General Debate 12 April 2025

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Cassandra

Australia has concluded that its relationship with the USA has changed – dramatically.

One of Australia’s principal security analysts states: Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull captured Australia’s new reality succinctly when he said that we remain America’s steadfast ally, but prudence demands we develop options and capabilities that serve our interests when those interests diverge from Washington’s.

As Australia navigates this turbulent period, one certainty emerges – the era of unquestioning alignment with American priorities has ended. Australia’s national security now demands both alliance maintenance and independent capability development in what may be the most significant strategic recalibration since World War II.

All the above applies equally to NZ, although Australia’s relationship with America, through AUKUS, is much closer. As the Defence Capability Plan makes clear, NZ will be working very closely with Australia. Good to see support from Labour for the Coalition’s defence policy. But will it last? Will the Helen Clark wing get its way – back to 1%?
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April 12, 2025 8:02am
- sungsamning
  
  Good post. One thing we could do cheaply on the defense front is to scrap the anti nuclear legislation, and invite a US ship to visit Christchurch.
  
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  April 12, 2025 8:19am
  - David Garrett
    
    Not sure a US warship would manage to navigate the estuary
    
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    April 12, 2025 11:28am
    - sungsamning
      
      Doh, My Bad. I meant Lyttelton. Mind you; if it did have a DEI captain, it might end up in the estuary.
      
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      April 12, 2025 2:51pm
- Scott
  
  As Chinese warships prowl the Tasman sea firing off munitions it seems not the time to back away from the United States. They saved our arse in world war 2 and they are the only power that would save our arse again. This is especially important given Chinese encroachment in the South Pacific including military bases in Vanuatu.
  
  So we need stronger military ties with America right now and in the foreseeable future.
  
  Also with regard to tariffs we need to understand that the current president of the United States is unpredictable and likes to shake things up. Which the American people elected him to do. So we need to have close engagement with President Trump and get on well with him. If we do that it’s a win win as Trump is a businessman that aims to deliver prosperity to the American economy and NZ would benefit from that. A trade deal with America would be excellent for the NZ economy.
  
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  April 12, 2025 8:40am
  - Northshoredoc
    
    We have an exiting trade deal with the USA. Trump has decided to break it as he has with a number of th3 agreements the US has with other countries.
    
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    April 12, 2025 9:17am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      What treads deal do we have with the US? Peters went to the US to try and see where a trade deal could be worked on, did they sign a treads deal did they?
      
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      April 12, 2025 1:16pm
      - Don Beckett
        
        What treads are you talking about ? Do you mean tyre retreads, treads for stairs, a new type of soft walking –
        
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        April 12, 2025 1:55pm
      - Northshoredoc
        
        The Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) has been in place since 1992.
        
        https://ustr.gov/about-us/policy-offices/press-office/press-releases/2023/april/united-states-and-new-zealand-meet-under-bilateral-trade-and-investment-framework-agreement
        
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        April 12, 2025 1:58pm
      - Dudley Quaffquaff
        
        At the very least we’re both members of the World Trade Organisation, whose members have agreed by joining not to do this sort of thing
        
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        April 12, 2025 2:18pm
    - Romney
      
      We are still trading with them. 10% is not an issue, it’s a good market. With help from Trump and possibly Australia we may be able to see off the ruinous Paris Accord. Now that’s what I call a trade barrier!
      
      Now is not the time to be making enemies.
      
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      April 12, 2025 2:38pm
  - rouppe
    
    I think similarly.
    
    The USA is the only friendly power that has expressed a desire to project into the Pacific. This is one reason why Trump wants to reduce usa commitments in Europe. They are the only ones who could be effective against an incursion by the other power encroaching into the region: China.
    
    While restoring some measures of military capability is needed here, interoperability with Australia and by extension retaining at least cordial relations with the USA is essential for that to be effective.
    
    The current turmoil is a trade opportunity to say to those we don’t have great trade agreements with: “we’re stable, we have no tariffs, we have stuff you want, let’s deal while the USA thrashes around”.
    
    Trump is only here till the 2028 election. Once they settle down and trade barriers drop, we could be in a position where we have good trade with all of China, India, EU, and the USA. Hanging desperately onto the USA for our meat milk and cheese would be a lost opportunity.
    
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    April 12, 2025 9:39am
  - NK
    
    I conducted some research a few weeks ago around how many countries the USA has either invaded or been responsible for overthrowing leaders over the last 50 yeare, compared with China.
    
    China has had one minor border skirmish with Vietnam over the last 50 years, and has had no involvement in arranging the overthrow of other countries’ leaders.
    
    The number for the USA was near 40.
    
    Yet still, people here regard China as a threat!!!
    
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    April 12, 2025 11:01am
    - Sparrow
      
      Tibet
      
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      April 12, 2025 11:20am
      - Romney
        
        The CCP claims all the Qing (Manchu) territories as their right and intends to claim them. If you are not one of those you don’t have a problem. NZ is not so I don’t have an opinion on the matter.
        
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        April 12, 2025 2:41pm
      - Quail
        
        Korea
        
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        April 12, 2025 7:58pm
    - Scott
      
      NK, so your research shows you that China is not a threat to us but America is?
      Well China is a communist country that rules its own people with an iron fist. America is a democracy where people have freedom.
      China is a totalitarian nation where people do not have freedom.
      
      America is our friend. China is not.
      
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      April 12, 2025 11:35am
      - NK
        
        Lol. America is a democracy in name and theory only.
        
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        April 12, 2025 12:15pm
    - kowtow
      
      Oh comrade , you can’t be serious .
      
      You never heard of why Green Russel Norman was waving his now missing flag around .
      
      But quite honestly you’ve got to be taking the piss making a comment like that .
      
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      April 12, 2025 12:00pm
      - NK
        
        What comment? Do you mean historical facts and the Truth?
        
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        April 12, 2025 12:16pm
      - kowtow
        
        NK
        
        Your comment about Ch not being involved in other countries’ affairs.
        
        I just wonder about your knowledge of even NZ’s involvement in foreign conflicts , many of which involved NZ directly and/or indirectly with her closest allies , in one form or another .
        Korea , Vietnam , Malaya , Borneo for starters .
        
        Not to mention its role in the whole of Indochina , including Thailand.
        
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        April 12, 2025 1:06pm
    - JimBobJoe
      
      Time frame cheery picked
      
      Invaded Korea, Tibet
      Vietnam border war
      Constant skirmishes with India in the Himalayas
      
      The only reason they haven’t projected power that much has been they have been basically dirt poor till the USA stupidly let them in to the WTO, opening the way for them to steal IP while being a workshop for the world.
      
      The Chinese Communist Party is an existential threat to the world and while the common person in China has an opportunity for a better like now than 1949, most of the wealth generated is in the hands of CCP members…
      
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      April 12, 2025 12:56pm
      - kowtow
        
        Border bust up with the Ivans too in 1969.
        
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        April 12, 2025 2:09pm
    - Sir Henry Morgan
      
      I thought China funded the Khmer Rouge?
      
      Didn’t China fund ZANLA’s campaign of violence that destabilized Rhodesia and brought us the great success story that is Zimbabwe?
      
      Hasn’t China also been supporting the cartels that control parts of Mexico and whose assassination campaigns have reduced Mexican democracy to a farce?
      
      Also the Hong Kong bombings and political violence of the late 1960s.
      
      Then there are the territorial claims on the Senkakus (and by extension Okinawa), Taiwan, India, etc.
      
      Back around 2007 someone registered a new political party in New Zealand. The fledgling party then held its first meeting in Beijing. So don’t assume CCP-funded mayhem can’t arrive in New Zealand. It’s probably already here, and we’re just a political murder or two away from waking up to reality.
      
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      April 12, 2025 2:58pm
  - Dudley Quaffquaff
    
    Canada and Mexico had a trade deal with the US that they thought would be excellent for their economies.
    
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    April 12, 2025 11:12am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      Both the Mexicans and Canada have tariffs on US, how the hell is that any type of trade deal
      
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      April 12, 2025 1:17pm
      - Northshoredoc
        
        Ask Trump he signed the most recent version of NAFTA.
        
