hopefully save 90% of prison costs.
        
        We shouldn’t let them have contact with other prisoners in jail – it just normalises awful attitudes and behaviours. Give them a couple of hours of video calls a day to non-criminal folks and perhaps counsellors.
        
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        January 26, 2024 10:28am
      - cmm
        
        Nothing: First off, these prisoners should be doing something useful in prison – helping pay their way.
        
        For $610 a day (or even “only” the Herald’s $400 a day) it would be cheaper to put them up in hotels with room service. But that’s not going to work.
        
        It is my understanding that in Japan the prisoners spend a large % of the day doing factory work in workshops,. They also spend time in education and doing group exercises etc. Discipline is everything: the prisoners call the officers “boss” and have to show respect.
        
        I think that is far more along the lines of what we should have in NZ: prison farms or factories where the prisoners actually do physical work and make something useful and get some accomplishment.
        
        * Start the day at 6 am: an hour of group exercise followed by breakfast.
        * Work in fields/workshop/job: At least 4 hours a day of that.
        * Education: at least 3 hours a day of school level education or, for those who have passed school, some trade or correspondence university level education.
        * Two hours a day of chores/maintenance/kitchen duties etc.
        * An hour a day of “reeducation”, be that drug rehab, learning responsibility, whatever.
        * An hour a day of social/community stuff: singing, acting, sport, etc..
        
        At all times, prison staff are “boss” or “sir” etc, no pally pally nonsense tolerated.
        
        That’s a pretty busy 12 hour programme that keeps them busy from 6am to 8pm, allowing 2 hours for meals. Keeps them out of mischief as well as improving their competence.
        
        This would cost way less and would accomplish far more.
        I’ll wager that people who have been through a programme like that will have much lower recidivism rates and come out far more able to reintegrate into society.
        
        Sure, there are going to be extreme cases like Burton who would not fit in with a programme like that but those are really just in long term storage until they die.
        
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        January 26, 2024 1:38pm
      - NothingLeft
        
        Sounds good to me, but still cheaper to do in Islands, with lower cost guards and utilites. Nice weather menas could put them in tents outdoors inside high-walled compounds.
        
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        January 26, 2024 2:33pm
      - cmm
        
        NothingLeft: They did a good job of it with the Siberian prisons….
        
        During their “free time” (ie. after working about 8 hours of hard work a day), prisoners were allowed to chop fire wood for winter. Motivating, because if they didn’t they froze.
        
        Nor could they keep all the wood they cut. It was “taxed”. They only got to keep about a third of what they cut. The rest was used by the guards or sold in town to buy extra rations or other treats & tobacco etc for prisoners beyond their very basic state-provided food.
        
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        January 26, 2024 4:35pm
  - mandk
    
    To assess the true cost of keeping people in prison, it would be necessary to take account of the counterfactual.
    
    Most people in prison have multiple convictions, as well as many offenses that don’t lead to a conviction.
    
    Keeping these people in prison avoids costs, associated with offenses that are prevented. In effect, these avoided costs are a benefit that should be deducted from the imprisonment costs.
    
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    January 26, 2024 11:22am
    - mandk
      
      Further to the above, I was on a jury for a manslaughter trial that lasted a week, and I estimate that the cost of the trial alone would have amounted to around $100k, allowing for the cost of the judge, lawyers, expert witnesses, court officials, security and corrections officers, jury and other witnesses.
      
      And that doesn’t allow for the various costs incurred before and after the trial itself.
      
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      January 26, 2024 1:46pm
    - cmm
      
      mandk: I don’t dispute that keeping some people in prison, even at $620 a day, is cheaper than having them run amok in society.
      
      But still it does not need to cost us $610 each. Why not $25?
      
      $620 per day each is $2bn a year. That could build a hospital or a few schools. It could pay our 50,000 or so nurses an extra $40k a year each and give us the pick of the world. It could pay down the terrible debt we’re leaving for our kids.
      
      The worst part of this is that even though we’re paying the most in the world we’re still getting the worst outcomes – with the highest recidivism in the world.
      
      If we were paying what Japan is paying ($25 a day), and were getting the same results as them (about a third of the recidivism) we’d have half the prison population and it would cost us around $50M a year – not $2000M a year.
      
      We should be getting something closer to that.
      
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      January 26, 2024 4:47pm
      - NeverMindTheBollocks
        
        Can we outsource our prisoners to Japan?
        
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        January 26, 2024 9:26pm
- David Garrett
  
  cmm: When I see morons like Hone the Racist and members of the Green Party saying they want to “abolish prisons” I wonder just what they think we should do instead with the Graeme Burtons William Bells, Paul Tainuis and other lesser known names – and hell, their most despised prisoner Tarrant?
  
  Do they really believe that someone like Burton or Bell can be reformed with just the right kind of “Maori therapy”? How would Tarrant respond to Maori therapy when he is Australian, and probably knows next to nothing about Maori?
  
  Consider this: in 2006 the Parole Board’s rejection of an application for parole by one Rufus Marsh – one of New Zealand’s second time killers – contained this encouraging gem: ” Mr Marsh is responding well to bi-cultural therapy [whatever the fuck that might be] and is making good progress towards a release date”
  
  Twelve months later, after Graeme Burton had been released and killed one man (Burton cheerfully admitted to “gutting him like a deer”) and damn near killed a second man, the Parole Board had taken a very different turn with regard to Marsh, saying that “he would not be released until wearied by age” No more mention of “bi-cultural therapy”
  
  (Shortly thereafter Marsh did everyone a favour and topped himself)
  
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  January 26, 2024 10:38am
  - Swifty
    
    I knew Rufus, he was a great mate of Skull Williams who I did auto-electrical work for while they both were working for Shift-A-Flat.
    
    Skull Williams also had the ‘Ball and Chain’ prisoners rehab shop in Cuba St.
    
    Rufus had deep, deep issues – he was a lost cause. He’d get out and go straight back in, almost always for violence offences.
    
    I never felt good around him, unlike Skull who was a good bugger.
    
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    January 26, 2024 12:50pm
  - riffer
    
    Given that scum Burton killed a friend of mine (Paul Anderson) I’d be happy to see him rot forever in jail.
    
    There are some who cannot be rehabilitated. Bicultural therapy works on some, who genuinely take up the offer. Just like religion, or education, or some kind of vocational training.
    
    The trick is in working out which ones it will help.
    
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    January 26, 2024 1:22pm
  - cmm
    
    DG: Putting terminal scum like Burton aside, I would not mind so much if the bloody prisons actually achieved some “correction”.
    
