General Debate 17 August 2019

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Sofia

… the way a letter written by the man accused of the Christchurch mosques attacks had appeared on a right-wing message board reported to be popular with white supremacists … is under review and in the meantime Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis has ordered his department to immediately put in place a new process for checking the man’s mail. The law allows prisoners to send out letters which have been vetted but the decision-making process “just wasn’t enough”, the minister said.

Taking a lead from the Immigration Minister, from now on they are actually going to read the letters
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August 17, 2019 8:01am
- Right of way is Way of Right
  
  What? A review? Instead of actually doing anything? Just a review?
  
  Well, he’s only following the Labour ‘how to’ manual then.
  
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  August 17, 2019 8:18am
- Yvette
  
  Sofia, if it works perhaps Jacinda could let Emmanuel Macron in Paris know.
  
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  August 17, 2019 8:49am
Maggie Pie

Jacinda tweets –

“Back in Wellington again Monday to start work on more boring domestic issues”
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August 17, 2019 8:02am
- peterwn
  
  Now what do you get your salary for Jacinda? Enjoying lots of overseas strips or doing the boring stuff? Your priorities and time management are just dreadful. Meanwhile Simon and his team are just proceeding with the boring stuff in readiness for next years campaign and returning to the Government benches. Seems like the hare and the tortoise.
  
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  August 17, 2019 8:19am
  - igm
    
    Time another verb stronger than “Hate” was devised. It would come in handy.
    
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    August 17, 2019 8:36am
  - Paulus
    
    Monday start on my CV before hopping off to sort the World out at the UN in New York – need some new shoes too !
    Hope new job interview will be available.
    Not Somalia though as too hot.
    
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    August 17, 2019 8:39am
    - kevn
      
      JA having a moan about having to do a (supposedly) 20 hour day at the latest talkfest.
      A super rare moment.
      Bridges ‘part-time PM’ comment must have got to her. Good.
      
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      August 17, 2019 9:36am
      - peterwn
        
        I have heard that some past Ministers packed in such long hours of meetings, preparation and other work on overseas trips that their accompanying officials were just about worn out.
        
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        August 17, 2019 11:13am
    - Ruahine
      
      She could get to wear her Hijab though. More pictures for Vogue. (Vague)
      
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      August 17, 2019 9:43am
      - sooty
        
        Look out, she’s off to a kindy next week!
        
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        August 17, 2019 10:44am
- cas
  
  I turned the telly on this morning and mistakenly got a televangelist. He reminded me of Jacinda.
  
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  August 17, 2019 9:10am
  - Tall Man
    
    Toothey and vacuous?
    
    Telling lies?
    
    Ah I know, suckering the public for money….
    
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    August 17, 2019 9:48am
- Lizziep
  
  Are you serious Maggie Pie? Did she actually tweet this? Well that just tells us everything doesn’t it?
  
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  August 17, 2019 9:44am
  - Paulus Gnome
    
    l work in sales, sometimes I ‘mis-speak’ even when I don’t have to, just to keep my hand in . . .
    
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    August 17, 2019 10:30am
    - igm
      
      Sooty above says she is going to kindergarten next week. Maybe taking pre-school elocution to improve her enunciation . . . she needs it.
      
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      August 17, 2019 11:09am
  - Martin Williams
    
    Yeah, Maggie. Did she really tweet this?
    
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    August 17, 2019 11:04am
- Rich Prick
  
  How much of our money did she dish out to the Islands this time? These holidays are getting expensive.
  
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  August 17, 2019 10:41am
  - Paulus
    
    She gave Tuvalu some $150,000,000 this time I believe.
    
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    August 17, 2019 1:29pm
- RW Capitalist
  
  If she has that much time on her hands to be bored.
  Maybe she could come and help me.
  Last Monday 10hrs prep and service work.
  Tuesday 18hrs service work and travel to various sites
  Wed 14hrs service work
  Thur 14 hrs service work
  Fri 12 hrs service work and travel
  Too tired to be bored, averaged 5hrs sleep per night (caught up last night).
  JA…you’re just not working hard enough.
  
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  August 17, 2019 2:55pm
mjw

May everyone have an enjoyable weekend!
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August 17, 2019 8:05am
- sooty
  
  We will, she ain’t here!
  
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  August 17, 2019 10:45am
- rightoverlabour
  
  [Nah … ]
  
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  August 17, 2019 11:35am
  - sooty
    
    That’s it you tell stephie!
    
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    August 17, 2019 2:28pm
  - Martin Williams
    
    God, you seem nasty. Why the hell did we let you in?
    
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    August 17, 2019 3:36pm
  - rightoverlabour
    
    Hmm, we have become so precious on this blog. Ah well, freedom of speech was destroyed by every dictatorship in the past, and it looks like we are going the same way…pity. People used to have a sense of humour on this blog, its gone now. Fortunately, alternatives exist that are more tolerant. Bye….
    
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    August 17, 2019 8:22pm
Souvlaki

https://eveningreport.nz/2019/08/15/bryce-edwards-political-roundup-toxic-clash-over-census-stats/
Trotter/Andrew Geddis of Otago ( where else..pffft)…jump the shark…their misinformation tells us they are actually worried by Bridges! What he says about the reliability of the census is TRUE..by my reckoning at least! To call him ” Trumpian” is ridiculous…must be lefts new ” go to” smear!??
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August 17, 2019 8:05am
- Tall Man
  
  “Trumpian” may well backfire for the little snowflakes…….. After all, Trump was elected and looks very ;likely to be re-elected in 2020.
  
  Simon may be happy to be compared to a successful politician whereas ardern, trudeau and macron all look likely to get a DCM sooner rather than later 🙂
  
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  August 17, 2019 9:47am
Maggy Wassilieff

Yet another overseas publication telling us that Brenton Tarrant is an ecofacist.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/aug/15/anti

The article discusses the long and involved connection between ecofacists and Green/Environment movements in the USA.

(There is a similar disturbing history of ecofacism from Europe)
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August 17, 2019 8:08am
- burt
  
  That information is restricted, his manifesto was banned so a different narrative could be constructed and repeated so it becomes our truth. Continuing this spread of actual facts will result in you being sent to a re-education camp.
  
  Cease and desist!
  
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  August 17, 2019 8:37am
- igm
  
  Do we see the same amount of time and effort devoted to every Islamic attack (daily) on innocent people worldwide, or is this unimportant to the left?
  
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  August 17, 2019 8:39am
- tf78
  
  Thanks Maggy, that little trip took over an hour – one thing led to another.
  
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  August 17, 2019 9:44am
cmm

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12259125

Bloody terrible. No doubt this is all colonialism again.
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August 17, 2019 8:08am
- Brian Marshall
  
  And I bet dollars to donuts the perpetrator of this is not a law abiding licensed firearms owner.
  I hope the police get the prick that done that and I don’t care if he’s not alive for a trial.
  
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  August 17, 2019 8:14am
  - secondcumming
    
    And no doubt under the influence of one of China’s most valuable exports into this country.
    
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    August 17, 2019 8:23am
    - Tall Man
      
      Wontons?
      
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      August 17, 2019 9:43am
      - secondcumming
        
        😎
        
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        August 17, 2019 10:18am
    - DigNap15
      
      Middle aged escorts?
      
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      August 17, 2019 11:11am
      - Kiwi Dave
        
        As Tall Man said, wantons.
        
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        August 17, 2019 2:16pm
      - Tall Man
        
        Middle aged is relative….. but “wantons” is a different matter entirely.
        
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        August 17, 2019 6:19pm
- cmm
  
  Name suppression…. of course!
  
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  August 17, 2019 1:27pm
Happychappy

Support for the personal use of cannabis has plummeted with just over 39% of respondents to a new survey saying they will vote yes.https://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=12258491
A growing number of Green Party voters – whoseParty pushed for the referendum- are saying now they’re opposed to the bid to make pot legal.
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August 17, 2019 8:09am
- MrTips
  
  Furthermore, numbers of regular and ever users of cannabis have dropped: https://www.nzma.org.nz/journal/read-the-journal/all-issues/2010-2019/2019/vol-132-no-1500-16-august-2019/7956
  
  More on it here: https://www.otago.ac.nz/news/news/otago716531.html
  
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  August 17, 2019 8:24am
  - sooty
    
    If they don’t introduce roadside drug testing it ain’t going to happen!
    
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    August 17, 2019 10:49am
- cmm
  
  I’m picking that those that want to legalise cannabis don’t want it just taken over by government and legislation.
  
  What they want is to be able to sell dope at farmers’ markets or grow your own – like salad greens.
  
  If weed is only sold via regulated dispensaries etc with massive taxes then it is going to be expensive and that will open up channels for gangs just like with tobacco.
  
  If we use Colorado as a benchmark. A pack of cigarettes costs about US$5.60 and a gram of weed costs around twice that US$10-15.
  
  Assuming NZ was to regulate and tax along similar lines, then we could expect a gram of weed in NZ to cost around twice what a pack of smokes cost – so somewhere north of NZ$50 per gram.
  
  That’s not going to fly when the street price is NZ$10-20 a gram.
  
  So of course the dope smokers would prefer the status quo where it is practically decriminalized and prices are low. Why would they vote for something which is just going to double or triple their weed prices. This makes for higher dope margins and probably increases profitability for gangs.
  
  Dope was already becoming unprofitable for gangs. The new regulation would reinvigorate the industry for criminals.
  
  Only a small fraction of the dope being consumed will end up via dispensary channels. Most of it will be illegal. All the “benefits” of regulating the quality of supply will be lost.
  
  This is a massive government own-goal. Law changes that are supposed to take weed out of the hands of gangs makes the incentives stronger.
  
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  August 17, 2019 11:38am
  - burt
    
    so somewhere north of NZ$50 per gram.
    
