General Debate 03 July 2024

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peterwn

The matter of the Dotcom extradition was raised here a few weeks back with nothing apparently happening. The Minister seems to have signed off his extradition but as I expected he is fighting this tooth and nail through the courts. A recent Court of Appeal decision has denied him a second appeal (the first being in the High Court). He will try in the Supreme Court but is most likely to fail and thus he will be at the end of the road. He will probably appear in the US District Court in Alexandria VA (not far from the Pentagon) dressed in orange before the year is out.
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July 3, 2024 8:00am
- Damocles11
  
  Fingers crossed.
  
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  July 3, 2024 9:59am
  - imalwaysright
    
    What has he done wrong?
    
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    July 3, 2024 11:20am
    - peterwn
      
      Making a fortune out of breaching peoples’ intellectual property rights using computer servers situated in the USA on a commercial basis. That is contrary to both USA and NZ copyright law. His victims included Sir Peter Jackson and other Kiwi movie makers. This sort of copyright violation is a felony in USA and and the NZ sentence is up to 5 years jail in NZ so it is sufficiently major to warrant extradition.
      
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      July 3, 2024 12:56pm
      - NZer In Exile
        
        You know the whole internet basically serves advertisers, intense and all pervasive spying on the private data of internet users, and data brokers who trade in this sensitive personal data? It’s basically an out of control cancer.
        
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        July 3, 2024 3:10pm
      - imalwaysright
        
        I don’t think so. Maybe the people who used his service did those things.
        Is nzpost responsible for transporting a usb with a bootleg movie on it?
        
        Interesting that your first three words are ” making a fortune..”, if he were providing the facility free of charge or at his expense would that be acceptable ?
        
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        July 3, 2024 3:13pm
      - Ghost
        
        Kim and his staff used to regularly go into warez forums promoting meagupload, offering free premium accounts.
        
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        July 3, 2024 3:52pm
      - NeverMindTheBollocks
        
        Yeah, but will he get only 5 years in the US of A?
        
        The US are great ones for bullying foreigners when it suits them (compare & contrast their treatment of Exxon over the Exxon Valdez spillage vs how they treated BP in the Gulf of Mexico). I’m happy to see the back of Kim Schmidt, but I don’t wish him American “justice”.
        
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        July 3, 2024 5:17pm
    - Miritu
      
      Good question
      
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      July 3, 2024 1:02pm
    - peterwn
      
      Seems a bit of further clarification is needed. The operation of the Megaupload server facilitated illegal activity so the operator of the server (Kim Dotcom) was a party to criminal offending, and parties to an offence can be charged as such in both USA and NA courts (in NZ s66 of the Crimes Act refers). There is no need to bring the ‘principal’ to justice, indeed they were just small fry and not worth prosecuting. Anyone could download/view a movie on Megaupload at no cost, but the kicker was you were limited as to download speed which was designed to be sufficiently irksome as to cause users to pay for premium access. This is how Kim Dotcom made his fortune. There were other interesting features which I won’t discuss in the interests of brevity. Suffice to say Kim thought he had the scheme secure against the law through Balkanisation and other methods, but the FBI and prosecutors have cut through all the crap and the extradition grounds have been thoroughly tested in the NZ courts right up to the Supreme Court.
      
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      July 3, 2024 6:11pm
- crikey
  
  peterwn: “He will probably appear in the US District Court in Alexandria VA (not far from the Pentagon) dressed in orange before the year is out.”
  
  Perhaps not. This is dragging on like Julian Assange mk2.
  
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  July 3, 2024 11:01am
  - Miritu
    
    You sound sympathetic to Julian Assange’s long persecution?
    
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    July 3, 2024 1:02pm
    - crikey
      
      Miritu: Nothing I said enables you to conclude that. My reality is that I would have been OK with Assange staying locked up or facing trial in the US.
      
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      July 3, 2024 5:03pm
      - waikatosinger
        
        How do you draw a distinction between Assange publishing leaked material on wiki leaks and the New York times publishing leaked material. In many cases the same leaked material. Personally I have a hard time seeing a sufficient difference to justify the difference in treatment.
        
        Also as Assange isn’t American and isn’t based there why should US law even apply. I find the persecution of Assange very troubling. The US deep state is acting like a global government. I didn’t vote for them.
        
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        July 4, 2024 5:47am
  - peterwn
    
    As I said the end is within sight. It is only criminal to the extent that Kim Dotcom tries to make it political (such as forming a political party).
    I have to concede that Kim could arrange to have himself smuggled out of NZ by a yacht or executive jet, but that would be good riddance anyway.
    
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    July 3, 2024 1:05pm
    - imalwaysright
      
      Since when has it been a crime to form a political party?
      I thought NZ was a democracy.
      
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      July 3, 2024 3:44pm
      - Damocles11
        
        You are ‘always right’ but Dotcom aligned himself with Hone Harawira against the National government. Have you forgotten that? I see Dotcom now passes himself off as some kind of right winger on-line, and you’ve fallen for his schtick.
        
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        July 3, 2024 4:04pm
      - imalwaysright
        
        So what?
        People had the freedom to vote for whatever party and MP they chose .
        I haven’t fallen for anything. I just want to know what he has done wrong.
        
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        July 3, 2024 5:06pm
- NothingLeft
  
  He has a kiwi wife and young kid(s?). I would be unsurprised if some means to get him off was erected by the NZ judiciary and his high paid lawyers.
  
  I know a german contemporary of his from when he was just starting out. Kim Schmidt has been making money off others work via increasingly elaborate schemes for his whole adult life. Parasite.
  
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  July 3, 2024 9:23pm
Scott

A new CBS poll shows that 72% of voters in America don’t think that Biden is fit to serve as President!
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/72-of-voters-dont-think-biden-should-be-running-for-president-but-campaign-moves-forward/

CNN also ran the story and then brought on 84 year old Nancy Pelosi to defend Biden! Nancy was not much better than Biden, slurring her words.

Even the uber liberal Young Turks think that Biden should step aside.
https://youtu.be/ctYmG5SBez8?si=_jLcxkWTHNleP1ph
What amazes me is that Biden thinks he can perform as president for another 4 year term, at the end of which he’ll be 86.

He shouldn’t be president now. He can’t think. He can’t speak. Even his aides admit he’s only working a 10am to 4pm day.

Let’s hope if someone decides to attack America they only do so during Biden’s working hours. Imagine Biden trying to handle a crisis at 3 in the morning?
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July 3, 2024 8:01am
- Mod88
  
  It doesn’t matter what anyone thinks, as long as Biden thinks he can do 4 more years the Democrats are stuck with him. He has to stand down.
  
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  July 3, 2024 10:02am
  - bennerg
    
    He won’t be President for another four years. Either he resigns or he is voted out.
    
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    July 3, 2024 10:58am
    - John Loveridge
      
      Or he’ll just die. That’s a strong possibility.
      
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      July 3, 2024 12:10pm
      - Mr Nobody NZ
        
        I wouldn’t be surprised if:
        + Joe Biden remains the democrats candidate;
        + However Kamala Harris is dropped as VP for Gavin Newsom; Michelle Obama or even Hillary Clinton;
        + Joe Biden dies between the confirmation and the Election;
        + The new VP steps into the role as the democrats candidate allowing them to promote the younger or female angle over trump.
        + The world is left with the new ongoing conspiracy of “Was it natural causes?”.
        
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        July 3, 2024 3:16pm
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      He will not live that long, that might be morbid, but he is deteriorating before our eyes
      
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      July 3, 2024 12:54pm
  - Sacha
    
    Surely it’s his handlers that will make the decision? He just does what he is told, like a puppet on a string.
    
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    July 3, 2024 12:41pm
  - NothingLeft
    
    The 25th amendment does not require the president’s consent to remove him. But it does require a cabinet of honest people with integrity and ethics will to do what’s right – obviously a non-starter in the Biden Administration.
    
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    July 3, 2024 9:28pm
- cmm
  
  “What amazes me is that Biden thinks he can perform as president for another 4 year term.”
  
  No he doesn’t believe that, but they will keep going for as long as possible. He will just keep doing what the handlers tell him to say.
  
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  July 3, 2024 10:10am
  - krazykiwi
    
    Agreed. He’s in the perfect condition for his handlers to exert maximum control : not autonomous, and not catatonic
    
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    July 3, 2024 11:57am
    - cmm
      
      When they don’t need him any more he can line up with the dogs at the vet and get a shot of sodium pentobarbitol.
      
      “Died peacefully in his sleep”.
      
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      July 3, 2024 12:45pm
- Grunter
  
  Yep – he has 6 minutes to decide which red button to push.
  
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  July 3, 2024 10:15am
- Vinicius
  
  Latest CNN poll has Trump 49% Biden 43%.
  All over red rover. In the battlegrounds the same, Biden is toast.
  
  https://edition.cnn.com/2024/07/02/politics/cnn-poll-post-debate/index.html
  
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  July 3, 2024 10:23am
  - krazykiwi
    
    Biden 43%?!? Ye gods. On that basis were he clucking like a chicken, drooling, and being wheeled about by medical staff I expect 40% of Americans would still support him.
    
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    July 3, 2024 12:01pm
    - bennerg
      
      They are politically tribal there.
      
      Some Democrats may actually not care, given that there is Obama et al in the background actually making the decisions.
      
      Vote Biden get yet another term of Obama.
      
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      July 3, 2024 12:54pm
    - Colville
      
      50% voted for Jacinda…voters are pretty dumb!
      
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      July 3, 2024 1:22pm
      - NothingLeft
        
        I trust the NZ voting process and final talleys vastly more than those in US elections – they have a system that has been deliberately degraded in law, operation, and policing to allow large scale cheating by political party incumbents controlling and policing the very elections that put them in power.
        
        The spend on ’24 US elections is enormous – something like $60-70 per voter – which in itself indicates just how corrupt their politics is, each swing vote is costing $1000’s of dollars, painting a clear picture for the compelling economics of cheating. That money wouldn’t be spent if there wasn’t profit in it for the victors.
        
