General Debate 24 July 2019

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Than

The Newshub survey question “Do you believe Boris Johnson is capable of delivering Brexit by October 31?” is very poorly worded.

Do I believe Johnson will be able to get a Brexit deal that is both acceptable to the EU and that can pass the UK parliament? Not a chance in hell.

But do I believe he’s willing to crash out with a no-deal Brexit on October-31? Absolutely. So if that counts as delivering Brexit, then yes I think he is capable of delivering Brexit.
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July 24, 2019 8:03am
- andrew davies
  
  Did anyone else notice the racist and agist comment on TV1 news? In an effort to smear Johnson’s potential (at that stage) victory by saying most of his supporters were “white, elderly and well off”. This from TVNZs latest bubble head pretty young thing reporting from London.
  
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  July 24, 2019 8:21am
  - srylands
    
    I have seen other snide negative reports in the New Zealand MSM today. They really are disgusting.
    
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    July 24, 2019 8:42am
  - kowtow
    
    Yes and on talk back yesterday Robert Patman , Otago Uni wallah was at pains to point out that the PM of the UK was being selected by an infinitesimally small number of the electorate . The irony being our PM was selected by one single old mixed race rich guy, who is possibly an alcoholic of dubious repute.
    
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    July 24, 2019 9:11am
    - Thought Criminal
      
      Not as small a number of the electorate as the leaders of the EU.
      
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      July 24, 2019 10:58am
    - projectman
      
      And how many select the leader of the Labour party?
      
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      July 24, 2019 3:18pm
    - UrbanNeocolonialist
      
      Cindy is our very own fairytale princess, but sadly the story involves an evil dwarf.
      
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      July 24, 2019 4:13pm
      - Paulus Gnome
        
        And the complete set of court fools with spares to burn!
        
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        July 24, 2019 5:10pm
  - Gravelroad
    
    Yes Andrew Davies – I saw that and thought it unacceptable; racist and ageist by today’s standards.
    But as there appears to be little, or no, editorial oversight of reporters in any medium, I guess we just have to put up with it.
    
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    July 24, 2019 10:01am
  - RW Capitalist
    
    “white, elderly and well off”
    after 15 years of Blair and Brown, I’m staggered there are any
    elderly
    or especially wealthy
    people left in the UK
    
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    July 24, 2019 10:19am
- MCos
  
  Boris can say what he likes.
  As things stand he’s only got one option which is to start from square one and hammer out a revised arrangement with the EU that is palpitate to the UK parliament.
  
  Good luck with that.
  
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  July 24, 2019 8:21am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    that is palpitate to the UK parliament.
    
    The beating heart of the free world?
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyTkz7zkeew
    
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    July 24, 2019 9:19am
    - Tall Man
      
      I thought this was the “heartbeat” of the UK….
      
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtxbM7-jAD0
      
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      July 24, 2019 9:31am
    - BrownSnake
      
      Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
      the UK and USA – ARE NOT NO LONGER
      the beating heart of the Free world
      
      You are so deluded
      
      US maybe a while ago not after Kennedy’s assassination
      
      The People who organised his assassination
      have been in control since and are in control
      now
      
      UK you are kidding
      
      That joke of a country that farce
      when was the last real british king?
      
      Was that the one Cromwell assassinated for the
      PUPPPET masters
      
      Are you telling me this backward
      retarded system that is going to put
      
      A TAMPON SUCKER as head of state
      
      is either SANE and JUST
      
      You are IGNORANT
      
      The US an the UK are not controlled
      by their own people have not been for a long time
      
      They Fight Wars to order and DO AS THEY ARE TOLD.
      
      It is a puppet show to allow complete idiots like you to believe they are FREE
      
      THE UK HAS A SHRINE TO
      
      Karl Marx
      
      and the People who control it who are not British
      
      Made Damn Sure that
      
      The Real British Patriot
      
      THOMAS PAINE
      
      His body went missing so his memory could
      not be venerated and
      
      TRUE FREEDOM was buried
      
      SO this clueless BULL SH*T
      You call Freedom this joke this corrupt
      technically backward
      
      Semi Literate Farce you call the UK
      can Continue
      
      YOU AND IT ARE A FARCE A LIE
      
      What i find incredible is you people believe
      YOU OWN BS
      
      and actually take yourselves seriously
      
      The UK is a semi literate backward crap hole
      and ENGLISH is
      
      THE LANGUAGE OF SLAVES
      
      Ignorant semti literate SLAVES
      
      Ignorant arrogant DENSE ENGLISH SLAVES
      
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      July 24, 2019 9:32am
      - Captain Mainwaring
        
        Christ that was a bit of an unhinged ramble.
        
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        July 24, 2019 10:06am
      - Paulus Gnome
        
        Report and move on, read more than three lines if you really are a masochist
        
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        July 24, 2019 10:32am
      - Sacha
        
        The venom of a brown snake –
        
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        July 24, 2019 10:56am
      - Jack5
        
        Don’t the outback Aussies have a saying: “as mad as a cut snake” ….
        
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        July 24, 2019 12:24pm
  - freethinker
    
    The other & possibly more realistic options are call a general election and let the voters decide who they want to represent them or just crash out and take the pain. Of course Deutsche Bank may fail in the interim causing global financial mayhem or perhaps Trump will screw Germany with tariffs and watch the EU pips squeak, non of which should happen if the EU and the Treasonous MP’s and EU Commission had been pragmatic and negotiated changes that would have kept the whole European members electors happy to stay in an organisation that respected National differences rather than attempting to create a dictatorship.
    
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    July 24, 2019 11:59am
- Scott
  
  Watching TV 3 The project last night. They hate Boris Johnson, found all the worst moments they could highlight and didn’t have a good word to say about him.
  
  But then we find he has been elected to lead the party, will be prime minister shortly and is very popular. “The project” is utterly hopeless. The viewer is left wondering, if he is so terrible how did he get elected?
  
  Mainstream media in NZ is utterly hopeless. ?
  
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  July 24, 2019 8:56am
  - Inandout
    
    It is hopeless and I am not the only one who goes offshore for news.
    
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    July 24, 2019 9:12am
  - Tall Man
    
    If you want “likes” you have to be “against” whatever ardern is against…
    
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    July 24, 2019 9:32am
  - igm
    
    The sleazy British press are no better than the losers here. How anyone with half a brain could support either Corbyn or Ardern, at every given moment, makes me agree with abortion.
    
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    July 24, 2019 9:39am
  - The Feed
    
    I stopped watching NZ TV media – and all broadcast TV – over two years ago. It was so left-biased and clueless, I simply gave up.
    
    Sounds like I’ve missed nothing.
    
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    July 24, 2019 1:03pm
  - projectman
    
    Your mistake for watching TV3. Don’t bother in future, you’re not missing anything of significance.
    
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    July 24, 2019 3:20pm
  - Sacha
    
    I suppose Trump is a bit old hat. New meat is tastier.
    
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    July 24, 2019 5:03pm
- Nigel Kearney
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  Boris may or may not turn out to be a decent leader. But nobody should be in any doubt that he will say absolutely anything if he thinks it will help him get what he wants.
  
  What he wanted up to now is the support of enough conservatives to become the leader. What he will now want is to win the next election. I don’t trust him at all. He could even do a complete U-turn.
  
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  July 24, 2019 9:05am
  - RW Capitalist
    
    No…
    You are describing Corbyn
    and all other Labour leaders around the world.
    
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    July 24, 2019 10:23am
  - freethinker
    
    You are pre judging Boris, Churchill was similarly pre judged, need I say more?
    
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    July 24, 2019 12:02pm
  - projectman
    
    Winning the next election may turn out to be the most important thing he does, but who knows. Corbyn and Labour may be anti-Brexit but do even Remainers want him as prime minister. It will all come down to the least unsatsfactory compromises voters are prepared to make.
    
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    July 24, 2019 3:23pm
- alloytoo
  
  I do think he has a certain “Trumpishness” about him which will worry EU autocrats.
  
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  July 24, 2019 10:10am
- Fletch
  
  The newsreader on NewstalkZB started her news story on Boris by saying that he”could soften his stance on Brexit, now that he is Prime Minister” …. before later saying that that was the opinion of a political commentator asked by Hosking.
  
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  July 24, 2019 10:17am
Maggie Pie

BLONDE LIFES MATTER!

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EAJ-yehUcAACHY8?format=jpg&name=900×900
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July 24, 2019 8:04am
- Lance
  
  The team I want to lead and deputy lead National.
  
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  July 24, 2019 8:15am
- stephieboy
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  MelanieTrump and the orange man doesn’t matter?
  