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        April 12, 2025 2:00pm
      - Dudley Quaffquaff
        
        A trade deal like any other. Each country listed the (few) tariffs and other trade measures that it would retain as specified exceptions to the general undertaking, and the other signatories agreed to that. All trade deals take that form.
        
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        April 12, 2025 2:13pm
- kowtow
  
  I wonder if all these Great and Goods ( yeah right) clever sods like Turnbull realise the irony ,with all their blithering about America , that in order to earn the money they need to “develop options and capabilities” they have to keep selling huge amounts of natural resources to the very regime they seek to be free from thereby strengthening and emboldening it further.
  
  And everyone says Trump’s the idiot .
  
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  April 12, 2025 9:08am
  - David Garrett
    
    Kowtow: Other than the biggest market in the world, where would you suggest the Aussies sell their recourse?
    
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    April 12, 2025 10:04am
    - mogg
      
      Trade yes, dependent no, see how quickly Aus rejected Chinas new offer on trade last week after China’s trade embargo last year.
      
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      April 12, 2025 10:17am
    - kowtow
      
      They ( and indeed ourselves) may have to have ‘recourse’ to a variety of other markets.
      
      Afterall the great minds of the world haved always warned us about the folly of putting all one’s eggs in one basket .
      
      But mine was an observation about really how stupid the west has been in becoming so dependant on what was always a bad faith actor , authoritarian and adversarial . ( And no I’m not talking about Orange Man Bad that everyone seems so happy to currently , literally, obsess over).
      
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      April 12, 2025 10:38am
  - Dudley Quaffquaff
    
    Trump is the only actor who’s trying to prevent Australia from selling natural resources to the US.
    
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    April 12, 2025 11:13am
- lastmanstanding
  
  Either Trump and his advisers are playing 4D chess or they are members of wherethefuckarewe tribe.
  
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  April 12, 2025 9:16am
  - Northshoredoc
    
    They are not playing 4D chess.
    
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    April 12, 2025 9:18am
- Simon
  
  GAE is a much bigger threat to NZ than China.
  
  Defence systems needed to be able to tackle GAE’s carriers. Missiles and drones.
  
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  April 12, 2025 9:44am
  - David Garrett
    
    What is GAE??
    
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    April 12, 2025 10:05am
    - Bevan
      
      Global American Empire.
      
      Ignore him, he’s a pro Putin moonbat.
      
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      April 12, 2025 1:07pm
    - Gravelroad
      
      I looked it up.
      All I could find was: Genicular Artery Embolization.
      Or, if you are of the Scots persuasion it is how we would pronounce “go”.
      Eg: “I will gae up the hill to poach a deer off the English toff landlord.”
      
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      April 12, 2025 1:13pm
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      Globalist American Empire
      
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      April 12, 2025 1:26pm
- Tom Hunter
  
  Turnbull? Good grief. That guy had become a byword for squish back in the Mitt Romney era.
  
  Fortunately it seems there are some cooler heads in Canberra, and belonging to the Labor government no less:
  
  “We’re not about to make common cause with China,” Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles told Sky News on Wednesday. “We are not going to be holding hands with China in respect of any contest that is going on in the world.”
  
  Considering the muscle that China has applied to Aussie in the recent past that “punch in the throat” response to Chinese overtures to work together to combat the Trump tariffs is not surprising. Let’s hope it’s bipartisan.
  
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  April 12, 2025 10:16am
- ChristopherW2
  
  Malcolm Turnbull has extremely well-honed instincts for being wrong – if you were to give him an array of options, all wrong, he would skillfully choose the wrongest.
  
  The worst PM Australia ever had, worse even than Ms Gillard or Mr Rudd.
  
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  April 12, 2025 10:57am
  - keepcalmcarryon
    
    He was in the wrong party, his instincts better aligned with Labor.
    
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    April 12, 2025 12:59pm
- NZer In Exile
  
  Turnbull is rather like Luxon IMHO.
  
  A very wishy washy conservative-lite.
  
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  April 12, 2025 4:41pm
Philview

This has probably been covered but any thoughts on the rumour that Stuart Nash will stand for NZ First. I don’t mind him but concerned that NZ First will have a more natural alliance with Labour.
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April 12, 2025 8:12am
- CJames
  
  Will Nash have any friendly relationship with his previous political party? We should ask Richard Prebble and Shane Jones for their thoughts on the matter
  
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  April 12, 2025 9:16am
- pdm
  
  He gave a clear indication with Sean Plunket (that I saw last evening) that while he is not currently a member of any political party he is open to returning to Parliament.
  
  He does now seem more aligned with NZFirst even though they were not specifically mentioned if my memory is right.
  
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  April 12, 2025 9:30am
  - kowtow
    
    Piglets return to the trough.
    
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    April 12, 2025 1:19pm
- Mod88
  
  Stuart Nash will destroy any chance NZ1st have of garnering the Firearms Owners/Hunting/Shooting votes. NZ1st shafted them in 2017 but Nash under Ardern/Labour absolutely lied to their faces and gutted them. Do it at your peril Winston, Nash is a two-faced rat.
  
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  April 12, 2025 9:30am
  - pdm
    
    mod88 – I do know he is not as popular in Napier as he thinks he is.
    
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    April 12, 2025 10:17am
    - Colville
      
      Nash is the POS who helped the Joe and Nino D’Esposito avoid over 10,000 criminal charges by MPI over the systematic rape of the sea over many years.
      
      There are many fishermen would turn Nash into cray food if he went near them.
      
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      April 12, 2025 10:44am
  - keepcalmcarryon
    
    This.
    If you read his Facebook page while he was minister of Police attacking LFOs he was actually laughing and relishing putting the boot in.
    Arrogant corrupt politician who enjoyed wearing Police jack boots far too much.
    
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    April 12, 2025 1:02pm
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    No one will even glance if he is only on the list, as long as Peter’s is still boss, that won’t matter
    
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    April 12, 2025 1:21pm
- AitchW
  
  As long as Peters is in charge of the party NZF will be friends with whoever offers the biggest and brightest baubles after the election.
  
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  April 12, 2025 9:38am
- NK
  
  And that’s a problem because presumably you prefer National to be the governing party. And that’s because National is not Labour. At least, not in name.
  
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  April 12, 2025 11:05am
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  Not so sure, he left labour in anger, he is another one that has no time for Hipkins and Ardern.
  
  Jones was a Labour blowhard, but seems to hate their Marxism with a passion
  
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  April 12, 2025 1:20pm
- imalwaysright
  
  Didn’t he share Cabinet business with his mates?
  
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  April 12, 2025 4:02pm
  - keepcalmcarryon
    
    Yes it’s called corruption.
    And no, despite patting himself on the back on the Platform interview, he never “owned” his corruption at the time, Just bloviated about what amazing achievements he’d made.(insert achievements here)
    Should be let nowhere near power ever again.
    The Minister for Angry Gym Equipment.
    
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    April 12, 2025 5:00pm
AitchW

The damage done by Ardern pales almost into insignificance when compared to that being wrought by Trump upon the world. Having being born in the 60s I think it’s fair to that we boomers have lived through some truly mental times!
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April 12, 2025 8:14am
- Scott
  
  AitchW, no idea of your reasoning but write this down. Adern was the worst prime minister in living memory. Trump is the best president in living memory.
  
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  April 12, 2025 9:20am
  - AitchW
    
    Scott I’m afraid we’ll have to agree to disagree, at least on Trump.
    Trump was the less awful of two truly dreadful candidates. His tariff fiasco will be studied for years, and mocked even longer.
    
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    April 12, 2025 10:22am
    - kowtow
      
      ‘His tariff fiasco will be studied for years, and mocked even longer.’
      
      If it gives America , and the west , a reasonable chance to fight WW3 , which is looming, then he might well go down in history as one of the greatest .
      
      Make no mistake , there’s a much, much bigger picture here .
      
      But so many people can’t see past the hyperventilating headlines . Youdda thunk at least some people would have learned a lesson or two about the media , deep state , etc from the Scamdemic.
      
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      April 12, 2025 11:42am
      - Dudley Quaffquaff
        
        Walk us through the logic. How do Trump’s tariffs help the US and the West to fight WW3?
        
