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July 18, 2020 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 18 July 2020

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General Debate

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buzzler

Had to laugh yesterday at the press conference held by National after the infrastructure announcement. One reporter asked how many houses would need to be demolished to make way for the new harbour crossing. FFS, the planning is a few years away yet! Anything to make National look like the baddies.
Anyway, I did not think there were any houses on the seabed?
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July 18, 2020 8:07am
- RJ
  
  It’s at reasonable question, we already know how many have to be destroyed to make way for the walkway over the harbour bridge.
  
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  July 18, 2020 8:33am
  - KevO'Brien
    
    What about the illegal takeover of Ihumatao? A whole settlement to be built there fed to the taniwhas.
    
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    July 18, 2020 9:48am
    - RJ
      
      Well under a national govt if Maori want it Maori will have to pay for it
      
      Link
      
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      July 18, 2020 10:03am
  - tf78
    
    Did you hear about the buildings that have to go to make way for the Olympic swimming pool in Gisborne – it’s not the cost of the pool they’re talking about it’s the land it’s going to be built on. Anyway with today’s flooding they no longer need a pool.
    
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    July 18, 2020 7:14pm
- artemisia
  
  National said they might cancel the bridge cycleway and will cancel light rail proposal. The answer to how many houses would be demolished for a new harbour crossing is a list of the government’s current and proposed projects along with demolition and business impact stats. A spot of costs v benefits would also be useful.
  
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  July 18, 2020 8:37am
- Inandout
  
  buzzler, surely there must be a Hector’s dolphin down there?
  
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  July 18, 2020 8:52am
  - buzzler
    
    Spongebob and Patrick maybe?
    
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    July 18, 2020 9:32am
  - C J Southern
    
    Or a Labour caucus?
    
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    July 18, 2020 10:48am
- Stephen Russell
  
  I can see why most of the MSM are alarmed by this. Don’t most of their journalists live in the slime at the bottom of the sea?
  (I am joking – the straight line was just too good to resist!)
  
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  July 18, 2020 8:57am
- mjw
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  Oh come on – these are all ghost roads. The tunnels aren’t even costed! And to the extent that the roads are costed, I rather think there is an $11.7 billion dollar hole 🙂
  
  But seriously, this is a minor-party type of announcement. Unaffordable and not worked through, but that doesn’t matter because you know you’ll never have to deliver.
  
  It’s a letter of surrender.
  
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  July 18, 2020 9:02am
  - Tony Stuart
    
    Goodness mjw, you guys are REALLY worried about Collins aren’t you.
    
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    July 18, 2020 9:24am
    - Aunty
      
      The fear is strong in that one!
      
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      July 18, 2020 9:32am
    - igm
      
      Hatred driven by slime that festoon the corridors of Stuff. Even their provincial rags are in full anti-Collins mode . . . $50 million and their disgusting Woke mentaliy is taking a toll . . . hopefully their demise is close.
      
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      July 18, 2020 10:36am
      - Frank the tank
        
        Businesses that are trading insolvent are never happy places to work.
        
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        July 18, 2020 3:13pm
  - Nookin
    
    I guess you would prefer the practices of the current government: allocation of major funds, no ideal what they will be spent on, no idea how to go about it, constant consulting to find out what to do and not the slightest effort with a shovel.
    
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    July 18, 2020 9:44am
    - tf78
      
      How about we call National’s win on 19 September VE day! It will be a celebration of avoiding the worst fate that could happen to NZ. Go the NATS!!!!!
      
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      July 18, 2020 7:18pm
  - KevO'Brien
    
    Robbo had a $12bn hole and didn’t know it.
    Labour are on swampy grounds equating proven competents with their economic illiterates.
    How many houses did they build for all the talk?
    
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    July 18, 2020 9:52am
    - hullkiwi
      
      And you would listen to him preach that National’s $31bn is unfunded versus his talking of $54bn?
      
      Is he admitting his programmes are also invested and unfunded?
      
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      July 18, 2020 10:12am
      - hullkiwi
        
        Should read uncosted nont invested.
        
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        July 18, 2020 10:46am
  - Tall Man
    
    Like the “end of child poverdee”, 100,000 new houses and “open and transparent government” you mean?
    
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    July 18, 2020 9:54am
    - C J Southern
      
      They achieved the last one … we can all see right through them.
      
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      July 18, 2020 10:50am
      - MikeMan
        
        Not all or we would not be worried about a left victory on the 19th of Sep
        
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        July 18, 2020 2:30pm
  - kaykaybee
    
    “Ghost Roads”.
    Another platitude for an increasingly incompetent appearing Ardern to add to “Team of 5 million” and “Hard and early”.
    I challenge Arden to trot out the “hard and early” in the context of an election platform. Collins and Dr Reti are only too aware that Ardern was dragged kicking and screaming away from her 10.000 public memorial gathering on the 15th March. They’re well aware that National was asking many questions in The House and putting out many a press release to beg for secure borders and testing all incomers. Meanwhile, in true disaster milking fashion Ardern was planning her ChCh memorial and actively allowing untested tourists to self isolate.
    Bring on the debates.
    
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    July 18, 2020 10:26am
    - Hollyfield
      
      “Ghost Roads”
      Not even an original platitude, as Judith Collins talked about Phil Twyford’s “Ghost Train” yesterday.
      
      They do say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
      
      The difference is, Labour hasn’t delivered on anything they campaigned on, and Judith is a “doer”, she will get things done.
      
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      July 18, 2020 10:50am
      - Akarak
        
        And now Twyford has announced that the Government will spend more than $180 million on four transport infrastructure projects in Auckland, expected to create roughly 800 jobs. But the killer is that these projects will need detailed design and consenting work in order to allow for construction to begin next year. With those words alone these projects are doomed.
        Nothing to see here. Keep on moving!
        
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        July 18, 2020 2:34pm
    - namron
      
      KKB, very relevant points.
      I would hope it might be possible that some contributor like you, might help others to unify for future criticisms of Ardern and Labour.
      With over 200 contributions by lunchtime, perhaps a unified attack on specific weaknesses and failures on kiwiblog like this could add to the effectiveness of the contributions.
      As you mentioned, I too believe Jacinda saw global coverage of her “sad face, brand-new head scarf etc” at the Chch Memorial service on the 15th March as gaining world-wide attention and she was very reluctant to introduce the shut-down.
      It is obvious that this delay meant that the disease
      spread freely and unnecessarily.
      And now to hear that family members are being allowed in.
      Could someone, perhaps, list some of her and Labours failures, disasters, fiascos, breakdowns and miscarriages.
      [perhaps limit it to just a couple of pages!!]
      
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      July 18, 2020 1:11pm
      - Justitia
        
        That same weekend for which the memorial event was scheduled, the infected cruise ship Ruby Princess was allowed into the ports of Wellington and Napier where disembarked passengers set off COVID clusters, causing fatalities. This should be laid squarely at Ardern’s door. She delayed closing the borders including to cruise ships which were already well known to be floating COVID petri dishes while she continued to hold out for her photo opp at the Christchurch event which even the Muslim community reportedly did not want. Her vanity proved fatal for residents of a Napier rest home. Judith must call for a Royal Commission of Inquiry.
        
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        July 18, 2020 4:24pm
  - Nutta
    
    Good to see Jacinda fighting back with all the quality policy and planning information release at her disposal:
    
    Watch: Jacinda Ardern meets her doppelganger Melanie Bracewell
    https://nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=12349032
    
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    July 18, 2020 1:10pm
  - Frank the tank
    
    Simon Wilson – is that you?
    
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    July 18, 2020 3:14pm
- Scott
  
  Totally agree buzzler. I think Judith Collins really presented the infrastructure plan well. It’s a bold plan but it makes sense. Four-lane highway linking the far north to Auckland. A bold plan to ease Auckland congestion. Four lanes of Highway going to Hamilton and to Tauranga. What a great idea! And getting rid of fuel taxes!
  
  This is what we love about National. They are focused on common sense objectives that people can see will benefit the nation and help the economy. Not millions of dollars on cycle lanes and foot paths and a light rail and trains that no one will ever use.
  
  And she is going to do something about the resource Management act which is long overdue!
  
  And she does these things with a smile on her face. At last a happy warrior!!
  
  It’s a little sad that none of the men in the National party have been able to step up. But if the only one with any balls has to be Judith Collins well so be it.
  
  I think National is looking quite good come September.
  
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  July 18, 2020 9:14am
  - RJ
    
    Nothing Judith stepped up with is Judith, it is what national we’re putting forward this election no matter who was the leader as she said on the radio the other day this is a team effort
    
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    July 18, 2020 9:30am
    - DeepBlue
      
      The transport package is great, but I guarantee it would not have been presented or reported on as well by Bridges or Muller.
      
      Scott – It is absolutely wrong to suggest “It is sad that none of the men have stepped up”…. It is this conservative thinking that has held back National. I think it is sad National didn’t give Judith her turn in May. In hindsight this late run might just work out to be a blessing in disguise, as people just start paying attention pre election
      
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      July 18, 2020 11:08am
      - niggly
        
        Yes the “late run” is a superior outcome than say having JC appointed leader previously, for at this moment she also has the warm winds of the election behind her back propelling herself and National forward, and they are even getting stronger!
        
        What’s that I see … why it’s the CoL rowboat with 3 or 4 of them desperately trying to row in all directions to escape the onslaught and everyone else sitting around doing nothing, as usual!
        
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        July 18, 2020 11:32am
      - Steve Todd
        
        @niggly @ 11:32AM
        
        Well, niggles, at least with the Coalition, we can actually see the rowboat and the 3 or 4 rowers rowing in different directions. With National, the rowboat, and the rowers in it, also rowing in different directions, are hidden from our view.
        
        All I can say is, after seeing Tova’s excellent interview with Judith this morning, Judith had better deliver, otherwise she’s a goneburger, and so might the National Party be. In that latter regard, see this opinion-piece from New Zealand’s foremost political commentator, published yesterday—
        
        http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2020/07/is-nationals-bundle-of-conservative.html.
        
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        July 18, 2020 12:48pm
      - Scott
        
        Deep blue – I am a conservative Christian and I think conservatively.
        “It is absolutely wrong” implies you are privy to some objective knowledge from some where?
        
        I believe men are most called and gifted to lead. This is the verdict of the Bible and all of human history. There are cases where women are called to lead – the judge Deborah in the Bible is one example.
        
        But generally men are the ones who should lead. Sadly the men of the National party haven’t been able to step up.
        
        So it’s Judith and to be fair she’s doing a good job. ??
        
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        July 18, 2020 3:20pm
      - PaulL
        
        Umm. You can believe that Scott, but it’s somewhat crazy. Very glad sometimes we don’t have an actual christian party running things and trying to apply literal interpretations of the bible in the same way some Muslim countries attempt to be governed by the Koran.
        
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        July 18, 2020 8:43pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Of course there are houses on the seabed – where do you think the Taniwha live?
  
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  July 18, 2020 9:27am
  - Tall Man
    
    With amount of money donated to the Taniwha they’re mansions mate not houses.
    
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    July 18, 2020 9:51am
    - Liberty
      
      Once again Maori are being treated differently.
      The ex Minister of housing used to wet himself with rage over cold damp houses. Now they are building them for the Taniwha.
      
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      July 18, 2020 10:58am
- RJ
  
  Btw, for anyone who doesn’t realise this second crossing is nothing new, Simon had already done a lot of work on it, even to the point Maori were taken to the proposed site.
  
  Link
  
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  July 18, 2020 9:38am
- Chris R
  
  Well I expect that Twyford can manage to Kiwi-build at least 100,000 new homes between now and 19th September! That should more than make up for those demolished!!! (Yeah right!)
  
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  July 18, 2020 9:59am
- Sir Cullen's Sidekick
  
  Don’t you know Labour was planning to Kiwibuild houses under water? Read Labour press releases bro.
  
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  July 18, 2020 11:01am
- Blackfan
  
  Although it would extend the tunnel somewhat perhaps the southern portal could be at Ihumātao. Labour have conveniently prevented the building of around 480 houses there.
  
