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February 13, 2024 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 13 February 2024

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Yvette

■ New Zealand’s largest-ever political scandal?
If all this is true

This was a “Captain’s Call” of a scale and scope that had never previously been contemplated under our over-subtle unwritten constitution. All the assumed checks and balances were simply ignored.

If Hon Nicola Willis does not deal with this issue in her 2024 Budget, it has the potential to wholly destroy her 2026 (election year) budget. As Associate Minister for Climate Change, she needs to announce a full review of the NDC as soon as the new members of the NZ Climate Commission are appointed.

The Ardern Cabinet’s surreptitious and extreme NDC decision in November 2021 may eventually be seen as New Zealand’s largest-ever political scandal. Curiously, the 5-part “J’Accuse” by Macey/Frame in the 2022 Business Desk series was left entirely unanswered by the thousands of spin doctors in the then Government. The climate-obsessed corporate media are reluctant to touch it.
https://www.bassettbrashandhide.com/post/barry-brill-an-absurd-ardern-ambition
________________

ChatGPT

The article criticizes the Ardern Government’s decision to commit $30 billion to acquiring international carbon credits as part of New Zealand’s climate change goals. The author, Barry Brill, argues that this decision was made without proper consultation, mandate, or consideration of taxpayers’ interests.

Brill contends that the donation, which was voluntary and received no tangible benefits for New Zealand, was primarily driven by ideology and ministerial self-interest rather than sound fiscal management. He highlights that the decision ignored opposition from officials and advisers, and it exceeded recommendations from the Climate Commission.

The article questions the ethics and legality of such a massive donation, suggesting that it could lead to increased poverty and economic hardships for New Zealand families. Brill argues that the donation, aimed at enhancing New Zealand’s global leadership credentials, does not justify the immense cost borne by taxpayers.

Moreover, the article criticizes the reliance on international carbon credits, arguing that they do not effectively reduce New Zealand’s emissions and may not contribute significantly to global climate goals. Brill advocates for a review of the government’s decision and proposes confining future commitments to domestic emission reductions until viable international markets for carbon credits emerge.

In conclusion, Brill emphasizes the need for accountability and transparency in government decision-making, particularly regarding significant financial commitments like the $30 billion donation for carbon credits. He warns of potential long-term consequences for taxpayers and urges a reevaluation of New Zealand’s climate change policies. – chat.openai.com (summary in 200 words)

Clincher –
The costs were straightforward. With 1,420,000 families in New Zealand, the ambition level of a 50% reduction (from 2005 emissions) would cost each family $24,170. This was the ‘donation’ portion, after meeting the costs of the domestic emissions reduction within New Zealand.

And you weren’t even asked if it was a good idea
If all this is true. Someone needs to find that out quickly
Like more investigative, unbiased real journalists asking appropriate analysts

☂
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February 13, 2024 8:01am
- Stellaboxer
  
  “If all this is true. Someone needs to find that out quickly
  Like more investigative, unbiased real journalists asking appropriate analysts” Don’t hold your breath waiting for that to happen.
  
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  February 13, 2024 9:31am
- Ghost
  
  Been reported on a few years ago, here are some of the links
  
  https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/climate-master-plan-what-to-expect-from-todays-big-reveal/HE7OO6MZDIGRJAJ7LR75VOR67E/
  https://businessdesk.co.nz/article/climate-change/we-uncover-nzs-30-billion-carbon-target-hole
  https://newsroom.co.nz/2022/10/10/if-a-tree-falls-in-an-overseas-forest-what-could-30b-buy-nz-instead/
  
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  February 13, 2024 9:38am
- Grunter
  
  I do remember this, and apart from the articles Ghost has linked, there was barely a murmour. The crazy Rod Carr’s Climate Change Commission came out with a whole stack of eye-watering numbers.
  
  This scam is a huge cost with zero benefits. I did a submission to the Climate Change Commission 4 years ago – which was a waste of time but made me feel better for a few weeks. None of Crazy Rod’s numbers made any sense, but they stuck by them all the same.
  
  How Luxon deals with this and still sticks to his “Global Boiling Cult” will be interesting to say the least.
  
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  February 13, 2024 9:56am
  - Chris Nisbet
    
    Zero benefits?
    Rubbish.
    We’ll all be poorer, and on the off-chance that we actually manage to change the climate somehow we’ll all be colder, and the weather will most likely be worse (little ice age weather was hardly nice).
    How is that not a benefit?
    /s
    
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    February 13, 2024 11:18am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Sorry Yvette, “investigative, unbiased real journalists” do not live in NZ or anywhere else.
  It is all opinions, just like my opinion here.
  
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  February 13, 2024 6:45pm
- NZer In Exile
  
  Yep it appears yet another case of incredibly poor judgement from the princess of woke and her gnomes.
  
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  February 13, 2024 6:55pm
  - jkt
    
    Spot on. Voters have spoken. Now we need to hold the current government to account.
    
    We need to stop relying on the opinions of others and figure things out for ourselves. In a society where leaders need policy advice on matters, such as what is a woman, this is a devilish task…. or is it?
    
    Ignorance and beliefs are choices.
    
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    February 14, 2024 10:15am
Simon

Senile dementia man Biden or DEI hire Harris?

Tough one. But gonna say Biden as he can probably function for around 20 mins every other day. Biden wins.
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February 13, 2024 8:04am
- Skippytony
  
  Big Mike
  
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  February 13, 2024 9:31am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Killary
    
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    February 13, 2024 6:43pm
Simon

Aptronym
“A name that befits a person’s nature, occupation, or activities.”

Eg:

Gay alleged sexual abuser of boys in his care was called Pinky Green.
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February 13, 2024 8:05am
- Loddenthinks
  
  Nominative determinism, in other words.
  
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  February 13, 2024 9:41am
- Jake Dee
  
  Jack Hammer, construction worker.
  
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  February 13, 2024 10:16am
- Mummy
  
  My grandmother’s dentist was Mr Hookem and there was a physio in my neighbourhood called Mr Maule.
  
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  February 13, 2024 10:57am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Treadle drill for me. No anesthetic.
    
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    February 13, 2024 7:08pm
- PurplePen
  
  Straight alleged sexual abuser of boys in his care was called Reddy Green.
  
  In more than 80% of cases, the alleged offender is a heterosexual partner of a close relative of the child. I’d keep an eye out for any uncles getting to close.
  
  Most molesters of boys do not report sexual interest in adult men, however” (National Research Council, 1993, p. 143, citation omitted).
  
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  February 13, 2024 11:34am
  - Fuzzysnuggleduck
    
    ‘Heterosexual’ in which sense: they aren’t gay since they DON’T like grown men but DO like to tug on little boy’s wangs?
    
    I think they would be something again, as in a pedophile. Sorry, a ‘minor attracted person’ (perhaps the next letter in the Rainbow alphabet is some had their way).
    You don’t after all call beastiality a demonstration of heterosexuality if they only bang female sheep.
    Such stats may want to draw a distinction from child abusers being what you call ‘Gay’ but I would equally say it is drawing an even longer bow to call them ‘straight’.
    (to be clear, I do not draw any link between gay people and abusers of children as being the same thing).
    
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    February 13, 2024 1:21pm
    - PurplePen
      
      That was the point I was trying make in a less direct way in response to Simon’s “Gay alleged sexual abuser of boys in his care was called Pinky Green”. Sorry about that.
      
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      February 13, 2024 4:54pm
Simon

Lol – Chole Swarbrick. She was going to be new MSM golden girl. Hard speech for thee not thou. Doesn’t take reasonability for her own behaviour. Cant hold herself to her own fake standards she wants to impose on wider society. Now this is the left but you are not supposed to advertise it. MSM hardest hit.
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February 13, 2024 8:09am
Opie

https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/crime/whangarei-teenager-faces-manslaughter-trial-for-tragic-death-of-baby-o-shea/

The weed made me do it. Well don’t smoke it then. No wait, I wasn’t actually smoking when I killed the baby so it’s not the weed…

The whole story is nonsense and this piece of shit should be up on a murder charge.

He has a big greenstone though, so I’m sure it will be home detention and some quality Xbox time.
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February 13, 2024 8:10am
- Loddenthinks
  
  And whatever has happened to the investigation into the brutal death of Ruthless Soljiah whatever whatever – “Baby Ru”?
  
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  February 13, 2024 9:42am
  - rouppe
    
    Police are continuing to get the run around from all three people who were in the house.
    
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    February 13, 2024 10:21am
  - Ghost
    
    It’s ongoing because the 3 at the house are still refusing to cooperate, despite the mother claiming that she would tell the police everything.
    
    https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/crime/baby-ru-homicide-officer-in-charge-reveals-new-details-about-lower-hutt-toddler-s-killing/
    
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    February 13, 2024 10:33am
    - Flossie
      
      Isn’t there some law about obstructing justice?
      
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      February 13, 2024 11:15am
- Ghost
  
  I doubt there was intent to kill the child so he wouldn’t be found guilty of murder, manslaughter he will be found guilty of
  
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  February 13, 2024 10:31am
  - Opie
    
    Failing to provide the basic care to your child should attract more than a manslaughter charge.
    
    Parenting is difficult at the best of times but most of us have made it through without our kids head contacting our knee or dropping them.
    
    Whats next, the child will be post humously charged with a headbutt?
    
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    February 13, 2024 11:02am
- sirknz
  
  His sort prefer PlayStation.
  
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  February 13, 2024 11:55am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  That child had no choice to select his arsehole family.
  
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  February 13, 2024 7:16pm
imalwaysright

Why hasn’t the UN sent a peacekeeping force to Gaza to stop the genocide being carried out by the Israeli government?
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February 13, 2024 8:11am
- Chuck Bird
  
  “Why hasn’t the UN sent a peacekeeping force to Gaza”
  
  The Israelis would kill the UN Jew haters.
  