    The Japs can seem to get it right spending less than a tenth of what we do. Surely we should be able to achieve better? I have expressed some ideas elsewhere. They might seem a bit “bootcamp” but that would likely help put prisoners on a better path.
    
    It really isn’t about the money we’re spending on them.What really costs us more is that they come out uncorrected and we have the highest recidivism in the world. They keep offending and the cost of their continued offending costs us massively.
    
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    January 26, 2024 2:37pm
- PurplePen
  
  Well if we spend half a million on pedestrian crossings, half a billion on light rail paperwork, countless millions or has it gotten to billions on consultants’ reports for any number of topics, is it any wonder we’re also inefficient in this area also.
  
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  January 26, 2024 12:46pm
Damocles11

Over and over on-line Leftist commentators, and even the likes of RNZ, are saying that Seymours bill is ‘an attempt to re-write the Treaty’. It isn’t. Not one word of the Treaty is to be changed. Not one.

I thought the Left were very hot on disinformation? Apparently it is one of the worst things about our modern times, and yet here is blatant disinformation actually being propagated and spread by state media outlets.

What is the ‘Disinformation Project’ doing about this?
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January 26, 2024 9:01am
- ClanMcleod
  
  The left and their media poodles are only interested in narrative control. ‘Disinformation’ is simply a label to be thrown at anything that doesn’t fit their narrative, whether it is true or not.
  
  As banal as calling someone an ‘anti vaxxer’ even thought they had every single jab except the covid experiment. It’s the negative connotation, so it’s thrown randomly in the hope that a little sticks.
  
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  January 26, 2024 9:37am
- David Garrett
  
  Damocles: The left are unashamed liars. When the three strikes (3S) Bill was progressing through parliament, the Howard League and one Kim Workman brought out a clergyman from California and toured him around the country telling audiences what a truly dreadful thing 3S was, and equating our version with its very different California parent.
  
  My excellent EA moved heaven and earth trying by all means possible to engage with the League and Workman, trying to get me on a platform to debate the learned Reverend. Sally was unable to get any response.
  
  Once the Reverend was safely back in California he did an interview with Red Radio in which he said ” When I was in Noo Zealand Mr Garrett, the leader of the ACT Party, simply refused to debate me”
  
  Not only was this totally untrue, but it was the complete opposite of what had transpired. Lefties: telling barefaced lies since 1916 – well, since forever really.
  
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  January 26, 2024 10:47am
  - Colville
    
    DG.
    Bare faced liars who are very good at the media games.
    It’s a dangerous combination.
    
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    January 26, 2024 11:34am
  - Damocles11
    
    It’s their ‘the ends justify the means’ credo David, they believe that lying is fully justified if it advances the cause of their (impossible to define) ‘fairness’ and ‘social justice’. (One persons fair is another persons unfair, where is the innate ‘justice’ in taking from the productive and giving to the indolent?)
    
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    January 26, 2024 12:54pm
  - gravedodger
    
    “The left are unashamed liars.”
    
    Aint that a fact?
    Airbus Albo, just keeps digging,
    Yesterday at The Canberra Press Club he had trouble clearing the lip of the current hole with a sudden reneging of support for stage three taxcuts?
    
    He is being accused of outright lying after Grim Jim Chalmers seems to have climbed out of the hole fearing a collapse.
    
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    January 26, 2024 5:57pm
- PurplePen
  
  I’m going to write to the Disinformation Ministry or whatever they’re called right now .. good point.
  
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  January 26, 2024 12:47pm
- Paulus
  
  Look it is the medias role totally to deny this elected Government by twisting every and anything the Government does and try and split the triumvirate in any way.
  They will never grow up as they never got elected.
  At least Jessica saw the writing on the wall and gone to ANZ Bank – in their favour ?
  And the Customer of course.
  
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  January 26, 2024 2:07pm
thirteenstars

Labour never got a chance to implement its draconian hate speech regime but it would appear the police are doing it anyway.

The Free Speech Union has taken up the case of a man arrested for merely displaying an Israeli flag at a Palestine rally.

Here’s the official police statement of facts:

https://ibb.co/Ntj54Mx

Maxwell did leave when instructed, and took his flag with him. Later, he came back to the same public location, having left his flag behind this time.

That was when he was arrested for obstruction. This seems like a stock-standard case of counter-protest, but if he’s found guilty he will face a fine of thousands of dollars, or up to 3 months in prison.

They are using “breach of the peace” to suppress free speech. Their justification? That the Palestinian rally organisers simply told them they felt that any display of Israeli regalia was “violence” towards them, which is exactly the basis of hate speech laws.

The FSU said:

When an individual can’t peacefully fly a flag as counter-protest in a public space, because individuals interpret this as ‘violence’ towards them, our speech rights are dead.

The use of ‘breach of the peace’ laws to suppress lawful protest is a development the Free Speech Union has observed overseas, particularly in Britain, but more recently also in Canada and Australia. We insist this practice must not be accepted in New Zealand.
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January 26, 2024 9:10am
- NothingLeft
  
  That is the sort of thing that should be fixed by the Minister immediately. (and legislation if needed)
  
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  January 26, 2024 10:30am
  - thirteenstars
    
    The FSU have sent a detailed letter to Mark Mitchell (Minister of Police) and Judith Collins (Attorney General) with a cc to Andrew Coster, Police Commissioner.
    
    It’s the police culture that is the problem and that has taken years to evolve, really only cemented into place under Ardern’s Labour government.
    
    It’s not like Coster made these decisions to arrest. That was the officers and their supervisors at ground level, but no doubt advised by the police legal team. You don’t suddenly start silencing protest in this manner without some intention by officers to do exactly that and in a biased manner.
    
    We all know what happened at Albert park in March last year where a couple of thousand trans activists and supporters violently shut down a small rally by a handful of mostly middle-aged women. According to the way this arrest was performed the police should have arrested at least a couple of hundred in Albert Park.
    
    That’s the most disturbing thing. Despite the outrage over that shameful failure of duty, the police seem to have doubled down on woke enforcement of the law.
    
    Frankly, I have no confidence in Mitchell because I’ve never known a Police Minister to do anything but close ranks with the police when in fact it should be their job to hold police accountable.
    
    Collins as AG has a duty to uphold the Bill of Rights so we’ll see if she’s got some grit.
    
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    January 26, 2024 11:15am
    - Aria_Asta
      
      The IPCA has recently received a deluge of complaints from people arrested for breach of the peace in almost identical circumstances to Maxwell. Maxwell’s case is by no means an isolated instance: it is simply the first time this issue has made its way into the public eye. There is going to be a major IPCA report released on this issue in about July 2024.
      