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  July 18, 2020 12:14pm
- MCos
  
  The planning isn’t years away.
  There have been all sorts of schemes put forward; some quite recently. There is a proposed cross section on their web site that didn’t come out of thin air.
  There is also a description of a proposed route that would effectively trash Wynyard Quarter on one side and link up with SH1 on the North Shore.
  I’m guessing there’s some prelim costings done by NZTA that the Nats are nervous about too.
  (Never mind the cost of those other tunnels they gayly threw around)
  
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  July 18, 2020 12:50pm
JibberJabber

Thomas Sowell

The history of the 20th century is full of examples of countries that set out to redistribute wealth and ended up redistributing poverty.

Lets not add New Zealand to this list, eh Jacinda? Your policies are economically illiterate and socially destructive and you’ve brought nothing of value to the New Zealand social and political landscape.
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July 18, 2020 8:11am
- The Proper Ghandi
  
  Sowell is brilliant. He should be a role model for all aspirational young blacks, because he sees the world with clear eyes and without resentment, and can dissect it with surgical precision, reason and evidence.
  
  This is an audio excerpt from one of his many books, although read by someone else. The first 15 minutes or so alone blows the one-sided and historically inaccurate BLM argument to pieces.
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bqrf47RjRRY
  
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  July 18, 2020 8:35am
- WaynelSexton
  
  And yet for how retarded communism is, liberal democracy is even worse.
  Russia is still Russian, China is still Chinese, Poland is still Polish, etc.
  New Zealand, USA, Australia, etc are now multicultural, multiethnic multi religous, countries headed towards balkanization.
  
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  July 18, 2020 9:15am
  - Romney
    
    Yeah, I’ve noticed that. Communism wrecks your economy but you get to retain your culture and identity. Capitalism makes money but costs you everything else.
    
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    July 18, 2020 9:50am
    - Kiwi Dave
      
      The Uighurs are so grateful no one has inflicted capitalism on them.
      
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      July 18, 2020 3:00pm
      - WaynelSexton
        
        Uighurs understand you don’t let the Chinese become a majority just so you can buy some fancier pants, New Zealanders don’t.
        
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        July 18, 2020 5:42pm
  - Classic Liberal
    
    So only Morori and Maori should be in NZ? I think to not be hypocritical NZ needs immigration policies based on merit and loyalty to NZ, not ethnicity. And on how large a population we really want.
    
    Most people are now from various European countries, and ‘Maori’ very much mixed with European. The sooner people let go of the bad aspects of their ancestors’ cultures and keep only the best, the better for us all.
    
    And the sooner people stop pushing racist and sexist identity politics and just accept that we’re all a mixed bunch, the better.
    
    For instance, if ‘te reo’ wasn’t viciously being shoved down our throats by smug red radio hosts who never bother to translate, I’d be a heck of a lot more interested it. There is a beauty to the language and some place names make sense. But I hate doing anything under compulsion and refuse to feel guilty for my ancestors coming to NZ.
    
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    July 18, 2020 10:25am
    - WaynelSexton
      
      Pretty racist to think that Maori should only be translated to English, and not vice versa, when the language has been spoken here for over a thousand years.
      “Sooner people stop pushing racist and sexist identity politics and just accept that we’re all a mixed bunch, the better.”
      
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      July 18, 2020 11:00am
      - UrbanNeocolonialist
        
        1000yrs??? Maori only came to NZ about 400 years before Europeans.
        
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        July 18, 2020 1:43pm
      - Jack5
        
        We have English and we have Maori.
        
        Why not use them in parallel – English language broadcasts and Maori language broadcasts, and similarly in print.
        
        I don’t know if they are “Englishifying” present Maori language on Maori TV and the tribal radio network, but they are “Maorifying” English on State radio.
        
        Similarly with place names. Nothing wrong with having both Maori and English-language names. When speaking or writing Maori use the Maori words and names. When speaking or writing English use the English words and names.
        
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        July 18, 2020 1:48pm
      - Sacha
        
        I don’t mind them translating my language into Maori. Just as long as I am not expected to read it.
        
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        July 18, 2020 5:25pm
    - Paulus
      
      What makes you think the red radio hosts know what they mean when they spout ?
      
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      July 18, 2020 11:04am
Paulus Gnome

I remember the good ol’ days when the only impediment to GD was when Mr Patel slept in . . .
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July 18, 2020 8:12am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Kokila is not a Mr.
  
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  July 18, 2020 8:40am
  - Tall Man
    
    Careful Maggy ………
    
    Labeling is very dangerous ground these days 😉
    
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    July 18, 2020 9:23am
    - Lance
      
      “We will fight for your right to have babies brother”
      
      (Apologies to Monty Python)
      
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      July 18, 2020 2:23pm
Maggie Pie

We heard Digby giving his Press Conference on 1ZB yesterday.
My partner thought he sounded positive.
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July 18, 2020 8:14am
- Benedict Yu
  
  Who is Digby?
  
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  July 18, 2020 8:21am
  - Inandout
    
    BY, not Eleanor Digby.
    
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    July 18, 2020 8:55am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Microlight pilot
    
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    July 18, 2020 9:32am
- Humble Capitalist
  
  Did he say we went hard and we went early five times or did he stick to the facts?
  
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  July 18, 2020 8:25am
  - sooty
    
    Did he say that they had found Bushy?
    
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    July 18, 2020 8:42am
  - pdm
    
    Going hard with Megan?
    
    Now there is a scary thought.
    
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    July 18, 2020 10:18am
- hullkiwi
  
  What with Covid?
  
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  July 18, 2020 8:45am
Im Right

Have to love the panic/meltdown the lefty luvvies and blogs are having with Collins as leader….beginnings of CDS methinks!
Will National win, IMHO no, but will suffer a lesser defeat under Collins than under Bridges and certainly than under Muller.
Fingers crossed Greens and NZ1st under 5%
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July 18, 2020 8:18am
- gorse
  
  If the Greens and NZ First are under 5% then National Act will be Government.
  
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  July 18, 2020 8:40am
- Stephen Russell
  
  https://i.stuff.co.nz/opinion/300058198/crusher-offers-her-mps-chance-to-confess-their-sins-and-blasphemies
  
  I found this satire quite amusing. I suspect Collins will too. Good cue for a little maniacal laughter on her part. ?
  
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  July 18, 2020 8:54am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    “Or else!” LOL
    
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    July 18, 2020 9:36am
- tf78
  
  I was having a think this morning and reckon that Jacinda will remind people of the bad virus days and Judith, with her sunny disposition will look like the light at the end of the tunnel. Everyone I’ve spoken to is very positive. We will win!!!!
  
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  July 18, 2020 8:54am
  - Paulus
    
    Having just come in I see the Labour lovelies putting up their huge street posters – only one photo – no, you cannot guess who !
    We are sick of seeing her face already.
    
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    July 18, 2020 11:07am
    - Nutta
      
      They all need to be adjusted with a big “and who else?” sticker…
      
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      July 18, 2020 1:15pm
- hullkiwi
  
  They are having a right meltdown. There have been 3 examples of Labour style dirty politics (2 of them using RNZ) and one a poor piece of spoof satire on the Standard.
  
  They don’t know how to handle Collins
  
  Jacinda is hiding. Next week we’ll see her doing all the press conferences. And I lay a bet now that Labour will cook up all sorts of reasons to avoid Jacinda v Judith live TV debates during the election campaign.
  
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  July 18, 2020 9:41am
  - artemisia
    
    Ms Ardern is busily memorising prices from the Countdown catalogue. Just in case an interviewer asks. Or Ms Collins does.
    
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    July 18, 2020 12:07pm
  - freethinker
    
    [Deleted and banned for a month for posting this material. Mod]
    
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    July 18, 2020 1:09pm
- DeepBlue
  
  I believe Judith can bring National home for a win.
  
  All it will take is an exhausted public over COVID looking to the future and a super energised National team.
  
  The person who is put up by National for Central Auckland will be key. And a rolling out of policy as good as the Upper NI transport plan.
  
  After this week all these are very real opportunities.
  
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  July 18, 2020 10:08am
Benedict Yu

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12348849

Winston Peters keeps banging on about a travel bubble with Tasmania. It is never going to happen for many reasons. Here are four:

Hobart Airport has no customs and immigration facilities. So you would need to install them and employ people and train them.

Air New Zealand and Qantas are not interested. And even if they were, airlines usually require at least 6 months to plan and open a new route.

The route is uneconomic. There would be some New Zealanders who would jump at the chance of getting out of the country but the novelty would wear off. And more importantly there would not be enough Tasmanians who want to come to New Zealand.

Most importantly you can now travel from Tasmania to anywhere else in Australia without restrictions so New Zealanders landing in a Tasmanian bubble could get on the next plane to Melbourne!

Why do politicians say these things which are totally illogical if you just thought about it for 2 minutes?
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July 18, 2020 8:19am
- kowtow
  
  ‘Why do politicians say these things which are totally illogical if you just thought about it for 2 minutes?’
  
  Peters is a fan of Oscar Wilde.
  
  ‘There is only one thing in life worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.’
  
  Peters knows how to keep in front of the cameras . Says lots , does nothing and for over twenty years the media and his base have lapped it up.
  
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  July 18, 2020 8:46am
- Stephen Russell
  
  Two minutes’ thought would be beyond most NZ First voters.
  
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  July 18, 2020 8:58am
  - Tall Man
    
    Rubbish.
    
    It’s only 6 twenty seconds blips 🙂
    
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    July 18, 2020 9:25am
  - Blackbob
    
    remembering what they thought two minutes ago would be impressive!
    
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    July 18, 2020 9:51am
    - PaulL
      
      It’s an advantage. You can have the same 20 second thoughts 6 times, after you’ve forgotten them. Much more efficient.
      
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      July 18, 2020 8:46pm
- GazzaW
  
  Qantas operated a direct service to Hobart from NZ back in the heyday of Aussie tourism and could never make it turn a profit. I recall that the Tassie government subsidised the service.
  
  If the Aussies want us back the real key is to open up Queensland.
  
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  July 18, 2020 9:03am
  - Grizz
    
    Air NZ once flew a weekly Christchurch to Hobart service. I once flew it. Before them a TAA 727 used to fly the route.
    
    It’s a shame Tasmania falls off the radar for most as it is a scenic state to visit, much unlike the rest of Australia. Hobart is a city with great charm and character with a very quirky museum. Go visit the place.
    
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    July 18, 2020 2:35pm
    - BullyHayes
      
      yep we had a fantastic holiday there a couple years ago
      
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      July 18, 2020 3:01pm
    - Inandout
      
      Grizz, Hobart is now an international airport capable of carrying the biggest of our planes.
      
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      July 18, 2020 8:21pm
- Frank Thomas
  
  The reason Peters is making dumb statements like this and the one about purchasing Tiwai Point of Rio Tinto, which are both never going to happen, is so he can remain relevant despite his party polling within the margin of error. He is hoping the Media Party can run stories about his press releases, hoping that his old support base will come running back to him.
  Fortunately it makes him look rather desperate, plus most of his base have either finally figured out that you cannot trust what he says or have shuffled off this mortal coil…..
  
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  July 18, 2020 9:15am
  - Joe Banana
    
    Peter’s is also chasing the Southland party vote.
    He does not give a toss about the Tiwai Point workers.
    
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    July 18, 2020 9:39am
  - curry4me
    
    Frank Thomas: Several family members who voted for him in 2017, will either give their party vote to the NC,or ACT. One or two will be two ticks blue.
    
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    July 18, 2020 2:55pm
- KevO'Brien
  
  Old Grumpy has just got out of bed again. Confused as usual, he now thinks Ardern R. rulz Aus too.
  He’s a menace to shipping waiting for the SFO to pick him up.
  