    Quoting for a friend 😉
    
    “That’s not the experience I had, I was buying 1/8th bags ( 3.5 grams ) of the highest quality weed for $50USD which works out to about $15-$20 NZD per gram. Note, this weed was better than 95% of any weed I’ve ever purchased in NZ. Lower grade weed was ~$30USD for 3.5 grams bringing the costs down to the lower end of the NZ gang price for general quality available ”
    
    Consider the difference to the country in direct taxes and wages being paid (which are also taxed ) compared to tax free income for people most likely also on benefits.
    
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    August 17, 2019 12:37pm
    - cmm
      
      Dude, yes I know US dope is about the same price as NZ dope.
      
      What I am pointing out is the impact of regulation, government and taxing NZ style.
      
      In Colorado a back of smokes is around USD5.50. In NZ a pack of smokes is USD30. Why? Because it is regulated and the nanny-state uses sin taxing to wag its finger at you and get income.
      
      Of course you can expect the same sort of sin-tax mark up on regulated dope in NZ as you get for tobacco. Thus, expect NZ$50 per gram.
      
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      August 17, 2019 1:13pm
      - burt
        
        I must agree that it’s highly likely the dead hand of the state will take a good idea and turn it into a shit-storm of unintended consequences.
        
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        August 17, 2019 1:25pm
      - cmm
        
        “I must agree that it’s highly likely the dead hand of the state will take a good idea and turn it into a shit-storm of unintended consequences.”
        
        Yup, on the surface if you just read the headlines then it looks like a step in the right direction, but the devil is always in the details.
        
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        August 17, 2019 1:36pm
  - burt
    
    Further quoting for a friend 😉
    
    “Apart from the quality and consistency of the weed, the edibles are the big factor too. Because the market is legal research and development has enabled extracts and concentrates to be produced. These mean people are not smoking the product.
    The price of edibles, and their quality, varies considerably. However I was buying 100 gram blocks of chocolate which are made to break easily into 10 squares each with 10 mg of THC. The block was $25USD and one or two (depending on your mood etc) square(s) was sufficient for an evenings mental masturbation.
    
    Resulting in a dose price of somewhere between $4-$8 NZD. IE: About the price of a single beer. ”
    
    Don’t believe everything the alcohol or pharmaceutical lobby groups tell you.
    
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    August 17, 2019 12:49pm
  - burt
    
    Dope was already becoming unprofitable for gangs.
    
    I think the reality is more that P is more profitable. Note that gang pads have no issues selling P to anyone when they are short on weed. Retail weed outlets would simply close their doors.
    
    Choose carefully in the referendum.
    
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    August 17, 2019 1:07pm
  - burt
    
    cmm
    
    Further to all of that.
    
    If you have children who are either currently teenagers or soon to be teenagers be sure that they will most likely experiment with drugs to some level. Most of us did and my experience with my kids (now in their 20’s) is that today’s youth are no different to us or our parents before us when it comes to reckless and rebellious behaviours.
    
    When you’re off to buy a six pack of beer for your teen to go to a party with, imagine that rather than doing that they are stopping by a gang house to buy some homemade moonshine. The quantity and quality of which is neither controlled or know to them before they consume it.
    
    Choose carefully in the referendum.
    
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    August 17, 2019 1:15pm
- alloytoo
  
  People have started to notice the bait and switch from medicinal to recreational.
  
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  August 17, 2019 12:39pm
  - sooty
    
    With no roadside testing!
    
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    August 17, 2019 2:33pm
artemisia

Over on FYI.org.nz a very frustrated requester has been trying to find out what Wellington City Council has done to mitigate the climate emergency the Council has declared. So far, crickets. It is however slightly amusing and those interested folk who are up for some light reading may like to sign on to the site and ‘follow’ the ever-lengthening request.

https://fyi.org.nz/request/10666-information-about-actions-taken-since-climate-emergency-declared#comment-3025
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August 17, 2019 8:10am
- Paulus Gnome
  
  Brilliant!
  
  Can you imagine the the ‘what!? We have to actually do something!?’ moment!
  
  Priceless!
  
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  August 17, 2019 8:36am
- rangitoto
  
  The best thing would be to shut down the airport. That would also solve the Mt Vic tunnel issues.
  
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  August 17, 2019 8:42am
  - srylands
    
    Yes exactly. You have a council declaring a climate emergency while being a persistent advocate for a ruinously expensive extension of the Wellington runway so more planes can burn more emissions.
    
    The best thing Wellington Council could do for climate change would be to take out ads in Chinese media saying STAY AWAY.
    
    Expensive tokenism is very frustrating. As a small nation we cannot afford it.
    
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    August 17, 2019 8:52am
  - KevO'Brien
    
    There are many ways to the airport. Fortunately the available area for transport means alternative routes like through Houghton Bay are open to the knowing.
    Another tunnel through the hill would find it emptying out into the same overcrowded present road. Even if possible would a massive house clearing to allow more cars be acceptable? Would an elevated second level be possible?
    
    Why haven’t the planners said these things. It’s obvious that hills limit road widths and with that car flows. Wellngton’s hills provide the city arteries where many live. These are moderately steep and definitive. They are not well suited to higher housing densities or traffic engineering.
    
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    August 17, 2019 9:42am
    - Batman
      
      There already is an answer but labour and the Greens and fucking it up.
      
      The NZTA owns the land on either end of Mt Vic tunnel, and is ready to widen Wellington Rd to four or more lanes total capacity through to the airport.
      
      But yet Phil, Julie Anne, and Justin have this fetish for putting light rail through Newtown in order to encourage more urban growth along the route, so they will build a special tunnel by the zoo. The fuckers.
      
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      August 17, 2019 9:59am
      - srylands
        
        I have said it before but I’ll repeat it. It defies any common sense that Wellington transport can be fixed without duplicating the Terrace and Mount Victoria tunnels. And widening the road to the airport to four lanes. Perhaps photos of the Terrace Tunnel tail back on any morning could be used in election ads.
        
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        August 17, 2019 10:17am
      - Batman
        
        Completely agree.
        
        Yeah I think Wellingtonians will be getting a lot of very specific targeted social media ads next year
        
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        August 17, 2019 10:33am
      - KevO'Brien
        
        They might be able to take land from the recreation reserves along Ruahine Street into a hookup with Cobham drive at the Wellington Road junction. Are those living on Ruahine street going to tolerate a 4 lane highway alongside their footpath?
        
        The real problem is the city now has too many road users to function smoothly.
        
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        August 17, 2019 10:37am
      - sooty
        
        Why are they spending money if it’s going to be underwater?
        Don’t they believe it?
        
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        August 17, 2019 10:52am
      - KevO'Brien
        
        I have fantasy’s about aerial cableways to hoist people over the hills. Tunnel boring is a bit expensive.
        
        How much use demand is there for transport to the airport compared to other road use?
        
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        August 17, 2019 12:39pm
      - burt
        
        Is JAG’s partner going to benefit from these decisions? Is JAG’s partners consulting firm specifically mentioned in the secret letter?
        
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        August 17, 2019 2:14pm
- srylands
  
  Apart from expensive tokenism there is nothing that a local council can do to reduce greenhouse emissions.
  
  While it would be difficult, it would be fascinating to analyse the cost of New Zealand climate change policy since 2001 and estimate the cost of reducing one tonne of CO2e. The answer would be billions of dollars for not much.
  
  This is why I get frustrated by the mantra that “New Zealand needs to do our bit”. Well we don’t, not if it is more beneficial to do other things. I would much rather New Zealand announced that it had established a fund to assist Belarus and Ukraine to reduce emissions. It would literally be hundreds of times more cost effective and would deliver a material reduction in emissions.
  
  With all the money saved, we could fix domestic environmental problems like water quality and the scourge of possums and stoats.
  
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  August 17, 2019 8:47am
  - Ruahine
    
    $1.4 billion is what we are signed up to pay to these so-called developing countries with their nuclear weapons et al.
    With that amount of money available and some willing workers from the islands possums and stoats weasels could almost be wiped out. What say you Forest and Bird. Perhaps with all your influence with Sage you could put in a good word for New Zealands Fauna and Flora.
    
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    August 17, 2019 10:04am
    - oldpark
      
      Lest we forget,$1.4 billion is what we have to pay on an annual basis. That is to supplement China,India.
      Most of that Annual levy payment,will come off the backs of the backbone of NZs economy. The farmers.
      Yet far left Green/Labour/ Peters Party are committed to cut back on Farming community and their output,by restricting the number of farts a cow is allowed to expunge.
      Sadly that is just the start of this political madness ,in their race to the bottom,unfortunately taking NZs way of life and economy to third world comparison ,like Venezuela,Somalia,and Nigeria. Just a small example for all of us to compare ,or allow. Go Figure.
      
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      August 17, 2019 12:01pm
    - srylands
      
      That is not correct. Right now no money is being paid to any countries by New Zealand emitters. Because the ETS is now closed to overseas units.
      
      The government has announced that it MAY reopen the scheme to overseas units in 2020. The conditions on that are not known.
      
      The 1.4 billion annually is an estimate of what it could cost to meet New Zealand’s Paris Accord commitments if it is impossible to reduce domestic emissions.
      
      I am not trying to minimise the issue. I’m just saying those payments are not happening yet.
      
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      August 17, 2019 3:58pm
  - rightoverlabour
    
    I am doing my bit. I am chopping down ( dead) trees and putting them in massive piles so I can have a huge bonfire. My only concern is I can’t accurately calculate exactly how much CO2 this will add to the atmosphere. A cleaner, Greener Earth needs more CO2, so that more trees can grow, faster. Anyone know how much CO2 a cubic metre of wood produces? Anyway, if I run out there are a few pesky Kauri in the forest down the road I could nick while no one is watching.
    
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    August 17, 2019 11:44am
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      Anyone know how much CO2 a cubic metre of wood produces?
      
      c. 1350kg
      
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      August 17, 2019 5:12pm
      - rightoverlabour
        
        Thanks Maggy. Do you have the equation for this? I’m not doubting you, but just curious.
        
