General Debate 29 June 2012

June 29th, 2012 at 8:00 am by Kokila Patel
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171 Responses to “General Debate 29 June 2012”

  1. Colville (749) Says:

    Where is everyone?

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  2. Lance (1,945) Says:

    Kim Dotcom the 3rd most famous NZer?

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  3. barry (1,317) Says:

    The police are starting to look like keystone cops.

    ACC used them as bit players to put pressure on Pulmer (and ACC should be charged with wasting police time but wont be)

    And now the Kim Dotcom ruling shows that the leadership are probably illiterate and a bit stupid.

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  4. Pete George (17,596) Says:

    Someone calling themselves “colin” has posted at The Standard:

    “David Garrett” Alias “BIG BRUV”, “the most disliked person in Kaukapakapa”.

    http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-29062012/comment-page-1/#comment-488385

    There’s as much chance of big bruv being David Garrett as there is of The Standard moderation being fair and balanced.

    Outing an indentity – even when wrong – is stated as a major crime at The Standard, and this has been pointed out as a transgression in comments, but so far no action has been taken. This is a far more blatant offence than several people have been banned for in the last couple of days there.

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  5. Fletch (4,314) Says:

    Chrome browser now available for iPhone and iPad.

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  6. Colville (749) Says:

    PG, you expect a level playing field and fairness at The Standard?
    I see the joking has started early here :-)

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  7. Scott Chris (4,873) Says:

    Smoking “vaccine” blocks nicotine in brains of mice

    Smokers could one day be immunised against nicotine so they gain no pleasure from the habit, according to researchers in the US.

    They have devised a vaccine that floods the body with an antibody to assault nicotine entering the body.

    So you can smoke to look cool as a kid without getting hooked. Great!

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  8. Keeping Stock (8,809) Says:

    @ Pete – I’ve been banned by Lynn Prentice for criticising the tardy moderation over at The Standard. Being critical of the moderators is far more of a hanging offence than inciting violence, defamation and “outing” of commeters, it would seem.

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  9. Scott Chris (4,873) Says:

    PG, you’ve become a Standard stalker.

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  10. Lipo (219) Says:

    I really don’t know why you guys head over to that place. You know what is going to happen before you get there yet still turn up.
    When I first visited there a year or so ago I was shocked that people with this rational of thinking still lived in New Zealand. I thought it better to leave them to it in their cave and look around some where else. Certainly makes the day more positive

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  11. immigant (950) Says:

    Turia got her ass handed to her this morning on NR by some big wig from the Women’s Refuge association. Blatantly said that Turia knew everything and did not care. Interesting how this will pan out. I recon one of Turia’s extended ‘whanau’ ran teh refuge. I bet you.

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  12. db.. (74) Says:

    Griff, Where are you?

    http://thegwpf.org/opinion-pros-a-cons/6067-andrew-mckillop-whatever-happened-to-climate-change-crisis.html

    db..

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  13. TheContrarian (728) Says:

    Good stuff USA…I don’t like Obama much but this transcends politics

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/7191171/US-Supreme-Court-upholds-health-law

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  14. Tauhei Notts (1,260) Says:

    Immigrant;
    We have a a bet, but I want odds of 50 to one in my favour.
    I need odds like that when betting against a racecourse certainty.

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  15. immigant (950) Says:

    @Tauhei Notts

    Not sure if you are trolling me or agreeing. I think you are agreeing.

    New headline for the Huruld if it had the balls to investigate. “Nepotism – New Zealand, we have it!”

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  16. graham (1,898) Says:

    I agree, Lipo. I know Pete’s rationale for frequenting The Standard, but I long ago gave it away.

    I found it a nasty, bitter, sad little corner of the Internet. It is very negative, and when I did read it I found myself thinking that some of the regulars were so bitter and depressed that sooner or later they’d commit suicide.

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  17. TheContrarian (728) Says:

    @Graham

    The Standard has some truly awful people on it. I have grudging respect for couple of them but once identified on The Standard as “someone who disagreed with what I just said” then you are forever questioned, challenged and ad hom’ed over the simplest of disagreements

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  18. Keeping Stock (8,809) Says:

    The Dotcom fiasco is not the NZ Police’s finest hour. Whilst Peter Marshall was an outstanding choice as replacement Commissioner for Howard Broad, there’s clearly still a lot of work to be done, and it seems that the Police may also have been badly advised by Crown Law.

    That said, I’m still not convinced that Dotcom is nothing more than a rich eccentric; but if the Police are going in on a hunt for evidence, it must be done by the book.

    http://keepingstock.blogspot.co.nz/2012/06/dotcom-fiasco.html

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  19. Say Goodbye to Hollywood (541) Says:

    The Standard is a circle jerk of idiots slapping each other on the back for a job well done. The issue for them is they are a miniority and should be ignored.
    PG you seem to expect a diffenrent outcome when you visit, I’m not sure who is more the idiot, them or you.

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  20. Colville (749) Says:

    The Standard has its place in the world if only to make you very happy that you dont/wont/cant think like that.

    I love the way Lynn”boy with a girls name” Prentice slaggs off your comments from a position of moderation and if you disagree with him he bans you.

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  21. Pete George (17,596) Says:

    It’s like when Redbaiter was a regular menace here – if no one stands up to them they keep throwing crap. Speaking up can make a difference.

    I was just going to give an example, no one responded to my queries about disappearing comments on Red Alert but suddently this morning I could comment there again. Except that just now my second comment which went up for a few minutes has disappeared.

    But the campaign for open dialogue will continue. Clare Curran does support it, sometimes. Maybe that will eventually apply to her blog.

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  22. Scott Chris (4,873) Says:

    I have grudging respect for couple of them but once identified on The Standard as “someone who disagreed with what I just said” then you are forever questioned, challenged and ad hom’ed over the simplest of disagreements

    Contrarian, the quality of discourse is possibly highest at Public Address, but somehow mud-wrestling on Kiwiblog is more fun.

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  23. Mark (1,121) Says:

    Parata at a meeting with school trustees has admitted that National standards data is imperfect but wants league tables as parents have a right to know.

    Parents already get the data on their child but that aside it beggars belief that this government is pushing league tables hard when the can not put in a proper national standards programme.

    I support the concept of National standards, I ambivalent about league tables but I am dead against league tables based on poor data as they will simply be misleading and place unreasonable pressures on schools to simply fudge the data.

    It is lunacy that National Standards are not independently moderated. At least NCEA has that when league tables are made for secondary schools.

    I tend to think this is more about parents whose children go to upper decile schools being able to beat their chests than any real desire to help kids.

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  24. TheContrarian (728) Says:

    @Colville

    I remember my first meeting with Lynn…

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  25. Keeping Stock (8,809) Says:

    @ SGTH and Pete George – then you get this kind of comment on the very same Standard thread:

    vto 8
    29 June 2012 at 8:05 am

    I reckon Gerry Browlee has pretty much turned himself into a joke. Suggesting that people should not inhabit red zone houses and instead pay squillions to selfish landlords or live in cars and tents etc is just plain dumb.

    Get this… there are countless absolutely fine houses in the red zone. Remember that these areas are zoned red becuase of land damage, NOT because of house damage. Of course many are wrecked and many are broken but there are even more many that are absolutely fine. Warm, sheltered, safe.

    Why the fuck does the bozo not want people to inhabit them? I betcha it will be for other reasons – such as cause him political problems in trying to get the people out later. It will be all about that, and his political situation.

    Brownlee deserves complete contempty for this and people will be moving in and telling him to shove a broken house up his f%#@ing fat arse. Prick.

    So; looking beyond the ad-hom, vto seems to be suggesting that it is perfectly acceptable to go and live, without authorisation and rent-free, in property that is owned by someone else. Isn’t that taking the old socialist mantra of “what’s yours is mine” to extremes?

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  26. hj (3,854) Says:

    What nerve has David Garrett hit?

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  27. hj (3,854) Says:

    Catholic Church opposes contraception in Philipines
    “In an interview, CBCP–Episcopal Commission on Family and Life executive secretary Fr. Melvin Castro said the Catholic Church will remain opposed to the government’s efforts to proliferate family planning devices, believing it to be a real effort to control life.

    “Contraceptives, by their very nature, are for population control. So let us not invoke maternal deaths as reasons for pushing for population control,” Castro said.”
    http://www.sunstar.com.ph/breaking-news/2012/06/19/priest-scores-doh-masking-population-control-anew-227619

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  28. Scott Chris (4,873) Says:

    vto seems to be suggesting that it is perfectly acceptable to go and live, without authorisation and rent-free, in property that is owned by someone else.

    Not that I agree with his conclusions, but I don’t think vto is suggesting that at all. I think he’s saying it’s safe to live in your own house if it’s safe but red zoned rather than, say, a tent.

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  29. RRM (7,258) Says:

    That’s not a very flattering article about David Garrett…

    But then, the media coverage in the news about structural engineering issues since the Chch earthquakes has shown me that you shouldn’t take anything the news media presents too seriously… The info is probably about 45% correct, 20% wrong and 35% irrelevant, and the junior news boys and girls won’t hesitate to use the 35% and the 20% to draw sweeping conclusions that would be almost funny, if they weren’t so tragically farcical..

    I am pretty certain DG is not Big Bruv, the two of them are clearly kindred spirits but there are fundamental differences in their writing styles; you can’t fake that unless you are very very good.

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  30. jims_whare (328) Says:

    The best thing about The Standard, is it is a meeting place for all the activist left loonies in this country. Hopefully the GCSB monitors the site and records all the IP addresses of all the left nut commentators.