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  July 18, 2020 9:59am
The Proper Ghandi

Another day and yet more “Marry” fragility on display.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/pou-tiaki/300056025/offensive-christchurch-gondola-time-tunnel-attraction-mispronounces-te-reo-celebrates-colonialism

For the sake of historical accuracy, I hope they have a display depicting the moaning Marries waiting on the beaches when our heroic colonising ancestors showed up to bring them the gift of civilisation. A bit of gratitude wouldn’t be too much to ask would it? They will never get over themselves no matter how much we do for them, so we should simply cut off the free-flowing colonial money asap.
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July 18, 2020 8:21am
- Justitia
  
  Do they have a cannibal feast display? That would be big.
  
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  July 18, 2020 8:35am
- Benedict Yu
  
  These people do not seem to be good at thinking of counter factuals. Maori were never going to be permitted to remain in New Zealand without European settlement into the 20th century.
  
  The alternatives to the British and a Treaty were..
  
  1. Sporadic and disorganised European settlement. Focus on resource extraction. Possibly an outpost Territory of Australia. Under that scenario New Zealand would at best be another Papua New Guinea.
  
  2. Colonisation by the Spanish. All Maori dead. OR colonisation by the French. All Maori French or dead. No Treaty.
  
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  July 18, 2020 8:48am
  - Tall Man
    
    Plus maori asked for the treaty to protect themselves from themselves.
    
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    July 18, 2020 9:27am
  - Aunty
    
    More likely colonisation by China or the Japanese. Taiwan being the example. Once the Portuguese discovered it (or was it the Dutch?) it wasn’t long before the Chinese began to settle there and then a bit later the Japanese. And look at the position of the indigenous people in Taiwan (ironically the ancestors of the Polynesians and Maori) now! Not a Treaty in sight!
    
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    July 18, 2020 9:43am
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      The Dutch.
      
      Good place to visit in Taiwan is Fort Zeelandia.
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Zeelandia_(Taiwan)
      
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      July 18, 2020 10:46am
    - fightingtemeraire
      
      Portuguese
      
      Itb was called Formosa until the Mid 60’s when the Taiwan Givt changed it to Taiwan.
      
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      July 18, 2020 10:46am
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        Well, yes Portuguese got there first, but didn’t really do much in the way of Colonising the place…So then the Spanish set up a base in the North of the Island, but it was The Dutch that set about subduing/colonising /pacifying/converting the indigenous tribes and encouraged the settlement of Chinese from Fujian province.
        
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        July 18, 2020 12:03pm
  - WaynelSexton
    
    Maori did well to keep Europeans out for years by killing and eating anyone who turned up.
    But then Maori fell for the same trap (trade and immigration) that we are in now.
    Maori thought they could get the muskets and skilled British labour without losing their sovereignty. Just like the British posterity right now thinks the Chinese or Indians won’t take theirs.
    
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    July 18, 2020 9:45am
    - Unity
      
      They didn’t have sovereignty. There was no one person in charge overall. They were a mishmash of tribes from different parts of the Pacific and beyond. There was no cohesion whatsoever. At the time the Treaty was signed they were marauding up and down the country killing and eating each other.
      
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      July 18, 2020 1:08pm
  - Blackfan
    
    “Possibly an outpost Territory of Australia.”
    You do know that New Zealand was once part of the Colony of NSW.
    
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    July 18, 2020 12:18pm
- Hard Cheese
  
  I note there’s never any complaint about colonialist cars, electricity, mobile phones, computers, houses and the internet.
  
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  July 18, 2020 9:06am
  - Benedict Yu
    
    Or at the time, wheels, guns, metals, nails, tools, coal, ceramics, cement…
    
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    July 18, 2020 9:46am
  - Nickc2
    
    What, no mention of alcohol, cigarettes, poker machines, KFC or TAB’s? Oh and I forgot WINZ.
    
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    July 18, 2020 9:54am
  - kowtow
    
    She was also wearing specs …..
    
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    July 18, 2020 12:26pm
- Engelbert Humperdink
  
  Most people usually forgive those who trespass against them, but many people never forgive those who are charitable to them. “No good deed goes unpunished.”
  
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  July 18, 2020 9:20am
- WaynelSexton
  
  If the Maori don’t like it they can go back to their own country….
  
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  July 18, 2020 9:28am
  - UrbanNeocolonialist
    
    [OTT – not necessarily true. Mod.]
    
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    July 18, 2020 1:54pm
- CaptainCompromise
  
  I thought I’d fact check this article for us all:
  
  Does it really “glorify colonialism”, or does it “glorify history” of which colonialism is part of? If it does glorify colonialism, is that a bad thing? A shared history with immigration and development by those brave first settlers is what arguably makes our country great. Is that not offensive to tangata whenua to suggest that they were not capable of asserting their independence in creating an alliance with pakeha?
  
  Do they know that the narrator was pakeha or is that racism? Was the narrator using regional Maori pronunciation (which does sound very white imo), or pre-standardised Maori pronunciation (a sort of synthesised te reo)?
  
  Is there anything racist about the milestones other than they don’t put Maori history on a pedestal and glorify that?
  
  Is the roll call racist because there are no Maori on it? In written history the majority of all the people ever to live in Canterbury were in European times and of majority European decent. Maybe we should make an honorable mention to Te Rapauraha, the guy who killed 1200 fellow Maori of my tupuna not long before the treaty was signed, on the peninsula because he wanted slaves and utu?
  
  Is it anyone else’s fault that some people feel victimised, sad and offended because of their own arguably flawed reasoning?
  
  Is not lyttleton and Christchurch pivotal in NZ history almost exclusively because of the impact European settlement and development had, rather than Maori?
  
  Is it racist to depict Maori as primitive looking and Europeans as turning Christchurch to a thriving city when pre colonial Maori were competitively primitive and Europeans by and large did turn Christchurch into a thriving city? Is it nit racist to break the appearances of each down to race rather than individual circumstances and achievement?
  
  Should Ngai Tahu iwi take some responsibility for the offence caused given the original attraction was developed in conjunction with them and there were no issues at the time?
  
  If we are to labour on the negatives of early European culture, would it not also be proper to labour on the negatives of Maori culture of the time?
  
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  July 18, 2020 9:50am
  - kowtow
    
    “I could literally feel my tīpuna [ancestors] and their disappointment.”
    
    For an article that makes much of the incorrect pronunciation of Maori words , that sentence is a howler .
    
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    July 18, 2020 12:29pm
RJ

You can actually see the mentality of the media when you open up stuff. One of the top stories, what Judith means for Act and NZ First. The next political story, we’ll not really even that just a tabloid puff piece, Arden meets the comedian pretending to be her. They are just not prepared to do the same sort of reporting with both candidates, just puff pieces for the idiots who support her and whose brain cells couldn’t handle anything other than that
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July 18, 2020 8:24am
- SGA
  
  the mentality of the media
  
  To be fair, and like it or not, it also reflects what people are choosing to read. Stuff is a mixture of newspaper and magazine – it records all the “clicks” and can monitor what stories are pursued and which aren’t. Which result in increased advertising revenue, and which don’t. If people buy puff stories, then Stuff will sell them.
  
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  July 18, 2020 8:39am
  - Tall Man
    
    Traffic numbers would interesting.
    
    The fact that the price was set at $1 shows traffic was not great.
    
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    July 18, 2020 9:30am
    - SGA
      
      Look at the magazine business – the most durable had been the Woman’s day, Woman’s Weekly style of puff mags. There is a market for that sort of thing. If Stuff is going to survive, then I’m not surprised that some of their content is catering to that sort of thing. You’ll get more “views” of Valerie Adams (say) new house or cancer scare (say) than a discussion of her shot putting technique.
      
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      July 18, 2020 10:39am
- The Proper Ghandi
  
  The contrast between Ardern’s fluff and Judith’s substance is stark. Moreover, Judith and co are serious yet don’t take themselves seriously (as it were), whereas the opposing po-faced rabble aren’t serious people yet take themselves oh-so-seriously.
  
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  July 18, 2020 8:40am
- Justitia
  
  I thought exactly the same thing RJ when I opened this morning’s edition. Unfortunately one’s partner insists on getting the Saturday issue of this squalid rag but I have successfully banned it from the house for the rest of the week. Stuff’s stable of tribal Leftards are working overtime it seems; they must be very worried their creature’s balloon will soon be popped.
  
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  July 18, 2020 8:40am
- kowtow
  
  And the cartoon today is yet another attck on Nat policy .
  
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  July 18, 2020 8:47am
- Nookin
  
  RJ
  Add to your list, Verity Johnson’s profound announcement that Collins has abandoned the youth vote.
  The tone is well set. It is highly unlikely that you will find any headline or opinion even remotely favourable to Collins or the Nats. The most offensive aspect of all this is Stuff’s repeated requests for money on the pretext that trusted journalism has never been so important. We see little journalism. A greater portion involves opinion piece or paid content. And remember, the “paid content” headings didn’t appear until the regulator damned the previous practice.
  
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  July 18, 2020 8:58am
  - fernglas
    
    You think that’s bad! You should see the deranged piece masquerading as informed opinion by Anne Salmond in Newsroom. It’s the sort of one-sided nonsense that makes the posters on here look like centrist wowsers.
    
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    July 18, 2020 9:28am
    - curry4me
      
      fernglas: I get my NZ news from here. For Aus news, I use Sky. They have news for adults. Not the Cindy kindy news from TV1, and 3. For world news, I use for, and YouTube commentators. Some of them I post here.
      
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      July 18, 2020 3:02pm
- Ruahine
  
  $50 million of your money being put to good use for the benefit of Labour.
  
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  July 18, 2020 9:00am
  - Harriet
    
    Don’t fret!!!!
    
    Judith is about to spend $25 million of that telling the other side of the story.
    
    She will do it just like Trump does – straight up to the media – but Judith has a tax and law degree, local and political acumen behind her, along with known talent that will perform. And also like Trump she has lots of private sector experience behind her.
    
    The short and medium term future is a balance between austerity and stimulus; benefits don’t pay the bills, investment does, and business in general along with mortgage payers will back Judith on that, the private sector is front and foremost while central government will take a back seat. Money spent on infrastructure and trades is better than money spent on additional school funding.
    
    Judith will look like a master tradesman on TVNZ alongside the apprentice. 😎
    
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    July 18, 2020 3:25pm
- Inandout
  
  RJ, our left appear to be blind to any other message than Jacinda being our ‘Covid Saviour’, and for that she should be worshipped on the highest. Thankfully we haven’t reached the ludicrous state of affairs as NY city’s Mayor:
  
  ‘Mayor Bill de Blasio celebrated New York’s record low prison population even as shootings soared by a whopping 277 per cent compared to the same week last year.
  
  ‘During a news conference, de Blasio claimed that allowing more criminals out on the street actually makes New Yorkers “safer.”
  
  “We now have fewer people in our jails than any time since [World War II], and we are safer and better for it,” he said’.
  
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  July 18, 2020 9:03am
  - Classic Liberal
    
    WTF?????
    
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    July 18, 2020 10:36am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Spinoff is another that consistently runs Saviour Jacinda stories and revels in telling us of the evils of the Nats.
  
  A couple of days back one of their writers did an expose on Judith Collins – she didn’t know the price of a kilo of cheese.
  https://thespinoff.co.nz/food/16-07-2020/emily-writes-if-you-dont-know-the-price-of-cheese-youre-not-fit-to-run-the-country/
  
  Well, does any politician? Does our Prime Minister?
  Such details were missing from Emily’s rant.
  
  I’m sorry spinoff… but until your writers learn the basics of a “fair test”, I won’t be responding to your begging notes.
  
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  July 18, 2020 9:10am
  - Ruahine
    
    Spinoff is also part of the $50 million of taxpayers money. NZ on Air.
    
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    July 18, 2020 9:19am
  - Suze Wainwright
    
    Spinoff = completely left, but is occasionally punctuated by a rare objective and balanced item…
    
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    July 18, 2020 9:21am
  - Tall Man
    
    Prior to the election in 2017 ardern was asked which was her favourite National Park. She couldn’t name a single one.
    