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        August 17, 2019 5:42pm
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        @right over Labour
        
        Depending on the density of your wood…
        https://www.quora.com/Sustainability-How-much-carbon-dioxide-is-stored-in-1-cubic-meter-of-wood
        
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        August 17, 2019 9:25pm
    - Brian McDonald
      
      Pine would be lower than kauri. More hardness more carbon for timber, just like steel. I think.
      
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      August 17, 2019 9:52pm
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        Quite right..
        Density of softwoods (radiata pine) around 400kg/m3
        
        Density of old-growth kauri – 560kg/m3
        http://www.nzwood.co.nz/forestry-2/kauri/
        
        Density of medium hardwoods (gums) around 600kg/m3
        
        Density of Ebony around 1000kg/m3
        
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        August 17, 2019 10:06pm
- The Feed
  
  This is hilarious.
  
  It’s the achilles heel of the virtue signalling weather loons. They do nothing to curb their comfortable, C02 rich, middle-class lives.
  
  Well, they wanted it – they got it. Stop flying, stop consuming and go live in a cave, climate/weather hypocrites.
  
  Because it’s an emergency. YOU said so.
  
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  August 17, 2019 9:42am
- Old.Mickey.Blue.Eyes
  
  this is great, but if this council act like NZTA, they will respond hiring more PR and spin-monkeys to confuse the idiot voters whom they view as cows to be milked or eaten.
  
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  August 17, 2019 10:35am
Sir Cullen's Sidekick

How about a climate emergency levy of 10% on top of your rates to protect Pacific Islands from going under water in another 6 years?
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August 17, 2019 8:28am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  You mean the islands that are growing larger…
  
  https://www.sciencealert.com/pacific-island-nation-expected-to-sink-is-getting-bigger
  
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  August 17, 2019 8:38am
  - kowtow
    
    Or that their population boom means they relentlessly trash their own environment.
    
    ‘The amount and diversity of junk in the lagoon is astonishing: bicycle wheels, clothing, a treadle sewing machine, an old suitcase. It is the same in Funafuti. Tuvaluans keep their own backyards immaculate, but seem unperturbed by an accumulation of trash on roadsides and in the sea.’
    
    https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/tuvalu/
    
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    August 17, 2019 9:39am
  - Old.Mickey.Blue.Eyes
    
    I recall being at VUW in 1990 and taking an environment course for easy credits and hot-chicks. had to pay some attention to cath Wallace who wheeled in a skinny Shane Jones to lecture, but I digress. I was assured that by 2010 Kiribati would be gone and under water. thought at the time, nah. I’ll eat my hat if that’s the case. guess what, hat still consumed.
    
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    August 17, 2019 10:40am
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      Cath Wallace was at VUW at the same time that I was…
      I think she was doing a PhD in the Economics Dept.
      
      nec minute…. she discovers some folks have been doing a bit of prospecting on her family land in the Coromandel and suddenly she is an “Environmentalist”…
      but I’d never seen her at any Ecology lectures/seminars/fieldtrips, etc.
      
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      August 17, 2019 12:10pm
  - rouppe
    
    The Tuvaluan government is preparing a response to the new study
    
    Do we know if that response has been published?
    
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    August 17, 2019 10:42am
- rangitoto
  
  No no Sir Cullen, it would have to be at least 30% surely.
  
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  August 17, 2019 8:44am
  - Colville
    
    well there will be a lot of business class air travel to pay for… and sausage rolls at meetings!
    
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    August 17, 2019 10:00am
- Lizziep
  
  I wonder if someone can please tell me where all this money is actually going? What difference is being made in saving the islands with this money? How is it making a difference? I am at a loss to know what they are doing that is going to save the Pacific Islands. This is my please explain moment as I really don’t see what all the millions of $ is going to achieve. But I could well be very wrong if someone would just say what they are doing to make the Islands safe.
  
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  August 17, 2019 9:49am
  - kowtow
    
    Swiss bankers would know , but they won’t tell.
    
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    August 17, 2019 12:07pm
- KevO'Brien
  
  Taxes need to be justified.
  Too much tax will collapse an economy.
  Fripperies like climate emergencies are best left to Mayoral relief funds.
  When do the peasants revolt again?
  
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  August 17, 2019 9:51am
  - sooty
    
    At least those in charge will not get shot anymore!
    
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    August 17, 2019 10:55am
- tf78
  
  SCS – the only way the Pacific Islands will go under water is by the weight of the fat cats reaping money from all mugs that keep funding them. What exactly have they achieved with all the billions they have received. They’re nothing but very large never ending welfare recipients. Then they have the audacity to bit the hand of Australia who have given them billions. Time they stood on their own feet and filled some sandbags if they’re that worried.
  
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  August 17, 2019 10:08am
Surely Knott

Deep state – council election candidate lists are now out. And our local board has 3 candidates running (2 on the labour green ticket) that are according to their linkedin status, current Auckland Council employees.
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August 17, 2019 8:43am
- Tall Man
  
  They have seen the “trough” up very close and want a piece of it.
  
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  August 17, 2019 9:41am
- Ruahine
  
  Never let the chance of another trough go by.
  
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  August 17, 2019 10:20am
kowtow

Is it any wonder that stuffed is stuffed and a financial liability.

They push a hateful ,divisive social agenda with a poorly argued case .

Here’s some “indepth” stuff about unrepresentative old white males who run local gubmint.

Nothing about local gubmint issues , like shite being flushed out to sea ,massive rate hikes , roads , parks etc just more identity politics .

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/114930238/the-white-male-middleaged-face-of-local-government

The legacy lamestream media might like to do some self reflection for a change to see why it’s going down the shitter , perhaps there’s too many white , middle class hip youngsters in the business with a massive chip on their shoulder about having been born with a silver spoon in their mouths and whose parents could afford to send them to university, white middle class guilt is a terrible burden to bear……..
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August 17, 2019 8:47am
- Tall Man
  
  One day the little shit “charlie” will be a white middle aged man. Let’s hope that he excuses himself from life at that point to demonstrate his own worthlessness…. Hang on, I think he’s already done that.
  
  I am sick of people complaining about the “mix” of elected officials. Have we “removed” the right for women to vote or do their opinions and preference only count if they choose to vote for women?
  
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  August 17, 2019 9:39am
- Kabull
  
  I fail to understand how the author can implicitly suggest there should be gender and ethnicity quotas for local body elections. The makeup of a council or similar elected body depends entirely on who is prepared to stand, how they are received by the electorate, and how many votes they get. It is not possible in a democracy to artificially determine the makeup of an elected body – unless, of course, special seats are created for each group …
  
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  August 17, 2019 10:03am
  - Steve Todd
    
    You are so right, Kabull.
    
    The last thing we want are councils that are microcosms of their local government areas (LGAs). What we want are councils that are representative of the wishes of the voters, given the candidates available.
    
    Thus, if the voters want 90% men, 10% women, so be it; if they want 90% women, 10% men, so be it. The 50% of each that would be an approximate microcosm of the LGA is irrelevant.
    
    The same should apply to all other features of interest to voters, e.g., political grouping, independents, position on the political spectrum, sex, religious affiliation, positions on the “burning” issues of the day, etc.
    
    And, of course, there is only one electoral system that can give all those who vote, when their votes are taken collectively, what they want – STV in region-, city-, or district-wide contests; or in large multimember wards. (In this regard, for example, it is disappointing to see that Tauranga has adopted STV, but has retained its dual multiple-FPP city-wide / ward structure.)
    
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    August 17, 2019 11:30am
- Surely Knott
  
  The media are spreading the word that it’s our responsibility to vote. But surely our responsibility is to get informed and vote. But Stuff has cut most of their local news and it’s garbage. There has been very little information on what happens in local government, the decisions and performance of the people involved, or the financial implications, their attendance record, their conflicts of interest.. Instead their advice is to not vote for people who are white, old or named John!! FFS!
  
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  August 17, 2019 10:21am
- The King
  
  They stayed away from the anti-White rhetoric for awhile after Tarrant, now they are back at it again.
  
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  August 17, 2019 11:19am
Maggy Wassilieff

Ross Meurant confirmed as a candidate for Mayor – Gisborne District Council.
https://www.gdc.govt.nz/nominations-received-in-2019-elections/
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August 17, 2019 8:49am
- Steve Todd
  
  Yep, and perennial trougher Christine Rankin is confirmed as a mayoral candidate in Taupō.
  
  Also, I note that, while former broadcaster Simon “Swampy” Marsh, who was elected to the Wellington City Council nine years ago on name-recognition alone, is not standing again in October, his addiction to the trough has driven him to stand for the Capital & Coast District Health Board, no doubt hoping to cash in on name-recognition yet again.
  
  His qualifications to sit on that board are not yet apparent to voters.
  
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  August 17, 2019 12:09pm
Maggie Pie

Doctor: “I’m just waiting for your X-Ray”

Blonde: “But I’ve never dated anyone named Ray”
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August 17, 2019 8:50am
kowtow

I know this involves Martyn Bradbury but that’s not the point.

This is an important issue for the rule of law and citizen’s rights and deserves a lot more airing than it’s getting.

‘The step could mark the first time the tribunal accepted secret evidence in a closed hearing against the objections of the person who had brought the prosecution.

Bradbury’s lawyer, Graeme Edgeler, said his client was in an “odd position”.

“Had police actually done a lawful search and found the information that had linked him to Rawshark and prosecuted him, he would be entitled to this information. The reason he’s not, is that he’s innocent,” he said.’

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12258365
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August 17, 2019 8:54am
- Tall Man
  
  It is a tricky situation as part of the “system” requires “intelligence to remain sealed.
  
  Personally I don’t have a problem with what the police did/do here but….. when the evidence is either not clearly identified or the person being investigated is cleared by the evidence, any loss or “cost” should be immediately compensated and the “stench” removed from their reputation.
  