      This is the inevitable consequence of a police force which is not accountable. As Lord Acton said, “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” The IPCA doesn’t even have the ability to formally discipline police officers, let alone the discretion to prosecute. Those powers lie with the police, who have a conflict of interest. This urgently needs addressing.
      
      Matters are even worse in the case of dishonest police officers where there is no proof of what happened one way or the other. The police in Maxwell’s case did at least not invent stuff about him, although they could have done. Bodycams for every police officer in this country need to be implemented immediately.
      
      Police misuse of breach of the peace laws is now absolutely rampant, and yes I am in a position to know that. But what is also rampant, and what isn’t in the public eye yet, is the fact that most law-abiding people if they are not familiar with their legal rights (which 95% of people aren’t) will comply with a police order if threatened with arrest, or if it is implied via tone or body language that police have the right to order them to do xyz. What that means is that the number of such people actually arrested is an extreme minority and the rest fly under the radar, resulting in the curbing of legitimate speech rights.
      
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      January 26, 2024 3:32pm
      - thirteenstars
        
        Very well said.
        
        I’d only add that there has always existed in NZ a strange attitude towards authority that amounts to the old morony: if you’ve done nothing wrong, you’ve got nothing to worry about.
        
        But in an increasingly complexworld where the state commands great power every person must not only know their rights but jealously guard them.
        
        Start here:
        
        https://communitylaw.org.nz/community-law-manual/chapter-30-police-powers/police-powers/
        
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        January 26, 2024 5:40pm
- kowtow
  
  Judging by how ridiculous the “facts” of that case are ,I reckon Plod could as easily arrest and charge any left/extremist/Hamas huggers who approach them at these disgusting displays of support for violence ( particularly against women hostages , still detained) and who claim the display of a Star of David is “violence” on the basis that they are knowingly , willfully and deliberatly making a false report to police and/or wasting police time and/or obstructing them as per the details in that case above .
  
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  January 26, 2024 1:37pm
  - thirteenstars
    
    The problem is the police agree that displaying the Israeli flag in that context *is* tantamount to violence.
    
    The police are the problem, not the nutty protestors.
    
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    January 26, 2024 2:45pm
RoboRob

I have, unfortunately, been watching the TV1 breakfast show this week. I am stunned that the bosses at TVNZ allow this show to continue, they clearly are not watching it. Incredibly hard Left bias aside, the presenters (excluding the Maori fellow) are just terrible. They are amateurish in their presentation and come across like air heads. The blonde woman and news guy seem like genuinely nasty pieces of work. I would not want to associate with them. What is TVNZ thinking?

With regards to the extreme left viewpoint. I was stunned when the blonde lady was happily explaining that you get n sick days a year and are entitled / expected to use them all every year even if it is something like ‘I cant come to work today as mum hasn’t washed my undies’. This matches her (and the news guys) firm belief that people at work fluff around sometimes so people should be allowed to work from home and employers should be expect them to spend much of the day doing things other than work. Just stunning and I fear the influence of people like this on our young people.
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January 26, 2024 9:12am
- MCōs
  
  The ‘Māori fellow’, Daniel Faitaua, is Samoan
  
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  January 26, 2024 9:47am
  - lifesgood
    
    Samoan Daniel Faitaua is no way a leftie. He is essentially conservative and I agree with many of his view points. I don’t know what RoboRobo is on about. Sometimes I think people hear one little view point and that’s it, they tar everyone with the same brush.
    
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    January 26, 2024 9:52am
    - RoboRob
      
      Re read my post. I said that all except ‘the Maori’ guy seemed un professional. I then talked about the blonde woman and the news guys extreme left views.
      
      I dont know anything about Danial, including apparently his race 🙂 I specifically excluded him from my comments! I am impressed that I apparently identified the right wing guy as the more professional presenter.
      
      Yes my one week of viewing, probably about 30mins all up each day, only gives me a peak at the views and quality of the show. However my experience leaves me surprised by the extreme views proposed by the show and the, IMO, poor quality of the presenters. I am surprised that TVNZ, a struggling organisation, would stick with this lineup.
      
      You can be hard left or right but as a presenter you shouldn’t be pushing your views as if they are mainstream, which is what three of the four presenters were doing.
      
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      January 26, 2024 10:56am
    - RoboRob
      
      Also I have a post from earlier than yours, in response to MCos, that says….
      
      ‘Shows how much I know 🙂 This is the first time I have ever watched said show. p.s. I like daniel but he seems out of place.’
      
      Its still waiting for moderation.
      
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      January 26, 2024 11:21am
    - Paulus
      
      Isn’t Faitaua (as Samoan) he not a former Labour Ardern MP ?
      
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      January 26, 2024 2:11pm
  - RoboRob
    
    Shows how much I know 🙂 This is the first time I have ever watched said show. p.s. I like daniel but he seems out of place.
    
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    January 26, 2024 10:02am
- Bobba Fret
  
  Yes thanks to Labour and the increasing sick leave to 10 days a year (using Covid as an excuse). We have a couple at work who ensure they use up their 10 days…..always sick on Mondays and Fridays only. Still manage to play sports in the weekend though. Amazing how quickly they recover after a day off! Always nice when they run out of sick leave which is usually around three months after the 10 days have been allocated.
  
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  January 26, 2024 10:28am
  - RoboRob
    
    So many people, especially young, think that sick leave is part of their holiday leave with the added bonus of not having to give notice of when you want to use it.
    
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    January 26, 2024 11:00am
  - riffer
    
    I wonder if paying out the unused portion of sick leave at the end of each year would make an effective difference.
    
    Like people who get pissed at the amount of breaks smokers get compared to non smokers, those who don’t get sick as often look on those who do as malingerers or entitled jerks.
    
    Given that it “is” an entitlement, some recognition should be given to those who don’t take it. Because if it isn’t, there sure is an incentive to take “mental health days”.
    
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    January 26, 2024 1:27pm
- Damocles11
  
  I do believe there has been an effort by TVNZ to make the Breakfast show of 2024 even more woke and activist. You could see it in the promos they were running for it: Dave Letele now drafted in and Jenny May seemingly running the whole thing.
  Maybe that’s why McLean left:
  “We need you to be even more woke.”
  “That’s not humanly possible!”
  
  The Coalition is the first new centre right government we’ve had since the Trump Presidency ended. The US media saw themselves as ‘the resistance’ during Trumps term and actively talked about themselves as such. I think our media picked up on that & are seeing themselves in the same terms: some bunch of freedom fighters ‘keeping hope alive in the darkness’ or some such bs.
  
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  January 26, 2024 1:07pm
- Paulus
  
  And you wonder why New Zealand’s productivity is dropping continually.
  