    They can keep track of the nutters so there is no repeat of the Eurewera scenario.

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  31. TheContrarian (728) Says:

    @Jim

    I don’t think any of those people at The Standard have the courage of their convictions. Internet tough guys.

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  32. Keeping Stock (8,809) Says:

    Rafael Nadal exits Wimbeldon in the second round, beaten in five sets by Lukas Rosol. Already the BBC is claiming that the “draw has opened up for Andy Murray”.

    But there’s not mother way to say it; Raffa got Rosoled!

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  33. MT_Tinman (2,228) Says:

    RRM (4,875) Says:
    June 29th, 2012 at 9:12 am

    I am pretty certain DG is not Big Bruv, the two of them are clearly kindred spirits but there are fundamental differences in their writing styles; you can’t fake that unless you are very very good.

    The fact that they live in different places, look different, have different families and different names and occupations suggest you may be correct.

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  34. David Garrett (3,812) Says:

    I dont THINK I am Big Brother…but then things are so confusing these days…

    I wonder if it’s coincidental that this is happening a day or two after the pestilience was lifted here?

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  35. Other_Andy (2,074) Says:

    @TheContrarian

    “Good stuff USA…I don’t like Obama much but this transcends politics”

    No it doesn’t. It is another powergrab by the federal government, another (As SCOTUS stated) tax. While Obama supporters might think this is a victory for them, I wonder….

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  36. TheContrarian (728) Says:

    @Other_Andy

    Yeah, fuck looking after people who can’t afford to pay hundreds of dollars for medication after their insurance company drops them when it is is discovered they had cancer before the signed their coverage therefore it comes under a “pre-existing condition”

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  37. Brian Smaller (3,835) Says:

    Contarian – correct me if I am wrong but the Supreme court ruled that Obamacare was a tax and that it was constitutional for the federal government to levy taxes. I think that is as far as it goes – until it gets repealed. The White House has spent the last four years DENYING it was a tax.

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  38. Manolo (9,936) Says:

    Obama, poster child for an entitlement society, taxes across the board, and increasing government intervention.
    Let’s hope this false messiah is defeated in November.

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  39. KiwiGreg (2,798) Says:

    Well at least they can stop calling it “insurance”

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  40. KiwiGreg (2,798) Says:

    @ Manolo fingers crossed but expectations low

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  41. TheContrarian (728) Says:

    @Brian

    “The White House has spent the last four years DENYING it was a tax.” That is true.

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  42. Viking2 (9,483) Says:

    Keeping Stock (7,793) Says:
    June 29th, 2012 at 8:46 am

    The Dotcom fiasco is not the NZ Police’s finest hour. Whilst Peter Marshall was an outstanding choice as replacement Commissioner for Howard Broad, there’s clearly still a lot of work to be done, and it seems that the Police may also have been badly advised by Crown Law.

    That said, I’m still not convinced that Dotcom is nothing more than a rich eccentric; but if the Police are going in on a hunt for evidence, it must be done by the book.

    http://keepingstock.blogspot.co.nz/2012/06/dotcom-fiasco.html

    Well not even graceful in defeat then.
    For someone who professes s right wing sympathies you exhibit plenty of socialist attitudes.

    The question of the day should and must be which Judge signed the faulty search warrants and is that judge resigning forthwith?

    The second Question must surely be what did the Attorney General Know and what did he sanction and who in Cabinet also knew?
    Both go to the core of this.

    And of course;
    When can we expect someone from Crown Law to fall on their sword and when can we expect the current American ambassador to quit for his part?

    Perhaps Winkleman H could bend her mind to requesting the answers to those questions. After all they were complicit, one would assume,in requesting the Police to break the Law.

    One can have little confidence in a Crown Law Dept. that failed so badly with its advice and even less when the advice is taken up by and Attourney General who is a lawyer and is the defender of Law in NZ.

    Lets have some answers and some resignations ala ACC style.

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  43. Weihana (3,184) Says:

    Other_Andy (1,688) Says:
    June 29th, 2012 at 9:34 am

    @TheContrarian

    “Good stuff USA…I don’t like Obama much but this transcends politics”

    No it doesn’t. It is another powergrab by the federal government, another (As SCOTUS stated) tax. While Obama supporters might think this is a victory for them, I wonder….

    You another one of those people that’s never going to need healthcare? :)

    The US is plagued by a populace that waits till the last minute to address their health issues before going bankrupt because they can’t afford the costs.

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  44. Other_Andy (2,074) Says:

    @TheContrarian

    “Yeah, fuck looking after people who can’t afford to pay hundreds of dollars for medication after their insurance company drops them when it is is discovered they had cancer before the signed their coverage therefore it comes under a “pre-existing condition”

    First, expletives don’t give your arguments more weight.
    Secondly, try reading your own statement and then mine again.
    You argue that this “…transcends politics”. Well, I have news for you, it doesn’t.
    You might think it “transcends politics” but that doesn’t make it so…..

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  45. TheContrarian (728) Says:

    “First, expletives don’t give your arguments more weight.”
    Yeah but it makes me feel like a big man

    “Secondly, try reading your own statement and then mine again.”
    No.

    “You argue that this “…transcends politics”. Well, I have news for you, it doesn’t.”
    Heathcare for those who can’t afford it should transcend politics. Even though this is a little bit of a half assed attempt.

    “You might think it “transcends politics” but that doesn’t make it so…..”
    As above (I don’t think this decision at all ‘transcends’ politics but fixing the problem should)

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  46. Weihana (3,184) Says:

    Brian Smaller (3,600) Says:
    June 29th, 2012 at 9:40 am

    Contarian – correct me if I am wrong but the Supreme court ruled that Obamacare was a tax and that it was constitutional for the federal government to levy taxes. I think that is as far as it goes – until it gets repealed. The White House has spent the last four years DENYING it was a tax.

    I would agree with the SCOTUS, it’s a tax. But the administration also has a point in that it is their position that the “tax” will make the system work more efficiently and that everyone needs healthcare. But the administration is handicapped by a toxic political climate in which taxes are viewed as inherently bad because the government never does anything of value (unless it’s invading a foreign country).

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  47. TheContrarian (728) Says:

    “because the government never does anything of value (unless it’s invading a foreign country).”

    Or stopping woman from making decisions about their own bodies.

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  48. RightNow (5,392) Says:

    Eric Holder voted to be held in contempt of congress:

    The GOP-led House voted Thursday to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress for failing to provide key information pertaining to Operation Fast and Furious, making Holder the first sitting Cabinet member to be held in contempt.
    The vote was 255 to 67. Seventeen Democrats joined the majority of Republicans in voting yes. GOP Rep. Dan Lipinski voted not present, and 65 Democrats left the floor before the vote.

    Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/06/28/house-holds-holder-contempt/#ixzz1z7z2myQY

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  49. tom hunter (3,852) Says:

    Seventeen Democrats joined the majority of Republicans in voting yes.

    So it’s bipartisanship in action as Democrats and Republicans join together to do the right thing and rise above politics.

    Excellent.

    Presumably this will be added to the discussion about that 5-4 SCOTUS ruling on Obamacare – as examples of sober and judicious thinking – not like those “controversial” and “partisan” 5-4 decisions that went against left-wing ideas after “bitter” fights that divided and demoralised the country. The ones that the US left was having a melt-down about yesterday. Today apparently all is sweetness and light about SCOTUS for the first time in years – because the left got what it wanted. I guess the Supreme Court is legitimate after all. Funny how that happens.

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  50. Other_Andy (2,074) Says:

    @TheContrarian

    “Or stopping woman from making decisions about their own bodies.”

    Do you really buy into this left-wing group identity propaganda or are you just contrarian for contrarian sake?

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  51. Manolo (9,936) Says:

    More taxes in the US: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/jun/28/curl-roberts-to-the-rescue-for-romney/

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  52. RightNow (5,392) Says:

    “65 Democrats left the floor before the vote.” – Fast
    ““What is happening here is shameful,” said Pelosi” -Furious

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  53. TheContrarian (728) Says:

    @Other_Andy

    Sorry, I take you don’t think that several US states are committing sustained attacks on the availability of birth control and abortion.

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  54. Keeping Stock (8,809) Says:

    @ Viking2 – I was listening to Leighton Smith on Newstalk ZB between 8.30 and 9am. He read out an e-mail from someone who clearly knew quite a lot about the case. It sounds as though Crown Law leaned on the Police to execute the search warrants, even though senior police had doubts over the legitimacy of the warrants.

    I agree that questions need to be answered, and I am sure that is already happening behind the scenes. But as far as Dotcom goes, the fact that illegal search warrants were used to search his property does not automatically absolve him of any guilt. Do not forget that a Grand Jury in the US handed down indictments against him and others involved in Megauploads and related companies, based on an extensive investigation. Those indictments were handed down BEFORE his property in New Zealand was raided. He still has a case to answer in the US; that is a statement of fact, not an expression of being graceful or otherwise in defeat.

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  55. Weihana (3,184) Says:

    tom hunter,

    One only needs to emphasize the partisan nature of the decision when it’s the wrong decision. :)

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  56. Weihana (3,184) Says:

    Keeping Stock,

    Do not forget that a Grand Jury in the US handed down indictments against him and others involved in Megauploads and related companies, based on an extensive investigation.

    I wouldn’t hold much faith in the intelligence or competence of your average Joe Idiot who sits on a grand jury. Especially when they hear one side of a story.

