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February 27, 2024 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 27 February 2024

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General Debate

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NeverMindTheBollocks

If the Wanganui river and Mt Egmont can be legal people, why aren’t local Maoris agitating for the same for White Is?

Could it be that they’re worried about the island being sued? In which case, what happens when the river floods or Mt Egmont goes bang? Would their guardians end up with the tab? If not, why not?
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February 27, 2024 8:02am
- cmm
  
  Sued? That sounds like Colonial justice. Not applicable.
  
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  February 27, 2024 10:24am
- NZer In Exile
  
  “If the Wanganui river and Mt Egmont can be legal people”
  
  This is known as telling you it’s raining while they are pissing on you.
  
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  February 28, 2024 4:38pm
imalwaysright

Golriz [deleted] is to face another charge.

I think combining all of her charges into one trial so that she can get diversion is corruption .

Her alleged crimes were committed separately and should be tried separately .

Her fourth trial sentence should be on the basis that she has offended three times already, not as a first offense .
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February 27, 2024 8:05am
- septic skeptic
  
  It has to be one trial for practicality. The court should consider the number of counts.
  
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  February 27, 2024 9:55am
  - imalwaysright
    
    Septic
    
    If it was a single complainant and the thefts were over a day or two then it would be reasonable to try all charges at one sitting.
    
    These were thefts from multiple citizens at multiple locations over a timeframe of months in widespread locations.
    Being practical in that sense would diminish the crimes and be unfair to the victims.
    
    Its ironic that a shoplifter would request a four for the price of one deal with no money down and nothing to pay.
    
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    February 27, 2024 10:38am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    She should have already been up early Feb, then creating a second trial
    
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    February 27, 2024 10:41am
- pdm
  
  Agreed imalways.
  
  Obviously she has a kleptomania problem at best and more likely a common thief problem at worst. If it is the latter then what has been publicised to date is probably just the `tip of the iceberg’.
  
  Four offences four trials four convictions but I suppose the police and the courts don’t want the drama of having her back four times when they deal with her in one swoop.
  
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  February 27, 2024 10:00am
  - ecco
    
    The woman needs to start opshopping and living within her means. She obviously has champagne tastes. Champagne socialist LOL.
    
    Actually the upside of her getting away with diversion is that she might actually leave this country, which she wouldn’t be able to do if she has a criminal record. A lot of countries won’t even let her in with a record.
    
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    February 27, 2024 2:21pm
- Swifty
  
  I wouldn’t know about that – but we must be guided by precedent.
  
  All I hope is that she is tried and sentenced, as she’s admitted the offences, in exactly the same manner that anyone else has been and would be.
  
  If that’s fines and/or community work that’s fine with me, or if it’s diversion because that’s what others would receive then that’s fine with me too.
  
  Just no special treatment please.
  
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  February 27, 2024 10:01am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    They are talking diversion meaning no penalty, but she won’t offend again will she.
    
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    February 27, 2024 10:47am
    - Swifty
      
      I think diversion is customarily accompanied by a charity donation being required, the cops nominate the amount and you get to nominate the (approved) charity.
      
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      February 27, 2024 11:06am
      - G the giant from Dunedin
        
        Yes it is, but the donation is usually modest
        
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        February 27, 2024 11:30am
    - Ehlana
      
      A bit late to argue “won’t offend again”. Already has. More than once.
      
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      February 27, 2024 11:11am
      - G the giant from Dunedin
        
        I am talking about after being caught, she won’t offend again
        
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        February 27, 2024 11:31am
    - Ghost
      
      No they aren’t.
      
      What has been said by her lawyer is that police are at the early stage of considering diversion and other issues that police consider at this stage.
      
      She hasn’t got diversion
      Police have not asked for it
      
      People are jumping the gun at the comment her lawyer made, wait for it to go before the court then jump the gun…
      
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      February 27, 2024 11:24am
      - G the giant from Dunedin
        
        I never said they were, I said they are talking diversion and that will be it
        
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        February 27, 2024 11:32am
  - NothingLeft
    
    To hope for so special treatment from our woke identarian judiciary is, I think, likely more than can realistically be expected.
    
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    February 27, 2024 1:56pm
- ClanMcleod
  
  Has the identity of the other woman running cover for GG while she stole ever been found out?
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTfZOW_nZds
  
  I said when the story broke, GG would be sacrificed for the new ‘wunderkind’. I’m convinced it’s her in the CCTV.
  What I find really interesting is that this would normally be a great story for a journalist to hunt down. One way or the other. Either prove it is or isn’t Chloe. But nobody is interested any longer? Or did the person get identified and I missed it?
  
  There are a couple of options. Release ALL the CCTV footage for examination. It should be possible to determine from that.
  Or, Chloe can present an iron clad alibi proving there was no way it could have been her.
  Or, the actual person in the video puts their hand up and clears Chloe.
  It’s really simple, instead, it’s been determinedly swept under the carpet as a non story. That’s nonsensical.
  
  I find the timing of the latest charge interesting. The Greens are in the process of anointing Chloe as their saviour. Boom, the media runs another hit on GG as a distraction. Meanwhile the police give a clue that in exchange for her ‘sacrifice’, GG is likely to get diversion?
  
  Call me a paranoid conspiracy freak (it won’t be the first time) – but this story reeks of collusion and narrative control.
  
  WHO IS THE OTHER PERSON?
  
  Anyway, of interest is watching the only journalist to actually ask Chloe if it’s her. Just as interesting is her response. Smacks of porkies to me.
  
  https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2024/01/green-mp-chl-e-swarbrick-denies-she-s-in-cctv-video-of-golriz-ghahraman-shoplifting-at-scotties-boutique.html
  
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  February 27, 2024 10:13am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  GG resigned from Parliament on 16 Jan. 2024.
  
  At the time she said she took full responsibility for her actions
  
  https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/506825/golriz-ghahraman-resigns-from-parliament-after-shoplifting-allegations
  
  It seems she must have forgotten to mention this (alleged) episode of shoplifting on the 22nd December at Newmarket… for the complaint was only made in late January.
  
  Police said the complainant in the fourth charge came forward in late January. That is after the initial three charges were laid.
  
  https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/fourth-shoplifting-charge-against-ex-green-mp-golriz-ghahraman-involves-new-store/B4YOUAAYZFCPFK2WMQUANKXRSA/
  
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  February 27, 2024 10:14am
  - cmm
    
    She didn’t take any responsibility. She played the victim card.
    
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    February 27, 2024 10:25am
  - Sir Cullen's Sidekick
    
    The same news item says police are looking at diversion and other options. So she will walk free with no conviction. Keep moving Maggy. Nudding to see here.
    
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    February 27, 2024 11:03am
- Ghost
  
  Complete waste of time and money. Did we have seperate trials for anyone else that has been arrested committing multiple crimes?
  
  Brenton Tarrant Killed 51 people and injured 40, he didn’t have 91 trials.
  
  This is not the way our courts work and it shouldn’t be changed because of who is before the courts. She deserves to be treated just like everyone else who goes before the courts.
  
  A man was arrested last year allegedly committed 110 different shopliftings, imagine the huge waste of money you are asking to spend with having 110 trials for him.
  
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  February 27, 2024 10:54am
  - imalwaysright
    
    Her getting diversion is the issue. Its not how diversion is meant to be applied.
    
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    February 27, 2024 11:12am
    - Ghost
      
      She hasn’t got diversion. Her lawyer said police are considering diversion and other issues that police consider at this stage. I’d suggest waiting for the case to go before the courts and seeing what happens
      
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      February 27, 2024 11:19am
    - ClanMcleod
      
      It’s almost moot, the main issue I see in this story is WHO WAS HER ACCOMPLICE/PARTNER???
      
      The answer to this could be the biggest story in NZ politics this year, but apparently the police, msm and public don’t really care?
      
      I find that bizarre!
      
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      February 27, 2024 11:29am
      - Ghost
        
        Neither.
        
        If you watch the video as the lady walks towards her golriz starts to hide herself from the woman, she watches as she goes by, and then once gone she steals what she was looking at
        
        The woman in the video is innocent.
        
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        February 27, 2024 11:32am
      - ClanMcleod
        
        Ghost – I disagree. It’s nothing to do with the camera, it’s to put herself between GG and the staff I believe.
        More to the point, if she’s innocent as she claims, why wouldn’t she provide a cast iron alibi proving it isn’t her?
        
        Here’s a good video of both her denial interview and the actions of the ‘mystery’ person in the CCTV.
        
        https://x.com/TheRedbaiter/status/1753616746320437418?s=20
        
        I find her denial implausible, especially when she jumps onto the farcical bandwagon of “misogyny” and “racism”. I’d love to hear the opinion of a body language specialist.
        
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        February 27, 2024 1:11pm
      - Ghost
        
        Rubbish. It’s an innocent woman. Police have not charged anyone else.
        
        I feel sorry for this woman who some have splashed around and accused. She doesn’t even look like Chloe unless your blind as a bat. The woman in the video also doesn’t have chloe’s arm tattoo. Sorry but it’s time people stop with these accusations.
        
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        February 27, 2024 1:16pm
      - imalwaysright
        
        Clan
        I watched her with Seymour saying Parliament is misogynistic and women are in peril etc.
        Don’t forget that she paid a lot of money and bothered many medical professionals until one of them agreed with her that she is nuts.
        Apparently, amongst her ilk, being nuts is an asset.
        In that context I would agree that your suspicions have merit. We are dealing with people who have very little self awareness and live only to be validated, regardless of their character.
        