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  February 13, 2024 9:24am
- Alex13
  
  Sending UN peacekeeping forces to Gaza is a great idea: task the UN peacekeeping forces with helping Israel to annihilate Hamas and thus achieve the desired peace faster.
  
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  February 13, 2024 2:18pm
wreck1080

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/auckland-transport-building-28-pedestrian-crossings-on-a-project-despite-review-to-cut-numbers-and-costs/QY7VJNWZBBFJVJZ2JLWOI664JE/

Councils are out of control with their traffic safety and over engineering on roads. Auckland council seems to be in love with half million dollar pedestrian crossings whereas in the old days they’d just slap some paint on the road and put up a couple of poles. If I did this, cost would be around $1000 in materials, plus labour on top. Put it in the hands of jumped up self important incompetents, and you’re suddenly looking down the barrel of a half million.

Tauranga council are just as bad. They took the Bayfair roundabout which used to be just fine, and installed 3 sets of traffic lights and painted a zillion lines on the road to confuse everyone. It is now a mess. The absurdity of installing traffic lights on a roundabout which was supposed to get rid of traffic lights altogether!

I like the Italian way, you put in the basic road design, then let people figure it out for themselves.
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February 13, 2024 8:13am
- sirknz
  
  I like the process in SE Asia, traffic signs, traffic lights, road markings, all are there as a mere suggestion, the traffic seems to flow quite well.
  
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  February 13, 2024 11:59am
- jacthecat
  
  https://www.nzta.govt.nz/walking-cycling-and-public-transport/walking/walking-standards-and-guidelines/pedestrian-network-guidance/design/crossings/non-priority-crossing-aids/pedestrian-platforms/
  
  NZTA standards specifically state pedestrian platforms to be on streets where ‘…Traffic volumes less than 3000vpd’. Blatantly disregarded by AT, who apparently know better, for example Great North Rd between Waterview and New Lynn. And I think the Meola Rd traffic volume would probably be > 3000vpd?
  
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  February 13, 2024 12:50pm
- ISeeRed
  
  Where I live, Hamilton just put in traffic lights at a new pedestrian crossing and revamped bus stop 100m down from a tricky 4-way intersection that has no traffic lights.
  
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  February 13, 2024 3:32pm
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  Ditto Wellington. Continuing to waste ratepayers money on raised pedestrian crossings, constricting traffic islands, cycle lanes, etc etc etc
  
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  February 13, 2024 8:11pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Not sure what to make of this. I thought the idea was to keep the Govt right out of it.
Now there is talk of the Govt repealing 3 waters. Let’s hope this is not part of a sly Co-Governance move.

https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/national/govt-releases-plans-to-repeal-replace-three-waters-including-new-advisory-group/ar-BB1i8i1s?

Almost 1 year ago the then National Party pledged to SCRAP 3 waters. They would pull the plug. That is not what National are saying now.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300816313/national-pledges-to-scrap-three-waters-and-deliver-local-water-well
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February 13, 2024 8:14am
- Chuck Bird
  
  I have known Simeon Brown for years before he was an MP. He is very competent. If Luxon gives him a free hand we should be okay.
  
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  February 13, 2024 8:24am
  - Paulus
    
    I believe Luxon will give Brown every head to do his appointed job.
    Luxon is a top Manager and only watches what his appointed people do.
    Unlike Ardern who interfered with everything, and stuffed it, as we are now seeing daily.
    
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    February 13, 2024 8:32am
  - Tony Stuart
    
    Simeon Brown has a very significant workload, but to date he hasn’t put a foot out of line. He has a strong work ethic, and clearly has the ability to assimilate large amounts of technical information.
    
    I accompanied him to a meeting with transport company owners during the election campaign last year. Once I heard him discussing the merits of particular types of trucks with these blokes, most of whom have been in the industry for many years, my confidence in his ability to serve as a Minister rose quickly. He is probably the best performing of National’s Ministers so far.
    
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    February 13, 2024 8:39am
    - pdm
      
      `Simeon Brown has a very significant workload.’
      
      I agree Inv – he and Brooke van Velden seem to be setting the pace as far as business through the House is concerned.
      
      Both are well prepared and getting things done.
      
      NZFirst has only new MP and Minister Casey Costello doing anything. Is that not par for the course.
      
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      February 13, 2024 9:04am
      - BeaB
        
        Both Simeon and Brooke are around the same age as Swarbrick. Both cabinet ministers. Both quietly and efficiently getting on with their important jobs.
        Meanwhile Chloe has her head in the clouds, mouthing slogans and dreaming up schemes that ultimately punish the poor.
        Guess who is loved by the media?
        
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        February 13, 2024 9:31am
      - NothingLeft
        
        Journos are frustrated underachievers from prosperous middle class backgrounds who feel the world owes them more than they have managed to carve out for themselves with their ideologically driven life choices. Chloe is their spirit animal.
        
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        February 13, 2024 9:45am
      - Fuzzysnuggleduck
        
        Unlike the 1st term of the Labour government, they have hit the ground running with repeals and statements on direction.
        It is good that Labour were both lazy and incompetent. It means the centre-right can make much more of their time in constrast.
        I am quite please with the recent sequence of announcements coming from the government in the last couple of weeks.
        The Treaty stuff is also a good distraction from the government fixing the foundations of NZ in other ways……even leftists like Bomber Bradbury realise that people get distracted by the culture wars from other fundamental issues of economy and policy, and yet he is so shrill and panicy about the ‘racist climate denying ultra-hard right in NZ’. Great unintentional comedy to see the left going full retard of a readjustment towards competency and common sense.
        
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        February 13, 2024 2:46pm
    - Bobba Fret
      
      It would not surprise me if Simeon Brown was to become a future leader of the National party. I am very impressed by him.
      
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      February 13, 2024 12:05pm
  - Pope Punctilious II
    
    Has Luxon ruled out “Te mana o te wai” statements in the repeal of 3 Waters? Because let’s not forget that it was the Key government that first introduced woo woo into water management.
    
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    February 13, 2024 8:53am
- 70andstilllearning
  
  They were always going to put the councils under notice wrt to their water infrastructure needs rather than the vanity spending most have become accustomed to of late!
  
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  February 13, 2024 8:29am
  - Paulus
    
    Helen Clark gave the Local Authorities to do whatever they wanted, so that her people can get get well paid jobs and positions which is what we see now still in many cases.
    Tauranga Commissioner, appointed twice by Mahuta, and look how even they admit they stuffed Tauranga right royally, but want to stay on !
    None live in Tauranga and one lives in South Canterbury – good number – but looks like Gaza with expenses likely to cripple the rate payers fior a very long time.
    
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    February 13, 2024 8:37am
- Yvette
  
  From your second link, Steve –
  “While water quality regulator Taumata Arowai will set strict standards for water quality, National will establish a Water Infrastructure Regulator within the Commerce Commission to set and enforce standards for long-term water infrastructure investment,” Luxon said in a statement.
  “Councils will be required to ring-fence money for water infrastructure and not spend it on other services instead.”
  
  When the National-led Coalition disestablish Te Puna, the Maori Advisory Council, which presides over water quality regulator Taumata Arowai, you will then know that not only has Maori co-governance been removed from the supply of general vital public services, but in this case absolute governance through that Council – chaired by Tipa Mahuta.
  
  Maori of course have juristriction over their own water bodies as set out in individual Waitangi settlements. But Tuka Morgan should have to modify his “We want proprietary ownership of water” to settlements involvement only. That is what the original 1840 Treaty implies, not the 1980s meddling.
  
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  February 13, 2024 8:34am
- Tony Stuart
  
  Fear not Steve. National is completely opposed to co-governance of any public services, and water is about the most fundamental public service we have.
  
  And for the record, there will be three stages:
  
  1) Repeal all the Three Waters legislation; to be completed by the end of next week
  2) Introduce the first stage of the replacement legislation midway through the year
  3) Introduce the final stage of the new legislation by mid-2025
  
  I received this email from Simeon Brown (as did thousands of others) last night:
  
  Dear Tony,
  
  Kiwis rejected Labour’s expensive Three Waters plan loud and clear… and National listened.
  
  Today Christopher Luxon and I announced how the Coalition Government will deliver on the promise we made to New Zealanders by replacing Labour’s bureaucratic power grab with a plan to restore local control and ownership of water assets.
  
  The Government will pass a bill to repeal Three Waters by 23 February 2024 as part of our 100-day plan.
  
  Our own plan, Local Water Done Well, will then be implemented by progressing two further bills through Parliament. All legislation to support our plan’s implementation is expected to be passed by mid-2025.
  
  Local Water Done Well recognises the importance of local decision making and flexibility for communities and councils to determine how their water services will be delivered in the future. We will do this while ensuring a strong emphasis on meeting rules for water quality and investment in infrastructure.
  
  Despite tens of thousands of New Zealanders speaking out in opposition of Three Waters, Labour forced its costly, divisive and unpopular plan on local communities across the country, establishing huge layers of bureaucracy in the process.
  
  This Government is taking action to deliver for New Zealanders and this is just one part of our plan to get our country back on track.
  
  Simeon Brown
  Minister of Local Government
  
  Isn’t it nice to have a government doing what it promised to do?
  
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  February 13, 2024 8:35am
  - pdm
    
    Why are they not getting rid of Taumata Arowai the Water Control regulatory body then Inv?
    
    My understanding that is part of the Mahuta rort – or am I wrong?
    
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    February 13, 2024 8:40am
    - KH
      
      Good question PDM. Be good to know.
      But at least Ngai Tahu is gone from our local hierarchy under three waters.
      They were there because of a mythical relationship to water. When in fact they were water vandals with their corporate dairy developments in the vulnerable Hurinui.
      
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      February 13, 2024 8:54am
    - Grunter
      
      The water quality outfit was always going to stay – but they will strip out all the Maori co-governance stuff. The crooked Mahuta family will be gone.
      
      It makes sense IMO to have a water quality body of some sort, focused 100% of water standards, nothing else.
      