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  57. Weihana (3,184) Says:

    Keeping Stock,

    He still has a case to answer in the US; that is a statement of fact, not an expression of being graceful or otherwise in defeat.

    True. But that depends on the outcome of the extradition process and that “case” is based on an untested and imaginative interpretation of the law.

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  58. Scott Chris (4,873) Says:

    The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld most of President Obama’s health care overhaul law, saying it was authorized by Congress’s power to levy taxes. The vote was 5 to 4, with Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. joining the court’s four more liberal members.

    The whole idea that a judge could be liberal or conservative makes no sense to me.

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  59. TheContrarian (728) Says:

    “The whole idea that a judge could be liberal or conservative makes no sense to me.”

    In the US everything is either liberal or conservative, socialism or capitalism, communism or authoritarianism.
    A political structure of extremes.

    (I know I am generalising.)

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  60. Other_Andy (2,074) Says:

    @TheContrarian

    “Sorry, I take you don’t think that several US states are committing sustained attacks on the availability of birth control and abortion.”

    I suppose you are hinting at the requirement for ultrasounds before abortions? Your statement can be reversed as in “Several US states are trying to protect the rights of the unborn child and are trying to prevent women from making uninformed decissions.” You can either be for or against this but calling this an “attack on the availability abortion” is untrue and not based on facts.
    As for the “attack on the availability of birth control”, this is completely untrue. Nobody wants to limit the availability of birth control as in contraception. Some Americans (Don’t have the numbers) just think that if people want to use contraception, they should pay for it themselves. They don’t want to pay for other people’s contraception……

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  61. Pete George (17,596) Says:

    Say you’re with me…

    This is a good day for millions of Americans who can continue to benefit from the protections and economic security provided by the Affordable Care Act.

    While the Supreme Court’s decision should put to rest the debate over health care, Mitt Romney and the Republicans in Congress just can’t take yes for an answer.

    My opponent said a short while ago that the first thing he would try to do as president is repeal the health care law. We can’t allow that to happen. So we have to win this election.

    Say you’re with me on the Affordable Care Act:

    http://my.democrats.org/This-Decision

    Thank you for all that you do.

    Barack

    Authentic email just received. But I don’t do anything there.

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  62. Nostalgia-NZ (3,513) Says:

    Keepingstock 10.32

    Following that line of argument you end up with a situation that the upholders of the law can break it when it suits them, ‘even the police has misgivings’. So that a party on one side having allegedly broken the law are prosecuted by the party that have broken the law. I think you need to work on that, particularly the ‘absolved’ from guilt part. Like how you prove ‘alleged’ guilt by illegal acts from which the first party can’t be absolved from, in your view, anyway.

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  63. KH (680) Says:

    Where is DPFs comment on Turia’s apparent fibbing about the so called ‘refuge’.

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  64. KiwiGreg (2,798) Says:

    “the fact that illegal search warrants were used to search his property does not automatically absolve him of any guilt. ”

    No but may taint the admissability of evidence gathered during the illegal search.

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  65. TheContrarian (728) Says:

    ““attack on the availability abortion” is untrue and not based on facts.”

    Apart from the lone abortion clinic in Mississippi which is now facing shut down after layer upon layer of law is applied to restrict and rescind access to abortion.

    “Several US states are trying to protect the rights of the unborn child and are trying to prevent women from making uninformed decissions.”

    By insisting the have an ultrasound shoved inside them? Interesting.

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  66. Scott Chris (4,873) Says:

    Sorry, I take you don’t think that several US states are committing sustained attacks on the availability of birth control and abortion.

    Not that I disagree with your point, but I think that the way in which the policy is characterized as being a ‘War on Women’ is as inane as the conservative claim that the real ‘War on Women’ is coming from Democrats against conservative women and unborn women.

    I mean, you either buy into that partisan crap or you don’t but it’s a shame so many are blind to their own partisan crap.

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  67. TheContrarian (728) Says:

    “Not that I disagree with your point, but I think that the way in which the policy is characterized as being a ‘War on Women’ is as inane as the conservative claim that the real ‘War on Women’ is coming from Democrats against conservative women and unborn women.”

    Agree

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  68. tom hunter (3,852) Says:

    One only needs to emphasize …

    It’s more the nature of the “emphasize”.

    I’ve read plenty of Republican opinions over the years that castigated the SCOTUS for one decision or another – but when it comes to the left disagreeing with them it’s the full range of angry-eyes emotional meltdown – and not from run-of-the-mill clowns nobody has heard of but people like James Fallows. Did you see his hysteria the other day? He imagined a GOP “coup” via the Supreme Court, starting with a 5-4 decision by extremist right-wing judges that puts a hardline conservative in power that enables more conservative judges to be put on the court that overturns the great caring legislation of the age and yada, yada, yada ….

    Insanity from people who are almost always proclaimed as not insane. Presumably he, Reich, and a whole other bunch of Democrat luminaries are sober again today.

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  69. F E Smith (2,531) Says:

    So I have a question for everybody.  Why is it that when legal aid costs go up after the Government widens the eligibility criteria, the Minister of Justice decides that the system is being rorted and criminal lawyers who accept legal aid assignments are fraudsters, and is happy to say that repeatedly, but when Crown Solicitor’s costs go up by 60% in 5 years, despite only a 2% increase in prosecutions, that is ok but we have to try harder to get costs back to 2009 levels? 

     When is the Minister of Justice going to accuse the Crown Solicitors of rorting the system? Of being fraudsters?  When are we going to have the Minister tell us that he is going to set up a Public Prosecutions Office?  Or are we ok with Crown prosecutors rorting the system but not happy when defence lawyers get more income for doing more work?

    Consider this:  the Crown Solicitors rates are reviewed on a regular basis and have been subject to raises often.  Legal Aid rates have have one raise in the last 15 years and have now been subject to a 10% cut, which means we are at similar rates as were paid in 1992.

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  70. Keeping Stock (8,809) Says:

    @ KiwiGreg; and that is the point I was making to Viking2. The Grand Jury in the US had already issued indictments against Dotcom before his NZ property was searched and he was arrested. It follows then that the US authorities already had a substantial file against him, and so may not necessarily be reliant on any of the evidence gathered during what is now deemed toi be an illegal search at Coatesville.

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  71. Other_Andy (2,074) Says:

    @TheContrarian

    “By insisting the have an ultrasound shoved inside them? Interesting.”

    Again, I am not sure if you are serious here or if you are just contrarian for contrarian sake?

    First of all, docters don’t ‘shove’ and ultrasound device inside them.
    Secondly, compare the insertion of an ultrasound with a smear test. Do women have an brush shoved inside them?
    A smear test is just as invasive as an ultrasound.
    The smear taker gently opens the vagina with a plastic or metal speculum and carefully sweeps a sample of cells from the surface of the cervix with a thin broom or brush. Part of the ‘war on women’?

    While we are at having things shoved up your fannie, lets have a look at an abortion….
    Two techniques are commonly used to perform abortions during the first twelve weeks of pregnancy: dilation and curettage (known as D&C) and suction curettage. In the D&C method, the doctor inserts a spoon-shaped instrument called a curette into the uterus. The curette is about 10 inches long and has sharp edges, which the doctor uses to cut the fetus into pieces. Since the uterine opening is not dilating on its own as it would in a natural birth, the doctor has to forcibly dilate it in order to pull or scoop out the pieces. The opening cannot be stretched too far, so the doctor sometimes uses ring forceps to crush the head or other large parts of the fetus before removing them from the womb.
    The suction curettage or vacuum aspiration method eliminates the need for the doctor to cut up the fetus and scrape or scoop out the pieces. In this technique a vacuum aspirator is inserted in the uterus. The vacuum aspirator tears the fetus apart and sucks it out of the womb through a tube. This method is most commonly used in large abortion clinics that have the required equipment.

    Sounds more serious than a ultrasound doesn’t it?

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  72. cha (2,334) Says:

    lol, a name that identifies the poster as a penis owner opines.

    While we are at having things shoved up your fannie

    http://drjengunter.wordpress.com/2012/02/19/pre-abortion-ultrasound-the-medical-evidence-and-why-its-important/

    There is no medical evidence to support ultrasound laws. They are a waste of taxpayer dollars and do nothing to accomplish the goal of reducing abortion. They also create a dangerous precedent of allowing hypocritical politicians to set unacceptably low standards of medical care based on political goals, religion, and misogyny.

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  73. Weihana (3,184) Says:

    F E Smith (1,863) Says:
    June 29th, 2012 at 11:22 am

    So I have a question for everybody. Why is it that when legal aid costs go up after the Government widens the eligibility criteria, the Minister of Justice decides that the system is being rorted and criminal lawyers who accept legal aid assignments are fraudsters, and is happy to say that repeatedly, but when Crown Solicitor’s costs go up by 60% in 5 years, despite only a 2% increase in prosecutions, that is ok but we have to try harder to get costs back to 2009 levels?

    Because despite knowing on an intellectual level that we need a justice system to protect against the arbitrary power of the state, deep down people long for mob justice where the “criminals” are tarred and feathered before being dragged through the streets and beheaded in the public square in front of a howling mob.

    In other words, the prosecution is always the good guy, the accused is always the bad guy. If he gets off he was lucky and any money given to his lawyer is too much money. :)

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  74. labours a joke (442) Says:

    http://news.msn.co.nz/nationalnews/8491482/stabbings-and-bottling-leave-four-injured

    file no. 1025 : more peaceful natives..