    Principles of the ToW ……. Failed again.
    
    GDP, isn’t that the hairdryer installed in the MBIE bathrooms?
    
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    July 18, 2020 9:33am
  - tf78
    
    When you do your shopping you just throw it in the trolley – unless you’re going specifically to buy a “block of cheese” why would you know the exact cost anyway.
    
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    July 18, 2020 9:42am
    - Tauhei Notts
      
      And, a kilogramme of goat’s milk feta costs a hell of a lot more than a kilogramme of mouse trap cheddar.
      
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      July 18, 2020 10:48am
    - Surely Knott
      
      Judith is also a person whose children are grown, and regularly commutes between cities. So I imagine that she is probably not buying cheese in a large family block of cheese. She probably buys the small blocks. When your kids are teenagers and you are home all the time, cooking big family meals regularly and making school lunches you have your eye more on the cost of large bulk items . When you have a small household who won’t be in one place for long you are probably focused on value by buying something that is the right size and won’t be wasted or go off.
      
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      July 18, 2020 1:02pm
  - bruceavon
    
    I am surprised anyone on here reads the Spinoff. Started by left wing woke lovelies for that point of view. I think of it as our Huffington Post. I read it occasionally too, but it is hopelessly biased. They sometimes attack the government, but because they aren’t left wing enough.
    
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    July 18, 2020 9:43am
  - RJ
    
    I guess the real question should be how much does a litre of petrol cost prime minister once all the govt taxes are removed from it
    
    I don’t know how much a lock of cheese is, pick it up, throw it in the trolley, that’s about it, then pay for everything
    
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    July 18, 2020 9:45am
    - Komata
      
      RJ@0945
      
      FWIW: Concerning the price of a block of cheese:
      
      As with petrol, said price depends-upon the brand, the supplier , the retailer and the location, with most blocks of ‘bog-standard’ cheeses (Edam, Mild, Colby ,Cheddar etc.) being in the $10.00-$14.00 range, although this can vary significantly especially when supermarkets indulge in a mini-price war against their local competitors.
      
      Naturally, of course, if anyone wants anything outside the types listed-above (including even ‘ordinary’ tasty-type) , the price increases accordingly…
      
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      July 18, 2020 11:23am
  - herb1
    
    Emily , I’d prefer somebody who knows the value of money over somebody who knows the price of cheese
    
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    July 18, 2020 10:57am
  - IC5000
    
    > Well, does any politician? Does our Prime Minister?
    
    I recall an interview with an Indian dairy owner who said his friends and family back home were amazed the HC popped in to buy milk without being attended to by an entourage so it does happen. It’s important that politicians of all persuasions have an idea of the challenges being faced by the voters and this includes food prices. How can you connect with voters if you don’t know about their lives? It doesn’t take that much effort to wander down to the dairy section of your local supermarket so why make excuses.
    
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    July 18, 2020 11:16am
- Suze Wainwright
  
  I take it you haven’t donated to Stuff then…?
  
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  July 18, 2020 9:25am
  - C J Southern
    
    I’m confused by all those adverts; I agree that “reliable, independent news you can trust” is important – but every time I click to donate it takes me to a page to give money to Stuff …
    
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    July 18, 2020 11:03am
  - C J Southern
    
    On a more serious note, I’m wondering if there’s any scope for them being prosecuted for false and misleading advertising or a charge of obtaining money by deception given what they imply they are delivering (truthful, factual news) vs what they’re actually delivering (highly misleading & significantly biased content)?
    
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    July 18, 2020 2:05pm
- bruceavon
  
  Yes. I have been watching keenly Judiths cut through in the media. She has been in the headlines this week pretty well but often for the wrong reasons and with the wrong headlines. ‘Nats in tatters” etc BS. But she has to keep in the news. Was pleased then yesterday that the very important infrastructure announcement had her and National headlining in the morning. But by dinner time looked again and the announcement was almost gone off the front page and the photo of Ardern with the comedian. Thats the problem. Ardern only has to turn up to get in the news. Judith has to keep making reasons to get in the news. Keep the momentum going.
  
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  July 18, 2020 9:50am
  - Hollyfield
    
    I agree Bruce. Also while the headline “Nats in tatters” is absolute rubbish, even those who believe that is the case won’t remember by election time. What’s important now is what happens in the next 2 months, and Judith is showing herself to be strong and intelligent, but also warm and friendly with a good sense of humour, and with a good team alongside her.
    
    Lots of positive comments on the infrastructure announcement feed on facebook yesterday, and while there were also negative comments (as would be expected in that forum) the positive comments had far more upticks than the negative ones. Things are looking up.
    
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    July 18, 2020 11:09am
- DeepBlue
  
  The puff piece was embarrassingly old entertainment. More of these pieces will turn the undecided voter right, as the contrast with Judith’s professionalism and personal Ministerial experience is massive. I say keep it up Stuff.
  
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  July 18, 2020 10:16am
- Rachael Membery
  
  Didn’t Paula just do that? Not even original.
  
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  July 18, 2020 7:34pm
oldpark

Who would be a Landlord? After the latest attack on Landlords with the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill who would want to be a Landlord .
Yes the Amendments are so Punitive against Landlords they are scary . Seems the Ardern Government with Peters Party and the far left Lunatic Green Party aboard will decide that Landlords Rights will be not worth a cold cup of sick . Tenants will infact be the defacto owners of the Rental with the new kneecapping rules against Landlords .
Once ratbag Tenants get installed into a Private Landlord owned Property seems a lot of pain and anguish for their removal will virtually destroy the Rights of Landlords and put the ratbags in control. .Completely protected by the so called new rules brought in by the present Regime .
Yes to listen to Ardern “Be Kind” as her and her ilk sneakily destroy the Rights of Mum and Dad Landlords is a complete wake up call for all NZs as well at what lies ahead in the coming General Election on 19 09 2020 should National not be the Government 0n 20 09 2020. .
Of course the way of Communist /Socialists are to use a velvet glove with a hidden Iron Fist dripping with Honey .
We now know the Significance of the chants of Ardern at an address to a group of Socialist Youth when she uttered the words Comrade!Comrade !at least 15 times in 7 minutes .
Once more Landlords beware read the latest attack on you’re rights by Ardern /Peters/ Green Parties.
It is called “Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill”. A Bloody Abomination . Who would be a Landlord.
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July 18, 2020 8:29am
- Inandout
  
  oldpark, wise landlords have long since sold their rentals and the rest seem to be handled by ‘property managers’ (mis-managers?’) whose main purpose is to keep the commissions rolling in. In the meantime motels are the last refuge of the non-tenantables.
  
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  July 18, 2020 9:29am
- peterwn
  
  I know two landlords with a few properties each. Neither has given any thought to throwing in the towel.
  
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  July 18, 2020 9:37am
  - artemisia
    
    I know a landlord with a few Wellington city fringe rentals. That would be me. Sold one, in the process of selling another to family, converted one to office / storage (rented), rented 4 to family outside the Residential Tenancies Act.
    
    More than one way to skin Minister Faafoi’s cat.
    
    We may never know how many rural and provincial rentals are taken out of the rental market because the very cheap rent means they are not economic to upgrade. Costs the same to upgrade a 2 bedroom cottage outside Galatea as for the same in Epsom. Maybe more, actually.
    
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    July 18, 2020 12:33pm
- tf78
  
  I’m going to email Mike Hosking to ask Jacinda on Monday – quite casually “Jacinda, could you please tell our listeners who exactly is your ‘Mother Party’?”
  Do you think he’d do it. I would love to hear her reaction.
  
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  July 18, 2020 9:46am
  - IC5000
    
    Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
    Ask him if he can control himself by not crying again on election night.
    
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    July 18, 2020 11:19am
    - Humble Capitalist
      
      He didnt cry on election night though. Ardern was the one that came out with what almost sounded like a concession speech on election night, which most of NZ thought was fair enough given the 36% support
      
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      July 18, 2020 12:34pm
- artemisia
  
  A Nat/ACT government will repeal this Bill, along with most of the Healthy Rentals Standards. That has been said, though there is a new shadow housing minister now so who knows.
  
  We also don’t know what impact the changes will have on rental supply. Sounds like some apartment developments (many units usually bought for rentals) may not score bank funding. Maybe because of too few presales.
  
  We can confidently predict that prospective tenants will be low down the offer list if, shall we say, less than ideal.
  
  We can however assume there will soon be a slowing of increases in the state house waiting list, due to the government purchasing through the underwrite of unsold Kiwibuild homes. They are not exactly flooding out the door, with 12 sold in April, 321 available to buy May and 777 under construction May. Some of the latter have probably been sold off the plans, though yet to be seen if those contracts complete.
  
  There have been plenty of detailed parliamentary questions on Kiwibuild, actual information returned with heavily applied fudge factor.
  
  (Do people realise that the biggest % of the state house waiting list is single working age people, no children? Not hard working families.)
  
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  July 18, 2020 10:26am
- Classic Liberal
  
  Even the dumbest leftard should see that allowing tenants to misbehave and only being able to get them out using witnesses at the tenancy tribunal will be extremely bad for *neighbours* and *communities*. People will be too scared to stand up, and the more threatening the tenants are, the less likely that neighbours will dare complain.
  
  But they can’t even see that.
  
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  July 18, 2020 10:45am
  - tf78
    
    Maybe people requiring state housing should first be issued with a tent, if they keep that tidy and organised they can graduate to a caravan, when they pass that test they graduate to a home. It should not just be a given that when you demand housing you are gifted a brand new home without any proof of care, responsibility and basic skills to run a home.
    
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    July 18, 2020 11:27am
    - C J Southern
      
      Agree 100%.
      
      Interestingly, if the government housed anyone in tents there would be an outpouring of “this is violating their human rights” from the loony left. In contrast when I’ve stayed in a tent during some of my military service never once did any of us consider it a violation of anything – my recollection is that in winter it was a damn sight better than sleeping outside.
      
      Personally I think a good solution to the problem would be to house many of those wanting accommodation in military style barracks with ablutions provided (I “survived” in these for several years just fine). In tough economic times it’s about time they started looking for more practical solutions.
      
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      July 18, 2020 2:13pm
Happychappy

I see on the electoral forms the Government has sent out in the last week they have my mobile phone number without me giving it to them. So my question is are they allowed to get it from other Government departments like my Pension or heath records as we usually give our home line number for any thing like this.
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July 18, 2020 8:30am
- Inandout
  
  Happy, just be content that you are being traced by C19.
  
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  July 18, 2020 9:30am
- RalphT
  
  Ditto. The form also has a space for my email address, which I have no intention of give them.
  
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  July 18, 2020 9:31am
  - PhilP
    
    Happy and Ralph, the electoral commission only put your phone numbers on your record if YOU have supplied it, they get them from no-one but the elector. As for emails, this is a choice you make to provide for the purpose of enrolling or updating online.
    
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    July 18, 2020 12:55pm
- KevO'Brien
  
  They also insist on a pic for the Real Me ID too.
  I’ve just been informed I’m about to become a non-person and my photo, from a specified source, is required to enliven again.
  
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  July 18, 2020 10:07am
Vallager

I don’t get this travel bubble thing – if we open up with Tasmania and the Cooks, it will just suck money out of our economy. Our skifields are humming because the well off can’t go overseas – if we open up they will vanish.
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July 18, 2020 8:41am
- Tony Stuart
  
  Our skifields are seemingly humming, because they’re running at around 50% capacity, due to not being able to get the staff they require from overseas.
  
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  July 18, 2020 9:21am
  - Captain Mainwaring
    
    If that’s the case why are the carparks full before the sun comes up in the morning?
    
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    July 18, 2020 10:18am
  - DeepBlue
    
    And it is July school holidays. Two weeks does not make a season. Next week Queenstown will be stuffed, wait for the crash then… 3,2,1
    
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    July 18, 2020 10:19am
- Benedict Yu
  
  There will never be a Tasmanian travel bubble. See my earlier comment.
  