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        February 27, 2024 2:00pm
      - Master Mariner
        
        @Clan
        I would love to hear from a body language expert?
        Personally I would like to read a Pychometric report.
        These “Personallity Disorders” would of been picked up.
        In fact , As stated previously I believe all MPs should release and complete profilling.
        They all have facebook, Twitter etc so why not have a public Pychometric report in the public domain.
        Christ, I can not work without having one.
        Its actually a fantastic Tool.
        
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        February 27, 2024 2:23pm
      - ClanMcleod
        
        Ghost – as we don’t know who the woman is then she’s not being ‘splashed around’ anywhere. You need to take a chill pill.
        
        If you’re right then the simplest thing would be for them to show who it is and that she is completely innocent of any wrong doing. Or if it’s not Chloe, provide an alibi. Nobody really cares who she is if it isn’t Chloe.
        
        My original point anyway was, this was a sacrifice. GG was the lamb to the slaughter fed to the public to protect someone else.
        
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        February 27, 2024 3:33pm
  - david
    
    Ghost – a false equivalence to liken the Tarrant situation with GG.
    Tarrant’s charge sheet relates to one incident whereas GG reflects a number of discrete breaches of the law over time and across a number of locations, each unrelated to the other.
    Nice squirrel though.
    
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    February 27, 2024 12:37pm
    - Ghost
      
      And as you will note I went on to mention the man who had 110 different shoplifting. So do tell us how much money a court case for every charge would cost, screw up an already overloaded court system if he faced 110 different court cases.
      
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      February 27, 2024 12:45pm
- igm
  
  She deserves a stint in Arohata bunked up with a couple of “Girls” so she can change their evil ways, as she and her ilk do support their way of life and sexuality.
  They show this every time there is pro-Palestinian rally!
  
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  February 27, 2024 2:59pm
Chuck Bird

Jew hater Marama Davidson

David Seymour on X

Don’t expect media to report a senior politician standing shoulder to shoulder with someone holding a violent slogan.

Juliet Moses says on X

At yesterday’s protest in Auckland. Is it a ceasefire they want or intifada? They can’t have both.
And yes that does look like the Green Party co-leader in the hat.

Sean Plunket on X. This should be on The Platform this morning,

https://twitter.com/dbseymour/status/1761522661983957085
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February 27, 2024 8:05am
NeverMindTheBollocks

$1B gift to New York medical school sees fees eliminated.

We in NZ are pigmies in comparison.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68407453
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February 27, 2024 8:07am
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  Oh, and the donor is, I assume, Jewish – Dr Ruth Gottesman. The recipient is the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
  
  Shouldn’t need to be said, but these days …
  
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  February 27, 2024 10:06am
  - Ehlana
    
    The donor is a very generous person. Why do we need to speak of her religion?
    
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    February 27, 2024 11:13am
    - Flossie
      
      I normally might agree with you, but with all the anti Jew media (or perhaps more “pro Hamas”) it is nice to see something showing a kind and generous action by a Jew.
      
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      February 27, 2024 12:09pm
  - mogg
    
    The Rothschild family are known to anonymously donate to medical research and the like.
    The National Gallery in London has received many valuable anonymous donations of art work which are thought to have come from theRothschild family.
    Lord Jacob Rothschild died yesterday RIP.
    
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    February 27, 2024 2:16pm
Bridgenag

Book Author(s) Wanted!
Write a Guaranteed NY Times Best Seller

“Over the last few decades, our society has gradually devolved into the dire situation where truth is not Truth, facts are not Facts, science is not Science, etc. The negative consequences of this corruption are frightful and mind-boggling.
The public is aware of this, but everywhere they turn for relief, they run into slick self-serving snake oil salespeople, endorsed by mainstream media. Their under-LYING message is: up is down, in is out, left is right — and the hell with God…
Another (of many) such examples is what is going on in our K-12 schools today. The three R’s (reading, writing, and arithmetic) have all been bastardized. History has been purposefully distorted. Science has been gutted. Merit is a bad word, while Woke ideology is praised. Social Emotional Learning (SEL) has infiltrated almost every classroom, while Judeo-Christian values are scorned. These result in…
3+ Million annual propagandized high school graduates!
And all of these misinformed victims will shortly become VOTING CITIZENS…”

The same thing happening here. Conspiracy?

https://open.substack.com/pub/criticallythinking/p/book-authors-wanted?r=1aj1bv&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
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February 27, 2024 8:09am
- peterwn
  
  George Orwell foresaw this type of situation when writing 1984.
  
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  February 27, 2024 8:16am
kiwikidsnz

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/mt-albert-homicide-investigation-underway-at-trouble-prone-kainga-ora-housing-estate/ZMGEY4WSFZAANKBYMMU37FGAUE/

“Trouble at the housing estate, built in 2019, was not new, as Kāinga Ora spent almost $300,000 on security guards to ease concerns about one resident,…”
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February 27, 2024 8:11am
artemisia

Ministry of Education defends in Select Committee what the 1900 new staff (up 36%) hired in the last 5 years are doing all day.

Big input numbers, no mention (in the article) of outcomes, costs or benefits. Cue the Audit Office ….

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/510239/ministry-of-education-explains-why-it-has-hired-so-many-new-staff
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February 27, 2024 8:11am
- Blog-aholic
  
  By the report on the state of the school building infratructure they have not been doing much….maybe lots of cultural courses and training?
  
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  February 27, 2024 8:13am
  - artemisia
    
    Sounds like those working on the various construction projects were kept busy updating the budgets and scopes as one increased and the other decreased. If so their managers would benefit from HOW-TO-MANAGE-SCOPE-101.
    
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    February 27, 2024 10:22am
  - artemisia
    
    Mr Hipkins on the wireless this morning managed to dredge up a school construction project that was set up before Labour took office in 2017. Marlborough Colleges colocation. So not his fault.
    
    Now about the other 349 projects ….
    
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    February 27, 2024 12:46pm
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      So he’s admitting that he and Jan Tinetti strung these schools along for 6 years and failed to deliver the agreed buildings.
      
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      February 27, 2024 3:28pm
- Grunter
  
  She should be immediately sacked for total incompetence. Zero accountability. Financially illiterate. No personal responsibility.
  
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  February 27, 2024 8:18am
  - artemisia
    
    To be a bit fair, the CE had instructions and funding from the Minister and Cabinet. For all we plebs know, the CE may have been wildly successful on that basis.
    
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    February 27, 2024 10:14am
    - Grunter
      
      “I was just following orders….”
      
      Doesn’t make it right, and it doesn’t make her innocent of this mess. She is a senior public servant.
      
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      February 27, 2024 10:43am
      - artemisia
        
        Public servants are expected to work with the government of the day. There are some options. Like …. Follow the orders and spend the funding, agree with the Minister, give advice to the Minister, do the best they can within the constraints, walk. Any or all of these.
        
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        February 27, 2024 12:34pm
      - PurplePen
        
        Correct. Part of the job is to not be a doormat. To manage your boss, not just bend over blithely. To have initiative.
        
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        February 27, 2024 2:50pm
- MCōs
  
  Maybe they’re spending all day on TikTok whining about beneficiaries spending all day on TikTok whining about too many public servants
  
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  February 27, 2024 9:12am
- pdm
  
  arty – Holsted is obviously `tribal labour’.
  
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  February 27, 2024 9:20am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Sack her. She is a liar just like her idol Ardern.
    
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    February 27, 2024 9:25am
- david
  
  Artemesia, further to the news report you quote, there was also a 450% increase in the use of consultants at the same time as the staff numbers rose. Looks like the new staff needed a lot of affirmation to justify their recommendations.
  
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  February 27, 2024 12:39pm
lifesgood

Does anyone seriously believe there were only four instances of shop lifting?
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February 27, 2024 8:14am
- Swifty
  
  I guess it comes down to what is provable.
  
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  February 27, 2024 10:03am
- MCōs
  
  If there were fifty would it make you feel better?
  
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  February 27, 2024 10:05am
  - Swifty
    
    If she is ‘accepting full responsibility’ as she has claimed, one would have thought that would also involve admitting to any other thefts not already known about – as has just happened over this new charge.
    
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    February 27, 2024 10:27am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Not at all…
    Just one episode of shop-lifting theft is one too many.
    
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    February 27, 2024 10:41am
  - rouppe
    
    50 would make this talk of diversion pretty unlikely
    
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    February 27, 2024 11:38am
- Flossie
  
  It does rather look like a pattern is emerging.
  
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  February 27, 2024 10:28am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  A magpie does not stop gathering trinkets just because you tell it to stop.
  
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  February 27, 2024 11:07am
  - lifesgood
    
    What’s this nonsense about the police asking for diversion for her? What sort of message does that send to thieves? Anyway, since when were the police judge and jury?
    
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    February 27, 2024 11:14am
    - Ghost
      
      Police have not asked for diversion
      
      What was said by her lawyer was that police are looking at diversion and other issues that are considered at this early stage.
      
      They haven’t asked for diversion, she hasn’t been given it
      
      Wait for the case to go before the courts and see what happens.
      
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      February 27, 2024 11:21am
- Master Mariner
  
  Definately not.
  Its in my mind , More of a thrill seeking problem.
  Fortunately you grow out of this in your late teens.
  Personally I have zero tollerence for any excuse at that age.
  