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        July 3, 2024 3:25pm
      - AitchW
        
        Colville, 50% of them anyway….
        
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        July 3, 2024 8:25pm
    - NZer In Exile
      
      I’m thinking the plan is to wheel him (possibly literally) over the line by hook or by crook then replace him almost immediately with some unelected pusher of woke/green lunacy.
      
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      July 3, 2024 1:22pm
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Yes and about a year ago Trump was trailing by 2% could be 18 months
    
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    July 3, 2024 12:55pm
  - jkt
    
    That has been the count since probably any date in 2023.
    Nothing has changed on polling numbers. It would be like watching paint dry if there was no political commentary.
    
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    July 3, 2024 2:13pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Joe has to be replaced, but by who?
  Obama will decide. I still say it will be Hillary. She is toxic, but the best they have got.
  Nancy slurs her words because she is a drunk – pissed 24/7.
  
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  July 3, 2024 11:00am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    The VP is the problem, if they push Biden out and don’t use a black Roman then it will be leftie war
    
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    July 3, 2024 12:57pm
    - RalphT
      
      The migration out of Africa across the Med to Italy is out of control so yes I think there are probably a few black Romans around. However, I think the Democrats will play it safe and it might be wiser if they went for a black woman…
      
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      July 3, 2024 3:23pm
  - bennerg
    
    While it has been denied, the obvious choice is Michelle – but they will leave it to the very last minute, so as to keep all others at bay. Barack will be managing this, as I believe he is managing everything up until now. He needs to keep the Clinton’s fingers out of it as well.
    
    They will be trying to emulate the Jacinda effect that worked for Labour here in NZ.
    
    Who’s not to like the first women president, a women of colour, and ably supported by her husband who has already done the job.
    
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    July 3, 2024 1:00pm
  - Chuck Bird
    
    I have a hundred on Michelle Obama.
    
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    July 3, 2024 2:13pm
    - Ra Henare
      
      Michelle Obama to get the Presidency vote.
      
      With Gavin Newsance as VP.
      Then Michelle steps down after 6? months.
      Newsance becomes the next Pres.
      
      Its all in the stars I tell ya.
      
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      July 3, 2024 4:10pm
      - bennerg
        
        Democratic Party nominee for sure … as to presidency, well that will depend a lot on the ballot process.
        
        And that my friend is where we can sit back with the popcorn!
        
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        July 3, 2024 7:27pm
  - jkt
    
    I thought that was what Americans were going to do in November. Replace Biden with the reluctant Trump.
    
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    July 3, 2024 2:14pm
- crikey
  
  Scott: Let’s hope they only do so outside Biden’s working hours so some people who are compos mentis can make appropriate decisions.
  
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  July 3, 2024 11:05am
- Paulus
  
  But he remains only a Puppet whatever.
  Who is making his decisions – not him.
  
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  July 3, 2024 1:35pm
  - jkt
    
    Have you seen his decisions ……. clearly Killary Obama is the man behind the President.
    
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    July 3, 2024 6:32pm
- NZer In Exile
  
  Scott as I see it “Liberal” is the live and let live ethos. What the centre left mostly used to be. That is not the ethos of the current and dominant far left. More highly intolerant woke fascists living in a fantasy world.
  
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  July 3, 2024 2:30pm
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  Hillary should just change her name legally to Jo Biden. She’ll hose in.
  
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  July 3, 2024 5:19pm
- Scooter
  
  Listening to Sean Plunkett interview Prof Stephen Hoadley was a larf, he reckons Biden can stay on as all the policy making is done in a room (so he’s sitting and can still have his naps) with competent advisors around him etc. Gee by those low standards why not just get a monkey for prez?
  
  https://theplatform.kiwi/podcasts/episode/stephen-hoadley-says-joe-bidens-cognitive-decline-doesnt-matter
  
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  July 3, 2024 6:06pm
  - jkt
    
    Trump did that for four years.
    It works a charm.
    
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    July 3, 2024 6:33pm
slightlyrighty

Regardless of your politics, if you are the sort of person who took pleasure out of watching Mitch McConnell and his ‘episodes’ and you are OK with Biden standing for re-election, then you lack a certain amount of self awareness.
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July 3, 2024 8:11am
- RoboRob
  
  At least McConnell has the awareness to not stand again, something that surely cant be said for Biden! There are a stunningly high number of 80+ year olds in US govt and many that have lost their mental faculties. None of those should be there. It’s not a left / right thing, its a ‘fit for the job’. The problem with electing 80 year olds, and this includes Trump, is that mental health can change rapidly and these people are in office for 4-6 year terms.
  
  The most amazing was Dianne Feinstein who served AND eventually died in office whilst her daughter had active power of attorney. The lady was physically and mentally unwell and Nancy Pelosi kept her there for her vote.
  
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  July 3, 2024 10:22am
  - the deity formerly known as nigel6888
    
    Indeed, dealing with impaired people in significant roles is going to be one of the hardest challenges of the next few decades.
    
    It becomes immeasurably harder if the individual and their loved ones are in denial, for whatever reasons.
    
    Equally though, forced age-related retirements are desperately unfair for those who remain fully active and capable.
    
    I can’t imagine wanting to be a CEO or Chair in my 80s though. Mentoring a successor to succeed seems (to me anyway) to be far more rewarding.
    
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    July 3, 2024 10:37am
    - gravedodger
      
      Warren Buffett is 93 still chairman of Berkshire Hathaway??!
      The US moved the 25th Amendment after FD Roosevelt persisted through four terms dying in office before WW2 ended, to limit Potus to two four year terms, quickly ratified by the states.
      FDR’s Veep Harry Truman ( the “S” was added after his election) and was completely unaware of the Manhatten Project (atomic bombs) when FDR died at his resort.
      
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      July 3, 2024 12:00pm
      - G the giant from Dunedin
        
        I don’t think that is right, they mentioned there had been only one attempt at the 25 amendment just yesterday, and it was not Roseervelt
        
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        July 3, 2024 12:59pm
      - G the giant from Dunedin
        
        Woodrow Wilson is the only president to get the 25th applied in article one, article one appears to be removing a president
        
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        July 3, 2024 1:03pm
  - Ian Boag
    
    Biden 81? Trump 79? So what.
    
    Strom Thurmond was 102 when he passed on – still a senator.
    
    He had married at 66 (wife #2 was 22 at the time) and had four children with her. He was renowned as an opportunistic fondler FWIW.
    
    Senator Joe Biden gave the eulogy at his funeral.
    
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    July 3, 2024 11:00am
    - Mike
      
      Let’s not forget Rupert Murdoch.
      
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      July 3, 2024 11:43am
      - NZer In Exile
        
        Why? What’s your point? He’s old? So what.
        
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        July 3, 2024 1:24pm
      - jkt
        
        Why do these people die so young?
        
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        July 3, 2024 2:18pm
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      Trump 77
      
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      July 3, 2024 1:03pm
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    Recall Ruth Ginsberg, desperately clinging on to her SCOTUS job while The Don was Prez
    
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    July 3, 2024 5:22pm
- Vinicius
  
  Multiple reporting over the last couple of days about Biden’s aging and lapses like those in the debate.
  
  On CNN Carl Bernstein:
  https://edition.cnn.com/2024/07/01/politics/video/carl-bernstein-biden-performance-presidential-debate-ac360-digvid
  
  New York Times (paywalled):
  https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/02/us/politics/biden-lapses.html
  
  Certainly, isn’t a laughing matter in my book. Someone needs to do the right thing and talk to Biden.
  
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  July 3, 2024 10:43am
  - Chuck Bird
    
    Someone has to speak to his nurse. If Barrack Obama and the Clintons plus donors cannot convince her something is wrong with them. Before the debate Biden was paying $2.70 he is now paying $6.50 and Harris is next on $8.50.
    
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    July 3, 2024 2:21pm
RoboRob

Dear National

If I wanted Labours (piss poor) policies I would have voted for them.

See
One year free uni
Media policy
Non indexed tax rates
Immigration policy
Education (MOE)
Covid enquiry
School lunches
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July 3, 2024 8:48am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  And then she ran.
  
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  July 3, 2024 11:02am
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  One year free changing to the final year was a master stroke. Do you realise what it means? So no new payments for 3 years, and at the next election they can say well we have to ditch that policy, you realise they will not pay after this year has finished (thanks to Labour) for 3 years at the earliest, it can be ditched by then
  
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  July 3, 2024 1:06pm
  - RoboRob
    
    Oh, the old 4d chess arguement. So the master stroke is improving the policy and supposedly scrapping it after the next election. As opposed to just scrapping it now.
    
    Sounds like the Bill English tax cuts that National could have given but decided to leave until after the election they then lost.
    
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    July 3, 2024 4:20pm
  - ISeeRed
    
    You’ll defend everything National does to your dying breath.
    
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    July 3, 2024 7:33pm
Grunter

Here’s an eye-watering read from Rodney! If anyone thinks that this is OK I would like to hear the rational argument for that position.

https://www.bassettbrashandhide.com/post/rodney-hide-sex-education-wakatipu-high-school-2024
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July 3, 2024 8:51am
- thirteenstars
  
  That is bloody shocking.
  
  It’s not sex ed. It’s sex instruction and indoctrination. Hide is right to withdraw his daughter from the class.
  
  It’s also quite sinister that the material is not available in full for parents to peruse for reasons of “copyright”. Who’s paying for it? The taxpayer. None of it should be hidden from anyone. It should be published online so we can all see what is being taught to our children.
  
  Looks like Erica Stanford is doing a bang-up job. She gets an hour of reading and writing per day and the cultural Marxists get to teach 13-year-olds how to have properly lubricated anal sex.
  
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  July 3, 2024 10:31am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    I remember Stanford saying they will check with the sexual education curriculum, they said at the very least parents will decide what they get taught, at present thanks to Labour they are apparently blocked
    
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    July 3, 2024 1:08pm
    - RoboRob
      
      See my earlier post.
      
      Stanford, who comes accross well, has kept the existing MOE big wigs. They will spend the next three years paying lip service to her policies whilst dragging changes out as long as possible. Its EXACTLY what happened in education under the Key government. Only the things the MOE liked (such as the modern learning environment and NCEA) moved forward.
      