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  75. F E Smith (2,531) Says:

    Weihana,

    that makes far to much sense for a Friday. You obviously don’t understand what the day is about!

    More seriously, that is a damn good summation. A sad conclusion though, isn’t it?

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  76. travellerev (148) Says:

    Yesterday the vote to support a ban against Depleted Uranium was stalemated because Pita Sharples couldn’t be bothered to show up.
    Here is a link to several video’s you might want to watch on the subject and if you feel that this is something you want to share with the people who voted against the ban I suggest you download them and send them to these idiots.

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  77. Paulus (1,690) Says:

    In Dotcom I understand that the Police declined to take action as they considered it unlawful.
    Crown Law said it was lawful overiding the Police – who went ahead with the full blown action (effectively saying sod you to Crown Law and the FBI). See what happens.

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  78. F E Smith (2,531) Says:

    Keeping Stock,

    re your 10.32 comment: The application by the US set in motion a legislated series of events. So long as the application was made lawfully, which no doubt it was, then Dotcom was always going to be arrested, the relevant parts of his property seized and an extradition process started. This is nothing to do with Crown Law leaning on the Police, but more about the law enforcement authorities having obligations.

    Now, how they went about it is where the problem lies. That ‘dodgy’ warrant was based on an application made to the Court by the Police. Now, as PEB noted yesterday, that application was probably drafted by a Crown lawyer, either at the Auckland Crown Solicitor’s office or at Crown Law in Wellington, but it would have been sworn by a Police officer. The Police/Crown draft the warrant, not the Court. It should have been amended by the DCJ who granted it, but the ultimate responsibility for the defects in the warrant must rest with the Police and the Crown prosecutors. Of course, the seizing of irrelevant items is entirely the responsibility of the Police, and the unlawful copying and exporting of the electronic data can be sheeted home to both Police and Crown lawyers.

    I would point out that our Judges and Registrars are not in the habit of looking too closely at search warrant applications. They generally take it at face value and then allow them to be argued over in Court after the fact.

    What happens now is that a DCJ examines the US indictment to see if there are charges within that are analagous to NZ criminal offences. If there are, then he can be extradited on those charges. If the US charges do not have NZ counterparts then, from memory, he cannot be exradited. If some do and some don’t, then he is extradited, but may only face the charges that do have NZ counterparts.

    That is what I can remember from memory. I have only worked on one extradition, so my recall of the law is a little hazy.

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  79. F E Smith (2,531) Says:

    The relevant Act is the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act 1992.

     

    The section for search warrants is s43:

    43 Assistance in obtaining article or thing by search and seizure

    (1) A foreign country may request the Attorney-General to assist in obtaining an article or thing by search and seizure.

    (2) Where, on receipt of a request made under subsection (1) by a foreign country, the Attorney-General is satisfied—

    (a) that the request relates to a criminal matter in that foreign country in respect of an offence punishable by imprisonment for a term of 2 years or more; and

    (b) that there are reasonable grounds for believing that an article or thing relevant to the proceedings is located in New Zealand,—

    the Attorney-General may authorise a constable, in writing, to apply to a District Court Judge for a search warrant in accordance with section 44.

    and s44

    Search warrants

    (1) Any District Court Judge who, on an application in writing made an oath, is satisfied that there are reasonable grounds for believing that there is in or on any place or thing—

    (a) any thing upon or in respect of which any offence under the law of a foreign country punishable by imprisonment for a term of 2 years or more has been, or is suspected of having been, committed; or

    (b) any thing which there are reasonable grounds for believing will be evidence as to the commission of any such offence; or

    (c) any thing which there are reasonable grounds for believing is intended to be used for the purpose of committing any such offence—

    may issue a search warrant in respect of that thing.

    (2) An application for a warrant under subsection (1) may be made only by a constable authorised under section 43(2).

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  80. alex Masterley (1,146) Says:

    Some very interesting comments about Mr Dotcom and his experiences at the hands of the NZ authorities.

    All I can say is there is going to be a brawl of heroic proportions as people try to shift the blame from one crown entity to another and possibly the Judge, David McNaughton I think, who issued the warrant.

    And then there is the interesting issue of the damages that Mr Dotcom will be entitled to as a consequence of the coversion of his property, the cars, the TV’s the bank deposits etc etc.

    I’m pleased that I am able to sit on the sidelines, eat my popcorn, watch the fun and place bets on who will come out on top.

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  81. Other_Andy (2,074) Says:

    @cha

    “lol, a name that identifies the poster as a penis owner opines.”

    A reaction (‘lol’) that identifies the poster as a ‘puerile texting’ fan and a ‘group identity’ (penis owner) devotee. So many possible fallacies in that one short nonsensical statement that I don’t know where to start.
    So Dr. cha, you must be a female medical practitioner, as you have an opinion on abortion.
    Right……?

    “There is no medical evidence to support ultrasound laws. They are a waste of taxpayer dollars and do nothing to accomplish the goal of reducing abortion. They also create a dangerous precedent of allowing hypocritical politicians to set unacceptably low standards of medical care based on political goals, religion, and misogyny.”

    Try to improve your reading comprehension cha. First of all, the statement above makes no sense at all. It is a straw man, a contradiction and it doesn’t address the point. The ultrasounds aren’t done for medical reasons and neither are the abortions. There is no evidence that it does or doesn’t reduce abortions. And as for “They also create a dangerous precedent of allowing hypocritical politicians to set unacceptably low standards of medical care based on political goals, religion, and misogyny.”, are you kidding me?
    Secondly, if you had read my posts properly you would have found that nowhere do I state that I agree or disagree with the ultrasound or that it will prevent abortions.
    I disagree with the left wing ‘war on women’ propaganda slogan and with the language (‘shoved’) and the argument from Contrarian about the invasiveness of an ultrasound as compared with other medical procedures and having an abortion.

    But butt in any time you like cha.

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  82. Weihana (3,184) Says:

    F E Smith,

    Sad because both sides of Parliament appear to be on the bandwagon to reduce the rights of the accused and to institute a presumption of victim-hood on the part of the accuser. Somehow injustice committed by the state is never seen to be as much of an injustice as those crimes committed by individuals.

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  83. Viking2 (9,483) Says:

    FES. If Judges don’t look at what they are signing and ensure that it meets the test of our Law thn surely the Judges need to upskill themselves and be held responsible for what they sign their name to.
    In the past i have advocated Independent Prosecutors and you have rubbished the idea.
    Here is a fascinating example of the need to separate and make responsible the functionaries of the system.

    And KS here is why the Grand Jury in Virginnia, USA is no better. A compromised Judge and panel of compromised citizens can sign a warrant about anything without any scrutiny nor opposing views. Look where it gets the. Its and odds on position that the case will be dismissed in the States and we shouldn’t forget that the Hong Kong authorities have been blind sided by the FBI in the same way. The Chinese will extract retribution from the FBI for sure. As will some other countries that have been duped and been coerced into acting for the FBI.

    No difference between the two jurisdictions.

    Like here though no one in the USA system will be made accountable and its odds on the the case is going to be thrown out over there.

    Comment was made to that effect last night.

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  84. Viking2 (9,483) Says:

    alex Masterley (989) Says:
    June 29th, 2012 at 12:47 pm

    Some very interesting comments about Mr Dotcom and his experiences at the hands of the NZ authorities.

    All I can say is there is going to be a brawl of heroic proportions as people try to shift the blame from one crown entity to another and possibly the Judge, David McNaughton I think, who issued the warrant.

    And then there is the interesting issue of the damages that Mr Dotcom will be entitled to as a consequence of the coversion of his property, the cars, the TV’s the bank deposits etc etc.

    I’m pleased that I am able to sit on the sidelines, eat my popcorn, watch the fun and place bets on who will come out on top.

    Yep Alex, pop corn and beers are going to be the order of the day.
    Will Sian boot this fellows arse for being a rollover?
    Will Twinkle toes and his American friend find themselves outed?

    Hopefully, The Judiciary will do what it should and shine a spotlight on this type of automatic signing of stuff.
    I never sign stuff without asking questions and checking the validity of the answers and that’s what the issue is here.
    It of course arises from the conflicted behavoir of lawyers and the argument that they are there to represent their clients and get them off stuff be fair means or foul. NO matter the person may well be guilty. e.g. McDonald As long as they don’t admit guilt the lawyer will spend the Govt.’s money finding a way to extract his client.

    there’s no better example than the efforts lawyers go to to get drunk drivers off.

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  85. Harriet (1,817) Says:

    “….Or stopping woman from making decisions about their own bodies….”

    Given the opportunity – most aborted future women would prefer life in an orphanage.

    But that’s the sum total of NZ feminist thought……much less than 9 months.

    NZ women stop thinking before abortions……and left wondering for a lifetime afterwards.

    Feminism is crap.

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  86. grumpyoldhori (2,345) Says:

    Damn this is brutal, what the fuck were the Tories doing in sending a little girl into face the beast of the BBC.
    Like a big cat with a tiny mouse.
    Jeez, we need a Paxman to deal to all politicians, left,right and center.
    Are you incompetent,ouch.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bddWaHuxTzc

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  87. Carlos (613) Says:

    Holy Shit!!!!!

    Muslims throw stones at Christian sign holders. Is this a sign of things to come?

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  88. grumpyoldhori (2,345) Says:

    Carlos what the hell is the matter with the dumb religious fuckwits on both sides, why the hell are they not using AR 15s on each other ?