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  July 24, 2019 9:04am
  - Tony Stuart
    
    Who’s “Melanie Trump”, and what the heck does she have to do with the New Zealand Electoral Commission’s cartoon character?
    
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    July 24, 2019 9:11am
    - Tall Man
      
      You are wasting your time engaging with steffy girl.
      
      She is just an attention seeking troll.
      
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      July 24, 2019 9:28am
      - Tony Stuart
        
        I know, but some of stephie inc’s posts are just so wrong they need to be challenged.
        
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        July 24, 2019 1:14pm
  - Inandout
    
    Been having wet dreams again stephie?
    
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    July 24, 2019 9:14am
  - MickMac
    
    Sorry Stephie, But you are a real tool somedays.
    Don’t you have any sense of shame for your stupidity?
    
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    July 24, 2019 9:40am
    - Classic Liberal
      
      Reminds me of how Styxhexenhammer describes anti-Trumpites: ‘Orange Man Bad’ idiots.
      
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      July 24, 2019 6:00pm
- Tall Man
  
  Was that with or without the “bottle” part……
  
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  July 24, 2019 9:28am
Bill felt

Boris yes!
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July 24, 2019 8:05am
- igm
  
  MSM do not like him. Did you know he calls muslim females in weird garb “Letterboxes”!
  Good Lord, this would be praise in most circles.
  
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  July 24, 2019 8:17am
  - hullkiwi
    
    NZ media have tried to call it racist. But since when is Islam an ethnic race?
    
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    July 24, 2019 8:38am
    - stephieboy
      
      Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
      hullkiwi, more accurately a form of hate speech!
      
      Yes?
      
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      July 24, 2019 9:11am
      - Swifty
        
        You name-call and label people here constantly and have done for years.
        
        Hate speech?
        
        Yes?
        
        Duh!
        
        Lol!
        
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        July 24, 2019 9:57am
      - RRM
        
        He has small but ample breasts, stephie will be a supporter!
        
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        July 24, 2019 12:32pm
    - Jules99
      
      I see on Wikipedia that he had Christian, Jewish and Muslim grandparents.
      
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      July 24, 2019 9:37am
      - freethinker
        
        Stoopidboy had Donkeys, Snakes & Camels as Grandparents?
        
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        July 24, 2019 12:05pm
  - Inandout
    
    igm, it seems even Hosking has been told to make fun of Boris. Kind of sad he is now grasping onto his job at ZB because listeners are going straight to Peter Williams after 9am.
    
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    July 24, 2019 9:17am
    - kloyd0306
      
      No Leighton and no Larry – yes, things are changing at ZB and Hosking seems to have been given new orders.
      
      Would love to see how much ZB has lost since Leighton’s retirement. Am guessing heaps but doubt that ZB cares.
      
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      July 24, 2019 10:08am
      - calendar girl
        
        It has certainly lost me.
        
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        July 24, 2019 11:40am
    - igm
      
      He also never fails to have a go at Donald . . . getting very close to giving his programme the arse card.
      
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      July 24, 2019 10:46am
  - MickMac
    
    I agree with you and criminals have used them as a disguise to commit crime.
    
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    July 24, 2019 9:41am
- hullkiwi
  
  Boris has been likened to Trump. He is no Trump.
  
  The situation the UK is in, he is more akin to what Churchill was in 1940. As to whether he will be successful, only time will tell.
  
  He is one of those people that is flamboyant, can connect, but he also polarises.
  
  What he is not is a technocrat politician in the mold of May or Major before him.
  
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  July 24, 2019 8:20am
  - James Stephenson
    
    You’d certainly never catch Trump quoting Classical Latin!
    
    Boris is like democracy, the worst option apart from all the others available.
    
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    July 24, 2019 8:41am
    - MickMac
      
      James, what a stupid comment.
      Democracy the worst option apart from all the other available.
      
      The British voted for a Brexit, what don’t you understand about that.?
      
      May was a Remainer and deliberately worked against what the people voted for.
      As did a 1/3rd of the Conservative Party.
      
      They want their Borders back, Their Courts and Their Parliament.
      
      Fckrs all.
      They (Remainers) need to be voted out or if there is a revolution, hung from the lamposts.
      
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      July 24, 2019 9:46am
      - James Stephenson
        
        Well done Mick, you’ve got a really firm grasp of the wrong end of the stick.
        
        1) I’m British (well, English first but.)
        2) I voted Leave in the referendum
        3) I’d actually rather have Raab, and I’d be a Kipper if Batten was still leader, but otherwise I’m a Boris supporter.
        
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        July 24, 2019 11:42am
      - lastmanstanding
        
        Actually it was Churchill who said Democracy was the worst form of Government except for all the rest.
        
        And he was right.
        
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        July 24, 2019 11:46am
    - oob
      
      Boris doesn’t quote Latin James, he speaks it.
      
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      July 24, 2019 10:43am
  - stephieboy
    
    Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
    “The situation the UK is in, he is more akin to what Churchill..”
    
    Now joking aside..!
    
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    July 24, 2019 9:03am
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      You seem to be unaware of the fact the Boris Johnson wrote a book about Churchill.
      https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20893481-the-churchill-factor
      
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      July 24, 2019 9:25am
      - KevO'Brien
        
        “Boris Johnson celebrates the singular brilliance of one of the most important leaders of the twentieth century.”
        From your URL. Boris has presented to me as having the “English spirit” which Churchill also showed. Not necessarily agreeable to everyone but needed in a fight.
        The EU is determined to have its own way. Hopefully Boris will take England out of the quagmire of Brussels bureaucracy. It must be distressing but will succeed.
        
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        July 24, 2019 9:50am
      - stephieboy
        
        MW , one who has read it doesn’t think so,
        
        Kirstie
        
        Mar 11, 2017 Kirstie
        
        I am genuinely astonished by how many 5* reviews this has had! I must be missing something because I just felt it went here there and everywhere, backwards and forwards and basically just sang his praises from the first line all the way to the end! There is no doubting just how much he adores WC!
        
        Have you?
        
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        July 24, 2019 12:11pm
      - KevO'Brien
        
        For the benefit of our stephieboy–I have read all six volumes of Churchill’s WWII History and look forward to reading more of his writings.
        
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        July 24, 2019 12:29pm
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        Have you?
        
        Absolutely not.
        
        After having my copy of “My Early Life: A Roving Commission” confiscated from me at the tender age of 11 at NZ Friends School, I have veered away from studying Churchill.
        
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        July 24, 2019 1:04pm
  - mikenmildagain
    
    Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
    Churchill comparisons might not help. What happened to Churchill once the public at large were allowed to vote for or agaisnt him?
    
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    July 24, 2019 9:08am
    - Tall Man
      
      I think we both know there is a lot more to that tale but hey, why waste a chance for a one liner eh mikey….
      
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      July 24, 2019 9:42am
    - MickMac
      
      after the War Stephie, after the war..
      
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      July 24, 2019 9:47am
    - KevO'Brien
      
      Churchill was needed in his time.
      
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      July 24, 2019 9:52am
      - stephieboy
        
        With a great leg up by the Americans and Russians!
        
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        July 24, 2019 12:12pm
    - hullkiwi
      
      Mikey, it is a case of “cometh the hour, cometh the man”.
      
      Yes, Churchill was the leader the UK needed in 1940, but his post war premier ships was a different matter.
      
      Boris may be the man the UK needs now for Brexit (but like Churchill in May 1940, Boris’ ability to do the job has yet to be proven). Whether Boris can achieve Brexit and beyond is also an unknown quantity. Time will tell.
      
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      July 24, 2019 10:22am
      - stephieboy
        
        hullkiwi, I don’t think Sir Winston possessed Boris’s lying credentials!
        
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        July 24, 2019 12:13pm
    - hullkiwi
      
      Mikey he lost in 1946, but he led the Tories back to power at the election in 1951. Despite the establishment of the NHS in 1948.
      
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      July 24, 2019 10:26am
      - freethinker
        
        Yes Churchill was back as soon as voters realized what a bunch of arseholes Labour were.
        
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        July 24, 2019 12:12pm
  - kloyd0306
    
    Historically, you have to wonder about the Poms. Churchill was the country’s only option in 1940 after Chamberlain’s weak leadership, then he oversaw victory over Nazi Germany in 1945. The Poms promptly dumped him at the very next election.
    
    Strange people those Poms.
    
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    July 24, 2019 9:58am
    - KevO'Brien
      
      I believe Churchill was ready also to retire. He gave his all during those hard war years. He will always be gratefully remembered by us who lived through those times. Every Commander makes mistakes but not every Commander wins. Churchill marshalled the fortitude of the English people to outlast the opposing war machines.
      England and Europe have been historical enemies. I think that is an underlying given in their continuing relationships. Boris appears willing to pick up the English cudgels again and face Europe once more.
      
