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July 31, 2020 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 31 July 2020

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General Debate

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Captain Mainwaring

Latest TV1 poll would suggest that the Nats have too much ground to claw back.
It’s clear proof that the majority of Kiwis are happy to be subsidised by the State for ever and a day.
But what happens when they run out of taxpayers?
Buckle up folks, this is going to be a ride you will wish you never bought a ticket for.
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July 31, 2020 8:01am
- tf78
  
  Captain – we can still win, be positive!
  
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  July 31, 2020 8:03am
  - Suze Wainwright
    
    To be fair, even RNZ are saying that Cindy will have to do a heck of a lot more than simply talk about her Covid record for the next 7 weeks.
    
    Must all be good though, Megan Woods assures us that Labour has a plan…
    
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    July 31, 2020 8:35am
    - Gravelroad
      
      @Suze- Her “plan” is to take over as PM when Ms Ardern goes off to her higher profile UN “job” sometime in 2021………
      
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      July 31, 2020 8:51am
      - Classic Liberal
        
        Ok, I hope it happens before the election. Megan Woods won’t attract any voters with the charisma that taxinda seems to have for a lot of stupid voters.
        
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        July 31, 2020 9:40am
      - Suze Wainwright
        
        Surely Robbo thinks Cindy’s just keeping the seat warm for him…
        
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        July 31, 2020 10:14am
      - Steve Todd
        
        Oh, Gravelroad, you’re really amusing. Why on earth do Kiwibloggers think our Jacinda would want to go to the UN sometime in the next year or two? The following is a far more likely scenario.
        
        It’s very obvious to everyone, that our Jacinda will be prime minister for as long as she wants to be. Therefore, surely she will hang in there long enough to become our longest-serving PM, i.e., until Monday 9 December 2030, on which date she will have served us for 4,792 days. After all, let’s face it, she has still to save us from COVID-22, COVID-24, COVID-26, and COVID-28, not to mention the no doubt several other dreaded lurgies that we will be confronted with throughout the 20s, and beyond.
        
        In December 2030, she will still only be 50 years old. Once she has led Labour to a sixth consecutive term, at the 2032 election, she will likely step down in 2034, just short of 17 years in office, to lead a UN agency, on her way to becoming secretary-general in 2037, or 2038, just in time to save (literally) the planet.
        
        So, settle in Grav / Kiwibloggers. Our Jacinda will not be heading off to the UN anytime soon. There is far too much to be done here, first.
        
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        July 31, 2020 10:46am
      - Jack5
        
        “Our Jacinda”? Our?
        
        On Kiwiblog?
        
        Or, Steve, are you just lapsing into the royal “we”: that is, you and God.
        
        You won’t find colourful grammar like the royal “we” in your beloved NZ Pidgin, Steve.
        
        The royal “we”:
        
        https://grammarist.com/usage/royal-we/
        
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        July 31, 2020 11:55am
      - artemisia
        
        Mr Robertson has his nameplate all ready for the big chair.
        
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        July 31, 2020 12:33pm
      - The Proper Ghandi
        
        Steve Todd
        A very low-resolution and naive take. You sound like someone predicting a dire and imminent “climate catastrophe” based only upon what is happening today, and utterly ignoring the past two millennia of (in this case) political history.
        
        The longer she is in office, the more she will be shown up, because when you lack substance, it’s very hard to sustain the appearance of having any. The economy will eventually nose-dive and she’s going to have to do something about it. And she won’t have that ability.
        
        Furthermore, the people and political colleagues get sick of the sight of anyone, no matter who they are. Politicians are all ultimately in it for personal advancement, so the more that the machinations of her colleagues gather steam, the more internal pressure she will be under and she will likely opt-out while she still has a shelf-life.
        
        Let’s not put everything on red for the foreseeable future based on nothing other than today’s political climate.
        
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        July 31, 2020 12:39pm
      - Steve Todd
        
        To Jack and TPG.
        
        As I have said before, for some reason, Gravelroad is allowed to put up a ridiculous suggestion, to all-round applause (30-1), but when I put up a directly opposing, ridiculous, suggestion, I am jumped on. (See my response to him, on Sat 6 Jun 20, at 10:12AM)
        
        Did I really need to actually state that my comment was a piss-take, or put a sarc symbol at the end of it?
        