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      July 3, 2024 4:23pm
  - Paulus
    
    Only if the teachers agree – there are many schools and kura who will continue to do what the indoctrinated head and teachers want.
    As was openly said to senior staff recently by a very senior Ed Dept person “What does she know about Education that we do not “.
    There is serious contempt for the Minister, women on women again.
    
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    July 3, 2024 1:41pm
    - PurplePen
      
      What’s the difference between a school and a kura?
      
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      July 3, 2024 4:03pm
- Drone
  
  There was a surprising lack of Te Reo in the post from Rodney, I’m assuming that if he didn’t translate it back into the Kings English, this can only be a good thing coming from MED.
  
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  July 3, 2024 11:00am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  This is ‘grooming!’
  Not all boys have a penis. Really?
  Grooming to become transistors.
  Far too much for a 13 year old.
  
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  July 3, 2024 11:09am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    The missus grand daughter is 10 and she will say that’s bullshit
    
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    July 3, 2024 1:09pm
- John Loveridge
  
  This is the same disgusting curriculum that last year had me remove my then 12-year-old daughter from the class quicker than her feet could touch the floor. The crunch came when she told me they were learning about oral sex and masturbation! I’m very pleased to see Rodney raising the issue publicly.
  
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  July 3, 2024 12:14pm
- Grunter
  
  4 Downtickers obviously disagree with Rodney…..!
  
  But not one rational argument was offered on why they support this sick siht……
  
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  July 3, 2024 1:04pm
- jkt
  
  You must be joking!🙃
  This is so F….. Up.
  
  Where is the petition form.
  
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  July 3, 2024 2:39pm
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  “ Lizzie Marvelly paid for by New Zealand On Air and guided by Rape Prevention Education, Family Planning and Rainbow Youth.
  
  The videos showcase comedian Guy Williams, TV show host Matty McLean and Shortland Street actors”
  
  The usual gang of Leftie Losers, of course.
  
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  July 3, 2024 5:29pm
Benedict Yu

Here is a question for amatuer employment lawyers.

Yesterday I wandered past an upmarket mobile phone store. There was a young woman demonstrating the features of a phone to a potential customer. She appeared engaged and enthusiastic. However, she was wearing a black face mask. 😳

I’m just guessing that face mask girl would cause some customers to leave, rather than drop $2000 on a new phone. It got me thinking… Could the store manager tell her to drop the mask craziness, or would that land him or her in a world of trouble?
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July 3, 2024 8:52am
- David Garrett
  
  Bene: surely the bigger craziness is someone willing to spend $2,000 on a phone?
  
  I find this obsession with “devices” that seemingly must be surgical attached to the hands of the young – and not so young – more than a little disturbing.
  
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  July 3, 2024 9:04am
  - Omni Consumer Products
    
    That’s the price of reliability unfortunately… my experience is that cheaper devices suffer greater performance degradation and component failure issues than “flagship” models…🤷🏼‍♂️
    
    But then there is also designed obsolescence to consider.
    
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    July 3, 2024 9:11am
    - sirknz
      
      I still can’t justify $2k on a mobile phone. Last phone was ~$600 and was usable after 3 years, just with screen burn in and a battery that wouldn’t make it past 6pm without a top up.
      
      Current phone is also ~$600 and should go the distance too.
      
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      July 3, 2024 10:21am
    - Jethrod
      
      My Samsung A53 is quite adequate as my phone. $530 with all the bells and whistles.
      
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      July 3, 2024 1:12pm
    - Paulus
      
      My $250 special does all I ask of it.
      
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      July 3, 2024 1:43pm
    - PurplePen
      
      Rubbish .. I’ve been buying Chinese brand phones such as Oukitel, Umidigi for years for less than $200 each and never had an issue with them. There’s about 500 phone brands and a billion people in China buying them and not just Samsung and Oppo etc.
      
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      July 3, 2024 4:09pm
  - Benedict Yu
    
    I would never spend $2000. On a laptop, yes, but not a phone.
    
    For most of us they have become important. Navigation, banking, keeping in touch with family, finding the nearest pork bun shop. The “phone” function is not important for most young people.
    
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    July 3, 2024 9:18am
    - imalwaysright
      
      I’ve heard that many young people consider it rude and slightly threatening for someone to actually ring them.
      Apparently texting is the preferred first contact.
      
      10 3
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      July 3, 2024 9:27am
      - Benedict Yu
        
        I’m with the young people. I would never phone anyone cold. Even a friend or relative. I always text or message, then follow up with a phone call if invited. Only exception would be an emergency.
        
        6 7
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        July 3, 2024 10:05am
      - imalwaysright
        
        Sounds complicated. I just ring. They always pick up.
        
        11 0
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        July 3, 2024 11:27am
      - John Loveridge
        
        But don’t use full stops when texting. Full stops convey aggression.
        
        3 0
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        July 3, 2024 12:20pm
      - Jethrod
        
        Oh God….. full stops!! And thumbs up the same.
        Major eye roll!
        
        4 0
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        July 3, 2024 1:15pm
      - NZer In Exile
        
        Most seem to be getting pinged every few seconds with messages. Good luck getting a timely reply.
        
        4 0
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        July 3, 2024 1:37pm
    - john1234
      
      The capabilities of a high end phone (over $2.5k) are useful to a tiny minority. Most people would gain little benefit over a $800 phone.
      In a “cost of living crisis” it is remarkable that Samsung and Apple can sell these flagship phones at all.
      
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      July 3, 2024 9:28am
      - cmm
        
        There are a few features on top end iphones which are useful for a very small market (eg. the LIDAR capability which can allow an iphone to substitute for gear costing $50k+ doing point-cloud measurements).
        
        eg.
        
        https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sitescape-lidar-scanner-cad/id1524700432
        
        But yes, for most people even an $800 phone is excessive. I am a techy and my $200 or so Oppo is more than sufficient.
        
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        July 3, 2024 10:17am
      - Miritu
        
        Most phones ensure that every aspect of your daily life is tracked and stored – useful if you later prove to be a thorn in the side of the Powerful, among other uses
        https://www.nbtv.media/episodes/a-world-without-privacy
        
        3 0
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        July 3, 2024 1:22pm
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      The cellphone has taken away the ability to think for yourself.
      
      4 7
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      July 3, 2024 11:11am
      - MCōs
        
        Well, chuck it away then
        
        6 1
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        July 3, 2024 11:24am
      - jkt
        
        We have ….. thrown it in.
        
        1 0
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        July 3, 2024 2:47pm
    - NothingLeft
      
      Just buy ‘flagship’ models 2-3 years after they come out – price is generally about 30-40% lower after a year, and up to 50-60% after 2-3years. Only difference for last 5 years has been small improvements in cameras, and even cameras have basically plateaued in performance now.
      
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      July 3, 2024 3:37pm
  - Damocles11
    
    To which I say:
    Cost of living crisis, no money for kids lunches, more government assistance required, the pain is real et al.
    Would love to know how many of the people utilising food banks also have the latest phones, newest video games, high end sound systems etc.
    
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    July 3, 2024 9:38am
    - Benedict Yu
      
      I have volunteered at a food bank. I have no doubt that the vast majority of people that I saw were in great need. I never saw a high end cell phone.
      
      Resorting to a food bank is a terrible situation. You are rationed, and you may need to wait in line for a long time. You will get 2 day old bread, some fruit and vegetables that nobody wants, and something weird like spinach hummus. If you are lucky, you might get a couple of sausages.
      
      I would urge you to not judge those who use food banks unless you have been there. Sure some might have spent their benefit on drugs, but they are a minority.
      
      Talking to these people, what screws them is the cost of housing.. More than anything else, that fuels my contempt for Jacinda Ardern. But I will stop there. 🙁
      
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      July 3, 2024 10:15am
      - imalwaysright
        
        Yes, the cost of housing, whether for rent or mortgage, has led to the working poor.
        Adern was quick to give private landlords a kick in the financial balls in ignorance of the fact that the cost had to be passed on to the tenant, yet she was more than eager to sign off invoices from maori covid, $950,000,000 initial payment, Pfizer, shutting down the country,…
        
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        July 3, 2024 10:47am
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        It is free. Some mental condition that tells people if it is free they must have it.
        
        4 3
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        July 3, 2024 11:15am
      - Ian Boag
        
        cost of housing .. contempt for Jacinda Ardern
        
        No government this century has done anything to rein in housing costs. Key had some bold promises that never happened.
        
        The easy money during covid flowed straight into inflating asset (housing) prices. Although that now seems to be (painfully) unwinding it looks like the easy money thing was overdone. Hard to tell that to anyone who benefitted from the wage subsidy though …..
        
        Rental property investment is basically a leveraged bet where you gear up as far as possible to make the thing cash neutral (producing zero income) , then sit back and wait for the untaxed capital gain. Unfortunately the present combination of high interest rates and market-limited rents and low rental yields have made it all a bit unattractive. It hs been coming for a while as deposits got lower and interest rates fell through the floor and prices surged. At present yields noone in their right mind would build a property to rent. 4% gross before rates, insurance, maintenance and interest is not flash.
        
        Perhaps you have an answer to how this should be fixed? What “should be done now” rather than what “should/might have been done then”.
        
        I don’t. But I reckon supply must come into it somewhere and fiddling with the bright line tax is not going to get one more rental built ….
        
        12 2
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        July 3, 2024 11:22am
      - Sacha
        
        My income is the OAP, and I live simply, but well. The key is: I own my property freehold, and the only regular fixed outgoings are rates and insurance.
        I didn’t realise how lucky I am until I read that some pensioners are paying $400/week rent, and then looked at how that would affect MY lifestyle.
        I think I’d be pretty miserable.
        
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        July 3, 2024 1:07pm
      - NZer In Exile
        
        Good on you BY!
        
        4 0
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        July 3, 2024 1:31pm
      - jkt
        
        Ian:
        
        Squatting is now being legalised in NZ … as long as it is a granny flat.
        The rules around squatting makes offical squatting quite expensive, so it will only be useful for the wealthy.
        