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      July 24, 2019 12:40pm
    - RRM
      
      Didn’t he say something in his concession of defeat about “the English people have voted for change, and I don’t blame them”…?
      
      I’m sure I heard an audio clip of it once, but have never been able to find it in print…
      
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      July 24, 2019 12:41pm
artemisia

Kiwibuild in Te Kauwhata scuttlebutt. Pretty much no demand so up to 175 homes there could be, well, scuttled. Maybe other locations as well. Since the contracts are done and dusted, what will cancellation cost the taxpayer. And how many cochlear implants could have been done for that.

Meantime rental properties are in short supply, being sold or converted to other uses en masse, pretty much due to government policies. Rental properties that cost the taxpayer almost nothing provided policies were at least fairly neutral. Now they are not, and more coming.
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July 24, 2019 8:05am
- Sofia
  
  Could an attack on rentals actually end up pushing people into Kiwibuild houses that no one is otherwise interested in.
  Surely, no! – no Government could be that lacking in transparency, honesty or integrity …
  could it?
  
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  July 24, 2019 8:36am
  - All_on_Red
    
    Or, will no sales end up pushing KB into dumping the stock on the market to investors?
    They’ll have to have a massive ‘come to Jesus’ moment first and admit that the ‘real’ housing crisis is a shortage of private rental stock.
    
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    July 24, 2019 8:51am
    - 453mm
      
      AoR, I share your opinion, but it’s based on the assumption that they’re smart enough and open-minded enough to figure that out.
      
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      July 24, 2019 9:07am
- All_on_Red
  
  Gee, who would have thought.
  First Home buyers don’t want to live in Te Kauwhata in the small two bed houses they are building there.
  You have to wonder how long the Minister can continue to retain Kiwibuild management
  They are the ones who decided to Underwrite that product.
  
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  July 24, 2019 8:46am
  - stephieboy
    
    Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
    All on Red, shadow housing Minister for National?
    
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    July 24, 2019 9:12am
- KevO'Brien
  
  Why didn’t they build the houses in Whangmomona instead?
  
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  July 24, 2019 9:54am
- Thought Criminal
  
  Don’t forget that labour spent 30k per house on analysts and admin to make sure that the right decisions were made.
  
  This is a lesson in why people with no skin in the game shouldn’t be the ones making the big bets (with other people’s money).
  
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  July 24, 2019 11:30am
  - KevO'Brien
    
    They could have spoken to the locals at the Te Kauwhata Tavern and got all the info in an evening they needed to decide about regional housing demand. No Go.
    
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    July 24, 2019 12:48pm
Happychappy

When National did this it was evil and corporate welfare but now the Coalition find it alright to do the same.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/114442790/tiwai-point-smelter-could-get-power-subsidy-whilst-some-household-bills-increase.
The ones that this will hurt vote Labour and I wonder whether they will felzgood about this.
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July 24, 2019 8:05am
- Lance
  
  A bit like the wicked wicked movie deals and the screeching from the Hobbit haters. Oddly it’s now all good
  
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  July 24, 2019 8:19am
- Ed Snack
  
  One has to point out that the power used at Tiwai Point isn’t really able to be redistributed elsewhere in NZ because the transmission lines and switching to do so doesn’t exist.
  
  That project has been scoped, and it is a billion dollar plus project to connect Manapouri to the Benmore core switching point. It will probably happen eventually, but until it does the output of Manapouri is wasted unless used by the smelter, so any price over the cost of production (which is very low) is positive – unfortunately the smelter company is well aware of this and bargains accordingly.
  
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  July 24, 2019 8:22am
  - Lance
    
    Aluminium has been described as “electricity made solid”.
    I just love how the entire output of Manapouri is converted to 4.5 volts DC to run the smelter pots.
    The magnetic field in there is mind blowing.
    
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    July 24, 2019 8:54am
    - mark15
      
      Careful,you’ll have the greens declaring you can run it twice as long on a 9v battery.
      
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      July 24, 2019 12:26pm
  - peterwn
    
    This is just normal commercial bargaining. Both sides have advantages, disadvantages and bottom lines. Meridian undoubtedly keeps up with the play on the global aluminum scene and would have overseas experts retained to help with this. This aspect is highly ‘commercially sensitive’ and hence shrouded in great secrecy (in the old NZ Electricity Department the most secret files were those related to smelter supply). Hence Meridian can quickly detect if the Smelter is talking BS during negotiations. Meridian would also have arranged with Transpower to do detailed transmission scoping which would have an impact right through to the North Island. The $1B figure would be ‘off the cuff’ and since the projects would be spread over a decade or two and money has ‘time’ value, the $1B figure is a bit meaningless at this stage.
    If NZ was serious about declaring a ‘climate emergency’ then one of the proactive things NZ could do is negotiate the smelter out of existence (over a time frame), augment transmission and use the freed up generation for EV supply.
    A downside is the aluminium will have to come from elsewhere, possibly smelters using coal fired generation in turn having a possibly greater impact globally. It is little use NZ setting an example if it merely shifts climate change causes off-shore.
    
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    July 24, 2019 8:55am
    - marcw
      
      You are correct pererwn, there is a massive global demand for aircraft grade aluminum and should Tiwai Pt be closed, other smelters powered by fossil fuels will take up the Australian sourced bauxite supply to continue. The usual unintended consequences of virtue signalling smug hippies – just like our one banning oil & gas exploration. Nett cost, increased CO2 emissions.
      
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      July 24, 2019 11:22am
    - projectman
      
      There are many more, and way more significant, off-shore “climate change” issues to be addressed…offshore. NZ is just throwing money away. The Government needs to address internal issues and stop ineffective virtue signalling.
      
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      July 24, 2019 3:34pm
- KevO'Brien
  
  Tiwai Point was built to convert alumina into foreign exchange via NZ’s hydro energy.
  It serves NZ well. The price charged for electricity has always had to match to match the commercial realities of global aluminum sales.
  In the past that foreign exchange source was essential.
  
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  July 24, 2019 9:01am
  - Tall Man
    
    But again, labour outside government talks “big” but delivers little.
    
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    July 24, 2019 9:24am
  - peterwn
    
    If it was not for the smelter, Manapouri while recognised (for the last 100 years) as a source of hydro power may never have been built and would still probably not be economic to build. This is because a major portion of construction costs have to be spent before the first power can be generated.
    It started as a ‘private’ project but the smelter interests arm twisted the Government of the day to build it in exchange for a long term contract to take the power.
    
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    July 24, 2019 9:35am
    - Jack5
      
      KevO’Brien says in his post about the Tiwai aluminium smelter and Manapouri electricity: “In the past that foreign exchange source was essential.”
      
      New Zealand has had a balance-of-payments deficit for about 40 years. With the surging population this is likely to worsen.
      
      The annual billion dollars or so of foreign exchange from the smelter will be sorely needed again, and fairly soon.
      
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      July 24, 2019 4:29pm
- Ross12
  
  I cannot remember the exact years but Tiwai’s owners negotiated a new long term deal about 3-4 years ago and the deal goes to 2025 or a bit longer.
  So all the talk of closing it down etc. so we have more electricity is a bit premature if not pointless.
  
  The Greens should celebrate Tiwai produced aluminium. The smelter is one of only a few in the world that produces it’s product with renewable energy.
  
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  July 24, 2019 9:28am
  - Komata
    
    Ross12@0928
    
    RE: ‘the Greens should celebrate Tiwai produced aluminium. The smelter is one of only a few in the world that produces it’s product with renewable energy’.
    
    But the bauxite is MINED!! MINED!! Y’HEAR!!
    
    ‘MINING’ in any form is just so0 wrong, wrong, wrong (at least according the gweens), and is so, so wrong that it’s worse than absolutely anything else. Because of that a devout green would never give praise for such evil.
    
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    July 24, 2019 2:08pm
secondcumming

Deliver Brexit
Unite the party
Defeat Jeremy Corbyn
Energise the country.

#DUDE
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July 24, 2019 8:18am
- MCos
  
  “Forward, the Light Brigade!”
  Was there a man dismayed?
  Not though the soldier knew
  Someone had blundered.
  Theirs not to make reply,
  Theirs not to reason why,
  Theirs but to do and die.
  Into the valley of Death
  Rode the six hundred.
  