        C’mon, guys, lighten up. Again, as I have said before, DPF has made it clear that he welcomes all points-of-view; that Kiwiblog is not a right-wing echo chamber. Why is that so hard for you to accept?
        
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        July 31, 2020 3:43pm
    - Bill Felt
      
      Since when have Labour had a plan?
      Soundbites do not make a plan.
      Annoucements are not plans.
      
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      July 31, 2020 8:55am
    - stewmar
      
      Megan wood couldn’t even come up with a plan to make Kiwibuild work
      
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      July 31, 2020 9:10am
    - JackRabbit
      
      “Megan Woods assures us that Labour has a plan…”
      
      No doubt something from left field and that is below the belt. This lot are incapable of running a clean campaign.
      
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      July 31, 2020 9:10am
      - Positan
        
        Like “honesty”,”integrity”, “uprightness of character” and all the other words they bandy about so often and so effortlessly – Labour haven’t even the faintest understanding of what they mean.
        
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        July 31, 2020 9:53am
      - Jimmy White
        
        You heard wrong. Motor Mouth said “Labour has a pan”. They need it because “lets keep moving”
        
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        July 31, 2020 10:04am
    - Maxx
      
      Don’t forget the other important parts. They’re working on a framework, having many conversations, and consulting with industry (unions). Reports have been commissioned which will never see the light of day, unless they reinforce the socialist message. But remember to be kind.
      
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      July 31, 2020 9:16am
    - kaykaybee
      
      Turkeys voting for Xmas
      
      Pre Covid we had:
      
      Kiwibuild FAIL
      Infrastructure FAIL
      Suicide UP
      Homelessness UP
      Child poverty UP
      Food parcels 400% UP
      Social housing list Quadrupled
      Rents $220 pcm UP
      Cancer Treatment wait UP
      Elective Surgery DOWN
      
      Anything else? Corrections ?
      
      Please add and circulate.
      
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      July 31, 2020 10:10am
      - RW Capitalist
        
        mass shootings up
        https://www.police.govt.nz/sites/default/files/publications/crime-at-a-glance-may2020.pdf
        
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        July 31, 2020 10:31am
  - oldgolfer
    
    We can and I suspect we will. Expect things to tighten a lot in next month.
    MSM doing it best (worst) to highlight Labour lead.
    
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    July 31, 2020 10:34am
  - Engelbert Humperdink
    
    tf78: I be positive that if this lot get back in, I’ll be paying massively more in taxes…
    
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    July 31, 2020 1:39pm
- [moderated]
  
  When I first questioned the wisdom of Muller here I was told I didn’t know what I was talking about. Then I said the Walker and the Collins change would be very damaging but apparently I was also wrong for that. Guess what people, if you look like a bunch of back stabbing, unprofessional no-hopers people won’t be interested in voting for you. I suspect if they’d kept Bridges his professional resilient nature would be a real strength right now.
  
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  July 31, 2020 8:05am
  - [moderated]
    
    Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
    I love the downticks. God this blog has plummeted over the last 18 months. Bunch of blue flag waving whiners. Basically the standard in drag. Either suck up to National or you’re off the team. Pathetic.
    
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    July 31, 2020 8:14am
    - Simon
      
      “I love the downticks. God this blog has plummeted over the last 18 months. Bunch of blue flag waving whiners. Basically the standard in drag. Either suck up to National or you’re off the team. Pathetic.”
      
      The blue rinse brigade are mostly controlled opposition.
      
      Simon Bridges was ok because he was good on crime and destroyed capital gains tax.
      
      So they had to get rid of him.
      
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      July 31, 2020 8:32am
      - stewmar
        
        Simon Bridges was ok because he was good on crime and destroyed capital gains tax.
        
        So they had to get rid of him.
        
        He talked funny and couldn’t grin like Jacinda when he talked
        
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        July 31, 2020 9:13am
      - I will not surrender
        
        I feel a little sorry for Simon.
        
        If only he had been able to speak properly, he would have been ok and still there.
        