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        July 3, 2024 2:54pm
      - Ian Boag
        
        OK jkt. You got me. People who are cleverer than me probably understand the relevance of the cost of squatting in granny flats ….
        
        2 0
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        July 3, 2024 5:36pm
      - jkt
        
        Ian
        Even squatting in NZ is a rich man’s game.
        
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        July 3, 2024 6:45pm
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      The phone will tell you where the closest food bank is…..
      
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      July 3, 2024 11:13am
      - jkt
        
        Only if you download the APP.😀
        
        Do you think they are working on a sex education app for school children! I just hope they get the consent thing right this time round.
        
        According to BassettBrashandHyde, the Ministry for Education curriculum is confusing kids. It appears kids can now decide where they feel like drawing the line on age of consent.
        
        What the hell is going on?
        
        What next? Children gets pregnant and the government must raise the children.
        
        3 0
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        July 3, 2024 3:19pm
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        jkt, the Net Taxpayer must raise the children.
        The Govt has no money except ours.
        
        1 1
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        July 3, 2024 5:46pm
- newview
  
  BY. The store may have been short staffed. The assistant may have had a light cold and was happy to work but didn’t want to spread the cold. Don’t assume. I would respect someone for wearing a mask in that situation regardless of the arguments over their effectiveness.
  
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  July 3, 2024 9:12am
  - Benedict Yu
    
    Good point. That is possible in this case, but unlikely. The black mask was unusually large and made from apparantly heavy fabric. If she had a cold she likely would have popped into the pharmacist and bought some regular masks.
    
    My bet is that the mask is permanent. 😆
    
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    July 3, 2024 9:21am
    - newview
      
      BY yes agree those real heavy masks may be more effective but if you are that worried stay home. They do look imposing and unfriendly.
      
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      July 3, 2024 9:57am
      - Benedict Yu
        
        Yes that is my point. The thing is that if someone has a mask on, they cut out much non verbal communication. Not a great look 😂
        
        So what happens if a manager says “Lose the mask or find a new job?”……. probably the employee would go to the press.
        
        7 2
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        July 3, 2024 10:19am
    - Paulus
      
      Did she have a Moko too ?
      Now for wahine, and getting more and younger, as an identity in being a superior person.
      
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      July 3, 2024 1:46pm
  - NZer In Exile
    
    Listened to a podcast interviewing a prof of industrial PPE. He ran tests on your typical blue “surgical masks” and N95s. The masks were glued onto the faces of dummies (IE very firmly fitted). The surgical masks blocked 3% of airborne covid and the N95s 40%.
    
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    July 3, 2024 1:40pm
- john1234
  
  World of trouble. Employer would be mad to go anywhere near this.
  I saw a young Asian girl on the golf club practice area last weekend wearing a mask. Outdoors, not a person within a hundred feet of her. Can only assume she’s recovering from COVID and forgot to take it off.
  
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  July 3, 2024 9:30am
  - Cantabrian
    
    Don’t forget that mask wearing outdoors is apparently a very common practice in Asia – its due mainly to the polluted atmosphere. Not so dirty here but old habits die hard.
    
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    July 3, 2024 10:12am
    - Southtop2
      
      https://www.tiktok.com/@jeannettesoutharddwyer/video/7277026273757596974?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
      
      1 0
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      July 3, 2024 11:14am
    - MCōs
      
      Plenty of people in Bangkok wore masks long before covid came along.
      I went to Hong Kong before the handover and noticed it even back then.
      
      6 1
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      July 3, 2024 11:31am
      - PurplePen
        
        Its usually the case you wear a mask when you’re ill so you don’t pass it on. They’ve been doing this in Japan for years. Its polite.
        
        3 0
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        July 3, 2024 4:13pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Programmed to wear a mask by the lying Covid creeps. You know who they are.
    
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    July 3, 2024 11:17am
- Inandout
  
  BY, I opted for a $500 mobile and it does what is required. The main factor is after sales plans which can range from $15 to $92 a month. A $3,000 model uses the same network as my $500 one and a casual observer would be hard pressed to tell the difference in appearance.
  
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  July 3, 2024 10:19am
  - peterwn
    
    Difference between a BMW and a Toyota Corolla? They both serve the same function but the BMW costs vastly more. Similar to wrist watch ads in glossy magazines. You can buy a watch for less than $50 from the Warehouse which a 18th century mariner would think was a gift from heaven.
    
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    July 3, 2024 10:42am
    - Sacha
      
      I bought a Timex watch from Amazon for $37 US. It shows the date, but the figures are too small for me to read!
      Before that I had a sports watch that did everything, but what I miss now is that I often don’t know what day it is – but my phone can tell me.
      Such is life.
      
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      July 3, 2024 1:13pm
    - KH
      
      They can vote him off standing at the convention. And if the polls settle consistently like above, they will.
      Just like party leadership here in NZ. Once the leader is seen as more a liability than asset, they are turned on, out the door
      Same in the US, despite the grandeur, and their clogged system. They have been wondering about Biden, he proved it in the debate. If the polls continue to agree, he is gone.
      
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      July 3, 2024 2:05pm
- Ghost
  
  Here’s a question, do you know why she was wearing a mask? I asked a friend why one of his staff has started masking up. Her husband is having chemo and she doesn’t want to take any bugs home to him
  
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  July 3, 2024 10:27am
  - imalwaysright
    
    Masks don’t stop you inhaling bugs.
    You may as well hold a tennis racquet in front of your face.
    
    10 3
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    July 3, 2024 10:52am
    - NZer In Exile
      
      As above blue surgical masks don’t block much covid and N95s less than 50%. Cheap junk/rags probably even less than the blue surgical masks.
      
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      July 3, 2024 1:42pm
  - Miritu
    
    While well intentioned, it shows her ignorance
    
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    July 3, 2024 1:26pm
  - KH
    
    Chill. What’s the worry about masks? I don’t wear a mask but if anybody does, they are welcome.
    
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    July 3, 2024 2:07pm
  - Benedict Yu
    
    “Her husband is having chemo and she doesn’t want to take any bugs home to him…”
    
    Sadly, she is wasting her effort. She would be better advised to avoid crowds, particularly buses, trains, and to a lesser extent, airplanes. Trains and buses with standing room only are a disaster for catching viruses, mask or no mask.
    
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    July 3, 2024 2:25pm
    - Ghost
      
      Well, since she works in a doctors practise she can’t really avoid sick people, but apparently the husbands husband recommend she wear a n95 mask at work
      
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      July 3, 2024 2:52pm
Tauhei Notts

8.52 a.m. and I am first.
What is going on here?
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July 3, 2024 8:52am
- peterwn
  
  I got in at 8am but my comment is still under moderation.
  
  7 2
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  July 3, 2024 8:54am
- Benedict Yu
  
  There are an above average number of comments in the moderation queue. Moderators are volunteers so you just need to be patient. 😀
  
  13 1
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  July 3, 2024 8:57am
  - kowtow
    
    Can anyone check the moderation q and is you a mod?
    
    5 1
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    July 3, 2024 9:20am
    - Benedict Yu
      
      No. To both questions.
      
      6 0
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      July 3, 2024 10:05am
      - imalwaysright
        
        “There are an above average number of comments in the moderation queue”
        
        3 0
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        July 3, 2024 12:02pm
      - Benedict Yu
        
        “There are an above average number of comments in the moderation queue”
        
        Are you simply agreeing with me or making some other point?
        
        1 1
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        July 3, 2024 2:27pm
Grunter

The COVID jab wall is definitely starting to crack.

A Federal Jury has determined that Blue Cross BlueShield of Tennessee must pay $700,000 to an employee that was fired for refusing the COVID vaccine.

https://dailycaller.com/2024/07/02/insurance-employee-awarded-fired-refusing-covid-vaccine-mandate/?
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July 3, 2024 8:55am
- imalwaysright
  
  Also G, there was a researcher on tv3 this morning saying the increase in cases of anorexia during “covid” started before the presence of covid and before the jab, but after the start of the draconian regulations of the Adern regime.
  I thought that an intelligent media worthy of the title would be all over it…
  
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  July 3, 2024 10:03am
- krazykiwi
  
  In 2023 I resigned from the board of a large organisation (>$50m p.a., ~900 FTEs) because that board voted to demand vax compliance. I was the only dissenter, and noted to the board that legal consequences would eventually be felt.
  
  It has taken a bit long, but here we are.
  
  I’d like to see New Zealand’s corporate and health professional violators of human rights in the dock hearing their sentences, their careers being metaphorically hung outside city wall as a warning to would-by future violators.
  
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  July 3, 2024 12:21pm
lastmanstanding

The Maori Party and the Green Party do not represent Kiwi values.
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July 3, 2024 9:00am
- Suze Wainwright
  
  I’d say they think they do – or maybe they think aotearoa just needs to be nudged towards some new values…?
  
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  July 3, 2024 9:05am
- kowtow
  
  Do the Nats ? Do labour ?
  
  And just what are “kiwi” values .
  
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  July 3, 2024 9:21am
  - imalwaysright
    
    Kow,
    Kiwi values.
    A good start would be the ability to say in public what we say in private without fear of official retribution.
    
    Most here, me included, use pseudonyms for valid reasons that became relevant during the previous regime. Note that we are still using them.
    
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    July 3, 2024 10:10am
- Dudley Quaffquaff
  
  They represent the values of some Kiwis.
  
  Other Kiwis disagree with them.
  
  Same could be said of the National Party, or the RSPCA, or Destiny Church, or the royal family, etc.
  
  I thought we didn’t do the “subscribe to this mindset or you’re out” thing in New Zealand.
  
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  July 3, 2024 9:21am
  - PurplePen
    
    “I thought we didn’t do the “subscribe to this mindset or you’re out” thing in New Zealand” … and there you have a kiwi value, right there.
    
    3 0
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    July 3, 2024 4:15pm
- Damocles11
  
  Something, something ‘Overton Window’.
  