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      February 13, 2024 9:09am
      - RoboRob
        
        Will they be changing their name to something like ‘NZ water quality authority’? I had no idea wtf Taumata Arowai was.
        
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        February 13, 2024 9:39am
      - NeverMindTheBollocks
        
        I think you’ll find that Taumata Arowai staff will continue to be the greenstone wearing, karakia chanting crew they always have been.
        
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        February 13, 2024 8:21pm
  - rouppe
    
    My only concern when I heard the announcement of the working group and who was on it was that there didn’t seem to be any engineers.
    
    However, it now appears that the legislation is a financial enablement legislation, not actually enforcing any standards or practices to meet.
    
    Not sure yet if that is an opportunity lost.
    
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    February 13, 2024 8:56am
    - peterwn
      
      But years ago someone said that Electric Power Boards need engineers as much as Rabbit Boards need rabbits.
      
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      February 13, 2024 9:48am
  - Chuck Bird
    
    Nice you are receiving emails like that and not just ones asking for money like I get from Act.
    
    I have emailed back saying I support his referendum on the Principles of the Treaty but want to hear about the replacement for Carr. No response. No donations.
    
    I could support NZF next election.
    
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    February 13, 2024 9:43am
- Grunter
  
  I’m pretty sure this is exactly what they campaigned on. No Co-governance, local govt owned, national water quality standards. Similar to ACT.
  
  Most councils need a kick up the arse when it comes to water. And there is never a free lunch.
  
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  February 13, 2024 8:40am
  - Colville
    
    there is a free lunch at all Council meetings!!
    
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    February 13, 2024 10:08am
    - Geoff1
      
      No there isn’t – it is paid for by the ratepayer – not free.
      
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      February 13, 2024 12:15pm
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  There will be no co governance, they had Brown on the radio this morning and he said absolute not, and he stated no services will have co governance, he said all three parties agree, so let’s stop the bullshit about co governance, he is the minister for local bodies
  
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  February 13, 2024 9:10am
  - RoboRob
    
    Pity that Browns boss is a hard believer in the treaty being a partnership. Hard for the ministers to say no co governance when their boss believes he is in a partnership with Maori.
    
    part·ner·ship
    [ˈpɑːtnəʃɪp]
    NOUN
    
    the state of being a partner or partners:
    “we should go on working together in partnership”
    an association of two or more people as partners:
    “an increase in partnerships with housing associations”
    
    Similar:
    cooperation
    association
    collaboration
    coalition
    alliance
    
    a business or firm owned and run by two or more partners:
    “the partnership now owns 22 department stores”
    Similar:
    company
    firm
    business
    corporation
    organization
    
    a position as one of the partners in a business or firm:
    “she will be eligible for a partnership after a few years”
    
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    February 13, 2024 9:43am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      That has nothing to do with no co governance in services
      
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      February 13, 2024 10:25am
      - RoboRob
        
        Read the definition of a partnership as I provided. If Luxon believes that the treaty is a partnership document, which he does, then it makes sense for the crown to act like its in a partnership. In partnerships multiple parties manage the company and decisions are shared. What would another word for shared decision making be? ……..
        
        Would it be co governance per chance?
        
        You can (and I do) like the new government but Luxons belief that the treaty is a partnership document, puts co governence clearly on the table. Even if they choose to call it something else.
        
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        February 13, 2024 10:56am
- PurplePen
  
  Particularly noted that Labour and their spokesperson Kieran McAnulty has said nothing to oppose the lack of maorification and co governance etc in the government’s new approach. Does that mean it wasn’t really that important nor significant to Labour in the end. You would think for all the effort they put into this area they would be making lots of noise about its omission.
  
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  February 13, 2024 10:42am
Grunter

Luxon interview with Hosking was very good this morning. Lots of good stuff I thought
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February 13, 2024 8:20am
- pdm
  
  Grunter isn’t it good to have a Prime Minister that is prepared and answers questions.
  
  After 6 years of imbeciles.
  
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  February 13, 2024 9:39am
- RoboRob
  
  Best interview I have heard with Luxon. He is improving.
  
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  February 13, 2024 9:40am
imalwaysright

S.O

The government should legislate the councils to provide essential services only.
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February 13, 2024 8:20am
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  No more bloody vanity projects, and no owning property out of town
  
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  February 13, 2024 10:32am
- Geoff1
  
  No need – just remove the powers of general competence that will do what you suggest.
  
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  February 13, 2024 12:19pm
Skippytony

You’d have to have a heart of stone….Page 1 of The Press today
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February 13, 2024 8:24am
- What's the Frequency, Kenneth?
  
  Count me guilty as charged.
  
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  February 13, 2024 10:34am
Surely Knott

Who decides on the Treaty and any restoration or rights – the councils or the courts?

Local Iwi have a treaty settlement already determined by the courts and now in law. It includes various return of land, money for a marae on that land, and a deed of acknowledgement of particular reserve, a requirement for council to consult and consider there view, and a seat on the Cities conservation board.

It does NOT include co-management or co-governance of our regional parks.

But the Council’s regional parks management plan sites the Treaties “principles” of partnership as a guiding value and then says “the council is committed to working with mana whenua to
develop effective options for greater involvement. This may include co-management of a park or of priority areas of interest within or across the parks. ”

Is this within Council’s domain or have the bureaucrats taken it upon themselves to act as judge and jury on our treaty issues?
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February 13, 2024 8:26am
- RoboRob
  
  This is the exact reason we need Acts referendum. We need to put in law what the treaties principals are and are not. We need to establish whether there is or isn’t a partnership between crown and maori.
  
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  February 13, 2024 9:45am
- Damocles11
  
  The Waitangi Tribunal is actively out there undermining the governments right to govern New Zealand. The Tribunal will pour rocket fuel on moves to establish a separate Maori ethno-state if it is not stopped soon. Luxon must join the fight and not leave the burden to his junior coalition partners.
  
  ——
  
  ‘The Tribunal, Te Paparahi o te Raki inquiry (Wai 1040) is in the process of considering the Māori and Crown understandings of He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga / The Declaration of Independence 1835 and Te Tiriti o Waitangi / the Treaty of Waitangi 1840. This aspect of the inquiry raises issues as to the nature of sovereignty and whether the Māori signatories to the Treaty of Waitangi intended to transfer sovereignty.
  
  The first stage of the report was released in November 2014. It found that Ngāpuhi chiefs never agreed to give up their sovereignty when they signed the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840.Tribunal manager Julie Tangaere said at the report’s release to the Ngāpuhi claimants:
  
  “Your tupuna [ancestors] did not give away their mana at Waitangi, at Waimate, at Mangungu. They did not cede their sovereignty. This is the truth you have been waiting a long time to hear.”
  
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  February 13, 2024 10:15am
G152

Must hurt when they do a vote count in Parliament and Chippie gets reminded of his failure…
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February 13, 2024 8:28am
Chuck Bird

Not Premium

David Seymour is whistling the same Treaty bigotry as Don Brash – Willie Jackson

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/kahu/david-seymour-is-whistling-the-same-treaty-bigotry-as-don-brash-willie-jackson/UYBJZIJV4ZD65PZPAFNK6RMBCU/
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February 13, 2024 8:28am
- Blog-aholic
  
  Willie J whisltling the same race politics to score points…..the problem is it is like a dog whistle only some can hear it.
  
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  February 13, 2024 8:33am
- sirknz
  
  Is that the same Willie Jackson who was turned down with John Tamihere for their Whanau Ora funding and told to sharpen their pencils with regards to how much they were charging for IT and admin amongst other things?
  
  Just for reference, the admin being supplied by (what looks like JT’s taxpayer funded ‘slush fund’) that trust with the multitude of $500k+ employees, doubled in price from last year to their proposal for this year.
  
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  February 13, 2024 8:36am
- In Vino Veritas
  
  Wasn’t it Jackson’s x wife that said there wasn’t much between his ears?
  
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  February 13, 2024 8:39am
  - nathie
    
    Yes, well apart from his motor mouth!
    
    Imagine being in close proximity to it – it would be enough to drive anyone close to him to despair!
    
    Mind you, if NZ had its version of Spitting Image I would imagine his character would be hilarious and one of the most watched!
    
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    February 13, 2024 9:20am
- Swifty
  
  That piece is just one long name-calling exercise.
  
  Haven’t got coherent arguments? No problem! Just hurl nasty labels and hope some of them stick!
  
  I see too that the Taxpayer’s Union are ‘far-right’.
  
  Willie Jackson just embarrasses himself with his inability to advance beyond meat works smoko room rabble-rousing.
  
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  February 13, 2024 8:39am
  - What's the Frequency, Kenneth?
    
    Speaking of things “Far Right”, this morning Hosking quite rightly bemoaned the media’s use of the term for anyone who isn’t left, nek minit his European correspondent is throwing the term around with gay abandon and not a peep of challenge.
    Bitterly disappointed.
    
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    February 13, 2024 10:37am
- Clyde
  
  Little Willie Jackson can rave all he likes. As we all know, he is a vacuous little idiot whose views and beliefs are inherently racist. He is a nobody.
  
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  February 13, 2024 8:41am
  - pdm
    
    Little Willie’ always seems appropriate for Jackson.
    
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    February 13, 2024 9:42am
- Grunter
  
  Nothing new from the Maori Separatist Jackson. Maybe he should think a bit more deeply about how he tried to trick the nation with his evil drip-fed plan toward Separatism.
  
  His ‘Maori is best’ nonsense is just wrong.
  
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  February 13, 2024 8:49am
- Pope Punctilious II
  
  OK, but a “bigot” is just someone who’s winning an argument with an activist or an SJW.
  
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  February 13, 2024 8:54am
- Flossie
  
  I suspect Jackson has heard way more racist speeches from his cohorts in the past few years than anything Don Brash may have ever said. The likes of Ms Davidson and Ms Packer just never stop denigrating white people (with whom they share a great deal of their DNA).
  
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  February 13, 2024 8:55am
- sungsamning
  
  Oh dear. The gravy train is going to lose some carriages, and passengers. How sad, never mind.
  