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  July 24, 2019 9:59am
  - mikenmildagain
    
    The Disunited Kingdom
    
    0 16
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    July 24, 2019 10:38am
  - Komata
    
    Mcos@0959
    
    Obviously Heath and co, didn’t read it…
    
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    July 24, 2019 2:09pm
Happychappy

Before I start I have never owned a gun only ever fired one when doing my noggy service and once on duckshooting when staying at a friend’s while on holiday in 1977. But after listening to Jacinda lie and blame others for her and Stuart Nash’s incompetence I will never pot anyone that has a gun legal or illegal.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/christchurch-shooting/114446238/govt-cant-let-real-criminals-out-of-its-sight-in-sweeping-gun-law-changes
I despise the gangs and their criminal behaviour but Jacinda, Nash and the Police categorize hard working NZer’s in the same vane and that to me is unjust.
Let them find the guns themselves without the help of law abiding citizens as they won’t get my help.
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July 24, 2019 8:27am
- igm
  
  Are they going to search gang headquarters and mosques for arms . . . they are the areas of concern for realists.
  
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  July 24, 2019 8:47am
  - stephieboy
    
    Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
    They do,
    
    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12020737
    
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    July 24, 2019 9:15am
  - Tall Man
    
    Nope, just law abiding citizens and “gun clubs” because only white supremacists have “guns”…
    
    https://www.maoritelevision.com/shows/hunting-tui
    
    Oops……
    
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    July 24, 2019 9:23am
- Tall Man
  
  I have owned firearms since a young age, from memory 16, and have used firearms since before that time.
  
  I have hunted, used them for local pest control and even spent a bit of time target shooting. In all those years, I have never seen an illegal act with or around a firearm and have never seen or been involved with a “firearm safety” issue. My understanding is that all of my friends and associates have had the same experience.
  
  I have taught all my children firearms safety and one of them has taken up the sport of hunting.
  
  I have owned what are now regarded as “illegal” weapons in the past but have not for many years but have no issues with those that do anymore than I have an issue with anyone who owns a car that is capable of doing 300 kph… and I know more than a couple that own those.
  
  To those of you that think the actions taken so far by this government are reasonable I have a warning for you… Your interests may well be next on the list of things that needs to be “re-examined”.
  
  Look at “moderation” here on Kiwiblog and ask why….. Is it because David got sick of people calling ardern a liar or each other arseholes … or is it a desire to avoid closer inspection and monitoring by those who are committed to stamping out “free speech” that doesn’t fit their “agenda”?
  
  This is the New Zealand that we currently have and unless something is dome to reassert the rights of all New Zealanders then we are on a sad path to …………….
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQiOA7euaYA
  
  “But wait….. there’s more…
  
  https://twitter.com/rickygervais/status/1152877529830711296
  
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  July 24, 2019 9:14am
srylands

I had a vivid dream last night that the top marginal tax rate had been increased to 80 percent.
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July 24, 2019 8:28am
- Lance
  
  Sounds like you had a mind meld with the PM
  
  16 0
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  July 24, 2019 8:48am
  - 453mm
    
    That would be a nightmare.
    
    17 0
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    July 24, 2019 9:10am
  - Tall Man
    
    Sorry Lance, you need big ears for that not teeth.
    
    9 1
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    July 24, 2019 9:18am
- AgainstTheFlow
  
  So long as there is a single Porsche in Remuera, Labour believes the top rate should be increased.
  
  19 0
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  July 24, 2019 9:26am
  - marcw
    
    What about if there was any $2million houses in Sandringham, is that the same? Oh, wait …
    
    12 0
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    July 24, 2019 11:30am
- Jules99
  
  *dusts off passport*
  
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  July 24, 2019 1:24pm
  - Tall Man
    
    Over the last 18 months we have made a concerted effort to get the bulk of our business onto a “non personal contact” basis.
    
    Obviously it cannot be completely “distant” but it certainly allows us to operate o/seas for 3 months or so at a time but we still need staff based here in NZ… However, we will not be growing that side anymore which does impact the NZ economy a tiny little bit.
    
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    July 24, 2019 2:43pm
Justitia

Forget Andrew Little’s review of “hate speech” or the Marxist Human Rights Commission, there’s a new regulator of free speech in town. It’s the Advertising Standards Authority which has banned a political pamphlet opposing the Maori seats because it may offer “serious offence” to Maori: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12251825
The Authority is totally out of line here exceeding it’s authority. The Free Speech Coalition need to get onto this urgently.
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July 24, 2019 8:30am
- KevO'Brien
  
  The Advertising Standards Authority is an incorporated society. It is a private club of media interests.
  Is their intervention to suppress free speech lawful?
  
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  July 24, 2019 8:53am
  - Tall Man
    
    Unenforceable I think.
    
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    July 24, 2019 9:19am
  - Justitia
    
    @KevO’Brien: yes the ASA is an industry association. It was not established under Statute as far as I can determine. How on earth it thinks it has the power to derogate from the Bill of Rights Act is beyond me. These clowns need to be challenged.
    
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    July 24, 2019 10:16am
- Yvette
  
  [The] complaint was partly upheld, with most of the board agreeing the reference to the supposed “benefits of colonisation” was likely to cause serious offence and thus breached the Advertising Standards Code.
  The majority of the board said the statement was condescending and derogatory to Māori.
  
  It seems indeed that the Advertising Standards board reflects society in general – not everyone agreed.
  
  A minority disagreed, calling it an expression of political opinion.
  
  The entire present Government exists in its totally fucked-up coalition MMP condition, because it is accepted that a minority decision is right.
  
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  July 24, 2019 9:08am
  - KevO'Brien
    
    The ASA name suggests its an “Authority”. Only to itself. It has no more authority than any other incorporated membership group.
    
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    July 24, 2019 12:53pm
Monique Watson

Yeah no fuckers want the UK as part of the (laugh) Eu. Boris sticks it to Brussels and Poland will be the next to shove it up Merkel and co’s biscuits.
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July 24, 2019 8:34am
- MickMac
  
  I hope so Monique
  
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  July 24, 2019 9:51am
- freethinker
  
  Italy may be a fast follower.
  
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  July 24, 2019 12:28pm
- Justitia
  
  @Monique: I think Italy will be next.
  
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  July 24, 2019 4:13pm
hullkiwi

What the hell is wrong with the authorities. A group of aggrieved Maori cry sacred land and hold everything up. The group include rent a mob from down country, so are in no way connected with the dispute. But the police do nothing.

These people have taken their dispute to all levels including the Maori Land Court and UN and have lost. The local komata has told them to move on. But the local ward councillor (a Pacific Islander) wants the government to negotiate with these people. But why, negotiate over what?

For the past 3 years we have continuously been told there is a housing shortage in Souyh Auckland and yet when development is set to happen we get a group of Rent a Mob nobodies impeding the development and the media compound the situation by giving these nobodies air time! This level of stupidity means South Auckland is destined to remain as it is, a basket case of social problems.
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July 24, 2019 8:36am
- Odakyu-sen
  
  “…South Auckland is destined to remain as it is, a basket case of social problems.”
  
  Think how many public service jobs woud be lost if the social problems in South Auckland were solved.
  We can’t have that now, can we…
  
  //
  
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  July 24, 2019 8:54am
  - igm
    
    Yes, but a good voting base for left-wing politicians, and a good training area for police.
    
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    July 24, 2019 9:43am
- wreck1080
  
  I don’t blame them, they are acting rationally in the environment they find themselves.
  
  Blame the bureaucrats for enabling their sense of entitlement to money without working for it.
  
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  July 24, 2019 9:02am
- MickMac
  
  Name the Local Councillor please.
  
  Name these people!
  
  9 0
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  July 24, 2019 9:51am
  - Swifty
    
    Efeso Collins.
    
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    July 24, 2019 10:11am
Maggie Pie

My partner was never in doubt Boris would win. He reckons the left will implode.
BOJO will be a breath of fresh air and just the man to bring patriotic pride back to the UK.
As he said, the world is already full of Jeremy Hunts.
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July 24, 2019 8:41am
- MickMac
  
  Spelling?
  
  3 2
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  July 24, 2019 9:52am
  - jcuk
    
    NO ,,, being polite
    
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    July 24, 2019 5:19pm
KevO'Brien

The EU is among the least democratic institutions in the world. Brussels bureaucrats rule. No breakup is easy but their petty rulership is worse.

Where is the spirit of the English to tolerate such foreign control? Leave the EU and it will sort itself out. The EU has a stake too in continuing relations.
Welome Boris to a very difficult task. Make Britain Great again.
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July 24, 2019 8:43am
srylands

I see the Shelly Bay development looks dead in the water. Some descendent of the original owner of the land seems to have successfully stalled the development by putting a covenant on the land to keep the land for public recreation. Aka how it is now.

This is an amazing location and it is currently a shit heap. There is so much seriously wrong with this country. It is a shame that Ruth Richardson did not have time to deal to the resource management system before her time ran out.
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July 24, 2019 8:47am
- Tall Man
  
  I think ti treeteee has a lot to do with things well outside where it should.
  