  It would seem that in this case they did nothing after finding nothing.
  
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  August 17, 2019 9:34am
  - kowtow
    
    And the illegal search by the police of his bank records ……..
    
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    August 17, 2019 10:29am
Maggy Wassilieff

For the NZ History Buffs out there..

I’ve just finished reading Jock Phillip’s autobiography: “Making History”

Detailed memory of post-war NZ, the machinations of university politics, and how to survive in Wellington’s Public Service.
http://www.press.auckland.ac.nz/en/browse-books/all-books/books-2019/making-history–a-new-zealand-story.html
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August 17, 2019 8:59am
Steve Todd

Just a reminder, folks.

Early this morning – between midnight and 1:00AM – New Zealand time, marked the 200th anniversary of the Peterloo Massacre, one of the first battles for the vote (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peterloo_Massacre).
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August 17, 2019 9:12am
John Warren

Did John Tamihere jump the shark yesterday with his bridge? Or am I just getting too sceptical in my old age?
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August 17, 2019 9:20am
- secondcumming
  
  Maybe a bit of both 😎
  
  According to JT, his ‘back of the envelope costing’ is 2 billion.
  
  Goof maintains he’s run the numbers, and it’s closer to 10.
  
  Tamihere gets my vote regardless – you’d never have seen him out there abusing and spitting on our returned soldiers.
  
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  August 17, 2019 9:36am
- niggly
  
  In a way it was brilliant … it got Goff really worked up – he was fuming and angry even more than he usually is whenever Tamihere’s name is mentioned!
  
  (Then to cap it off, Goff was complaining about the cost of it …. ironic considering Goff wants several billions of dollars to pay for his trainsets .. which will do nothing for North Shore commuters or those that travel from the city to the North Shore to work)!
  
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  August 17, 2019 9:38am
  - alloytoo
    
    I was chatting to a couple of engineers the other day and they offered that a bridge was a non-starter, a tunnel assembled from precast segments (and emptied of water after assembly was the way to go.
    
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    August 17, 2019 2:05pm
    - niggly
      
      Thanks that’s interesting – is it a non-starter from a technical perspective or perhaps because of the likes of the RMA etc (or just more expensive compared to tunnel options)?
      
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      August 17, 2019 2:34pm
Colville

Tonight should be a cracker with a fired up All Blacks looking to restore some pride.
First time I have been looking forward to a game in ages.
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August 17, 2019 9:33am
- Brian McDonald
  
  Yep, reading down the page to look for some comment about the rugby – must be a lack of kiwis today. Have been looking forward to it since last Saturday night. Some commentators reflected Barrett would go back to 1st 5. I think that would have indicated panic and shag does not panic. I like the change of the wings but overall we got no front foot ball and the problem with that is up front, not in the back line. I hope to see them with some time. I’m a fan of Bridges and Sevu Reeve has looked like a bolter all year. Lienhart Brown was a stand out in a losing team so as the coaches use to say ‘feed the backs.’
  
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  August 17, 2019 11:07am
  - Colville
    
    I will be happy if we keep all 15 men on the park for 80 minutes!
    
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    August 17, 2019 1:29pm
    - Colville
      
      We didn’t… But it wasn’t tooooo bad.!
      
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      August 17, 2019 10:30pm
kowtow

Will the legacy lame stream media give the same amount of coverage to the “manhunt” for the alleged killer of the Ozzie tourist near Raglan as they did to the two Canadian losers………
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August 17, 2019 9:41am
- Colville
  
  the saturation coverage of the Canadian dorks was easy …. just copy/paste. No actual work required.
  
  For them to publish a piece on the POS from Raglan they would need to write it…and that would involve work. That is a four letter word.
  
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  August 17, 2019 10:06am
  - Rocky Jnr
    
    The POS has been arrested. I have nothing but total admiration and respect for dedicated and hard working Police in NZ.
    
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    August 17, 2019 10:30am
    - kowtow
      
      NB
      My remark directed at media , no one else.
      
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      August 17, 2019 10:51am
    - sooty
      
      Going by the story released we would all think it’s a dark skinned local?
      
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      August 17, 2019 11:00am
      - MCos
        
        Unlikely to be Mark Lundy, is it
        
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        August 17, 2019 2:54pm
- stephieboy
  
  kowtow, rest asssured an arrest has been made of the Raglan killer.
  
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  August 17, 2019 10:12am
  - secondcumming
    
    Ethnicity?
    
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    August 17, 2019 10:28am
    - stephieboy
      
      Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
      Relevancy?
      
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      August 17, 2019 10:43am
      - secondcumming
        
        Just hoping it wasn’t someone I may have boarded with at Kings College – that’s all.
        
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        August 17, 2019 11:07am
      - rightoverlabour
        
        As in the relevance debate or just generally? Actually everything is relevant to someone, somewhere. If it’s not relevant to something, or someone, it probably doesn’t exist.
        
        9 0
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        August 17, 2019 11:52am
    - chaos
      
      Likely labour supporter
      
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      August 17, 2019 11:51am
  - Ruahine
    
    The Police have announced that they have made an arrest and a man has been charged with murder.
    This means that he is the alleged killer. I do not believe there has yet been a trial.
    
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    August 17, 2019 10:33am
- The King
  
  No because the killer is brown, they didn’t even give a description of him which is terrible political policing.
  
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  August 17, 2019 11:20am
  - Paulus Gnome
    
    Watch the media work itself into a contortion that boiled spaghetti would be proud to own in trying to get ‘white supremacist’ into their to camera piece
    
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    August 17, 2019 4:16pm
- CJames
  
  Without knowing any details of the offender, what is the likelihood that he is Maori, got gang association and a drug problem, and does not have a firearms license? He will also have previous convictions for which he got lenient sentences. These type of cases are becoming all too predictable. But they are swept under the carpet.
  
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  August 17, 2019 12:10pm
  - MCos
    
    As apposed to Tarrant, who was none of these things.
    Maybe neither of these unfortunate events would have happened if what is known about these people now had been acted on beforehand.
    
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    August 17, 2019 3:13pm
lastmanstanding

A message to all those SJW Climate Change Hoaxers.

When you get your carbon footprint down to even a multiple of mine then I might stop treating you with the contempt you so richly deserve.

Until then Morons you can FOXTROT OSCAR.
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August 17, 2019 9:51am
Tall Man

https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/early-edition/audio/peter-fitzsimons-former-wallaby-takes-aim-at-sad-declining-all-blacks/

So says an idiot who wears a funny hat and believes in the climate hoax….

Even old and slightly weathered, Read and Whitelock still have more balls than petey will ever have.
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August 17, 2019 9:58am
- MrTips
  
  Fitzsimons was a shit lock and agressive prick on the pitch, so much so that Campese blasted him publicly. And now he’s just an follicly challenged, bandana wearing, metrosexual throwpillow, opinionated wanker who thinks the world should pay attention to his proctological rantings.
  
  His opinions are unhinged.
  
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  August 17, 2019 12:32pm
  - Tony Stuart
    
    Playing against the All Blacks in a midweek game in the late 1980’s, Fitzsimons went onto the field with the intention of getting sent off, and succeeded.
    
    He’s also an inveterate leftie, who thinks everyone is wrong, except him.
    
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    August 17, 2019 12:42pm
  - Swifty
    
    What’s with those bandanas he wears?
    
    They look stupid on him.
    
    10 2
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    August 17, 2019 1:26pm
    - Tall Man
      
      Actually, he looks stupid under them.
      
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      August 17, 2019 6:21pm
  - RightFirstTime
    
    Listening to him spout off about anything makes you think that a little bit of Fitzsimons goes a long way…..
    
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    August 17, 2019 7:34pm
Kabull

Peta Credlin tells it like it is. It would be so good if we had a couple of mainstream commentators like her and Alan Jones. Just saying …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEVmGL3neWo
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August 17, 2019 9:59am
- stephieboy
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  Alan Jones who has been sussefully sued multiole times and caught doing a decent act in London.
  
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Jones_(radio_broadcaster)
  
  Any sane politician would ignore the tosser and fake like Jacinda has!
  
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  August 17, 2019 10:14am
  - pentwig
    
    as we do you steffie
    LOL
    
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    August 17, 2019 10:48am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Oh no…
    caught doing a decent act in London.
    
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    August 17, 2019 10:54am
    - Swifty
      
      He’s started early…..hic!
      
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      August 17, 2019 11:02am
    - Biscuit
      
      I lived and worked two years in London and was caught doing ‘decent’ acts on many an occasion.
      
      Stephieboy will be on my case…
      
      Still, at least it’ll get him of your one, Maggy!
      
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      August 17, 2019 11:05am
    - chaos
      
      Well it can only be a decent act, because Stephie typically supports those doing indecent acts. Especially if they are democrats or labour.
      
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      August 17, 2019 11:50am
  - secondcumming
    
    You should be very very careful there stephieboy…..AJ can be quite litigious.
    He was never ‘caught’ doing anything [unlike yourself 😎 ]
    
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    August 17, 2019 11:19am
  - Ruahine
    
    I have been caught doing a decent act many times but not in London.
    
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    August 17, 2019 11:41am
  - chaos
    
    Of course if you learned to read the links you post you would see those charges were dropped. Unlike the charges against the labour camp sexually abuser, and we can only hope that the rapist and sexual abuser on the 9th floor is also charged without labour covering it up or sending him to London where other Labour Party sexual abusers seem to go.
    
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    August 17, 2019 11:45am
  - Jack5
    
    Careful, Stephie. The report you link to says charges against Jones were dropped.
    
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    August 17, 2019 12:25pm
    - kowtow
      
      ‘Jones was arrested and taken to the Mayfair station, where he was charged with “outraging public decency” and “committing an indecent act”. It is only fair to point out that prosecuting authorities were ultimately unprepared to present any evidence to support the charges.’
      
