General Debate 22 May 2019

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KiWombat

Now that we have passed half way through this term of government, the time is here to consider a mid-term report card. This government promised several flagship policies to be delivered by them, including:-

KiwiBuild – 10,000 new homes per year to address a perceived housing shortage –

Maori housing – 1,000 new homes just for Maori –
Child Poverty – reduction/elimination of child poverty –

Tax reform – a CGT to make tax fairer for all –

One Billion (1,000,000,000) extra trees –

Light Rail to Auckland Airport down Dominion Road – and –

Re-entry into Pike River mine by Christmas 2018.

Sure, there were other issues promised in their election manifesto, like “no strikes on my watch” but those above were the backbone of their campaign, and I’ll leave it up to readers to give marks to each element as they see fit.

Just a hint – there aren’t too many ticks on the report card I prepared !!
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May 22, 2019 8:06am
- hullkiwi
  
  Sorry KiWombat, you omitted one that has been subject to a captain’s call, a waste of money tax working group, the creation of uncertainty and then she ran away from putting the matter to the House – Capital Gains Tax!
  
  All showing Jacinda’s judgment is suspect.
  
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  May 22, 2019 8:12am
  - waikatogirl
    
    “All showing Jacinda’s judgment is suspect”
    – Cancelling the oil and gas industry
    
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    May 22, 2019 9:27am
- Poppa
  
  And that is where the baby & hijab come in
  
  Perfect distraction material, oh & then the engagement of course
  
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  May 22, 2019 8:13am
  - KiWombat
    
    “oh & then the engagement of course”
    
    Don’t forget – to be followed by-
    
    The Royal Wedding
    The Royal Honeymoon
    Baby first teeth
    Baby first steps
    Baby first words
    
    – and if that does not successfully flood the front page of Womens Weekly during election year, then she may have to resort to another pregnancy – oh joy !
    
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    May 22, 2019 8:25am
    - RW Capitalist
      
      A not very maternalistic mother, once said to me.
      ” I can’t change nappies, it makes me physically sick. Unless, it is my baby”
      I think people are going to
      1. get heartily sick of hearing about, someone elses PRIVATE life.
      2. Will become too wrapped up in the fact they don’t have a job, to care about JA’s private life.
      
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      May 22, 2019 8:35am
- Humble Capitalist
  
  Theres not too many runs on the board.
  Id say about 53 for 8 in the 25th over chasing 380 to win as a half time analogy.
  0-13 down at halftime in football terms (mostly own goals)
  0-75 down in rugby terms even with the crooked referee (speaker of the house)
  
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  May 22, 2019 8:25am
  - septic skeptic
    
    Sadly, when you look at the polls, despite all the nicks, top edges and french cuts – they are currently ahead of the asking rate.
    
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    May 22, 2019 8:52am
    - Humble Capitalist
      
      Dont think we can really trust the polls too much!
      
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      May 22, 2019 10:51am
  - Tony Stuart
    
    53 for eight, and extras are the top scorer with 24!
    
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    May 22, 2019 8:55am
    - hullkiwi
      
      …but, but…..it’s the year of delivery….
      
      Now what will be in the Wellbding budget then, after government as usual?
      
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      May 22, 2019 9:02am
- RW Capitalist
  
  KiwiBuild – 10,000 new homes per year to address a perceived housing shortage –
  Even the proposal was flawed
  Anyone who only achieve 1% of the work they are employed to do should be fired, but they changed employment law to protect..themselves?
  Maori housing – 1,000 new homes just for Maori –
  WHY just for Maori?
  Child Poverty – reduction/elimination of child poverty –
  HAHAHA with this economy, 3rd world here we come.
  Tax reform – a CGT to make tax fairer for all –
  While “CGT” is insidious and all encompassingly
  bad for the economy, my comment is to quote (misquote Marx….Groucho)
  If you don’t like my Taxes (principles), I have others.
  One Billion (1,000,000,000) extra trees –
  I was absolutely certain they had absolutely no idea, how big that number actually is.
  If each seedling weighed 200g thats 20000 Tonnes of seedlings per year or 500 truckloads (more)
  Light Rail to Auckland Airport down Dominion Road – and –
  Funny thing they never thought of (can be applied to all their “policies”), would require the removal of 100’s of houses to acquire the land, negatively effecting their housing targets.
  Re-entry into Pike River mine by Christmas 2018.
  Miners will still be dead?…yes?
  Risk to those going in?…higher than acceptable considering potential achievement.
  Recovery almost impossible, since most are in the mine, NOT the drift.Especially not the first 100m of the drift.
  
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  May 22, 2019 8:27am
  - KevO'Brien
    
    Maori housing – 1,000 new homes just for Maori –
    WHY just for Maori?
    
    Tangata whenua Bro.
    Might make the other Pasika among us a little resentful if not musu. (Real bad mood. )
    
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    May 22, 2019 9:37am
- alex Masterley
  
  KPI’s?
  Not needed in this government.
  
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  May 22, 2019 8:38am
  - septic skeptic
    
    KPI? Does that stand for Korrupt Political Interference?
    
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    May 22, 2019 8:56am
    - sooty
      
      No KPI, but Labour do know about giving KFC to bribe south ak voters!
      
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      May 22, 2019 10:03am
    - freethinker
      
      Or Kommissars prefer Ignorance.
      
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      May 22, 2019 11:11am
- Yvette
  
  KiWombat, then there are this issues this approach omits –
  • the Three Strikes debacle
  • the Labour Maori caucus and every other Government Maori Member watching partnership schools be destroyed, to become subject now of a Treaty claim as a taonga removed from the Maori domain.
  • the banning of future oil and gas exploration in a decision made outside Cabinet, reputedly in horse-trading: the ban for Winston’s paranoiac wake-jumping bill, with no research, expert advice or industry consultation
  – to mention only three.
  
  Meanwhile Mallard’s new report reveals Parliament is generally of such low moral standing that they should not presently deal with any question of free speech or inter-personal conduct, as they themselves are unfit, with the present unsatisfactory behaviour being the reason why several are in the top positions that they are – with bullying, and a lack of transparency, honesty and integrity.
  
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  May 22, 2019 8:41am
  - RW Capitalist
    
    “behaviour being the reason why several are in the top positions that they are – with bullying, and a lack of transparency, honesty and integrity”
    Seems every LABOUR govt. has it’s integrity questioned the tries to BLAME someone else.
    Lange ran over a homeless man, on his way back from his mistress’ house.
    Helen Clark claimed “everyone claims (fraudulently) to have painted paintings they NEVER painted”
    Phillip Field
    Labour youth groping and drinking
    etc etc
    Don’t remember this under National, not to the same extent.
    
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    May 22, 2019 8:55am
    - freethinker
      
      Labour youth groping and drinking – news at last – after only waiting 18 months September 2019 and all will be revealed – or will it????????
      
      The reference number for the case is CRI-2018-004-005593. The Jury trial will commence on 2 September 2019 at 10am at the Auckland District Court. The trial courtroom has not been allocated yet. If you are attending the trial on that day, please proceed to the Auckland DC Criminal Counter in Level 1 to get the courtroom number. The counter staff will direct you to the trial courtroom.
      
      I cannot provide other information except the ones that I have already given. The Judge has directed an interim suppression on the names of defendant and witnesses. The details and facts of the case are also suppressed. If you require more information, please file a formal application to have access to the court case. The application will be placed before the trial judge for approval.
      
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      May 22, 2019 11:17am
      - namron
        
        Wondering if the behaviour at Labour Party Youth Camps is planned learnings for future Labour MPs – resulting in behaviour like some of the recently revealed bullying in Parliament!!
        
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        May 22, 2019 1:03pm
      - pejhay
        
        Speaking of which – where are we at with the Youth Camp trial ?
        
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        May 22, 2019 2:13pm
  - lastmanstanding
    
    Given the damning report on misconduct in the Parliament and the lack of naming the perps I say suspicion falls on every one of them. None of them have any credibility to pass laws that govern the conduct of the citizens until we know who the guilty parties are the appropriate actions are taken against them.
    
    They are a bunch of two faced arseholes the lot of them at this point.
    
    They are beneath contempt.
    
    Mind you many knew this was the situation for decades as they hid behind their so called authority and covered up their despicable behaviour.
    
    I say a plague on all their houses.
    
    They lack the ethics morals capability and capacity to govern.
    
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    May 22, 2019 9:16am
- Albert_Ross
  
  All true, but consider the point made in this article. Given that few people actually wanted the the objectives that the coalition partners set themselves, their non-achievement is a good outcome, even arguably positive for their electoral prospects.
  
  https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/112844129/governments-paralysis-can-only-help-labours-popularity
  
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  May 22, 2019 9:13am
  - Tall Man
    
    What a pile of unmitigated claptrap.
    
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    May 22, 2019 10:02pm
- Wired-one
  
  12000 more beneficiaries in the last 12 months, hardship grant numbers exploding, 55% increase in food parcel recipients in 2018, signed the TPPA whilst opposed to it, no kermedec sanctuary, tertiary numbers falling even after the governments billion dollar bribe, Derek Handley, Meka Whaitari, Clare Curran, Iain Lee’s-Galloway, Karel Sroubek, preaching about climate change but takes a individual flight to Nauru to breastfeed, burnt more coal in 2018 than anytime before, bans the oil industry which their own agencies say will increase emissions, not to mention the high paying jobs that will disappear and the Taranaki economy that’ll be destroyed. And that’s just the stuff at the top of my head. I have disliked Labour governments in the past, but never have I seen such a bunch of incompetent twats as this lot, and yet they are apparently riding high in the polls?. Kiwis need to wake up.
  
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  May 22, 2019 9:19am
  - RW Capitalist
    
    Also in Taranaki (in the news)
    A 20% fall in rental properties available
    around 4000 down to around 3200
    Since their anti landlord legislation.
    Now the complaints are coming in.
    Anyone voting Labour in Taranaki, from here on in, should be ashamed of themselves.
    
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    May 22, 2019 9:30am
  - freethinker
    
    Looking at the reliability of Polls (Australian election?)Brexit/Trump etc better assume the opposite.
    
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    May 22, 2019 11:19am
- David Garrett
  
  Ki: You forgot their secret justice policy; the one they hid from the electorate, the repeal of three strikes…Another fail. And next election they won’t be able to pull the same trick – they’ll get asked about it during the campaign.
  
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  May 22, 2019 10:26am
- Tall Man
  
  “Could do better” may be a comment but they are not capable of doing better.
  
  This fuckup is as good as it is going to get.
  
  Bring on 2020.
  