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  89. Carlos (613) Says:

    @ grumpyoldhori

    Ha ha ha ha! That thought had crossed my mind.

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  90. F E Smith (2,531) Says:

    V2,

    most search warrants are issued by Deputy Registrars, not judges. They are supposed to read them to see if the warrant is justified and ask questions if the need arises, but I have seen them issued by a Deputy Registrar without being read, let alone questioned.

    The thing is that we aren’t allowed to actually question the person who issued the warrant nor their reasons for doing so. We can only challenge the basis of the warrant after the fact, which means attacking the application and affidavit, which means the Police have the obligation to ensure that the application will hold up to later scrutiny. Therefore, going by current practice, the fact that the Dotcom one did not hold up means that it was a failure by the people who drafted the application, not so much the judge who granted it.

    And we don’t ‘try to get drunk drivers off’. We ensure that the standard of proof is met and that due process is followed. If the drunk driver gets off as a result it is not our fault but whoever stuffed up in gathering the evidence or following procedure. If a person is truly a drunk driver and the rules are followed properly, then there really is no way at all with which to get the charges dismissed, with the exception of drink spiking and automatism.

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  91. bhudson (3,506) Says:

    Bloody Asset Sales CIR petition…

    My daughter was bailed up in Cuba Mall and asked to sign a form about asset sales:

    1. The person did not explain that it was a petition against the Mixed Ownership Model and seeking to force a referendum on ‘asset sales’
    2. The person made no effort to ascertain whether or not she is 18 (or an enrolled elector to be more accurate.) There is no way she looks 18 and, at the time she was asked for her signature, she wasn’t (this was a couple of weeks ago.)

    If we taxpayers are forced to pay for people to collect signatures for a petition we may very well not endorse, surely we should expect that they will do the job properly and with integrity; in a transparent manner and seeking to verify that the signatory is on then electoral roll.

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  92. James Stephenson (1,472) Says:

    Jeez, we need a Paxman to deal to all politicians, left,right and center.

    Paxman is the worst kind of bullying, stuck-up, arrogant, pompous, elitist, public schoolboy wanker it’s possible to imagine.

    He can’t handle it when anyone refuses to be cowed by his hectoring, he failed big style when he tried it on with the English Defence League lads.

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  93. grumpyoldhori (2,345) Says:

    James Stephenson

    ( Paxman is the worst kind of bullying, stuck-up, arrogant, pompous, elitist, public schoolboy wanker it’s possible to imagine. )

    Of course he is, and he dealt to a little public school girl.
    Politicians should not be hectored but shown respect, for what ?

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  94. Scott Chris (4,873) Says:

    labours a joke (424) Says:
    June 29th, 2012 at 12:25 pm
    http://news.msn.co.nz/nationalnews/8491482/stabbings-and-bottling-leave-four-injured

    file no. 1025 : more peaceful natives..

    |^^^^^^^^^^^||____
    | The STFU Truck |||”"‘|”"__,_
    | _____________ l||__|__|__|)
    …|(@)@)”"”"”"”**|(@)(@)**|(@)

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  95. James Stephenson (1,472) Says:

    Politicians should be shown the same respect as anyone else, and allowed to answer the fucking question before you start interrupting them…I’d just chin the c***

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  96. Other_Andy (2,074) Says:

    @GOH

    The main problem is that this “little public school girl” belongs to a party that doesn’t know if it’s Left, Right, Centre, Free Market, Socialist, Pro or Anti Europe etc.
    Not difficult to attack someone of a party which doesn’t stand for anything.

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  97. labours a joke (442) Says:

    http://news.msn.co.nz/nationalnews/8491604/elderly-couple-bashed-in-tokoroa

    file 1026 ; fuckin scum natives.

    [DPF: 20 demerits]

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  98. labours a joke (442) Says:

    Truth hurts doesnt it scottchris. I await the day one of your family gets bashed and maimed by a similar scumbag . I too will brush it off and then procede to tell you to harden up. Nancyboy..give us a kiss.

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  99. F E Smith (2,531) Says:

    laj,

    My wife is part-Maori. She is a member of Ngai Tahu through Te Runanga o Moeraki. She has a bachelors degree and works in a very demanding part of the health care sector. Indeed, she is registered to practise, and has practised, in three different countries.

    Is my wife a ‘scum native’? Or is your use of the word ‘native’ superfluous, and instead you should just say ‘scum’?

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  100. Luc Hansen (4,573) Says:

    An excellent article on why Australia should stop trying to “deter” desperate from people from making a new life in a land where 1 in 4 were not born in the country.

    And where the total number of “boat people” granted asylum last financial year was only 2.6% of total immigration.

    http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/hard-figures-back-case-to-open-gates-20120628-2156z.html

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  101. labours a joke (442) Says:

    I dont know your wife FE Smith so I cant comment sorry. I was referring to the scum natives who beat the elderly householders. Maybe I should I have said “scum maori” ? If not why not? The offenders were maori after all . If maori were not the prime offenders, maybe a white NZ’er, I would have said white trash beats elderly householders.
    You see , 9.95 times out of 10 the offender in a case like this is maori. A few of you need to open your eyes and face reality.
    Im just pointing out facts.
    Dont give a rats arse who I offend. Build a bridge.

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  102. F E Smith (2,531) Says:

    laj,

    because criminal behaviour is not limited to Maori. Nor is the comparative offending rate for Maori anywhere near 9.95/10. I have had plenty of clients of a European background that have been charged with violence offences.

    The only reason to say ‘scum native’ is to cast a slur on the entire ethnic group. To do that is wrong.

    I have no problem with you describing the offenders portrayed in the article you linked to as ‘scum’. They are. However, when you say ‘scum natives’ you say far more than simply pointing out their ethnicity. Moreover, as they are most likely only part-Maori, why do you only choose one of their heritage ethnicities to label them with?

    I don’t think that you do yourself any favours with such a policy.

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  103. Luc Hansen (4,573) Says:

    O_A

    I disagree with the left wing ‘war on women’ propaganda slogan and with the language (‘shoved’) and the argument from Contrarian about the invasiveness of an ultrasound as compared with other medical procedures and having an abortion.

    You are confusing voluntary compliance with medical advice with involuntary invasion of a woman’s body by the state, motivated by religious prejudice, not medical necessity.

    It’s akin to rape, in my opinion.

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  104. Leaping Jimmy (13,566) Says:

    Given the opportunity – most aborted future women would prefer life in an orphanage.

    But that’s the sum total of NZ feminist thought……much less than 9 months.

    NZ women stop thinking before abortions……and left wondering for a lifetime afterwards.

    Feminism is crap.

    No feminism is evil Harriet. You look at the fruits of feminism and everywhere you look you see negativity and destruction. Feminism aims to separate women from their innate femininity and the result is what we see today, with as one tiny example and there are thousands such as your abortion example, young girls getting pissed like boys and sleeping all over the place because they’ve been taught by the feminist-inspired teachers and lecturers that not to do so is “oppression” and anyone, like me, who argues that no, it’s evil, get’s shouted down by the evil ones as someone who wishes only to oppress.

    And the useful idiots who by definition understand nothing about anything but normally number in the 90%+ on any given political movement, completely ignore the destruction side of the equation but lap up the grain of truth propagation by the evil ones that it’s about “fweedom and human wights” and base their entire “feminism: good or bad?” calculation on one and only side of the argument. You know, when you look at it, the useful idiots in this society, as in all others, have got a fuckload to answer for in terms of just about everything bad in this society. Why can’t they just for once, be astute? Why do they ALWAYS have to be fucking mental, so that this, always happens, eventually?

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  105. labours a joke (442) Says:

    “because criminal behaviour is not limited to Maori.”

    I have never said it was.

    “Nor is the comparative offending rate for Maori anywhere near 9.95/10.”

    How many maori in prison? Whats the ratio maori/white person.

    “The only reason to say ‘scum native’ is to cast a slur on the entire ethnic group.”

    They do seem to feature magnificently in the stats dont you think.

    “Moreover, as they are most likely only part-Maori, why do you only choose one of their heritage ethnicities to label them with?”

    You could ask the same of the media/breathless repeaters

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  106. RightNow (5,392) Says:

    “It’s akin to rape, in my opinion.”

    So is an uninvited grope, in my opinion.

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  107. Leaping Jimmy (13,566) Says:

    FWIW my observations on Maori are that they are a warrior race and as warriors, they are therefore risk-takers. And risk takers are much more likely to engage in criminal behaviour, since that excites them.

    I’m not talking about bashing someone walking home from the pub – that’s not risky at all, that’s just mean and angry. I’m talking about planning a robbery, for example. That’s the sort of stuff that would appeal to a warrior race.

    I wonder how much research has gone into that aspect of the Maori psyche because if you wanted to correct the imbalance quickly, getting into that particular segment of risk-takers would bear immediate fruit, I would think.

    I mean if someone’s angry enough to bash someone walking home from the pub, they’ve got major emotional issues which won’t respond to logic in a hurry. But if “the system” had processes in place to identify “the risk takers” at an early stage when they were young, then it could do things, like steer them into dangerous but wholesome occupations, like becoming soldiers, abseilers, adventure tourism operators and suchlike.

    Seriously. If you did that assessment on everyone from the very first time anyone ever entered the system beit through the police or welfare or corrections or whatever and took appropriate action on people so identified, I guarantee you would make a bit dent in the prison population and most of that dent would be amongst our Maori brethren. Guarantee it.