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  January 26, 2024 2:10pm
oldpark

Last time I saw NZs Democratic Election Results on the 14 10 2023 the results said Ardern/Hipkins Cabal had got beaten in fact hammered .
Yet according what one reads in the so called NZ Mainstream Media plus the Labour/Green /Maori Party seems that bunch of no hopers are now the self appointed defacto mouthpieces for all and sundry on what when and how NZ should be Governed Plus a cast of untold numbers from Unions, Universities supported by Public Servants ranting as well .
Makes one wonder why NZs had a General Election recently and why a change of Adults now in charge of NZs well being and a Government that is there for the future for all of the population not just a small percentage should cause so much lefty heartburn.
Of course for some reason or other the Born to Rule Lefties in NZ cant comprehend that “we won they lost”.To quote a phrase once uttered by another of their favourite go to mouthpieces when they got the Numbers .
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January 26, 2024 9:15am
- Matt Long
  
  The Labour coalition AND the Media Party lost, don’t expect them to just lie down and accept it.
  
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  January 26, 2024 10:08am
- Paulus
  
  Such behaviour is going to become more prevalent as is already showing with confidential papers being leaked to the media to embarrass the ELECTED Government.
  They became used to it under Ardern’s lies so now it is expected.
  
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  January 26, 2024 2:16pm
krazykiwi

Trudeau Government Faked Intelligence to Frame Freedom Convoy Truckers as Violent Extremists, Investigation Finds.

New Zealand is mentioned in the context of 5-Eyes, and NZ Police has been asked for comment which they have declined … for privacy reasons. Funny that. Privacy wasn’t front-of-mind when human rights were being trampled as our then PM was busy throwing KFC workers et al under the bus.
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January 26, 2024 9:22am
- ClanMcleod
  
  Undoubtedly the same thing happened in NZ. The Wellington protesters were labelled as all the usual from the list. ‘Far right’, ‘misogynist’, ‘racist’ etc etc.
  
  The vitriol from the media as fraudulent as it was vicious.
  
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  January 26, 2024 9:41am
  - Blog-aholic
    
    Indeed, labelled far right etc. but the poll taken showed that most were Labour voters etc……
    
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    January 26, 2024 9:56am
    - mandk
      
      Curia did a survey of people at the anti-mandate protest.
      
      From what I remember, it found that the protesters were fairly representative of the NZ population in terms of age, ethnicity and political leanings, with perhaps a slight over-representation of Māori and Labour voters.
      
      I spent a fair bit of time at the protest and talked to hundreds of people there. They all seemed pretty ordinary folk to me, apart from one bloke who I guessed was an undecover cop.
      
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      January 26, 2024 10:24am
      - krazykiwi
        
        Yes, that was my observation too. I don’t believe I’ve seen a more diverse cross-section of New Zealanders represented at any previous event.
        
        Apparently, people of all shapes, walks, and background don’t like tyranny. Who knew?
        
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        January 26, 2024 11:57am
- krazykiwi
  
  As a sideline, this is how 5-Eyes can be manipulated in order to circumvent domestic restrictions on states spying on their own citizens. An example:
  
  1. Canada to New Zealand on a back channel; We have this chap, [inserts full details of Canadian citizen] who is a bit of a bother for us. Nudge. Nudge.
  
  2. New Zealand to Canada; We have identified a Canadian citizen [inserts full details of Canadian citizen] as a suspect, possibly terrorist behaviours. Would you please (a) investigate on our behalf, and (b) take whatever action you deem necessary and, (c) report back to us.
  
  3. Canada is thereafter ‘authorised’ to conduct surveillance on one of their own citizens under the guise of ‘preventing terrorism’ satisfying (a) and (b). (c) may or may not happen, but it’s not overly relevant if the setup is just a rouse to authorise Canada to take action against one of their own.
  
  I believe this could be why NZ Police were contacted by a journalist for comment in relation to the Canadian truckers.
  
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  January 26, 2024 3:21pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Big Mike,

https://twitter.com/i/status/1749951295182512449
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January 26, 2024 9:22am
- MCōs
  
  Whatever gets you through the night
  
  Steve
  
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  January 26, 2024 9:50am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    I give you an uptick for that humour!
    
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    January 26, 2024 10:52am
- Inandout
  
  SO, there is no way in hell Big Mike could withstand the memes should he stand for President.
  
  6 1
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  January 26, 2024 12:43pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Well he won’t be the first Black Female POTUS!!
    
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    January 26, 2024 2:50pm
sungsamning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tn9CklIuaR0
Red States Rise Up and Stand With Texas.
It’s wonderful to hear other States/Americans/patriots helping Texas secure the border! This border is all our responsibility to protect! They’ve got the constitution on their side.
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January 26, 2024 9:32am
- Grunter
  
  This one is developing quickly, and worth watching.
  
  Two groups of soldiers (with big guns) having a decent disagreement. Both groups backed by elected officials and their people.
  
  One group (the locals), telling the other group (from somewhere north of Richmond), to “Bugger off!” – but they said “No way, Joe told us to sort this out”.
  
  Now, friends of the ‘Locals’ are piling in to help out, they don’t like the outsiders either.
  
  Sounds like a decent pub fight!
  
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  January 26, 2024 11:22am
  - sungsamning
    
    Yes, I hope SCOTUS remembers what the constitution says about the federal governments duty to protect states from invasion.
    
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    January 26, 2024 3:56pm
sungsamning

https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/arizona-gop-chair-resigns-in-wake-of-kari-lake-bribery-allegations-5573241?src_src=rtnewsnoe&src_cmp=rtbreaking-2024-01-24-1&est=P64Y1iyJ7%2BICvyCzxeep6QjwzY1fxbW7xWjT5aGSRqKUCDOehOQsmHu7%2B9FWSdM%3D
Arizona GOP Chairman Resigns Amid Kari Lake Bribery Allegations.
The chairman of the Arizona Republican Party said he resigned from his role on Jan. 23 after a recording of him was leaked that apparently showed him offering U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake money to stay out of that race.

In his resignation statement, Jeff DeWit suggested that Ms. Lake’s team allegedly secretly recorded their conversation before leaking it to the media. He also accused her team of threatening to release more recordings, which he described as being taken out of context, although he provided few details.
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January 26, 2024 9:33am
- thirteenstars
  
  Here’s Megyn Kelly playing the recording and interviewing Lake:
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lLr48z053c
  
  But for TDS sufferers, Trump is the problem, not the people trying to bribe his supporters, all in an attempt to prevent their cosy money train from coming to a halt.
  
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  January 26, 2024 12:54pm
  - virtualmark
    
    They want Kari Lake to stand aside because they know she can’t win the Senate election – she tried in 2022 and didn’t make it. So they want a more electable candidate.
    