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  February 27, 2024 2:30pm
Bobba Fret

Well, well, well. Stuart Nash has now come out swinging against his old buddies especially Hipkins. Heard him on Newstalk ZB saying he wanted to be hard on gangs but Hipkins sided with Kiri Allen and went soft.
The hard lefties will be hating on Stuart.
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February 27, 2024 8:24am
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  Allan said if you make zero dollars then it’s racist, and they said this woman was one of their stars.
  
  Nash said bullshit on the radio over that one
  
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  February 27, 2024 10:53am
  - Grumpy Silver Top
    
    Please explain to me, if possible (I think not) how Nash’s past colleagues and the other finger pointing racists get past the fact that the gangs are not only frequently people who have a Maori ancestor, but are also criminals, drug pushers, socially dangerous, violent and so on. The bridge over those facts to “Police are racist” must be so high as to be mostly in space. ” Cognitive dissonance much!
    
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    February 27, 2024 11:59am
- Biscuit
  
  Bobba, I chortled…
  
  Little Chippie looked like he was about to cry as he opined something about what happens in Cabinet is meant to stay in Cabinet.
  
  Pulling a ‘He’s telling tales about me!’ weepie is so gonna make Labour’s lost voters return home, Chipster…
  
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  February 27, 2024 12:42pm
  - Flossie
    
    He so often looks to be on the verge of a blub these days
    
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    February 27, 2024 3:14pm
  - hullkiwi
    
    Sorry, but there is no way this is Cabinet Collective Responsibility. It is the b******t of Allan, & a weak decision of Hipkins making sure that there was never a decision of cabinet that reflected their weak stance. They probably assumed Nash would never go completely rogue against them.
    
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    February 27, 2024 4:14pm
- Master Mariner
  
  Too little too late.
  Nothing more, Nothing less.
  
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  February 27, 2024 2:32pm
Scooter

So as more charges are laid against Golriz the court case get’s pushed back. I’m sure even she has lost count of how many there are. Odd though, are the stores only now checking inventory and store video’s? Safety in numbers I guess, could be bad for business to accuse a Greenie of theft.

“Ghahraman’s lawyer Annabel Cresswell confirmed to the Herald police were laying a new charge against her client.
Cresswell said it was a standard adjournment for when a new charge is laid.”
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February 27, 2024 8:24am
Maggie Pie

Very sad to hear of the death of Jacob Rothschild.
Head of the Rothschild banking family.
Aged 87.

RIP.
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February 27, 2024 8:33am
- imalwaysright
  
  Should we offer a joint service at the Due Drop In Events Centre?
  
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  February 27, 2024 9:49am
  - Maggie Pie
    
    Can’t see y not.
    Tipene wasted no time in giving the Royal Family advice for Liz’s funeral.
    
    LOL!!
    
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    February 27, 2024 10:22am
- Space Goldfish
  
  Should we start a Givealittle page? 😛
  
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  February 27, 2024 11:28am
Matt Long

The Warehouse Kaikohe is powered fully by a solar farm in Kaitaia, it’s just amazing how modern tech is able guide little alternating surges of electrons from rural locations to Warehouses in towns and cities around NZ without mingling them with common polluting power used by uncaring consumers.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/prime-retail-site-in-central-kaikohe-is-up-for-sale/BRLBHM6HMRGJNOOTEQI4TU2HYA/
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February 27, 2024 8:35am
- kowtow
  
  Yer I’ll bet building and maintaining solar ‘farms” is eco friendly too . All that mined stuff , imported , transported etc
  
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  February 27, 2024 8:46am
  - kevn
    
    kow… add 20 year life of solar panels and impossible to recycle.
    
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    February 27, 2024 9:51am
  - hullkiwi
    
    There is a Ted talk you should see/hear that’ll put that type of I’ll informed thinking straight for you.
    
    It is all about the misadventure in California under Obama. The talk concluded advocates of solar & wind need to do a rethink!
    
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    February 27, 2024 4:27pm
- peterwn
  
  Individual electron do not move very far at all. They bump the adjacent electrons to and fro and so on. I cannot fully ascertain Lodestone’s business model from its web site, but if it is retailing power direct to customers it would either need storage of some sort or would need to enter into an agreement with a hydro station owner for storage buffering. Alternatively (or as well as) it takes the risk and tops up on behalf of its customers at spot prices.
  
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  February 27, 2024 9:02am
  - Matt Long
    
    My guess would be creative accounting and green washing.
    
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    February 27, 2024 1:38pm
Paulus

It appears to me that we are seeing a new Opposition Party as the Labour one appears to have gone AWOL.
The new Party of the total anti Government is the
“New Media Party”.
They have taken over the role of the Labour Failed Party.
That excludes of course our Ginny, who is flat out trying to stay ahead in the eyes of the new Party, to take over from Chippy soon.
.
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February 27, 2024 8:37am
slightlyrighty

Interesting discussion with Stuart Nash and Mike Hosking this morning.

The revelation that Ministers within the Labour Cabinet decided to put a minimum cap of proceeds of crime so that police can only investigate ill gotten gains of over 30K for fear of being seen as anti Maori when Nash called for a zero cap had me gobsmacked.

The idea that the Previous Labour government tacitly told Maori and Gangs that they can get away with a certain level of crime providing they’re not too flashy about it speaks to a mindset that proves that the previous government was soft on the Gangs.

Should they be charged as accessories?
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February 27, 2024 8:40am
- Clyde
  
  And I hear that our esteemed past Minister of Justice – the one that crashed her car and [allegedly. mod.] refused to accompany Police – you know, the one that delivered that speech at her “partner” at the time’s farewell from Red Radio – has now come out “swinging” to say that Stuart Nash is just attention seeking.
  
  There is proof everywhere that Liemore right from Ardern down were all ignorant ideologists, control freaks and racists.
  
  I’d support a move to make membership of the Liemore Pardy to be seen as the same as membership of gangs. They are equally destructive.
  
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  February 27, 2024 9:55am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    It wasn’t her car that she crashed…. it was OURS.
    
    https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/politics/kiri-allan-car-crash-internal-affairs-apologises-for-withholding-information-on-privacy-grounds/
    
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    February 27, 2024 10:22am
  - Grumpy Silver Top
    
    I read the report and immediately thought: a classic case of character assassination in order to divert the path to the truth.
    
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    February 27, 2024 12:01pm
- Kiwiguy
  
  $30K is an interesting threshold.
  $29,999 buys a lot of motorbike.
  
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  February 27, 2024 10:32am
  - Chris Nisbet
    
    Exactly what I was thinking. Wouldn’t want the poor petals to lose their most prized possession, would we?
    
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    February 27, 2024 12:28pm
    - hullkiwi
      
      They shouldn’t get them gold plated then.
      
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      February 27, 2024 4:31pm
  - Tony Stuart
    
    Which is exactly what Stuart Nash, to his credit, was arguing. He wanted a zero threshold.
    
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    February 27, 2024 12:35pm
  - Matt Long
    
    30k doesn’t go far with motorcycles these days.
    https://www.boydmotorcycles.co.nz/Store/Results.aspx?t=2&manumaj=ktm
    It’s getting so only government contractors and drug dealers can afford them.
    
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    February 27, 2024 5:55pm
- ecco
  
  Labour clearly throwing Hipkins under a bus in the media. That’s clear to see. Doing it via messengers like Nash now. Will be interesting to see how many more such ‘pieces’ on Hipkins come out in the coming days.
  
  Also Nash probably getting no traction in his government recruiting job due to hiring freezes, so having to turn to private sector appointments. Has found he will have to move to the right as not a good look being connected to the disastrous, recently steam rolled Labour Party.
  
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  February 27, 2024 1:08pm
peterwn

Removal of recent smoke free legislation amendments – see: https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/02/25/poll-most-people-opposed-to-govts-smokefree-law-roll-back/ and other news items.
I would not call 60% ‘most’ people. I would consider that Casey Costello has far more ‘smarts’ on reducing smoking than the average ‘expert’.
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February 27, 2024 8:44am
- Grumpy Silver Top
  
  Yeah, nah. The smokefree legislation was a load of (enter expletive here).
  
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  February 27, 2024 12:02pm
kowtow

In a parallel Te Media paahti universe today’s Herald editorial waxe s lyrical about the terrible state of child poverdee .

Issues a challenge to the coalition to do something ( as poverdee causes crime)

No mention of the previous regime and its huge promises and empty rhetoric , esp on any showy stage about this very issue.

“They’re all there in my maiden speech – climate change, child poverty, inequality. I am after all, a conviction based politician, and I’ve always believed this to be a place you came make a difference.”

Nope, let’s hold Luxon to account.
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February 27, 2024 8:56am
kowtow

Is this usual , is it even constitutional.

‘Chief District Court Judge Heemi Taumaunu started with a karakia and acknowledged the lawyers, court staff and judges both in the courtroom and by audiovisual link.’

https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/special-last-sitting-judge
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February 27, 2024 9:06am
- NothingLeft
  
  Court time costs what? $1000/hr? more? How much time, productivity and taxpayer money is being wasted by this bullshit. Any civil servant who wants to say prayers or genuflect to various cultures or causes can do it in their own time.
  
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  February 27, 2024 10:05am
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  Would a Catholic or Anglican judge get away with this?
  
  After all, both churches were represented at Waitangi.
  
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  February 27, 2024 10:10am
  - Grumpy Silver Top
    
    I wish some of them would do it. Sadly, however, the rabid left would miss the point.
    
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    February 27, 2024 12:03pm
Grunter

The NY Times reports in detail about the CIA’s involvement in Ukraine for more than a decade. So another ‘conspiracy theory’ turns out to be real – the USA is on the ground in Ukraine fighting Russia and has been there for 10 years.