  If you cede ground to the Left, they will certainly take it. Perhaps a certain political party should emphatically espouse real ‘Kiwi values’ on a daily basis.
  
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  July 3, 2024 9:40am
  - cmm
    
    Yup, that Overton window is lurching left.
    With Luxon positioning himself somewhere near where Helen Clark was, we can see the window has moved quite a bit in the last few years.
    
    13 2
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    July 3, 2024 10:20am
  - krazykiwi
    
    “If you cede ground to the Left…”
    
    … National will occupy it, and busy themselves tidying it up.
    
    10 3
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    July 3, 2024 12:23pm
Maggy Wassilieff

Racist entitilism at large:

the mainstream media shows no signs of abandoning its mission to convince the public of New Zealand’s deep-seated racism wherever possible, no matter how flimsy the evidence. As one wag put it: “The demand from journalists for stories about racism vastly exceeds the supply.”

https://www.bassettbrashandhide.com/post/graham-adams-the-cancer-society-is-racist-really
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July 3, 2024 9:02am
- pdm
  
  Have you seen the last Peter Williams email on Fast Track and Co Governance?
  
  https://nominister.wordpress.com/2024/07/02/coalition-government-the-same-as-the-thrown-out-labour-government-on-co-governance/
  
  23 1
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  July 3, 2024 9:16am
- kowtow
  
  And yet Chris “One man one vote” wants to keep funding them.
  
  12 1
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  July 3, 2024 9:22am
- cmm
  
  Of course there is massive racism, but not in the way that is suggested.
  
  13 1
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  July 3, 2024 9:41am
  - jkt
    
    The media has been on a campaign to Cancel racism for quite a few years.
    …… Now we live their success.
    
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    July 3, 2024 3:27pm
- jkt
  
  Maggy, thanks for sharing this story.
  
  Wow. This is such a sad reflection on the media and our society.
  There are so many people who are so ungrateful for the gifts handed onto them! The sin of entitlement!
  
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  July 3, 2024 3:47pm
Maggy Wassilieff

The MSM launches a nasty hit job on David Seymour

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2024/07/am-hosts-say-david-seymour-snapchatting-school-students-icky-looks-bad.html

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2024/07/parent-calls-for-guidelines-after-david-seymour-s-historic-snapchat-messages-to-teen-daughter.html

Looks like every Male politician (woops….. Exclude Labour/Green/Maori Party males) had better avoid school kids……and their mothers.
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July 3, 2024 9:07am
- Flossie
  
  Lloyd Burr makes me feel “icky”. Of course he is going to have a go at Seymour. And he doesn’t feel parents should be looking after their kids….
  
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  July 3, 2024 9:12am
- John Loveridge
  
  If he’d completely ignored them they’d have remembered it when they reached voting age.
  
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  July 3, 2024 9:17am
- john1234
  
  Even the Screaming Beard has called this for what it is: a nasty, dirty political smear.
  https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2024/06/30/mediawatch-newsrooms-character-assassination-of-david-seymour-is-the-puritanical-left-at-its-ugliest/
  
  Newsroom started it and Newshub ran with it.
  TV1 News is an hour of negative government related moaning.
  Could the NZ MSM hurry up and die? Please?
  
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  July 3, 2024 9:18am
  - Damocles11
    
    Not with Luxon and Goldsmith pumping up their tyres.
    
    23 1
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    July 3, 2024 10:02am
    - ISeeRed
      
      I’m starting to hate National and to despise their stalwart supporters. Their ineptness, cluelessness and naïveté are clear to see if you have a functioning brain.
      
      2 3
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      July 3, 2024 7:44pm
  - Mod88
    
    The Digital News Bill will see that result. Thank you Paul Goldsmith & Willie Jackson.
    
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    July 3, 2024 10:05am
  - Paulus
    
    And Newshub finishes next week and is replaced by StuffHub or whatever, and is staffed by the people who helped destroy Newshub.
    I will not watch any 6pm news any more after years of so doing.
    Duh !
    
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    July 3, 2024 1:51pm
- Maggie Pie
  
  Yet no comment from the openly ghey Lloyd Burr about Drag Queens entertaining pre-schoolers in Public Libraries 🙁
  
  30 2
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  July 3, 2024 9:24am
  - Suze Wainwright
    
    Yeah, but that’s diverse, inclusive and unhatefull…
    
    10 1
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    July 3, 2024 9:27am
  - Ghost
    
    And Lloyd being gay has what to do with it
    
    3 17
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    July 3, 2024 10:08am
    - Maggie Pie
      
      Most people can see right thru you Ghost 😀
      
      25 4
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      July 3, 2024 10:22am
      - Ghost
        
        Ah but I’m a friendly ghost, although being a poltergeist sounds fun
        
        5 0
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        July 3, 2024 11:43am
      - imalwaysright
        
        Mp
        
        Burrn!
        
        5 1
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        July 3, 2024 12:06pm
- MCōs
  
  Mr Seymour was sending plutonic messages to a 14yo girl eight years ago.
  I wonder if she’s now an Act voter or it was all a waste of time at the risk of making his actions look just a little inappropriate?
  
  3 23
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  July 3, 2024 9:28am
  - NothingLeft
    
    Political leader responds to questions. What a bastard! (must invest in a string of pearls so that I have something to clutch when so offended)
    
    28 0
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    July 3, 2024 9:31am
  - Libertarians are right
    
    A few 14yr old girls messaged Seymour, asking him questions which he answered.
    They have since gone through University and realised that Seymour is evil and come out and said that he shouldn’t be allowed to talk to young people as he might corrupt them. They learnt this of course from their University Lecturers.
    
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    July 3, 2024 9:36am
    - herb1
      
      The same 14 years olds and their media supporters, think that in 2 years time they should be allowed to vote , but current don’t think it’s appropriate for a politician to reply to THEIR questions. Hmmm
      
      9 0
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      July 3, 2024 12:42pm
  - Damocles11
    
    8 years ago, and by the looks of it he told the young people concerned to have a good night and to act responsibly.
    
    In a world where politicians must not have contact with young people, what room is there for drunken Labour ‘youth summer camps’ where adults and young people on the turps together? Even if alcohol was banned, surely adults and young people being together at one place leads the imagination in the grubby directions taken by Newshub. ‘It’s not a good look’ etc.
    
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    July 3, 2024 9:44am
    - the deity formerly known as nigel6888
      
      Yes, one party plies interns with booze, molests them and then covers it up. The other one responds responsibly to questions asked.
      
      Which one is at fault? Hmmm.
      
      17 0
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      July 3, 2024 10:47am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      But but but, you were not meant to remember Labours grouping camp(s)
      
      4 0
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      July 3, 2024 1:18pm
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Mr Seymour was sending plutonic messages
    
    That’s hot stuff.
    
    21 0
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    July 3, 2024 9:49am
    - Parnell Gun Club
      
      You could call it volcanic.
      
      6 0
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      July 3, 2024 10:05am
    - Damocles11
      
      Next he’ll be accused of sending platonic messages.
      
      9 0
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      July 3, 2024 10:07am
    - PurplePen
      
      Icy cold actually. Pluto is furthest from the sun.
      
      2 0
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      July 3, 2024 4:19pm
  - NZer In Exile
    
    The messages glowed in the dark?
    
    2 0
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    July 3, 2024 1:47pm
  - ISeeRed
    
    A new low for you. Are you trying to steal mikey’s title?
    
    0 0
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    July 3, 2024 7:54pm
- imalwaysright
  
  M.w
  I saw that sickening attempt to smear Seymour.
  
  However, in an uncharacteristic display of self awareness, Burr and Green later did a report from inside the new Auckland sewer!
  Yes, they really did.
  
  19 0
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  July 3, 2024 9:31am
  - crikey
    
    Just going to see where the shit they cast about ends up?
    
    7 0
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    July 3, 2024 11:22am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    They tried the same with Bishop, Labour knew he would beat Mallard, note that was the election he stood aside for a younger candidate and Labour lost, Bishop a new MP was very good at shutting the smear down
    
    3 0
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    July 3, 2024 1:20pm
- Gravelroad
  
  I daresay that if Mr Seymour was not a high profile politician today, none of this would be an issue -at all.
  Just a hit job and some young woman being used by the pro-left media.
  
  29 0
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  July 3, 2024 9:32am
  - MCōs
    
    This is nothing new.
    Mr Seymour has been a high profile politician for awhile now and so have his Snapchat antics
    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/david-seymour-sends-snapchat-followers-act-branded-condom/TKQKDI3KKKV6I5EXRLH2OPBZMA/
    
    1 21
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    July 3, 2024 9:51am
    - graham
      
      Hells Pizza sent condoms through the post some years ago to ‘promote’ their Lust Pizza.
      
      Many people complained – including me, as I didn’t appreciate that sort of thing being delivered to the letterbox where my young children were likely to collect them – Hells Pizza responded by essentially saying I obviously had some religious objection (which was quite interesting given I hadn’t mentioned religion at all) and rather bizarrely trying to portray themselves as promoting safe sex.
      
      … which was unfortunate, as the more than 300,000 condoms distributed by Hell in 2006 failed to meet Ministry of Health guidelines, and apparently led to at least one child being conceived by a couple who used the condoms.
      
      https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/free-condoms-werent-up-to-scratch/LM7E4WPLG4O2OTTRXMGKCQCMHU/
      
      12 1
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      July 3, 2024 11:38am
      - Jack5
        
        Where to find the old Hells Pizza mob?
        
        https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/hell-pizza-director-sells-up/WZACHFYF2DYG4PF3MGPN2KGP7M/
        
        5 0
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        July 3, 2024 12:00pm
- Quail
  
  MW,
  Saw that on headline 6 pm news and was absolutely disgusted with publicly funded TV 3.
  A clear meritless personal attack on Mr Seymour dredged up from TV 2016 archives.
  Could the attack be because ACT are opposed to National and Willie Jackson’s media bill?
  The sooner TV 3 is shut down the happier New Zealand will be!
  There is a real basis for a formal complaint IMO.
  
  27 0
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  July 3, 2024 9:40am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Is this not their final week?
    