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  July 24, 2019 9:21am
- Albert_Ross
  
  It is indeed a shit heap, and turning it into an attractive recreational space will now require the injection of a substantial amount of money – which will see no return if “public” means the public doesn’t have to pay to access it.
  
  So where’s that money supposed to come from?
  
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  July 24, 2019 10:21am
tf78

Can anyone remember if National set up the marital law upgrade – the results of which are being released right now. I seem to remember that was the case before the last election can anyone help me out here.
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July 24, 2019 8:53am
- peterwn
  
  See Law Commission site. Commission ‘was asked’ to review the PRA and commenced the review May 2016. So National’s Minister of Justice would have kicked it off. Its recommendations would be independent of current government thinking and it would be up to Andrew Little to adopt or ignore its recommendations.
  
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  July 24, 2019 11:08am
  - tf78
    
    Thanks for that peterwn, I tried googling it to no avail.
    
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    July 24, 2019 12:36pm
Happychappy

You know that if National had put out attack ads on Jacinda, James and Winston you would of not heard then end of it as the media and the Parties involved would be screaming from the rooftops Dirty Politiics. Winston would in court trying to bring litigation on the National leadership and Jacinda would blaming her officials for suggesting it.
What a poor cause excuse for politics this Government is.
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July 24, 2019 9:09am
lastmanstanding

Ive been looking back at Economists and Bank and other so called experts reports from 2009.

1. The World was in for the 10 year recession.
2.Auckland house prices would fall at least 30%.

The reality.

1. The World has enjoyed the longest prolonged period of economic growth.
2. Auckland house prices increased 110% from 2009 to 2019.

Dont listen to Economists Bank or any other so called expert.

They dont know jack shit and get paid huge amounts to spout it.
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July 24, 2019 9:17am
- James Stephenson
  
  This goes double when it comes to the predictions of Doom if the UK “crashes out” of the EU.
  
  Dire things were predicted if the UK failed to join the Euro, the world was going to end if the referendum returned a win for the Leave campaign and now, apparently, the world will really finally end if Boris successfully gives two fingers to Juncker, Barnier, Blair and the fifth columnists in the British parliament.
  
  Give ’em all “The End is Nigh” sandwich boards and let them walk the streets and then either a) ignore them or b) point and laugh.
  
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  July 24, 2019 9:32am
  - Twinkletoes
    
    They will be arrested because muslims will call in the police if and when Christianity is preached or advertised in the streets of UK.
    
    I see it is happening here now too. Wanganui, would you believe. I wonder if this shut down is in preparation for our forthcoming hordes of non-Christian refugees.
    
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    July 24, 2019 3:07pm
- wreck1080
  
  Debt fuelled party!
  
  Problem now, inflation is not eating the debt away.
  
  Possibly, the ball has just been kicked down the road.
  
  But I completely agree, economic experts know very little when it comes to predictions. If they were so great, then why didn’t they forecast the GFC?
  
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  July 24, 2019 9:40am
- Im Right
  
  Agree LMS, that economist Bernard Hickey was spouting about the property bubble bursting for years, he believed in it so much he sold his Akl house and moved to somewhere cheaper (and mortgage free I would imagine), and since the move the Akl house prices have doubled, he was so wrong he cost his family about a million bucks in lost gains, his new house would have gained valuation too, but he is a classic example of an ‘expert’ talking shit….and also the other economist and ‘go to guy’ for TV expertise about money matters Gareth Morgan who’s Kiwisaver scheme actually LOST money before he sold it on to a bank….’experts’ in their own mind.
  
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  July 24, 2019 9:46am
  - Paulus Gnome
    
    Shamubeel Eaqub, ‘economist’; ‘I will rent forever’
    
    Where does SE live now? I don’t know but am fairly sure that it is in a house that he has a mortgage on.
    
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    July 24, 2019 10:55am
    - kevn
      
      @Paulus… My money is on SE owning a place somewhere that he rents out. He chooses to rent for whatever reason.
      
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      July 24, 2019 12:49pm
    - Jules99
      
      His wife made him buy a place when they had kids – he’s probably doing very nicely thanks to her.
      
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      July 24, 2019 1:21pm
    - WaveyDavey
      
      Worth pointing out that when he was renting in Epsom, and encouraging everyone else to do the same, it was from his Aunt at family rates.
      
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      July 24, 2019 6:59pm
  - oldgolfer
    
    If Bernard says sell, buy.
    
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    July 24, 2019 11:54am
JibberJabber

Canada, thru the Looking Glass,

https://glinner.co.uk/the-war-on-women-yaniv-special/amp/?__twitter_impression=true&fbclid=IwAR1-fE5x_PFRbJM6z4FAuxDcMFR-mi9kVgZiKK1RHCE3coQc9zr7z7z_CN4
It`s every ~~predators~~ womans right to have their hairy balls waxed.
7 1
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July 24, 2019 9:18am
Maggie Pie

What goes ‘click click’ “is that it?” click click’ “is that it?””
Stevie wonder doing a rubik cube 🙂
10 2
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July 24, 2019 9:26am
Swifty

Tranny takes women to Canadian Human Rights Tribunal for refusing to wax his balls……

https://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2019/07/why-we-cant-ignore-the-case-of-jessica-yaniv/

Bwahahahahaha!!!!!!

What to do now tranny huggers?
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July 24, 2019 9:41am
- Rich Prick
  
  Knowing Canada, the tranny will win. Trannys sit above women on the left’s victim pyramid. And having access to a balls waxing will be found to be a basic human right.
  
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  July 24, 2019 10:27am
  - Sacha
    
    Yes, but who will do it? Perhaps the local knock-shop will provide a special service . . .
    
    6 0
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    July 24, 2019 11:21am
  - tf78
    
    I would suggest that some tranny hugger should be given the job – that would change the rules back to normal. Do as I say not as I do as per.
    
    5 0
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    July 24, 2019 11:33am
    - Paulus Gnome
      
      Use a blow torch.
      
      Do it once, do it right.
      
      Assuming his bullocks survive, he won’t be back for a second ‘wax’
      
      7 0
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      July 24, 2019 11:56am
- Odakyu-sen
  
  Unless the woman was properly trained on how to do a Brazilian bikini wax on a guy, things could go horribly wrong.
  
  3 0
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  July 24, 2019 3:56pm
  - WaveyDavey
    
    Oh dear. What a pity. Never mind.
    
    Want to know something else about Jessica Yaniv, born Jonathan Yaniv, on social media he fantasises about helping 10yo girls insert their tampons.
    
    https://bit.ly/2M8gcip
    
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    July 24, 2019 7:05pm
Ian Hawthorn

I see NZ1st is proposing a binding referendum on euthanasia on the basis that legalising euthanasia “directly affects the fabric of society, and is one that temporarily empowered politicians alone should not decide upon”.

Fair enough. However they didn’t give us a referendum on Winston’s waka jumping bill which directly changed the terms and powers of people elected to parliament. That is something that surely needed “the direct participation of the voting public” rather than being left to “temporarily empowered politicians”.

Perhaps NZ1st doesn’t think the NZ public can be trusted with electoral law matters. But no because Ms Marcroft also said in the same speech “We trusted the public in 1992 and 1993 to decide upon the similarly complex matter of the reform of our electoral system that introduced MMP, and we can trust them now.” So why didn’t you trust us with the bloody waka jumping bill then you hypocrite.

The waka jumping bill was bad law which NZ 1st pushed through for naked political gain. So I don’t buy their sanctimonious pretence of principles over the euthanasia bill. That party is all about political expediency and power. They have no principles. The only reason they want a referendum is to push this rather awkward decision off onto the electorate so they won’t be tarred with responsibility for the result.
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July 24, 2019 9:42am
wreck1080

Don’t know why the government can’t understand why many people don’t like low decile schools.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/114067757/call-for-debate-on-white-flight-from-low-decile-schools

It is not about the education, it is about the social interactions.
It is said one becomes like their friends. If your child becomes friends with the children of criminals and beneficiaries, then, what is going to happen to your kid?

It may be harsh, but it is human behaviour. You don’t understand human behaviour, you can’t solve the problem.
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July 24, 2019 9:44am
- MCos
  
  Are you suggesting only the kids of criminals and beneficiaries go to low decile schools?
  
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  July 24, 2019 10:24am
  - sooty
    
    Yep!edit Along with pollies kids.
    