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  July 18, 2020 9:30am
- Tall Man
  
  I don’t want to go skiing, I want to go somewhere warm.
  
  Remember, I choose my destinations not you or ardern.
  
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  July 18, 2020 9:37am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Atm Waikiki is out of the question, otherwise I would be there
    
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    July 18, 2020 11:24am
  - alwyn
    
    “I choose my destinations not you or Ardern”.
    
    Only until mid-September, sunshine.
    After that you will go to wherever the Politburo say.
    Waiouru in Winter for the likes of you.
    
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    July 18, 2020 3:59pm
- lofty
  
  As far as the Cooks are concerned, they buy 99% of their supplies to service tourists from NZ. The spending is done in NZ dollars, the Cook islanders travel back here to visit family and do business. So it makes perfect economic sense to open up to them, Tonga, Samoa, and Niue for the same reasons.
  
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  July 18, 2020 9:53am
- Scooter
  
  If there is a trans tasman or CI bubble then it won’t be before summer, if at all this year, so no threat to the ski field. Unless National get in.
  
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  July 18, 2020 5:42pm
lifesgood

Everyone is saying National won’t win. Why? Labour didn’t win last election so why would they win this one? Is it possible that right leaning, National voters have become enamoured of the princess? I find that hard to believe when she has failed at nearly every turn. Polls, hmmm when have they ever been accurate?
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July 18, 2020 8:47am
- Benedict Yu
  
  “Polls, hmmm when have they ever been accurate?
  
  Frequently. Otherwise DPF would not have a day job.
  
  There are many people, including people who voted National in the last election, who believe that Jacinda saved their lives. Politically, COVID was a gift to the PM.
  
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  July 18, 2020 9:34am
  - Tauhei Notts
    
    “believe in the MYTH that Jacinda saved their lives”.
    That myth is the huge hurdle that Crusher must clear. It is a big task, but I am hoping she is up to it.
    The alternative is unthinkable.
    Years ago a book was written about W.E. Rowling titled; “The Man and the Myth”. Several wags suggested that the title
    “The Man is a Myth” would have been more suitable.
    
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    July 18, 2020 10:55am
- RJ
  
  I wouldn’t say everyone, but a few naysayers are giving up. I even heard a lady the other say how she voted for Jacinda but will be voting Judith because she comes across as a real leader, that Jacinda hasn’t done anything she campaigned on
  
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  July 18, 2020 9:47am
Allan

The Greens are just a waste of space and oxygen. Yesterday Judith was announcing a $31 billion infrastructure package designed to get the country moving in order for us to be able to claw our way out of the economic mess that a combination of the current Govt’s stupidity and Covid have got us in to. Today with great fanfare Genter announces the expenditure of 220 million on extending a bloody cycle lane. For gods sake what a total and utter waste of money, it will do nothing to improve the economy so what is the point. I honestly do not know what planet the Greens live on but it certainly not on the one that I inhabit. I really am looking forward to them getting booted out of Parliament and consigned to the historical dust bin as the place will be a much better place without their ideology and zealotry being spouted and given the light of day. They are just a bunch of muppets with absolutely no idea as to what is required in a functioning economy.
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July 18, 2020 8:49am
- tf78
  
  I would like to turn all the cycle lanes into parking spaces.
  
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  July 18, 2020 9:48am
  - Nickc2
    
    I’ll second that! While we are at it, we may as well put speed bumps on the footpath.
    
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    July 18, 2020 11:59am
- KevO'Brien
  
  Isn’t Genter making it mandatory too for all expectant mums to follow her example and cycle to the birthing unit?
  Call the Magenta Police.
  
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  July 18, 2020 10:11am
- JibberJabber
  
  What do Julies’ electric putt, putt cars drive on? The footpaths?
  Why are the Greens too thick to understand that they will still need roads if their ~~utopian~~ hellish vision comes to pass?
  
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  July 18, 2020 11:12am
  - curry4me
    
    JibberJabber: And a new power station once a certain number are in use. Or brown/blackouts. Won’t that be fun?
    
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    July 18, 2020 3:11pm
- Paulus
  
  You should see the damage that is to be done when the Tauranga Council alters the roading in Pilot Bay and the Main Beach at Mt Maunganui.
  This is ludicrous for Cycles only and one way.
  There is a loss of over 125 parking spaces.
  People will not go to any of the 9 cafes and Restaurants effectively served by these parking spaces in addition to the thousands of Mt Maunganui walkers, every day, who will not be able to park within a kilometre of the Mount.
  They say a trial – it is the Council Staff and the Bicycle brigade behind for the last two years it not the Councillors who are imbeciles to allow it.
  There a many less bicycles than walkers etc.
  
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  July 18, 2020 1:34pm
kowtow

If anything was needed to prove that this govt is nothing more than ,literally , a Cargo Cult , it is the millions of our dollars promised on Hood aerodrome. And there’s plenty of other examples ,ironically enough the bungy jump dole out ,another.

Cargo Cultists . Literally.
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July 18, 2020 9:00am
- Benedict Yu
  
  Yes a shocking waste of money. Politicians and airports are a bad mix the world over. New Zealand is very well served by airports.
  
  I remember that Green mayor of Wellington who rode a bike was obsessed with extending the Wellington runway. Which would have cost a colossal amount. Because Harbour. And Cook Strait. Luckily the idea seems dead.
  
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  July 18, 2020 9:40am
  - PhilP
    
    Benedict Yu, did you know that Celia Wade-Brown is the Greens candidate for the Wairarapa in this years GE?
    
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    July 18, 2020 1:04pm
Lee C

Excuse the repetition – but I think this is worth discussion:

The popular ‘app’ most used before, during and after lock down was eftpos machines.

I recall seeing only one sterilised or wiped down after I used it in all the outlets I visited. I also saw tourists in the supermarket doing essential journeys.

My question is: If this virus was that infectious and contagious, and it is safe to say that people were being released into our communities with Covid 19 from overseas – and if eftpos machines were treated with similar oversight nationwide – why aren;’t there ‘tens of thousands’ of deaths, like Ardern told us there would be?
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July 18, 2020 9:01am
- RJ
  
  Someone asked asb why they are not cleaning their machines down after people use them, their reply was that the spray they use lasts and works for 30 days. Don’t know how that works, but I do know every eftpos I used that didn’t have payWave had a bottle beside it and everyone cleaned their hands before and after using it
  
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  July 18, 2020 9:07am
- SGA
  
  The popular ‘app’ most used before, during and after lock down was eftpos machines.
  
  Well, during lockdown, my local supermarket wasn’t accepting cash, most customers were using paywave, and the eftpos on standard checkouts (and everything on the self-service) was being wiped down regularly from what I saw.
  
  If this virus was that infectious and contagious
  
  As viruses go, it seems to spread fairly easy (just look at how quickly things have got away in Melbourne). Not as contagious as measles say, but it seems pretty good at it.
  
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  July 18, 2020 9:16am
  - RJ
    
    Yeah, we just need to look overseas to see how quickly this spreads
    
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    July 18, 2020 9:28am
- Benedict Yu
  
  I always wash my hands before and after using an eftpos or ATM machine.
  
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  July 18, 2020 9:50am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  You put your card in and it swallows it. Do your stuff and the ATM spits the card out. Is the inside of the machine cleaned? The person before you put their card in, as did the person before, the person before, the person before ……
  
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  July 18, 2020 9:52am
  - Sacha
    
    @ Steve Otto: hence the importance of
    a) washing/sanitising your hands, and
    b) keeping them away from your face.
    
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    July 18, 2020 10:44am
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      The bugs are on your card – now in your wallet, spreading to other cards. Washing hands does not stop this. Next card goes in the next machine and the cycle repeats
      
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      July 18, 2020 11:28am
Engelbert Humperdink

We keep getting told we must avoid another Melbourne / Victoria.

The spread in Victoria is not from random escapes from isolation, nor from the average citizen going about their lawful businesses. That’s pol-spin, to cover up the to-them-unpalatable fact that high-density tower housing populated by people* with cultural imperatives to not keep their distance combined with indifferent personal and family hygiene and exacerbated by direct-flow air-conditioning (the exact opposite of airliner-style aircon) gives you your perfect Petri** dish for spread.

* the Demographic That Must Not Be Named.

** yes I know Petri dishes are for bacteria, it’s a simile or whatever. Sister Euphemia whacked me repeatedly for confusing metaphors and similes and analogies, clearly it didn’t take 🙂
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July 18, 2020 9:15am
- SGA
  
  Or the effects of repeated concussions have taken their toll 🙂
  
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  July 18, 2020 10:14am
- The Proper Ghandi
  
  Because they don’t care about the countries that bend over backwards for them. We are being taken for a ride, and they think in terms of “the x community,” not in terms of the entire community in a unified sense.
  
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  July 18, 2020 10:19am
  - rouppe
    
    not in terms of the entire community in a unified sense.
    
    That would be “society”.
    
    There is to much talk about individual communities – which really only serves to divide us – and not enough talk about what sort of society we want
    
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    July 18, 2020 4:48pm
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  It’s probably an example of metonymy rather than metaphor.
  
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  July 18, 2020 10:22am
- alwyn
  
  Those high-rise apartment blocks in Melbourne don’t allow you to have social distancing. It isn’t the choice of the people living there. The design of the buildings offers no alternative.
  
  They have a lot of communal spaces. The laundries for example are shared, and there aren’t many of them. The lifts are very small in size and there aren’t many of them either. The buildings are typically 20 stories high and you can’t climb that many stairs, can you?
  They were typically built in the late 1940s and 1950s. They really are just like the Cruise ships.
  Have a look at what they are like. Soviet design from the time just after WW2 is what they are like.
  
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  July 18, 2020 4:17pm
CaptainCompromise

https://i.stuff.co.nz/pou-tiaki/300056025/offensive-christchurch-gondola-time-tunnel-attraction-mispronounces-te-reo-celebrates-colonialism

Gosh this victim culture makes me wish the gondola cable would snap mid ride with me on it. (I’m part Maori as well and the European part of me is greatly offended at the Maori part of me, and vice versa). What’s more, who appointed white as snow stuff to hand out “Pou Tiaki” or protection articles in the context? The cultural appropriation is shameful and the insinuation that Maori need protection is racist. Sarc/
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July 18, 2020 9:25am
- Ruahine
  
  Attending a kura a little while ago and nature was being discussed when a bright young thing asked if it was possible to make snow black. Why would you want snow to be black the Kuia asked. Because if it was black pakehas would not want to go skiing was the reply. I wanted to offer a scientific explanation along the lines of prisms, light refraction, colour spectrum etc but wisely realised that this was pakeha science. “When ignorance is bliss ’tis folly to be wise ” I remember learning at a much better school. I felt a little sad.
  
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  July 18, 2020 11:55am
Simon

Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
$31 billion to fix North Island’s fucked infrastructure due mainly to over immigration. (it will be closer to $50 billion in 10 years time)

Where is all the money going to come from to pay back the borrowing? It will not come from the low wage economy that immigration help create.

Nothing but a wall of taxation is NZ’s future.

Whatever bull shit wealth taxes Labo will come up with now has tacit support from National.

National the party of taxation to fix mistakes they made last time in government.
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July 18, 2020 9:26am
- IC5000
  
  > Where is all the money going to come from to pay back the borrowing?
  
  Borrow and pray
  
  Don’t forget the most frighting words in the English language “I’m from the the government and I’m here to help” – by seizing your land through compulsory acquisition with paid for with your own money based on dodgy valuations and you’ll be charged a fee to drive on that same road as well if you’re lucky enough to be able to buy back into the area.
  
  Clown world
  
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  July 18, 2020 11:28am
- C J Southern
  
  National had no alternative to upping immigration; the GFC had hit and the country had become uncompetitive in the global economy; as a result many skilled professionals and blue collar workers left the country for shores where they either earned more or got to keep more of what they did earn – taking their NZ tax contributions with them (resulting in a MASSIVE shortage of skilled labour that remains to this day).
  