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  February 13, 2024 8:58am
- KH
  
  Typical bigoted rant from Willie, just like the rest of his crowd.
  He would do better to actually quote Seymour and Brash and refute what they say.
  But he won’t quote it because if people see that they might see the sense.
  And he can’t refute it, because — he can’t.
  
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  February 13, 2024 9:01am
- Yvette
  
  Invercargill City Council discovered a possible Mick Jagger inscription from 1965 in a band room of its Civic Theatre. The inscription, “Mick Jagger 65,” was found on a wall section now archived at Invercargill Public Library. Coinciding with The Stones’ visit, Jagger or Keith Richards infamously dubbed the city “the arsehole of the world.”
  Apparently the Mayor at the time noted they “were just passing through”
  The mis-information, that Willie Jackson is currently smearing people with, should also come to pass
  (hopefully as fast as his middle name may indicate)
  
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  February 13, 2024 9:01am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    He drew on the wall in the hotel he stayed in as well, once they removed wall paper to find something similar under the old wall paper
    
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    February 13, 2024 10:37am
  - newview
    
    (:
    
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    February 13, 2024 11:40am
  - Jack5
    
    Lot of myths about the Rolling Stones visit to Invercargill, which I think led to a report in NZ Truth, headlined the “Rolling Rubbish Heap.”
    
    This was over a correspondent’s report about an alleged mess they left in a motel.
    
    There’s a legend that Invercargill concertgoers yelled demands to the Stones for country-western songs, and even threw meat pies at the band. I think the second part of that’s likely a myth.
    
    The fact that the musicians labelled Invercargill the arsehole of the world wasn’t original. Crews on the British ships that carried NZ food exports to the UK sometimes called Bluff “the arsehole.”
    
    Southland was ultra-conservative. Local councillor Norman Jones, later a notably reactionary MP (while he was suffering from cancer), hobbled along in an Invercargill anti-Vietnam War demonstration. Jones had lost a leg when wounded in the Middle East as an under-age (he was just 15) soldier early in World War 2. Onlookers jeered him for being anti-war.
    
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    February 13, 2024 2:09pm
    - NZer In Exile
      
      Yes very “parochial”. Apparently when The Stones toured Dunedin in the late 1960’s some hotel person knocked on their door on a Sunday night and alerted them to local church services they could attend 🤣
      
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      February 13, 2024 7:09pm
- wairarapapaul
  
  Loved the mention in the 4th paragraph about the access to beaches . . . How about the fishing competition recently.
  
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  February 13, 2024 9:02am
- Cassandra
  
  Extraordinary, isn’t it, that this buffoon – Jackson – can write that black is white with a straight face. Undoing the divisiveness of 40 years of Maori separatism is divisive! Alice/Willy in Wonderland. The Treaty gave Maori precisely what ACT’s principles bill says. No Maori wards, Maori Deputy Vice Chancellors, no Maori liaison officers. No Maori water. No other race has these things. Let’s all be New Zealanders.
  
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  February 13, 2024 9:03am
- Gravelroad
  
  Of course this guy Jackson is going to squeal.
  He is worried on a personal level that the patronage and influence he has enjoyed for the last six years from the Labour government might be slowly ebbing away.
  He is like a pompous school prefect who has had his badge taken off him.
  
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  February 13, 2024 9:05am
- pdm
  
  Is Willie `double dipping’ by taking money from the Herald for these inflammatory and ill informed Opinion Pieces?
  
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  February 13, 2024 9:07am
- Stellaboxer
  
  Chuck spoiler alert! Despite all the efforts of the media nobody seems to actually give a sh!t what Willie Jackson, the Labour Party , Greens or Maori party says about anything. It appears to me that much of the NZ media in pushing this stuff don’t realise that the only effect it really has is to reinforce in the minds of the public the fact that they have become irrelevant.
  
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  February 13, 2024 9:26am
  - Paulus
    
    I am sure Tova does as she still needs a job – just !
    
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    February 13, 2024 1:52pm
  - Miritu
    
    “..the only effect it really has is to reinforce in the minds of the public the fact that they have become irrelevant.”
    Not on Kiwiblog, constantly discussing and linking to NZ media content
    
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    February 13, 2024 7:49pm
artemisia

I was wondering. How would New Zealand react if a couple of big grey ships quietly anchored off the Bay of Islands and thousands of armed hostiles and drones with murder, mayhem and a perimeter on their minds came ashore in fast boats and choppers.

Ms Swarbrick, looking at you.
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February 13, 2024 8:34am
- Gravelroad
  
  The first thing Ms Swarbrick should do if she becomes the new leader, is change the name of her party to the Red Party – Reds for short.
  What conservation in the environmental sense, knowledge and experience does Ms Swarbrick have?
  She seldom speaks about conservation, although I have heard her gabble occasionally about the evils of climate change – but has she ever done any research on this herself?
  Or does she repeat what Mr Shaw said?
  Has she ever visited the countryside from her comfy enclave of trendy cafes in central Auckland to learn what actually happens here?
  Ms Swarbrick is an entrenched political activist with a closed mind to people of whom she does not approve.
  Goodbye Green thinking and action if she becomes leader.
  
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  February 13, 2024 9:30am
  - RoboRob
    
    The Greens haven’t been an environmental focus for at least 10yrs. They have slowly replaced all the environmentalists with socialists. Shaw was the last environmentalist on the team and he hardly had a voice. The green paint is great for the youth vote but environmentalists they aint.
    
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    February 13, 2024 9:50am
    - Colville
      
      I think they will morph to a social and change to brown.
      The brownshirts suits them.
      
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      February 13, 2024 10:14am
- MCōs
  
  Ain’t going to happen
  The Australian cricket team travel by aeroplane these days
  
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  February 13, 2024 10:21am
G152

And a protester is unhappy that the police are paying attention to him
ROTFLMAO.
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February 13, 2024 8:35am
- rouppe
  
  I really don’t like John Minto. Ever since the Springbok tour and the mayhem he brought wherever he went.
  
  But what happened to him (as reported) is the same as the Israeli flag waver the other week.
  
  So either it is OK in both instances, or it is not OK in both instances.
  
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  February 13, 2024 10:29am
  - kowtow
    
    Was Israeli Flag waver blocking a public road .
    
    The Lyttleton mob filmed themselves doing just that.
    
    2 0
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    February 13, 2024 12:39pm
    - Skippytony
      
      And disregarding very clear requests then instructions from the police
      
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      February 13, 2024 3:40pm
- Bobba Fret
  
  Here is the article with the video of Minto looking pretty distressed after being pepper sprayed.
  Worth watching as it certainly cheered me up!
  https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/350176292/political-activist-complains-police-watchdog-after-being-pepper-sprayed-protest
  
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  February 13, 2024 12:13pm
Ruahine

Looks like the gravy train has left the station for this husband of a former Labour Prime Minister.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/clarke-gayford-departs-tvnzs-moving-houses-former-all-black-andrew-ellis-announced-as-new-host/UIBZXN7J6NH5JNVMRJMOMHDS7U/
29 1
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February 13, 2024 8:50am
- BeaB
  
  Perhaps a cushy sinecure for his wife will take them both overseas and out of our lives.
  
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  February 13, 2024 9:33am
  - pdm
    
    Forever.
    
    23 1
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    February 13, 2024 9:45am
  - NothingLeft
    
    Don’t care as long as taxpayers don’t have to support that pair of oxygen thieves anymore.
    
    22 1
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    February 13, 2024 9:52am
- lifesgood
  
  That’s good to know. I might start watching it now.
  
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  February 13, 2024 10:00am
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  Ardern was toxic, the show would not be popular with him there, so they do a bud light and get and ex All Black to front
  
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  February 13, 2024 10:46am
  - Ghost
    
    And yet the show was popular with him and out rated the shows on tv2 and 3 at the same time
    
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    February 13, 2024 1:57pm
- Paulus
  
  Or has she got some where to go overseas at last ?
  She is not welcomed here any more !
  
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  February 13, 2024 1:54pm
sungsamning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgnNgh8gAaE
McBLOG: Help woke companies wake up!
When companies go woke, they often go broke. And the reason they go broke is because people like you and me choose to purchase from companies and retailers who don’t lecture us with woke gender and sexuality virtue signalling as part of our purchase. But more and more companies are going woke – Budlight, Target, Ford, Nike, Adidas, Bonds, Rip Curl, Oreo, and more. You need to be aware of them – so that you can exercise your purchasing power.
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February 13, 2024 8:55am
sungsamning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xkfSo37CH4
A Global Revolution is happening Now!
A revolution is developing across the globe and it has the potential to crash the system – I never thought I would live to see this happen. [I’m not sure the revoloution will be televised.]
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February 13, 2024 8:55am
- Jake Dee
  
  OK, you got me, and I clicked on it, I guess I must be bored.
  Now I’m trying to figure out if this Jeff Taylor guy is a deep fake A.I. or a just a special needs case.
  I’m leaning towards special needs, figuring that if someone was spending the time and effort to make a deep fake A.I. they wouldn’t make it look like that, the guy appears to have a super-sized paper clip on his lapel.
  The least our cybernetic overlords can do is make themselves look and sound like hot chicks while they take over the world.
  
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  February 13, 2024 10:30am
  - mawm
    
    My initial thought was that he is Belarus President Lukoshenko sans peaked cap and epaulettes with Xmas decorations.
    
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    February 13, 2024 1:43pm
    - sungsamning
      
      No, I don’t think Lukashenko speaks English. There are other sources for these farmer revolt stories though.
      
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      February 13, 2024 7:11pm
  - sungsamning
    
    Neither. He’s not the fake news BBC. I can probably find another source for the farmer revolt stories.
    
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    February 13, 2024 7:09pm
    - Jake Dee
      
      Don’t get me wrong, the Farmer revolt is an important story, but this guy needs to seriously work on his presentation skills.
      