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        April 12, 2025 12:21pm
      - kowtow
        
        FFS , if you’d been following the debate instead of simply constantly be an anti Trump troll you might have actually learned something here about how important a strong domestic economy ,cheap energy and manufacturing of all manner of products be they chips or ships gives one at least a chance of the ability to fight a war .
        
        If you think that’s hyperbole or limited to the US look at how the UK is considering nationalising steel .And how the hell the country that created the Industrial Revolution has become such a basket case.
        
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        April 12, 2025 1:28pm
      - Dudley Quaffquaff
        
        I’m missing the step in the logic chain where Trump’s chaotic, incoherent, mendacious approach to charging Americans more for everything, including resources that the US cannot obtain except by trade and that were formerly easily obtained at favourable rates from formerly staunch allies who are now royally pissed off – leads to the creation of a strong domestic economy, cheap energy and manufacturing of all manner of products be they chips or ships.
        
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        April 12, 2025 2:27pm
      - AitchW
        
        Who is the deep state? I’m yet to see a definitive answer as to who actually runs that particular outfit.
        
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        April 12, 2025 2:37pm
    - Scott
      
      AitchW – try and understand what he’s doing in tariffs? His aims are to restore manufacturing to America and generate jobs for the ordinary American worker. He aims for America to stop being ripped off by Chyna.
      
      The economy was booming in Trump’s first term till halted by covid. I predict the economy will boom again in his second term.
      
      He’s doing everything that a centre right person could possibly want. But still the centre right NZers on this blog hate him and think he’s a moron? Sad!
      
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      April 12, 2025 12:02pm
      - NK
        
        It might be his aim. But it will never, ever, ever happen.
        
        The Chinese will outsmart him. Guaranteed.
        
        FWIW, I’m a Trump supporter.
        
        On most things. Just not this.
        
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        April 12, 2025 12:19pm
      - Dudley Quaffquaff
        
        Those might be his aims, but the way he’s going about achieving them is sub-moronic.
        
        It is possible, though now we’ll never know, that other trading powers, if approached with tact, statesmanship and a well-reasoned, solidly evidenced and sustainable strategy, might have been prepared to join the US in a coordinated effort to press China to do better in some way; and that might have been effective. There is now no chance of that whatsoever.
        
        If any manufacturing moves into the chaotic, unreliable economic and legal environment that the US has now become, it will not be bringing well-paid jobs for “ordinary American workers”. Modern manufacturing doesn’t need unskilled labour and certainly isn’t going to pay good wages for it.
        
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        April 12, 2025 12:32pm
      - AitchW
        
        How does imposing tariffs on pretty much every nation on earth return manufacturing to the states? Can they make Marlborough sav Blanc there? No.
        Can they grow the quality of lamb that we do? I suspect not, or the quality of beef in the volume that we do.
        His claimed justification for tariffs is that he is matching tariffs imposed on US exports. That’s a blatant lie..
        He’s treating the presidency like an international series of The Apprentice!
        If WW3 were to start he’d be a significant part of why it started.
        
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        April 12, 2025 2:43pm
      - Romney
        
        More than that, he is attempting to shift the economy away from capital/leverage and back to work and productivity. And make some progress towards getting America’s finances in order. And he has to act drastically because he has so little time to do it. It is an enormous gamble and I sometimes wonder what those who want him to fail think the alternative will look like.
        
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        April 12, 2025 2:50pm
    - NeverMindTheBollocks
      
      “His tariff fiasco will be studied for years, and mocked even longer”
      
      Still too early to say
      
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      April 12, 2025 1:17pm
  - Greenheart
    
    As someone else has said. You cannot be serious
    
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    April 12, 2025 10:38am
  - Michael Sommerville
    
    Like all other Presidents, Trump will be judged by history. Until Trump is history, you cannot say how successful he will or will not be.
    
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    April 12, 2025 12:11pm
  - alwyn.a
    
    ” Trump is the best president in living memory. ”
    That could be true, if and only if, you are limiting your field to the USA and you were born yesterday.
    
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    April 12, 2025 12:23pm
- Ra Henare
  
  You jest of course.
  
  Ardern didnt have a clue.
  
  At least Trump has a few clues, even if the emotionally challenged cant see a bigger picture.
  
  Try this link for a point of view that has some merit IMHO.
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ts5wJ6OfzA
  
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  April 12, 2025 10:08am
  - sungsamning
    
    This guy is good. I saw the post earlier.
    
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    April 12, 2025 3:02pm
- R
  
  AITCH…..some truly mental times? These mental times were primarily of your own making. I was born in the late 40’s and watched as you boomers kicked over the conventional traditions at the behest of your Marxist mentors.
  
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  April 12, 2025 10:39am
  - Romney
    
    Boomers are the brainwashed generation. I’m the same age as Aitch. Your generation did the brainwashing. All to keep mustached man rising from the grave like Dracula. Hope it was worth it.
    
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    April 12, 2025 2:54pm
- Sparrow
  
  Boomers 1946 to 1964. I find that timeline very confusing. What does somebody born in 1946 have in common with somebody born in 1964?
  I thought boomers were the children of returning service men and women from WW2. They kept at it for another 18 years producing!!!!
  
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  April 12, 2025 11:27am
  - riffer
    
    It’s a generation, so just under 20 years. There is much variety inside that generation.
    
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    April 12, 2025 12:19pm
  - alwyn.a
    
    The birth rate did not reach its peak until 1960.
    Yes, they did keep producing.
    
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    April 12, 2025 12:37pm
  - AitchW
    
    45 to 65 I believe.
    
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    April 12, 2025 2:44pm
- rjay
  
  While the world is fixated on Trump’s tariff policy ask yourself ” what is it that he is doing that is now not in the news?”
  He is a magician.
  
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  April 12, 2025 2:48pm
- NZer In Exile
  
  Jury still out on that one, to say the least AW.
  
  Trump appears to be getting the fundamentals right. He may have no choice but to come through like a freight train to keep well ahead of the usual suspects’ attempted treasonous acts to derail him.
  
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  April 12, 2025 4:48pm
NeverMindTheBollocks

I hear there’s a war going on in Ukraine. Funny how it’s recently fallen out of the headlines, not to say KB debate.
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April 12, 2025 8:15am
- AitchW
  
  Trump fixed it a couple of days after taking office. Didn’t he?
  
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  April 12, 2025 9:39am
  - Ra Henare
    
    Do keep up Aitch.
    
    at least he has started a process. Its called talking to the involved parties. As the saying goes. Rome wasnt built in a day.
    
    and (yawn) he is not giving everything to Putin, he is not Putins puppet as the emotionally challenged would believe. ITS A PROCESS, called negotiating a deal that both parties can sign up to.
    
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    April 12, 2025 10:12am
    - AitchW
      
      Ra, he promised to end the war in, I think, a day.
      
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      April 12, 2025 11:35am
      - NZer In Exile
        
        Yep he did. I’m sure he’ll admit that was a failure but he is pressing on with sorting that ASAP.
        
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        April 12, 2025 4:51pm
      - Ra Henare
        
        And you believe everything you hear on the campaign trail?
        100,000 new houses promise by labour ring a bell?
        Winne promised to eliminate the Maori Seats.
        
        No problem,
        Believe what you want
        
        I wonder what its like living in a small goldfish bowl without the benefit of rational thought?
        
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        April 12, 2025 5:46pm
    - newview
      
      Ra. So everyone who disagrees with you is emotionally challenged. You could say that makes you blinkered and tiresome.
      
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      April 12, 2025 12:13pm
      - Ra Henare
        
        If the hat fits, wear it.
        But of course thats not what I said.
        
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        April 12, 2025 5:47pm
- NothingLeft
  
  Not much changing. It’s currently ‘mud season’ meaning little but dug-in troops in absence of vehicle mobility. Russian advances have slowed to a crawl in last 6 months – down to a few km² a day at cost of around 1000-1500 casualties – like WW1 trench warfare it massively favors defending side with 5-10:1 casualty ratios that are long term clearly unsustainable, and nothing remotely like ‘winning’. Putin cannot realistically ever even take the Luhansk, Zaporizhia, and Donetsk regions he has optimistically legislatively annexed.
  