Over 200 interviews admitted that the CIA has 12 secret spy bases throughout Ukraine. These were established back in 2014 straight after the coup events. These bases track Russian satellites, drones, and military movements. They also provide information that enables direct drone hits on Russian oil refineries.

The CIA also set up an elite Ukraine commando force, known as Unit 2245. Providing training and equipment.

Further admissions that Putin’s claims are in fact correct…
“Putin has long blamed Western intelligence agencies for manipulating Kyiv and sowing anti-Russia sentiment in Ukraine. Toward the end of 2021, according to a senior European official, Putin was weighing whether to launch his full-scale invasion when he met with the head of one of Russia’s main spy services, who told him that the CIA, together with Britain’s MI6, were controlling Ukraine and turning it into a beachhead for operations against Moscow.”

Now the question is – why is Washington & Keiv allowing this information to be published in the MSM at this time? These nut jobs are up to something and it isn’t good.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/25/world/europe/cia-ukraine-intelligence-russia-war.html
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February 27, 2024 9:11am
- virtualmark
  
  Why are you surprised? This is why countries like the US have clandestine agencies like the CIA. It’s a big boys world Grunter, and these are big boys games.
  
  But your spin on this story probably sounded better in the original Russian. I seriously doubt that many Ukrainians needed the CIA to tell them that they’d like to be out from under Russia’s thumb. The main cause of anti-Russian sentiment is Russia itself.
  
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  February 27, 2024 11:21am
- rangitoto
  
  So they are helping their friends repel the orc invasion.
  
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  February 27, 2024 2:23pm
- Jake Dee
  
  Media strategy, Kiev is heading for defeat and Zelensky is headed for death or exile so they’re getting their side of the story out early to establish their collective alibis.
  It will probably be something along the lines of “Everything was going great until Kiev stop following our advice”.
  
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  February 27, 2024 4:01pm
Maggie Pie

Find it amazing that just a couple of years after PM Jacinda Ardern saw fit to give Mob leader Harry Tam $2.75 million of taxpayers money, PM Chris Luxon comes out this morning and calls old Hazza…. “irrelevant”

https://twitter.com/NewshubPolitics/status/1762204529960042743

(Everyone we know says Jacinda is irrelevant, but she just got 500k)
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February 27, 2024 9:14am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  And was that money well-spent?.. Has an evaluation been completed yet?
  
  https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/130499834/two-thirds-of-gangled-drug-rehab-graduates-still-using-meth
  
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  February 27, 2024 9:23am
  - Colville
    
    2/3s are using meth and the other 1/3 are liars.
    
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    February 27, 2024 12:54pm
- pdm
  
  MP – I thought that $2.75mil went to the Central Hawkes Bay Mongies. Their leading thug Sonny Smith based in Waipawa being the recipient to have his garden done as therapy for gang members.
  
  Quote (not verbatim) from Sonny Smith years ago – I do not steal but I might belt someone I don’t like if they deserve it’.
  
  Of course the full quote would include a number of f and c words.
  
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  February 27, 2024 9:26am
  - Maggie Pie
    
    “National has been taking Labor to task over giving $2.75 million to Mongrel Mob member Harry Tam”
    
    – Jenna Lynch. Newshub
    
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    February 27, 2024 10:08am
    - Tony Stuart
      
      In summary; Jacinda Ardern gave Harry Tam’s company $2.75 million, but Christopher Luxon won’t give him the time of day. And that’s exactly as it should be.
      
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      February 27, 2024 12:37pm
- imalwaysright
  
  The excitement in floyd burrs eyes when he informed Luxon that tam is pissed off was slightly unnerving. Perhaps creepy.
  Burr later spent a couple of minutes arguing with himself about the interview. Very strange chap.
  
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  February 27, 2024 9:37am
  - Maggie Pie
    
    Gay as a Maypole 😀
    
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    February 27, 2024 10:11am
Maggy Wassilieff

Is Labour full of Gang-huggers?

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/stuart-nash-hits-out-at-labour-kiri-allans-stance-on-gang-asset-seizures/3JDIBQHCTRFDFGY43LEOMSOR2I/
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February 27, 2024 9:17am
- Blog-aholic
  
  Clearly, yes and those useful idiots as well.
  
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  February 27, 2024 9:24am
- Cassandra
  
  Yes. A perverse choice of gangsters over the workers from which Labour came. Which is why today’s Labour Party is not mine. Why did Bassett, Douglas, Prebble etc leave Labour? They didn’t – Labour was hijacked by Princes Street.
  
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  February 27, 2024 9:36am
  - hullkiwi
    
    Be precise, it was Clark, Wilson, Tizard & Tizard (all members of the Prince’s St Labour party).
    
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    February 27, 2024 4:39pm
- Scooter
  
  Biggest hugger was Cindy to the tune of 2.75mil. Wonder why?
  
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  February 27, 2024 9:49am
- Vinicius
  
  So, Chippie is a big friendly cuddly bear on law and order. Not the least bit surprised.
  
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  February 27, 2024 11:08am
- Master Mariner
  
  Its part of there ” Divide and conquer” mentallity unfortunately.
  
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  February 27, 2024 2:38pm
Skippytony

Interesting article on the motivations of people who are trying to censor the internet

https://davidthunder.substack.com/p/why-attempting-to-purge-the-web-of

However, in the real, non-ideal world of mediocre and shallow thinkers, cowards, selfish careerists, and the occasional scoundrel, political and scientific censorship never works out in the way envisaged by its public advocates. In the non-ideal world of imperfect knowledge and corruptible character, censorship is just as likely to frustrate the pursuit of truth as to facilitate it.

Nobody’s Wisdom or Knowledge is Infallible

Consider, first, the fact that nobody, not even the most educated or brilliant person, possesses perfect, infallible knowledge, whether on moral or scientific questions. Of course, some people may, as a matter of fact, be better informed or wiser than others on this or that issue. However, the notion that anyone could enjoy a form of knowledge or wisdom that is uniquely infallible or immune to challenge, is preposterous. Who but God alone could possibly redeem such a far-fetched claim, and on what basis?

The idea that there is a superior class of persons whose knowledge and insights automatically trump the knowledge and insights of others is inconsistent with ordinary experience, which confirms that people reputed to be highly knowledgeable and wise can make grave and even catastrophic errors. In addition, it is based on a deeply naïve and misguided view of the complex and messy process through which human knowledge is acquired.
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February 27, 2024 9:28am
- Keith White
  
  “Who but God alone could possibly redeem such a far-fetched claim, and on what basis?”
  
  God and Jacinda.
  
  E.g.:
  
  Question Time in the Cesshive
  
  1. Hon JUDITH COLLINS (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by her statement, “We will continue to be your single source of truth”?
  
  Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Prime Minister): I stand by my statement in its entirety.
  
  There it is.
  
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  February 27, 2024 11:27am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Our Messiah didn’t hang around long enough to lead us all out of the mire…but I think she and her mates got out ok.
    
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    February 27, 2024 12:30pm
Skippytony

Some disingenuous spin on TV3 last night. Asking people in Chch how well they understand treaty principles?

Not how well they understand the treaty or have they ever read it but do they understand (non existent) principles.

Thats a very crafty framing of the topic.

Amazingly, the conclusion was we all needed more education, FFS…….
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February 27, 2024 9:33am
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  Indeed. How can you understand principles that morph?
  
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  February 27, 2024 10:13am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Yep, and not once did the viewer discover where the principles are lurking… let alone how many of them there are.. or how old they are.
  
  https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/02/26/poll-half-of-nzers-say-they-dont-understand-treaty-principles/
  
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  February 27, 2024 10:31am
  - Blog-aholic
    
    You cannot understand something that is both non-existent and ephemeral.
    This type of polling proves ACT’s point.
    
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    February 27, 2024 10:45am
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      When the Waitangi Tribunal and our Courts can’t even tell us exactly what the principles are, then it’s no wonder folks feel that they are being deliberately spun a web of obfuscation about The Principles.
      
      In the view of the Courts and the Waitangi Tribunal, Treaty principles are not set in stone.
      They are constantly evolving as
      the Treaty is applied to particular issues and new situations.
      Neither the Courts nor the Waitangi Tribunal have produced a definitive list of Treaty principles.
      As President Cooke has said: “The Treaty
      obligations are ongoing. They will evolve from generation to generation as conditions change”.
      
      https://www.waitangitribunal.govt.nz/assets/Documents/Publications/WT-Principles-of-the-Treaty-of-Waitangi-as-expressed-by-the-Courts-and-the-Waitangi-Tribunal.pdf
      
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      February 27, 2024 11:17am
  - Libertarians are right
    
    Doesn’t this mean that we should actually codify what the principles are?
    
    11 0
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    February 27, 2024 11:23am
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      The first 6 Principles were introduced by idiot Geoffrey Palmer in 1989.
      These Principles were deliberately not defined which meant the Waitangi Tribunal could make the Treaty mean whatever they wanted it to mean.
      In total there are 33 Principles.
      
      https://www.stopcogovernance.kiwi/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Treaty-Principles.pdf
      
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      February 27, 2024 11:51am
      - Skippytony
        
        So treaty principles are the new genders then?
        
        7 1
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        February 27, 2024 1:17pm
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        Yep Skippy. They can mean whatever, just like the 2/20/56/10,000 genders.
        