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      February 13, 2024 7:48pm
Maggy Wassilieff

Remind me who was Minister of Police and the PM in August 2023….

The government was warned a year ago that the 111 emergency call system is so old, slow and fragmented that it is causing deaths and injuries, police documents show.

But the Labour government dropped a project last August to replace the system, which is shared between police and Fire and Emergency.

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2024/02/labour-dropped-project-to-replace-flawed-111-system-causing-deaths-and-injuries-police-documents.html
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February 13, 2024 9:00am
- pdm
  
  No doubt Mike Hosking will have Virginia Ruby (known as Ginny) Anderson squirming when she is on with Mark Mitchell just after 8am tomorrow morning.
  
  Excuses, excuses, excuses!!!!!
  
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  February 13, 2024 9:11am
- nathie
  
  Also, not sure if you listen to Ginny Anderson v Mark Mitchell on Wed mornings on talkback radio (the replays are on line) but is it just me – she constantly comes across as a spiteful and nasty person.
  
  Always looking at the negatives (a bit like the MSM) when it comes to the coalition govt and seems to spread misinformation. Last week she was saying Luxon “ran away from Waitangi” but I understand the reason was he left to attend events in Auckland and then returned later. Which is what PM’s with busy schedules do!
  
  (Well maybe except for Ardern who seemed to send her time running gas BBQ’s at Waitangi – I guess she wasn’t in demand unlike previous Labour PM’s)!
  
  Anyway be interesting if this 111 emergency call system is brought up on Hosking’s show tomorrow. Expect Ms Anderson to be deflecting and blaming National somehow!
  
  If so, Labour, is this the best you can do???!!!
  
  [PSA: Not picking on you nathie (or pdm), but it’s Ginny Andersen. Hope this helps, because I suspect her name will be cropping up in news often this year.. mod.]
  
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  February 13, 2024 9:15am
  - pdm
    
    `If so, Labour, is this the best you can do???!!!’
    
    What is more Nathie she is being touted to take over as Deputy Leader before the next election.
    
    That should lose them another 2 or 3% from their Roy Morgan Poll rating of 22% in January.
    
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    February 13, 2024 9:49am
    - RoboRob
      
      I actually think she IS the best they can do. Compared to the others she is sharp, smart and quick on her feet. They could do a lot worse then have her as leader. She certainly would have been better then JA. I guess she needs to work on her tone though.
      
      p.s. I am not syaing she is great, just that she is probably the brightest star in the current stable.
      
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      February 13, 2024 9:54am
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      Another bully Labour leader.
      
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      February 13, 2024 11:59am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Spiteful? Her and her old man weee union bullies, snd the same ethos with the rotten Labour Party
    
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    February 13, 2024 10:48am
    - Dougal10
      
      He husband was also a bully leading the nz response to M-bovis.
      
      7 0
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      February 13, 2024 12:04pm
  - nathie
    
    Thanks Mod, point noted!
    
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    February 13, 2024 2:20pm
  - Piniwi
    
    Think this 111 call problem is just a smoke screen after it was revealed in the mass shooting enquiry that a tearful (un-named) operator made a rather big mistake. No reason for tears as she was not the only one as there seemed to be a litany of them.
    
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    February 13, 2024 3:21pm
- Paulus
  
  Easy to drop the flawed 111 system it as it becomes a financial embarrassment to the new Government and Labour can bitch about the costs.
  
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  February 13, 2024 1:57pm
Grunter

I see the IDF is having a decent crack at Damascus as well as threatening to take out the southern Gaza city of Rafah where it is reported a bunch of Hamas are hiding out.

These actions will infuriate the Syrian army, Hezbollah, Egypt, and obviously Hamas. Egypt has said that if Rafah is attacked then their peace deal with Israel is done for. Even the Saudis have come out kicking big time…

“Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned Israel of “very serious repercussions” if their forces target Rafah.

“The Kingdom affirms its categorical rejection and strong condemnation of their forcible deportation, and renews its demand for an immediate ceasefire,” the ministry said in a statement, according to the outlet.”

Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs:
“We are ready for war against Israel, but we will decide when and how we will enter this war.”

So, IMO, the Middle East War is now at a major turning point. Israel can carry on, which means major escalation into a regional war, OR they say “that’s it”.

I think they will very soon take out Rafah. Which means a major regional war throughout the ME with lots of missiles & guns aimed at Israel. And of course Israel will respond big time to that.

What a mess!
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February 13, 2024 9:03am
- RoboRob
  
  Haven’t been following this closely. Why is it the other middle eastern countries so keen to protect Rafah in particular?
  
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  February 13, 2024 9:56am
  - Grunter
    
    Reportedly (but who knows in the fog of war) about 1 million people are there after being hoarded south from their homes in more northern parts of Gaza (which has been bombed to rubble). Rafah is right on the border with Egypt, so they are now very nervous. The Saudis are basically saying that bombing Rafah is one big step too far.
    Syria & Hezbollah are always grumpy, but bombing Damascus & Rafah just tips them over the edge.
    
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    February 13, 2024 10:17am
    - RoboRob
      
      Thanks for the reply. Makes perfect sense, especially for Egypt who are very keen to keep those peace loving Palestinians out of their country.
      
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      February 13, 2024 11:06am
      - NZer In Exile
        
        Why can’t the surrounding Muslim countries offer to divide up the “Palestinians” and offer them citizenship on the proviso that if they play up and terrorise their host country they will be dealt with extremely harshly? Or they wan’t a permanent festering cancer attached to Israel, because mindless historical Joo hatred?
        
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        February 13, 2024 7:16pm
    - Paulus
      
      Why will Egypt not open its borders after all they are all Arabs ?
      
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      February 13, 2024 1:59pm
- Libertarians are right
  
  I hate to tell you, but Israel has been at war with their neighbours since 1948. A war started by those neighbours. They have been using Hamas as their proxy for years now since actively threatening and attacking Israel had been a bad idea.
  
  They are throwing a tantrum over Israel trying to root out Hamas because they don’t want to go back to active war (rather than the current proxy war). With the big threats they’re trying to make Israel let Hamas survive and at the very least get international support for their potential genocidal attacks on Israel.
  
  If Israel stop, then all the civilian deaths won’t be justified (which is why their enemies are desperate for them to stop). The tragedy will be worse. If they wipe out the cancer that is Hamas, Gaza will have the opportunity to grow and actually be free.
  
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  February 13, 2024 10:03am
  - Grunter
    
    I don’t disagree with any of that – until the last part. Israel will never be free. Just being realistic.
    
    Bombing your neighbours who also have bombs, and friends with even more bombs will not end well IMO.
    
    If Israel chooses to defend themselves by bombing that is their choice. All I am saying is, that choice will have consequences for Israel. It is a complete mess I have no solution at this point.
    
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    February 13, 2024 11:25am
    - Libertarians are right
      
      Sorry, I meant that getting rid of Hamas gives Gaza a chance to be free. You know, aid going to the people, not being used as human shields etc.
      
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      February 13, 2024 11:59am
- kowtow
  
  Take some advice from Cpl Jones , “Don’t panic”
  It just won’t happen . The Saudis have bigger fish to fry ,the Gypos don’t care and the Syrians have their own genocide to work on against their own people.
  
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  February 13, 2024 10:10am
- Chuck Bird
  
  Can anyone imagine Luxon picking a gun to defend NZ? Netanyahu is a war hero and would go down shooting and Luxon is trying to tell him how to defend his country agiainst evil Islamist scum.
  
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  February 13, 2024 10:30am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Not what he did at all FFS, he had his say after Peters tge foreign ministers stated NZ had grave concerns about attacking that area, grave concerns does not mean telling him how to run his country
    
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    February 13, 2024 10:54am
BeaB

Rats and mice in supermarkets? Could that have anything to do with the removal of plastic bags and packaging?
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February 13, 2024 9:28am
- MCōs
  
  Probably not otherwise the buggers would be in all the supermarkets, restaurants, dairies, takeaways
  
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  February 13, 2024 10:08am
  - kowtow
    
    Ha ha ha .
    
    If only people knew !
    
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    February 13, 2024 10:11am
- kowtow
  
  Countdown are getting major stick .
  
  The rats aren’t coming from within their store . So who’s really responsible .
  
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  February 13, 2024 10:12am
  - greybeard
    
    That single mouse in the Chch supermarket is very dodgy: there is no way there could be just one mouse there, unless someone took it there in their pocket.
    
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    February 13, 2024 10:23am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    The rats in Dunedin are not coming from within the store, it has been well versed that they are not nesting inside snd are entering the building, it seems to me they have started coming in sicken the front door extension for pick up was put in.
    
    Another thing is, our rat catcher at work said some pet rats had been found, possibly some dirty tactics happening
    
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    February 13, 2024 10:57am
    - kowtow
      
      Nothing would surprise me .
      There’s been a barely disguised campaign for some time in te media against the Australian “outsider”.
      
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      February 13, 2024 12:14pm
- Ghost
  
  Problem only seems to be at two supermarkets so I doubt it.
  
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  February 13, 2024 10:12am
- Chuck Bird
  
  I bet the Greens will blame climate change.
  
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  February 13, 2024 10:32am
- thirteenstars
  
  Regardless, our world got a lot less hygienic with the removal of plastic bags. Countdown have even removed the plastic bags at the meat section so I ask for a bag from the seafood counter to put my meat in.
  
  All of them seem to have kept paper bags for produce even though they were meant to be transitionary.
  
  I doubt a coalition led by Luxon would reverse the ban even though it’s just a regulation made by an order in council. Perhaps Seymour as Regulation Minister will have a go. Somehow I doubt it. I was disappointed at his attitude over Matariki, which has only been an official holiday for one year. He waffled when asked about it suggesting the New Year’s Day and day after holidays could be scrapped, which is nutty. The short-term screaming over removing Matariki would be nothing compared to removing the long-cherished new year’s holidays.
  
  Too hard basket.
  