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  108. philu (13,393) Says:

    according to the stuff article in the link @ 8.12..

    garretts’ neighbour said that ‘native’ was/is a favorite racial-epithet/slur employed by garrett…

    ..i think ‘joke’ is one of the variety of aliases garrett uses in this forum…

    (‘native’ is quite an unusual slur..)

    ..and of course we all know garrett was commenting here before he was commenting under his real name…(as who..?..)

    ..and having looked at the writing styles/characters of garrett and big bruv..

    ..i also am leaning to thinking they are one and the same..

    ..the similarities in behaviour-patterns are also too strong to ignore…

    phillip ure whoar.co.nz

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  109. philu (13,393) Says:

    “..the most disliked person in kaukapakapa..’

    i have been laughing my arse off at that one…all day long..

    ..and this is how he shall be known from here on in..

    ..phillip ure whoar.co.nz

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  110. F E Smith (2,531) Says:

    Whats the ratio maori/white person.

    51.2% Maori, 33.7% European, 10.8% Pasifika, 2.7% Asian etc in March 2011, of a population of just under 9000 prisoners.  So about 4600 people identifying as Maori are in prison, out of a Maori population of 565,000 or so as of 2006.  That is a bit under 1% of the Maori population.  Maori may be over-represented in the prison population, but the vast majority don’t get in trouble with the law.  Just like those of us who aren’t Maori.

    And that is what doesn’t allow us to tar all Maori with the same brush.  It says there is a problem, yes, but those stats don’t say that half of Maori will go to prison, it says that half of the prison population identifies as Maori.  Undoubtedly most, if not all, of those Maori have a significant amount of European heritage as well.  

    You could ask the same of the media/breathless repeaters

    Perhaps, but in this case it is you making the statement and not the repeaters.  And you are responsible for what you say, not for what they say.  Moreover, I really don’t think that we should be allowing ourselves to be led by what the repeaters say/think. 

    So, again, call the perpetrators ‘scum’, by all means. Just leave the ethnic identification out of it, please.

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  111. Luc Hansen (4,573) Says:

    RN

    Don’t worry, courts don’t go by our opinions, so you are off the hook.

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  112. philu (13,393) Says:

    and of course what the racists like twitchy-jim ignore..

    ..is..how many actual maori are there…?

    ..we are a nation of mixed/blended races..

    ..mainly through intermarriage..

    ..most of the scots/irish/welsh/english are now all mixed up/in together..

    ..as did maori…

    ..many ‘maori’ have more pakeha heritage than maori..

    ..and that basic fact renders the racists-calls of twitchy-jim etc. ridiculous..

    ..but then again..logic never was a strong point of racists…

    ..phillip ure whoar.co.nz

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  113. Leaping Jimmy (13,566) Says:

    FES, good week’s work. GL.

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  114. Longknives (2,496) Says:

    Hang on a minute- Labour’s a joke gets 20 Demirits for “Scum Natives” yet a few nights ago “Honky Motherfuckers” went unnoticed!
    Surely not a double standard?

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  115. David Garrett (3,812) Says:

    If some kind person would e-mail the instructions on how to work the RIP thingie on Firefox I would be most grateful..

    d.garrett@xtra.co.nz

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  116. labours a joke (442) Says:

    aww gawd..ures back. Over ya little melt down wee man ?

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  117. labours a joke (442) Says:

    Thanks FE Smith . I ‘ll give it some thought.

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  118. F E Smith (2,531) Says:

    David,

    it is Remove It Permanently, which is a Firefox addon. You then need to add an RIP with //li[cite[contains(.,'philu')]] in it. 

     There are better instrructions here.

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  119. Longknives (2,496) Says:

    “my observations on Maori are that they are a warrior race and as warriors, they are therefore risk-takers. And risk takers are much more likely to engage in criminal behaviour, since that excites them.”

    Utter bollocks.

    “war·ri·or (wôr-r, wr-)
    n.
    1. One who is engaged in or experienced in battle.
    2. One who is engaged aggressively or energetically in an activity, cause, or conflict”

    My ancestors the Saxons (not to mention the Vikings) were partial to a bit of scrapping and ‘Risk Taking’ themselves. Yet strangely I don’t feel compelled to punch a 70 year old grandmother unconscious. Oh and more recently my ancestors fought on the battlefields of the Boer War, The Great War and World War II..Do my not ancestors not then qualify as ‘Warriors’?
    Why am I then not out bashing Grandmothers?

    That people would even try to make excuses for this sort of behaviour is repugnant to say the least…

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  120. Leaping Jimmy (13,566) Says:

    David:

    http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2008/07/cash_for_influence_in_the_uk.html#comment-464222

    I don’t blame you.

    But it will be a shame for the rest of us, on the grounds we have all enjoyed phil getting intellectually defeated every single day he engaged with you. I do understand though, tiresome little prick, that he is.

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  121. F E Smith (2,531) Says:

    Cheers laj. FWIW, I agree with your ‘scum’ opinion re the perpetrators in the article you linked to!

    LJ,

    Interesting viewpoint in your 6.13pm comment.

    I mean if someone’s angry enough to bash someone walking home from the pub, they’ve got major emotional issues which won’t respond to logic in a hurry. But if “the system” had processes in place to identify “the risk takers” at an early stage when they were young, then it could do things, like steer them into dangerous but wholesome occupations, like becoming soldiers, abseilers, adventure tourism operators and suchlike.

    I think that there is a lot of truth in both parts of that statement.  We also forget that a lot of Maori do sterling service in our nation’s armed forces, which fits in with your point re the occupation thing.

    I still think that a lot of it has to do with long term benefit dependency.  But that is not a debate that I want to have tonight, with the rugby coming up!

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  122. philu (13,393) Says:

    “..we have all enjoyed phil getting intellectually defeated every single day he engaged with you…”

    yeah..garretts really on a winning streak…eh..?..

    ..(c.f..the stuff story in link @8.12 am…a portrait of ‘a winner’…that on..eh..?..)

    ‘the most disliked person in kaukapakapa..’

    ..both hilarious..and brilliant…!

    ‘lonely-dave’..heh..!

    ..phillip ure whoar.co.nz

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  123. F E Smith (2,531) Says:

    RIP can be found here.

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  124. Leaping Jimmy (13,566) Says:

    That people would even try to make excuses for this sort of behaviour is repugnant to say the least…

    Longknives:

    a) understanding behaviour is not excusing it
    b) you cannot understand behaviour if you’re trying to judge it at the same time. Basically you either do one or the other. You chose.

    In terms of warrior race, you need to look at the different genetic histories of the Maori and the European. The European has had centuries of civilisation and technology, the Maori, as has all the Island races, had only generations. A generation being twenty years. So even by 1840, European genetics has had generation upon generation of living in large civil communities. This makes a huge difference to the attitude of the populations. And its not individuals we’re discussing its populations.

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  125. philu (13,393) Says:

    garrett racially insults yr wife..smith..(as you note..)

    ..and yet he’s still ‘dave’ to you..eh..?

    ..his ‘right’ politics more important to/for you than the constant racist slurs that flow from him….?

    ..and did you read that stuff article in that 8.12 am link..?

    ..these are the behaviours/actions of someone you ‘like’..eh..?

    phillip ure

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  126. philu (13,393) Says:

    i wonder if garrett will rip for his big bruv and ‘joke’ aliases also..?

    (i hope so..)

    phillip ure whoar.co.nz

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  127. David Garrett (3,812) Says:

    FES: thanks, but it’s beyond me… But then I am nowhere near as intelligent as the phool…

    I have the thing downloaded but getting the “content” (Christ that’s an overstatement!) identified properly so it works is eluding me…I will have to wait until Wahine is out next….

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  128. philu (13,393) Says:

    is that stuff article @ 8.12 am accurate/correct garrett..?

    ..did you really do/say all those things claimed..?

    ..and if it is untrue..why didn’t you sue..?..

    ..mm..?

    phillip ure whoar.co.nz

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  129. David Garrett (3,812) Says:

    It’s like being in remission from cancer….the symptoms abate for one day…two days…..then BANG! the cancerous growth is back!

    Still, bright side chaps…it’s 30 demerits closer to an eight month ban, so another meltdown should do it…

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  130. Boglio (58) Says:

    Enjoyed following this conversation until 6:21

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  131. philu (13,393) Says:

    bog..meh..!..eh..?

    phillip ure whoar.co.nz

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  132. labours a joke (442) Says:

    Are you handicapped ure? Really..honestly , are you fucked in the head..do you have mental health issues? It seems so.

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  133. F E Smith (2,531) Says:

    David,

    Hover the cursor over philu’s name and right click. In the context menu you will see an option for remove it permanently. Choose to remove it from the entire site. Then go into the preferences of the addon and choose to edit the rip. remove whatever is there and paste in the sequence that is in one of my above comments.

    I couldn’t get it to work on one of my computers, so used that as a workaround.

    Hope it helps. It made a huge difference to my GD.

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  134. philu (13,393) Says:

    hello joke/garrett/big bruv….’the most disliked person in kaukapakapa’…

    ..is the stuff article in the link @ 8.12 am true/accurate..?

    phillip ure whoar.co.nz

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  135. labours a joke (442) Says:

    and well we are dredging up the past and having a laugh at other peoples expense..Phil , tell us all about your pharmacy robbing days , how you beat a pharamisist and robbed him whilst armed with a loaded shotgun.
    Go on Phil…for once we are waiting to hear from you..

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  136. philu (13,393) Says:

    how many different names do you post here under..?..garrett..?