      From a hit piece in the smh.
      
      So they ONE’d ? My interpretation of that is he could have been stitched up by the Met. Something not beyond the bounds of possibility back in the day . Cops chasing figures see single male , ‘flamboyantly’ dressed going into public toilet . Very easy to accuse of having a wank or whatever , very hard to disprove.
      But when the defence say they’ll fight , the prosecution should put up or shut up .
      It’s disgusting that political foes or left wing hacks would keep bringing up such a slur.
      
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      August 17, 2019 1:57pm
- Ruahine
  
  In my view Peta Credlin is Australia N0. 1 television broadcaster. Her delivery is superb. Clear concise sentences, reasoned and factually accurate within the topic being spoken about.
  
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  August 17, 2019 10:30am
  - RightFirstTime
    
    Sounds like Australia’s version of Paddy Gower (except that Peta’s a bit easier on the eye).
    
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    August 17, 2019 7:38pm
Humble Capitalist

A virtue signally hypocite idiot has stopped selling tarakihi in his Christchurch fish and chip shop because of concerns about species sustainability. Says that all fish should be caught on long line for sustainability.The ignorant MSM article states that this holier than thou operator buys his fish only from Westfleet Seafoods Who catch it on longlines. This is incorrect as this company mostly trawl catches you hypocrites! So why doesnt he shut his shop if hes that passionate. Also the industry has taken big cuts in allowable catch working with MPI. Cripes im getting sick of these stunning hypocrites and the MSM enablers
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August 17, 2019 10:02am
- Maggie Pie
  
  @ HC
  
  When I just showed my partner this he said, “Someone should also remind the dopey bastard about what happened in Ireland in 1845 and then see how his business goes”
  
  LOL!!
  
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  August 17, 2019 10:14am
  - Humble Capitalist
    
    Just another industry they want to destroy Maggie. The industry is taking the necessary cuts. All fair enough and the reason why we have one of the best managed fisheries in the world. There will be job losses from this however that is an unreported fact!
    
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    August 17, 2019 11:00am
- stephieboy
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  Humble Capitlaist, three of their five Greymouth fllet use long lines so the fish n chip shop owner appears correct in that regard,
  
  https://westfleet.co.nz/our-story/our-fleet/
  
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  August 17, 2019 10:32am
  - Humble Capitalist
    
    Yeah their biggest boats by volume Stephie are called the Galatea and Tasman Viking which are big trawlers. The overwhelming majority of their fish in caught by trawl method. Please try to get your FACTS right before ever responding with your usual ignorance. I KNOW a lot about the fishing industry. Please dont comment on something you obviously know jacksh*t about (again)
    If this guy was serious about his holier than thou stance he wouldnt deal with Westfleet at also catch a lot of Orange Roughy.
    PS The Tarakihi stock that is being reduced in allowable catch is EAST COAST fish. Westfleet catches on the WEST COAST.
    MSM and Stephieboy when you scratch beneath the surface once again YOU are TOTALLY WRONG and misrepresenting/damaging an entire industry that is working with government to continue being a world leader
    
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    August 17, 2019 2:35pm
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Oh Grief,
  what is going to happen when the virtue signallers discover that the First Fisherman kills and eats highly intelligent, beautiful fish like Kingis.
  https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12222304?
  
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  August 17, 2019 11:57am
JibberJabber

Voter ID, the real bigotry revealed…
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=458220101395084
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August 17, 2019 10:25am
- stephieboy
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  JibberJabber,
  
  I see Sarah Pallin likes Prager U’s fb page.
  
  Interesting.
  
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  August 17, 2019 10:37am
  - Captain Mainwaring
    
    Who is Sarah Pallin?
    I have heard of someone called Sarah Palin though.
    
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    August 17, 2019 11:11am
    - Tall Man
      
      Maybe “pallindrone”…. was on her mind…
      
      Mind, silly me.
      
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      August 17, 2019 1:28pm
  - JibberJabber
    
    What`s your point?
    Oh, I see it`s like your life, you don`t have one.
    
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    August 17, 2019 11:22am
- tf78
  
  JJ – that was great – the whities must have all been democrats.
  
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  August 17, 2019 10:54am
Kabull

There was a recent post about the death of Dr David Kear, and his dissenting views on climate change. I have tracked a copy of his 2013 paper, which is worth reading. Being by a New Zealander who was involved in international climate discussions in the early days of the nascent hysteria, and one who found the arguments scientifically flawed, Kear has produced a valuable challenge to the alarmists. Yet, as is usual with views the ‘system’ doesn’t want exposed, his paper has had very little attention. I doubt any of the MSM ‘expert journalists’ have read it.
I commend Kear’s views to all KBrs.

https://www.nzcpr.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Global-Warming-Dr-David-Kear.pdf

Kear ends his discussion with this:

The widespread obsession with Global-Warming-Climate-Change, in opposition to all factual evidence, is quite incredible. It leads to unfair treatment of some citizens, and a massive bill for all, for nothing useful. When will citizens revolt effectively against such callous disregard for their observations and wishes, by those who are essentially their elected employees? When will the perpetrators examine the basis of their ideology, and realise that it’s based on unfounded unscientific beliefs, not on confirmed, widely-available investigations by real scientists who abide by the moral standards of their profession?
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August 17, 2019 10:33am
- kowtow
  
  When ?
  
  The problem is the legacy lame stream media is now making a virtue of pupils and other children fear mongering over the future .
  
  The activist / media project fear will win every time as most politicians don’t have the balls to stand up to it, so go along and pass more and more laws to entrench this non sense.
  
  ‘Environmental lobby groups such as Greenpeace picked up the idea of low-lying islands going the way of Atlantis and placed the issue of sea-level rise on the media agenda. Journalists latched on to Tuvalu as the environmental hard-luck story of the new millennium. In no time, the world’s fourth-smallest nation became a poster child for greenhouse annihilation.’
  
  https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/tuvalu/
  
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  August 17, 2019 11:25am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  I remember reading somewhere that Dr Wayne Mapp when he was Minister of Science, and when the NIWA Temperature Record was under serious question, refused to meet with Dr Kear to hear of his concerns with the quality of climate science coming out of NIWA.
  
  (https://www.stuff.co.nz/science/111582848/david-kear-helped-nz-think-big-on-energy-reserves-and-science)
  
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  August 17, 2019 11:44am
  - stephieboy
    
    MW, can you source your claim where Wayne Mapp refused to meet Dr Kear?
    
    A search yielded nothing.
    
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    August 17, 2019 11:52am
    - niggly
      
      What part of “I remember reading somewhere” don’t you understand? If Maggy had remembered she would have provided the link (and no doubt she tried to search for it).
      
      I have noticed (over many years here) that Maggy doesn’t make things up, is factual, is truthful (and doesn’t even exaggerate – unlike me at times hehe) and I have nothing but respect for Maggy’s contributions to this blogsite.
      
      I suggest if you want an answer to your question why don’t you do write a comment asking (regular KB commentator) Wayne Mapp to respond?
      
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      August 17, 2019 12:37pm
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      Ah yes,
      
      I have had a rethink and it wasn’t Dr David Kear or The Hon Wayne Mapp…
      
      It was another stalwart of NZ Science – Dr Vincent Gray (1st Head of Building Research Association NZ, and Chief Chemist – NZ Coal Research Association)
      and the Hon Nick Smith.
      
      I well remember him well in his eighties catching either the train or the bus to the beehive for a meeting at night at my request at which NIWA representatives were to present their argument for catastrophic warming. To my disgust Nick Smith denied Dr Gray entry.
      
      He was far more polite than I should have been.
      
      What sort of science is scared of a sceptic?
      
      Rodney Hide
      https://www.climateconversation.org.nz/2018/06/dr-vincent-gray/
      
      https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/105746754/mary-and-vincent-gray–couple-die-15-days-apart
      
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      August 17, 2019 2:36pm
- niggly
  
  Thanks for the link, very interesting reading – including this piece relating to NZ, which blasts the GW/CC BS out of the water.
  
  Global Warming Dawns Subsequently, I attended many international science conferences representing DSIR, NZ or Pacific Nations. I noted the words “Global
  Warming” appearing increasingly in paper titles, and sensed a growing number of adherents. Those latter arranged a first-ever “Conference on Global Warming” in Vienna in 1985. Unlike most such meetings, where a communiqué summarising
  achievements was released on the final day, the full results of this one were delayed for over 2 years.
  
  When they did appear (front page, NZ Herald, two days before Christmas 1987) a World Declaration included “Overseas scientists have estimated that the seas around New Zealand will rise by up to 1.4 m in the next 40 years”. That article concentrated on the massive consequent problems, caused by our carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions,
  but gave no adequate supporting science. That rate of rise was equivalent to 3,500 mm/century, 28 times faster than our 125. Hence we stupidly ignored it, thinking noone could possibly believe it. But the World did believe, and the Global Warming mirage was born. Had 3,500 been true, sea level should have risen by almost 1 m by today – it hasn’t, not even closely.
  
  This showed unambiguously that those “Overseas Scientists” were not true scientists. They ignored a most important basic rule of true science “Thou shall not publish Science without first checking it. A check against local tide gauges would have shown how wrong 1.4 m in 40 yrs was; they simply hadn’t bothered to check. That was a First Grave Error.
  
  Well 40 years from 1987 will be 2027, which is only 8 years away and as the author says sea level change has not increased anything like the fraudulent GW/CC Cultists were saying it would!
  
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  August 17, 2019 12:09pm
  - niggly
    
    Ooops the 40 years in which NZ sea levels would rise “alarmingly” was meant to have been from 1985 to 2025 which is only 6 years away then …
    
    (Let’s hope the idiotic Greens and Jacinda don’t hear of this otherwise they will start claiming NZ only has 6 years to prevent catastrophic sea level rise … bwhahahaha stupid muppets)!
    