        3 2
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        February 27, 2024 3:37pm
- Grumpy Silver Top
  
  When was a vox-pop ever of any value? And yes, it’s all about how you frame the question, and that goes for any survey or interview. It’s too subtle for the hoi polloi to spot.
  
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  February 27, 2024 12:07pm
- PurplePen
  
  It’s a bit like when the last government was asked about what was an example of hate speech and St J could only answer .. you’ll know it when you see it, or was it hear it.
  
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  February 27, 2024 2:58pm
Inandout

Another alleged theft charge.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/fourth-shoplifting-charge-against-ex-green-mp-golriz-ghahraman-involves-new-store/B4YOUAAYZFCPFK2WMQUANKXRSA/
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February 27, 2024 9:34am
Ruawai

Golriz [allegedly. mod.] must have been on a big shopping spree for her overseas trip.
14 0
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February 27, 2024 9:35am
- rouppe
  
  I was hoping that the most recent accusation was much earlier, to develop a pattern. However they’re all clumped together.
  
  I would be terribly disappointed if she got diversion. MP’s have to be seen to be subject to justice
  
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  February 27, 2024 11:27am
- cmm
  
  Is “allegedly” required if she has admitted offending?
  
  8 0
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  February 27, 2024 12:22pm
  - Inandout
    
    cmm, until the case is before the Court and evidence has been given, followed by any sentence, then yes.
    
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    February 27, 2024 3:35pm
Sir Cullen's Sidekick

I am eagerly waiting for super cop Marl Mitchell to apologise to gorgeous Ginny for asking her to apologise.
8 8
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February 27, 2024 9:38am
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  You won’t have to wait long, A as nderson is apologising tomorrow for her disgusting behaviour
  
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  February 27, 2024 11:08am
Swifty

A powerful speech on the future of Ireland:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8uMfgZ4UbU

It’s occurred to me that you’d never, ever hear a similar speech about New Zealand from any Labour, Green or TPM MP – because deep down they hate New Zealand just like they hate themselves.
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February 27, 2024 10:07am
Swifty

A great pity it isn’t the Human Rights Commission getting the axe.

https://www.thepost.co.nz/politics/350189854/blindsided-productivity-commission-closes-good-government-axes-22-jobs
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February 27, 2024 10:09am
- Sir Cullen's Sidekick
  
  Any entity where the Labour supporter Ganesh Nana is involved needs to be shut down. Well done coalition of chaos.
  
  21 1
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  February 27, 2024 11:07am
- rouppe
  
  Didn’t quite get to the end of the story after reading “evidence-based” about 3 times.
  
  Ganesh Nana also displays his bias and narrow view by defending the change in direction he took the productivity Commission by accusing the detractors of bias and having a narrow view.
  
  Good riddance
  
  20 0
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  February 27, 2024 11:24am
- Grumpy Silver Top
  
  YAY. Gotta start somewhere!
  
  11 0
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  February 27, 2024 12:08pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Many more of the Ganesh Nana types in all of the Public Sector need to be fired.
  Get rid of the deadwood that has been there for decades.
  
  15 2
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  February 27, 2024 12:13pm
Taieri

“Engineering New Zealand is a non-profit membership organisation. We’re dedicated to promoting the interests of engineers and engineering and do so by having a voice on topical issues. Our members are professional, credible and up to date with industry changes. We support them every day to be the best engineers they can be, and shout their contribution to our communities from the rooftops. Put simply, we bring engineering to life.”

This august institution is currently advertising a vacancy for the Competence Assessment Advisor.

In the advertisement it says:

“We prioritise impactful programmes focused on climate change, diversity and inclusion, te ao Māori, and empowering rangatahi with inspiring STEM education – all to champion a diverse, resilient and future-focused engineering profession.”

“We can offer you | Tā mātou e tuku ai ki a koe

(…)Opportunities to get involved in values-driven internal initiatives, such as our neurodiversity Initiative, waiata practice, rainbow community, and te reo Māori learning.(…)”

I’m glad I managed to successfully spend nearly 50 years as a professional engineer without all that. I’m also glad that I don’t need any more “competence assessments”.
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February 27, 2024 10:10am
- Sacha
  
  ‘neurodiversity initiative’ ?
  What?
  
  12 0
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  February 27, 2024 11:09am
  - Master Mariner
    
    When the left brain doesnt connect with the right.
    Commonly seen as Martha thinking she is Arthur and Arthur dresses as Martha.
    There fixed it for you.
    
    4 1
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    February 27, 2024 2:44pm
  - Jake Dee
    
    “Neurodiversity initiatives” = “Recruiting crazy weirdos” in the old money or “mental health issues” in the slightly newer money.
    Framing it as “Neurodiversity” allows people to imagine that they are Sherlock Holmes solving crimes in Old London town, or Mister Spock flying around in the starship Enterprise.
    
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    February 27, 2024 4:10pm
- 70andstilllearning
  
  Taieri – Surely you realised that during earthquakes, etc it was the taniwha’s pinkie holding up those structures you designed – not your application of physics/maths knowledge etc in the design of such structures ….. 🙂
  
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  February 27, 2024 11:23am
- Grumpy Silver Top
  
  What – word beginning with w!
  
  3 0
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  February 27, 2024 12:09pm
- Chris Nisbet
  
  I wish they’d make up their minds.
  First they say they’re dedicated to promoting the interests of engineers but then say they’re “focused on climate change, diversity and inclusion, te ao Māori”.
  
  12 0
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  February 27, 2024 12:37pm
  - artemisia
    
    Paid time for waiata practice though. Never know when that might come in handy in an engineering project.
    
    3 0
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    February 27, 2024 6:54pm
- hullkiwi
  
  Geez, I hope you have tendered your resignation to that institute and you are no longer wasting you money on an annual subscription?
  
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  February 27, 2024 5:22pm
Swifty

Worth a listen.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7t3GophfRZo&pp=QAFIAQ%3D%3D

Michael Laws on our gang problem – interesting to contrast his arguments with those coming from the NZ left right about now.

I think his points about patches are particularly reasonable.
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February 27, 2024 10:12am
Swifty

Blatant vote buying using taxpayer’s money from the Dems:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IGuZ7DneCPg

Makes you want to puke – the unfairness and deep corruption of it all.

I reckon if Labour had been returned here NZ would have seen the same – in fact perhaps we will in 2026.
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February 27, 2024 10:14am
- virtualmark
  
  Nope.
  
  The Supreme Court blocked Biden’s original debt forgiveness plan. So Biden has gone with a Plan B that uses existing authorities and appropriations. It’s a smaller plan, both in terms of number of recipients and the amount of debt forgiven.
  
  If the GOP thought that it was illegal then they’d be taking Biden to court, rather than making YouTube videos about it.
  
  To me it’s just looks like clever politics, and it’s consistent with Biden’s “Bidenomics” policy to boost the middle-class.
  
  Personally I think we here in NZ should think about some similar policy planks. For example, we have a big issue with retaining our educated people and with low birthrates among those most educated people. Spitballing … something like a policy where we forgive $20k of student debt for each child, up to a maximum of 3 children, might encourage more births among higher educated people, who in turn are more likely to have better educated children who are less of a burden on the state and become better taxpayers in the future? Just as an example of how this sort of stuff could be used as incentives.
  
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  February 27, 2024 11:48am
  - Swifty
    
    You have completely missed my point and just raised straw men in response.
    
    I haven’t the time to go into it all now, it one point I’d make. You talk about with policies we might our in place in New Zealand for ten future and they might have merit. But what Biden has done is ‘forgiven’ existing debt, debt taken on by people willingly and voluntarily, and inspire of all those people who have recently repaid their student debt – and transferred it into US taxpayers instead.
    
    Can you truly not see the difference?
    
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    February 27, 2024 12:06pm
    - virtualmark
      
      That’s misrepresenting what Biden is doing.
      
      There have been existing programmes for public employees like teachers where if they had worked for at least 10 years, been paying off their student loan, and had less than US$12,000 of debt outstanding then the remaining debt would be cancelled.
      
      Those programmes had been poorly administrated and inconsistently implemented.
      
      What Biden has done is push through those authorised debt forgiveness plans. So he’s working within existing programmes and authorisations, but pushing them to be implemented as far as possible.
      
      I agree that Biden is cancelling existing debt. But that’s not illegal. And it is good politics.
      
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      February 27, 2024 12:28pm
      - Swifty
        
        I never mentioned illegality. Only you did.
        
        It’s naked political bribery.
        
        Just ask yourself why is he doing it? National debt not high enough already? How is this fair for those who did the right thing and already paid off their loans? How fair is it to transfer the loans to taxpayers, who had nothing to do with the original transactions?
        
        And, why didn’t he, for example, forgive the business loans to small business owners for their tools, vehicles and plant etc.
        
        Calling this merely ‘smart politics’ says a lot about you. I guess ethics and morals matter nothing to you.
        
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        February 27, 2024 12:45pm
      - virtualmark
        
        It’s good politics.
        
        Yes, I expect it will make the recipients feel more support for Joe Biden. But that’s politics.
        
        Just like Trump railing at immigrants is also [good?] politics, but aimed at a different demographic.
        
        Why are you so surprised about this?
        
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        February 27, 2024 1:21pm
      - Swifty
        
        I think you’ve lost your moral compass virtualmark.
        
        It appears all you can see is the political aspects – and none of the immorality of it. The cravenness.
        
        Do you consider yourself on the left of the political spectrum?
        
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        February 27, 2024 1:32pm
      - Swifty
        
        Oh and I haven’t misrepresented anything. I have stated exactly what Biden has done.
        