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        July 31, 2020 9:56am
      - Classic Liberal
        
        Talked about as funny as Jacinda: strong kiwi accent both.
        
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        July 31, 2020 9:57am
    - kaykaybee
      
      This is a centre right blog.
      
      Deal with it
      
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      July 31, 2020 10:11am
      - IC5000
        
        More like out of orbit far right given the posts here.
        
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        July 31, 2020 12:04pm
    - calendar girl
      
      The comment above at 8:14am is said to have been “moderated”. But why was the author’s name removed as well, so that we now have no idea who posted what remains of his / her comment?
      
      [Mods: their name is ‘moderated’. It’s a childish protest of some sort. All Mod edits are clearly marked as such. If this name is causing confusion we may insist on it being changed.]
      
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      July 31, 2020 10:57am
      - calendar girl
        
        This name’s not causing “confusion” to readers – because we don’t even know what it is.
        
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        July 31, 2020 1:25pm
      - Batman
        
        CG – that’s the point. Their name is literally ‘[moderated]’ in order to take the piss.
        
        The moderators have not changed the name. They are imitating our formatting because they’re a childish snowflake.
        
        We wouldn’t edit names without public warnings and authorisation from DPF. It would have to be something quite distasteful to warrant it.
        
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        July 31, 2020 1:39pm
    - The Proper Ghandi
      
      The worst part about KB is people posting under their own comments complaining about how many down-ticks they are receiving. Don’t be so fragile. Lighten up and accept that people may think that you are wrong.
      
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      July 31, 2020 12:48pm
  - Gravelroad
    
    Haha @(mod): no one, but no one, likes an “I told you so” – especially those directly involved in soft-shell politics.
    But I agree with you re Bridges and Bennett and still can’t believe they were rolled for the hapless Muller and Kaye.
    Would like to take this opportunity to thank the departing Jacque Dean MP for her stand-up spirited defence of farmers against the Crown Land Pastoral Land Bill. Her descriptions of the Marxist Sage were right on the money.
    If there had been a bit more of this and bit less appeasement of the Socialist agenda by the Nat Party, maybe people out here would have more confidence in them.
    Will prepare myself for downticks.
    
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    July 31, 2020 8:22am
    - hookerphil
      
      Jacqui Dean MP is not departing – I gathered from her comments yesterday about having built 30,000 new State Houses that some hope she would.
      I certainly agree with your comments about standing up and speaking out, who ever it was.
      
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      July 31, 2020 11:24am
  - bruceavon
    
    Well if you just come on here and slag everything off, you will be right some of the time. But to your points. No. Bridges was on below 5% as preferred PM and they polled at 30%. And he had years to make the case as leader. It did not work. Muller, it is worth pointing out, took National in the right direction from 30 to 38%. Higher than now in the same poll. I think if Muller and Kaye had stuck to it we might be in better shape now.
    
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    July 31, 2020 8:55am
    - [moderated]
      
      Bridges had National polling in the 40s before a global pandemic. National lost their nerve, and like Walker, threw it all away in a desperate move. I hope Collins can rescue them for the sake of New Zealand but there was a reason they chose Bridges over her in an even fight.
      
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      July 31, 2020 9:29am
    - Nickc2
      
      In polling, you get what you pay for hence Labour donated $50m plus of taxpayer’s money with a promise of more to come.
      
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      July 31, 2020 9:51am
    - Classic Liberal
      
      Bridges polling low as preferred leader wouldn’t have stopped people voting National.
      
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      July 31, 2020 10:00am
      - Weinerpoop
        
        Not sure about that, I personally didn’t mind Bridges but a lot of National supporters I know couldn’t stand him and it was having an impact on which way they were going to vote. I think National has a much better chance of winning under Collins if National can get their act together. Another decent scandal for National and they are done for at this election.
        
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        July 31, 2020 11:28am
  - YesMinister
    
    Their mistake was having Bill English step down. He was calm, reasoned, non-polarizing, and he also effectively actually won the election. Winston’s fuckery put Jacinda in power, but he had National at damn near 50%. Every subsequent leader change from that point on has been a mistake. Frankly, I don’t see a path back to power for National for a very long time.
    