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    August 17, 2019 12:28pm
    - alloytoo
      
      Perhaps we should be dragging out these stupid predictions ask the minister’s for the environment what the hell they are doing about it.
      
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      August 17, 2019 1:04pm
      - niggly
        
        “What the hell are they doing about it”?
        
        Easy … why do something practical when they can be fueling up the 757’s themselves and jetting off to Geneva to attend a climate change emergency talk fest …. then once that’s over Jacinda and James will fly over to France and see what Macron thinks … then once that’s over Jacinda will fly to the Pacific with suitcases full of cash and hand it out …. then once that’s over a quick stop off in NZ for a well deserved holiday (after all once gets quite tired saving the world) … then once that’s over it’s rinse and repeat, back to Geneva, Paris, then perhaps Brazil then Kyoto then Canada to discuss air pollution with Justin and then back to the Pacific with brand new suitcases full of cash (and maybe time for a quick stopover in NZ to brief PM Winston before jetting over to NY and addressing the UN), then jetting off to a third-world country to do a “saving the planet” photo-shoot for Vogue magazine????!!!!!!
        
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        August 17, 2019 2:19pm
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        Just like the pointless publicity exercise involving Greta Thunberg.
        
        https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2019/08/16/crew-of-five-are-flying-to-new-york-to-bring-gretas-boat-back/
        
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        August 17, 2019 4:19pm
- KevO'Brien
  
  Thanks for the reference.
  Where are our Dr David Kear’s now?
  
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  August 17, 2019 7:58pm
Hugh Pavletich

… LOOMING DEBT TO INCOME LIMITS ON MORTGAGES ? …

Finance Minister Grant Robertson now tight-lipped on whether the RBNZ should be able to limit bank lending based on borrowers’ incomes, having previously opposed such restrictions … Jenee Tibshraeny … Interest Co NZ

https://www.interest.co.nz/banking/101220/finance-minister-grant-robertson-now-tight-lipped-whether-rbnz-should-be-able-limit

Finance Minister Grant Robertson won’t say whether he’s keen on the Reserve Bank (RBNZ) having the power to regulate banks’ lending with debt-to-income (DTI) restrictions.

As a part of the second phase of the Reserve Bank Act review, Treasury is consulting on whether a DTI tool should be added to the banking regulator’s macro-prudential toolkit.

While Robertson has in the past expressed his opposition to DTIs for first-home-buyers at least, he’s now tight-lipped on the matter.

“The RBNZ is considering the use of macro-prudential tools and it is too early to say what its thinking is on the matter,” he told interest.co.nz.

“In any case any decisions made about the use of those tools would be a matter for the RBNZ.” … read more via hyperlink above …
.
.
Recession threat to new home buyers’ mortgage rates … Rob Stock … Stuff NZ

https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/115048596/recession-threat-to-new-home-buyers-mortgage-rates
.
.
… Following the 2007 event the Central Bank of Irelanf generally capped mortgage lending to 3.5 times gross annual household incomes …

Mortgage Measures – Central Bank of Ireland

https://www.centralbank.ie/financial-system/financial-stability/macro-prudential-policy/mortgage-measures
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August 17, 2019 10:38am
- sooty
  
  I have an idea, why don’t Hugh and stephie change places for a week!
  
  10 4
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  August 17, 2019 11:04am
  - Tall Man
    
    I’d prefer they just went away….. anywhere but here and take the idiot rape defender psycho with them.
    
    12 3
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    August 17, 2019 1:24pm
    - Hugh Pavletich
      
      … NEW RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT REVVED UP BIG TIME NEXT WEEK BY GOVERNMENT …
      
      Councils, govt, mana whenua agree on Auckland-Hamilton development | RNZ News
      
      https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/396809/councils-govt-mana-whenua-agree-on-auckland-hamilton-development
      
      New Zealand’s first urban growth agreement between central government, local councils and mana whenua has been signed to manage development in the area between the country’s two fastest-growing cities, Hamilton and Auckland. … read more via hyperlink above …
      .
      .
      Awaiting major urban development announcements from Minister Phil Twyford this coming week … dealing head on with urban limits abolition / land supply and proper debt financing of infrastructure.
      .
      .
      Check out too Environment Minister Parkers recent RMA announcement. Massive changes ahead.
      
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      August 17, 2019 2:28pm
    - sooty
      
      Strange, MMA has been missing.
      
      9 1
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      August 17, 2019 2:42pm
  - Paulus Gnome
    
    Good idea! What do the two lucky stop go men in Timbuktu think about this swop?
    
    5 1
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    August 17, 2019 4:28pm
    - Hugh Pavletich
      
      NEW ZEALAND … Kiwis supporting more affordable cruise holidays big time … as they demand more affordable housing too in ‘the flight to affordability’ … refer 2019 Section http://www.PerformanceUrbanPlanning.org …
      
      … Further reasons why New Zealand must urgently deal with its land use regulatory environment (abolish urban limits / increase land supply and properly debt finance infrastructure) … so that much more competitive property markets are allowed to evolve and visitors and tourists get better value for money … like the inspirational and dynamic customer focused cruise industry …
      
      Cruise ship numbers and spend swell … Statistics New Zealand
      h/t Interest Co NZ
      
      https://www.stats.govt.nz/news/cruise-ship-numbers-and-spend-swell
      
      Cruise ship spending is going full steam ahead, swelling 28 percent to $570 million in the year ended June 2019, Stats NZ said today.
      
      The $125.2 million lift in annual cruise spending reflected a surge in the number of cruise voyages, port calls, and passengers. This followed an 11 percent increase for the June 2018 year.
      
      “Cruise ship spending has risen every year since 2015, but the annual increase in the latest 12 months is the biggest in both dollar and percentage terms,” national accounts senior manager Gary Dunnet said. … read more via hyperlink above …
      
      Bumper cruise ship season nears as other tourist sectors slow … Grant Bradley … New Zealand Herald (behind paywall)
      
      https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12257887
      
      The tourism boom is over, prepare for visitor numbers to flatline … Amanda Cropp … Stuff NZ
      
      https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/114639609/the-tourism-boom-is-over-prepare-for-visitor-numbers-to-flatline
      
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      August 17, 2019 5:39pm
- KevO'Brien
  
  Too many big words.
  
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  August 17, 2019 7:27pm
Jack5

Is the whole Western world on an LSD trip?

A draft plan to introduce “ethnic studies” in California public schools, a subject which a state politicians wants to be compulsory for graduation, is becoming so entangled that, with a bit of luck, it could choke itself.

The New York Times reports on the planned studies, which would ask students to “critique empire and its relationship to white supremacy, racism, patriarchy, cisheteropatriarchy, capitalism, ableism, anthropocentrism and other forms of power and oppression.”

A goal, the draft states, is to “connect ourselves to past and contemporary resistance movements that struggle for social justice.”

After a release of a draft of the materials in June, Jewish organisations have complained anti-Semitism isn’t an “area of emphasis”, and Armenian, Greek, Hindu, and Korean oranisations have joined it in calling for changes in them to cover their ethnicities.

The Jewish group takes exception to one lesson plan including a hip-hop artist rapping in Arabic: “ “For every free political prisoner, an Israeli colony is expanded. For each greeting, a thousand houses were demolished. ”

A Democrat member of the California State Assembly has introduced a bill to make the ethnic studies a requirement for school graduation, but now wants introduction slowed down to make them more inclusive – that is, to cover more minorities.

For those, who, like me, hadn’t struck it before, the term “cisheteropatriarchy” is defined this way on an internet site:

Cisheteropatriarchy, noun. “A system of power based on the supremacy and dominance of cisheterosexual men through the exploitation and oppression of women and the LGBTQIA.”

LGBTQIA = Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex and Asexual.

Anthropocentrism = Regarding humans as the central element of the universe.
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August 17, 2019 10:49am
- Rodney Randall
  
  Sounds more like a delirius Datura (Brugmansia) trip, than an LSD25 (‘expansion’ of the mind) awakening.
  
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  August 17, 2019 11:31am
- RiP NZ
  
  Jack 5 –
  Cisheteropatriarchy – the lunacy seems to know no bounds or limitations.
  Very difficult to reason when all perspective and sanity is seemingly lost.
  I despair .
  
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  August 17, 2019 12:08pm
  - KevO'Brien
    
    Cisheteropatriarchy ?
    Can we have that in Te Reo please.
    
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    August 17, 2019 7:24pm
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      Kaumatua
      
      3 1
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      August 17, 2019 9:20pm
- SGA
  
  “critique empire and its relationship to white supremacy, racism, patriarchy, cisheteropatriarchy, capitalism, ableism, anthropocentrism and other forms of power and oppression.”
  
  What? No use of the word “hegemony”? Odd.
  
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  August 17, 2019 1:02pm
skyblue

We are now having a manufacturing crisis. Driving down Bush Rd in Albany i was amazed how many For Lease signs were up. Its like 2008 all over again.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1908/S00466/nz-dollar-withstands-poor-manufacturing-data.htm
I wonder if Robertson, Peters and Parker will be as vocal about this manufacturing crisis like they were in 2014. The silence will be deafening.
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August 17, 2019 11:38am
- chaos
  
  Question is will the books be as bad as when Clark left or worse, when Lange left.
  
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  August 17, 2019 12:47pm
stephieboy

I see that the US President wants to buy Greenland from the owners, Denmark,

https://www.livescience.com/why-trump-wants-to-buy-greenland.html

Any prospective co-investors here?
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August 17, 2019 11:46am
- chaos
  
  I see you don’t understand what humour is. Strange how when this story first came out it even mentioned he was joking, not serious, now the leftie twits have pushed it removing that to the gullible fools who believe anything anti trump
  
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  August 17, 2019 12:46pm
- rangitoto
  
  If there are large coal deposits it could be a good investment.
  