  Ukrainian drone production continues to expand – more than 10000 FPV a day now, 13000 by end of year, now with up to 20-30km range and jam-proof fiber optic guidance, and has mostly replaced artillery, made Russian armor largely useless (golf carts, motorbikes, scooters, ladas, 1960’s style ‘loaf’ vans and even donkeys have taken place of nearly all used up soviet reserves), and expanded no-man’s land out to around 10-20km meaning front lines can mostly only be supplied on foot for last 10km, everyone has to hide in bunkers all the time, and significant offensive gains are no longer possible – suicidal meat-wave assaults being only thing that works with the commanders shooting anyone who tries to retreat.
  
  Ukraine continues to expand their long range drone production. They are significantly affecting Russian oil and gas as well as strategic and airbase attacks with marked decreases in production (and earnings), but really need to 10x their production to kill Russian economy and end war.
  
  Ukraine’s aviation has greatly increased offensive action dropping reasonable numbers of glide bombs now to take out Russian bunkers and near-front bridges etc.
  
  Ukraine is struggling with Russian attacks on it’s cities as they have run out of defensive missiles and Russia has changed their attack strategy to target one city at a time with overwhelming swarms with 10-20 drones a night (out of 150 launched) getting through, up from just a couple a few months back. Ukraine civilian casualties have climbed sharply.
  
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  April 12, 2025 9:51am
  - Ra Henare
    
    You create huge amusement Nothing.
    
    Drones with 20km range and fibre optic guidance.
    Thats a very long fibre optic strand.
    
    I really do wonder where you get your propaganda from.
    
    Surely not the internet geek who looks at satellite photos and doesn’t apply commonsense logic(no military experience)
    
    ie a before photo of large reserves of old artillery/tanks.
    An after photo, same field, less artillery/tanks.
    
    OF COURSE.
    
    The Russian factories are, according to the US & International Sources, are pumping out 3 times the combined total of NATO munitions.
    
    Replacement tanks/artillery, except in your vivid imagination, would be sent to active service. Not put in a disused storage facility.
    
    But hey, keep publishing your stuff. It’s amusing.
    
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    April 12, 2025 10:21am
    - Hard Cheese
      
      Drones with 20km range and fibre optic guidance.
      Thats a very long fibre optic strand.
      
      I really do wonder where you get your propaganda from.
      
      Do even a rudimentary Google search. Please.
      
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      April 12, 2025 4:08pm
      - NZer In Exile
        
        The drone base station has fibre optic backhaul?
        
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        April 12, 2025 4:53pm
      - Ra Henare
        
        How about a real search ie not getting google propaganda results. (ie Top Ukrainian Military guy pumping up his PR)
        
        Applying some rational thinking:
        Range and Cable Management:
        Cable Length: A 20km fiber-optic cable is technically possible, but managing such a length is a major challenge. The cable must be deployed and retrieved without tangling, breaking, or snagging on obstacles.
        
        Weight: Even lightweight fiber-optic cables (e.g., single-mode fibers weighing ~10-20g per meter) would add 200-400kg for 20km, far too heavy for most drones. Specialized micro-cables (e.g., 1-2g/m) could reduce this to 20-40kg, but that’s still significant for a drone’s payload capacity.
        
        Drag and Tension: A 20km cable trailing a drone creates aerodynamic drag and tension, limiting speed, manoeuvrability, and range. Wind, terrain, and obstacles further complicate deployment.
        
        Apparently even the might USA & Israel cant match anything like 20km.
        
        Military Drones: Systems like the U.S. Army’s Tethered Unmanned Aircraft Systems (TUAS) or Israel’s HoverMast use fiber-optic tethers for power and control, but ranges are typically 100m to 5km, not 20km.
        
        Hence, me being sceptical.
        
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        April 12, 2025 5:57pm
      - NothingLeft
        
        they are using unsheathed single fibers, weight in range of 1kg per 10km, adapted from underwater ROV and other applications. Research before poo poohing please
        
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        April 12, 2025 10:31pm
- Burtland
  
  Trumps deranged tariff war has cost the US more than the entire Ukraine war
  
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  April 12, 2025 9:52am
  - Ra Henare
    
    Think you will find the tariff situation hasnt cost buggar all YET!.
    
    once again people are fixated on whatabouts and couldbes
    
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    April 12, 2025 5:59pm
- imalwaysright
  
  Zelensky will soon resign/be disposed of and a new puppet installed.
  The new government will negotiate a deal with Russia and the EU will be able to withdraw their fake warmongering threats and retreat to their respective swamps.
  
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  April 12, 2025 10:39am
  - Dudley Quaffquaff
    
    Remind us who Zelensky is supposed to be a puppet for?
    
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    April 12, 2025 4:21pm
    - Ra Henare
      
      The Military Industrial complex supported politicians. Biden springs to mind.
      
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      April 12, 2025 6:00pm
- kowtow
  
  Indeed .
  
  Zelensky has a job to keep it in the headlines cos te media party is now flooding the frontpages with Trump Tariff Trivia.
  
  No coincidence that capturing a few Chinese combatants has come now , in the PR struggle for the west’s attention.
  
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  April 12, 2025 11:46am
- pb
  
  Ukraine a hospital pass. Solution simple. Surrender your proxy war America and take the L.
  
  Bibi needs America to bomb Iran, Houthi’s, Gaza, Turkey, whatever. Nightmare there. Best solution, Bibi in chains.
  
  Trumps advisors want to kick off a trade war with China. Hence Russia, Iran too. US wars have been against goat herders. They don’t have a chance against Russia or China. Bad juju
  
  All the actions of a drowning bond market.
  
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  April 12, 2025 6:56pm
sungsamning

https://www.foxnews.com/world/panama-us-lock-new-security-pact-canal-china-tensions-simmer
Panama and US lock in new security pact for Canal as China tensions simmer.
The United States and Panama have officially signed a new defense and security pact aimed at reinforcing control over the Panama Canal, a move that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claims is critical to pushing back against China’s growing grip in the region.

In a press release posted Wednesday night on X, the Panama Canal Authority confirmed that Panama’s Minister for Canal Affairs and Hegseth signed a joint declaration that reaffirms Panamanian sovereignty and outlines new military cooperation.
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April 12, 2025 8:16am
- Scott
  
  I think that’s called winning. So much winning….
  
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  April 12, 2025 9:18am
  - sungsamning
    
    So much winning, one would likely get sick of it sooner than later. Not me. Winning bigly is fine by me. I like my fave YT reality series: Trump 47. Great plot, lots of surprises, huge cast of heroes and zeroes, and lashings of schadenfreude and liberal tears.
    
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    April 12, 2025 3:06pm
- Paulus
  
  I believe the Panama is Managed by a Chinese Company, but like all shipping aspects they will have copies of all the vessels Bills of Lading which allow them to know everything that these vessels carry as they pass through the Canal.
  Doing it for some years.
  
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  April 12, 2025 9:19am
  - Sparrow
    
    The Chinese company is Hutchisons (HPH)of Hong Kong. They manage the ports at either end of the canal not the canal itself. They were in the process of selling their management of container terminals around the world to Blackrock and MSC which included the Panama ports. It seems this is on hold due to pressure from the Chinese government. HPH is in a very difficult position. At no time did they control the canal. The ex boss of HPH lives in Panama with a Panamanian wife. He was responsible for the incredible expansion of HPH in operating container terminals around the world. Brillant businessman under the brillant leadership of Li Kai Shing . They would have no knowledge of what ships transiting the canal were carrying. There has been a load of rubbish spoken about the so called Chinese involvement in the canal.
    
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    April 12, 2025 10:37am
    - Ra Henare
      
      Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH) is owned by CK Hutchison Holdings with an 80% share and PSA International with a 20% share.
      
      CK Hutchison Holdings Limited’s stock ownership is a mix of institutional, retail, and individual investors. Approximately 100.00% of the company’s stock is owned by Institutional Investors, and less than 0.01% is owned by Insiders.
      
      Retail investors hold approximately 99.99% of CK Hutchison Holdings Limited’s stock.
      