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    July 24, 2019 1:31pm
Odakyu-sen

1. The World was in for the 10 year recession.
2.Auckland house prices would fall at least 30%.

In response:
– Slash interest rates (the lower the interest rate, the higher the servicable debt load)
– Keep the immigration taps wide open

Questions:
How sustainable are these policies?
What effect on the demographics of the nation will this have? (Is this even important?)
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July 24, 2019 9:47am
Cobolt24

BREAKING NEWS: Government to transform Resource Management Act to increase affordable housing
.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/114460844/government-to-transform-resource-management-act-to-increase-affordable-housing
.
Finally!
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July 24, 2019 9:54am
- peterwn
  
  Labour would need National’s support to amend RMA since I doubt the Greens and Winston would agree to a change. Perhaps National could support the change in return for adding a clause making the Kermedecs a marine sanctuary.
  
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  July 24, 2019 11:14am
Happychappy

Labour are going to do a complete overhaul of the Resource Management Act.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2019/07/government-to-announce-comprehensive-overhaul-of-resource-management-act.html
Now things could get interesting as all three opposition Parties stopped National doing the same and the Maori Party put the nail in the coffin. Labour will expect National to be on board as the Green Party surely will have to stand by their usual arguments. I interesting times ahead.
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July 24, 2019 9:55am
Wired-one

And now Labour want to reform the RMA… what a bunch of incompetent, hypocritical morons. Didnt support it when National tried to do it did you, wankers.
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July 24, 2019 9:56am
- Rodney Randall
  
  Parker stated any draft legislative changes will not come in to effect until after the election.
  
  A cynical ploy to remain in power or a positive step in the right direction?
  
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  July 24, 2019 10:18am
- MCos
  
  I remember the Nats wanted to make some changes and things went nowhere. Maybe this time the changes will be different and the Nats won’t agree.
  
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  July 24, 2019 10:34am
  - Tony Stuart
    
    Judith Collins is currently undertaking a complete revision of the RMA to campaign on next year. It will be interesting to see how it compares with Labour’s version. If National and Labour could find enough common ground, it MIGHT be possible to pass legislation without the Greens and NZF being handbrakes. I wouldn’t bet the house on it though.
    
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    July 24, 2019 10:47am
- Biscuit
  
  Wired-one, any day now you can expect to see Ms Ardern make another ‘Captain’s call’ and declare that ‘you know, it really is time we thought about a new flag…’
  
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  July 24, 2019 10:44am
  - Tall Man
    
    https://www.fotosearch.com/CSP498/k4982396/
    
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    July 24, 2019 2:48pm
- MrLovebucket
  
  Labour won’t reform it effectively. They will build in “safeguards” that mean Maori will have last say over everything. This will essentially mean things will run even slower and cost much more than they do today.
  
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  July 24, 2019 11:05am
- Piniwi
  
  But W @9.56 am it might be too little too late not to forget it is Parker in control as well as this latest revelation coming again from the benefit of hindsight. While again raising the question of just what did they do while sitting in opposition for 9 long years? This is just the first step in what will be a very drawn out, long process with $7.9 million funding for four (4) years allocated from Budget 2019.
  Meanwhile National are well advanced in preparation to address this issue ahead of the next election from a head start from earlier efforts to fix it. Combined with other interlocking plans to restore economic confidence and stability.
  
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  July 24, 2019 2:11pm
Gravelroad

RMA in for a big overhaul, reports stuff:
“Environment Minister David Parker said the law was 30 years old and in desperate need of change, with subsequent reforms only adding complexity – doubling the length of the original law.”

So why didn’t Labour, Greens and, in particular Winston First, support necessary changes to the RMA when the National Government was trying to do it?
Oh no, wait a minute, it’s always different when the left do it.
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July 24, 2019 10:11am
- Poppa
  
  Much the same as a free trade agreement with USA. It was evil when National were wanting it, now it is the bees knees
  
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  July 24, 2019 10:35am
Fletch

I did my shopping today at the local supermarket, and shelled out 20c for a paper bag. I asked the checkout lady what she thought of the bag thing and she advised me not to put my two bottles of Coke into the bag (although there was plenty of room). “We’ve been told during training that the paper bags are supposed to hold 6 kg, but I’ve seen people lift them and the bottom rip out”.

If only we had a space age material that was thin, strong and recyclable. Oh wait……
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July 24, 2019 10:23am
- alloytoo
  
  I think perhaps people should return these bags under the consumer guarantees act.
  
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  July 24, 2019 10:37am
- MCos
  
  Don’t drink coke.
  
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  July 24, 2019 10:42am
  - alloytoo
    
    snort it 🙂
    
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    July 24, 2019 11:09am
    - Tall Man
      
      Now there is a comment to be made there but I couldn’t possibly………..
      
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      July 24, 2019 2:50pm
- MrLovebucket
  
  Every time I visit the supermarket now, I see frustrated, grumpy and annoyed people all going “Fucking Jacinduh!! collectively under their breath, and it’s getting worse. 😀
  
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  July 24, 2019 11:07am
  - KevO'Brien
    
    Those banned bags will do the COL in next year.
    
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    July 24, 2019 3:38pm
Batman

https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/23/20706515/ford-electric-f150-pickup-truck-pull-million-pound-train

There was a bit of chat the other day about electric cars and the instant torque they provide.

This will be a bit of a shock (haha, get it?) to some people.

I fully expect that the utes we so love in NZ will soon be a lot more green at the tailpipe (which they won’t have) and be a lot more powerful!
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July 24, 2019 10:36am
- alloytoo
  
  I don’t know, it’s hard to transport electricity to an open field in the middle of nowhere.
  
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  July 24, 2019 10:39am
  - Batman
    
    You can find a niche example which will rule out almost any vehicle.
    
    The majority of Urban ute use is around town during the week, then maybe towing a boat on the weekend (during summer, when nice weather).
    
    For people with empty fields in the middle of nowhere, get a diesel.
    
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    July 24, 2019 10:44am
    - Jack5
      
      Or, for rich urban Greenies, will there be utes with big solar panels on the back.
      
      Now that Jacinderella has stuffed gas and oil development, there won’t be enough thermal-generated electricity to keep the grid loaded sufficienlty to fuel the nation’s transport.
      
      Unless, of course we tap coal or uranium.
      
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      July 24, 2019 12:10pm
      - Ian Hawthorn
        
        The serious Greens will want a wind turbine on the back of their electric ute. That way when they drive down the highway the air will turn the turbine and keep the battery charged.
        
        Yes I’m joking, but I bet a lot of Greens would think this idea was just peachy.
        
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        July 24, 2019 5:23pm
    - freethinker
      
      And for MP’s attending Parliament use a Bike.
      
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      July 24, 2019 12:42pm
      - sooty
        
        But the leather heated seats in the back of the limo are so comfy!
        Maybe the greens could have a little gas fired thing on their bike to heat up their bike seats, with the exhaust! Might need to wear a couple of pairs of knickers though to protect the horses collar!
        
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        July 24, 2019 4:05pm
  - kevn
    
    @alloy… Just need to have a ‘petrol’ (omg) generator on the ute tray for those go-flat moments. Like having a spare wheel.
    
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    July 24, 2019 12:52pm
- Lance
  
  While on the topic of trains, I assume everyone does realize locomotives use electric motors for traction power?
  
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  July 24, 2019 11:36am
  - Batman
    
    I had no idea, but now that you say it….
    
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    July 24, 2019 11:51am
  - freethinker
    
    And Diesel Engines to provide the power in some.
    
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    July 24, 2019 12:43pm
    - sooty
      
      And some have the diesel engine making electricty, to drive the electric motors!
      
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      July 24, 2019 1:28pm
    - Paulus
      
      In 1960s in the UK all mainline train engines were Diesel Electric.
      Still the best combination.
      
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      July 24, 2019 1:48pm
      - Tall Man
        
        The “cable” on the back of the ute would be a bit annoying 😉
        
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        July 24, 2019 2:56pm
- Captain Mainwaring
  
  No mention of how much the battery charge depleted during this stunt.
  
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  July 24, 2019 11:51am
- Tall Man
  
  Tell the whole story batman….
  
  “In the fine print, Ford describes the towing stunt as a “one-time short event demonstration” and claims it is “far beyond any production truck’s published capacity.” “
  
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  July 24, 2019 2:52pm
Maggie Pie

Message for @ ‘Tall Man’ 🙂
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EAJJkSDU8AA7DPe?format=jpg&name=small
My partner has just tweeted this image link to his folloowers with ref to TM listng #2242960404
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July 24, 2019 10:50am
- Tall Man
  
  I like it…..
  
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  July 24, 2019 1:34pm
- Monique Watson
  
  Oh Maggie! I think we’d be great friends if I ‘hunted’ you down in New Zealand lol. But I’m so far away in California. Where the Feelz is huge. But we have Trump as a President. Kind of mitigates shit. Feel free to friend me on Facebook. My real name is Monique Watson. The ‘notorious’ one.
  I’m a gunna post that link right now and piss off my leftie friends. And blame it on my time of the month. You know.
  