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  February 13, 2024 10:42am
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  I read somewhere that you are only ever a few metres away from a rat. They’re everywhere. What’s extraordinary is that we seldom see them.
  
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  February 13, 2024 8:39pm
  - Jack5
    
    NMTB’s … you are only ever a few metres away from a rat…
    
    Even closer than that over at the 🐀 Standard blog.
    
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    February 13, 2024 10:17pm
Im Right

I saw the screaming skull (Jew hater John Minto) was pepper sprayed and got a cut to his head whilst protesting at the port.
Now one part of me laughed and laughed, the other more sensible part thought….’ohhh fuck, this is what he wants, this is what he needs! He needs the limelight, he needs the ‘im being victimised’ medal!
Groan….we will now see a press release from him citing police brutality and picking on him….he fucking loves it and a court case means he is in the news more often!
Sigggghhh, best thing anyone can do to Minto is ignore him, but he always finds a way to antagonise police so they play into his ‘champion of the cause’ wish.
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February 13, 2024 9:34am
- rouppe
  
  That cut to his head was incredibly minor. Head cuts bleed like a bastard, so that wee dribble is nothing. And it wasn’t there when he was sitting on the path after being pepper sprayed. So when did it happen?
  
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  February 13, 2024 10:35am
  - Colville
    
    My Missus stabbed me last night when I tried to nick a bit of meat off the chopping board pre dinner…it was worse than Mintos cut and I got laughed at!!
    
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    February 13, 2024 3:26pm
- cmm
  
  How did a whiff of pepper spray cause a head bleed?
  
  I am drawn to wonder whether the bleeding was self inflicted for the cameras.
  
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  February 13, 2024 11:55am
  - Tom Hunter
    
    And given the history of Mr Minto I wonder if you and some other South Africans would like to comment on this, In South Africa, a great evil is growing fast
    
    Malema: I can’t tell you what’s going to happen in the future. I’m saying to you, we’re not called for the killing of white people, at least for now. I can’t guarantee the future.
    
    Interviewer: You’d understand somebody watching that, especially as it gets shared on Twitter, they freak out. It sounds like a genocidal call.
    
    Malema: Crybabies. Crybabies. I’m not calling for the slaughter of white people, at least for now. I can’t give a guarantee of the future, especially when things are going the way they are.
    
    Hysterical bullshit? Just another political talking head who is ultimately full of shit and looking to rark up his followers to win an election.
    
    Or….
    
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    February 13, 2024 8:03pm
- Inandout
  
  IR, when Bob Jones was permitted to write for the Herald, talking about Minto.
  https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/bob-jones-a-message-to-screaming-john-minto-shut-up/AT7GJ777R7P6FCYYXAMDCI5ESQ/
  
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  February 13, 2024 1:06pm
- JohnRidd
  
  ” this is what he wants, this is what he needs!” Exactly.
  
  All of those activists, like Minto, have read Saul Alinsky’s book “Rules for Radicals”. It teaches how to protest and disrupt. All Marxists have read it and follow it. They are after the reaction. ” The reaction is the action”. They want to have the evil authorities cut their head so a bleeding head can be on the news. Mr. Minto should send a letter of thanks to whomever scratched his head.
  
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  February 13, 2024 9:03pm
Maggie Pie

TIKTOK-BURN-OF-THE-MONTH!

Whitehouse Press Secretary, black lesbian Karen Jean-Pierre, has a problem referring to the three “folks in the military” who were killed in Jordan this month, as…… “Soldiers”

This Army Wife’s response is nothing short of BRUTAL 😎

https://www.tiktok.com/@theliftedpatriot/video/7329659467937697055
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February 13, 2024 9:36am
- Blog-aholic
  
  I think Jean-Pierre has less intellectual capacity than the stated ‘bean sprout’, that is just an insult to bean sprouts.
  
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  February 13, 2024 9:58am
- RoboRob
  
  Absolutely brilliant response and entirely true.
  
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  February 13, 2024 10:02am
- alex Masterley
  
  Loved the put down of the press secretary.
  
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  February 13, 2024 10:53am
- mogg
  
  She could do a double act with the old stumble bum Biden, it’s all about the pronouns, just so many to choose from now.
  
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  February 13, 2024 11:06am
- NZer In Exile
  
  Please tell me you do NOT have the tiktok app installed on any of your devices MP.
  
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  February 13, 2024 7:21pm
Notsofast

A new paper published on Friday by Sallie Baxendale professor in clinical neuropsychology at University College London, titled The impact of suppressing puberty on neuropsychological function: A review, looks at the evidence regarding effects of puberty blockers on cognitive function. Eleven of the sixteen studies identified were performed on non-human mammals, and ‘No human studies have systematically explored the impact of these treatments on neuropsychological function with an adequate baseline and follow-up’. The paper gives a good explanation of puberty being a critical window for brain development and the roles of pubertal hormones in these changes, as discussed before in this thread. It is written very well and is worth reading.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/apa.17150

This paragraph should help parents:

“Completely reversible neuropsychological effects would not be predicted given our current understanding of the ‘windows of opportunity’ model of neurodevelopment. If neuropsychological deficits associated with puberty blockers were completely reversible, it would mean that puberty is very different from the other pre-programmed windows of opportunity in neuropsychological development and any literature supporting this would present a significant challenge to our current understanding of neurodevelopment. It was the apparent incongruity between claims of full reversibility in the TDG literature and the neuropsychological puberty literature that prompted this review.”
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February 13, 2024 9:55am
- Jake Dee
  
  Here’s an interesting analogy, have you invented a new electronic gizmo that you think could be useful on military or commercial aircraft? Alright, you will spend years, developing and testing it and several more years getting it certified for each particular type of aircraft in each particular environment.
  Do you have an off-label use for a drug that will radically change children’s bodies in an experiment to advance an LGBTQIA+ agenda?
  Fine, go right ahead. We will check out what happens later.
  
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  February 13, 2024 10:43am
  - Notsofast
    
    Yes, a lot of reliance on science for these charlatans to fly from one place to another. This is a New Zealand regulatory failure in the vein of leaky buildings.
    Lives are ruined.
    Politicians do not care at all.
    The aviation analogy is relevant to everything. Or measure twice cut once.
    
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    February 13, 2024 11:53am
oldpark

Just to re-iterate my Blog of 8.33 am which seems to have been completely deleted without any explanation .
Wellington City Council . How to win friends and influence people especially Wellington Ratepayers . . Cancel the $250,000,000 earmarked for bicycle tracks money wasted .
A Greenie called ms/Paul voted for the massive cost when she was a Councillor and then departed the scene to join the Hamas Green Party in Parliament probably wreaking more havoc on NZs Maybe Wellington Rate Payers might forgive the Wellington City Council if for once they did something useful and cancelled the massive cost spending on bike tracks .Yeah !Right!
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February 13, 2024 9:57am
PurplePen

Interesting opinion piece in the ODT today “The relationship between identity and self entitlement”.

https://www.odt.co.nz/opinion/relation-between-%E2%80%98identity%E2%80%99-and-self-entitlement-clear

Discuss …
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February 13, 2024 10:01am
- Jake Dee
  
  It’s not bad but a bit thin. However, it is an opinion piece not a PhD thesis.
  He could have gone for Ego / Alter-ego instead of Identity /Secret identity. Bruce Wayne / Batman isn’t as interesting as Dr. Jekyll / Mr. Hyde, two men or one? Although that’s just an earlier version of Dr. Bruce Banner / The Hulk.
  
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  February 13, 2024 10:59am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Someone hasn’t been swallowing their woke pills.
  
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  February 13, 2024 11:20am
thirteenstars

Regards the shooting in the Texas megachurch yesterday:

The shooter used an AR-15 that had “Free Palestine” written on it, according to a federal law enforcement source. Investigators are trying to determine whether she was politically motivated or a disturbed individual, the source said.

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/02/12/us/joel-osteen-lakewood-church-shooting-monday/index.html

I’m sure that will be widely and loudly reported. Imagine if it had, oh, MAGA, on it.
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February 13, 2024 10:32am
- Matt Long
  
  The individual with xy chromosomes was obviously disturbed. Apparently of White, non Hispanic appearance.
  How fortunate we know all violence is the fault of white cis males.
  https://x.com/iamyesyouareno/status/1757117190711496836?s=20
  
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  February 13, 2024 1:29pm
Ghost

Question to prime minister about the covid vaccine injured in uk
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February 13, 2024 10:55am
- Grunter
  
  Thx for the link – very confronting. Sunak was “shocked” that these poor guys had been silenced by his Govt. What a lying prick he is.
  
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  February 13, 2024 11:37am
- krazykiwi
  
  He’s angry, and with good reason. Millions like him ‘did the right thing’ and those injured have been mocked, gaslit, and abandoned while the political classes sweep everything quietly under rug and move on.
  
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  February 13, 2024 12:01pm
Maggy Wassilieff

Another master class essay in double-think spin from Tova…

https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/350176730/both-labour-and-national-blame-12b-three-waters-blow-out

(short summary for those who can’t bring themselves to read the article: National is to blame for the 3-Waters debacle).
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February 13, 2024 11:19am
- Hugh Jarse
  
  Of course, I knew that would be the answer when I saw the headline on her article, which I why I didn’t bother reading it.
  
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  February 13, 2024 12:02pm
- artemisia
  
  Kieran McAnulty on the ZB wireless this morning. Cancelling 3/10 Waters is just terrible and when people get their rate increases (for the next 100 years) they need to remember today as the reason.
  
  He did not mention the cost of co-governance under which Maori effectively own the water and say what happens to it. Just maybe somebody else pays. And that IWI are occasionally and for good reason known as I Want It. OK not so occasionally.
  
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  February 13, 2024 12:41pm
  - RoboRob
    
    3 waters was NEVER going to save money. Any economies of scale were immediately offset my bureaucracy / iwi costs.
    
    Where did these fools think the money was going to come from. Under 3/10 waters it was coming from rate payers and tax payers anyway.
    