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    July 31, 2020 9:15am
    - Classic Liberal
      
      Agree re English. Judith has so far come across as calm and reasoned, let’s hope se learned from the best.
      
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      July 31, 2020 10:03am
    - Antoine
      
      Surely Bill chose to go on to greener pastures, rather than being pushed by the party. I’m sure they would have kept him if they could
      
      A.
      
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      July 31, 2020 2:46pm
  - alloytoo
    
    I agree with you about Muller. There is a certain passion about Simon Bridges which Muller never exhibited.
    
    Unfortunately, once the Muller disaster unfolded, there really was no other choice then Judith.
    
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    July 31, 2020 9:51am
  - Classic Liberal
    
    I thought Simon Bridges was fine, and actually had plenty of charm. Never understood why he was so disliked. Plus if we wanted to rub the CoL’s noses in diversity, surely Simon and Paula were ideal.
    
    Muller was a boring dud. Big mistake.
    
    Judith has been good so far and very wise to give Simon a strong role. The scandals are a huge distraction and she needs to deal with them quickly and go on to policy, policy, policy.
    
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    July 31, 2020 9:56am
- Tony Stuart
  
  I reject the premise of that statement CM. We’re just at the point from 2017, where Ardern rolled Little to become Labour leader, and look what happened then!
  
  National has a strong coalition partner in Act, but if the Greens fall short, all bets are off. I’m off to put up hoardings in half an hour, and I know National Party MP’s, candidates and members will be working their butts off for the next seven weeks, because there’s simply too much at stake.
  
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  July 31, 2020 8:06am
  - Brian McDonald
    
    Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
    How’s that coalition falling apart going Tony.
    
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    July 31, 2020 8:52am
    - Tall Man
      
      You actually support the watermelon’s policies?
      
      How Dare You ……
      
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      July 31, 2020 9:14am
    - kloyd0306
      
      No NZF and Greens on the verge of going below the threshhold – that’s how the CoL is falling apart.
      
      Maths and fiscal responsibility: Two things the left fail constantly.
      
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      July 31, 2020 9:46am
      - Paulus
        
        Greens will get through because Cindy cannot get a majority and will need the Green tail to wag, and get pissed over again.
        
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        July 31, 2020 10:39am
    - Loddenthinks
      
      Clearly haven’t been paying attention in recent days and weeks. Ardern and Peters disagreeing openly, Shaw laughing his head off after being called untrustworthy and unreliable by the political leader who had just been voted the most untrustworthy of all of them.
      
      And of course the Greens voting with ACT and National to repeal the waka-jumping bill they’d been forced into voting for against their long-held principles.
      
      If you think the CoL is rock-solid then I have a few bridges to sell you.
      
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      July 31, 2020 10:17am
  - Flossie
    
    My recollection of Jacinda Ardern becoming Labour’s leader was that Little practically begged her to take over…she didn’t wanna do it!
    
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    July 31, 2020 9:09am
    - UrbanNeocolonialist
      
      That was the spin at least. Reluctant leader. Yeah right.
      
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      July 31, 2020 9:38am
    - tavita
      
      And i have a bridge for sale
      
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      July 31, 2020 9:55am
  - stewmar
    
    Ardern did not roll Little. He anointed Ardern as leader
    
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    July 31, 2020 9:17am
    - Nickc2
      
      He played the sex appeal card FFS and caught Peters.
      
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      July 31, 2020 9:55am
      - Flossie
        
        “Sex appeal”?? Surely you jest!
        
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        July 31, 2020 10:35am
      - Nickc2
        
        @ Flossie 10:35AM
        Sorry Flossie, I forgot the (sarc). She has a kid so she must have appealed to someone sometime.
        
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        July 31, 2020 12:40pm
- Benedict Yu
  
  Yeah well I commented yesterday that it could be Greece all over again. The pain could hit quickly and savagely. I just don’t see how New Zealand will be salvageable without capital controls to stop a flight of capital offshore.
  
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  July 31, 2020 8:07am
  - Paulus Gnome
    
    Greece have sort of got over colonisation, we sort of haven’t, apparently . . .
    