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  July 24, 2019 6:49pm
  - Tall Man
    
    That time of the month when you hate lying politicians?
    
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    July 24, 2019 9:14pm
- Shaun the Sheep
  
  Have TM reinstated the auction?
  It was cancelled for breach of t&c
  
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  July 24, 2019 9:41pm
Hugh Pavletich

Government pushes out the unveiling of the KiwiBuild reset until late August – NZ Herald

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12251969

The Government’s new head Housing Minister, Megan Woods, will present the much anticipated KiwiBuild reset plan to Cabinet in late August. …

… Woods this morning confirmed that the Government would unveil changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) tomorrow. … read more via hyperlink above …
.
.
WHY IS PM ARDERN TALKING THIS ‘RESET’ KIWIBUILD NONSENSE ?

Oddly … Prime Minister Ardern is labelling the housing crisis as ‘market failure’ … as she appears to lose the next election defending the KiwiBuild fiasco …

Jacinda Ardern says Government not giving up on housing despite KiwiBuild not meeting ‘our expectations’ … TVNZ

https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/jacinda-ardern-says-government-not-giving-up-housing-despite-kiwibuild-meeting-our-expectations-v1

… while the May residential building consent figures at 3680 were ahead of Australia at 14,000 when adjusted for population (NZ near 5 mil Aust 25.4 mil) … annualized … NZ 9 units per 1000 pop pa and Australia 7 units per 1000 pop pa (standard industry measure).

Prime Minister Ardern should be thanking and congratulating the private sector … and promising them that Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford will be sorting out land supply / abolishing urban limits and proper debt financing of infrastructure, so they are ALLOWED (clearly political / planning failure) to build affordable homes … as promised …

Speech from the throne pledges that Auckland’s urban limit will be removed and density controls will be freed up in this term of Government | interest.co.nz

https://www.interest.co.nz/property/90780/speech-throne-pledges-aucklands-urban-limit-will-be-removed-and-density-controls-will

… with the remarkable May building consent figures …

Residential construction shows no sign of slowing down as new consents hit a forty five year high, pushed up by a strong rise in consents for townhouses in Auckland | interest.co.nz

https://www.interest.co.nz/property/100502/residential-construction-shows-no-sign-slowing-down-new-consents-hit-forty-five-year

Why is Prime Minister Ardern hell bent on repeating the mistakes of the British, with the ‘reset’ (needs at least a serious revamp) KiwiBuild lunacy.

Has she seen this BBC documentary classic ? …

Inquiry. The Great British Housing Disaster (Adam Curtis, 1984)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ch5VorymiL4

Why is Prime Minister Ardern getting away with talking this nonsense ?
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July 24, 2019 11:21am
- Cobolt24
  
  Government to transform Resource Management Act to increase affordable housing
  .
  https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/114460844/government-to-transform-resource-management-act-to-increase-affordable-housing
  
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  July 24, 2019 11:58am
  - Hugh Pavletich
    
    Many thanks Cobolt24.
    
    Copy below of a General Email I am plastering around the planet … as New Zealand is seen as the global leader in sorting out these land use issues …
    
    … It sure makes one very proud being a New Zealander ! …
    
    … NEW ZEALAND …
    
    Government to transform Resource Management Act to increase affordable housing … Henry Cooke … Stuff New Zealand
    
    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/114460844/government-to-transform-resource-management-act-to-increase-affordable-housing?cid=app-iPad
    
    The Government is moving to transform the nebulous Resource Management Act (RMA), the main law that constrains development in New Zealand.
    
    The reform will look to increase affordable housing development and radically reduce complexity, while also increasing freshwater quality and fighting climate change. … read more via hyperlink above …
    .
    .
    … Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford’s important late March speech …
    
    New Zealaned (then Housing) Urban Development Minister Phil Twyfords speech to the New Zealand Initiative Members Retreat … New Zealand Government / Beehive
    
    https://www.beehive.govt.nz/speech/speech-nz-initiative-members%E2%80%99-retreat
    
    … extract …
    
    … In our view there are three big challenges that have to be addressed:
    
    1. A broken system for financing infrastructure
    
    2. A planning system based on urban containment
    
    3. The failure of governments until now, both local and central, to actively work with the private sector to enable urban growth and expansion. … read more via hyperlink above …
    .
    .
    … with already (generally) encouraging building approval / consent trends are underway …
    
    Residential construction shows no sign of slowing down as new consents hit a forty five year high, pushed up by a strong rise in consents for townhouses in Auckland | interest.co.nz
    
    https://www.interest.co.nz/property/100502/residential-construction-shows-no-sign-slowing-down-new-consents-hit-forty-five-year
    
    Dwelling approvals stabilised in May … Leith van Onselen … MacroBusiness Australia
    
    https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2019/07/dwelling-approvals-stabilised-may/
    
    For May New Zealand dwelling approvals were 3,687 … while in Australia 14,436 were issued for the month.
    
    In calculating the ‘dwelling approval rate per 1000 population per annum’ (standard industry measure), expressing the May figures on an annual basis ( x12 ) …New Zealand 44,244 … Australia 173,232
    
    New Zealands population is now near 5 million … Australia’s 25.4 million.
    
    Therefore for the month of May, New Zealand’s dwelling consent / approval rate per annum was 8.85 … Australia 6.82.
    
    In rounded figures New Zealand for the month of May was about 9/1000 pop pa … Australia 7/1000 pop pa.
    
    Directly from the government statistics agencies data, the ‘dwelling approval rate per 1000 population per annum’ should be calculated for specific regions / States and local territorial authority areas.
    
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    July 24, 2019 12:26pm
    - kevn
      
      @ hugh, Akld… exccess I M M I G R A T I O N would appear to be the main problem.
      
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      July 24, 2019 12:56pm
      - sooty
        
        Hughie, how about changing your posts sometimes. You get downticked because they are same old, some old, every bloody day! edit, Stephie gets more downticks than you, but at least everyone of his is different!
        
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        July 24, 2019 1:22pm
      - Hugh Pavletich
        
        … NEW ZEALAND … UPDATE …
        
        … Just one further example of the growing ‘flight to affordability’ … read more 2019 Section http://www.PerformanceUrbanPlanning.org …
        
        Sleepyhead’s $1 billion dream venture: Ohinewai site to include staff affordable home options … Andrew Fox … New Zealand Herald
        
        https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12252196
        
        A massive new $1 billion manufacturing and affordable housing community is planned for Ohinewai, north Waikato by the company behind iconic Kiwi brand Sleepyhead, which has outgrown Auckland and wants its staff to be able to buy their own homes.
        
        Comfort Group has bought 176ha of rural land, 5km north of Huntly, where under a master plan it intends to develop a mixed-use community with 1100 new homes over the next 10 years, while boosting its manufacturing space from 30,000sqm to 100,000sqm with a cutting edge factory. … read more via hyperlink above …
        
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        July 24, 2019 1:47pm
      - Nostradamus
        
        Sooty:
        
        Hughie, how about changing your posts sometimes.
        
        Hugh, in his 12.26pm comment, has [sarc] generously [/sarc] shared a copy of a “General Email” that he’s “plastering around the planet”.
        
        We should be more understanding of a person who selflessly and tirelessly trots out the same information every day, just in case someone hasn’t heard about his Demographia high school project yet!
        
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        July 24, 2019 2:35pm
    - Monique Watson
      
      Did you read that link before posting it? Jeez.
      
      It’s more fucking climate change ‘wolf in sheeps clothing’ bullshit.
      
      Blah blah blah, while also increasing freshwater quality and fighting climate change.
      
      Yeah that’s going to make housing more affordable.
      
      And it goes though in urgency I forsee with those pack of Liars in charge.
      
      Outrage is quite addictive. Tempted to get a subscription to the Horrid.
      
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      July 24, 2019 1:51pm
      - sooty
        
        Link whoring as well!
        
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        July 24, 2019 3:59pm
      - Hugh Pavletich
        
        Resource Management Act’s creator Sir Geoffrey Palmer labels it an ‘incoherent mess’ | Newshub
        
        https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2019/07/resource-management-act-s-creator-sir-geoffrey-palmer-labels-it-an-incoherent-mess.html
        
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        July 24, 2019 8:17pm
MCos

Here’s an interesting article about the US budget deficit.
Looks like whoever is President next term will be faced with some hard decisions. Either way it won’t bother Trump too much because he doesn’t have to face the voters again.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/were-like-thelma-and-louise-republicans-shrug-at-deficits-under-trump/2019/07/23/cdc5c330-ad5d-11e9-8e77-03b30bc29f64_story.html
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July 24, 2019 11:43am
- UrbanNeocolonialist
  
  Trumps big tax cut gamble hasn’t really paid out sufficiently – for the first year the increased GDP growth actually reduced Debt to GDP as it outpaced debt growth. But growth is falling away and debt increasing.
  