      The inference that Hutchinsons is owned by China is mis information at best. Welcome CIA propoganda machine.
      
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      April 12, 2025 6:07pm
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Not any more, the US have signed an agreement to have troops and a base on the canal, also a a venture that helps run the canal and there is no longer any Chinese influence
    
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    April 12, 2025 1:26pm
  - sungsamning
    
    Blackrock have it now.
    
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    April 12, 2025 3:07pm
sungsamning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rydUp4iaUVg
Mark Carney In The Headlights.
Mr. Carbon tax, Mr. Bill C-69, Mr. Brookfield, Mr. Bermuda offshore account. Mr. Plagiarism . OMG!!! Mr. Mark Carney is so conflicted . How can this guy be the PM. Lets save our country by voting this confused man out of Canada.

The deal “reaffirms respect for, and the recognition of, Panamanian sovereignty over the interoceanic waterway,” the Canal Authority stated.
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April 12, 2025 8:16am
- MCōs
  
  ‘Let’s save our country by voting this confused man out of Canada.’
  Seeing as our country is New Zealand I’m confused myself . . . .
  
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  April 12, 2025 2:10pm
  - sungsamning
    
    I find international politics very interesting. So, that’s what most of my posts consist of.
    
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    April 12, 2025 3:08pm
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Seeing as our country is New Zealand I’m confused myself . . .
    
    Perhaps you should check out the relationship between Brookfield and Waikato-Tainui
    
    here’s a wee clue:
    
    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/557925/tainui-group-holdings-announces-1b-development-with-major-investment-firm-brookfield
    
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    April 12, 2025 4:13pm
NeverMindTheBollocks

Councils, eh. Ya gotta love ‘em.

GWRC initially suggested that fares would need to increase by 70% to meet NZTA’s farebox recovery requirements. Instead, councillors voted to put fares up by only 2.2%.

Where were these &$@(@$)!s when the rates bill was being considered?

http://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/557946/almost-60-new-wellington-buses-canned-passengers-saved-from-huge-fare-hikes
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April 12, 2025 8:32am
- AitchW
  
  Ain’t it funny how the council can reduce spending when it has to stump up the cash itself? OPM is great until it’s not available any more….
  
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  April 12, 2025 9:42am
Hugh Jarse

Could Eden Park be repurposed as a tank maintenance and storage area for our new M1 Abrams capability along with being a surveillance helicopter base for offshore defence and fishery patrols ?.

Just a thought, might be some local opposition but hey, it might encouraged some of them to move to their more natural habitat in a more peaceful loving Communist country somewhere.
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April 12, 2025 8:37am
- peterwn
  
  Helen Clark would not like the noise of the helicopters,
  
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  April 12, 2025 10:13am
  - NZer In Exile
    
    Why doesn’t St Helen live on the west coast or say the backblocks of Queenstown/Wanaka if she wants peace and quiet?
    
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    April 12, 2025 4:57pm
  - AitchW
    
    Neither is she fond of the smell of napalm in the morning…
    
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    April 12, 2025 5:22pm
pdm

Todays very good quote.

From comments on Verity Johnson’s piece on Stuff about Hipkins wanting to win back Auckland at the next election.

`Yep Luxon was voted in based on being the least bad choice of all the bad choices.’
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April 12, 2025 8:52am
- In Vino Veritas
  
  Yes pdm, very interesting isn’t it? There are plenty in NZ who rail against Trump, but he was always the least bad choice between the hopelessly bad of Biden and Harris. You literally never hear how bad Hipkins (the fail upwards guy) and Swarbrick are.
  
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  April 12, 2025 8:56am
  - AitchW
    
    It’s a sobering thought that Labour has no one better than Hipkins to run the party.
    You don’t need to hear how bad he is, you just have to see him blaming the coalition government for his parties incompetent stewardship of the years from 2017 to 2023.
    
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    April 12, 2025 11:37am
    - Paulus
      
      Yes – Phil is back fro0m his ballsup, typically Labour, from London with no job.
      Sure he can see himself leading Labour, to destruction, as easily as the current incumbent.
      
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      April 12, 2025 3:43pm
      - Ra Henare
        
        Unfortunately, he screwed it up last time he tried.
        Remember, after he became labour leader (2008) after a honeymoon period.
        
        A July 2011 poll showed support for the Labour Party at a 10-year low, at just 27%
        
        Dont think the Labs will give a has been a second try.
        
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        April 12, 2025 6:12pm
  - Stu2
    
    Really? US economy was looking good in early Jan
    
    Trump is planning to finance tax cuts for the top end out of a lot more national debt. Madness.
    
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    April 12, 2025 12:29pm
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      Inflation was also lower than expected this week
      
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      April 12, 2025 1:32pm
      - Stu2
        
        US consumer sentiment lowest since early 50s, which would have suggested a downturn in spending except that consumers have to deal with 10+% import tariffs
        
        Plenty of businesses based on imports from China are going to fold unless the 145% tariff is wound back.
        
        It’s a mess
        
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        April 12, 2025 2:51pm
    - NZer In Exile
      
      Stu you do realise Trump wants companies to “in-source” back to the USA?
      
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      April 12, 2025 4:58pm
  - keepcalmcarryon
    
    I still sometimes watch that clip of Harris describing “the cloud” for a giggle.
    Unbelievable.
    
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    April 12, 2025 1:07pm
    - NZer In Exile
      
      Thank heavens she is now in the wilderness.
      
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      April 12, 2025 4:59pm
- CJames
  
  The best example of this is the last UK election. Labour won a “landslide” with about 25% of the voting population. Rather than choose bad choices, the voters just didn’t vote. Now they are suffering the consequences of their inactions.
  
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  April 12, 2025 9:12am
  - NothingLeft
    
    UK Labour only got votes of 20% of registered voters in last election.
    
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    April 12, 2025 10:25am
- Pope Punctilious II
  
  Someone needs to tell Verity darling that sitting on the bar is a serious breach of tikanga: https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360648662/verity-johnson-chris-hipkins-wants-win-back-auckland-yeah-right
  
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  April 12, 2025 9:45am
- rouppe
  
  I prefer the one from schwampy:
  
  Hes nothing more than a symbol of a time that all kiwis want to forget. On top of that we all know that for Labour to make it back into power they will be teamed up with the Greens and Maori party….. Why would we do that to ourselves again?
  
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  April 12, 2025 9:47am
- R
  
  Chippie is definitely a intellectual!
  
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  April 12, 2025 10:45am
  - pdm
    
    In his own mind perhaps.
    
    Over educated and lacking a practical commonsense bone in his body.
    
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    April 12, 2025 12:51pm
  - NZer In Exile
    
    WTF does he actually stand for apart from being in lockstep with the woke “latest thing”?
    
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    April 12, 2025 5:00pm
  - Colville
    
    isnt that spelt ineffectual?
    
    But then I went to school to eat someone else’s lunch
    
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    April 12, 2025 5:35pm
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  Good luck Hipkins getting Auckland back, they hate Marxism, and let’s not forget he locked Auckland down for over 100 days for one case, as well he continues to say the police on the street is not making people feel safer, even though crime in the cbd is dropping
  
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  April 12, 2025 1:30pm
AitchW

Elite sailing in NZ is going through interesting times.
Burling has left ETNZ and the next Sail GP regatta has been cancelled due to problems with the wing sail.
My guess is that either Burling has been offered an obscene amount of money to go to another team or he’s struggling to juggle family life, Sail GP and ETNZ. On reflection I suspect it’s the latter.
Sail GP is pushing the limits of design so from time to time they’ll get ahead of themselves like now.
ETNZ will find another helmsman and Sail GP will solve their design issues.
The media may very well try to catastrophise both issues until something else shiny comes along.
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April 12, 2025 8:54am
- john1234
  
  Sailing is Burling’s job, end of story. It’s just insane how some people in NZ think they own him or that he owes NZ.
  Coutts and Butterworth exactly the same. It’s their job, not some sort of patriotic duty.
  
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  April 12, 2025 9:16am
  - AitchW
    
    Quite right. Who among us would refuse to sail for another team if it meant a very comfortable future for our family?
    Remember too, although the teams have “ New Zealand” in their names, they are not national teams.
    