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  May 22, 2019 9:52pm
Hugh Pavletich

… MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA: Destroying your family’s future by paying bubble (political) prices for real estate …

Desperate families are selling housing blocks on Gumtree as they face financial ruin in property market downturn … (Australia) Daily Mail

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7051667/Desperate-families-selling-housing-blocks-Gumtree-property-market-downturn.html

• A truck driver and his pregnant wife forked out $110,000 just to settle their land

• They instantly lost $50,000 when their property was valued below their contract

• Buyers are angry at the developer which is offering rebates, devaluing their land

• Many people are selling land on Gumtree after a steep property market nosedive
.
.
… What part of 3 don’t these losers understand … with their deadbeat advisers too of course … ? …

Definition Of An Affordable Housing Market – Performance Urban Planning

http://www.performanceurbanplanning.org/affordability.html

Houston Association Of Reators – Latest Monthly Report

https://www.har.com/content/mls
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May 22, 2019 8:06am
- Hugh Pavletich
  
  Perth property value losses plunge through 19% … MacroBusiness Australia
  … behind paywall …
  
  https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2019/05/perth-property-value-losses-plunge-19/
  
  By Leith van Onselen
  
  Yesterday, CoreLogic’s daily house price index revealed that Perth dwelling value declines have smashed through 19%:
  
  https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Capture-71.jpg
  
  https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/
  
  This is by far the biggest bust on record for Perth, with the current 19% decline far eclipsing prior price corrections, both in terms of size and duration:
  
  … concluding … …
  
  What makes this property crash particularly interesting is that the slump in prices has occurred alongside rents, which have tanked by a whopping 22%, according to the ABS:
  
  This is a nightmare situation for Perth landlords, but a wonderful scenario for both renters and would-be first home buyers.
  
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  May 22, 2019 1:36pm
Than

The recent discussions about a New Conservative party have got me thinking about the pro’s and con’s of our proportional voting system. And the reason why, on balance, I don’t like it.

Here is the fundamental problem – proportional representation frequently results in vastly disproportional influence.

There does seem to be an enduring 2-4% support for a Conservative party, and in one sense it would be fair and democratic for them to get 2-4% of the seats in parliament. But if that happened, and we had (say) a 58 National MP + 4 Conservative MP government, those 4 Conservative MPs would have significant influence. They would bargain their support on confidence/supply for legislation on abortion/drugs/religious teaching in schools/whatever, and those laws would affect us all. They could effectively veto government legislation. The influence of those 4 MPs would be wildly out of proportion to the number of people who voted for them. Completely undemocratic.

Now if you’re a Conservative supporter you may love the scenario I just painted. But remember the shoe can just as easily be on the other foot. A purely Labour-Green government is a worryingly realistic possibility after the next election. Even if the Greens only barely scrapped over 5%, they’d still be in a very strong position to demand their agenda be forced onto all of us. Given the rising hysteria about climate change and some of the radical measures being proposed, that is a genuinely scary thought.
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May 22, 2019 8:10am
- brett68
  
  What a great choice to look forward to in 2020.
  
  National get wagged by some fundy Christians or
  Labour getting wagged by some fundy greenies.
  
  Fantastic, compared to those two options the current arrangement actually look quite good.
  
  We’re fucked, expect the exodus to Australia to really start picking up steam.
  
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  May 22, 2019 8:36am
  - Than
    
    I don’t think National being wagged by a conservative party is a likely scenario – the hurdles facing new parties are just too great. The next National government (whether that happens in 2020 or 2023) will have to govern either alone or just with Act.
    
    The idea of the Green wagging a Labour-led government is indeed a scary one… but that could well work to National’s advantage. They can take the most radical emission reduction ideas the Greens come up with and use them as bogeymen to scare voters with – “vote Labour and you’ll get this!” The Australian election is evidence that while people may say they want to do something about climate change, they’re less keen once they learn how the proposals will actually impact their lives.
    
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    May 22, 2019 8:59am
    - David Garrett
      
      Than: Well said…people will vote for – say – no more single use plastic bags…but not for a return to the stone age…
      
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      May 22, 2019 10:38am
    - brett68
      
      The idea of the Green wagging a Labour-led government is indeed a scary one… but that could well work to National’s advantage
      
      That will work more to NZ Firsts advantage because Labour will say the same thing about a fundy Christian party wagging a National government.
      
      NZ First will start looking like the sane option which shows how fucked politics in NZ is.
      
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      May 22, 2019 10:52am
      - Than
        
        That tactic would only work if there is a credible chance of a conservative party getting into parliament.
        
        In other words, first somebody (preferably with a decently high profile) would have to set the party up – remember, this is still all very much theoretical. They’d have to somehow get enough media attention for people to be aware of them. And most importantly, they’d need at least a couple of reputable polls showing them at least approaching the 5% threshold (say 3.5% or above, minimum) so people believe there is a reasonable shot at them getting into parliament.
        
        If these elements aren’t present Labour could still try it as a scare-tactic. But it simply wouldn’t be a believable scenario and they’d be wasting their time.
        
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        May 22, 2019 11:48am
      - Gravelroad
        
        Brett 68 – No.
        We all know what the Greens are and what to expect from them policy wise.
        But Winston 1st has proved itself to be completely untrustworthy. NZF has toyed with and mocked its support base and not done what it said it would do.
        Will sane voters learn from this let down of a party? Hope so.
        
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        May 22, 2019 12:08pm
    - mark15
      
      Look how the Brexit party is polling in the EU election.Its only 6 weeks old…
      
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      May 22, 2019 11:38am
  - Happychappy
    
    So do tell us Brett who you voted for at the last Election as it wasn’t National because you were saying as long Bill English is Leader you would vote elsewhere. So this is the same shit with your dislike for Simon Bridges and Christians so I doubt anyone will miss you if you do decide to purchase a ticket.
    
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    May 22, 2019 9:40am
    - Tall Man
      
      Exactly.
      
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      May 22, 2019 10:06pm
- KiWombat
  
  Than – that’s exactly the same scenario that we are currently faced with – a thrice failed politician currently polling at less than 3% who can and does veto policy of the major partner in the coalition !
  
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  May 22, 2019 8:40am
- Scott
  
  Than – you make some very good points. One of the most egregious examples, but one not often discussed, is the deal that National and John Key did with the Maori party when they came into power. Basically the Maori party has had carte blanche under Chris Finlayson to load in huge claims to the Waitangi Tribunal, to lay claim to the foreshore, to almost get sovereignty rights of parts of New Zealand.
  
  Now we know that National needed the Maori party to gain a majority. But we are paying the price right now because if the Maori party stood for anything, it was the politics of racial division.
  
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  May 22, 2019 8:42am
  - Faroffsound
    
    Yes but no-one was in any doubt about what the Maori Party stood for. If you voted for them you knew what you were getting.
    
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    May 22, 2019 12:01pm
  - Paulus
    
    Of course New Zealand First can change their name to NZFMaori as nearly all the current MPs are Maori.
    That would appeal to the Maori vote.
    
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    May 22, 2019 1:25pm
    - Tall Man
      
      Sarcastic bugger 🙂
      
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      May 22, 2019 10:08pm
- kloyd0306
  
  Winston the effing traitor’s 7% is also wildly out of proportion and has set the country back several years.
  
  The whole MMP system gives tiny parties more influence than their numbers.
  
  Jim Bolger is another traitor who ruined a perfectly good electoral system.
  
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  May 22, 2019 8:44am
  - Ian Boag
    
    I never heard any complaints like that when ACT got 6% and UF about the same. But they fell in behind the right people …..
    
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    May 22, 2019 8:48am
    - septic skeptic
      
      Er, UF went with Hellen when they got 6%
      
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      May 22, 2019 9:00am
    - gravedodger
      
      Ian Boag you are missing the bit about UF and Act supporting a major party for crumbs while Mr 7% took over the negotiations as senior partner and extracted as much as possible for himself not his party and appointed a party already second in the ballot. Mr 7% acted contrary to the long established protocol under the same MMP as NZ endures settled on Germany to prevent if possible another National Socialist party taking over the democracy to follow another megalomaniac.
      The resident charlatan is expertly manipulating the system for no 1 bugger the rest of you as an act of utu or revenge for perceived insults.
      
      Btw there has been angst aplenty from the socialists for ACT getting inside the tent and I recall plenty of socialists being rather disapproving of Dunny for his personal gratification efforts.
      
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      May 22, 2019 1:32pm
      - Tall Man
        
        ian’s blind adoration of ardern is responsible for him missing quite a few things.
        
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        May 22, 2019 10:10pm
- godruelf
  
  This was the brilliance of John Key’s move to invite the Maori party on board. To have a government that could drop a support party on an individual policy and still get the measures through.
  
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  May 22, 2019 8:47am
  - septic skeptic
    
    Yes, absolutely brilliant. Remind me again of what JK got done?
    
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    May 22, 2019 9:01am
    - UrbanNeocolonialist
      
      pulled nz out of 3 financial holes: GFC, Earthquakes and massive structural deficits left by Cullen/Clark. All within 6 years.
      
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      May 22, 2019 11:00am
      - septic skeptic
        
        If you are going to claim credit for economic success, you need to show your working. What specific measures did Key/English take to lead the NZ economy through GFC etc and what would have happened had these steps not been taken? My view is that for the most part, economies and businesses prosper or fail by themselves, and the government of the day takes the credit or blame for events largely outside their control. You can of course pass laws that mismanage an economy and drive us into recession, but just letting business get on with it isn’t quite the same as brilliant economic administration.
        
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        May 22, 2019 12:25pm
      - UrbanNeocolonialist
        
        That’s unknowable isn’t it, history doesn’t allow for reruns. but they sure beat the alternative if what we are currently enduring from the CoL is any guide.
        
        I would say that the economy was significantly boosted by higher immigration and the large amount of money those immigrants bought in and expanded scale of the economy they enabled – though it also came at the cost of a deficit in necessary infrastructure.
        
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        May 22, 2019 2:05pm
      - MrLovebucket
        
        https://www.stats.govt.nz/topics/gross-domestic-product
        
        This chart shows the good work Key did and how the current muppets are undoing all the good work
        
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        May 22, 2019 5:24pm
      - Rob2
        
        Borrowed 80 billion.
        Handed NZ to the Maori and Chinese.
        Inflicted the draconian H & S Act upon us working people.
        Subsidized films for fortune makers.
        That’s just for starters.
        
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        May 22, 2019 7:44pm
  - RW Capitalist
    
    Beyond that, it isolated the Labour/ Greens block.
    
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    May 22, 2019 9:07am
  - Than
    
    Agreed. And this is a big factor in why minor party influence hasn’t been too much of a problem up until now. If the major party has several allies (or potential allies) and can get a majority with only a subset of them, the bargaining power of all minor parties drops significantly. But as the number of minor parties continues to decline the influence of those that remain increases.
    
    Fingers crossed that the scenario MCos suggests below comes to pass, and both NZ First and the Green fail to make the 5% threshold.
    
    But sadly I suspect NZ First will fail (they’ve burned too many of their core support groups on major issues), but the Greens will make it. Meaning that unless National can get close enough to 50% to command a majority by itself, it will be a radical-left Labour-Green nightmare we’re stuck with.
    
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    May 22, 2019 9:25am
- MCos
  
  NZ has had coalition governments of some sort ever since MMP began more than twenty years ago.
  Most of them have been thoroughly dominated by the major partner who throw a few lollies to the minor parties.
  If, in the next election the Greens & NZF are wiped out and the Nats form a government with some sort of Christian Party I don’t expect they’ll get more than a morsel or two rather than an Alabama style abortion law.
  
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  May 22, 2019 8:47am
- Nigel Kearney
  
  Disproportional influence is a big problem but not the biggest problem.
  