    ..and why..?

    phillip ure whoar.co.nz

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  137. Viking2 (9,483) Says:

    FES. Clearly you are conflicted like people who make false claims for insurance.
    Either a person is a drunk driver as prescribed by the alcohol limit set by law or they are not. Not amount of bullshit word twisting rule bending or outright lies by either the person DIC or their lawyer alters the truth. The TRUTH is always that the person when tested exceeded the blood alcohol limit or didn’t. Yes or No. End of argument.

    Its a matter of truth and principle.
    Now That may not be the way Lawyers think but it is the way we all should think.

    To beleive otherwise is to end up like our previous devious Govt., many of the pollies we have today and indeed the whole Maori bullshit that has been rewritten to revise the truth as recorded.

    If you beleive Mc Donads lawyer he is not guilty. He clearly states that, if you look carefully at McDonald and his head down attitude he displays his guilt. The only issue is that he won’t feess up and indeed may well have managed to alter his mind to tell his consciousness that he didn’t kill Guy. Both are telling lies.
    The difficulty for the police is proof clear and unequivical.

    By the way McD’s wife knows he is guilty. Look at her body language.

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  138. philu (13,393) Says:

    y’see joke..there’s yr big bruv/joke link…as one of his constant/repeated lies bruv has claimed for years that i went to jail for ‘beating’ somebody..

    ..which is a total lie..

    ..i have never ‘beaten’ anyone…

    .(.which of course…joke/garrett cannot say…eh..?..and the press reports say the doctor he assaulted in the islands (while drunk) claims garrett had two bouncers hold him down..while he/garrett hit him..still more ‘class’ from garrett..eh..?..

    ..and which reminds me of the story he gleefully told here…of his winding up/insulting a young prison inmate…while he/garrett had screws to protect him..(not to mention the power-imbalance/bullying..

    ..anyone else seeing the joke/garrett/bruv patterns here..?..)

    ..and i never owned/used a ‘shotgun’…(garretts been watching too many geezer-movies..eh..?..that guy ritchie has a lot to answer for..)

    phillip ure whoar.co.nz

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  139. Viking2 (9,483) Says:

    Green Party calls for Dotcom inquiry
    CHARLES ANDERSON
    Last updated 18:20 29/06/2012

    The Green Party is calling for an independent investigation into the raid on internet mogul Kim Dotcom’s house which seemed like a scene from a “bad Hollywood movie”.

    Green Party police spokesperson David Clendon said the actions of the police in connection with the Dotcom case needed to be scrutinised by an agency such as the Independent Police Conduct Authority.

    In the High Court yesterday, Justice Helen Winkelmann ruled the high-profile police raid that ended in the search and seizure of a large amount of Dotcom’s property was done with invalid warrants.

    US authorities claim Dotcom and his three co-accused Mathias Ortmann, Fin Batato and Bram van der Kolk used the Megaupload website and its affiliated sites to knowingly make money from pirated movies and games.

    They have charged him in the US with multiple copyright offences.

    So, now that Winkleman H has stood up to these bullies the Yellow Greens have come along to add their voice to the noise.
    While the more the better we need to ask them why they didn’t the day it happened.
    Some of us could see that it was illegal within minutes of it being made public. (and not even a useless fucking lawyer to boot.)

    The people who are supposed to support and ensure the freedom of NZ cictzens take how long. When is shearer and co going to call for an enquiry?
    When is Key going to boot out those in charge and ask them for compensation becuase they are all proffessionals and proffessionals need have their insurance or have the companies and Law Society etc already withdrawn from that debate.

    If I or my staff make a stuff up in my business we pay. Why the hell shouldn’t they.

    “Given that our police and Crown lawyers were working on behalf of the United States they should have made certain that New Zealand’s laws weren’t trampled on,” said Mr Clendon.

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  140. nasska (6,400) Says:

    All the organs of the body were having a meeting, trying to decide who was the one in charge. “I should be in charge,” said the brain, “Because I run all the body”s systems, so without me nothing would happen.” “I should be in charge,” said the blood, “Because I circulate oxygen all over so without me you”d all waste away.”"I should be in charge,” said the stomach,”Because I process food and give all of you energy.” “I should be in charge,” said the legs, “because I carry the body wherever it needs to go.” “I should be in charge,” said the eyes, “Because I allow the body to see where it goes.” “I should be in charge,” said the rectum, “Because I”m responsible for waste removal.” All the other body parts laughed at the rectum and insulted him so in a huff he shut down tight. Within a few days the brain had a terrible headache,the stomach was bloated, the legs got wobbly, the eyes got watery, and the blood was toxic. They all decided that the rectum should be the boss.

    The Moral of the story? The arsehole is usually in charge!

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  141. Luc Hansen (4,573) Says:

    FES: thanks, but it’s beyond me… But then I am nowhere near as intelligent as the phool…

    So true.

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  142. F E Smith (2,531) Says:

    V2,

    Greg is not stating is own opinion about McDonald. He is not allowed to do that. So don’t assume that what he is saying in Court is what he actually believes. It might be, but equally it might not be. Greg’s job is to present McDonald’s case, so that is what he is doing.

    With regard the drunk driver, you are correct that a person is either under or over the limit. We allow a defence if the drink was spiked or if there is automatism because we require intent as a part of the offence, and both of those situations go towards that. However, the law does not recognise guilt unless there is sufficient evidence to prove it beyond reasonable doubt. So while the truth might be that they were over the limit, if the Police do not get and provide the evidence that they were over the limit then they should not be punished for it.

    It is the job of the defence lawyer to ensure that their client is not punished unless there is sufficient evidence for it. End of story. And your accusation about lies is just offensive. Most EBA (Excess Breath/Blood Alcohol) offences that are defended are done on the paperwork. It is a technical matter, no need for lies of any sort. Are you seriously suggesting that both lawyer and client lie to win the case? If you are, then you just haven’t a clue about what happens.

    If you are true to your own point of view, however, can I ask whether you inform the Police every time you exceed the speed limit? Or do you wait until/if you are caught?

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  143. Steve (North Shore) (3,648) Says:

    The ‘curse’ is back. Must have spent a few days in the hinaki. Unpaid fines for drug possesion maybe.
    Friday night an I am drinking BEER and WINE, and lovin it! :)

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  144. Steve (North Shore) (3,648) Says:

    Phool’s brother has joined the support team, now we await miniphool – won’t be long I reckon

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  145. BlueGriffon (200) Says:

    You know you have made it when you are quoted in the Daily Mail:
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2166019/New-Zealand-reporter-ejected-courtroom-official-objects-gold-sequinned-disco-pants.html

    Take a bow Alex Masterley and Viking2 :)

    No wonder real journalism is becoming extinct, who wants to do a 3 year degree on how copy quotes from blogs, twitter and facebook.

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  146. Viking2 (9,483) Says:

    Another lying person.

    Housing NZ communications adviser Helen Corrigan said housing inspectors ”failed to register a dog at the premises” and nothing indicated the Woods had had dogs previously.

    ”We regularly inspect rental properties and the presence of a dog would have become apparent.

    HNZ rarely in the past inspected premises, indeed did not have the staff capability and in my experience and from my inside knowledge, any inspection was done and recorded whilst sitting in the seat of the car on the opposite side of the road. In our local area the two women responsible could barely walk along a flat path let laone up a rise in some of the paths.

    I also know of houses that have never been inspected because the relationship betwen the tenant and HNZ is one and the same.

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  147. David Garrett (3,812) Says:

    Hansen aligning himself with the phool….birds of a feather and all that…

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  148. nasska (6,400) Says:

    BlueGriffon

    I’m a bit concerned that this publicity could go to the heads of the gentlemen involved. V2 & Alex Masterley may eschew our company & form an elitist clique after the ‘Mail Online’ has used their comments as expert opinion. :)

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  149. alex Masterley (1,146) Says:

    Nope,
    I’m still here.
    Go the highlanders! That and a nice glass of hawkers bay red.

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  150. Viking2 (9,483) Says:

    BlueGriffon (183) Says:
    June 29th, 2012 at 8:16 pm

    You know you have made it when you are quoted in the Daily Mail:
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2166019/New-Zealand-reporter-ejected-courtroom-official-objects-gold-sequinned-disco-pants.html

    Take a bow Alex Masterley and Viking2 :)

    No wonder real journalism is becoming extinct, who wants to do a 3 year degree on how copy quotes from blogs, twitter and facebook.

    Ever so humble I will happily accept the apologies to this young lady from those grumpy frumpy sexist anti gorgeous fuddy duddy opponents that have Victorian atititudes in the year 2012. You know who you are so you can go and register your humbleness.

    From DPF for making his blog famous in the mother country and showing that some of us still lead the world in womens emancipation freedom from demerits for 10 years would be appropriate. :lol:

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  151. philu (13,393) Says:

    garrett/bruv/joke…’bird of a feather..and all that’…

    phillip ure whoar.co.nz

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  152. Viking2 (9,483) Says:

    nasska (3,862) Says:
    June 29th, 2012 at 8:32 pm

    BlueGriffon

    I’m a bit concerned that this publicity could go to the heads of the gentlemen involved. V2 & Alex Masterley may eschew our company & form an elitist clique after the ‘Mail Online’ has used their comments as expert opinion.

    We will, no doubt and it is no doubt.
    You can 1. either join our elite group or 2. team up with luc and Phil and the rest of the deadheads.
    Your choice really.
    :lol:

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  153. chiz (974) Says:

    The trailer for the Total Recall remake is out.