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    April 12, 2025 10:26am
- pdm
  
  My impression is Dalton pulled rank and gave Burling the DCM.
  
  Will Took take over as Captain of the Lugger?
  
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  April 12, 2025 9:38am
  - newview
    
    Apparently do with Burlings commitment to SailGP and possibly the remuneration offered by TNZ
    
    3 0
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    April 12, 2025 12:53pm
    - Quail
      
      How much taxpayers money is going to the Americas Cup Sailing NZ?
      Perhaps enough for a down payment on a replacement for a new HMNZS Manawanui?
      
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      April 12, 2025 1:06pm
G152

Evidently facebook is throwing out contributors demanding the strangest ‘reconnection’ like multiple videos of face at different angles to prove who you are
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April 12, 2025 9:02am
Yvette

Whatever happened to the office of Race Relations Commissioner?
Is she too bewildered to get together any current statement or national advice?
Is the agency an obvious area of taxpayer savings?
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April 12, 2025 9:04am
- Cassandra
  
  Yes! It’s always been a waste of money.
  
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  April 12, 2025 9:46am
- imalwaysright
  
  She should be the busiest public servant in the country if we are to believe the “media”…
  Aren’t we all supposed to be at each others throats?
  
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  April 12, 2025 10:46am
  - AitchW
    
    I suspect that her biggest problem is that the worst transgressors against racial harmony in NZ are the Maori Party and their fellow travelers. And you can’t admonish tangata whenua for appalling racism apparently.
    
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    April 12, 2025 11:43am
    - imalwaysright
      
      Correct Aitch.
      I think its called a Catch-22.
      
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      April 12, 2025 12:20pm
Maggy Wassilieff

$70.4 billion went on NZ’s covid response….

https://www.treasury.govt.nz/information-and-services/nz-economy/covid-19-economic-response/overview-covid-19-response-and-recovery-fund-crrf/covid-19-response-and-recovery-funding-allocation

Seems an extraordinary waste of money…
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April 12, 2025 9:25am
- Gravelroad
  
  Good grief – $26 billion for “social development”.
  What was the cost/benefit analysis of that then?
  A direct subsidy to supermarkets?
  Fast food vouchers?
  
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  April 12, 2025 9:45am
  - NothingLeft
    
    “social development’ = permanently fucked the education of a generation of kids. Vast numbers fell off the treadmill and never got adequately back on.
    
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    April 12, 2025 9:54am
    - pdm
      
      Yep – one of our grandsons included.
      
      However, he is doing very well now at age 20.
      
      Two and a bit years, with a couple of promotions, in an orchard and has willingly worked something like 18 days in a row at present at the peak of picking.
      
      Will have well earned a few days off, probably at Easter.
      
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      April 12, 2025 10:24am
- mogg
  
  They forgot to include how much was allocated towards keeping Jacinda’s popularity ratings sky high in order to buy the next election.
  Govt debt together with SOE self issued bonds (debt)
  at last count was costing NZ inc $8.8 billion per annum.
  
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  April 12, 2025 9:45am
  - I remember when
    
    mogg
    You forgot to add the attempt to keep Covid fear alive until the next election.
    
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    April 12, 2025 10:22am
    - imalwaysright
      
      Correct.
      The brave Parliament protestors put an end to her régime of fear and oppression.
      She knew it, but she wanted to see them get a beating, and so sent in Costers goons.
      
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      April 12, 2025 4:17pm
- Damocles11
  
  Covid gave Labour an excuse to borrow an enormous slush fund which was used for everything from a take-over of the media to rolling out a socialist school lunch programme to umpteen other schemes and boondoggles which filled the coffers and pockets of Labours chosen people. I can’t say here what I think of what went on but I do think that some people should be behind bars.
  
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  April 12, 2025 10:04am
- Burtland
  
  its interesting how, in such a short time, millions have become billions
  
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  April 12, 2025 10:08am
- NK
  
  Ardern saved 30,000 lives apparently. It always was nuts. Everything. The lockdowns. Mandates. The “safe and effective” V itself. Obscene State powers. The list goes on. Now our economy is utterly knackered and will remain so for a very long time. And, let’s not celebrate Medsafe now being able to approve medicines if two other jurisdictions have. David Seymour argued during Covid that the V had been given EUA by Fauci’s criminal organisation and Medsafe should have accepted that and just forged ahead with a mass vaccination program. To my mind, nothing scares me more than this new State power (see yesterday’s KB post).
  
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  April 12, 2025 11:14am
- Allan
  
  You only have to look at the totally unqualified and unsuitable bunch of muppets that were in charge at the time. Ardern, Robertson, Hipkins just to start. We will be paying the price for their utter incompetence and lack of real world experience for a long time and none of them will be held accountable for their irresponsible governance. They should be vilified and treated with utter contempt for the rest of their existence.
  
  16 2
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  April 12, 2025 12:05pm
  - AitchW
    
    The bunch of muppets which tore up the existing researched and carefully developed pandemic management plan and instead went for an extended lockdown. Was that the plan suggested to Ardern in a phone call to a friend in London?
    
    9 1
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    April 12, 2025 2:49pm
  - Paulus
    
    Remember they told Adrian Orr what do now that they had charge of the new Labour selected Committee.
    
    4 0
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    April 12, 2025 3:47pm
    - imalwaysright
      
      And Adrian has slipped out the back door and nobody knows why…
      
      6 0
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      April 12, 2025 4:21pm
      - AitchW
        
        Staggering incompetence perhaps?
        
        0 0
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        April 12, 2025 8:02pm
CJames

I think that is the understatement of the day Maggy. You need to put it in terms of how many hospitals it would have built, even at Labour’s bespoke prices.
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April 12, 2025 9:41am
- Ghost
  
  Probably not many at all. Andrew little’s $1.9 billion into mental health didn’t even buy any more beds…….
  
  16 2
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  April 12, 2025 9:46am
  - imalwaysright
    
    And where’s the $1.9 billion?
    Maybe the government doesn’t bother accounting for anything under $2 billion?
    Too much trouble and none of them can “do maths”…
    
    10 1
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    April 12, 2025 10:05am
  - R
    
    What did Andrew’s 1.9 billion buy?
    
    11 0
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    April 12, 2025 10:52am
    - NZer In Exile
      
      Lots of seat warmer public service salaries?
      
      6 0
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      April 12, 2025 5:01pm
  - mandk
    
    When Little was interviewed on this he couldn’t point to any outcomes.
    
    When he was pressed on this, all he could do was exclaim: ‘But the money’s been spent!’.
    
    10 0
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    April 12, 2025 11:35am
  - Paulus
    
    I wish I could find our more re the exponential growth of Mental Health in New Zealand – but so many doors are closed – why ?
    
    4 0
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    April 12, 2025 3:48pm
- AitchW
  
  And now the architect of all that ruinous spending swans round the world from pretend job to pretend job at obscene wages while those of us left try to pay the interest rates and grocery prices which are her legacy.
  When will the adoring liberals finally see that the empress has no clothes, or would that be just too much self awareness for them?
  
  21 3
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  April 12, 2025 9:46am
  - Master Mariner
    
    Yep, Greatest transfer of Wealth in NZ History.
    Loaded up Grandkids and there Kids with debt ( And Poverty).
    We need an Elon Musk to go through the numbers along with a Milei PM.
    Ended being a “Slush Fund” for ruling delinquents with nothing to show.
    
    14 1
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    April 12, 2025 10:34am
- AitchW
  
  How did so few spend so much for so little return?
  Little will be the perfect mayor for that Green/socialist disaster which is Wellington .
  
  20 3
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  April 12, 2025 9:47am
  - imalwaysright
    
    Apparently Little is running as a Realist.
    His campaign slogan is “Too Little, Too Late”.
    
    18 2
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    April 12, 2025 10:07am
    - Spring Bank Westie
      
      That’ll go perfectly with the WCC’s slogan “If it ain’t Woke, don’t fix it”.
      
      11 0
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      April 12, 2025 3:20pm
      - AitchW
        
        Brilliant SBW. That encapsulates the Ardern/Robertson/Hipkins debacle perfectly.
        