  The biggest problem is that coalition negotiations after the election create a disconnect between what parties promised before the election and what they are expected to do after the election. When one party has a majority they have no excuse for not doing what they said. Under the current system they can make all sorts of extravagant promises and then just say their coalition partner didn’t agree so is it isn’t happening.
  
  It’s a system that fundamentally encourages and rewards dishonesty.
  
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  May 22, 2019 8:49am
  - Swifty
    
    Yes, agreed.
    
    This is yet another negative and unforeseen consequence of MMP.
    
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    May 22, 2019 9:17am
  - David Garrett
    
    Nigel K: I suspect you are too young to remember much about FPP…in short, parties often went back on promises made during FPP campaigns, most often claiming that what they found out once in power made this or that promise impossible.
    
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    May 22, 2019 10:51am
    - Jack5
      
      FPP provides more decisive Government, and having all MPs elected by locals does weed out many flakes, although it does probably mean, over all, political parties are more bland.
      
      Our MMP is a direct descendant of the proportional system in Germany under which Hitler took power.
      
      When the Western Allies returned self-government to the West German people after World War 2, the Germans amended it a little, including by introducing the 5 per cent threshold for using party votes.
      
      They wanted to reduce the chaos that existed when Hitler’s Nazi Party, with 43.3 per cent, won the biggest section of the vote in the 1933 election (the last before World War 2), and formed a governing coalition with the conservative-remnant German National People’s Party.
      
      Someone with better knowledge than me can confirm or otherwise that Hitler himself was the equivalent of a “party vote MP” in the Reichstag before the Nazis seized dictatorial power.
      
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      May 22, 2019 11:54am
      - septic skeptic
        
        One could cite Brexit as an example of an extremely indecisive FPP parliament.
        
        4 0
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        May 22, 2019 12:28pm
      - Jack5
        
        Well no-one’s so far shown us this statement is wrong: Hitler was a list MP.
        
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        May 22, 2019 2:16pm
    - Nigel Kearney
      
      We’ve only had MMP for half my life and I can still remember the first half pretty well. Obviously politicians often go back on their promises. But I think it’s much easier to hold them accountable when the electoral system does have a giant built-in excuse generator that whirrs into action right after each election and wipes away any promises made during the campaign.
      
      People voted Labour because they wanted to get rid of three strikes and people voted Winston because they wanted a binding referendum on maori seats and reducing MPs from 120 to 100. Those promises just vanished into thin air with no questions asked, having served their purpose of attracting votes.
      
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      May 22, 2019 12:43pm
  - freethinker
    
    And equally problematic are policies not discussed or in an election manifesto – like canning Oil & Gas exploration- which is why binding referenda are really valuable in holding govt to account just as the UK Binding referendum on Brexit did by changing MPs from representatives to delegates and now they are refusing to effect the result for some MP’s is finding themselves facing annihilation at the polls and a new party replacing them.
    
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    May 22, 2019 11:29am
- Billy Collins
  
  The one thing that is always missing from this kind of critique is that a coalition is agreed between the parties involved. Greens dont force labour to accept them. Labour agrees to it.
  
  For example, if you vote labour, and they need the greens to join them to form a government, and the greens ask for a lot of their ideas be imposed in order to take the offer, then when you vote labour, you should expect that labour may have to agree to those conditions.
  
  You vote knowing that your party MAY have to agree to another party’s conditions.
  
  It’s not the problem that minor parties gain a big influence. It’s a problem that voters misunderstand how the system works, or are misinformed. But since when has voters being misinformed been new in politics?
  
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  May 22, 2019 1:33pm
  - Than
    
    Two problems with this idea.
    
    First, even for voters who acknowledge that their party will have to give up concessions during negotiations, parties never give us much (if any) information about what policies they would prioritize (or would push back against). Yes, you know the policy platform will change, but with zero information about what it will change to that’s pretty meaningless information.
    
    Second, since we agree that inevitably a large portion of voters are misinformed (or under-informed), isn’t a system that makes it easier for misinformed voters to make meaningful choices better? Or are we just going to ignore them so that us clever-folk can have more options?
    
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    May 23, 2019 12:51am
    - Billy Collins
      
      I’m not saying there isn’t a problem with voters misunderstanding the process. I think there is. All I’m saying is that minor parties dont really gain a major influence, precisely because the major parties have to agree to the coalition. NZ First or Greens have no influence unless Labour gives it to them. Their influence is nothing without Labours influence, which balances it out.
      
      That’s a good thing.
      
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      May 23, 2019 5:00pm
- Piniwi
  
  Wonderful Than but you do not seem to understand the particular, nay peculiar version of MMP used in NZ. At 2-4% they get nothing unless they also gain an electoral seat which fortunately has almost kept the Green Gang out most of the time even with double that percentage. While this wrinkle has protected the people from the Greens the 5% level is intended to limit to some degree even more parties entering the contest. Likewise it also works against start up parties who have the potential to make a worthwhile contribution from a seriously minded demographic.
  IMO there has never been a better opportunity for a blended party of conservatives to partner with another contender motivated by those fundamental religious beliefs the majority are guided by. Consciously or unconsciously they are the foundation of what proud New Zealanders refer to as the Kiwi way. For many of us it is how we were raised and will remain so to our last breath knowing the meaning of a fair go. While the COL have even tried to clutch on by reintroducing the term fairness by edict the majority will never loose it. However it is under serious threat by so many who insist on colour codes as well as some very nasty labels for any who dares to disagree with them.
  The tragic event in Christchurch was timely so to speak for the COL as it took attention away from other equally serious issues. This list is topped by signing away our sovereignty with the UN Migrant Agreement which has the potential to see more of what occurred in Christchurch.
  Forget rinse and repeat it is time for a rewind. The sooner the better for all.
  
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  May 22, 2019 2:00pm
godruelf

So the Government is going to be charging GST on Phone Roaming fees from next year for services consumed overseas. What will be next GST on international airfares? This could be seen as a similar situation where services are purchased in NZ and the service is used largely offshore.
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May 22, 2019 8:20am
- RW Capitalist
  
  Further sign, they are running out of OUR money and are looking to grab as much tax as they can.
  I also predict an increase in traffic fines for speeding, considering their current TV campaign.
  
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  May 22, 2019 8:41am
  - Durden
    
    How much revenue is this move going to generate?
    
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    May 22, 2019 9:12am
    - RW Capitalist
      
      I don’t think they know.
      But, in their eyes, more is more and that is all that counts.
      
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      May 22, 2019 9:21am
      - Tall Man
        
        And generates more adoring civil servants like mikey. Blind loyalty for the job provider.
        
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        May 22, 2019 10:22pm
  - Captain Mainwaring
    
    I also predict that Transmission Gully will be tolled, as they need to scrape up money from wherever they can.
    
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    May 22, 2019 9:41am
    - Batman
      
      With their current safety mantra, they would be playing with fire to encourage those not willing to pay (likely also cheap and old cars) go travel on the other road…
      
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      May 22, 2019 1:48pm
  - Piniwi
    
    Perhaps RWC but there is a lot more of that to come across the board for local as well as central Government as the NZ$ teeters on the edge of dropping out of the NZ$0.65/US$1.00 band. Then for those illegal parking in Auckland they now have drive by parking wardens who only need the number plate to issue a fine. The fun is just starting with a Wellness Budget and a reshuffle to come.
    We get another laugh dished up today as Ministers have attempted to show how busy they are by opening up their diaries. What next? Social media likes? Lol
    
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    May 22, 2019 2:12pm
- Alien
  
  Do many still roam, I thought people just buy a simcard in their holiday destination to avoid being ripped off with roaming charges
  
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  May 22, 2019 10:29am
  - godruelf
    
    Still handy on a short trip if you can get a roaming pack. $5 a day or less for the convenience isn’t too bad.
    
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    May 22, 2019 11:01am
    - RW Capitalist
      
      Bought a prepay in the UK in 2008
      20 pounds for 6 weeks
      Could choose 2 international countries to call for free.
      NZ was one of them
      Lasted me for the whole holiday and had a couple of pounds left.
      
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      May 22, 2019 3:52pm
  - Tall Man
    
    $A20 for a 35 day sim. 45 gig data, unlimited calls and texts in Oz plus 500 minutes for NZ. Using the data right now.
    
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    May 22, 2019 10:26pm
secondcumming

Coming to a town near you…… *Raurangi Marino,* convicted and jailed for the rape and assault of a *5-year-old girl* at a Turangi campground in 2011, has been granted parole after serving just 7 years of his sentence.

In March last year, he was assessed by the Parole Board “…as having a high risk of violent offending and a moderate to high risk of sexual offending”. However, in their latest decision, they say, “Marino had done what the board asked of him” ……..WTF??

Read it and weep…..

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12232850
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May 22, 2019 8:21am
- Nigel Kearney
  
  Tony Robertson version 2. They really are slow learners on the Parole Board.
  
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  May 22, 2019 8:52am
  - dave_c_
    
    NO – Rather fast ‘yes men’.
    
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    May 22, 2019 9:07am
- Tony Stuart
  
  Key words in that story are:
  
  Marino, whose father was a Mongrel Mob member…
  
  Doubtless Marino will have been recruited by the Mob or another gang during his incarceration, and even though there is a non-association with gangs clause in his release conditions, he will almost certainly gravitate to a gang.
  
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  May 22, 2019 9:01am
- John Warren
  
  A bullet would be the best thing. That’s my visceral reaction to a piece of garbage like that.
  
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  May 22, 2019 9:35am
Alien

“Former National MP Tau Henare has let rip on Speaker Trevor Mallard and other “cockwombles” on the back of an extensive inquiry into bullying at Parliament.

“I think that we have a Speaker that is the epitome of the word irony,” he said.

“This guy was the biggest schoolyard bully in the place. If there was a programme called ‘The Biggest Bully’, he would have won it ten years in a row.

“When it was announced by him that he was going to do a report on bullying, I literally nearly wet myself.”“

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2019/05/former-national-mp-tau-henare-lets-rip-on-bullying-in-parliament-after-review-release.html

But again if not mallard who. Jacinda finds nothing wrong with her minister physically abusing a staff member. Deputy prime minister is often screaming abuse at people in the house. How a PM can stand up after this report was released and say what she did when she protects ministers in her own government that commit abuse is beyond me
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May 22, 2019 8:24am
- mikenmildagain
  
  That’s a joke. Tau Henare has an opinion on bad workplace behaviour?
  
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  May 22, 2019 8:43am
  - srylands
    
    To what are you referring?
    
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    May 22, 2019 8:52am
  - RW Capitalist
    
    Wasn’t Tau the VICTIM of assault, in parliament buildings, by…………………………TREVOR MALLARD.
    
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    May 22, 2019 8:57am
    - David Garrett
      
      RW: It’s actually much worse than that…the assault was committed in the noes lobby which is literally one step away from the chamber itself, and which carries the same level of protection for an MP as does the chamber…Mallard shouldn’t be anywhere near the Speakers chair…
      
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      May 22, 2019 11:10am
      - freethinker
        
        Perhaps a short shocking stay on an electric chair would sort the speaker out.
        