    And Lake pulling this stunt just goes to prove that they were right to want a different candidate.
    
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    January 26, 2024 2:31pm
    - thirteenstars
      
      The selection process is by means of a vote by registered GOP voters and it’s called a primary, a nice feature of American politics where the voters get to choose who runs and not the party.
      
      If the voters of AZ don’t select her to run, that’s their decision, not some faceless cabal of puppet masters “back east” by way of payoffs and subversion.
      
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      January 26, 2024 2:54pm
      - virtualmark
        
        Yes, I agree. And I think she should be allowed to stand in the primary and take her chances there.
        
        But I was trying to explain the realpolitik behind the Arizona GOP leadership wanting to be rid of the troublesome newsreader.
        
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        January 26, 2024 4:13pm
    - sungsamning
      
      Its DeWit who is wrong. Its more about TDS. The GOPe doesn’t like him; because their Dem pals don’t. They don’t want the apple cart upset.
      
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      January 26, 2024 4:04pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Kari Lake’s net worth $9M.
    She won’t be bought, not even for a billion. She is not the only one the swamp wants to buy.
    VP material? I don’t know.
    Let’s face it, Barrak Obama was bought. When he first entered Politics his net worth was $800,000. Now he has shitloads including a n $18M mansion ate Matha’s Vineyard!
    
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lLr48z053c
    
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    January 26, 2024 3:06pm
    - Colville
      
      FFS Steve…get a grip..
      
      At $250USK a night as a speaker it dosent take many dates to pay for the groceries.
      
      But $50Mil EACH for book deals and $80Mil from Netflix? he aint poor is he!
      
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      January 26, 2024 6:27pm
  - sungsamning
    
    Thanks for posting that.
    
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    January 26, 2024 4:02pm
Maggie Pie

AUCKLAND R.E. WATCH….

Asian buyers look to be back in force.
Old unit-title dunger in One Tree Hill with asbestos ceilings and broken toilet, sold at Auction this week for in excess of $1.2 million!

The Horrid reports….. a bidding war broke out in the auction room when 23 people fought over the do-up deceased estate, 20 of them Chinese (see photo)

https://oneroof.co.nz/news/auction-frenzy-deceased-estate-with-leaky-toilet-sells-for-1-2m-44891
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January 26, 2024 9:51am
- lifesgood
  
  School zones? They are might powerful things those school zones and Asians like their kids to be well educated unlike too many New Zealanders.
  
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  January 26, 2024 9:55am
  - Colville
    
    It’s a 200M2, 4 bed dwelling. Well worth the money.
    
    6 1
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    January 26, 2024 11:42am
  - MCōs
    
    I don’t think there are any school zones of note in that area
    One Tree Hill College is decile 3
    
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    January 26, 2024 12:57pm
- marcw
  
  They never mention the section – that is where the value is. Instead of spending $300,000 on renovation, $100,000 demolition then build 2 – 4 units valued at $1,000,000 each is the answer.
  
  So it is not the house that sold for $1.2m, it is the property and its potential. Typical nonsense reporting from oneroof.
  
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  January 26, 2024 12:04pm
  - Colville
    
    LOL.
    400M2, strange shape and sloping section.
    Good luck there!
    
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    January 26, 2024 1:26pm
- Jethrod
  
  Hi Maggie , is this in the area where there is a lot of leasehold properties? May not be as good a bargain as it appears.
  
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  January 26, 2024 1:04pm
oldpark

Anyone know anything about a Person on MZME a company owned by NZ Herald better known as Newstalk ZB .He is forever Roaming all over the time slots from time to time putting the boot into the new Government with his sneaky lefty comments .
He seems to complement another type of lefty know all as well who also appears on the station from time to time.
They both seem to operate with a directive from NZ Herald? Surely not?Not Half.
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January 26, 2024 10:26am
- lifesgood
  
  I know exactly who you mean. A right pain in the a**e. When he talks about his life he sounds like a right loser. The other night someone called him by another presenter’s name by mistake and boy did he throw a hissy fit and just hang up on the guy. Talk about precious and downright rude. And yes, his lefty comments are getting more and more annoying. When he comes on I turn his off now.
  
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  January 26, 2024 11:46am
  - MCōs
    
    Who is this person you refer to?
    
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    January 26, 2024 1:11pm
    - riffer
      
      Is it Hooten?
      
      1 4
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      January 26, 2024 1:28pm
    - lifesgood
      
      The clue is in his oldpark’s comment when he talks about “Roaming”
      
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      January 26, 2024 1:39pm
      - kowtow
        
        Roaming as in traversing …….?
        
        5 0
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        January 26, 2024 2:14pm
    - lifesgood
      
      The clue is in oldpark’s comment when he talks about “Roaming”
      
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      January 26, 2024 1:40pm
      - lifesgood
        
        Very good, kowtow.
        
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        January 26, 2024 2:51pm
- Ghost
  
  Should zb only have hosts who support the government? Sounds like what people hate about radio nz. Don’t like the host radios have an off button
  
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  January 26, 2024 1:32pm
Maggie Pie

This is an extremely worrying development 🙁

The New York Post reports…
FAA’s diversity push includes focus on hiring people with ‘severe intellectual’ and ‘psychiatric’ disabilities to fly planes

Elon Musk tweets: “Just had a conversation with some smart people who could not believe this is happening. People will die due to DEI”

https://thepeoplesvoice.tv/faa-begins-hiring-severely-mentally-handicapped-people-to-fly-planes/
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January 26, 2024 11:09am
- thirteenstars
  
  Well, a few of us have been talking about this for years. The rot might have started in the Humanties but it soon progressed to the hard sciences and trades.
  
  Woke destroys everything it touches and I expect that when a disaster occurs that can clearly be attributed to hiring practises and technical training it’ll be too late. Who will report on it? Who will investigate it? The same types that caused the disaster in the first place.
  
  Individuals might be found guilty but no guilt will be attributed to diversity hiring or training that elevated equity and inclusivity to the same level as technical competency.
  
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  January 26, 2024 11:27am
nova

Horrific story of two gang associates beating a man to death:

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/350159204/mongrel-mob-prospect-laughed-he-stomped-man-death

But the worst bit for me was “traces of Strickland’s blood was found on Chadwick’s clothing, footwear and electronic ankle bracelet.”. Although it is nice to see that ankle bracelets are useful in helping to solve crimes, it would be even nicer if there was a way to prevent the crimes in the first place. Ankle bracelets should only be used for low risk offenders, and they should be strictly monitored to ensure compliance.
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January 26, 2024 11:12am
- Arthur Fleck
  
  Pleads guilty to manslaughter. WTF.
  