        1 0
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        April 12, 2025 8:04pm
- mogg
  
  Debt servicing alone would build four Dunedin hospitals each year.
  
  19 1
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  April 12, 2025 9:48am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  I only came across the figure this morning when a RNZ “explainer” was giving a breakdown on the increase in spending on Defence…($9 billion)
  
  https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday/audio/2018982937/defence-spending-boost-how-far-will-it-go
  
  But in terms of Hospitals… if the proposed new Dunedin Hospital is expected to be $3 billion, then it looks like we could easily have had 10 new hospitals and upgrades to all existing ones for $70 billion….
  
  19 2
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  April 12, 2025 9:53am
  - Mike
    
    I’d be grateful for your expert opinion on what the Covid-19 response should have cost.
    
    3 24
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    April 12, 2025 10:14am
    - Keith White
      
      Quarantine the ill, not the well, the same sane response for long human history.
      
      16 2
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      April 12, 2025 11:26am
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      expert opinion
      
      but as you well know, I’m no economist…just a poor taxpayer wondering where the hell the billion$ went…
      
      11 0
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      April 12, 2025 1:45pm
    - NZer In Exile
      
      Mike see the Swedish response. They chose sanity over group-think.
      
      6 0
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      April 12, 2025 5:03pm
  - Suze Wainwright
    
    I see that Labour’s solution to the current uncertainty created by the tariffs is that it’s time to spend, spend, spend… (again).
    
    10 1
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    April 12, 2025 11:03am
    - Suze Wainwright
      
      Bernard Hickey seems to agree with Labour’s approach. How odd.
      
      Interesting that the Treasury has given a ‘never again’ analysis to the previous COVID response…
      
      10 0
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      April 12, 2025 11:57am
  - NK
    
    $70BN on a worldwide promotional campaign for Dear Leader, that’s all that was.
    
    15 1
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    April 12, 2025 11:15am
  - AitchW
    
    Given Robertson’s track record the 3 billion hospital would have ended up closer to 10!
    
    8 0
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    April 12, 2025 2:51pm
    - NeverMindTheBollocks
      
      Grant Robertson seems to have been well overweight for all of his adult life.
      
      Let’s hope the Dunedin Hospital is in good nick when he needs it.
      
      I want him to live long enough to face the consequences of his wastefulness.
      
      1 0
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      April 12, 2025 8:49pm
PurplePen

There’s an irony. ODT reports today University of Otago climate scientist Prof Nicolas Cullen saying climate change … action needed to be taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions … glaciers … were also important for tourism. By the end of the century there would not be any glaciers left on valley floors and tourist attractions like Franz Josef would not be easily accessible for photo opportunities.

That would be all the tourists burning carbon either flying here or getting here by ship.
25 2
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April 12, 2025 9:54am
- I remember when
  
  Did he say whether the reduction of greenhouse gases will guarantee that glaciers recover?
  
  13 0
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  April 12, 2025 10:14am
  - PurplePen
    
    No. He didn’t. Good point.
    
    10 0
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    April 12, 2025 11:39am
Damocles11

Polkinghorne, Polkinghorne, Polkinghorne, Polkinghorne, the MSM continue their mad obsession with this tawdry and pitifully sad story. Mr Polkinghorne is old, white, and wealthy, and television ads have taught me that old white people are New Zealands biggest criminals, doing everything from stealing cars to jumping out of restaurant windows to avoid paying the bill. So now we are getting a ‘Polkinghorne’ TV document, along with continued Herald articles trawling over the increasingly thin gruel of what has already been established. When is the second rate feature film starring Sam Neil as ‘Polkinghorne’?
In an honest country we’d get a documentary on the fate of the Kahui twins, baby Ruthless Empire, and all the others who are being snuffed out in the cruelest ways imaginable. But this is not an honest country, this is a deeply dishonest country that many people no longer recognise.
30 1
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April 12, 2025 9:59am
- kowtow
  
  Given the media/entertainment world’s current faddish fetish with all things of “colour” I doubt Sam Neill would be in the running .
  
  More likely they’d want Morgan Freeman.
  
  7 1
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  April 12, 2025 1:36pm
  - NZer In Exile
    
    MF is not a fan of BLM and related idiocy.
    
    2 1
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    April 12, 2025 5:10pm
rouppe

Opinion piece in Stuff today with Robert Patman opining on the possible outcomes from Trumps tariff war. One comment he makes:

“At the moment, the administration seems to have a problem with the truth, and it also seems to have a problem of actually being competent.

“Trump has picked much of his team on the basis of loyalty, not competence, and I’m afraid he’s going to pay a big price for that in the months ahead,” Patman says.

Pity he wasn’t so forthright with every Labour government this century.
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April 12, 2025 10:02am
- kowtow
  
  Or Biden’s acuity .
  
  While Trump might pick loyalists to surround him do these “experts” know who actually picked Biden’s team , cos Biden sure as hell won’t have .
  
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  April 12, 2025 11:54am
- In Vino Veritas
  
  Just remember rouppe, it’s Patmans opinion only. Patman is a University lecturer. Therefore his ability to judge people’s competence or not, is highly debatable.
  
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  April 12, 2025 1:31pm
I remember when

Alwyn Poole, “I would argue that unbalanced tariffs are a disaster -”

Is this the part of the tariff debate that is going unspoken?
It’s not tariffs, it’s when free trade means that a single country produces the majority of a product.
The advantages of free trade and a cheap labour source become the economic driver.
5 2
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April 12, 2025 10:11am
Burtland

Climate tax on shipping goes head – UN’s International Maritime Organisation passes agreement to take effect in 2027

“$100 for every ton of greenhouse gases emitted by ships – the thresholds will get stricter over time to try to reach the IMO’s goal of net zero across the industry by about 2050.”

the UN’s climate juggernaut continues – jet fuel next

https://apnews.com/article/shipping-emissions-climate-change-98ff23ca4739d8b4fc5a8f941a7ca0c4
9 1
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April 12, 2025 10:34am
- AitchW
  
  And meanwhile UN executives still fly round the world in private jets telling us to use paper straws. At least little Greta Thunberg has moved on to wearing a keffiyeh.
  
  16 3
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  April 12, 2025 11:57am
- Mod88
  
  Unless we all pull out of the UN. It’s as crooked as a dogs hind leg anyway. The US has pulled out of the WHO and they’re pleading poverty already. The United Nations is a failed Institution.
  
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  April 12, 2025 3:20pm
  - AitchW
    
    I have a terrible feeling that the UN is a bit like democracy, the worst form of international body except for all the others….
    (No offence intended to Churchill)
    
    2 0
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    April 12, 2025 5:28pm
Anthony Melchett

A college economics professor stated that he had never failed an exam, but he once failed an entire group.

That class insisted that socialism is functional and that no one should be poor and no one rich, everyone is EQUAL!

The teacher told them, “OK, we will do an experiment on socialism in this group.
All grades will be averaged, and everyone will get the same grade, so no one will fail and no one will get a 10.”
After the first test, the grades were added up and divided by the number of students, and everyone got an 8.
The students who studied intensively were upset, but those who studied less were overjoyed.

As the second test approached, the students who had studied a little learned even less, and those who had studied more intensively told themselves that they also wanted a “handout”, so they also studied less. The average of the second test was 6! When the third test was given, the average score was 4. To the great surprise of all the students, they all failed.

It couldn’t be a simpler explanation.

The teacher told them that socialism will eventually fail because when half the population sees that they can not work, because the other half will take care of them, and when the half that worked realizes that there is no point in working anymore , because others are the beneficiaries of their labor, then that is the end of any nation…
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April 12, 2025 10:42am
- Pineapple Lumps
  
  The only difference between the classroom and real life is that when everyone failed they didn’t get to vote out the professor and bring in the next one who promised they would all get 10’s.
  
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  April 12, 2025 12:37pm
Pineapple Lumps

Well done David Seymour for having the courage to stand up against the racist separatist Te Tiriti movement. The battle was lost very early in the debate but the war must go on.