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        May 22, 2019 11:34am
  - Tony Stuart
    
    Having been punched by Mallard whilst an MP, I’m sure Tau has a pretty unique perspective on bullying in Parliament.
    
    And with regard to Mallard, there’s this gem:
    
    Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers
    [Volume:658;Page:7095]
    
    12. Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour—Hutt South) to the Minister of Education: Does she stand by her reported statement that—[Interruption] Tinkerbell, can you settle down?
    
    Mr SPEAKER: That is not acceptable. I ask the House to come to order. The member asking the question often interjects when other members are asking questions. I ask him to just ask his question.
    
    https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/hansard-debates/rhr/document/49HansS_20091015_00000749/mallard-trevor-questions-for-oral-answer-questions
    
    Mallard’s homophobic insult is forever recorded in Hansard. Worse than that however was that NO Labour MP, let alone any of Labour’s gay MP’s publicly called Mallard out on his disgraceful interjection.
    
    The very thought of one of Parliament’s most longstanding, proven bullies ordering an inquiry into bullying in Parliament is just bizarre. I hope someone finds Erin Leigh, and asks HER opinion as well.
    
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    May 22, 2019 9:07am
    - mikenmildagain
      
      Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
      Go on, Tony. Tell us that Tau Henare, and all your party’s other leading lights, have never been bullies.
      Fucking partisan hypocrites are at the root of the problem.
      
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      May 22, 2019 9:18am
      - Garbageman
        
        Baa haa haa the ultimate pot kettle moment by Mike but of course its only those “fucking partisan hypocrites” on the right that are of concern eh Mikey not those that blindly follow the incompetence of Jacinda and here merry band of liars what next eh Mikey is Mallard really just a misunderstood lad maybe some Parliamentary protection for him as well just in case someone says something nasty
        
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        May 22, 2019 10:35am
      - Tony Stuart
        
        Did I defend Henare mikenmild? No. I simply said that he, having been on the receiving end of a punch from Mallard that he may or may not have deserved, would have a unique perspective. It’s certainly a better perspective than either you or I would have.
        
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        May 22, 2019 11:21am
    - Alien
      
      That explains why Winston was getting away with that under speaker mallard
      
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      May 22, 2019 10:30am
  - Tall Man
    
    Such loyalty mikey.
    
    You’ll look back with embarrassment one day……for your sake I hope.
    
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    May 22, 2019 10:30pm
Happychappy

Tau Henare tells the country about the leading bully in Parliament.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2019/05/former-national-mp-tau-henare-lets-rip-on-bullying-in-parliament-after-review-release.html
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May 22, 2019 8:25am
- G152
  
  I think that the response would be ‘ colour us surprised’…
  The bully is in control of an investigation into bullying
  
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  May 22, 2019 8:39am
- Jack5
  
  In the Newshub report:
  
  Tau Henare Former National MP Tau Henare has let rip on Speaker Trevor Mallard and other “cockwombles” …
  
  Here are some definitions of “cockwomble”:
  
  1. From the Urban Dictionary: A person who actively searches for stuff to be a complete cock about.Often not content with using the subject once, will collect and recycle them for the next person to bear the brunt of the cock outburst.
  
  2. From Word Panda: (UK,slang,derogatory) A foolish or obnoxious person.
  
  3. From an English web site, The Register: The origin of this very rude term is unclear, although it’s thought to have first surfaced on an online football forum. For those of you unfamiliar with the word, it has been summarised as someone “possessing properties of striking idiocy”.
  
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  May 22, 2019 10:45am
  - UrbanNeocolonialist
    
    I thought it was a gay slur, wombles collect rubbish in parks, cock wombles collect cocks in parks.
    
    weeping cock-sore is my current favorite insult
    
    1 1
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    May 22, 2019 11:05am
    - Batman
      
      Urban, maybe back in the day it was. These days a womble is just a dumbass, so a cockwomble is a dumbass cock lol… Or thereabouts
      
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      May 22, 2019 1:53pm
Maggy Wassilieff

Trevor Mallard suspects there is a rapist at Parliament.

Reading the report carefully I get the sense the man is still on the premises.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018696132/parliament-bullying-report-speaker-believes-rapes-have-occurred
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May 22, 2019 8:26am
- Shut the hell up you Fascist!
  
  Of course rapes occur in Parliament.
  
  The economy didn’t fuck itself!
  
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  May 22, 2019 8:36am
- burt
  
  If there is will he be protected like the Labour Party youth camp sexual predator?
  
  (I guess it depends what party he is in)
  
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  May 22, 2019 8:43am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    If there was a National MP or staff member that was suspected of sexual assault, the story would have been splashed around the MSM.
    
    Perhaps the suspect is closely connected to the MSM.
    
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    May 22, 2019 9:13am
    - stephieboy
      
      MW, Anne Tolley On RNZ this morning full supported an investigation into the allegations of rape and sexual assault.
      
      2 22
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      May 22, 2019 10:01am
      - Odakyu-sen
        
        One does not begin an investigation into cases like this unless the outcome is already known.
        
        //
        
        14 1
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        May 22, 2019 11:32am
    - Batman
      
      MaggyW – you will have noticed that the media have been VERY quiet / light on detail re the recommendation that the press gallery sign a code of conduct…
      
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      May 22, 2019 1:55pm
      - All_on_Red
        
        Good point
        You seem to have your ear to the ground in Wellington
        Anything to add?
        
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        May 22, 2019 2:02pm
      - UrbanNeocolonialist
        
        Wasn’t Dunne screwed over by a member of the Gallery leading him on?
        
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        May 22, 2019 2:06pm
- thetiedarch
  
  If I was a male MP/staffer I’d be furious at Mallard for this statement. He’s basically tarnished every male in parliament as a suspected rapist.
  
  You do not go around throwing statements like this without actually also saying “we’ve arrested this man and he’ll be appearing in court soon”.
  
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  May 22, 2019 9:06am
  - KevO'Brien
    
    If Mallard actually said what is alleged and is not pulled up for it he should be removed as Speaker.
    
    The greater the consequence of allegation or creation of suspicions the greater the duty of care.
    
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    May 22, 2019 9:50am
- Happychappy
  
  I wonder whether a Colition Minister will be revisited after several rumoured complaints from stenographers over the last few years.
  
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  May 22, 2019 9:14am
  - MCos
    
    This is the problem with reports that rely on confidentiality.
    Nobody is named so everybody is under suspicion and rumours are rife.
    
    19 0
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    May 22, 2019 9:45am
    - sooty
      
      There is history on the left!
      
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      May 22, 2019 12:10pm
- cmm
  
  Well there were rapists in the past who were proficient with Swiss Balls, so why not now?
  
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  May 22, 2019 10:17am
  - burt
    
    Indeed, so another person in the Labour Party will be quickly moved to the UK?
    
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    May 22, 2019 10:34am
    - Alien
      
      Could it be an independant mp whose had a lot of complaints against him?
      
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      May 22, 2019 10:50am
      - burt
        
        I suspect so, if it were a Labour MP then the victim led approach would be to not involve Police and make sure it stays out of the media.
        
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        May 22, 2019 11:19am
      - septic skeptic
        
        It doesn’t have to be an MP at all, but JLR does spring to mind.
        
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        May 22, 2019 12:38pm
      - Paulus
        
        And reported that four women were implicated. according to Soper.
        
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        May 22, 2019 1:32pm
- Surely Knott
  
  Falau posts a bible quote and he is fired from his job and the entire industry because it violated his contract and the employer wanted an inclusive workplace. NZ parliament has a potential rape within their ranks and the employer keeps it on the down low and they advise the victims to go to the police if they have a problem. And they say there only job is to provide a safe workplace. (which doesn’t seem to be going very well), and it’s unclear how they are going about that. I’m guessing it’s not be a National MP by how defensive they are.
  
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  May 22, 2019 2:07pm
UrbanNeocolonialist

Golriz Gfadsjklhfsaul. Not being truthful (as usual) about getting a police escort, is in fact parliamentary security. All part of the me me me show.
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May 22, 2019 8:36am
- burt
  
  Is this where I scream “racist” at you ?
  
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  May 22, 2019 8:41am
- The King
  
  Golriz who told us that diversity was a strength is now running around in a panic about how divided the society has become.
  
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  May 22, 2019 9:01am
- John Warren
  
  Oh yes. Didn’t she, or the media, claim that she was getting 24 hour police protection (please correct me if I’m wrong)? I’m sure I read or heard that somewhere. But I see that it’s actually just parliamentary security escorting her to and from home. Has she been embellishing again?
  
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  May 22, 2019 9:41am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Initially, the Green Party said Ghahraman was to get a police escort, but the MP clarified that she will be accompanied by a Parliamentary Service security officer.
    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/112882626/security-escort-for-green-mp-golrizghahraman-after-acts-david-seymour-called-her-a-menace
    
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    May 22, 2019 11:00am
- MCos
  
  Parliamentary security in cooperation with the police is what she said in this interview at parliament
  https://www.nzherald.co.nz/national-video/news/video.cfm?c_id=1503075&gal_cid=1503075&gallery_id=207094
  
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  May 22, 2019 9:55am
  - UrbanNeocolonialist
    
    And given GG’s usual truthiness that most likely means that the police have nothing to do with it. https://twitter.com/hashtag/golrizmycv?lang=en
    
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    May 22, 2019 4:28pm
Maggie Pie

My partner points out: Today is Lee Rigby Memorial Day – the hero UK soldier who was butchered by two crazed black Islamist extremists on the streets of London, this day in 2013. RIP.
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May 22, 2019 8:38am
- mikenmildagain
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  More importantly, today is the International Day for Biological Diversity.
  
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  May 22, 2019 8:50am
  - cmm
    
    Biological Diversity?
    
    Does that mean we should celebrate real biological differences and not what you feel like you want to be?
    
    Does this mean we should celebrate the fact that there are biological differences between genders and races?
    
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    May 22, 2019 8:59am
    - mikenmildagain
      
      Biological diversity does not mean what you think it means.
      
      1 30
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      May 22, 2019 9:13am
      - Tarquin North
        
        Congratulations Mikey, who is the lucky goat?
        
        18 0
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        May 22, 2019 9:29am
      - cmm
        
        I’ll take another guess then.
        
        Giving votes to criminals?
        
        12 0
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        May 22, 2019 10:19am
      - cmm
        
        Oh now I get it, you mean celebrating other life forms.
        
        Today is the day to hit the singles bars and see how many STDs you can get before midnight!
        
        4 0
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        May 22, 2019 1:06pm
  - RW Capitalist
    
    YUP and we need look no further than the CoL for the biological diversity you speak of.
    Full of lower organisms (slime)
    Mammals with so little brain function, that they are lucky to be breathing.
    Invertebrates, spineless and lacking courage.
    Rodents, cunning and dishonest
    Reptiles and snakes, venomous and cold blooded.
    Did I miss anything?
    
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    May 22, 2019 9:03am
    - freethinker
      
      Skunks – Cunning and Stink
      
      6 0
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      May 22, 2019 11:43am
    - rightoverlabour
      
      Maggots _feed off the dead
      
      5 0
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      May 22, 2019 12:40pm
      - Tall Man
        
        I ain’t dead so I suggest they look elsewhere.
        