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    July 31, 2020 8:29am
  - [moderated]
    
    At least we’re not in currency union though B.Y. Greece would’ve been better to dump the Euro, let inflation/deflation do its thing and rejoin (if worth it). Painful yes but a hell of a lot better in the long run.
    
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    July 31, 2020 8:45am
    - Classic Liberal
      
      Exactly. That’s why countries need their own currency, especially economically weaker countries.
      
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      July 31, 2020 10:06am
  - WaveyDavey
    
    Some of us who have been predicting a second term for at least 2 years have already moved our capital offshore. And long before Covid raised its head.
    
    The govt can get tae f*ck if they think they’ll double tax me
    
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    July 31, 2020 8:53am
- Poppa
  
  I am not sure if I have the stomach for another 3 years of Cindy & her henchmen emptying my wallet
  
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  July 31, 2020 8:07am
  - artemisia
    
    Well poppa, there are things you can set up to keep more of your income and assets. Legal too, though who knows what law changes might be coming down the pike (CGT anyone, despite Ms Ardern promising not on her watch?).
    
    One obvious choice is – time is the new money. Work less, play more.
    
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    July 31, 2020 8:35am
    - Random T Person
      
      I’ve been working less and playing more for the last 5 years. No wonder I have no fucking money!
      
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      July 31, 2020 8:47am
  - barnacle bill
    
    It is your choice Poppa, I imagine you are a big boy now, so you can upsticks if you wish.
    
    There are people from all over the world looking to come here.
    Obviously they like what they see of little old NZ.
    
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    July 31, 2020 9:03am
    - Sacha
      
      Of course they like it – the propaganda doesn’t paint a true picture. Just imagine all those fretful American accents once they got here and discovered the reality.
      I shudder at the thought –
      
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      July 31, 2020 10:29am
      - barnacle bill
        
        And just what are the realities you refer to Sacha ?
        
        A President who wants to delay the upcoming US Election because the polls are going against him ?
        
        An American economy that has declined over 30% ?
        
        A President that said no body likes him ?
        They shudder at the thought alright.
        
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        July 31, 2020 11:06am
    - Engelbert Humperdink
      
      They’re bursting to come here because wrongly they think they can’t ever no way no how get the dreaded Chinese virus here, no other reason. Except maybe they also want to be the richest hobbits in the ‘hood because of the exchange rate being very favourable to them.
      
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      July 31, 2020 1:43pm
- andrew davies
  
  Not sure I agree Cap’n. Imagine the Reid poll had some validity. It was sampled during the Nats turmoil whereas TV1 polled after the dust had settled. In that scenario the trend is therefore obvious and positive.
  
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  July 31, 2020 8:09am
  - Cinematic
    
    Agreed. Add to that Collins strong showing on PM popularity. I’m pleasantly surprised. Looks like her good humoured approach is resonating with joe public.
    
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    July 31, 2020 8:21am
    - Brian McDonald
      
      Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
      Have to be realistic about that, JC’s popularity also saw the Nat’s “popularity” drop by 6 points.
      
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      July 31, 2020 8:31am
      - BAM
        
        Look what she’s had to deal with and clean up.
        Couldn’t probably have a worse start yet she’s around 20% as preferred prime-minister far higher then Muller or Bridges managed.
        
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        July 31, 2020 8:45am
      - Cinematic
        
        I like JC’s ‘recognition level’. It’s all about momentum from here and she’s getting eye balls.
        
        I’m guessing that Labour’s 53% includes a big chunk of fluff so their real level is 42-43%. I’m also guessing National’s share is currently understated by around 5-7% (good chunk of their voters are currently too busy to answer the phone).
        
        My gut instinct poll has National in, Act in, Labour in, Greens teetering and NZ First out.
        
        I’m waiting with bated breath for Marama’s “Basket of Deplorables” moment to sink the Greens below 5. You know it’s coming…
        
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        July 31, 2020 9:02am
    - Loddenthinks
      
      A number of friends and younger relatives who I’d charitably describe as “uninformed and vote on feelz, get most of their information from FB, regularly sign Greenpeace petitions but would never actually do anything practical to make a difference” have commented to me in complete surprise that Judith Collins does not in fact eat babies for breakfast, and appears, against all previous misconceptions, to be both pleasant and highly competent. Who knew?
      