        Exactly what have I misrepresented virtualmark?
        
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        February 27, 2024 1:54pm
      - Tom Hunter
        
        Do you consider yourself on the left of the political spectrum
        
        And his answer is here from 2023:
        
        if I were a US voter then I’d happily vote for a “normal” Republican like Reagan or George W Bush.
        
        But since the days of Newt Gingrich onwards the GOP has become increasingly crazy. I’m as capitalist as the next guy but I can’t get there on their attitudes on tax, the Government’s fiscal position, and the economy. And their social positions on things like healthcare, gun control, abortion, immigration etc are even more extreme. Unfortunately the modern day GOP is a mix of 1860s Confederacy and 1930s Germany. That appeals to about 20% of the US population, and you seem at ease in that demographic. You’re free to choose that. But I’m too normie for that.
        
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        February 27, 2024 2:01pm
      - Swifty
        
        In the event a future NZ political party announces policies to raise taxation rates on the lowest paid in order to lower tax rates in our highest income earners – I fully expect virtualmark to come out and voice his full and unequivocal support.
        
        Why?
        
        1. It’s not illegal.
        2. There’s a precedent – political parties raise and lower tax rates all the time.
        3. It’s ’smart politics’.
        4. It’s consistent with that party’s policy to boost the upper class.
        
        After all, virtualmark is going to be consistent in his views isn’t he?
        
        Isn’t he?
        
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        February 27, 2024 2:03pm
      - NothingLeft
        
        Forgiving debts of middle class kids using tax raised from struggling low paid blue collar workers who chose to work rather than party at university for several years getting a low-value luxury degree is ethically repugnant.
        
        It’s punishing effort and responsibility amongst the ‘Deplorables’ to reward wastrel unproductive ‘Elites’ the evil of Aristocracy/Rentiers’ tied up in a neat little bow.
        
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        February 27, 2024 2:09pm
      - Swifty
        
        Thanks Tom.
        
        And to NothingLeft – exactly. I couldn’t have put it better.
        
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        February 27, 2024 2:42pm
      - virtualmark
        
        How is it “naked political bribery” to implement a Reagan/Bush era political commitment?
        
        How is it “naked political bribery” to honour a contractual commitment made as part of the employment agreement with public sector workers?
        
        Because that’s what this is. Previous US federal governments made contractual commitments to forgive student debt balances provided the other party, the employee, worked for them for at least 10 years and during that time kept up payments on their student loans.
        
        Calling that bribery says to me that you’ve lost your way.
        
        Question: In New Zealand we have a similar scheme where doctors get partial debt forgiveness if they work in regional hospitals. Is that “naked political bribery”? Should the Government honour its side of that commitment? Or are you suggesting the Government should just walk away from that promise?
        
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        February 27, 2024 3:04pm
      - virtualmark
        
        Tom … it always makes me smile when I see that I continue to live rent-free in your head.
        
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        February 27, 2024 3:06pm
      - virtualmark
        
        Here … https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service
        
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        February 27, 2024 3:16pm
      - Swifty
        
        virtualmark – I’ve just read more on this issue and now understand your points better.
        
        Yes, I would agree, if Biden is merely honouring agreements that were in place when loans were taken out (5,10,15 etc years ago) the that seems right and appropriate to me. In which case, of course, Biden can hardly take credit for it as he is doing – if this is the result of policy decisions made by previous administrations and which his administration is merely honouring.
        
        But, that aside, that’s not what’s going on is it? Hasn’t be recently changed the rules, and made the debt forgiveness scheme more generous and apply to more people? And it’s not as if he’s set this up to apply from now forward, hasn’t he effectively backdated it to apply to loans taken out years ago?
        
        That’s what seems to be the case to me – and I base this partly on the cries of ‘unfairness’ by those who in recent years have paid their student loans back in full and now curse themselves for being so responsible.
        
        Again, if these debt forgiveness rules have been in place for donkey’s years – the why has anyone been paying them off in full, rather than just dripping in the minimum in order to preserve their forgiveness eligibility?
        
        Sorry, I’m just not completely following it all yet.
        
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        February 27, 2024 6:04pm
      - virtualmark
        
        Swifty,
        
        My understanding is that Biden has taken the existing Bush-era programme to its limits, to try to cover as many people as possible. I believe, but am not sure, that the employee had to apply for debt forgiveness, but what Biden has done is made it automatic once you’ve hit that 10 year mark, without the need to specifically apply for it. Not 100% sure of that … can’t say I follow US public service debt forgiveness programmes closely … but that was one (160 character) tweet that I saw.
        
        And yes, Biden is to some extent taking credit for programmes other people put in place. But that’s politics. Luxon was quite happy to put on a high-vis vest and appear at the re-opening of the Coromandel highway, even though that work was basically done under Labour. Never get between a politician and a good news story … even if it’s not their story.
        
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        February 27, 2024 10:00pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Biden has Presidential immunity so he can’t be charged with anything while he is POTUS. That is why he will be kept there until right before the Election – say 3 weeks.
    Then in walks Hillary!
    What is strange is Biden has immunity from prosecution but Trump doesn’t even though he was POTUS on Jan 6th 2021.
    
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    February 27, 2024 12:26pm
    - virtualmark
      
      Steve, we’ve been through this before.
      
      Presidents have immunity for official acts taken in their capacity as President. So if the President orders the assassination of an Iranian IRGC general (Soleimani) that is an official act and they cannot be charged with murder.
      
      But they do not have blanket immunity for acts taken as private individuals. So if the President robs a bank that is still a crime and they are not immune from prosecution. (Although the DoJ’s view is that they would not prosecute until that President had left office … although state crimes wouldn’t necessarily have that same policy).
      
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      February 27, 2024 12:31pm
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        So Joe Biden is not immune from prosecution of the dealings with his son, Ukraine and China. The Biden family had credit cards given to them by Chinese Banks.
        But he can’t be prosecuted? Right, I got it now.
        It is different when the left do it, yes?
        
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        February 27, 2024 1:25pm
      - virtualmark
        
        Steve, step away from Fox News.
        
        If Joe and/or Hunter Biden have broken the law then they should be prosecuted. In fact Hunter is being prosecuted, for drug and gun offences.
        
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        February 27, 2024 3:00pm
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        Virtualmark@3.00.
        Hunter prosecuted is fine, but you evaded answering about Joe Biden, you know, crooked Joe Biden and the Ukraine deals and the Chinese deals.
        You want to answer or throw another diversion at me?
        Joe Biden is a very crooked man. Do you agree, or is he squeaky clean?
        Answer, don’t beat about the bush man.
        
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        February 27, 2024 3:54pm
      - virtualmark
        
        Steve,
        
        Help me out here. What crooked deals do you think Joe Biden has done, and where is your proof? Be specific.
        
        But, fair warning, the GOP case against “Crooked Joe Biden” is falling apart. In the last week the man behind their key allegations, Alexander Smirnoff, has been arrested for lying to the FBI re Biden, and has now been exposed as having very troubling connections to Russian intelligence. So if you want to base your “Crooked Joe” talks on that info then … well I just wouldn’t.
        
        I know that your Orange God wants Biden to be impeached, so that he can pass off his own impeachments as just politics rather than criming. And I know that you are a good soldier for Trump. But there’s just no there there. Despite what you hear in the Fox News cinematic universe. Just like there really isn’t an Iron Man, or a Hulk. Those are just made up fictional things too.
        
        Look, if there’s real proof of bad behaviour then Joe Biden should be impeached and/or indicted (noting impeachment is only for bad behaviour in office). But so far there’s been nothing that would stand up in court. Far from it in fact.
        
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        February 27, 2024 4:42pm
  - Taieri
    
    something like a policy where we forgive $20k of student debt for each child, up to a maximum of 3 children, might encourage more births among higher educated people
    ———–
    
    Let’s have a couple more kids dear. The first $20K of the student fees are on the government now, so we’ll be $40K better off.
    
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    February 27, 2024 1:25pm
    - Flossie
      
      Not very fair to those that are unfortunately not able to give birth.
      
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      February 27, 2024 1:57pm
    - virtualmark
      
      Sigh.
      
      Government’s purchase externalities.
      
      Simple example: I did the commercial structuring for the Key government’s ultra-fast broadband. We the taxpayer committed $1.5 billion to that, of which about $1.2 billion was drawn down.
      
      Question: Why did the Government do this? There was no direct financial benefit to the Government from this programme. No corporate would have done this.
      
      Answer: Because the Government buys externalities. The Key government knew that national fibre-to-the-home would be the catalyst for a bunch of new uses and applications that would bring broad social and economic benefits. The Government wouldn’t receive a direct financial benefit, but knew the externalities would be immensely valuable.
      
      So you should see an initiative such as, spitballing, $20k of student loan forgiveness to the mother for each child, up to some maximum, through the lens of **purchasing externalities**. For example it might promote:
      – higher birthrates among the more educated, which has inter-generational social benefit (kids with lower social & financial burden on Govt, kids likely to have higher education etc).
      – more highly-educated Kiwis to remain in NZ rather than emigrate.
      – more financial equity between men & women, where women do bear the greater lifetime financial cost of having children.
      
      Etc etc.
      
      We, as a country, make a huge investment in our university-trained talent … and then watch as something like half of it goes overseas. We’ve paid for their education, but get little return on that investment. How can we shift that needle?
      