        “open and transparent”… more “translucent” like a maggot.
        
        4 0
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        May 22, 2019 12:44pm
  - Alien
    
    How disgusting can you get, taking a post remembering a murdered person for you stupid daily post
    
    12 3
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    May 22, 2019 10:32am
    - mikenmildagain
      
      Oh, I could get much more disgusting.
      But did you know that there is no such thing as Lee Rigby Memorial Day?
      Among other people to remember on 22 May, you might also wish to recall:
      Ernst Toller
      Mazafar Bhutto
      Harvey Milk
      or the victims of the sack of Damietta in 853, the Brussels Jewish massacre in 1370, the Spanish massacre of the Aztecs in 1520, or the Manchester Arena bombing in 2917.
      Oh, and it’s also World Goth Day.
      
      1 18
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      May 22, 2019 11:48am
      - Maggie Pie
        
        LEST WE FORGET
        
        https://twitter.com/BritishTriserv1/status/1130973339646930944
        
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        May 22, 2019 12:55pm
    - Jack5
      
      The notably brutal murder of the unarmed British soldier Lee Rigby was far more than a typical murder.
      
      The post was there obviously playing on the habit of Milky posting often obscure “this day” notices.
      
      To describe mention of the Lee Rigby killing as disgusting is just ridiculous.
      
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      May 22, 2019 12:04pm
  - Tall Man
    
    “Biological Diversity” day is more important in your mind than the needless slaughter of a human being as a result of religious diversity.
    
    What does that make you mikey? How could any reasonable person think that?
    
    6 1
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    May 22, 2019 12:40pm
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  78 Years ago my daddy was wondering once again..
  who messed up?
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/22nd_Battalion_(New_Zealand)
  
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  May 22, 2019 9:22am
  - RW Capitalist
    
    Hitler did.
    
    5 0
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    May 22, 2019 9:35am
  - Tall Man
    
    My uncle lost his life after being captured on Crete.
    
    Geneva was just a place for many in that battle.
    
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    May 22, 2019 12:43pm
    - Ian Boag
      
      Crete – the result of a Churchill brain fart.
      
      The Kiwis were in the Western Desert with the Brits and had just about ejected the Italians from the content. Then Churchill pulled them out and sent them to Greece – where the result was predictable because they were outnumbered, outfought, no tanks to speak of, no airforce to speak of – and we/they had their arses kicked.
      
      Crete was the last gasp of all that. A Pyrrhic victory for the Nazis, but a victory nonetheless.
      
      Because the Italians had not quite been ejected, they and the Afrika Korps came back and there were a couple more years of fighting.
      
      Read Corelli Barnett “The Desert Generals” for a full history of the desert war.
      
      2 2
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      May 22, 2019 5:50pm
      - Tall Man
        
        If only Churchill was as astute as you eh ian……
        
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        May 22, 2019 10:36pm
burt

Is it true the sexual predator who was protected by the Labour Party as they ignored the victims rights is going to be in court today?
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May 22, 2019 8:41am
- mikenmildagain
  
  No.
  
  1 23
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  May 22, 2019 8:42am
  - burt
    
    Go on, tell me I’m a snowflake because the perp was affiliated with the Labour Party and the victims should have just kept quiet and not told the Police or their parents.
    
    35 0
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    May 22, 2019 8:46am
    - mikenmildagain
      
      I was just answering your question. But as you are still confused, a scroll through yesterday’s GD will show a post from someone less lazy than you who could be bothered to seek this information.
      
      3 21
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      May 22, 2019 8:53am
      - burt
        
        I sorry that the fact I don’t read every comment in historic GD threads offends you.
        
        15 2
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        May 22, 2019 10:34am
      - calendar girl
        
        Very helpful of you, mma.
        
        It wouldn’t have taken much effort on your part to advise that – from a post at 3.08pm on yesterday’s GD – it appears that the trial of the alleged sexual predator at the 2018 Labour Party Youth Camp will commence at 10:00am on 2 September 2019 in the Auckland District Court.
        
        Case Reference: CRI-2018-004-005593
        
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        May 22, 2019 11:21am
      - burt
        
        calendar girl
        
        Now we know what date the details of the royal weeding will be announced on.
        
        15 0
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        May 22, 2019 11:39am
      - Surely Knott
        
        Court date just after the Auckland Council Elections closes. Convenient.
        
        7 0
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        May 22, 2019 12:59pm
    - freethinker
      
      With an 18 month delay and a Jury trial memories will be dim and the jury invited to conclude guilt beyond reasonable doubt has not been proven.
      
      10 1
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      May 22, 2019 11:45am
      - Tall Man
        
        Actually more time to apply a little pressure on the complainants. This was a young labour camp and I would guess that the parents were probably supportive of the party. May not be now though……
        
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        May 22, 2019 12:38pm
      - Piniwi
        
        Interesting freethinker that is about the time the tag team process of entering Pike River Mine will be finished. It is going to be dragged out for 4 months to be milked to it’s absolute maximum for it’s potential diversionary potential. Not to forget this is only the drift.
        
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        May 22, 2019 2:35pm
Lee C

The ‘bullying’ investigation IMO will be used to smear enemies of ‘the people’ by insinuation. The irony being that Mallard will be leading the charge.
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May 22, 2019 8:47am
- mikenmildagain
  
  If you read the report, you will seek it addresses systemic issues at parliament. This is not confined to any particular party – anyone who has worked there could name many MPs and staff who behave very badly.
  
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  May 22, 2019 8:56am
  - Tall Man
    
    I know a few that have worked there and I suggest you look at the “bullying” stats again and compare them with any large high pressure employer.
    
    Maybe the rise of the “snowflakes” is the issue.
    
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    May 22, 2019 12:32pm
- RW Capitalist
  
  Well they can’t stand on any “record of achievement” that I’m aware of.
  
  13 0
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  May 22, 2019 9:15am
  - Alien
    
    I dont know. Getting Darren Hughes out of the country and not prosecuted for rape was a labour achievement
    
    26 0
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    May 22, 2019 10:47am
    - burt
      
      It’s different when a Labour person does it.
      
      14 0
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      May 22, 2019 11:40am
      - sooty
        
        Is he allowed back?
        Statute of limitations?
        
        2 0
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        May 22, 2019 12:06pm
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        @Sooty
        
        There is no statute of limitations in NZ for sexual assaults.
        https://rpe.co.nz/reporting-to-police/
        
        9 0
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        May 22, 2019 12:32pm
    - freethinker
      
      merita turia – when is her trial
      
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      May 22, 2019 11:47am
  - Tall Man
    
    Ask ardern what part she played after all, she’s open and transparent which is merely a synonym for vacuous and limpid.
    
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    May 22, 2019 12:36pm
Maggie Pie

Managed to find an hour or so to watch ‘Question Time’ yesterday. Must say Jacinda looked stunning in her single brested black Blazer with the large gold button – [funnily enuff i have something very similar in Navy]. Now while i dont want to sound churlish, mines only a Sz 8, whereas i would say Jaca looks more of a 12. Also, couldn’t help but notice how gawjus Judith is looking, specially now shes had her roots done.
The biggest worry was just how old and grumpy Ian Lees-Galloway suddenly looks – for a moment there i thought it was Angry Andy. Then i realised, ILG has ditched his black Hornies in favor of Contacts – you can check him out here and see what you think 🙁
https://vimeo.com/337426710
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May 22, 2019 9:11am
- mikenmildagain
  
  Very illuminating, Maggie. But what did your partner think?
  
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  May 22, 2019 9:15am
  - Maggie Pie
    
    He thinks i should make him a sandwich.
    
    23 0
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    May 22, 2019 9:23am
    - Alien
      
      Who with
      
      8 0
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      May 22, 2019 10:33am
  - Tall Man
    
    How’s the job hunt going mikey..
    
    Maybe dial back the bitchiness and stop associating with…….
    
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TLYDIpBxt8
    
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    May 22, 2019 12:30pm
- RW Capitalist
  
  and that about covers the total impact of this CoL.
  All show no go.
  
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  May 22, 2019 9:17am
- Inandout
  
  MP, ILG looks like he has been ravaged by an unsavoury lifestyle. What is the old saying about choosing your friends wisely…..?
  
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  May 22, 2019 9:18am
  - sooty
    
    Hidding in plain sight!
    No! Ian Lees Gallaway, we have not forgotten you
    
    15 0
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    May 22, 2019 10:20am
    - Hacked-Off
      
      No – and neither have some in his Palmerston North Electorate. We pray for the day Lees-Galloway gets his comeuppance at the ballot box.
      
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      May 22, 2019 10:55am
      - sooty
        
        Will he even stand again or go on the list?
        
        10 0
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        May 22, 2019 12:01pm
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  @Maggie Pie
  Now while i dont want to sound churlish, mines only a Sz 8, whereas i would say Jaca looks more of a 12.
  
  For Goodness sake Maggie Pie, get some beef on your bones.
  Our PM needs a damn good feed, but it sounds like you need a 14 course feast daily for the next year.
  
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  May 22, 2019 9:28am
- RW Capitalist
  
  “old and grumpy Ian Lees-Galloway suddenly looks”
  So it’s true, dishonest ages a man?
  
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  May 22, 2019 9:37am
- Tall Man
  
  He certainly looks cranky whereas o’connor looks bewildered. The idiot is speaking though so I suppose it’s understandable.
  
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  May 22, 2019 12:27pm
Ross12

I watched Alan Jones on Sky News last night. He interviewed Barnaby Joyce –oh to have a politician in NZ who is so passionate, straight talking and connected to his constituents. (A bit like Mark Latham with the speech he made recently.)
They just show how poor NZ politicians are at thinking about and presenting their case.
It would be worth watching the Jones interview, if they have replays online.
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May 22, 2019 9:21am
- Wired-one
  
  Jones and co is replayed in the weekends on sky channel 85, around lunchtime if I remember rightly.
  
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  May 22, 2019 10:41am
  - insider
    
    You can listen to it here. No video though
    
    https://www.skynews.com.au/details/_6039280523001
    
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    May 22, 2019 12:22pm
- Tall Man
  
  Well we do have the ones that shag the staff so we’re halfway there.
  
  The constituents’ connection is something they are working on and when they have laws in place to make you agree with them the job will be done.
  
  After all, it takes a while to roll back 9 long years of economic success and personal freedom.
  
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  May 22, 2019 12:23pm
Stephen James

Why do Labour never mention what the Pike River miners where mining for?
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May 22, 2019 9:31am
- Alien
  
  Does it matter?
  
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  May 22, 2019 10:43am
stephieboy

Take time spending 10 minutes listening to this BBC Witness account of Chinas One Child policy.

Makes for a rather chilling but informative listen by one woman’s account of how it affected her ,

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0106bgy
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May 22, 2019 9:53am
BrownSnake

When a Captain is cooking in the forest can any one see the CO2?
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May 22, 2019 10:00am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  I think it is only Greta Thunberg who can see CO2.
  https://www.afrinik.com/my-daughter-can-see-co2-with-the-naked-eye/
  
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  May 22, 2019 10:36am
  - Tall Man
    
    mikey will be along soon to explain that so just be patient. It takes an idiot time to think up the stupidity… hence the umms and ahh from a certain person with or without hijab.
    