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      July 31, 2020 10:21am
- BAM
  
  That plus the omnishambles that has been National over the past month.
  You really can’t expect voters to vote national until they at least demonstrate that they can go a week without some drama erupting, not exactly screaming stable and government ready.
  The only positive has been Judith Collins and the way she’s stamped her mark as leader.
  
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  July 31, 2020 8:09am
  - kowtow
    
    Why would people vote Labour, who to paraphrase Garner, couldn’t deliver a letter .
    
    Oh that’s right , St Jacinda of the Plague. Her Sanctifiedness has saved us.
    
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    July 31, 2020 8:27am
    - BAM
      
      People generally don’t care about politics.
      Even Key said Ardern would be hard to beat if she became leader.
      Until the country collapses and goes through really tough times, people will continue to be disconnected and disinterested.
      
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      July 31, 2020 8:48am
      - kowtow
        
        Ardern was beaten by Bridges .
        
        I don’t think people are disconnected and disinterested.
        
        They’ve drunk the Kool aid of the Saviour, uncritically.
        
        The real test will be the economic fall out and then the idiot swing voter will swing again.
        
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        July 31, 2020 9:08am
      - Batman
        
        Look, I’m a Nat/Act voter as much as anyone on here but there’s no way that Bridges beat her on just about any measure.
        
        Even if grading their House performances on a curve, they were relatively even there.
        
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        July 31, 2020 9:27am
      - Lance
        
        And when even Cindy realizes NZ’s economy is turning to shit and the sheep won’t be happy, she will be off ASAP to the UN. Leaving the clusterfuck to the gibbering idiots that remain in Labour.
        Trouble is it will be National that will have to be the grown ups that clean the mess up, and of course no good deed will go unpunished and Willy Jackson et al get to spout forth how mean National have been.
        Groundhog day
        
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        July 31, 2020 9:32am
  - Durden
    
    But the leaker is still skulking around. A strong leader would put their head on a pike in front of the caucus room.
    
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    July 31, 2020 8:39am
    - plc
      
      So who is it?
      
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      July 31, 2020 10:39am
  - mark15
    
    Because its all about MPs sending text messages,not how you run the country.
    
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    July 31, 2020 9:24am
  - Loddenthinks
    
    You can’t really describe the CoL as “stable and government ready” though, can you? They’ve actually been the government for almost 3 years and have delivered exactly nothing except saving a few lives at the cost of a generation of debt, with no viable plan to get out of it.
    
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    July 31, 2020 10:23am
- Simon
  
  “But what happens when they run out of taxpayers?”
  
  Yep you are right Capt Main.
  
  But what has National done for taxpayers?
  
  Thats why National are in the shit. They have taken the productive for granted with their statist bullshit.
  
  Nine years to bring in a system of reduced tax, compliance, & regulation. But it only got worst.
  
  No one gives a fuck about the government books. The clown show were always going piss away all the over taxation that National indulged in.
  
  At least the productive could have kept more of their own money.
  
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  July 31, 2020 8:18am
- Brian McDonald
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  You live in dreamland, the majority of Kiwis want to work, prosper and see their children do well.
  You’ve got so far out of touch you believe that you know what other people think and do, and if they don’t think like you they’re bonkers or bludgers. Another opinionated dreamer.
  Nzers have always been innovative and right now the most innovative are leading the way in uncertain times. It’s the current generations WW2 and they’re not cry babies.
  And then there are the moaners…..
  
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  July 31, 2020 8:41am
  - kowtow
    
    ‘It’s the current generations WW2’
    
    Complete and utter rot.
    
    33 1
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    July 31, 2020 8:48am
    - Sacha
      
      Not a bomb in sight . . . . . . . WW2?
      
      8 0
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      July 31, 2020 10:34am
    - Paulus
      
      We are living in a dream world at present – when the bubble bursts people are going to be upset, but will not realise it is their own fault.
      
      7 0
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      July 31, 2020 10:45am
  - Sideoiler
    
    … It’s the current generations WW2……
    
    Bwahahahahahahaha!
    