  That shortfall in government tax revenue had to be replaced; running deficits year after year is not sustainable.
  
  Yes – that immigration did put pressure on housing, roading, and other infrastructure but it was always far preferable to tanking the economy even further which was the only viable alternative.
  
  “Where is all the money going to come from to pay back the borrowing?” you ask. Under a Labour government the solution would be “tax” and “issue new bonds to pay for old bonds when they’re due”. Under National it will (again) be through a combination of belt-tightening and increases in GDP through a stimulated economy.
  
  The real elephant in the room is the selfish mindset of “ask not what I can do for my country – but what can my country do for me” that’s held by most Labour supporters resulting in a country where many try to live a state-funded lifestyle paid for by someone else. Part of the solution to this economic challenge is going to again be belt tightening (or what the fiscally illiterate call “9 years of neglect”); the country is going to have to learn to live within it’s means. Labour government not wasting billions on vote buying would be a great start.
  
  If you look up the figures following the GFC you’ll see that National straight-lined the budget deficits through to the surplus that Labour kindly delivered on their behalf shortly after being gifted power by NZF; that was a phenominal achievement. Labour have ZERO commercial expertise in their ranks and as such are completely out of their depth in terms of repeating such a feat. Recovery under National will be long and painful. Recovery under Labour would be impossible.
  
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  July 18, 2020 11:28am
  - WaynelSexton
    
    So instead of taking the hit, and upskilling our own in 2008. We are now in the exact same position for this much larger financial collapse that is just beginning.
    Except now we have an extra million mouths to feed and a larger infrastructure deficit.
    Party vote National
    
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    July 18, 2020 1:43pm
    - marcw
      
      Except now we have an extra million mouths to feed and a larger infrastructure deficit.
      
      That’s what happens when Winston selects Labour to form a coalition without talent or clues. Another three years of this and we will be Venezuela.
      
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      July 18, 2020 1:51pm
    - C J Southern
      
      Many comment along those lines – and if everyone thought and acted rationally then that may have been achieveable. But as things stood (a) we needed the immigrants faster than we could train people and (b) far too many kiwis just aren’t motivated enough to put in the work.
      
      In talking with recruiters for one of New Zealand’s largest employers their requirements are (a) must be physically fit and (b) must be able to pass a drugs test. Very hard to find people that can meet both … for a job that pays $60,000 a year. In consequence they hire some from overseas (and no, they don’t get paid any less).
      
      I’m convinced that a common-law definition of democracy in NZ is “a system by which the poor majority all vote that the rich minority have to pay for everything the poor want”.
      
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      July 18, 2020 10:30pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  It costs shitloads to fix the fuckups of the left. Helen Clark and Michael Cullen. Maybe you could explain why they left the cupboard empty?
  
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  July 18, 2020 11:31am
  - MikeMan
    
    It is worse than that, they actively worked to leave it in debt.
    
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    July 18, 2020 6:58pm
- KevO'Brien
  
  Productivity, productivity, productivity…
  How many house did tywfordism build?
  
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  July 18, 2020 11:35am
Jack5

Another reason for not subscribing to the Christchurch Press newspaper.

In it this morning, a very pale lady with a very pale child lashes into a local tourist feature. The woman sounds off about the feature’s portrayal of local European settlers. The newspaper reports her as saying:

European settlers were celebrated for turning Christchurch into a “thriving city”.

“It was like colonisation was a positive thing for New Zealand.”

It wasn’t? The founders of the Christchurch Press would be spinning in their graves.

The complainer, described as having a Canadian partner (presumably in the photograph), says part of her Maori genes are Ngai Tahu. She appears more hostile to white New Zealanders than prominent Ngai Tahu and former National Party list MP Nuk Korako. He gives a quite sensible view of the attraction to the reporter.

Before white settlers, there wasn’t even a decent size pa in Christchurch, just a group of huts. Settlers built the city of Christchurch, and founded the Christchurch Press.

Despite diversity talk, at least four-fifths of the Christchurch Press’s potential market is white. Yet the newspaper floats off on the revolutionary tide (already waning) of BLM-anti colonialism – anti-whites – anti-West.

No wonder Stuff needs the Government to bail it out.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/pou-tiaki/300056025/offensive-christchurch-gondola-time-tunnel-attraction-mispronounces-te-reo-celebrates-colonialism
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July 18, 2020 9:38am
- kowtow
  
  Ngai Tahu colonised the South Island .
  
  And Maoris colonised all these islands .
  
  Time for a bit of honesty .
  
  Warfare , slavery and cannibalism .
  
  Goose gander.
  
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  July 18, 2020 11:50am
JibberJabber

A timely warning,
Thomas Sowell

Ours may become the first civilization destroyed, not by the power of our enemies, but by the ignorance of our teachers and the dangerous nonsense they are teaching our children. In an age of artificial intelligence, they are creating artificial stupidity.
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July 18, 2020 9:44am
Tony Norriss

I think that National’s infrastructure announcement was a rat-cunning opening gambit.

The reason is that any attempt by Labour to criticize the plan immediately opens the opportunity for National to point to Labour’s complete hopelessness in implementing its own projects.
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July 18, 2020 9:47am
- rouppe
  
  They already are. They’re all “ghost roads” according to Robbo.
  
  Expect to hear that pose for the next week or two
  
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  July 18, 2020 4:36pm
krazykiwi

Just learned about a surgeon who works in the public system 50% of the week and the balance in private hospitals. Combined earnings north of $600k. The took the wage subsidy as their private practice income was down ‘badly’ during Level 3&4.

An isolated case, surely?
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July 18, 2020 9:50am
- Benedict Yu
  
  I don’t blame them. They don’t make the rules.
  
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  July 18, 2020 9:52am
- RJ
  
  Good on him, they weren’t allowed to operate during the lockdown, why should he go without wages for himself and his staff.
  
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  July 18, 2020 9:54am
- Tall Man
  
  A medium sized “private practice” near me has a $200,000 fixed cost per month. They also took the subsidy and ensured all staff were fully paid and had zero job losses.
  
  Remember, when lockdown started, no one knew how long it would last. It made planning difficult.
  
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  July 18, 2020 9:56am
  - RJ
    
    Yeah, same with my gp. If not for it a lot of staff would of lost their jobs.
    
    I was told the other day 14% of GP practises in Auckland are on the verge of closing.
    
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    July 18, 2020 12:27pm
- alloytoo
  
  They didn’t set the rules. Robbo did.
  
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  July 18, 2020 10:15am
- DeepBlue
  
  Most surgeons work 50:50 like this. The public work is almost considered charity service.
  
  I think they could well return the money once audits start and their reputation takes a hammering.
  
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  July 18, 2020 10:24am
  - chukar
    
    Thought this blog promoted personal responsibility?
    
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    July 18, 2020 10:46am
    - Tall Man
      
      The principals would be fine but the workers not so much.
      
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      July 18, 2020 1:40pm
- Sacha
  
  @ kk: Not. I am warned by the optometrist that I may need a cataract removed in the future. I can get it done for about $6k at private hospital, in about 45 minutes. BUT, because I live alone, rurally, and need my drivers licence, I can get preferential treatment at the public hospital in order to maintain my independence – and, “It’s the same surgeon who does the private ops”.
  
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  July 18, 2020 10:54am
  - Engelbert Humperdink
    
    Sacha, don’t forget to identify as Maori or Pasifika. that will shoot you up the waiting list even faster.
    
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    July 18, 2020 5:57pm
Flossie

OMG….Tova O’Brien should come with a warning label “Labour Party Worker”. Obviously talking about her “interview” with Judith this morning.
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July 18, 2020 9:50am
- C J Southern
  
  I’ve seen bull terriers defending their bone with less persistance than her.
  
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  July 18, 2020 11:48am
  - Nickc2
    
    Yes, and she gets real narky on social media when people bad mouth her. … [Deleted – Mod.]
    
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    July 18, 2020 12:18pm
    - C J Southern
      
      I found her extremely agressive “interviewing” crusher on her way to the leadership vote; seemed in capable of taking the hint – just kept on and on and on and on and on trying to get the answer that crusher had already answered.
      
      The likes of Michael Parkinson or Graham Norton wouldn’t have lasted 10 minutes if they’d treated their guests that way. It’s almost “caveman” primitive.
      
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      July 18, 2020 10:35pm
- DeepBlue
  
  What about Tova saying “Grant Robertson texted me this morning to ask about….” ? How impartial is that admission? Is this grounds to complain to the Broadcaster?
  
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  July 18, 2020 12:00pm
  - rouppe
    
    Depends on whether you know whether any senior national party figures ever text her
    
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    July 18, 2020 4:33pm
lifesgood

Judith Collin’s performed beautifully against a confrontational Tova on Newshub. Winston is being his nasty, vitriolic self. He looks yellow….not good.
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July 18, 2020 9:58am
Diogenes

It’s a quiet Saturday and this is my first post as a newbie contributor. So with the elections looming, I’d like to raise an issue regarding opinion polls, in particular the reliability accorded to the “margin of error”. It’s my belief the media have almost no understanding of what the margin of error represents, but promote it as a gauge of how accurate the poll is. To my understanding, the margin of error is actually a measure of how close the poll’s sample of people matches the demographic of the population at large, the assumption being that the closer you get to a perfect fit, the more accurate the results will be. Wrong, as many a supposed “rogue poll” has demonstrated. Because it says nothing whatsoever about matters which have a greater bearing on the accuracy. For instance, the way in which the questions are worded; whether the person polled can identify with any of the options offered; whether the subject had an argument with his/her significant other that morning; whether the subject for some reason either prefers to keep his/her real opinions silent or maybe enjoys misleading pollsters; and how well trained the interviewers are. There are plenty of other well-documented for-instances, yet I have seldom seen any thoughtful analysis of the subject, and I wonder to what degree polling companies revise their methodology after a particularly bad result? DF is a specialist in this field, so I would love to have his response.
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July 18, 2020 10:13am
- KevO'Brien
  
  The margins of error are even less meaningful except to a properlyconstructed statistical survey.
  
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  July 18, 2020 11:29am
- bruceavon
  
  If you are interested in polling check out 538 website in the US. They often analyse stuff like this and take you behind the hood to look at how polling works.
  
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  July 18, 2020 1:00pm
  - All_on_Red
    
    538 was last right in 2012
    In 2016 they had Clinton 80% to Trump 20% and at the last minute moved to Clinton 67% Trump 33%
    Not that good really.
    
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    July 18, 2020 3:18pm
    - bruceavon
      
      Yes but Nate Silver wrote and article a month out about how unreliable the polls were in the crucial states as a word of caution and that was enough to convince me Trump was going to win. The polls nationally were a couple of points out but people who think the US polls are completely wrong are not reading it properly. There are polls that are more accurate than others but the main problem is MSM looking at a 3-5% lead and declaring it all over.
      
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      July 18, 2020 3:35pm
      - All_on_Red
        
        ‘The polls nationally were a couple of points out’
        
        There were only a couple who were close to the popular vote by 2%. Rassmussin and LATimes amongst them.
        The rest were out by up to 7%.
        
        But all that is moot as the popular Vote is irrelevant.
        Silver is just stating the obvious about the State Polling. Everyone knows that and it doesn’t change the fact he’s been wrong on his calls for years.
        You need to look at the sampling in the State (and National) Polls.
        The last three I saw (Quinnipiac, NBC and Fox) all had their R sample at around 24-26
        One I saw had Independents at I 13 and another at I 16
        It’s not representative
        At the 2016 Election the vote spread was;
        R33 D 32 and Independents 35.
        If a Poll doesn’t mirror that it isn’t really representative.
        State Polling is expensive as there’s lots of States.
        They are all making the same mistake as last time.
        
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        July 18, 2020 7:40pm
      - All_on_Red
        
        You might find this interesting- especially the attitudes of the people being Polled
        https://tennesseestar.com/2020/07/12/shock-poll-shows-trump-on-track-to-win-reelection/
        
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        July 18, 2020 7:45pm
Fletch

Simon Bridges Instagram snap with his Commodore 64 ?

https://www.facebook.com/simonjbridges/photos/a.2397080273657461/3379496135415865/?type=3&theater
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July 18, 2020 10:16am
- KevO'Brien
  
  Commodore 64 code is still be run–they were truly pioneers.
  