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    May 22, 2019 12:20pm
Jack5

The Maori-dominated Geographic Place Names Board continues its campaign to re-Maorify New Zealand’s place names.

They are close to changing 16 long-standing Fiordland names. These are names of sounds that have been part of New Zealand’s history since the first European explorers. Names such as Dusky Sound and Preservation Inlet get their parallel Ngai Tahu titles of dual titles of Tamatea amd Rakituma. The change are in addition to the earlier changes: Milford Sound/Piopiotahi and Doubtful Sound/Patea.

While the new names are from Ngai Tahu, the tribe in Fiordland at the time of European exploration and first settlement was Ngati Mamoe.

The changes won’t stop with the board’s dual titles. Here’s how the progression works. In Stuff reports in the beginning of 2017, Milford Sound was still “Milford Sound”. By the end of 2017 it was reported as “Milford Sound/Piopiotahi”. By January of this year it was “Piopiotahi/Milford Sound”.

Name confusion and the general NZ-pidginisation of English by our media could be avoided by keeping versions of names and general terms separate in the two languages, English and Maori. Let Milford Sound be “Milford Sound” in English language reports and speech, and “Pipiopiotahi” in Maori speech and reports.

The Fiordland name changes under review (which means they are coming):

https://www.linz.govt.nz/about-linz/what-were-doing/consultation
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May 22, 2019 10:02am
- mikenmildagain
  
  You know, the fiords in Fiordland aren’t realy ‘sounds’ at all, so the terminology is overdue to be cleaned up.
  
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  May 22, 2019 11:53am
  - Tall Man
    
    You know, maori aren’t really maori anymore so do we need to redefine the word?
    
    I mean willie has the new definition and I very much doubt many would qualify these days, especially among women, you know… those ones out the back of the marae cleaning the kitchen and the toilets….
    
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    May 22, 2019 12:17pm
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      women,
      
      aren’t they now called front bums?
      John Tamihere on Roast Busters, front bums and running for Auckland mayoralty
      https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12196024
      
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      May 22, 2019 3:36pm
      - Tall Man
        
        You know I had never heard that before in my life until he dropped it out there.
        
        Having 2 big sisters would mean that I would never have lasted long had I heard and used it.
        
        At the time I found it quite disgusting and still do really.
        
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        May 22, 2019 10:42pm
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    The fiords in Fiordland are Sounds.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fiords_of_New_Zealand
    
    The Sounds in the Marlborough Sounds are drowned unglaciated river valleys…also known as rias
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ria
    
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    May 22, 2019 12:28pm
    - Jack5
      
      Sorry, Maggie, downticked you by mistake. I meant to uptick your post.
      
      4 0
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      May 22, 2019 12:32pm
    - Tall Man
      
      “Smack” for you mikey.
      
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      May 22, 2019 10:43pm
  - Jack5
    
    “Cleaned up?”
    
    And what word did Polynesians have for “fiord” meaning glacially carved out? Milky, are you talking about the famous glaciers and fiords in Tahiti or Hawaii or Taiwan, from whence Polynesians originate? What is the Polynesian word for these?
    
    If you want geographic purity, amend Milford Sound and Dusky Sound to Milford Fiord and Dusky Fiord.
    
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    May 22, 2019 12:31pm
Happychappy

Well the witch hunt for bullies has begun with the Speaker Trevor Mallard accusing David Seymour of bulling a Green Woman MP.

https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/speaker-trevor-mallard-says-david-seymour-bullied-green-mp-golriz-ghahraman
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May 22, 2019 10:05am
- Alien
  
  He should read green mps tweets if he wants to see who true bullies are, that or buy a mirror
  
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  May 22, 2019 10:36am
- burt
  
  I now know that calling out an MP for trying to shut down free speech is racism.
  
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  May 22, 2019 10:46am
  - Kevin Herlihy
    
    Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
    David Seymour has made a serious allegation in accusing a fellow M.P of being a menace to freedom in New Zealand.
    Can he provide any evidence to support that allegation, or was he making it up?.
    If the allegation is baseless then clearly he was lying and owes the M.P an apology.
    
    1 39
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    May 22, 2019 11:29am
    - UrbanNeocolonialist
      
      Golriz is attacking the foundational democratic principle of free speech and pushing for implementation of neo-blasphemy laws to allow them to lock up people who disagree with their preferred politics. Or as they like to call it ‘hate speech’
      
      Karl-du-Fresne:
      “I find people like Ghahraman and Davidson almost as frightening as terrorists. They don’t kill anyone, but their power to change society is greater. They use the institutions of a liberal democracy to whittle away at the open society.
      
      They are, in their way, as totalitarian and intolerant of difference as any gun-toting fascist or jihadist. They virtuously embrace ethnic and religious difference (except when it comes to Christianity, which is seen as part of the white power structure) but are aggressively intolerant of political difference and free speech.”
      https://www.nzcpr.com/more-thoughts-on-the-christchurch-massacres-and-their-aftermath/
      
      https://karldufresne.blogspot.com/2019/05/ghahramans-master-class-in-media.html
      
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      May 22, 2019 11:52am
      - Martin Williams
        
        Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
        Classic victim blaming from an ageing, white, reactionary far right wing nut job.
        
        Blaming the press gallery for being young and female isn’t going to get you anywhere, Karl.
        
        Way to prove Ghahraman’s point.
        
        1 35
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        May 22, 2019 12:35pm
      - UrbanNeocolonialist
        
        Hmm quite the little bigot aren’t you, your mum must be so proud. A true modern leftie sees people only in terms of race, sex and skin colour. Taking cues from the merchants of bigotry and hate in the Greens.
        
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        May 22, 2019 1:08pm
      - Swifty
        
        ‘an ageing, white, reactionary far right wing nut job’
        
        HATE SPEECH!!!!!!
        
        You’ve just done what you claim to oppose. You drip with hypocrisy.
        
        No principles. Some people just have no principles.
        
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        May 22, 2019 1:25pm
      - Kiwi Dave
        
        Martin Williams: instead of rebuking DuFresne for his age, ethnicity and politics, instead of poisoning the well with charges that Seymour’s criticism is whipping up a white supremacist frenzy, you might like to address, with evidence, the two issues here, one political, one personal.
        
        1) Do Golriz Ghahraman’s advocated speech policies whittle away at our open society?
        
        And much less important in my view –
        
        2) Is Golriz Ghahraman a particularly self-promoting publicist, with flexible notions of truth?
        
        Who knows, you might change someone’s mind.
        
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        May 22, 2019 2:04pm
      - Piniwi
        
        Perhaps UC this is why so many COL members have been deleting as well as sanitizing their social media accounts?
        
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        May 22, 2019 2:48pm
      - Tall Man
        
        One of your classy mates marty?
        
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TLYDIpBxt8
        
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        May 22, 2019 10:48pm
    - Swifty
      
      Oh, for goodness sake, he is a politician expressing his opinion.
      
      He hasn’t lied. He has made no ‘allegations’ about her.
      
      He has offered his opinion that she is a menace because of her repeated claims to want to restrict NZers freedom of speech.
      
      A fair assessment to me it seems.
      
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      May 22, 2019 12:06pm
      - Kevin Herlihy
        
        Seymour can’t back up claims. I watched him in the chamber today and his performance was dismal. He waffled on about freedom of speech but wasn’t convincing.What he in effect was saying is that he could make up shit and not have to prove a word of it. What a joke ACT have become.
        
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        May 22, 2019 3:54pm
      - All_on_Red
        
        You need to be convinced about freedom of speech?
        
        11 0
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        May 22, 2019 4:08pm
      - Swifty
        
        I am sorry you appear to value our freedom in NZ to speak out as we see fit so lightly.
        
        For millennia people have fought for this freedom. Millions have lost their lives at the hands of tyrants in its pursuit.
        
        Finally we have it, and you will just hand it away. A little bit here, a little bit there. Before you know it, we won’t be able to say much at all.
        
        Please give this some thought.
        
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        May 22, 2019 4:56pm
    - Tall Man
      
      Comments like that really make me worried about our country’s future.
      
      The only saving grace is that only 6.3% of our country were dumb enough to vote for the watermelons and less than 37% for the lying labour party.
      
      kevin, please come back in October 2020 and give us your thoughts when the insanity you seem happy with has been removed from our government like a turd in a nappy.
      
      Ain’t they great? You must be so proud.
      
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TLYDIpBxt8
      
      https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/09/new-zealand-mp-uses-c-word-at-rally-in-call-to-reclaim-it-from-abusers
      
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      May 22, 2019 12:13pm
      - Martin Williams
        
        Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
        0.5% for ACT whose leader seems happy to whip up a white supremacist frenzy in New Zealand.
        
        Seymour is remarkable stupid but very dangerous.
        
        1 35
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        May 22, 2019 12:38pm
      - rangitoto
        
        He’s dangerous to the Neo Stalinist Ctrl left of the CoL.
        
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        May 22, 2019 1:04pm
      - UrbanNeocolonialist
        
        So you’re too old, ignorant or stupid to see the pattern in this latest instance of moral panic, just like communism ala McCarthy’s reds under the beds, or 80’s Ritual Satanic Abuse (eg Peter Ellis) nuttery. You’ve been recruited into the unthinking left wing rage-mob of NPC’s parroting unfounded claims of some sort of vast white supremicist conspiracy at play in NZ. Left assembles an unthinking twitter rage-mob witch hunters, then tries to figure out ways to use them in furthering their fascistic goals. Reality is you aren’t the solution to any of the worlds ills, you’re the cause of them.
        
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        May 22, 2019 1:21pm
      - stephieboy
        
        Tall Man,
        
        “Comments like that really make me worried about our country’s future.”
        
        Go and visit your Doctor!
        
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        May 22, 2019 7:17pm
      - Tall Man
        
        Hey steffy….
        
        go fuck yourself 😉
        
        0 0
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        May 22, 2019 10:51pm
    - burt
      
      I never knew the word ‘menace’ had racist connotations.
      
      9 0
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      May 22, 2019 3:22pm
- UrbanNeocolonialist
  
  Hahahahaha:
  https://twitter.com/RamjamNZ/status/1130985335297417216
  Source tells me Marama Davidson asked for “Visible police protection” 7 weeks ago, could only produce threats that forensic IT exam show came from her parliamentary office.
  GG asks for the same 3 weeks ago,only now produced threats police call “Not credible”
  
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  May 22, 2019 2:17pm
  - UrbanNeocolonialist
    
    Wolf! Wolf!
    
    This is only a twitter rumours (though media seems to live off those these days), but if there is any truth to them then I think that there should be official investigation into it. I think it would be very good for the authors of the threats to be tracked down and their true affiliations revealed. Perhaps all is not as it seems.
    
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    May 22, 2019 3:26pm
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Things did go very quiet, very quickly about the threats Marama Davidson said she had seen and then deleted.
    
    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/105323849/greens-coleader-marama-davidson-receives-violent-threats-on-social-media
    
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    May 22, 2019 4:59pm
    - Tall Man
      
      Bloody surprise really, a member of the coalition making stuff up… you know… lying…
      
      Is that ok mods?
      