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  154. Viking2 (9,483) Says:

    Ah alex just disqualified himself. He’s a highlanders fan. Who the hell are they? North of Edinburugh somewhere. Does the mail reach that far?

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  155. nasska (6,400) Says:

    V2

    Option #1 thanks….where do I sign up? :)

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  156. alex Masterley (1,146) Says:

    V2
    at least I don’t support the blues.

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  157. Viking2 (9,483) Says:

    No use calling the Secretary, He will be drowning his sorrows in a botlle of Glenfidick as the banner says.
    Highlanders 14 21 Chiefs

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  158. Viking2 (9,483) Says:

    Neither do I. Why would anyone support Aucklanders.

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  159. chiz (974) Says:

    LJ:In terms of warrior race, you need to look at the different genetic histories of the Maori and the European. The European has had centuries of civilisation and technology, the Maori, as has all the Island races, had only generations. A generation being twenty years. So even by 1840, European genetics has had generation upon generation of living in large civil communities. This makes a huge difference to the attitude of the populations. And its not individuals we’re discussing its populations.

    Polynesians have been around for centuries. Population bottlenecks as they colonized island after island were probably more important in shaping their genetics. Its known that the low-activity version of the Monoamine Oxidase A gene, which appears to bias people to risky behavior and is sometimes known as the ‘warrior gene’, has a higher prevalence in maori compared to europeans but when this was discovered a few years ago it produced a shit-storm from people denying that it might have any relevance.

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  160. nasska (6,400) Says:

    A mans body was found in Waitemata harbour yesterday. He was dressed in a Auckland Blues supporter’s jersey, mini-skirt, fishnets, suspender belt, high heels and a dildo rammed up his arse.

    Police have removed the jersey to save the family embarrassment.

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  161. Steve (North Shore) (3,648) Says:

    find any drugs on him nasska?

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  162. nasska (6,400) Says:

    I’d say that you would need to be fairly out of it to back that bunch of losers Steve. :)

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  163. Leaping Jimmy (13,566) Says:

    …Haut de la Garenne, a children’s home on the island, continues to be a hugely controversial topic in Jersey. It’s an episode which Jersey’s critics see as a prime example of the way the island’s elite treats those who dare to challenge their authority….

    Lenny Harper, told the world’s media he thought his team had found human remains buried under Haut de la Garenne. He told hordes of journalists that suspicious forensic material discovered during excavation tallied with accounts given by various abuse victims of hearing children dragged from their beds at night who were then never seen again.

    the new officer in charge of the inquiry, Detective Superintendent Mick Gradwell, said at his first press conference that there had never been compelling evidence to justify the excavation, and much of what was found there did not suggest murder, contrary to initial police reports.

    “There are no credible allegations of murder, there are no suspects for murder and no specific time period for murder,” said Gradwell. To this day, Harper vigorously defends the way he carried out the investigation.

    Forensic experts still disagree over whether suspicious material found during the excavation of the home was 20th century human bone or a piece of coconut shell, and no one has ever been able to explain the discovery of 65 milk teeth found in the building’s cellar.

    …On Tuesday this week, politicians in the States of Jersey, the island’s parliament, debated behind closed doors whether Andrew Lewis, the minister responsible for Power’s suspension, had misled States members as to the reasons why he removed Power from office.

    But at the closed session on Tuesday, States members voted to keep the transcript secret…

    Power is adamant he was targeted by an establishment riddled with conflicts of interest. “At the core of it all is the fact that as chief of police I was overseeing an investigation into serious child abuse in institutions run by the Jersey government which were themselves overseen by people who were still in positions of power within that government. In the midst of this I was suspended by the very government whose institutions were being investigated. You cannot get much more conflicted than that. It is not often that an organisation subject of a major criminal inquiry is able to suspend the police chief responsible for that enquiry. But in Jersey that happened.”

    It’s an allegation Ian le Marquand refutes. “This simply does not stand up to any serious examination. The nature of the disciplinary complaints against Mr Power in relation to Haut de la Garenne is that he failed to exercise proper oversight over the deputy chief officer of police [Harper] who was acting as the senior investigating officer… By the time Mr Power was suspended he had had no role in relation to the investigation for some months. To therefore suggest that his original suspension had anything to do with his conduct of the investigation is simply untrue. In any eventuality there never was any evidence of criminal misconduct on the part of politicians or the government of Jersey in general.”

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/jun/28/jersey-secrecy-culture

    Benefit of the doubt. Who deserves it. The “alleged” victims? Or the “alleged” perpetrators? That’s right. Yet who gets that benefit, not just from the authoriti’s, but also from all – repeat all – the compliant – repeat utterly and totally compliant – media? Isn’t that convenient.

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  164. Steve (North Shore) (3,648) Says:

    I don’t support them nasska, I am from the Mighty Waikato. I just came to the Shore for the $

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  165. Steve (North Shore) (3,648) Says:

    For all of us who feel only the deepest love and affection for the way computers have enhanced our lives, read on:

    At a recent computer expo (COMDEX), Bill Gates reportedly compared the computer industry with the auto industry and stated. . . .

    ‘If Ford had kept up with technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25 cars that got 1,000 miles to the gallon.’

    In response to Bill’s comments, Ford issued a press release stating:

    If Ford had developed technology like Microsoft, we would all be driving cars with the following characteristics (and I just love this part):

    1. For no reason whatsoever, your car would crash. . . . Twice a day.

    2. Every time they repainted the lines in the road, you would have to buy a new car.

    3. Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for no reason. You would have to pull to the side of the road, close all of the windows, shut off the car, restart it, and reopen the windows before you could continue. For some reason you would simply accept this.

    4. Occasionally, executing a maneuver such as a left turn would cause your car to shut down and refuse to restart, in which case you would have to reinstall the engine.

    5. Macintosh would make a car that was powered by the sun, was reliable, five times as fast and twice as easy to drive, but would run on only five percent of the roads.

    6. The oil, water temperature, and alternator warning lights would all be replaced by a single ‘This Car Has Performed An Illegal Operation’ warning light.

    I love the next one !!

    7. The airbag system would ask ‘Are you sure?’ before deploying.

    8. Occasionally, for no reason whatsoever, your car would lock you out and refuse to let you in until you simultaneously lifted the door handle, turned the key and grabbed hold of the radio antenna.

    9. Every time a new car was introduced car buyers would have to learn how to drive all over again because none of the controls would operate in the same manner as the old car.

    10. You’d have to press the ‘Start’ button to turn the engine off.

    PS – I’d like to add that when all else fails, you could call ‘customer service’ in some foreign country and be instructed in some foreign language how to fix your car yourself !!

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  166. nasska (6,400) Says:

    LJ

    Seems that the investigation must have been fairly thorough…it certainly resulted in prison sentences for quite a few of the abusers. The secrecy may have more to do with the potential liability of the Jersey Government who are facing huge claims from the people who were abused as kids.

    Ref: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/jan/06/jersey-childrens-home-scandal-ends

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  167. Leaping Jimmy (13,566) Says:

    nasska, what I suggest you do is look at the allegations, the extensive allegations. Go nuts on skepticism when establishing their veracity. But firstly, familiarise yourself with their extreme horrific detail.

    Then I suggest, look at who has been held to account just now.

    Then ask yourself, are these people mere patsy’s? Held up to the useful idiot brigade so they might imagine ‘justice has been done?’

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  168. Viking2 (9,483) Says:

    http://www.couriermail.com.au/money/money-matters/suppliers-reveal-bill-surge/story-fn3hskur-1226411614679

    More bill shock for Queensland consumers as power costs surge $400

    by: Robyn Ironside
    From: The Courier-Mail
    June 29, 2012 12:00AM
    141 comments

    POWER bills are set to surge by more than $400 a year and it could be worse as the state’s biggest electricity retailer takes the Government to court to gain a larger increase.

    Queensland’s biggest energy company, Origin Energy, has written to its 430,000 market customers in southeast Queensland outlining hikes in electricity tariffs and a doubling of the daily service fee.

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  169. Viking2 (9,483) Says:

    3000 Queensland public servant sackings tipped for Friday, Campbell Newman says cuts next week

    http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland-public-servant-sackings-tipped-for-friday-campbell-newman/story-e6freon6-1226411342956

    More to come.

    Way to go.

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  170. Scott Chris (4,873) Says:

    Its known that the low-activity version of the Monoamine Oxidase A gene, which appears to bias people to risky behavior and is sometimes known as the ‘warrior gene’, has a higher prevalence in maori compared to europeans

    Yeah, based on a sample of 17 Maori. The evidence is a bit thin Chiz.

    The frequency distribution of variants of the MAO-A gene differs between ethnic groups—as is the case for many genotypes. The variant was found to vary widely in demographic prevalence among different ethnic groups, with around 80% of Chinese, 60% of Maori, 60% of Africans, and 30% of Caucasians carrying the genetic variant. Due to the sensitive political nature of the findings, the research has been heavily scrutinised. It has been claimed that MAO-A may be related to social problems among the Maori. Several objections have been raised, such as the small sample size regarding the prevalence among Maori (17 persons), the extrapolation of non-Maori studies to the Maori population, and an effect only being found in maltreated children. In addition, ideological objections were raised, as well as concerns about announcing such findings in the early stages of research.

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  171. labours a joke (442) Says:

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/7197483/Warning-on-teen-solvent-abuser

    If I see him I’ll chuck a lit match at ‘em. Simple fix really..why do the handwringers make such an easy task difficult?

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