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    February 13, 2024 1:07pm
  - Ghost
    
    Our water rates are around $1200 a year, under 3 waters the council worked out water rates would increase to around $5000
    
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    February 13, 2024 1:17pm
  - Paulus
    
    When will McAnulty find that he has any part as a Maori.
    Winston said the 1/512 last year made the person a Maori so Mc Nutty can surely find it.
    It will help him get top Labour job, but in fact one of their women will get it anyway, proving Labour history.
    
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    February 13, 2024 2:07pm
- greybeard
  
  Double-whammy from Stuff today: Tova and Hipkins have been called upon to berate the new Govt.
  
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  February 13, 2024 1:27pm
Gravelroad

“The baby was injured when the capsule they were sleeping in caught fire after a light exploded, his uncle said.”
This is the caption under a photo on $tuff today.
Anyone notice something slightly off here?
To be politically and socially correct in today’s world, shouldn’t it be : “their uncle said”?
Muppets. (And that’s being unfair to the actual Muppet Show muppets.)
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February 13, 2024 11:31am
Gerrit

Why is it that when I ask a Maori separatist if the seperate Maori entities they seek (Health, Education, Welfare,etc.) will be fully funded from a separate Maori taxation regime, I get a blank stare and a stammered No, all must pay to enable the separatism.

Just does not jell with me that we all have to pay for a separate racial divide we have no vote on.
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February 13, 2024 11:47am
krazykiwi

Wellington. Lambton Quay just now. Protestors chanting “No Genocide” and then “From the River to the Sea….” clearly have shoe-sized IQs
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February 13, 2024 11:55am
Jack5

How far can a Government lock in its spending beyond elections?

If politicians can lock in their spending years ahead what use are general elections?

Labour seems to have locked in for years its bribe pipeline to the non-State media.

NZ on Air’s Public Interest Journalism Fund of $55 million was claimed to be to help media survive the Covid economic downturn.

On its web site NZ on Air says:

While the tahua has now officially closed, some of those roles and projects are funded to run until January 2026, so we will continue to see the legacy of the fund, and its investment in the sustainability of the media sector, for some time yet.

(“Tahua” according to an online dictionary means money or funding or budget.)

If the Leftists can get away with funding beyond elections, let the Coalition do the same. Lock in cash for new frigates and Army and Air Force gear, for new roads, for more police, for new hospitals, for new types of tertiary schools …

But what makes subsidies for media differ from cultural reporting for courts? That has been axed.

Or is this some State agency telling politicians, “you’ve already given us the money, you’re not getting it back.”
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February 13, 2024 11:56am
Vinicius

Our good host DPF was on The Platform today with Sean Plunket about the latest Curia Poll etc.

https://theplatform.kiwi/podcasts/episode/david-farrar-discusses-latest-political-polling
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February 13, 2024 12:13pm
MCōs

If Mr Trump is re-elected president one would have to think that’s the first step in the demise of NATO
Whatever assurances Putin might give about not invading neighbouring countries nobody believes him.
Expect nuclear weapons to proliferate
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February 13, 2024 12:13pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  I don’t think Trump or any President can actually walk away from NATO. The US can of course reduce their funding by say 80%
  At the moment US gives NATO over US$200B while all of Europe members give a total of US$25B. That is what Trump wants to stop. America first and other NATO members can pay for their own security.
  
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  February 13, 2024 12:43pm
  - RoboRob
    
    Thats what the TDS crew dont get. Its not about walking away from Nato, its about the countries in Nato all paying a fair share. It is crazy that the US pays so much more than economies like Germany, France and the UK.
    
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    February 13, 2024 1:01pm
  - Hard Cheese
    
    Are you sure you know how NATO works? The US doesn’t “give” NATO anything (other than a proportion of the running costs).
    
    Members agree to the NATO guideline to spend a minimum of 2% of GDP on defence. In 2014 it was further agreed that those countries spending below that level “aim to move towards the 2% guideline within a decade with a view to meeting their NATO Capability Targets and filling NATO’s capability shortfalls.”
    
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    February 13, 2024 3:57pm
- All_on_Red
  
  The fact that Trump has already been President for 4 years and NATO still exists makes your conjecture nonsense
  
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  February 13, 2024 1:03pm
  - MCōs
    
    I expect we might just find out in a year or so
    
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    February 13, 2024 1:41pm
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      Wow! Are you admitting that Trump will win MCos?
      
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      February 13, 2024 2:28pm
- Paulus
  
  All that Trump actually said was that NATO members must pay their fair share of the costs of it – not the convoluted Biden crap the media presents.
  He said it before when President remember – yea !
  
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  February 13, 2024 2:10pm
  - Ghost
    
    No he also said the part about encouraging russia to do what the hell they want
    
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    February 13, 2024 2:15pm
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      That was a message to other NATO members to get their act together.
      Europe are bludgers.
      
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      February 13, 2024 2:30pm
      - Ghost
        
        No, really, who knew, oh everyone who heard his speech and read the articles. It’s a comment you make and keep behind closed doors, not make then glout about publicly.
        
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        February 13, 2024 2:33pm
Jack5

For fuck’s sake, Phil!

Christchurch’s mayor, Phil Mauger, who’s been talking about holding the Commonwealth Games in the city, says he’s “open to all ideas to keep rates down”.

Here’s one: Get private money for your roofed super-stadium. If no-one will invest, the project’s not worth doing.

Christchurch City Council wants to raise rates more than 50 per cent over the next ten years.

RNZ reports: “The big jump in rates early in the cycle were due to Christchurch’s 30,000-seat multi-use arena Te Kaha, which was under construction at present.”

The hitherto beloved Crusaders rugby team is going to have King Kong on its back, especially around the time of rates demands.

Conference centres, ever-greater sports stadiums, town halls, art galleries, cycle lanes … that’s where the local body money goes. Meanwhile, councils are squeezing the blood out of middle-class and lower-class home owners.

Christchurch City Council has committed $286 million from 2025 to 2027 to complete the covered stadium.

RNZ reports: “Mauger said the options were ultimately raising rates or cutting services.”

Sports stadium constructions are booming in America, but private investment is driving them. Typically, they are privately funded and owned, or local government subsidises them.

An example from Forbes magazine: the New Highmark 62,000-seat stadium, outside Buffalo, New York, is costing $US1.4 billiion, but $US850 million is coming from state and county funding.

How Americans increasingly get private money for stadiums:

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/02/08/business/sports-stadiums-real-estate-cities/index.html
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February 13, 2024 12:31pm
- Blog-aholic
  
  Cut some services like all the shitty fireworks, cycle lanes, community ‘events’ and the stupid roading planning. Start making some money with speed and red light cameras. Get the wardens out around schools and fine parents droppng jimmy and jemima off while double parked over driveways clogging up the roads and lastly use some brain power when it comes to common sense spending FFS.
  
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  February 13, 2024 12:42pm
- mandk
  
  “If no-one will invest, the project’s not worth doing.”
  
  I’m not saying this applies to the Commonwealth Games, or to facilities like stadiums in general, but there can be worth in spending on projects that can’t attract private funding.
  
  A convention centre, for example, can bring substantial economic benefits to a city, but these benefits cannot be internalised by an investor, or even a group of investors. The solution under these circumstances is for a public body to make the investment and then recoup the costs through tax revenues that flow from higher levels of activity in the local economy.
  
  The problem in NZ is that tax revenues generated in any particular locality generally flow to the centre, rather than being kept in that locality. Central government often shares the cost of major local investments, but this introduces another layer of complexity into the process.
  
  That’s why City/Regional Deals look like a good idea.
  
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  February 13, 2024 3:26pm
- cmm
  
  Maybe these stadiums are just too flashily built.
  
  Why does a stadium need to cost ~$15k per seat? To think that for the cost of building 20 plastic seats on a bare concrete slab you can build a friggin house with double glazing and carpets is beyond ridiculous.
  
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  February 13, 2024 3:34pm
  - NothingLeft
    
    Yep, it’s nuts. Sports are losing popularity as a pastime, all these big flashy facilities are super expensive mausoleums to the egos of bored and egoistic local body politicians who want to leave a lasting mark on the world, regardless of the cost and inconvenience to the communities they pretend to serve.
    
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    February 13, 2024 5:16pm
- Tom Hunter
  
  He can be a wanker when things get partisan but eight years ago Jon Oliver, in his Last Week Tonight show did a pretty good piece on this nonsense of private sports owners screwing ratepayers for stadiums.
  
  One of the things I liked about the piece though was that rather than playing the usual Lefty theme of Big Business Owners Who Love Money, he ended with interviews of sports fans who just didn’t care; they wanted their teams to stay and if the price of that was a white elephant of a stadium then so be it.
  
  I have a terrible feeling that, of all Kiwi sports fans, Crusader’s followers would fit this description the best.
  
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  February 13, 2024 8:09pm
Maggie Pie

My partner just re-tweeted this….as he said
“talk about a couple of cunning maoris” 😎 😎

https://twitter.com/kiwiwayne2/status/1757192278358307122
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February 13, 2024 1:15pm
Jack5

Miners are hot to extract lithium, in hot demand for car batteries, from Utah’s Great Salt Lake.

What would this do to Bonneville speed events at the lake?

Bonneville is a Mecca of petrol heads, from Burt Munro on his Indian motorbike, to Craig Breedlove in his 600mph jet car.

Miners want to pump water into the salt flats and then extract lithium from it.

Would this hurt, even end, speed weeks and record attempts at Bonneville? What a smack in the eye that would be from the electric-car industry to generations of petrol heads.

https://republicofmining.com/2024/02/12/the-great-salt-lake-is-full-of-lithium-a-startup-wants-to-harvest-it-by-scott-patterson-wall-street-journal-february-12-2024/
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February 13, 2024 1:27pm
- Paulus
  
  Wyoming state of has discovered 2.30 billion metric tonnes of precious metals making it the world lead in such over China.
  
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  February 13, 2024 2:15pm
- cmm
  
  I suppose it depends on how the extraction is done and what is left.
  