      1 0
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      May 22, 2019 10:54pm
Poppa

Hey Phil

Could you please clarify something for me? Why are you wasting my money buying houses off developers who can’t sell them?

I must have got it wrong because I thought they were for first home buyers who were lining up in droves to get a home. Na maybe you just made that up Phil because it isn’t reality is it?
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May 22, 2019 10:08am
- cmm
  
  Next plan is to drive up the costs of WOF and on road costs so that the missing millions that live in cars are forced into Kiwibuilds.
  
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  May 22, 2019 10:20am
  - Alien
    
    The next plan is Auckland council are voting today on what will if passes put the cost of new developments up. Another own goal for labour in the mythological housing crisis
    
    14 0
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    May 22, 2019 10:37am
  - RW Capitalist
    
    Shoe boxes in middle ‘ot road.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue7wM0QC5LE
    and you thought it was a joke.
    
    10 0
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    May 22, 2019 10:44am
  - jcuk
    
    Sadly the joke often comes true ….
    
    7 0
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    May 22, 2019 10:51am
    - sooty
      
      But if they are living in their cars. They will more than likely be unregistered no WOF.
      
      7 0
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      May 22, 2019 11:56am
    - Tall Man
      
      Like when a labour led coalition is created by “what’s in it for wynston”.
      
      5 1
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      May 22, 2019 12:05pm
- KevO'Brien
  
  Send the bill to Phil. Why shouldn’t he be responsible for an appalling lack of judgment?
  
  7 0
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  May 22, 2019 10:56am
Jack5

If they are consistent, the woke mob who are pushing for the Crusaders rugby team to change its name will go next after the St John Ambulance, which runs so many of New Zealand’s ambulance services.

It’s been in New Zealand since 1895 as part of an organisation with a charter granted by Queen Victoria, but its origin goes back 900 years to the order set up to help Christian pilgrims bound for Jerusualem. This order was extremely closely linked to the Crusades.
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May 22, 2019 10:20am
Maggie Pie

When my partner tweeted this earlier, i replied: TOO SOON!

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D7EnRa4XYAA4Y08?format=jpg&name=900×900
7 1
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May 22, 2019 10:24am
- stephieboy
  
  The passing of Nicky Lauda makes me think of that marvellous movie”Rush” that examined the often fierce rivalry btween James Rush and Nicky Lauda during the ” golden age” of F1 racing the 1970s,
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAXofKV19g4
  
  1 21
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  May 22, 2019 11:05am
  - Tony Stuart
    
    the often fierce rivalry btween James Rush and Nicky Lauda
    
    I think you mean James HUNT stephie…
    
    18 0
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    May 22, 2019 11:30am
    - Tall Man
      
      Yep, silly steffy is back.
      
      15 2
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      May 22, 2019 12:02pm
    - Swifty
      
      To be fair, facts and accuracy have never mattered to our Stiffyboy – why start now?
      
      16 2
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      May 22, 2019 12:12pm
      - Tall Man
        
        She’s the AOC of Kiwiblog, just not smart enough to be a bar maid.
        
        2 0
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        May 22, 2019 9:50pm
    - All_on_Red
      
      Niki Lauda…
      
      9 0
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      May 22, 2019 1:41pm
      - stephieboy
        
        All on Red,
        
        “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do. He may as well concern himself with his shadow on the wall….”
        
        Ralph Waldo Emerson!
        
        0 12
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        May 22, 2019 1:56pm
      - All_on_Red
        
        “Stephieboy is Kiwiblogs Dumbest Commentator”
        Mikenmild
        
        13 0
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        May 22, 2019 2:26pm
      - RW Capitalist
        
        “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do. He may as well concern himself with his shadow on the wall….”
        
        Ralph Waldo Emerson
        So Steffie
        It appears you have been reading your own posts.
        Small things for small minds.
        
        9 0
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        May 22, 2019 2:47pm
    - stephieboy
      
      Correct James Hunt!! and Nicki Lauda!
      
      0 12
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      May 22, 2019 1:53pm
      - All_on_Red
        
        Niki
        
        10 0
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        May 22, 2019 2:25pm
      - All_on_Red
        
        Next Stephie will be telling us the movie ‘Rush’ was directed by Richie Cunningham…
        
        7 0
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        May 22, 2019 3:00pm
Lee C

Mallard accuses ACT politician of bullying Green female MP – is that the ‘non-partisan’ look you were referring to milky?

Gosh never saw that one coming!
30 0
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May 22, 2019 11:32am
- UrbanNeocolonialist
  
  Me me me Ghahraman wheeling out her usual sanctimonious proto-fascist bullshit with aid of complicit media allies
  
  27 0
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  May 22, 2019 11:54am
- JibberJabber
  
  Interesting poll on that issue on the newshub site,
  https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2019/05/women-mps-urge-david-seymour-to-apologise-for-golriz-ghahraman-remarks.html
  
  3 0
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  May 22, 2019 3:14pm
  - Tall Man
    
    Perhaps all older white males are deserving of an apology from the two non male foulmouthed green mps…… or doesn’t that count as we’re all rich racist bastards?
    
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    May 22, 2019 9:48pm
rangitoto

Peter Beck will be in trouble for stating he prefers a car to horse and cart. JAG will have him added to her car fascist list.
16 0
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May 22, 2019 12:07pm
- UrbanNeocolonialist
  
  Well he is white and a man. Therefore unclean, racist and guilty. What were the charges again?
  
  12 0
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  May 22, 2019 1:23pm
Maggie Pie

Ever tried asking somebody for help at one of those big Chinese Supermarkets?

Was going to make something special for my partnwers dinner tonite but the recipe called for an ingredient i’d never heard of – ‘White Miso Paste’. Honestly, when i inquired from one of the women stacking the shelves there, she looked at me like i was from another f~~king planet! Anyway, i thort stuffit, i’ll just run without it.
11 1
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May 22, 2019 1:11pm
- Tall Man
  
  Japanese not Chinese.
  
  https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/313546/hikari-japanese-paste-white-miso
  
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  May 22, 2019 9:42pm
Alien

It’s great that anyone can be proud of their culture, proud of who they are, well, not everyone. There sure is a place for this human non rights commission, especially today where the guilt trips are put on white people for being white.

“Controversy as Trade Me sells ‘It’s ok to be white’ T-shirts

Trade Me has been slammed for selling “It’s okay to be white” stickers and T-shirts, with the Human Rights Commission saying there’s no place for it.”

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12233284
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May 22, 2019 1:14pm
Happychappy

Good on Paula Bennett for calling bully Mallard out on his rape allegations.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2019/05/paula-bennett-demands-clarification-from-speaker-trevor-mallard-on-rapist-comments.amp.html
If he doesn’t name the culprit or can not prove it he should resign as Speaker of the house,Trevor has been to loose with the truth in the past and seems to use his mouth instead of his brain.
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May 22, 2019 1:32pm
- Poppa
  
  The bully himself should put up or shut up.
  
  I don’t believe anything that comes out of his mouth but he is in good company with Peters & Ardern who are experts at the art.
  
  13 1
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  May 22, 2019 2:08pm
- MickMac
  
  Yes when I heard him on the TV, I thought if he doesn’t disclose to Police he must resign.
  
  It’s just like the Catholic clergy and lay leaders not picking up the phone toPolice as soon as they knew of abuse.
  They all need to come before a magistrate.
  
  If Mallard doesn’t disclose, then he cannot sit in Parliament (the highest court in the land) let alone be speaker.
  
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  May 22, 2019 4:12pm
Happychappy

Pets, pies and cell phones is the mission for Canterbury Policeby the sounds of things, but I can’t help wondering if they see a mission to take drivers off the road that were incompetent and dangerous it would be more positive in reducing deaths or bad accidents on our roads.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12233322
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May 22, 2019 2:11pm
stephieboy

The very latest from the Proceedings of the US National Academy of Sciences ,

“Ice sheet contributions to future sea-level rise from structured expert judgment”

Jonathan L. Bamber, Michael Oppenheimer, Robert E. Kopp, Willy P. Aspinall, and Roger M. Cooke from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ,

Significance,

“Future sea level rise (SLR) poses serious threats to the viability of coastal communities, but continues to be challenging to project using deterministic modelling approaches. Nonetheless, adaptation strategies urgently require quantification of future SLR uncertainties, particularly upper-end estimates. Structured expert judgement (SEJ) has proved a valuable approach for similar problems. Our findings, using SEJ, produce probability distributions with long upper tails that are influenced by interdependencies between processes and ice sheets. We find that a global total SLR exceeding 2 m by 2100 lies within the 90% uncertainty bounds for a high emission scenario. This is more than twice the upper value put forward by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in the Fifth Assessment Report….”

https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2019/05/14/1817205116
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May 22, 2019 2:12pm
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  It’s a virtual exercise based on a questionnaire
  
  Here, we report the findings of an SEJ exercise undertaken in 2018 via separate, 2-d workshops held in the United States and United Kingdom, involving 22 experts (hereafter SEJ2018).
  based on the improbable scenario of RP.8.5 – the most way-out IPCC scenario.
  
  This ain’t science, stephieboy…
  It is augury/divination by group-think
  
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  May 22, 2019 2:28pm
  - All_on_Red
    
    Lol
    
    13 0
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    May 22, 2019 2:31pm
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      And, it’s just not my opinion that it is an alarmist junk piece masquerading as “science” to be broadcast wide and far by t bewildered believers.
      Lots of comment here:
      https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2019/05/21/catastrophic-sea-level-rise-but-its-only-an-opinion/
      
      18 0
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      May 22, 2019 2:44pm
      - All_on_Red
        
        The graph on your link showing actual sea level rise and then projected rise is just priceless!
        
        12 0
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        May 22, 2019 2:56pm
      - KevO'Brien
        
        It’s pleasing that real scientists are now actually expecting a long term cooling and within a few more years greens will have egg over all the faces.
        
        12 0
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        May 22, 2019 3:07pm
      - Doctor Who
        
        Three reasons to prefer a crank site to Bamber and other experts publishing in the Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America:
        1. ignorance
        2. stupidity
        3. insanity
        
        0 14
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        May 22, 2019 3:40pm
      - All_on_Red
        
        Still funny
        https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rEDZiwjGlgU
        
        7 2
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        May 22, 2019 3:49pm
      - All_on_Red
        
        Remarkable self projection there Dr
        Still funny
        https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rEDZiwjGlgU
        
        7 1
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        May 22, 2019 3:50pm
      - All_on_Red
        
        Remarkable self projection there Dr
        Still funny
        https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rEDZiwjGlgU
        
        4 1
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        May 22, 2019 3:50pm
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        @Doctor Who
        
        It is most unusual for commenters on this blog to use their title.
        Please tell us what subject your Doctorate is in and the University that bestowed it upon you.
        (Some of us like to be well-informed so we can guide our youngsters as to where and where not to undertake higher learning).
        
        9 0
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        May 22, 2019 4:49pm
  - RW Capitalist
    
    Now, Maggie, single syllable words please.
    This is steffie you’re replying to.
    