  The judicial system in this country is a sick joke. There is effectively no justice.
  
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  January 26, 2024 12:00pm
- cmm
  
  If they only killed each other I really wouldn’t mind as much.
  
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  January 26, 2024 1:08pm
- Fuzzysnuggleduck
  
  It beats me how the ‘Gangs are whanau’ spokes people can fail to understand the the revulsion any normal person would experience reading that story, let alone any who witnessed or experienced it.
  
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  January 26, 2024 1:49pm
- Keith White
  
  Having these delinquents’ ankle bracelets upgraded to the same functionality as the neck bracelet featured in the movie ‘Wedlock’ (Rutger Hauer and Mimi Rogers, 1991) would stop this type of deranged feral from leaving the vicinity of where he is supposed to stay – or otherwise he’d be channeling another movie entirely (‘Footloose’, 1984).
  
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  January 26, 2024 2:12pm
Chuck Bird

Trump is right about Islam

TRUMP SHOCKING WORDS ABOUT ISLAM AND ISRAEL! WOW!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vItCjQ8uD4Q
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January 26, 2024 11:30am
- Maggie Pie
  
  “If Israel does not win – you’re next”
  
  – Bejamin Natanyahu
  
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  January 26, 2024 11:53am
  - riffer
    
    There is no winning for Israel. There is either survival or not survival. The lesson here is don’t fuck with a population that has collective PTSD and the backing of the USA.
    
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    January 26, 2024 1:30pm
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      Sorry, that was meant to be an uptick riffer.
      
      4 1
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      January 26, 2024 3:22pm
BeaB

Can a new minister simply say to the head of their department, “I hold you responsible for leaks and cannot have confidence in you if they continue” ?

And of course no bonuses or extras for the head of department or their senior team if they can’t stop the leaks.
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January 26, 2024 12:30pm
- riffer
  
  There were leaks under the last government and leaks under governments to come – you should assume they are just part of politics.
  
  Depending on whether you back the current government is the difference between whether leaks are shining a light on bad stuff or treason.
  
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  January 26, 2024 1:31pm
- Paulus
  
  Look at the current Department Heads, many quite new to the jobs under the previous administration and they have good say 5 year contracts at huge salaries.
  Many are now not of the masculine fraternity as recent appointments.
  So such expect to see the s…t hit the fan over criticism no matter whether warranted or not on their Department.
  
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  January 26, 2024 2:22pm
Ghost

Things are heating up with the boarder problems

Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a blistering statement aimed at President Joe Biden and his administration Wednesday in which he declared his state would protect itself amid the ongoing border crisis.

Abbott also slammed Biden personally and stated in no uncertain terms that Texas has every legal right to protect its own borders and citizens.

Article

Republican governors from across the country have rushed in to defend and support fellow GOP Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) as he treads further into one of his biggest battles yet, taking on the Biden White House over the chaos at the southern border.

Governors have mounted a full-force campaign on Abbott’s behalf, coming out publicly to say they stand shoulder to shoulder with the embattled Texas leader, an unspoken warning to the Biden administration of the enormous support for the state’s recent actions to lock down part of its border.

Article

It is insane the amount of people crossing the boarder, and the Whitehouse sits on their demented arse and does nothing.
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January 26, 2024 12:47pm
- Cantabrian
  
  Read A State of Treason by David Roberts for a plausible modern story of Texas being compelled to secede from the USA because of the actions of the Federal Govt and the President’s hatred of Governor.
  
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  January 26, 2024 1:22pm
- virtualmark
  
  Biden has asked for over US$15 billion to employ more than 2,500 extra border security agents plus make a number of other improvements to the border.
  
  That was winning support from GOP Senators, but appears to have hit a Trump-shaped hitch in the last 24 hours.
  
  And the GOP House of Representatives refuses to consider any request from Biden for border security money.
  
  So let’s be clear – the GOP Senate and House of Representatives are torpedoing legislation on the border (and Ukraine) in order to benefit Trump’s campaign, but at the expense of the American people.
  
  Basically they’re just the freak show you pass on your way in to Donald Trump’s big tent circus.
  
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  January 26, 2024 2:34pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Which border?
    Border security money for Biden will not be used for US border security. Joe will just give it to a needy Country, and 10% for the Big Guy!
    
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    January 26, 2024 3:27pm
    - virtualmark
      
      Laugh! Did we nearly!
      
      If it’s appropriated by Congress for border security then that’s what it has to be spent on, or else returned to the Treasury.
      
      Exactly the same philosophy happens here too … Government’s appropriate money for a specific purpose and can’t redirect it to anything other than that purpose.
      
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      January 26, 2024 4:16pm
  - cmm
    
    2500 more bus drivers and wetback huggers more like.
    
    Making improvements? Like what? The Texans just made an improvement with razor wire and Biden wants to take it down.
    Biden’s improvements are probably installing airconditioning and dining halls for the new arrivals while they wait for their buses. Maybe build an airport so they can fly rather than have to put up with a bus trip.
    
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    January 26, 2024 5:18pm
  - info@cruzpro.com
    
    US$15 billion to hire 2500 extra border security agents works out to US$6 million per agent. Really? Something else is going on here.
    
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    January 27, 2024 7:49am
- Grunter
  
  The latest on this one is now alarming…. some excerpts from an update I’ve just read….. (holy phaaark)
  
  BREAKING: President Biden gives Governor Greg Abbott @GregAbbott_TX until tomorrow to allow federal agents to cut swaths of razor wire installed at the southern border by the state or face the consequences.
  
  Needless to say, Donald Trump was going to have something to say about all of this.
  
  He is calling for all “willing states to deploy their [national guard] to Texas” in order to help protect the border.
  
  Ultimately, this is not just a showdown between Joe Biden and Texas.
  
  List of States now supporting Texas against Biden:
  Florida
  Virginia
  Georgia
  North Dakota
  South Dakota
  Tennessee
  Alabama
  Montana
  Idaho
  Utah
  West Virginia
  Oklahoma
  Nebraska
  Louisiana
  Arkansas, Iowa, Mississippi and Wyoming
  
  “The stage is being set for unprecedented chaos in our major cities, and our federal government will not be able to control it.”
  
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  January 26, 2024 2:42pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Ahhh! So that’s why Joe wants border security funds?
    
    5 2
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    January 26, 2024 3:48pm
  - kevn
    
    Here…
    https://www.zerohedge.com/political/war-red-states-rally-round-texas-battle-brews-biden-over-border
    
    5 1
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    January 26, 2024 5:11pm
- virtualmark
  
  You should also note that just 3 days ago SCOTUS ruled that the state of Texas cannot block the US federal fovernment from overseeing the border.
  