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  July 24, 2019 12:17pm
- MickMac
  
  Wally, it is Trumps to lose. Americans have woke up to the democractic party already.
  
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  July 24, 2019 1:53pm
Jack5

?‍♀️Lycra lunacy ….

Cycling mania is choking the Christchurch central business district with its cycle-lane network, and it now emerges that the lycra mob cost city ratepayers millions by having the council bail out a failing cycling adventure park.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/114399209/christchurch-adventure-park-close-to-going-bust-before-ratepayer-bailout-reports-reveal
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July 24, 2019 12:03pm
- kevn
  
  @Jack5…. No prob, just send billion dollar jones down.
  
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  July 24, 2019 4:51pm
RW Capitalist

I see Labour want rescue their failed policies by saying
It is obvious that the RMA needs changing.
Q:
Then why did they vote against it when National brought it up?
Labour stealing National’s ideas and claiming them as their own?
or
are they just Hippocrates?
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July 24, 2019 12:12pm
- mikenmildagain
  
  [insert joke about hypocritic oath here]
  
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  July 24, 2019 2:15pm
  - Tall Man
    
    I think he meant fat liars……
    
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    July 24, 2019 3:01pm
    - WaveyDavey
      
      But enough about Metiria Turei…
      
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      July 24, 2019 7:08pm
Poppa

Are we seeing the silent majority waking up & moving world politics to the right?

Boris, Donald & Scomo with the Canadian wet on very soft ground & Macron also on shaky ground, not to mention Merkel

I believe we are seeing a shift away from the wet lefty governing across the world.

If only it could happen here! First off National need to change their leader
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July 24, 2019 1:19pm
- Tall Man
  
  I’m with you up to the leader bit.
  
  The “National Team” is first class. Is none of that attributable to Simon?
  
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  July 24, 2019 1:32pm
  - Poppa
    
    They were there before though TM.
    
    Anyway he may be fine within his own ranks, but to me he is not electable
    
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    July 24, 2019 2:06pm
    - Tall Man
      
      However, currently they are behind the leader and not sharpening their knives or hiding the way the labour mps are……
      
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      July 24, 2019 3:03pm
    - Tall Man
      
      Go for ardern then.
      
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      July 24, 2019 9:10pm
- MCos
  
  I would suggest the Nats are to the left of Merkel & Macron.
  
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  July 24, 2019 3:20pm
  - Tall Man
    
    I would suggest you need more custard squares…. DenHeaths is a good’un.
    
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    July 24, 2019 9:09pm
Monique Watson

I just remembered an old link from back in the day when Norman was bleating about the naughty Shell/Todd! Shades of (Socialist) days to come.

https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/shell-and-todd-caught-drilling-without-approval-bd-164391

Killing the energy industry has been in the pipeline for a while.
Obviously the Greens and Labour are one mega party now. And when New Zealand is no longer relevant to the rest of the world: (Because is there a lot of tourism to Cuba, Venezuela? And the last one out has to shut the door, you know who to blame. She’s got a deceptive smile and “oh it’s so tough”, being a first time Mum and not seeing the baby everyday” ring about her.
Oh and my baby girl has the name has a middle name but it’s spelt properly. Niamh!
Jayzus.
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July 24, 2019 1:46pm
srylands

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/netball/netball-world-cup/114453891/fans-disappointed-as-world-champion-silver-ferns-fly-home-in-economy-class

Good grief. So who should pay for the silver ferns to fly business class?
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July 24, 2019 1:59pm
- The only red for me is that of Manchester United
  
  If they traveled home first class they would be called spoilt and called out for it. For goodness sake they only won a sports event which is only played by a few countries. It’s just the media making something into a story which doesn’t need to be a story. Did the second placed Black Caps travel home first class? No
  
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  July 24, 2019 3:20pm
- rangitoto
  
  Surely Cindy would pay for them to fly business class out of her massive salary.
  
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  July 24, 2019 3:48pm
Happychappy

This is the sort of headline you expect from Hugh Pavlovich but Stuff beat him to it with “RMA to be ripped up”.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/114460844/government-to-transform-resource-management-act-to-increase-affordable-housing
It will never happen as Maori and the Environmentalists in NZ will vote against it , plus they will need National to help them pass it after they like all other Parties in Parliament chose to vote against National when they wanted to make change to the RMA when the were the Government.
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July 24, 2019 2:20pm
- sooty
  
  He will be pissed!
  All of those daily repeats and he misses out on something new!
  
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  July 24, 2019 3:55pm
wreck1080

Why is government so bad at building fit for purpose roads?

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/bay-of-plenty-times/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503343&objectid=12251963

Council are now claiming that the new bayfair overpass in tauranga will be choked in less than 10 years.

But, I predict it will be choked as soon as it opens. Not a surprise, they’ve been building thousands of houses in papamoa , do they expect people to walk to work?

Because they only made it 2 lanes , but it is fed at both ends by 4 lanes.

Planners tried to make a last minute decision to add one lane and make it a tidal flow system… but that is still insufficient.

on top of that, they are demolishing the pedestrian underpass, absolutely bonkers!
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July 24, 2019 2:23pm
- UrbanNeocolonialist
  
  Health and safety rules, sediment control and spoil disposal have made the most mundane simple and cheap construction processes of yesteryear hideously expensive. Eg I am told cost of mowing motorway verges is now up to about $800 an hour due to the army of safety elves and multi vehicle entourage required.
  
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  July 24, 2019 3:25pm
  - Tall Man
    
    Bang on. One mower plus three vehicles and 4 people to make sure he’s safe……
    
    Mad as meat axes.
    
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    July 24, 2019 9:07pm
MCos

Video of the day
https://twitter.com/sirstevotimothy/status/1153737623774609409?s=21
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July 24, 2019 2:59pm
- Tall Man
  
  Awesome, you’ve got someone else to hate.
  
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  July 24, 2019 9:06pm
UrbanNeocolonialist

First they came for the alt-right and I said nothing because I was not alt-right, then they came for the alt-right and I said nothing because I was not alt-right, then they came for the alt-right and I said nothing because I was not alt-right, then they came for me and called me alt-right because there was nobody left to the right of me.
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July 24, 2019 3:11pm
Happychappy

So the Government are spending taxpayer money to increase their public relations staff to promote their views.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/governments-public-relations-
teams-rapidly-expanding.
So are Labour up to the same rorts they produced when in power last time by increasing staff to reduce unemployment figures.
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July 24, 2019 4:26pm
stoptheboats

reading todays Qtime on hansard – Mallard running interference for a flailing Cindy once again , aided by Peters/Hipkins
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July 24, 2019 4:46pm
- Tony Stuart
  
  Mallard didn’t even try to conceal his bias today. The giveaway is the dismissive tone and facial expressions when he rebukes Opposition MP’s. He makes a mockery of Question Time.
  
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  July 24, 2019 5:04pm
Fletch

I see the bloody Maori protesters are at it again…. *sigh*
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July 24, 2019 6:03pm
- mikenmildagain
  
  Where did the blood come from?
  
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  July 24, 2019 8:03pm
oob

Bridges called Boris a buffoon and criticised his personal life.

Beyond incompetent. Bridges has to go.
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July 24, 2019 6:51pm
- mikenmildagain
  
  Why? What if BJ is a buffoon with a dubious personal life?
  
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  July 24, 2019 8:02pm
- nasska
  
  What the fuck is wrong with Bridges? The scum MSM are gunning for him, he knows it yet he opens his gob & shoves a size 14 gumboot in it!
  
  …..” “This is a guy who can be on and can be off, he’s got that buffoon-like quality.” “……
  
  https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/114475808/simon-bridges-calls-boris-johnson-a-buffoon-and-backs-nodeal-brexit?cid=facebook.post&fbclid=IwAR2hm9QK5yoKZV9MOFc6_Eh4DqRoVGmcNldgWoA8EB6k73dGwbLkCHKDJ4I
  
  The sentence added nothing, accomplished less & negated everything the moron managed not to screw up in the past week!
  
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  July 24, 2019 8:37pm
- Tall Man
  
  As reported…….
  
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  July 24, 2019 9:56pm
- rangitoto
  
  Fake news.
  
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  July 24, 2019 10:52pm
- fernglas
  
  B
  
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  July 25, 2019 12:17am

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