    12 0
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    May 22, 2019 2:50pm
  - Poppa
    
    It really is staggering how this sort of crap has bent seemingly intelligent minds & Stephie too by the looks of it
    
    9 0
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    May 22, 2019 2:58pm
  - KevO'Brien
    
    In sociology known as focus groups.
    
    6 0
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    May 22, 2019 3:09pm
  - stephieboy
    
    MW, you might wish to contact one of the contributors KE Kopp Rutgers University with your piece of posturing and point it out to him,
    
    https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=R.+E.+Kopp
    
    Or even try Anthony Watts much more preferably another Climate denial luminary Christopher Monkcton!
    
    LOL
    
    0 15
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    May 22, 2019 4:11pm
- KevO'Brien
  
  You believe the National Academy of Sciences? What’s their demographic profile? Did they get it from the BBC or Michael Mann?
  
  6 1
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  May 22, 2019 3:12pm
  - stephieboy
    
    Kev O’Brien,
    
    “Trump’s war on science: how the US is putting politics above evidence”
    
    Experts say the administration is blatantly dismantling proven programs, and the consequences could be dire
    
    Trump administration putting politics ahead of science
    
    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jan/16/trumps-war-on-science-how-the-us-is-putting-politics-above-evidence
    
    Says it all !
    
    0 17
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    May 22, 2019 4:19pm
    - KevO'Brien
      
      Only if you put politics above proven reason or are incapable of discernment.
      
      7 1
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      May 22, 2019 5:51pm
Ross12

Here is how you get sea level rises –via adjustments

https://www.newstarget.com/2019-02-18-sea-level-data-altered-by-scientists-to-create-false-impression-of-rising-oceans.html

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41748-017-0020-z
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May 22, 2019 2:51pm
- stephieboy
  
  Ross12, the claim that doctoring sea level data aooears to come from none other than fraudulent Christopher Monckton,
  
  Rejected here ,
  
  https://skepticalscience.com/sea-level-not-rising-intermediate.htm
  
  0 19
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  May 22, 2019 4:25pm
  - All_on_Red
    
    No not Monckton
    ‘Dr. Albert Parker and Dr. Clifford Ollier recently published their astounding research in the journal Earth Systems and Environment’
    
    Peer Reviewed Published Research Paper no less.
    You didn’t even read the link. And worse, you believe the crap SKS says. How can someone be so dumb.
    
    13 1
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    May 22, 2019 4:42pm
    - stephieboy
      
      All on Red,
      
      On eof Chrsitopher Momckton’s ,
      
      Cliff Ollier
      
      Credentials
      * Ph.D. [1]
      * Professor Emeritus (Geology). [1]
      Background
      According to the International Climate Science Coalition, Cliff Ollier is a geologist, geomorphologist, soil scientist, emeritus professor, and honorary research fellow of the School of Earth and Geographical Sciences University of Western Australia. [2]
      Ollier has written articles for the Lavoisier Group, an organization with close to the Australian mining industry. He is also on a scientific advisory panel to the Australian Climate Science Coalition (ACSC).
      Stance on Climate Change
      
      Cliff Ollier, Madhav Khandekar, and Arthur Middleton Hughes publish a book titled About Face!: Why the World Needs More Carbon Dioxide; The Failed Science of Global Warming. The book’s trio of authors encourage ramping up CO2 levels, by way of increased fossil fuel use, “to allow more plants to grow and combat rising levels of malnutrition.” [10]
      The authors write if the “EPA and IPCC are successful in reducing carbon dioxide in the air, more millions will die annually of starvation—people that could be fed from bigger harvests generated by more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere,” and that, “CO2 is good. We need more of it, not less. DDT is good. We need to use it to eradicate malaria. Energy Independence is impossible and wrong-headed. We should stop subsidizing ethanol, wind power and solar. Coal plants are urgently needed to produce electricity and increase CO2 in the atmosphere. We need to stop programs that are causing millions of deaths worldwide, and spending billions of dollars wastefully at home … There is no global warming caused by CO2, nor are there deaths to wild birds or people due to DDT.” [11]
      The central message of the book asserted by Ollier, Khandekar, and Hughes is “people have to be ever vigilant to make sure that doomsayers are not allowed to dictate public policy.
      
      https://www.desmogblog.com/cliff-ollier
      
      Tsk, tsk, tsk…!
      
      0 12
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      May 22, 2019 7:09pm
      - All_on_Red
        
        Stephie thinks plants will be fine with no CO2
        And Desmog blog- seriously?
        
        7 1
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        May 22, 2019 8:57pm
      - stephieboy
        
        All on Red, introducing a vociferous climate change denier you will be undoubtedly familiar with,
        
        http://www.durangobill.com/GwdLiars/GwdLiarsChristopherMonckton.html
        
        0 10
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        May 22, 2019 9:20pm
      - All_on_Red
        
        Stephie
        You can link to whatever you like but it won’t change how you’re regarded as the dumbest person on KB and who gets laughed at everyday.
        
        6 0
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        May 22, 2019 10:37pm
    - Tall Man
      
      steffy is good at dumb. She’s made it an art form.
      
      6 0
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      May 22, 2019 8:21pm
  - The Feed
    
    Skepticalscience is about as skeptical as a happy clappy God-botherer at a happy clappy God-botherer convention.
    
    3 0
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    May 22, 2019 7:59pm
Happychappy

You wouldn’t believe how inept this Government and the Police Minister Nash is especially over firearms.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/112919249/opposition-claims-police-bought-back-guns-stolen-from-palmerston-north-police-station
8 0
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May 22, 2019 4:25pm
- cmm
  
  I wonder if they’ll buy Nerf guns?
  
  4 0
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  May 22, 2019 4:44pm
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Crikey, the missing 3 might blow the budget.
  Hope Robbo has made provision for that little extra expenditure.
  Hate to have those 3 missing firearms upsetting someone’s well-being.
  
  5 0
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  May 22, 2019 4:52pm
Maggie Pie

Following an extensive investigation, Trev has just confirmed @ 4:30pm –

“Elvis has left the building”
6 0
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May 22, 2019 4:33pm
- Alien
  
  Only Elvis, what about Rolf Harris, is he still there with two little boys or has someone tied his kangaroo down
  
  4 1
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  May 22, 2019 6:30pm
  - Maggie Pie
    
    Its amazing what slips thru the net:
    
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D6etO8aWAAARMya?format=png&name=small
    
    1 0
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    May 22, 2019 7:07pm
    - Alien
      
      They got an award from julian clary? Sticky moment
      
      1 0
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      May 22, 2019 8:03pm
Johnboy

Oh dear dear! Read this then read between the lines! 🙂
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/112904334/engineer-rejects-scathing-report-on-his-design-for-christchurch-building
Are Asian engineers just as competent and skilled as Asian restaurant owners/vinyard contractors/mechanics/roof painters/ etc….etc…etc? 🙂
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May 22, 2019 4:42pm
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  The engineer in question received his Engineering degree at Canterbury University.
  He is a chartered professional engineer, and has been a registered engineer since 2008; he said he got his degree from Canterbury University several years ago, after coming to New Zealand in about 1990 from Korea.
  https://www.msn.com/en-nz/money/homeandproperty/new-christchurch-office-building-has-serious-flaws-engineers/ar-AABGQWQ?li=AAaeXZz&%252525253Bocid=mailsignoutmd
  
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  May 22, 2019 5:48pm
- stephieboy
  
  Johnboy , rather like this Engineer,eh?
  
  CTV engineer Alan Reay involved in trouble-plagued Auckland project
  
  https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/107546238/ctv-engineer-alan-reay-involved-in-troubleplagued-auckland-project
  
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  May 22, 2019 7:15pm
Hugh Pavletich

… The Kiwibuild circus … continues …

… Angry builder Mike Greer tells media to take happy pills as he becomes a beneficiary of Phil Twyfords developers / builders welfare scheme …. KIWIBUILD …

Govt buys unsold Kiwibuild homes in Auckland, Canterbury | Charlie Gates | Stuff.co.nz

https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/better-business/112913336/govt-buys-unsold-kiwibuild-homes-in-auckland-canterbury

The Government has purchased seven unsold KiwiBuild homes developed by house builder Mike Greer – three in Canterbury and four in Auckland.

Greer’s company, Mike Greer Homes, has done a deal with the Government to build affordable homes as part of the ambitious KiwiBuild scheme.

The deal involves the Government promising to purchase the homes at a discounted rate from the house builder if they do not sell within a certain timeframe. …

…. Greer declined to comment on the Government purchases because he felt the New Zealand media was too negative.

“You guys need to take some happy pills,” he said. “You need to write happy stuff and make people feel good.” … read more via hyperlink above …
.
.
… Read what The Guardian, The New York Times and The Listener February editorial said about Kiwibuild … via the February Update and recently updated 2019 sections …

Performance Urban Planning

http://www.performanceurbanplanning.org/

… Let’s hope the expected mid – June major government announcements BELATEDLY deal effectively with the REAL ISSUES of land supply / urban limits abolition and proper infrastructure debt financing … as long promised.

Why are New Zealand homes so pricey? It has nothing to do with avocados | Charlie Gates | Stuff.co.nz

https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/property/106789344/why-are-nz-homes-so-pricey-it-has-nothing-to-do-with-avocados

Just allow affordable new housing to be built !
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May 22, 2019 6:13pm
rightoverlabour

IT’S OK TO BE WHITE.

Absolutely. That does not mean I am a racist, or a “White Supremacist” or “Alt Right”. I don’t feel superior because I am white, or better or anything else. It just means I am happy with the pigmentation that I inherited from my parents. I had no control over this and can’t change this. It’s also OK to be BLACK, or GREEN or YELLOW or BLUE or BROWN or RAINBOW. Would the lefty SJWs please get over themselves.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/112919710/kanoas-okay-to-be-white-stance
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May 22, 2019 7:50pm
- stephieboy
  
  rightoverlabour ,the fact that I’m a grey – blue eyed white is something I take in its stride and nothing to get overly excited and self conscious about as you appear to do!
  
  Whats the hangup?
  
  0 12
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  May 22, 2019 8:11pm
  - Tall Man
    
    steffy, no one cares.
    
    0 0
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    May 22, 2019 10:37pm
Suze Wainwright

I see petrol’s starting to creep up again.
Is that likely to impact on anyone’s wellbeing in this nation?
5 0
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May 22, 2019 7:53pm
Hugh Pavletich

… CHINA …

China’s Economic Slowdown Hits Industrial Heartland Of Chongqing : NPR

https://www.npr.org/2019/05/21/724946510/the-economy-is-slipping-china-s-slowdown-hits-former-boomtown

He Qiang should be manning his convenience store, but today he’s collecting tiny green berries along the road and shooting them at birds with his slingshot. The 26-year-old is distracting himself from his worries. He spent all his savings — the equivalent of $35,000 — on a store that no longer has any customers.

He bought the store a year ago after hearing the economy of Hechuan, this city of more than a million people just outside the metropolis of Chongqing in southwest-central China, was booming. Automobile factories in Hechuan employed thousands of people who churned out SUVs for China’s consumer class. … read more via hyperlink above …
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May 23, 2019 1:16am

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