  This is Constitution 101 … the federal government is responsible for the border and federal constitution/law takes precedence over state constitution/law.
  
  Interestingly, the legal outflow of that SCOTUS decision is that if Abbott continues to defy the federal government, then if someone dies as a result of that (as happened last week when a mother and two children drowned) then he could be charged with murder in federal court.
  
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  January 26, 2024 2:59pm
  - cmm
    
    The flip side is that if the Feds are failing to do this job that they say is theirs, then the states might be able to either force them to do so – or take over.
    
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    January 26, 2024 5:14pm
- virtualmark
  
  Note too that under Biden the US is returning over three times as many asylum seekers as they did under Trump. But the border only seems to be a problem if there’s a Democrat in the White House.
  
  I think the US underspends on border security, should have a robust border fence or wall (although Mexico ain’t gonna pay for it), and needs to totally redesign their immigration system. There is an emergency on the southern border. But the holdup is the GOP House of Reps not approving any additional funding to allow tighter border security, at the urging of Trump. Basically they’d rather have the border as a political problem than have the border secure.
  
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  January 26, 2024 4:20pm
Jethrod

I have just been asked to sign a petition:-
https://petitions.parliament.nz/6e261231-b54c-4a00-a98c-08dc109c0ada
Against the Midwifery Council, which seeks to change in their “Scope of Practice ” the words ” woman, mother and baby” to “whanau”.
I signed willingly and note there is 35 days to do it and 1287 have signed already.
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January 26, 2024 1:00pm
Maggy Wassilieff

Kiri Allan’s court case delayed yet again (5th time)

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/507607/may-court-date-set-for-kiri-allan-s-judge-alone-trial
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January 26, 2024 1:04pm
- Maggie Pie
  
  A dollar to a pinch of goat shit the same outcome with Golly.
  
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  January 26, 2024 1:14pm
  - fernglas
    
    That delay is not unusual with the current delays in the court system. However, despite her claim that there is some technical defence to the charge of failing to accompany, she has yet to explain what defence she has to the charge of careless driving, which, when you smash into a parked car, is a slam dunk for the prosecution. Her failure to plead guilty to that at the first opportunity shows that she is still in denial, and is behaving shamefully for someone who used to be a Justice Minister.
    
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    January 26, 2024 6:40pm
- rouppe
  
  Though not all of the delays can be explained this way, I do know that the court process is retarded.
  
  When I defended a traffic matter the first court hearing was just an opportunity to plead guilty or not guilty.
  
  Complete waste of time. If one was going to plead guilty you’d just pay the fine, otherwise you’re taking it to court. So months of delay till the first hearing, and months of delay to the actual trial.
  
  That doesn’t, however, explain 5 delays…
  
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  January 26, 2024 1:18pm
- cmm
  
  Leave it long enough and it might just go away….
  
  Like the baby Ru murder that is making equal progress.
  
  10 1
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  January 26, 2024 5:12pm
BeaB

What a load of nauseating tripe, aided and abetted by the complicit interviewer, from Kiri Allen.
How is this even possible before her court appearance?
Why the sudden PR blitz?
What is going on?
26 1
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January 26, 2024 1:08pm
- Damocles11
  
  A public rehabilitation job. She’s important to the Left: maori, female, lesbian, young – it’s a diversity superfecta and you don’t throw ‘talent’ like that away.
  
  19 0
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  January 26, 2024 1:55pm
  - greybeard
    
    Young ? Get real, man.
    
    5 0
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    January 26, 2024 5:35pm
  - artemisia
    
    Plus she cried on the telly. That should work well for her.
    
    7 0
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    January 26, 2024 6:21pm
- Paulus
  
  She has appointed an expensive Publicity person I understand.
  
  11 0
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  January 26, 2024 2:23pm
Maggie Pie

And if you ever need a little solace in life, you can find it in Laundry.

It’s always there for you.

Just saying.
12 1
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January 26, 2024 1:10pm
- alphabeatrium
  
  I’m only in my early 30s, but now with kids in tow I find that a sunny day gives me a spring in my step — I can easily dry all the washing
  
  13 0
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  January 26, 2024 1:51pm
mandk

NZEI boss does not know what “not focussing on ideology in sex education” means, but is still able to say that the government’s proposed change is scary, frightening and dangerous:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/350159156/governments-changes-sex-education-are-scary-frightening-and-dangerous

I fear Erica Stanford is going to have a hard time from doctrinaire education unions and Minedu white ants.
17 0
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January 26, 2024 1:33pm
Ghost

The coalition Government has ditched a bill to allow 16-year-olds to vote in local body elections.

Article

Good
29 0
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January 26, 2024 1:49pm
Maggie Pie

An ‘X’ bestie tweets….

“Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it”

– Edmund Burke

https://twitter.com/pepedownunder/status/1750398871145201888
7 1
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January 26, 2024 1:56pm
- virtualmark
  
  Alternatively … what we learned from the Weimar Republic is that what came after it was far far worse.
  
  So I’m not sure just what learnings we’re best to draw from this tweet?
  
  2 2
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  January 26, 2024 4:23pm
jon

Matthew Hooton’s paywall piece, re the Principles of and the actual Treaty, in todays Herald, of course DOESNT invite comments. The Herald is clearly fearful of inviting an avalanche of opinion that would be in disagreement with Hooton. What Seymour is proposing re the Principles is quite reasonable and i suspect the majority of Kiwis would agree with him.
24 0
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January 26, 2024 2:13pm
- kowtow
  
  having read it , I can tell you it’s a fantasy piece and Hooten is barking mad .
  
  Too much sun over the break .
  
  17 0
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  January 26, 2024 3:05pm
  - Vinicius
    
    Hooton hasn’t made much sense for ages.
    
    13 0
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    January 26, 2024 3:48pm
    - Albie
      
      [Deleted – not here without evidence please. mod.] … Having said that, since he’s been sober his opinion pieces really are out there. I can’t work out where he’s coming from half the time, either his columns or appearances on The Working Group.
      
      4 0
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      January 26, 2024 4:33pm
- Damocles11
  
  Hooton says National may not be acting in good faith towards Act because of the language Luxon is using to describe the bill.
  
  But the lying NZ Leftist Herald present the article as being about National and ACT not acting in good faith regarding the Treaty.
  
  11 0
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  January 26, 2024 3:50pm
Ghost

David sits down to discuss the Treaty Principles Bill, and sets the record straight on what it will actually do.
15 0
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January 26, 2024 2:21pm
- Damocles11
  
  He’s a marvel. Just patiently pushes on and plays the long game. Doesn’t give in to over dramatic emotion and hysteria as a Leftist would. He will calmly articulate his position and win more and more people over. The Left must be very scared.
  