Young, non-maori NZers are the most impacted by the racism – particularly white and asian NZers. Missing out on places in educational institutions, opportunities in the performing arts, jobs in workplaces etc. Our parliament has done these people no favours and the outcome is they have less commitment to our country. Many will leave and seek opportunities elsewhere. There is clearly no good in playing on a heavily tilted field.

So the war must continue until all NZers have equal opportunities for success. The longer we take to fix this the harder it becomes. Those advantaged by the tilted field become more and more entitled. Expecting more and more advantage.

The non-tax status of Iwi is just another example of racism. Maori don’t need to pay their share of tax. Why not? When will they need to pay their share? Just wait to hear the outrage if we propose to change this to a level playing field. So in the meantime Iwi business is advantaged over everyone else – even maori sole trader/entreprenuers.

If you aren’t prepared to fight against racism for the good of our young people then don’t complain when the believers in brown entitlement get privileged treatment to health care. How far can this go? When do the they sell tickets to venues where the best are reserved on the basis of race? Their vote counts for multiples more than yours etc

So well done David Seymour for your courage!
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April 12, 2025 11:42am
Swifty

A question for riffer.

Do you believe Curia polls are somehow dodgy? Cannot be trusted? Slanted or predetermined?

https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2025/04/general_debate_11_april_2025.html#comment-3704950

Grateful for your thoughts riffer.
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April 12, 2025 11:58am
- riffer
  
  TBH I don’t have a lot of info other than what I’ve read about Curia’s exit from the Research Association of New Zealand and their breaches of the standards of the RANZ code.
  
  So, in the absence of enough information on the matter, I’d say I harbour concerns about their practices.
  
  Whether they are hugely different from other pollsters in that respect, I’m not so sure. I believe all polling is a bit dodgy in that the questions are designed to engineer a result that follows the politics of those who pay for them.
  
  So can we trust Curia? As much as we can trust anyone else, I reckon. I tend to have a cynical view of all pollsters.
  
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  April 12, 2025 12:32pm
  - Swifty
    
    Thanks riffer. I guess that means that we can safely disregard as worthless any polling that comes from Labour and the Greens then.
    
    DPF, if you see this perhaps you’d care to comment.
    
    “I believe all polling is a bit dodgy in that the questions are designed to engineer a result that follows the politics of those who pay for them.”
    
    8 2
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    April 12, 2025 12:41pm
Ian Boag

Nicola Willis said the Government would cut operational and capital spending even more to achieve a Budget surplus by 2027/28. That even tighter fiscal policy conflicts with the Reserve Bank’s easing of monetary policy, which it continued this week

So who’s right here? RBNZ (loosen) or Willis (tighten)?

And while we are looking at that issue, where is the extra $3bn/year for defence coming from? Bearing in mind that firing public servants saves about $1m for every 5 fired and not replaced – so $1bn = 5000 firings give or take a bit. 15,000 to save $3bn. That’s for this year and the same again for each of the next couple of years. That’ll work.

They could always rat the health budget while they are at it – all those oldies needing elective surgery (hip replacements and stuff) could just grit their teeth and pay for them …. People needing expensive drugs that only defer the date of death should just put their affairs in order … If they put some comfy chairs in EDs, then a 15-hour wait wouldn’t be so bad.
5 5
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April 12, 2025 12:38pm
goNZ1

air new zealands new uniform is all-in for the Special people. The only thing missing is compulsory face scribbles and patu
12 6
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April 12, 2025 1:14pm
- Don Beckett
  
  Luxon would approve.
  
  6 4
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  April 12, 2025 2:09pm
- Ghost
  
  Is it not more the special people such has yourself have seen a Samoan man wearing a lavalava and you don’t understand what a lavalava is?
  
  6 2
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  April 12, 2025 2:34pm
  - kowtow
    
    How practical in an emergency .
    
    Or is looking “diverse” more important than passenger and crew safety .
    
    7 2
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    April 12, 2025 4:00pm
- AitchW
  
  Maori motifs on AirNZ uniforms play well with tourists. Keep em happy so they spend lots of money here!
  
  5 3
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  April 12, 2025 2:53pm
- greybeard
  
  As I posted in GD yesterday:
  “I can’t see any European symbols : no Roses, Thistles, Leeks or Shamrocks anywhere.
  We don’t exist any more.
  I protest.”
  
  5 1
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  April 12, 2025 5:08pm
Steve Otto N Shore

21 Reasons David’s Seymour’s Bill Was A Great Success.
This is actually Part one. There is a lot to cover.
So the media is suggesting the David and his Party lost the debate, and according to them he did. But media are big on you lost, we won.
Video 18.46.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOfy3G1_CZU
9 4
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April 12, 2025 2:05pm
- sungsamning
  
  Mmm… I was going to post that tomorrow. You saved me the effort. Interesting video.
  
  4 2
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  April 12, 2025 3:24pm
  - Steve Otto N Shore
    
    I only skipped through it. I will watch in full in the morning.
    I copped a head injury last Saturday, been concussed every since.
    Seems Julian Batchelor is exposing Luxon’s behaviour.
    
    3 2
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    April 12, 2025 6:40pm
- Dave
  
  A post in The Centrist plausibly argues that the majority of NZ supported the bill.
  
  https://centrist.nz/media-mps-out-of-step-with-voters-on-treaty-principles-bill-data-deep-dive/
  
  6 1
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  April 12, 2025 5:13pm
  - Steve Otto N Shore
    
    Thanks I am on the Centrist emailing list but I have not seen it. (concussion atm)
    So who is holding this information back? Not what is, who is?
    
    2 2
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    April 12, 2025 6:45pm
NK

https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/other/police-force-teaches-officers-about-white-privilege-in-training/ar-AA1CL7FY?ocid=entnewsntp&pc=U531&cvid=194cb3a920554047d281f86743cc883a&ei=9
5 2
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April 12, 2025 3:04pm
- Inandout
  
  NK, and our Police engage in other things.
  https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/police-college-proposal/URIEU2DG4M43MVQAUAVV2BKQSI/
  
  0 0
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  April 12, 2025 4:14pm
Chuck Bird

Liam Lawson has come ahead of his Japanese replacement in practice 1 & 2.
3 2
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April 12, 2025 3:11pm
- Stu2
  
  So what?
  
  He is in an easier to drive car in a lesser event – needs consistent good finishes
  
  1 1
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  April 12, 2025 3:37pm
  - greybeard
    
    If Racing Bulls cars are “easier to drive” why are the supposedly better drivers in the Red Bulls team in the other ones ?
    
    0 1
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    April 12, 2025 5:03pm
- herb1
  
  That isnt relevant . What is relevant is he’s finished behind his teammate in the same car, which also happened last week.
  
  2 0
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  April 12, 2025 4:09pm
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  S0 what?
  he was much faster than Tsunoda in the 2nd practice run last week…at Suzuka.
  
  https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/sport/557219/f1-lawson-pips-tsunoda-in-stop-start-practice-session
  
  It’s what happens on Sunday that counts.
  
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  April 12, 2025 4:21pm
Inandout

There may be a link between tattooing and skin cancer. Thank goodness the craze to smother one’s body with ink may be on the decline.
https://scitechdaily.com/concerning-new-research-links-tattoo-ink-to-increased-cancer-risk/

There is no going back as even laser removal is risky.
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April 12, 2025 4:23pm
NZer In Exile

An interesting take on China from a China watcher:

The Hoover Institution.
Empire of Illusion: Frank Dikötter on Why China Isn’t a Superpower:

https://www.hoover.org/research/empire-illusion-frank-dikotter-why-china-isnt-superpower
1 1
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April 12, 2025 4:35pm
Gravelroad

Now that Mr Seymour’s treaty bill has been successfully dumped, I see on Te News tonight that school lunches are back on their activist agenda.
Complete with solemn contributions about school lunches from Mr Hipkins, although not sure quite what it has got to do with him.
Come on TV people. You’ve had a good run since Christmas about this subject.
You have scored a lot of easy anti-government points,
But now it is just boring.
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April 12, 2025 6:40pm
AitchW

If school lunches are the worst that this government has done, it’s doing pretty bloody well.
3 1
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April 12, 2025 8:08pm
- Stu2
  
  What about what it hasn’t done?
  
  0 0
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  April 12, 2025 9:42pm

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