    3 0
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    July 3, 2024 1:21pm
  - Benedict Yu
    
    How is TV3 publicly funded?
    
    1 0
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    July 3, 2024 2:28pm
    - NothingLeft
      
      PIJF recipient to the tune of many many millions:
      https://www.taxpayers.org.nz/pijf
      
      4 0
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      July 3, 2024 7:43pm
- cmm
  
  “Looks like every Male politician (woops….. Exclude Labour/Green/Maori Party males) had better avoid school kids……and their mothers”
  
  Isn’ that the point here though? A shot across the bows so that politicians of the “wrong sort” end up not engaging with the youth for fear of being slurred as paedophiles.
  
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  July 3, 2024 9:44am
  - Damocles11
    
    Hipkins seems to be at a school every other day. Adults and young people having contact….’not a good look’ etc.
    
    12 1
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    July 3, 2024 9:46am
    - imalwaysright
      
      And Adern never saw a crayon she didn’t like…
      
      18 2
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      July 3, 2024 10:17am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      He’s eating pies with the big people now
      
      3 0
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      July 3, 2024 1:22pm
- Ghost
  
  I thought when I saw it last night that if newshub weren’t closing down they would hold this story until august
  
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  July 3, 2024 9:51am
  - Paulus
    
    StuffHub will run with it after next weeks takeover after all it is the same people.
    
    3 0
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    July 3, 2024 1:54pm
Libertarians are right

Orange Man Bad!!!

(Joe Biden got a spray tan)
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July 3, 2024 9:09am
- NZer In Exile
  
  He tripped over and fell in that vat?
  
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  July 3, 2024 2:34pm
Colville

https://www.stuff.co.nz/world-news/350329299/only-candidate-who-could-replace-joe-biden

Kamala Harris. Sure.

The Dems might be stupid, even quite stupid, but they aint THAT stupid.

Harris would lead them to the heaviest defeat in history.

Stuffed showing its colours again. If its brown and female it MUST be great!
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July 3, 2024 9:26am
- sirknz
  
  “If its brown and female it MUST be great!”
  
  Brought to you by ‘The Message’™.
  
  8 1
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  July 3, 2024 10:32am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Heaviest defeat? You mean heavier than it already will be?
  Hillary is hiding just around the corner…..
  
  5 1
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  July 3, 2024 11:27am
  - imalwaysright
    
    S.O
    Have they decided to allow Joe to look as bad as he is in order to make the next Killary off the rank look good?
    
    3 1
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    July 3, 2024 12:20pm
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      Possibility Mr Right.
      Hillary has a past that she can threaten with – maybe…….
      
      3 1
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      July 3, 2024 5:48pm
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  They have a problem though, if they step over a black woman vp and our Newsone or some other white person in they have internal war.
  
  Heaviest defeat? That would be something, I thought I heard them say that Reagon won 49 states when he wiped them out. Not sure even the cackled could end that bad
  
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  July 3, 2024 1:36pm
Maggie Pie

Destiny Church’s Bishop Brian being sued $2Million
by ‘Dragtime Storytellers’ …..for business interruption

https://x.com/BrianTamakiNZ/status/1807883185717665868
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July 3, 2024 9:46am
- imalwaysright
  
  Mp,
  The Bishop, in an interview with Plunket yesterday , declared his opposition to gay people in society.
  Full marks for honesty, but it will probably cost him a number of supporters who agree with him in all but that.
  
  6 2
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  July 3, 2024 12:27pm
  - Benedict Yu
    
    It is very unfortunate that “gay people” are now being conflated with trans activists reading stories to pre school children.
    
    I am dumbfounded that parents would take their little children along to be read stories about diversity, gender and kindness. If the parents removed the audiences for these events, the problem would go away.
    
    11 3
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    July 3, 2024 2:33pm
    - Mike
      
      I never understood why children could attend Xmas pantomime shows either.
      
      1 5
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      July 3, 2024 5:57pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  This will be interesting.
  Brian has picked up a lot of support from people who do not care about Destiny Church.
  I support Brian Tamaki.
  
  5 3
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  July 3, 2024 5:54pm
  - Mike
    
    You think homosexuality and abortion should be illegal? Fair enough – such liberalism causes earthquakes.//
    
    1 2
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    July 3, 2024 5:58pm
artemisia

Herald editorial yesterday (paywalled) – Public sector cuts: Oranga Tamariki boss Chappie Te Kani must have missed memo on handling leaks and staff morale – editorial

Mr Te Kani criticised by staff and by the editorial, but sticks up for himself.

One little excerpt from the editorial, the Maori Name for OT touches a nerve. (And maybe it should.)

“Even Māori wanted the organisation’s name restored to a Pākehā-named entity because all it did was bring shame to te reo Māori.”
21 1
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July 3, 2024 9:49am
- Hugh Jarse
  
  The lack of self awareness by this so called leader was breath taking. Perhaps he should have had a look at his “management” style first before commenting. Well out of his depth running this organisation, a fish and chip shop would be closer to his level of capability.
  
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  July 3, 2024 10:16am
  - krazykiwi
    
    I’ve met him, and your assessment is on target.
    
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    July 3, 2024 12:27pm
Philview

The New Zealand media is unhappy with the US Supreme Court directive around prosecution of Presidents for decisions made on official business. It got me thinking that in my entire life I can’t recall a scenario that a New Zealand Prime Minister might be prosecuted for decisions made on official business. Can Jacinda Ardern be prosecuted around various implications related to closing NZ borders? Obviously not, so I would suggest to the NZ media that the US Supreme Court has moved that country into closer alignment to countries like New Zealand.
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July 3, 2024 10:39am
- MCōs
  
  I has a quick look and couldn’t find anything in our media of an unhappy nature regarding the US President’s immunity from prosecution.
  Perhaps you could reference some examples.
  
  3 6
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  July 3, 2024 11:59am
  - imalwaysright
    
    What?
    
    7 1
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    July 3, 2024 12:34pm
  - graham
    
    You obviously didn’t watch the news on TV1 last night.
    
    3 1
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    July 3, 2024 1:17pm
- thirteenstars
  
  The reaction is quite insane yet predictable, and not just from those on the Left. TDS sufferers of all stripes are deliberately misrepresenting the decision. I’m surprised DPF hasn’t made a post about it.
  
  In every country I’m aware of all government officials from the lowliest bureaucrat to the head of state are indemnified for actions taken while performing official duties as long as those actions are within the law.
  
  But no, that is forgotten in the hysteria to describe Trump as a potential dictator, doing anything he likes with complete immunity. Justice Sotomayor even suggested he’d be legally immune from assassinating his political opponents or staging a military coup.
  
  The fact that this decision applies to all presidents is overlooked because Orange Man bad. If the decision had not been as a result of a Trump-related prosecution they wouldn’t give a damn, happy to let it apply to Biden or any other future president.
  
  But, sure, maybe Ardern should be arrested as soon as she sets foot back in NZ. What! they would yell. What has she done wrong? You can’t prosecute her. She was exercising the power given to her government by the constitution and laws of NZ.
  
  And they’d be right. Not so for Trump.
  
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  July 3, 2024 12:00pm
  - MCōs
    
    There’s nothing in the US constitution that gives the president immunity from prosecution, I think you’ll find
    
    3 0
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    July 3, 2024 3:10pm
    - thirteenstars
      
      I never said there was but then again I’m not here to raise your IQ or teach remedial comprehension.
      
      For those interested, search “qualified immunity” or “absolute immunity”.
      
      8 2
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      July 3, 2024 3:32pm
    - Mike
      
      So his putative immunity is just like a right to abortion?
      
      1 1
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      July 3, 2024 6:00pm
  - MCōs
    
    An interesting article
    The president could order an assassination and he would have immunity, but whoever carried out the the killing could be charged with murder, so nobody would perform the illegal act.
    However if they did he could pardon them
    https://www.politico.com/news/2024/07/02/trump-immunity-murder-navy-sotomayor-00166385
    
    2 1
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    July 3, 2024 3:24pm
    - Matt Long
      
      Sotomayor is a diversity hire, like Harris and the bizzare judge who is not a biologist.
      
      3 2
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      July 3, 2024 7:10pm
    - Mike
      
      A better example would be noting that thge thinking of the court’s majority would allow the president to solicit cash bribes for pardons.
      
      1 1
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      July 3, 2024 7:40pm
Jack5

Katie Hopkins defends Trump:

“I would rather be grabbed by the pussy, than have a pussy for President”.

Hopkins, aged 49, is described in Wikipedia as an English media personality, far-right political commentator, conspiracy theorist, and former columnist and businesswoman.

https://youtube.com/shorts/HSo6DH4GcM8?si=MF3wgjGDi1_PBUan
7 5
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July 3, 2024 11:00am
- MCōs
  
  Well, that’s pretty gross
  
  7 4
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  July 3, 2024 12:02pm
  - Libertarians are right
    
    If she consents to it (i.e. lets him do it), then it’s between them and got nothing to do with anyone else.
    
    6 3
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    July 3, 2024 12:38pm
    - Mike
      
      That was Trump’s lame excuse: “when you’re a star they let you do it”
      
      3 3
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      July 3, 2024 2:27pm
      - Libertarians are right
        
        Excuse? That quote is literally what they’re basing their accusations on.
        If his excuse is lame, what does that make the accusation?
        
        4 5
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        July 3, 2024 3:38pm
      - Mike
        
        Yes. ‘She let me do it’ is every rapist’s excuse.
        
        5 1
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        July 3, 2024 4:25pm
Maggie Pie

One of the girls from tennis called up before to see if I had any new goss.
Suze reminded me that accused murderer Eye Surgeon Philip Polkinghorne is due in court on the 29th, facing charges of killing his wife Pauline at their Upland Rd home.
Incredible to think that was over 3 years ago! Seems like yesterday 🙁

She was saying most people are expecting it to be The-Trial-Of-The-Decade.
Even suggested we should head up to the High Court to sit in for a few days and watch proceedings. Might just do that. Looks like it could be REEEEL interesting….

https://newstalkzb.co.nz/news/crime/pauline-hannas-death-escort-madison-ashton-releases-more-allegations-over-philip-polkinghornes-divorce-claims/
5 5
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July 3, 2024 11:14am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Judge will put a gag order on you.
  