  If you can suck out the salt, remove the lithium salts and pump the rest back into the lake then maybe it can all be done in a non-harmful way? Sounds like wishful thinking though…
  
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  February 13, 2024 3:28pm
- Hard Cheese
  
  Lilac has been working on a joint venture with Lake Resources in Argentina for years, they’re still not past a pilot plant and defining a JORC resource, and their process, or anyone else’s direct lithium extraction process for that matter, isn’t working at scale anywhere in the world. If there’s any sort of lithium bearing brine under the Great Salt Lake, currently the only practical way to extract it would be to build huge evaporation ponds – you’d have environmentalists screaming about land and water usage. I think Bonneville is pretty safe.
  
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  February 13, 2024 4:44pm
- NothingLeft
  
  Extracting a tiny fraction of the salts from bonneville will be unnoticable.
  
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  February 13, 2024 5:11pm
- Albie
  
  Jack5- From what I’ve been reading lately the price of lithium has tanked due to the EV bubble bursting.
  Frankly I’m surprised it has taken so long for people to wake up to the fact that EV’s are not the panacea to the future of private transport.
  I have a feeling the salt lake racers in their hydrocarbon powered machines will be on Bonneville for many years to come.
  
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  February 13, 2024 5:13pm
Maggie Pie

IT’S PALLYWOOD FOLKS 😀

People with knowledge of the matter, are saying there is currently well over a thousand fake vids like this currently circulating on ‘X’.

The only idiots I know who’d be suxed in by them, would be the likes of Chloe and the rest of her ilk.

https://twitter.com/theFinnishSisu/status/1757170854973038922
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February 13, 2024 1:59pm
- Fuzzysnuggleduck
  
  Much as I have no time for the Palestinian cause, this is not ‘fake’.
  It is someone cleaning up the corpses, as you will find people do in NZ. I have moved around a few corpses in a past employment, and knew one person who would brush the hair or add a little makeup to the dead and call it the last action of kindness you can do for someone.
  I do not believe that this is a special FX project in progress. It is someone using a basic makeup brush on a bloodied corpse, and not adding on laytex or paint. Half the population of Gaza are youth and children etc. Consider it is an odd demographic which plays against the “Isreal genocide” which is claimed, since that the Gazan population has expanded greatly before the recent war – but it also does not mean that ‘kids’ haven’t been killed, and they therefore need to carve corpses out of balsawood.
  Seriously, they could just use AI to create images of dead kids these days. So apply Occams razor.
  
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  February 13, 2024 4:07pm
Vinicius

Was contacted by Horizon Polls about 30 minutes ago who are currently conducting a poll named “Do you trust the media? ”

Most questions were about the NZ media. Of course, I gave very critical answers in particular about bias in the media.
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February 13, 2024 2:55pm
- Grunter
  
  I just did it as well.
  
  A very clear message was provided!
  
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  February 13, 2024 4:27pm
- Jake Dee
  
  There’s a problem with these polls that is growing more acute over time. People with less trust in the media are less likely to have anything to do with them, thus skewing the statistics in the media’s favour.
  
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  February 13, 2024 8:02pm
Ghost

Sean Plunket Reveals How Much Mihirangi Forbes Gets Paid for Attacking the Government
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February 13, 2024 3:04pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

This is unbelievable. European Lawmakers want a travel ban on Tucker Carlson for interviewing Putin. They haven’t seen the interview. These leftists do not care about the truth.
Anything that contradicts the narrative must be ridiculed and suppressed. Isn’t that right, Comrades?

https://crystalclearnews.com/european-lawmakers-target-tucker-carlson-over-putin-interview/?
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February 13, 2024 3:40pm
- NothingLeft
  
  Au contraire; very believable. Heretics, particularly noteworthy ones, must be publicly scourged to put proper fear into any other who might harbour similar sentiments.
  
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  February 13, 2024 5:07pm
- Ghost
  
  https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/eu-responds-to-tucker-carlson-travel-ban-rumours-as-controversial-putin-interview-set-to-air/i80l8buw0
  
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  February 13, 2024 5:14pm
  - MCōs
    
    It depends which article one reads
    The ‘lawmaker’ referred to in the crystalclearnews item is an ex PM
    https://www.euractiv.com/section/eu-russia/news/eu-rejects-claims-it-considers-sanctions-on-carlson-over-putin-interview/
    
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    February 13, 2024 5:19pm
Maggie Pie

At what cost to the taxpayers of NZ?

Honestly, it’s when you come across decisions like this from our Supreme Court dudges, that you start to realise why this country is in the parlous state it finds itself today.

https://sen.nz/5bc3bn

Surely this government needs to have an urgent clean out?
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February 13, 2024 4:11pm
- MCōs
  
  What’s your issue with the Supreme Court?
  You can’t deny the bloke an appeal because it’s too expensive
  
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  February 13, 2024 4:57pm
- Wayne Mapp
  
  Maggie,
  I looked at your link. What is the problem with the Supreme Court hearing the case?
  I would also note that the government can’t just “clean out” the Courts, as I am sure you already know.
  
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  February 13, 2024 5:11pm
  - MCōs
    
    Not in this country anyway
    
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    February 13, 2024 5:15pm
  - Maggie Pie
    
    I wpould be interested to hear what our man on the ground in Tonga opinion is.
    Think DG may well side wirth me on this.
    
    In fact wonder if the ‘aggravated robber’ is even a NZ citizen?
    Sounds a bit tongan to me.
    Just satin’
    
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    February 13, 2024 6:34pm
Maggie Pie

And now this!

Nearly 200 properties in Remuera have been without water all day (not us thank God) while Watercare have been supplying households by Tanker!

But never mind maintenance on the old pipes, they’ve spent mega-bucks on rebranding the organisation with a shiny new Rainbow Corporate Logo.

https://twitter.com/watercare_nz
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February 13, 2024 4:31pm
- Ghost
  
  Maybe they are hoping to find cannabis at the end of the rainbow. Oh wait, I think it is a pot of gold, not pot……
  
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  February 13, 2024 5:03pm
- NothingLeft
  
  Let them quaff chardonnay.
  
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  February 13, 2024 5:03pm
- NZer In Exile
  
  In Melbourne metro areas they normally connect every property in the works section up to a temp plastic main running down the footpath before starting on replacing old mains.
  
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  February 13, 2024 6:53pm
  - Maggie Pie
    
    Here they park Tankers in the middle of the Hood and tell people to bring a bucket. To make it even worse, they plonked a row of Portaloos outside the Meadowbank Countdown.
    
    OMG – THE RATS!!
    
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    February 13, 2024 7:17pm
    - NZer In Exile
      
      So this is the pinnacle of NZ suburbia (or thereabouts) and it’s looking like some third world mess. Somewhat understandable if this is a totally unforeseeable emergency but if this is planned works…W.T.F. ???
      
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      February 13, 2024 7:27pm
kevn

Maggie… Waste of funds on full display. What CEO could possibly see this as prudent spending?
https://www.watercare.co.nz/About-us/Who-we-are/Executives
On the face of it they ‘appear’ sensible types. With one exception.
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February 13, 2024 4:50pm
- Maggie Pie
  
  “….where everyone can be their authentic selves”
  
  Sounds like even Shaneel could land a job there 😀
  People are saying he’s no longer with the Horrid.
  
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  February 13, 2024 6:49pm
  - NZer In Exile
    
    “where everyone can be their authentic selves”
    
    Classic corporate drivel. The complete opposite would be true. Where everyone can be their inauthentic woke gifting lying-idiot fake selves would be closer to the mark!
    
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    February 13, 2024 7:43pm
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  Richie Waiwai. Translates as Richie Water-Water.
  
  Nominative determinism? Or clever rebranding?
  
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  February 13, 2024 8:55pm
Albie

A picture paints a thousand words!
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February 13, 2024 4:57pm
Ghost

So basically he fits in well with greens and would meet the requirements to be a green leader.

Alex Foulkes, the man challenging Chlöe Swarbrick for the co-leadership of the Green Party, was fined for a breach of the peace in his native Scotland and has been involved in numerous controversies both in the UK and in New Zealand.

Foulkes, who is a former Scottish Labour activist and son of Lord George Foulkes of Cumnock, paid the fine and told the Herald he has no criminal record in the UK. Lord Foulkes was a Labour MP and a minister in Prime Minister Tony Blair’s Government.

Article
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February 13, 2024 6:59pm
- Maggie Pie
  
  OMG – just read it.
  What. A. Tosser! And i don’t mean the Caber.
  And looks like hes bestie with that gay labor guy Chris Carter.
  Wonder wot he wears under his kilt?
  
  Chloe must be quaking in her Doc Martens.
  
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  February 13, 2024 7:13pm
  - H. Upmann
    
    Oh Maggie, you are such a treasure. Keep up the good work; I need some belly-laugh humour in my life right now.
    
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    February 13, 2024 8:04pm
- fightingtemeraire
  
  Just what we need another overseas nut job. Greens are full of them.
  
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  February 13, 2024 7:16pm
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  His father is not a real nob, just a bumped up Labour politician & life peer.
  
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  February 13, 2024 8:59pm
Ghost

I don’t see anything wrong with this, they have a fire they’ve got the water to put it out, right? Bucket brigade perhaps?

Wellington residents can expect a firework display to celebrate the Lunar New Year despite Fire and Emergency imposing a firework ban for the Wellington region.

The celebrations take place this weekend with a fireworks display on Saturday and a community event at the TSB Arena and Shed 6 on Sunday.

Article
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February 13, 2024 7:02pm
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  Ain’t it amazing how Guy Fawkes fireworks are banned in late Spring because of the fire risk, but fireworks at Chinese New Year in high Summer are just fine & dandy.
  
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  February 13, 2024 9:01pm
Swifty

Granny unlocked an old memory….

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/PJuqVxFYi5617SqD/?mibextid=GGtJg3
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February 13, 2024 8:11pm

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