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  July 18, 2020 11:30am
Maggie Pie

Never send a man on a woman’s errand. Reason# 156

My partner went up to NW earlier to get some nice fresh bread and a few slices of ham for our lunch (his fave is ham & spagetti sammies). He asked me if i wanted anything, so I told him to get a bag of the ‘Tegal Louisaiana Chicken Portions’ and that I needed a packet of Poise Pads – without wings.
What does he bring home – Chicken bloody TENDERS, and Pads WITH wings!
I mean the Tenders will be okay for dinner, but I’m going to have to cut the wings off the Panty Liners.

MEN 🙁
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July 18, 2020 10:43am
- JibberJabber
  
  ‘kin oath, those Tegel Louisiana and Nashville portions are the Real Deal, better than KFC, reheating some from last night for lunch today.
  
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  July 18, 2020 11:02am
- Captain Mainwaring
  
  Too much information.
  
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  July 18, 2020 11:04am
- Tauhei Notts
  
  If her indoors asked me to buy Poise Pads for her I would imagine that she was taking the piss.
  
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  July 18, 2020 11:09am
- Clyde
  
  What a sad deprived life you must lead. My heart bleeds for you.
  
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  July 18, 2020 11:09am
- Hollyfield
  
  Maggie, maybe it was a deliberate ploy so that you don’t ask him to run errands again?
  
  Here’s a piece from my favourite comedian Jeanne Robertson “Don’t send a man to the grocery store”
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YFRUSTiFUs
  
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  July 18, 2020 11:26am
- C J Southern
  
  Everyone knows you need to tell him to get the boysenberry ones – not the strawberry ones.
  
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  July 18, 2020 11:55am
- Fletch
  
  AT least he didn’t come back with chicken wings…. 🙂
  
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  July 18, 2020 12:19pm
- RJ
  
  You’re up to 156 and you haven’t yet clicked he won’t get what you want. As for the tenders who wants to eat that, go get the Louisaiana Chicken, let him suffer with the crap tenders.
  
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  July 18, 2020 12:22pm
- stigie
  
  Like i say to my wife, if you want something done properly, you have to do it yourself.
  
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  July 18, 2020 12:29pm
- Nutta
  
  Can’t you trim the wings off and cook those separately?
  
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  July 18, 2020 1:28pm
- Fletch
  
  In his defense, the Tenders and the portions have almost exactly the same looking bag.
  
  https://www.tegel.co.nz/products/tegel-take-outs-louisiana-style-tenders-500g/
  
  https://www.tegel.co.nz/products/tegel-take-outs-louisiana-style-portions-1kg/
  
  I have seen others make the same mistake.
  
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  July 18, 2020 3:51pm
  - Maggie Pie
    
    ok….I get that Fletch. But how do you account for the wings on the panty liners?
    
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    July 18, 2020 7:14pm
    - IC5000
      
      I’d say he just doesn’t really care.
      
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      July 18, 2020 7:26pm
oldfella

I missed this opinion piece yesterday, but it’s just given me a real chuckle. Gordon Campbell, well known lefty luvvie, ‘spewing’ over all the attention Judith is getting in her new, top, role. And taking the spotlight off our ‘real’ princess. Love it!
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL2007/S00101/on-the-mainstream-medias-romance-with-judith-collins.htm
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July 18, 2020 10:46am
- Tall Man
  
  ardernism is strong with this one.
  
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  July 18, 2020 4:58pm
- Lee C
  
  Bless.
  
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  July 18, 2020 6:01pm
- tf78
  
  What a hoot!
  
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  July 18, 2020 8:05pm
Fletch

Obama/Biden adviser Ron Klain on how the Obama Administration bungled the H1N1 virus and 60 million Americans got the virus.

I just have a couple things, I was in the White House in 2009-2010. I was working for Vice President Biden, I wasn’t involved directly in the H1N1 response, but I lived through it as a White House staffer. And what I will say about it is — a bunch of really talented, really good people working on it and we did every possible thing wrong and 60 million Americans got H1N1 in that period of time.

And it’s just purely a fortuity that this isn’t one of the great mass casualty events in American history. It had nothing to do with us doing anything right. It just had to do with luck. And so if anyone thinks that this can’t happen again, they don’t have to go back to 1918. They just have to go back to 2009, 2010. Imagine a virus with a different lethality, and you can just do the math on that

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyA4ZqATW5M

And yes, Dr Fauci was still head of the infectious disease arm of our federal government, just like he is now. According to CBS who reported on it in 2009, the CDC just asked that States stop counting numbers, it got that bad.

In late July, the CDC abruptly advised states to stop testing for H1N1 flu, and stopped counting individual cases. The rationale given for the CDC guidance to forego testing and tracking individual cases was: why waste resources testing for H1N1 flu when the government has already confirmed there’s an epidemic?

Some public health officials privately disagreed with the decision to stop testing and counting, telling CBS News that continued tracking of this new and possibly changing virus was important because H1N1 has a different epidemiology, affects younger people more than seasonal flu and has been shown to have a higher case fatality rate than other flu virus strains.

CBS News learned that the decision to stop counting H1N1 flu cases was made so hastily that states weren’t given the opportunity to provide input.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/swine-flu-cases-overestimated/

So, a lot of criticism is leveled at Trump at his handling of coronavirus, yet when the same thing happened under Obama and Biden, 60 million Americans got infected and it got so bad that the CDC hoped by not counting numbers it would just go away. If H1N1 had been as bad as coronavirus, then half of America may have been wiped out.
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July 18, 2020 10:47am
- Tall Man
  
  35 New Zealanders died from it yet we managed to “eliminade” it without a nationwide lockdown and daily “pep talks” from ardern on her covid campaign trail.
  
  Have our citizens really become that bloody stupid in ten short years?
  
  God help us all.
  
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  July 18, 2020 2:00pm
piglady

I truly think there should be a Judith Jacinda debate on immigration alone.
Most of our problems with infrastructure, health, education, housing are a direct result of having far to many people in the country. We are not coping and we need a clear understanding of which party is going to do what about it.
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July 18, 2020 11:06am
- IC5000
  
  Both major parties are addicted to the economic growth that mass immigration brings despite the detriment to native born kiwis. There is a lot of support of Brexit with posters here who seem to be oblivious that immigration was one of the main drivers of Brexit yet they are happy to support a party which wants to open up the floodgates. Gotta love the hypocrisy.
  
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  July 18, 2020 11:37am
  - tf78
    
    IC5000 it wasn’t so much the ‘immigration’ as we have here it the the ‘open borders’ which Winston and co just signed up for. Big difference as you can’t choose with open borders who is eligible.
    
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    July 18, 2020 8:11pm
- barnacle bill
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  So true.
  
  We are still trying to recover from the days of the last National Government, with their onslaught of immigrants.
  
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  July 18, 2020 11:40am
  - Nutta
    
    Both parties need to clearly announce their intentions for immigrants, given the huge expected influx of returning Kiwis to our home shores. Not likely to be much capacity for accepting foreigners with open arms? From anywhere?
    
    I hope returning Kiwis bring plenty of cash with them for housing and infrastructure…
    
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    July 18, 2020 1:31pm
  - WaynelSexton
    
    Barnicle bill, looking at all your downticks, it seems National voters haven’t learnt anything and are willing to destroy our children’s future with another onslaught
    
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    July 18, 2020 1:32pm
    - Tall Man
      
      That is a myopic way to look at things as is bill’s statement.
      
      Sure, immigration has boosted our numbers and put pressure on many services but ….. without many of those immigrants we would had less services to access.
      
      You and Bill, like many others, just don’t get how lazy a large proportion of our citizens have become and how they now see welfare as a valid career choice.
      
      Next time you pop in for fuel ask the boss why he hasn’t got any New Zealanders on the forecourt or ask your doctor why there are so many Filipina nurses.
      
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      July 18, 2020 1:56pm
      - RJ
        
        In my town we have one of the best orthopaedic surgeons, he’s South African. When they needed a new ophthalmologist they again had to look overseas to fill that position. Thank god for all their immigrants because without them our hospitals, gp’s, dentists would all be struggling to fill positions..
        
        I wonder if people realise just how many people are trained in nz then pack up and move overseas to make their money
        
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        July 18, 2020 2:37pm
      - WaynelSexton
        
        Classic boomers pretending like up until the 1987 immigration act that doctors and petrol station employees didn’t exist.
        Then acting like every generation after the boomers are so lazy because all the entrance level jobs are taken by low paid immigrants.
        I get it boomers it was hard competing against the 95% british posterity population in the fastest growing economy ever, while living in poor 95% British posterity neighborhoods. I feel for you guys, having everyone speak English around you.
        
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        July 18, 2020 3:14pm
      - IC5000
        
        This is a deceitful argument because at its core it claims Kiwis are lazy so NZ needs immigration when in fact both parties have been selling off citizenship for money through the education scam which allows immigrants to apply for temporary visa and become PR allowing them to bring their extended family here placing more pressure on infrastructure and services. There is actually a surplus of NZ nursing grads and why should we be offering and Indian student citizenship for working in a petrol station is beyond me. The lazy kiwis argument is just one of those myths perpetuated by those who want to sell out their own countrymen to lower wages. Thankfully with large number of unemployed we will be seeing and end to immigration for the time being.
        
        Not being a Brexiter this is one of their claims I am sympathetic to. It’s time to take take control of our borders.
        
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        July 18, 2020 3:16pm
      - Tall Man
        
        True RJ. The year my son did premed he required 89.6% to progress, maori and PI need 65% from memory.
        
        Hospitals are PC and racially biased institutions where “how” you talk to an ethnic person is way more important that how you treat them. Many graduates are fed up with racial based education and want better for their kids so away they go.
        
        Immigrants come from shit holes and are grateful to be able to work without getting bombed or shot at so a bit of bias doesn’t bother them.
        
        For many immigrants, Australia is the real goal and once they get PR here they are gone. It’s just that lately Aussie has been a tough ground for New Australians so they’ve stayed here.
        
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        July 18, 2020 4:48pm
      - MCos
        
        A niece of my wife’s had a job just before lockdown working in a restaurant. She was paid $12/hr.
        I told her it was illegal & she should stick up for herself blah blah. She knew that. She’s been here for maybe 12 yrs. It was all she could get & keep out of it . . .
        Those people that work for name businesses like petrol stations wouldn’t have those issues, but I’ll bet there’s plenty of people who get sucked in to near slave labour situations we never hear about.
        I hear about Filipino diary workers down south treated appallingly, by Kiwi standards.
        No wonder some people are less than enthusiastic to put the grunt work in.
        
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        July 18, 2020 5:04pm
  - chukar
    
    Yes the migration debate needs to happen.
    There is still strong support for more immigration with some on the National front bench.
    Voters need to know
    
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    July 18, 2020 1:45pm
  - tf78
    
    bb if NZ never had immigrants we wouldn’t have NEW ZEALAND!
    
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    July 18, 2020 8:13pm
    - WaynelSexton
      
      The British didn’t immigrate, they colonized.
      The British never joint the Maori nation, they built their own.
      
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      July 18, 2020 8:56pm
      - All_on_Red
        
        There was no ‘Maori Nation’
        It was a collection of tribes competing with each other
        
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        July 18, 2020 11:58pm
krazykiwi

How the UK government counts Covid-19 deaths:

1. You test positive in March

2. You recover, and go back to work in April

3. In July you are hit by a bus, killed. Or perhaps die of cancer.

4. Your cause of death is listed as Covid-19
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July 18, 2020 11:15am
- Tall Man
  
  And the US.
  
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  July 18, 2020 11:20am
- C J Southern
  
  To put things in perspective, prior to COVID-19 coming along someone in their 80’s had (roughly) a 10% chance of dying each additional year.
  