      We, as a country, have a lot of people with poor education and low incomes but having huge families they can’t afford so the Government has to step in, and they tend to have social/health/crime issues that cost us all a bomb. Meanwhile middle-class suburban couples nowadays have 1 or 2 children. How can we shift that balance?
      
      But too many of you here would rather knee jerk yourselves than think about possible incentives and solutions.
      
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      February 27, 2024 3:44pm
      - Swifty
        
        Again you’ve not addressed my points and swerved the discussion off to new territory.
        
        I give up.
        
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        February 27, 2024 4:10pm
      - virtualmark
        
        Swifty, just what are your points? Specifically?
        
        You seem bothered that Biden is forgiving student debt. You allege that this is naked political bribery.
        
        I showed you, with links to the actual federal government programme, that Biden was just honouring long-standing debt-forgiveness commitments. Yes, it’s good politics that will probably engender support from voters. But it’s not bribery. Or illegal. Or even improper.
        
        Meanwhile I then also responded to Taieri. No that doesn’t address your points … it addresses Taieri’s points.
        
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        February 27, 2024 4:38pm
  - Master Mariner
    
    Out of interest, Hungary has just released some interesting policies regarding this.
    The main idea is too retain Hungarian culture.
    If interested worth a Google search.?
    
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    February 27, 2024 2:48pm
Swifty

Jack Jennings dies at 104 – thought to be the last Burma Railway POW.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-devon-68049226.amp
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February 27, 2024 10:19am
Swifty

Far-leftist Glenn McConnell again misses the mark with yet another attempt to get the public rarked up about New Zealanders freely choosing to donate their own money to political candidates:

https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/350189476/politicians-who-were-flush-cash-and-broke-bank-campaigning

However his article fails to make any mention whatsoever of the enormous political bribery perpetrated by the New Zealand Labour Party and their allies every damn election cycle – and which always involves public money forcefully taken from New Zealanders or private money coerced from New Zealand business owners.

Of what do I speak?

Constant above-inflation increases to the minimum wage.
Constant above-inflation increases to benefit levels.
The Fair Pay Agreement extortion racket.
The PGF.
The PJIF.
The hundreds of millions handed out annually to arts and cultural groups with promises of ‘there’s much more where that came from’.
The billions for social development programmes – the great majority of which just ends up in the pockets of ‘service providers’.
And many, many more.

I argue that one of the main reasons, if not the major reason, that these initiatives exist is because of the votes they buy.

Do we think that if it could be shown that these things were net vote losers that Labour would continue to approve them? Not on your Nellie.

Time after time after time I see NZ lefties having a go at our donations framework (because they perceive National and ACT as having an advantage there that the Left want eliminated) but never, ever do I see them raising the elephant in the room – that of Labour and the Green’s naked vote buying with public money.

They think we’re stupid.
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February 27, 2024 11:56am
- Ghost
  
  Merger got $53,713
  
  I’d say he spent more than that, he was campaigning since he got selected. His electorate is large and the result was Luxton close down her office and disappeared. Money well spent
  
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  February 27, 2024 12:03pm
- BeaB
  
  Grant Robertson gave Otago Uni $21 million last year. They gave him the top job this year.
  
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  February 27, 2024 12:10pm
  - Ghost
    
    Labour bailed out universities with $128 million last year
    
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    February 27, 2024 12:17pm
- miltonF
  
  “Naked vote buying with public money”
  
  Democratic socialism in a nutshell. It’s simply legalised theft.
  
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  February 27, 2024 6:04pm
  - Swifty
    
    H.L. Mencken called elections “advance auctions of stolen goods.”
    
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    February 27, 2024 7:32pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Stop Co-Governance. Julian Batchelor.

Link to comic included.
Looks like the lies and untruths are included, and this is being taught in school!

https://stopcogovernance.kiwi/blog/they-are-after-our-children-new-government-paid-for-treaty-of-waitangi-comic-for-high-school-children-launched/
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February 27, 2024 12:00pm
- Ghost
  
  I’d suggest you tell your friend that it wasn’t paid for by the new government, it was published in 2018. Pretty sure the new government got elected in 2023….
  
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  February 27, 2024 12:11pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    It does say :
    “Published 2018 by the Ministry of Education,
    PO Box 1666, Wellington 6140, New Zealand.
    http://www.education.govt.nz.”
    I did not see that at all, so good spotting Ghost. I wonder if Julian means the new Government in 2018 seeing as Labour and NZF were in power from 2017?
    I am now not sure what Julian means by the New Government. I guess we will find out in the days to follow.
    
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    February 27, 2024 12:40pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Ghost, you are correct. The headline and text has been altered with the word “New” removed. The word “new” is still in the URL though.
  Unusual for Julian Batchelor to make a mistake like that – but we all make mistakes.
  A person who never made a mistake never made anything.
  
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  February 27, 2024 1:37pm
Bridgenag

“Psychological and Cognitive Warfare on Citizens”
My Speech at the International Crisis Summit-5 in Washington DC

https://open.substack.com/pub/rwmalonemd/p/psychological-and-cognitive-warfare?r=1aj1bv&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
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February 27, 2024 12:39pm
- Jake Dee
  
  It’s not a bad speech but a bit over-wrought.
  None of this stuff is new, I mean the technology is new but the techniques aren’t.
  Noam Chomsky & Edward Herman laid this all out in “Manfacturing Consent” (1988), and that title was a call back to these ideas laid out by Walter Lippman in “Public Opinion” (1922).
  Have you heard of Edward Bernays? He was a psychologist and nephew of Sigmund Freud who was doing public relations and propaganda work for the American government and corporations more than 100 years ago. He literally wrote the book on propaganda, “Propaganda”(1928).
  Adam Curtis’ documentary “The Century of the Self” starts with an excellent bit on Bernays. It’s well worth a watch.
  So Dr. Robert Malone is a little late to this party. Americans are never going to stop American propaganda, not happening.
  What we have to do is develop defenses against it.
  
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  February 27, 2024 5:33pm
Maggie Pie

Remember that runaway ISIS bride from the UK….Shamima Begum?
Ended up in Syria and gave birth to i think 3 bastard kids by terrorist fathers.

Well she’s been battling Authorities to have her British Citizenship reinstated so she can return to Britain.
Fortunately for the poms, the Court-of-Appeal has refused her application, so now she’s stuck in a Syrian Detention Camp for the rest of her life where she belongs.

https://twitter.com/Shamima/status/1760974364520960424
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February 27, 2024 12:55pm
- NothingLeft
  
  A rare young women that has had to face consequences for her actions. Though given her support of murder, rape, enslavement and Genocide of Yazidi within ISIS she deserves far worse.
  
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  February 27, 2024 1:59pm
- Parnell Gun Club
  
  I think she has Pakistan citizenship and is free to go there. Doesn’t fancy it though.
  
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  February 27, 2024 2:24pm
  - mandk
    
    I think it would be Bangladesh, but I get your point.
    
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    February 27, 2024 2:43pm
  - RalphT
    
    Bangladeshi. Probably fancies it even less than Pakistan.
    
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    February 27, 2024 2:49pm
  - kowtow
    
    Bangladeshi ( East Pakistan) UK born , dual citizen . Bangladesh dispute this .
    
    Nothingleft ; alleged she was some sort of ISIS enforcer . Not nice at all.
    
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    February 27, 2024 2:51pm
- mandk
  
  She can still go to the Supreme Court, and beyond that there’s probably some international body or other she can appeal to.
  
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  February 27, 2024 2:42pm
- Jack5
  
  Jacinda Ardern allowed into NZ an ISIS mother, Suhayra Aden, with her two children in 2021. She was born in NZ, but lived in Australia from the age of six. Australia refused to have her back.
  
  National’s Judith Collins at the time described the ISIS mother as a terrorist and a bad mother.
  
  Aden and her children were being held in Turkey, after illegally entering the country.
  
  Labour also allowed back into NZ Mark Taylor, who told reporters in the Middle East in 2019 that he regretted as a jihadist not being able to afford a slave. (ISIS terrorists enslaved Yazidi women.)
  
  “To buy a slave, you’re looking at least $4000 American to buy an older woman, at least past 50 years old,” he told ABC. “And to buy a decent one, at least (US) $10,000 or $20,000.”
  
  https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/isis-terrorist-bride-suhayra-aden-and-her-children-to-return-to-nz/MCHFHKTT4KKGLN64RTO3O3VCBU/
  
  AND:
  
  https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/kiwi-jihadi-mark-taylors-big-regret-not-being-able-to-buy-a-slave/KYLXD4JOB3YMYJ4OBL6QTZZQEE/?c_id=1&objectid=12209406&ref=art_readmore
  
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  February 27, 2024 2:57pm
  - MCōs
    
    I’d be interested to know if Mark Taylor ever came back to NZ as you infer.
    I suspect he never made it out of 2019.
    
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    February 27, 2024 4:48pm
    - Swifty
      
      Yeah, I’ve seen nothing to indicate Taylor is back here.
      
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      February 27, 2024 5:40pm
  - MCōs
    
    Suhayra Aden returned to NZ in 2021
    She arrived at the airport and spent two weeks in MIQ with her remaining two kids
    To the best of my knowledge she’s kept out of the public eye ever since.
    
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    February 27, 2024 5:25pm
- Jake Dee
  
  Probably worth noting that those camps are an absolute nightmare. Stuck in the SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces an American proxy) zone, Washington is only ever going to give them minimal funding and the chances that the adults will be rehabilitated, and the children educated to integrate them back into any society are practically zero.
  Still Britain made the right call, you pay the ticket, you take the ride. If ISIS had won, she would be living like a Duchess now.
  Looking into her case, I see that it’s financed by Legal aid, which is quite interesting. Terrorist threat to civilization or not, the lawyers will always get paid.
  