  4 2
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  July 3, 2024 11:29am
  - imalwaysright
    
    A Magg gag
    
    5 2
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    July 3, 2024 12:36pm
- Ipanema69
  
  Hey Mags, did any of the girls from tennis mention that another Australian escort (not Madison Ashton) will be giving evidence at the trial that week?
  
  Rumour has it that her um shall we say enhancements may prove seriously distracting to just about any straight male in the courtroom. They are apparently in the 1500cc range.
  
  4 2
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  July 3, 2024 1:22pm
  - Maggie Pie
    
    Rather than risk the ire of the mods twice in one day… my lips are sealed.
    
    3 2
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    July 3, 2024 3:20pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Who believes this rubbish?
The media have run out of things to attack Trump with so they bring Melania into it.
What low life scum.

https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/other/melania-cuts-deal-with-trump-about-her-future-role-if-he-wins-the-white-house/ar-BB1pgOtV?
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July 3, 2024 11:34am
- RichardX
  
  And which “low life scum” refer to a different ex President’s wife as a man?
  
  4 8
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  July 3, 2024 12:11pm
  - NZer In Exile
    
    Got a link to audio of the offending words?
    
    1 3
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    July 3, 2024 3:16pm
    - RichardX
      
      One example
      
      Steve Otto(North Shore)
      Big Mike is not a Woman. The whole World except you know this MCos.
      
      https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2024/06/general_debate_29_june_2024.html#comment-3582191
      
      3 3
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      July 3, 2024 3:41pm
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      [Mod – cut the abuse out]
      
      1 3
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      July 3, 2024 6:01pm
- MCōs
  
  It’s not as if you haven’t regularly cast false aspersions on Mrs Obama’s gender when you’ve had nothing else to attack either her or her husband about
  Apart from that, where is Mrs Trump? She’s probably got her own friends she’d rather hang out with rather than the types her husband attracts, who will all disappear if he’s not president
  
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  July 3, 2024 12:22pm
goNZ1

I see the PM is off to USA next week.
Will the 757 get as far as Fiji before breaking down?
Will Biden know who he is after 4pm ?
I guess it Depends….
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July 3, 2024 11:46am
- Ghost
  
  he is flying air nz to a nato conference in the USA.
  
  9 0
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  July 3, 2024 11:49am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Well if Luxon makes it to Hawaii he will use the US planes. Oh unless he goes Ardern wise and takes both broken 747s.
  
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  July 3, 2024 6:09pm
Jack5

Why does the NZ Prime Minister take part in a conference of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation?
6 4
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July 3, 2024 12:07pm
- Blog-aholic
  
  It cannot be that, I swear (because I heard it said) that Mike McRoberts on TV3 News (now defunct) called it, and I kid you not live on TV, the “North American Treaty Organisation”………
  
  10 1
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  July 3, 2024 12:25pm
- krazykiwi
  
  Apparently the canapés are awesome.
  
  4 2
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  July 3, 2024 12:39pm
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Because we’re a dependency of the military might of USA and its buddies.
  
  6 1
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  July 3, 2024 12:39pm
  - Mike
    
    NZ is a ‘contact country’ for NATO through our AUSCANZUKUS arrangements.
    As an isolated country with an undersized military, we need solid defence arrangements with like-minded countries.
    
    10 0
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    July 3, 2024 2:23pm
    - NZer In Exile
      
      Bloody hell! You feeling OK Mike? I agree!
      
      I guess the rub is your definition of “like-minded countries”?
      
      6 1
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      July 3, 2024 3:17pm
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        Don’t pick on Mike. He has ‘knowledge’
        
        3 4
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        July 3, 2024 6:15pm
- imalwaysright
  
  Jack,
  I agree. If there was a Saturn treaty I’m sure there would be a NZ politician attending.
  
  Can he not say that he can’t come because his country is imploding ?
  
  When NZ does implode, what will NATO do?
  
  6 3
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  July 3, 2024 12:40pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Chris Luxon is starting a “Saturn Treaty?”
    Who knew? The man is amazing.
    
    0 2
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    July 3, 2024 6:16pm
  - Ghost
    
    So when nato invite you, would you just say no? Our partners from the pacific are invited and going, we’re actually going to have a seperate meeting with them as well. But let’s say no to many of allies and trading partners.
    
    3 0
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    July 3, 2024 6:23pm
- Ghost
  
  Maybe it’s a five eyes thing. Rumour is that Biden has approved contractors to go into Ukraine, also something about nato preparing for war. But they’re rumours at the moment
  
  1 1
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  July 3, 2024 12:43pm
  - Jack5
    
    Ghost, but what if Marine Le Pen’s mob wins the second-stage election on Sunday?
    
    https://www.politico.eu/article/marine-le-pen-emmanuel-macron-jordan-bardella-french-parliamentary-election-far-right-national-rally-war-in-ukraine-defense/
    
    2 1
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    July 3, 2024 1:38pm
    - NothingLeft
      
      support for Ukraine war is pretty strong through most of Europe, including France.
      https://responsiblestatecraft.org/europe-poll-ukraine-russia/
      
      1 0
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      July 3, 2024 7:51pm
- Paulus
  
  By invitation, as we are aligned to Nato, and have been since its inception.
  
  3 1
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  July 3, 2024 1:57pm
- Sparrow
  
  I don’t follow politics that closely so could have missed previous visits by our PMs to NATO conferences. So when did this all start? and as per earlier blog why is NZ attending ?
  
  1 1
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  July 3, 2024 2:13pm
- Benedict Yu
  
  Because New Zealand is a NATO partner, along with Australia, Japan and South Korea. You really want him not to go?
  
  8 0
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  July 3, 2024 2:38pm
  - Sparrow
    
    I should have looked up stuff before. The definition of partner seems somewhat loose and up to interpretation. The recent statements by Winston Peters indicatess that NZ and NATO are in the process of negotiating that partnership. As NATO has a limited geographical area in which it would come to the aid of another NATO partner and certainly does not include the South Pacific why should NZ be involved ? Interestingly European countries such as Ireland, Austria and Switzerland are not members. So why us ? Is it where Britain (today USA) goes we go.
    
    2 3
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    July 3, 2024 3:30pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Poles must have switched again.
    I thought NZ was southern hemisphere. I have been wrong before.
    
    2 3
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    July 3, 2024 6:19pm
cmm

I must say I am very much in favour of better testing of the basics in schools.

How are kids supposed to build 12 years of learning on a broken foundation? If they can’t do the basic 3Rs then there is no way to really got onto anything more substantial.

But, as always, the devil is in the details.

So far all I see is the assessment being mentioned. There does not seem to be clarity on what will happen if a child (I refuse to call them “students”) does not come up to scratch?

Unless there are remedies, including extra instruction and keeping a child back a year, then all the assessments in the world are not enough.

I also think that assessments only in year 1, then 3 then 8 are not enough. Children should be assessed every year and only progress to the next year if they are up to it.

If a child is struggling in year 4 then it is far better to get them to repeat year 4 and continue to year 5 with a solid footing. If you only wait until year 8 to find this out then they’re stuffed.
8 1
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July 3, 2024 12:40pm
- peterwn
  
  Sir Winston Churchill was made to repeat fourth form (year 10) English TWICE at Harrow. And in adult life he was very appreciative that he was properly taught English.
  
  6 1
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  July 3, 2024 1:14pm
Maggie Pie

Who could blame the Indian Dairy Owners here in Auckland if they just all decided to
‘up-sticks’ and move to California?

The weather is a lot warmer for a start…..

https://x.com/visegrad24/status/1808155387708821728
8 3
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July 3, 2024 12:46pm
- cmm
  
  Good luck in California with the robberies there.
  I suppose at least they might be able to pack a 38 or some pepper spray.
  
  NZ needs to pull its head out. We’re not that place that we were in the 1980s (or even 2000s) where there was at least a bit of respect for authorities.
  
  10 1
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  July 3, 2024 12:57pm
  - NZer In Exile
    
    The sheeple will need to pull their heads out and start voting for real change.
    
    3 2
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    July 3, 2024 3:02pm
- MCōs
  
  If the dairies all closed down the general health of the nation would improve out of sight.
  Apart from milk and not much else mostly they stock confectionery, sugar laden drinks, cheap white bread and smokes from my observation.
  From what I’ve heard they are very low earners for a lot of work.
  
  3 14
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  July 3, 2024 1:44pm
  - Benedict Yu
    
    They supply what New Zealand folk want to buy presumably. Look at the “food” petrol stations sell. I would not go near it but I do not judge.
    
    8 3
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    July 3, 2024 2:43pm
    - MCōs
      
      Funny way of not judging.
      
      6 6
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      July 3, 2024 2:57pm
      - Benedict Yu
        
        What, you want me to eat it?
        
        8 3
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        July 3, 2024 3:07pm
  - NothingLeft
    
    Yeah, screw those poor people who can’t get to a supermarket, we know better than them what they should be allowed to access.
    
    You really do come off as the worst sort of big govt nanny statist. The true enemy of the people in the west is the permanent managerial/bureaucrat classes ensconced within protected govt and ngo monopolies forever trying to grow their empires and always chipping away at freedoms and wallets of those they lord over.
    
    1 0
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    July 3, 2024 7:57pm
  - ISeeRed
    
    Well we should just put you in charge then.
    
    0 0
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    July 3, 2024 7:59pm
cmm

Simeon Brown has a go at the bus driver. Bullshit.

Are bus drivers trained to deal with 200kg Maoris off their meds?

Unless bus drivers are getting extensive training and stab proof vests and other tools of the trade (eg. pepper spray) then I think it is unfair to expect bus drivers to intervene in physical altercations

Hey Simeon: don’t expect others to do things you probably wouldn’t even do yourself!