  10 0
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  August 17, 2019 12:49pm
- alloytoo
  
  I hear it’s very green when the climate changes.
  
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  August 17, 2019 1:08pm
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Might be why the Vikings named it Grœnland and settled there between 985-1500A.D.
    
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    August 17, 2019 2:41pm
    - sooty
      
      Oh, no. Clobal cooling!
      
      10 0
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      August 17, 2019 2:44pm
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        Yep, the place regularly warms up & cools down….a bit like the rest of our planet.
        
        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Greenland#/media/File:Grtemp.png
        
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        August 17, 2019 2:51pm
      - sooty
        
        Would that be like summer and winter?
        
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        August 17, 2019 9:40pm
  - Kabull
    
    Maybe ‘global warming’ will return it to it’s medieval climate. “… between 800 and 1300, the regions around the fjords of southern Greenland experienced a relatively mild climate several degrees Celsius higher than usual in the North Atlantic, with trees and herbaceous plants growing, and livestock being farmed. Barley was grown as a crop up to the 70th parallel.”
    “…The Norse established settlements along Greenland’s fjords. Excavations have shown that the fjords at that time were surrounded by forests of 4- to 6-metre tall birch trees and by hills covered with grass and willow brush.”
    
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    August 17, 2019 2:53pm
    - KevO'Brien
      
      There are capable scientists too who believe there is evidence that we have entered a long term cooling phase. The sun is implicated as having a bit to do with our climate by the solar wind it throws out. That wind interfere with our atmosphere at the top levels and creates clouds. When the sun changes its mind from time we don’t get the same cloud cover and things go nuts below.
      
      Is there any better explanation? It is well proven that the CO2 levels increase 800 years after temperatures increase so humans are getting a bad rap. The AGW is back the front.
      
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      August 17, 2019 7:21pm
Wired-one

https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/115059814/election-2020-is-going-to-be-a-huge-mess

I have made a few scathing comments regarding our country’s medias inability to criticize their darling Jacinda or hold this government to account for any of their failed policies. I highly doubt they will get through, even though I have ensured that I have follower Stuffs commenting guidelines.

Poverty worse, inequality worse, homelessness worse, hardship grants worse, elective surgery numbers down and waiting times up, no reduction in emissions, more taxes, more food parcel requirements, a halt in infrastructure spending, incompetent ministers, incompetent and MIA PM

Please NZ, wake up!
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August 17, 2019 11:48am
Wired-one

Shane Jones is now backtracking on his pledge to create 10,000 jobs with his provincial growth fund, he’s now saying it is around the 1000 mark. And many of those are temporary contractors ffs.

Also of the 1,000,000,000 trees promised, Jones has said we have planted 110,000,000 of which 30,000,000 were funded by government…so only 970,000,000 to go then Shane, you incompetent twat! And the majority of them are not even native…
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August 17, 2019 11:59am
- rangitoto
  
  How many would have been planted anyway?
  
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  August 17, 2019 12:50pm
  - Tall Man
    
    All of them.
    
    8 0
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    August 17, 2019 1:20pm
- DigNap15
  
  They planted hundreds of thousands of trees in India about 2 weeks ago.
  Shane, send every neet, priisoner and gang member out there.
  And pay them a fair amount per tree.
  We can do this!
  
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  August 17, 2019 4:24pm
- mandk
  
  Wow! 1,000 jobs using a $3 billion fund.
  
  The “First Citizen of the Regions” really knows how to piss money away.
  
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  August 17, 2019 4:37pm
Biscuit

Jack5, I’m gonna form QWATMA:

Quit
With
All
Those
Multi-Lettered
Acronyms
8 1
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August 17, 2019 12:09pm
Swifty

See you later Wyatt.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QPBMyP8uFo
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August 17, 2019 12:14pm
stephieboy

An entirely predictable outcome,

Official autopsy concludes Epstein death’s was suicide by hanging

NEW YORK (Reuters) – New York City’s chief medical examiner determined on Friday that suicide by hanging was the cause of death for financier Jeffrey Epstein, whose body was found six days ago in a Manhattan jail cell while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

The sparely worded official announcement detailing the autopsy conclusions rebutted a host of conspiracy theories – including one promoted by President Donald Trump – that had circulated on social media about the death of the well-connected former money manager.

Epstein, 66, was found unresponsive on Saturday in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC), triggering investigations into the circumstances of his death. He was arrested on July 6 and pleaded not guilty to federal charges of sex trafficking involving dozens of underage girls as young as 14.

Chief Medical Examiner Barbara Sampson said her determination of the cause of death came after a “careful review of all investigative information, including complete autopsy findings.”

“Cause: Hanging. Manner: Suicide,” the statement said, without providing supporting details for Sampson’s findings.

https://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFKCN1V61Y1
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August 17, 2019 12:15pm
- rangitoto
  
  Have they caught the perp yet?
  
  16 1
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  August 17, 2019 12:50pm
  - chaos
    
    Apparently some guy over 6ft tall hung himself on a bunk bed…….
    
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    August 17, 2019 3:16pm
    - Steve Todd
      
      While the circumstances surrounding Epstein’s suicide remain the subject of conjecture, I think we can be pretty sure that suicide is what it was.
      
      Mick Jagger’s girlfriend, L’Wren Scott, was 6’ 3”. From memory, she hanged herself from a window latch in her apartment. Presumably, when her survival instinct kicked in (at which point she surely could simply have lowered her legs to the floor) she somehow managed to override it.
      
      From the Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2014/jun/22/lwren-scott-mysterious-suicide-of-mick-jaggers-girlfriend)—
      
      “So it seems odd that Scott would choose such a brutal way to end her life. Odd, too, that she would text her assistant, Brittany Penebre, at 8.30 on the morning of her death, asking her to come round. It was Monday 17 March and by the time Penebre got to the apartment at 10am, Scott was dead. She was found fully clothed, her 6ft 3in frame slumped on the floor, having hanged herself with a black silk scarf. Penebre called for an ambulance, but the paramedics were unable to do anything. […].”
      
      And from Psychology Today (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/201411/death-design)—
      
      “Scott hanged herself with a black satin scarf and tie wound tightly around her neck. Her assistant, whom she had called earlier and asked to come over around 10 a.m., found her slumped on the floor. Although some friends believe that her suicide was an impulsive act, psychiatrist Harold Koplewicz, president of the Child Mind Institute in New York City, disputes that possibility.
      
      “‘Without a plan it doesn’t work,’ he says. ‘Those who are most successful have planned it out. With hanging you need a rope, not a string. You really have to think about that in advance.’”
      
      (See https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/201411/death-design.)
      
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      August 17, 2019 5:40pm
      - chaos
        
        I bet she was wasn’t in a jail, with security cameras on her 24 7that suddenly malfunction with a prisoner that had previously tried to “commit suicide” meaning they should of only been given paper sheets to sleep with
        
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        August 17, 2019 8:59pm
- Fletch
  
  Not buying it. He was on suicide watch but had been taken off. All the cameras were pointed away from his cell. Guards were supposed to be checking on him, but didn’t. He was supposed to be wearing a suicide-proof jacket, but wasn’t. He was supposed to have a cellmate – he did, but the cellmate was transferred just a few hours before. All coincidences, right?
  
  If you believe nothing dodgy went down then I have a bridge to sell you.
  
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  August 17, 2019 3:54pm
RightNow

I got stopped on the street yesterday by a man and a woman asking for help to catch the ferry to see a sick relative. I said there must be a government department to help them, and they said WINZ had already turned them down.
I was close to giving them money but remembered how much I paid in taxes and if the kind and caring government had turned them down then it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to second guess them.
So I said sorry, and wished them good luck.
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August 17, 2019 12:32pm
Tony Stuart

Kudos to Simon Bridges for putting this case, which he prosecuted during his years as a Crown Prosecutor, out into the public domain:

The early release of double murderer Jason Reihana without telling his victims’ families is an appalling breach of victims’ rights and shows Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis has lost control of his department, Leader of the Opposition Simon Bridges says.

“Jason Reihana carried out what can only be described as the brutal and heartless murders of the mother of his children and her new partner. I know how terrible the murders were because I was the Crown Prosecutor in this case. I remember it like it was yesterday, the murders were gruesome, premeditated and were carried out in cold blood.

“Reihana was sentenced to a minimum of 21-years in prison. The families of his victims’ were not informed he was going to be released nine years early. Reihana’s son, whose mother was murdered, came across his father when he believed he was still in prison.

“This is a case I will never forget prosecuting. If I had walked into a room and seen Reihana when I believed he was in prison I would have been shocked. I can’t imagine how his victims must feel.

“The crimes that Reihana carried out were so serious that he received one of the longest sentences this country has seen. He wasn’t eligible for parole but has been released on compassionate grounds because he has cancer. Where is the compassion for his victims?

“The families of the two people who were murdered are victims. They asked to be on a victims register which meant they should have been told when he was released, they filled out the paper work. That is simply not good enough.

“Corrections needs to immediately apologise, review its systems and ensure this never happens again.

“Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis is responsible for this department. This week it has been revealed that the man accused of killing 51 people in the Christchurch terror attacks was allowed to send inflammatory and intolerable views in several letters. There are clearly serious problems in Corrections and Kelvin Davis needs to answer to them.”

https://www.national.org.nz/kelvin_davis_has_lost_control_of_corrections

Apparently Reihana has a form of Leukaemia, so was released on “compassionate grounds”, with nine years of his non-parole period still to be served, and no guarantee that he would be released on first parole application at the expiry of the non-parole period. But why weren’t the families of the two victims notified?

This only came to light when Reihana’s son was visiting a cousin’s place, and Reihana was there. How must he have felt, coming face-to-face with the man who murdered his mother and her new partner?