  17 0
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  January 26, 2024 3:13pm
Damocles11

‘Protesters opposing the Doubtless Bay fishing competition have blocked a Far North access road to a boat ramp after talks with local hapū – which expressed its support for the event – fell through.

Around 50 people have gathered at the Tāipa boat ramp which has been blocked off using a van and road cones and five police officers are onsite.’
14 0
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January 26, 2024 2:25pm
Ghost

Hmmmm

Winston asked not long ago how you can have a waka on the road

I believe that question has just been answered

A witness has described watching a boat roll down Auckland’s SH1 after the driver lost control of the trailer and crashed.
13 0
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January 26, 2024 2:26pm
- cmm
  
  At least time they said the driver lost control.
  
  It wasn’t the trailer going out of control all by itself – how they normally write these articles.
  
  8 0
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  January 26, 2024 3:58pm
- Damocles11
  
  It should be ‘Moto Ka Kotahi’.
  
  2 0
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  January 26, 2024 9:21pm
Maggie Pie

RANDOM IMPERTINENT QUESTION

Does anyone give a sh!t about being called transphobic or homophobic these days?

Asking for a friend.
18 3
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January 26, 2024 2:49pm
- sungsamning
  
  No, nor any of the other woke buzzwords either. They’re the equivalent of saying ‘bugger’ if you hit your thumb with a hammer. Ten years ago, they were the equivalent of the F bomb. Not any more. Wokesters are hoist on their own petard.
  
  10 1
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  January 26, 2024 2:59pm
- Blog-aholic
  
  Platitudinal epithets like that along with being called a racist are quite passed their use by date.
  
  This is primarily because they have been so overused when issued by people who happen to disagree with your viewpoint or opinion that they have become weak and meaningless because the people who choose to use them tend to be weak and meaningless.
  
  9 0
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  January 26, 2024 3:35pm
- cmm
  
  Pah! Rainbows and such are old news.
  If you want to be in the edgy crowd, and yes this is starting to happen amongst the ultimate virtue signallers, then:
  * Make sure you’re including enough men in female dominated social gatherings etc (and make sure they are straight men).
  * If you’re a woman then start wearing a blue ribbon and enter Movember during prostate cancer awareness month.
  
  10 1
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  January 26, 2024 3:56pm
- Inandout
  
  Maggie, probably not as the term ‘racist’ just bounces off many people, even most politicians. Interesting that in the early days of the easily offended the term ‘racialist’ was common but because it couldn’t be hissed ‘racist’ took over. Circa Trevor Richards and another bespectacled chap whose name escapes me but who looked as weak as piss.
  
  7 2
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  January 26, 2024 5:24pm
  - MCōs
    
    Clark Kent
    
    2 0
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    January 26, 2024 8:17pm
Ghost

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has allocated ACT leader David Seymour a new portfolio, allowing him oversight of the proposed Treaty Principles Bill.
14 0
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January 26, 2024 3:18pm
- NothingLeft
  
  Probably a good move – Act takes all the heat in the meantime (until or unless they actually legislate).
  
  8 1
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  January 26, 2024 3:30pm
- Maggie Pie
  
  What he needs to do now, is give Winston oversight of the ‘Christchurch Call’ money wasting bullshit
  
  15 1
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  January 26, 2024 3:46pm
cmm

I really don’t understand people like this:

38, wife and kids and he’s driving like a dickhead with a motorbike – eventually killing himself.

I know it’s too late now, but FFS grow up! Do this shit in your twenties BEFORE you have responsibilities.

If you want to be a risky youth your whole life then don’t have kids.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/world-news/350159152/father-killed-sydney-motorcycle-crash-shortly-after-police-tried-stop-him
11 1
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January 26, 2024 3:47pm
- NothingLeft
  
  Also; rock climbing, mountaineering, wingsuits (basejumping) and speed wings and road cycling perhaps paragliding.
  
  6 0
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  January 26, 2024 4:44pm
- krazykiwi
  
  Yup. A good friend of mine is/was a skydiver. He was the cameraman who exited the aircraft (or balloon!) first and dropped facing upwards to capture the rest of the team exiting and forming up. His last jump, of more than 2500, was the day after he learned he was to become a father.
  
  5 1
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  January 26, 2024 6:17pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Stop Co-Governance. Julian Batchelor.
There are some interesting comments below this.
Oh, let’s go fishing……

https://stopcogovernance.kiwi/blog/the-worlds-smallest-book-is-about-maori/
9 3
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January 26, 2024 3:56pm
Maggie Pie

Far North Area Commander Inspector Riki Whiu says police will be ‘monitoring’ the illegal slip blockade at the fishing competition.

Monitoring…. so what does that mean?

Or as my partner said, “Riki Whiu – say no more”
16 1
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January 26, 2024 4:53pm
Mobile Michael

Two Maori Labour MPs are retiring, being replaced by two Pakeha. What a pack of racists. 😉

https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/350159955/rino-tirikatene-who-represented-te-tai-tonga-more-decade-retires-politics
8 0
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January 26, 2024 5:34pm
- Ghost
  
  Halbert is maori
  
  4 0
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  January 26, 2024 5:58pm
  - Maggie Pie
    
    And as Labors Damien O’connor none so subtley said…
    
    “one of the gaggle of gays” 😛
    
    9 1
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    January 26, 2024 6:34pm
  - fightingtemeraire
    
    Described as ” One of the talents of the Labour Maori Caucus”!!!!
    
    So, for the 1st time in 70 years there will not be a Tirikatene in Parliament.
    
    5 0
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    January 26, 2024 6:42pm
  - mandk
    
    Is he the gay one who is reputed to bully his staff?
    
    3 0
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    January 26, 2024 8:46pm
    - fightingtemeraire
      
      Yes. MP for Northcote for one term then got the DCM.
      
      Union Organiser I believe.
      
      0 0
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      January 27, 2024 6:57am
Steve Otto(North Shore)

How much truth in this?
Fair go, it is RNZ!

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/507556/government-accused-of-quietly-expanding-remit-of-public-service-cuts?
7 2
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January 26, 2024 6:30pm
- Damocles11
  
  Probably not much then.
  
  1 0
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  January 26, 2024 8:19pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

For the researchers, how come the stone age cave drawings never have a picture of ‘salads?
That will worry me all night now. F!
10 4
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January 26, 2024 6:47pm
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  1. Women’s work foraging for plant food
  
  2. Mayonnaise hadn’t been invented.
  
  1 1
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  January 26, 2024 9:14pm
Maggie Pie

Djkovich – OUT.

Sinner – IN.
2 0
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January 26, 2024 8:18pm

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