In many ways the bus driver probably did the best thing for over all passenger safety: got the psycho off the bus so she couldn’t hurt more people.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/auckland-bus-attack-boy-fearful-of-riding-bus-transport-minister-simeon-brown-blasts-at-drivers-actions/WYKTHU2Q25A2RPWRVQFEMGIGZY/
13 3
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July 3, 2024 1:05pm
- Damocles11
  
  The attacker must be caught. Hopefully the woke Police force are up to the job.
  
  13 1
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  July 3, 2024 1:19pm
- Mike
  
  Simeon Brown has probably not travelled by bus since he left high school (in the good old days of the Key administration).
  
  5 5
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  July 3, 2024 2:17pm
- MCōs
  
  First of all the woman who attacked the boy is responsible for the assault not the bus driver.
  Someone on Facebook who may not have even been there claimed she was a 200kg Māori. She was apparently restrained by a 75yo man with no help from onlookers before taking off.
  The bus driver has probably been told not to get involved in any altercation on his vehicle
  I was on a bus once leaving from Sylvia Park and some young guys got uppity with the driver who was pretty stroppy herself and wouldn’t back down and it turned into a slanging match where everyone wanted the last word.
  
  5 1
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  July 3, 2024 2:52pm
  - Damocles11
    
    Believe whatever you want. If it was a white adult person who violently attacked a chinese ethnicity schoolboy on a bus while yelling racist slurs this would be the lead story on OneNews every night for a week. The fact that it isn’t and the MSM won’t release a description of the ‘woman’ says plenty.
    I have subsequently read another report on Reddit purportedly covering the ‘old mans’ version of events & both him and the schoolboy were trying to restrain the deranged attacker, which would make sense.
    
    13 2
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    July 3, 2024 3:33pm
  - PurplePen
    
    Bit like when you get paper stuck in the photocopier at work. Everyone passing by stops to help or even those at their desk and can see will join in in fixing the copier.
    
    2 3
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    July 3, 2024 4:26pm
    - Mike
      
      Most people just walk away and leave it jammed.
      
      5 0
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      July 3, 2024 6:02pm
  - jkt
    
    The confrontations that I have observed on busses were generally deescalated by the driver stopping the bus and disembarking.
    
    1 0
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    July 3, 2024 8:25pm
- NZer In Exile
  
  Next minute, a shortage of bus drivers. Brill!
  
  4 2
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  July 3, 2024 2:57pm
  - Mike
    
    The minister knows as much about bus drivers as he does about building a 3km tunnel under Wellington
    
    1 4
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    July 3, 2024 6:04pm
- jkt
  
  It sounds like a crime scene.
  
  One would have thought that the person in charge of the bus would have stopped the bus and secured the site of the crime until the police arrived. No-one expects the bus driver to confront the attacker.
  
  Then again, this is Auckland Transport. They would probably have told the bus driver to mop up the blood and get on with the job.
  
  It is a shame that the footage is not already in the public eye.👁️ You know like a Black Lives Matter thing.
  
  1 0
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  July 3, 2024 8:16pm
Jack5

⚠️Car registration scam! Don’t open.

An email just received warns:

… your license plate number will expire on tuesday 02 july 2024 due a billing problem .

it costs 89.16 $ for 12 months if you renew online.

Lousy typing, ungrammatical and without any capital letters. It gives a link to a scam site where you can be fleeced. Not the wording of an Englilsh language native speaker.

The email comes from a UK address.

Don’t, don’t, don’t click on the link, which says “click below, and follow the instructions.”

Don’t open it, just delete the message.
12 1
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July 3, 2024 1:10pm
- NZer In Exile
  
  Yes received one of those even though it’s been quite a while since I had a car in NZ. I wonder where these punks got the names and email addresses.
  
  7 2
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  July 3, 2024 3:04pm
  - rouppe
    
    I’ve been getting a flood of the nzpost delivery ones in recent weeks
    
    8 0
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    July 3, 2024 4:08pm
- mandk
  
  Wrong spelling of licence as well.
  
  3 1
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  July 3, 2024 4:58pm
Libertarians are right

It looks like Judge Mercan may declare the NY Trump case a mistrial.
He has moved the sentencing back to October so that he can decide on how to rule on the Supreme Court Immunity decision.

While the payment of the hush money was done prior to becoming President, most of the “evidence” was based on his conversations and financial declarations whilst in the role of President. The Supreme Court has stated that actions whilst President can not be used as evidence in non-President cases. This means that most of the evidence used to convict Trump may have been inadmissable.

This is a huge let off for Mercan because he can now get full advantage of Trump being a felon right up to the election, kick the case and then blame the SC rather than it being kicked on appeal with him being made to look like a complete arse.
7 1
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July 3, 2024 1:27pm
Maggie Pie

What would Darlene Tana be doing at this moment
on her $200k p.a. taxpayer funded stand down?

It’s been nearly 4 months now ffs!!
As someone said the other day, it’s like a lesbian divorce…. in that it NEVER ends.
17 3
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July 3, 2024 2:41pm
- MCōs
  
  Probably people trafficking
  You need a gardener?
  
  12 2
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  July 3, 2024 2:53pm
- PurplePen
  
  I’m sure I heard on the news last Thursday that the report was released to the Green party in Thursday.
  
  4 1
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  July 3, 2024 4:28pm
  - Maggie Pie
    
    Not according to Chloe!
    She was on the AM show Monday saying she was looking forward to receiving it.
    And to think some people believe she could be PM one day.
    The woman is madder than a sackfull of freshly shaved Beavers.
    
    9 3
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    July 3, 2024 6:48pm
John Loveridge

I refuse to click on the link myself, but here it is in case any brave soul here is curious enough to find out if the foul-mouthed Paddy Gower is a broadcasting icon in anything other than his own mind.

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/entertainment/2024/07/newshub-closure-that-was-f-king-newshub-by-patrick-gower.html
14 2
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July 3, 2024 3:01pm
- Blog-aholic
  
  That is the same dude that calls himself a media ‘icon’ Lolzz.
  
  8 1
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  July 3, 2024 3:41pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Hillary Barry, John the expert Campbell – media icons.
    Come on now!!
    
    8 2
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    July 3, 2024 4:16pm
  - PurplePen
    
    I find I’m reading at the end of every Herald story online a brief CV of the reporter some of which start out with Joe Bloggs is an award winning something … the award being nothing I’ve ever heard of.
    
    9 1
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    July 3, 2024 4:29pm
    - Ghost
      
      That’s got to be better than stuffs begging for donations or my favourite one now, you’ve read too many stories to read any more sign up, pass.
      
      6 1
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      July 3, 2024 4:42pm
    - John Loveridge
      
      It could be an award for the best Monday morning muffins, for all we know.
      
      3 1
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      July 3, 2024 6:21pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  He needs saving again, and nobody gives a fuck.
  Try Oz Gower. Get a haircut and get a real job.
  
  7 3
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  July 3, 2024 4:15pm
  - John Loveridge
    
    McDonald’s is always hiring, Padster.
    
    4 1
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    July 3, 2024 6:21pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Hunter is the new Whitehouse Boss.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_v6qCqKyoQ0
3 4
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July 3, 2024 3:24pm
Jack5

Sean Plunket calls Paddy Gower a simplistic bonehead (from about 5.46 into the video):

https://youtu.be/iA4d5ajYkSc?si=cJ135pWt4p3lE9R7
12 2
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July 3, 2024 3:47pm
- kowtow
  
  Someone wrote in to P on this subject and opined they wouldn’t be missing the Mad Magazine Cover Face guy ……..lol.
  
  14 3
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  July 3, 2024 4:16pm
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    Harsh!
    
    1 1
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    July 3, 2024 7:07pm
kevn

A JAG wet dream…
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/cars/article-13587341/All-new-cars-fitted-automatic-speed-limiters-week-drivers-turn-off.html
3 1
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July 3, 2024 5:32pm
- rockape
  
  My Audi has a speed limiter for the USA market. It was restricted to 250 kph as above that its body shape means it could get airborne.
  
  4 1
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  July 3, 2024 5:49pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Wot about us poor old pensioners that want to go fast?
  Speed limiters for bicycles. Faster than 5kph and you get the spoke jam!
  
  4 3
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  July 3, 2024 6:26pm
Maggy Wassilieff

TV1 spending ages on Labour’s attempt to win back Auckland electorates…. And somehow that is meant to be NEWS.
9 2
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July 3, 2024 6:18pm
- Ghost
  
  I had a Quick Look at an article where Chris said why they lost Auckland. Didn’t read much, did he mention Ardern, the last 6 years, the wrecking ball to the economy, the inability to achieve any goals, and leaving the country in a financial shitter for a long time to come?
  
  6 2
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  July 3, 2024 6:25pm
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Maiki Sherman was giving her thoughts… couldn’t get beyond Covid Lockdowns for Auckland… basically implied that was Hipkins’ and Labour’s ONLY mistake.
    
    7 3
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    July 3, 2024 6:31pm
    - Ghost
      
      Damn. Oh well, only a few more days and we will have a new news station to ~~be hard hitting, truthful and professional~~ show nz that one news is nothing compared to what stuff will produce.
      
      5 2
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      July 3, 2024 6:37pm
- Maggie Pie
  
  Dead Man Walking?
  
  Chippy meets with workers at ‘Ports-of-Auckland’.
  Who does he chose to accompany him on the visit…. Northcote’s Shane Halbert!
  That’ll impress those hard-bitten Wharfies 😛
  
  May as well have taken Shaneel Lal for backup. LOL!!
  
  9 3
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  July 3, 2024 6:36pm
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    I lost count of how many times Hipkins tried to hammer a nail into a piece of pine cladding.
    
    Embarrassing!!!
    
    8 3
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    July 3, 2024 6:49pm
- nathie
  
  No doubt Labour/Hipkins are also conveniently pretending the elephant in the room doesn’t exist – that of the Green Party holding the once Labour stronghold, the Auckland Central electorate!
  
  * Labour held it from 1919-1993 and 1996-2008 – a total of 86 years.
  
  Oh how the “mighty” have fallen, Chippie!
  
  3 0
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  July 3, 2024 9:07pm

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