Heads need to roll over this, and the case of letters from a number of high-profile prisoners, including Brendan Tarrant, being released. If Kelvin Davis was an honourable man, like former US President Harry S Truman, he would already be clearing his desk, including the sign on it that says “The buck stops here”.
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August 17, 2019 12:54pm
- kowtow
  
  So the guy’s been let out early cos he’s got cancer . How long has he got to live , the prick could go on for ages . He could have been kept in till he was just close to croaking……
  
  Where was his compassion for his victims?
  
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  August 17, 2019 1:04pm
  - Tony Stuart
    
    Precisely. My heart goes out to this family, which has been victimised all over again.
    
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    August 17, 2019 1:16pm
  - Tall Man
    
    He’ll probably get immediate access to first rate treatment as he’s a “special person” unlike those of us that pay the bills.
    
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    August 17, 2019 1:18pm
- Tall Man
  
  Yeah well the “bucks” are quite big and they end in his pocket and he really really likes that so give yourself the “finger” as kelvin is just too busy doing fuckall at the moment……
  
  Somewhere out there are victims that voted for this idiotic softly softly cuddly approach…… Think about it people and remember “Payback 2020”.
  
  That just rolls off the tongue eh psycho unlike the coalition mantra… “fuck em”.
  
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  August 17, 2019 1:16pm
Jack5

A Maori reporter at the Red Radio web site, arguing that Maori language is simpler than English in part writes:

There are no ‘silent’ letters in te reo Maori either, unless you take into account particular iwi dialects.

Maori in only the last couple of centuries or so has become a written language, so there has not been enough time for the spoken language to outpace its written form.

“Silent letters” occur when the spoken language changes (as when “b” is no longer pronounced in “lamb”) while the written language lags. They also reflect the mixed origin of a language, and English has been enrichened by many other tongues.

Besides having a written form that is only recent, Maori is now fairly inflexible, with semi-official groups dictating style, spelling, and usage.

IMHO, the absence of artefacts such as silent letters in Maori is a sign of its isolation and narrow vocabulary.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/on-the-inside/396277/first-person-te-reo-maori-is-simple-in-comparison-to-english
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August 17, 2019 3:42pm
- DigNap15
  
  Great, we should all learn maori and ditch English and then we would be the most advanced country in the world!
  
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  August 17, 2019 4:21pm
  - Paulus Gnome
    
    Get back to me when it is my turn for the lessons. Can’t wait to learn how to say pakeha and spit at the same time
    
    7 1
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    August 17, 2019 4:49pm
- Ian Boag
  
  Spanish – Italian – Russian …
  
  all have no silent letters and “how it is written is how you say it”. I think German is like that too …
  
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  August 17, 2019 5:16pm
  - Jack5
    
    Ian, you are wrong about Russian. There are a number of words in Russian which have silent letters. The silent letter typically occurs in clusters of three consonants.
    
    One of the first Russian words foreign visitors learn is здравствуйте (hello), with the “в” silent. Another is солнце (sun), with the “л” silent.
    
    The French language has many silent letters. Here are some hints on handling French silent letters:
    
    https://www.fluentu.com/blog/french/french-spelling/
    
    In Spanish, “h” is always silent unless it appears next to “c”, and I think that “u” is silent when it is next to a “q”.
    
    In German, “p” is often silent when it is the first letter of a word.
    
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    August 17, 2019 6:51pm
  - Scooter
    
    In Italian words with GN or GL the g is silent eg gnocchi, figlio etc
    
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    August 17, 2019 9:38pm
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  It is a wee bit more complicated than just sounding out each letter separately..
  
  Listen to what happens when a & e get together in a word…
  eg.
  wae
  
  https://maoridictionary.co.nz/search?idiom=&phrase=&proverb=&loan=&histLoanWords=&keywords=ae
  
  or āe
  https://maoridictionary.co.nz/search?idiom=&phrase=&proverb=&loan=&histLoanWords=&keywords=ae
  
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  August 17, 2019 5:56pm
- KevO'Brien
  
  Te Reo is too simple to be a principal language in NZ. The grammar is inconsistent with English and once you get into pronouns it is confusing as they include many more facets of relationships to or from the speaker or other party.
  It is a language of a former time and place as the Elders spoke of it in the 1930’s.
  
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  August 17, 2019 7:06pm
DigNap15

Allowing people to turn up and register to vote and vote on election day is just plain wrong.
When national get back in they should toughen up on the rules.
You will need to be of good character and make it 3 months before.
And no special voting until the campiagn has ended! People need to hear the policies and debates.
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August 17, 2019 4:27pm
- chaos
  
  Is it any different to people turning up to register and vote at the Special voting? Anyone that turns up to register and vote on Election Day their information will still have to be checked before their vote is counted.
  
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  August 17, 2019 4:41pm
- Martin Williams
  
  If National get back in. Not looking likely if you represent their typical dimwitted voter.
  
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  August 17, 2019 11:29pm
Jack5

Pro-Beijing demonstrators have tackled pro-Hong Kong protesters in Melbourne.

The Communists think they can control freedom of speech overseas as well as in China.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/pro-hong-kong-rally-in-melbourne-threatens-to-turn-violent-as-rival-protesters-clash-20190816-p52hzi.html
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August 17, 2019 4:36pm
- kowtow
  
  Sadly this week end will see more violence from the “pro democracy” mob in HK again. Protest is fine , violence is not.
  
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  August 17, 2019 6:56pm
  - Jack5
    
    This weekend could end in tragedy in Hong Kong, if Xi sends in the People’s Liberation Army, massed on the region’s border.
    
    A German view of the situation:
    
    https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/hong-kong-fears-mount-of-chinese-intervention-a-1282293.html
    
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    August 17, 2019 8:28pm
Nostradamus

Fiji slams Australia’s Deputy PM for saying Pacific nations can survive climate change by picking fruit

Fiji’s Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama has accused the Australian Government of taking a “big step backwards” in its relations with the Pacific, after Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack was captured on tape saying island nations affected by climate change would continue to survive — by picking Australian fruit.
…
Mr McCormack, who was acting prime minister at the time, told the function the Pacific nations would be fine.

“[I] get a little bit annoyed when we have people in those sorts of countries pointing the finger at Australia and say we should be shutting down all our resources sector so that they will continue to survive. They will continue to survive, there’s no question they will continue to survive, they will continue to survive with large aid assistance from Australia. They will continue to survive because many of their workers come here and pick our fruit.”

Ouch!
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August 17, 2019 8:04pm
Morrissey

GROPERS
No. 74: HRH Prince Andrew

despicable adj. 1. deserving hatred or contempt; 2. very unpleasant or bad, causing strong feelings of dislike; 3. so worthless or obnoxious as to rouse moral indignation. “a despicable crime.”

Britain’s Prince Andrew — who allegedly earned his rhyming nickname, Randy Andy, for his energetic bedroom calisthenics — is in a royal pickle.

A friend of the late convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, Prince Andrew has long been accused of taking sexual liberties with Virginia Roberts (now Giuffre), 35, the American woman who claims she once served as a “sex slave” of Epstein’s.

Starting at age 15, she alleges, she was forced to service Epstein’s rich and powerful pals, including Andrew. The prince has always denied the allegations, and Buckingham Palace has repeatedly called them “categorically untrue.”

Before Epstein was indicted on federal sex trafficking charges, which he escaped through his apparent suicide in a federal jail in Manhattan, he kept a list of contact information for people he knew or wanted to know.

Now, as US investigators attempt to piece together — and bring to justice — Epstein’s predatory network, they will be looking closely at his associates. Some of those people must be shaking — including, perhaps, Prince Andrew.

His handlers insist the prince never had sexual relations with that woman or any underage girl. In a show of support, the Queen and other members of the royal family attended church with him near Balmoral Castle last Sunday, the day after Epstein’s death. …..

https://nypost.com/2019/08/14/epsteins-death-puts-randy-prince-andy-in-a-royal-pickle/

https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AAFKxOp.img?h=427&w=624&m=6&q=60&o=f&l=f&x=356&y=101
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August 17, 2019 8:04pm
Jack5

Still maintaining your gropers’ list, Mr Breen?

The Duke of Dork will be sweating. If you want to read allegations have a look at the link at the bottom of this post to “the Merc”, the morning paper of Silicon Valley. And of course, is Bill Clinton involved (or do you have him on your list already for his contribution to cigar culture)?

But in the meantime, when you will be able to sort out and rank over the alleged sexual assault or assaults at the Labour Youth Camp?

“The Merc” on the Duke:

https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/07/12/prince-andrew-had-jeffrey-epsteins-alleged-madam-bring-women-to-buckingham-palace-report-says/
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August 17, 2019 9:32pm
- Morrissey
  
  Still maintaining your gropers’ list, Mr Breen?
  
  Indeed we are, sir. It’s actually my gofer Hector Stoop that does most of the admin. for the series.
  
  And of course, is Bill Clinton involved (or do you have him on your list already for his contribution to cigar culture)?
  
  President I-Feel-Your-Pain is No. 13, tucked in between Prince Harry (“The Big H”) and His
  Dishonor Judge Roy Moore.
  http://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2019/08/your-comment-is-awaiting-moderation.html
  
  But in the meantime, when you will be able to sort out and rank over the alleged sexual assault or assaults at the Labour Youth Camp?
  
  We certainly hope to have something about those bastards ASAP. [Mod – deleted. Please don’t try to breach suppression orders]
  
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  August 18, 2019 9:12am
Cobolt24

https://wattsupwiththat.com/2019/08/16/surprise-great-barrier-reef-is-not-dying-from-global-warming/

The Great Barrier Reef is not dead, is not dying and is not even on life support, federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley has declared after her first official visit to the World Heritage-listed site.

“Today we saw coral that was struggling but we also saw coral that was coming back, that was growing, that was vibrant,” Ms Ley said.

“I was expecting to see dead areas with a few patches of life,” Ms Ley said.

“I saw the exact opposite to that.”
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August 17, 2019 9:51pm

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