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  February 27, 2024 4:29pm
  - MCōs
    
    She was fourteen when she buggered off to the ME
    A huge mistake, but on that basis alone I’d be inclined to give her another chance
    Of course even at that age there’s some nasty people around so what do I know?
    
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    February 27, 2024 5:52pm
    - NeverMindTheBollocks
      
      What of her experiences since 14? A thoroughly nasty piece of work, I’d say.
      
      It’s odd that Muslim countries aren’t queuing up to take her.
      
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      February 27, 2024 10:19pm
Ghost

Amazing, why hasn’t anyone thought of this before……

Get rid of crime by changing the definition of crime……

X Link
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February 27, 2024 2:38pm
- Swifty
  
  If I was a black American I would be incensed at that thinking.
  
  He’s basically labelling his own community as animals out of control.
  
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  February 27, 2024 4:01pm
- hullkiwi
  
  That is not too far removed from Nash’s allegations that his former colleagues were soft on crime & didn’t want Police to go after proceeds of crime totalling less than $30k. Effectively, a free pass.
  
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  February 27, 2024 5:39pm
Hugh Jarse

I hear Hipkins trying to generate an excuse this morning that governments need four year terms to more properly plan and build things. He was trying to explain Jan Tinetti’s latest educational infrastructure screw up. I don’t think so, if Hipkins thinks it’s a good idea then that’s enough to make me oppose it. Reminds me of Muldoon commenting that a PM had too much power to be trusted with four year terms, three was enough.
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February 27, 2024 2:53pm
- Swifty
  
  Think of the damage Labour and the Greens would have wrought in eight years, rather than just six .
  
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  February 27, 2024 3:13pm
- Blog-aholic
  
  His logic is of course dumb because the terms my be only three but they got two making their tenure six years….plenty of time to sort things.
  
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  February 27, 2024 3:14pm
- MCōs
  
  In Muldoon’s case three was more than enough; let alone 8-1/2
  
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  February 27, 2024 4:33pm
- PeeJay
  
  One of my friends was in support of the four-year term until very recently. His argument, oft repeated, is that three years is too short for a good government to get traction on its policies. I’ve always countered that while that may be true to an extent, three years is way too long for a bad government and we frequently have more bad or average governments than good ones.
  
  After realising that the last six years of Labour could easily have been an eight-year term, he now told me he’s completely changed his view on this and thinks the idea of four-year terms is horrific. And to think – it only took six years of the worst government in NZ history to change his mind!
  
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  February 27, 2024 4:46pm
  - info@cruzpro.com
    
    “three years is too short for a good government to get traction on its policies”.
    
    If the government is that good they will get another three years and get traction on its policies.
    
    0 0
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    February 28, 2024 7:32am
Damocles11

During Question Time in Parliament today, Chris Hipkins rose with a point of order to have a chip at Winston for using his cell phone; he sledged that it was the ‘tobacco lobby’ giving Winnie some feedback. Winston stood up and said “that is a disgraceful insinuation from a member who is going to be out of this house in a few weeks”.

Make of that what you will.
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February 27, 2024 3:02pm
- greybeard
  
  Even if Hipkins survives the next few weeks it just shows how venomous, vicious and irrational are the Labour Party members. There is truly something terribly wrong with most of them.
  Delusional, incompetent, just plain nasty people.
  
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  February 27, 2024 3:32pm
  - Damocles11
    
    It sounds like he might be doing a Robbo and getting out of Parliament.
    
    8 0
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    February 27, 2024 4:12pm
    - hullkiwi
      
      No, it’s just a recess coming up for Easter.
      
      2 0
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      February 27, 2024 5:43pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    You mentioned three types of Labour Party people, so if there are no newer types you have covered the whole Party!
    I was thinking more along the ability to be pathological liars……
    
    4 2
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    February 27, 2024 4:12pm
Swifty

Let’s play spot the error in The Herald article:

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/electric-bike-thefts-alleged-thief-had-11-bicycles-worth-58000-ammunition-at-home/UZ7GNO6X2BE6PHMLHQ2PJ7772Y/

Bunnies.
6 0
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February 27, 2024 3:23pm
- Keith White
  
  !!200 rounds of .22 ammunition😱 Shirley planning a coup d’état!
  
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  February 27, 2024 4:21pm
  - Ghost
    
    That appears to be what they had
    
    2 0
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    February 27, 2024 4:28pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    That is 0.22mm of ammunition.
    Wonder how big the gun that they get fired from is?
    Some may have trouble seeing them. That is eight- and one-half thousandths of 1 inch!
    Morris Mini valve clearance is 12 thousandths (0.012 inches)
    Oh, us skilled people can do it with the motor running! LOL!
    
    2 2
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    February 27, 2024 4:38pm
    - Swifty
      
      You’ve got it Steve.
      
      The ammunition calibre was a bit over a fifth of a millimetre, apparently.
      
      Good grief.
      
      2 1
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      February 27, 2024 5:38pm
      - Keith White
        
        Is that worse than fifthy cal machining assault riflings? Asking for Gun Control NZ.
        
        1 1
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        February 27, 2024 7:36pm
- kowtow
  
  Looks like “facebook” gave them the lead .
  
  “Three weeks later we received information that these items were being sold on Facebook,”
  
  Not direct information?
  We’ve seen accounts of people going to the Cops and saying xyz has my stolen motorbike and Cops saying nope can’t do zip , need more to do search warrant .
  
  And yet “Police take this type of offending seriously and work hard to hold offenders to account and I’d like to commend our staff for their work in identifying the alleged offender.”
  
  Cops congratulating themselves on doing their duty !
  
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  February 27, 2024 4:40pm
Inandout

During the last 6 years I would imagine the list of Wellington consultants has grown markedly and here is a list in Yellow Pages.
https://yellow.co.nz/wellington/consultants

If the Coalition wishes to save money, lots of money, then they should start here.
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February 27, 2024 3:39pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Maybe use NO consultants and do the job themselves.
  Copy and paste from a consultant is bullshit.
  The brain is a muscle, use it!
  
  3 2
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  February 27, 2024 4:41pm
Maggie Pie

Unbelieveably, ZBNews have led 3 of their bulletins today with a voice clip from Chris Hipkins, giving his opinion on the disestablishment of the Maori Health Authority.

Surely someone needs to advise the MSM, that Chippy’s opinions on anything…..are now as irrelevant as a S27 Cultural Report cut & pasted by Harry Tam.

Just saying.
23 1
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February 27, 2024 3:43pm
Ghost

Protest the government if you feel you must, but leave their homes alone. Protest in public, protest out on the streets, but leave politicians in their homes alone.

Article

Pro-Palestine protesters have demonstrated outside Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s Auckland home accusing him of having “blood on his hands”.

The protest occurred on Friday at 4:46pm outside Luxon’s home in the Auckland suburb of Remuera and saw about a dozen people gather.
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February 27, 2024 3:59pm
- Inandout
  
  Ghost, they did the same with Key when he lived in Parnell. I can’t recall Arden having her home in Sandringham ‘visited’. If in the US and they tried to approach the WH they would be shot.
  
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  February 27, 2024 4:12pm
  - MCōs
    
    Groundswell protesting outside Ardern’s house, probably about the speed bump
    https://www.reddit.com/r/auckland/comments/y8kk12/farmers_protest_outside_jacinda_ardens_house/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
    
    3 0
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    February 27, 2024 4:27pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Ardern does not have rubbish like John Key I guess.
    She said ‘do not write anything down, do not email or fax, leave no paper trail.’ or something.
    That is why her non-rubbish was never searched.
    
    6 2
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    February 27, 2024 4:57pm
Maggie Pie

And this….

Eliana Rubishtyn was due to appear in court yesterday on his charge of assault.
Once again it’s been postponed….and resheduled to April 30.

That makes 3 now! Eli, Golly, and Kiri. I’m starting to loose track 🙁
Will they EVER see the inside of a courtroom?
15 2
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February 27, 2024 4:09pm
- Ian
  
  Didn’t Rubishtyn get put out with the garbage – surely she should be appearing on April 1st…..
  
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  February 27, 2024 4:50pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Just a little more time to pack and disappear from the radar.
  
  4 3
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  February 27, 2024 4:58pm
Ghost

A bizarre post from George Takei in reply to the speaker posting about an illegal immigrant murdering a student nurse.

X Link
1 0
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February 27, 2024 4:10pm
- kevn
  
  Ghost… The Star Trek actor.
  
  1 0
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  February 27, 2024 4:43pm
  - Blog-aholic
    
    Is Mr. Sulu ‘taking the helm’?
    
    2 0
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    February 27, 2024 4:46pm
  - Ghost
    
    Yeah, but also had a try at politics
    
    2 0
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    February 27, 2024 4:54pm
Maggie Pie

I see where the Insurance-Premium for an average Apartment in Wellington
has risen to $17k pa. Owners are said to be looking overseas for alternative quotes.
Good luck with that.

You’d imagine first home buyers would be thin on the ground.
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February 27, 2024 5:05pm
- MCōs
  
  I heard on the wireless this morning that insurance is effected by international reinsurance rates, which are in turn effected by natural disasters elsewhere such as Queensland and Japan
  
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  February 27, 2024 5:59pm
  - fightingtemeraire
    
    True
    
    0 0
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    February 28, 2024 7:11am

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