  And now that COVID-19 is rampant someone in their 80’s STILL has (roughly) a 10% change of dying each additional year.
  
  COVID-19 isn’t changing life expectancies much – and STILL accounts for less than 2% of all world deaths this year. Would be interesting to know what percentage of deaths are influenced by the economic fallout.
  
  Source: NZ Epidemiologist Dr Simon Thornley. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cB_DEbXrhE
  
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  July 18, 2020 12:00pm
  - krazykiwi
    
    I have just read a paper in The Lancet in which the researchers assess the impact of 1st world Covid-19 lockdowns on increased child mortality throughout the rest of the world. Planning to GD the details tomorrow. The numbers, even using the most optimistic scenario, are tragic.
    
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    July 18, 2020 1:09pm
Fletch

Very, very good speech by Mike Pence at Ripon College. A snippet on Facebook. He discusses the choices that Americans must make in the upcoming US election

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=673178913263797
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July 18, 2020 11:38am
Maggie Pie

Gawd some people give me the sh*ts!
An upset sounding female called into MagicTalk just before lynch to castigate JC “…….for not knowing how much a block of cheese cost”. Get a life woman!!

Honestly, who’d give a flying f….k what a block of cheese costs. Just send your partner to buy it.
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July 18, 2020 12:28pm
- RJ
  
  Was her name Aunty Cindy?
  
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  July 18, 2020 12:41pm
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Yes, very sexist of the Left to expect Judith to be doing the shopping.
  
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  July 18, 2020 1:53pm
JibberJabber

Maybe Shane Jones could use this to shame his “nephews’?
https://twitter.com/KarluskaP/status/1284255674197737472

But I doubt it.
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July 18, 2020 12:42pm
Durden

Interesting article in the Australia press before Covid-19 hit.

https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/leaders/lauded-overseas-new-zealand-prime-minister-jacinda-ardern-is-in-trouble-back-home/news-story/acf4b522893c3ed6a4b47d4f5680005d

Clear-eyed writing like you will never see from bought and paid for NZ media. And still totally valid today if you put aside the drama of Covid-19.

It explains why Labour’s strategy since Judith Collins took over is to make this election ALL about Covid-19, all the way to the election. I think Labour would like to gloss over the fact that lucky NZ dodged the virus despite, not because of, the CoL’s bumbling response—Weak and late, screwed economy, cluster-fucks with handling border quarantining.

Labour want to distract and stop people from looking and evaluating the shambles the CoL has been at real governing.

A re-appearance of community transmission will be the CoLs death knell despite Labour spinning to say we warned you. The only claim they can use to spin and say Jacinda was great will succumb to Covid-19.

If not, the ugly reality of statistics of wild election promises, innumerable working groups, policy announcements with proposed future spending, but zero meaningful measurable achievements — will finish them off.
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July 18, 2020 12:58pm
RJ

Be interesting to hear their side of if they even had permission to put it there, if the New Conservative did have permission you don’t pull it off because it is flapping around

Newshub

A complaint has been lodged with police after Labour volunteers were seen removing signs for the New Conservatives and replacing them with their own.
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July 18, 2020 1:08pm
- Fletch
  
  Typical lefties. Cheat if they can.
  
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  July 18, 2020 1:46pm
- artemisia
  
  But Ms Sepuloni said the Labour volunteers and the sign coordinator said sorry so all good then.
  
  2014 election, a site with hoardings from most parties close to Newtown Countdown – every one defaced except the Greens.
  
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  July 18, 2020 1:59pm
  - RJ
    
    Will be interested to see if labour put their hoarding up in the normal location in my town, on the fence of a graveyard.
    
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    July 18, 2020 3:09pm
    - artemisia
      
      Sounds like a photo op for National.
      
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      July 18, 2020 7:22pm
  - cmm
    
    Seppo says they were loose so her volunteers just helped by ripping them all the way down.
    
    Amazing that she’d even have the gall to try this on as a an explanation.
    
    Yes, as a nation we’re stupid. Very, very stupid. Stupid enough to let Labour liars into power.
    
    But not THAT stupid.
    
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    July 18, 2020 4:34pm
    - Tall Man
      
      36% voted labour, 6% voted green, so 42& absolute twats. Hopefully that number is lower in September.
      
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      July 18, 2020 5:46pm
    - Chuck Bird
      
      If anyone wants a photo of the couple the link is below. Given their age and the fact the have Labour signs they would be Labour Party members.
      
      https://ysb.co.nz/get-your-lies-straight/#comment-85627
      
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      July 18, 2020 9:03pm
  - Chuck Bird
    
    What would be nice to know is was the bits of the torn sign still attached to the wooden framework?
    
    If is was and the Labour sign was fastened to the framework that was not put up by Labour that should be an offence and was no misunderstanding.
    
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    July 18, 2020 8:32pm
    - PaulL
      
      On a fence I think. Their story is possible, if not likely. They’ll get away with it.
      
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      July 18, 2020 9:17pm
      - Chuck Bird
        
        It would appear to be on a fence from the link I posted. I would like to know if it was a private fence it the owner gave permission and if so to which party.
        
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        July 18, 2020 9:27pm
      - Nickc2
        
        If there are no prosecutions from this, it shows our police hierarchy up for what they are – Labour sycophants as demonstrated during Covid lockdowns.
        
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        July 19, 2020 4:12am
RJ

Hmmm, so the labour govt has decided to announce funding for projects the Auckland council had already set aside funding for. Guess they have no ideas so they are looking at what is already in the works

NZ Herald

The Government will spend more than $180 million on four transport infrastructure projects in Auckland, expected to create roughly 800 jobs.

The Puhinui Interchange and the first stage of the ferry basin redevelopment projects will both receive funding – of $47m and $50m respectively.
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July 18, 2020 1:25pm
- Hollyfield
  
  Perhaps this was all they could come up with in the 27 approx hours since yesterday’s announcement by National.
  
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  July 18, 2020 2:15pm
Durden

Gamechanger. Finger prick test for antibody testing with high accuracy.

While there are further trials to identify how much immunity and for how long do antibodies provide, will the NZ health officials who have outright banned an such tests now look at it seriously ?

“Ministers hope the AbC-19 lateral flow test will be available for use in a mass screening programme before the end of the year. The new tests have been developed by the UK Rapid Test Consortium (UK-RTC), a partnership between Oxford University and leading UK diagnostics firms including Abingdon Health, based in York.

The partnership was set up by the Government shortly after a consignment of Chinese-made fingerprick tests hailed by Boris Johnson as “game-changers” turned out to be largely useless.

Dr Chris Hand, the leader of the UK-RTC and chairman of Abingdon Health, revealed that the new UK-made test passed its first major clinical trial last month, involving nearly 300 people and conducted by scientists at Ulster University.

“It was found to be 98.6 per cent accurate, and that’s very good news,” Dr Hand told The Telegraph.”

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/07/17/exclusive-game-changing-coronavirus-antibody-test-passes-first/

(Tip: to see the full article, press X on address bar to stop “Subscribe” block notification loading as soon as you see the full article.)
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July 18, 2020 1:31pm
- cmm
  
  You don’t even need high accuracy for statistical testing (ie. testing populations rather than individuals). So long as you you know more or less how accurate it is you can apply corrections.
  
  But yes, antibody testing is the only way to test many things. Antigen testing only tells if you are actively fighting an infection and is thus a waste of time for many types of information gathering.
  
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  July 18, 2020 4:38pm
RJ

Winston Peters lies again

They call themselves the bad boys of Brexit – muck-raking strategist Andy Wigmore and British millionaire Arron Banks – who bankrolled the Brexit campaign.

Earlier this month Winston Peters denied a suggestion the pair were sending a team of political strategists to New Zealand to bring “‘mischief, mayhem and guerilla warfare”, calling the claims “rubbish”.

Newshub
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July 18, 2020 1:50pm
- Tall Man
  
  Everyone in the coalition lies …. That’s why it’s the coalition of liars 😉
  
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  July 18, 2020 5:33pm
curry4me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_G4pSFg8Nzc

CCP Tells Fibs

They don’t issue the basic numbers. Just feel good bulletins. China is losing markets.
The economy shrank 6.8 % in the April quarter. This was the first time they’ve reported a contraction. It suits their goals. They could blame the virus. Chinse exports have dropped. Hong Kongs’ special status has been removed, which hurts Chinas’ economy. The CCP is also worried about losing global supply chains.
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July 18, 2020 2:44pm
- cmm
  
  By extension… so does WHO.
  
  3 1
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  July 18, 2020 4:38pm
  - curry4me
    
    cmm: Yes, I agree. Teddy is Winnie the Poohs’ glove puppet.
    
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    July 18, 2020 11:11pm
curry4me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBhRqQF3KI0

Bojo: Back to Normal by Christmas.

I hope he means this Christmas. He wants to review the
Outstanding restrictions by November at the latest.
Employers will have discretion about who works from home.
Legal and insurance advice might be needed. Making work places
CCP virus secure won’t always be easy. Risks vary according to
health status. Regional lockdowns will be shifted to local authorities.
Stadia will open in October. So will conferences.
8 1
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July 18, 2020 2:44pm
greybeard

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/122174901/it-will-be-extensive-and-expensive-civil-defence-surveys-northlands-cleanup-job-after-flooding-and-slips

Hopefully this will stop all the angst about the recent drought up there.
And their new dams and water reservoirs & ponds are now all full, ready for next summer.
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July 18, 2020 4:16pm
- peterwn
  
  Seems that Hunua and Waitakere Ranges did not get full benefit of the rain badly needed to fill up the various reservoirs.
  
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  July 18, 2020 7:39pm
Maggy Wassilieff

Aussie cancels Parliament

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6838974/federal-parliament-sittings-cancelled-due-to-covid-19-outbreaks/?cs=14225
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July 18, 2020 4:28pm
- Tall Man
  
  Learned from ardern.
  
  Wonder if ScoMo does daily electioneering like cindy.
  
  10 1
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  July 18, 2020 5:29pm
  - curry4me
    
    Tall Man: I doubt it. He just does competent government. Something JA knows nothing about.
    
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    July 18, 2020 11:13pm
Happychappy

Judith Collins refuses to work with NZ First and Winston Peters in the upcoming Elections and Peter’s throws his toys out the cot and tells everyone in the media that National MP’s are lining up to give leaks on what’s happening to him and NZ First.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/07/nz-election-2020-judith-collins-keeps-door-shut-on-winston-peters-post-election.html
Can’t wait to see the scourge of NZ Politics given the arse from Parliament after Septembers Election.
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July 18, 2020 5:06pm
Lee C

enjoyed reading this:
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/07/prime-minister-jacinda-ardern-should-stop-being-so-woke-judith-collins.html
17 0
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July 18, 2020 5:59pm
Swifty

White privilege in the US:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkGiFpJC9LM

🙁
5 2
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July 18, 2020 6:18pm
Tauhei Notts

I see on Newshub that wily Willie Jackson is campaigning for the Crusher. Willie is great at getting his snout in the Taxpayers’ Trough, but quite dumb when it comes to electoral campaigning.
Willie should stick to the Roast Busters. He knows more about them.
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July 18, 2020 7:29pm
Happychappy

Willie Jackson goes for Judith Collins jugular over racially decisive comments.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/07/willie-jackson-goes-for-judith-collins-jugular-over-racially-divisive-remarks.html
Another of Labours bullies trying to become relevant by threatening woman who pose a challenge to Jacinda Arderns leadership. What happened to the Coalition policy on Wellbeing and Kindness.
18 0
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July 18, 2020 7:32pm
- RJ
  
  Yeah, let’s just forget what Judith was talking about Willie, and that was being against female genital mutilation. By trying to make this into a race issue makes me wonder where willie stands on that topic. Labour are shit scared
  
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  July 18, 2020 8:06pm
- tf78
  
  Happy – no wonder there is so much flooding, the snowflakes are melting everywhere.
  
  13 0
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  July 18, 2020 8:17pm

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