    20 1
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    July 31, 2020 8:50am
    - Engelbert Humperdink
      
      Fun thing about all this is that it makes zero difference to what will happen in September.
      
      1 0
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      July 31, 2020 1:44pm
- Brian McDonald
  
  You live in dreamland, the majority of Kiwis want to work, prosper and see their children do well.
  You’ve got so far out of touch you believe that you know what other people think and do, and if they don’t think like you they’re bonkers or bludgers. Another opinionated dreamer.
  Nzers have always been innovative and right now the most innovative are leading the way in uncertain times. It’s the current generations WW2 and they’re not cry babies.
  And then there are the moaners…..
  
  2 30
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  July 31, 2020 8:44am
  - Captain Mainwaring
    
    You’re repeating yourself.
    
    24 1
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    July 31, 2020 8:57am
    - Dougal10
      
      Its all he’s got.
      
      17 0
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      July 31, 2020 9:33am
  - Tall Man
    
    Sorry Brian, you are in dreamland. A majority of Kiwis were sucking at the state teat long before covid. Many still voted National because they actually believed they had a chance to get ahead and do a bit better, either through a small business, a rental or even skills based education but … they still received income top up through subsidies or WFF.
    
    Now most concede those opportunities are being taken away and replaced with even more state money. Unfortunately they are not smart enough to realise that there is a limit and they are being played.
    
    As I have said before, the more astute of us are able to weather these short blips of a labour government but this time my weathering involves a little o/seas investment whereas before I have retained my funds within NZ.
    
    Until my fellow Kiwis grow up and get over the covid con and the con artist promoting it I despair.
    
    23 1
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    July 31, 2020 9:05am
- R
  
  Well yeah it looks like a one horse race. But: if it rains throughout the country on election day, and with some Labour voters assuming it’s game over, I’d expect some of those voters simply won’t vote.
  
  It’s also possible that the Greens won’t get any seats and Labour won’t have any support partners. It could be closer than some think.
  
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  July 31, 2020 8:52am
  - Loddenthinks
    
    “if it rains throughout the country on election day” unfortunately that probably won;t make much difference as this country, for unfathomable reasons nobody has been able to explain to me, allows and encourages early voting.
    
    Early voting has been growing at an alarming rate, and officials are expecting 60 per cent of all votes at this years’ election to be cast before election day. (https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12351328)
    
    At the last general election 50% of votes were cast ahead of “election day” which is increasingly becoming a misnomer. 1.24 million people voted early in 2017, and they expect that to increase by 20% to around 1.5 million this time around. It makes a complete mockery of rules around election advertising, hoardings, rosettes, and so on. Why?
    
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    July 31, 2020 11:43am
  - Rachael Membery
    
    Greens counting on the cannabis referendum to get people out to vote for them.
    
    0 1
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    July 31, 2020 3:18pm
- Philview
  
  This election will be be about 2 visions for the future. Jacinda’s benefit and stoner culture nation vs Judith’s self reliant and work ethic culture nation. I think this is going to be closer than it looks at the moment.
  
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  July 31, 2020 8:52am
  - Bobba Fret
    
    I’m hoping like in the USA and Australia, come election day there is a large silent majority of sensible people that get out and vote.
    
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    July 31, 2020 9:57am
- KevO'Brien
  
  I believe the poll was based on a small telephone-in sample. No mention of sample size or error bars. Statistical validity–close to useless. Good for the $5oM sellers.
  Labour can fool themselves with expectation, but that is their limit. They cannot do anything except reports and feelings and taking over control of the money supply of NZ. For that last reason alone they must be removed.
  The people are fed up with Mr Ed promising all, delivering nothing and stealing our children’s futures in one operation.
  
  28 2
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  July 31, 2020 9:04am
  - Lance
    
    Who has a landline to answer anymore?
    
    8 2
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    July 31, 2020 9:36am
    - alloytoo
      
      “Crickets chirping”
      
      3 0
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      July 31, 2020 9:56am
    - Sacha
      
      Me. No mobile reception –
      
      5 0
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      July 31, 2020 10:37am
  - LTA1955
    
    Had the call from Reid Pollsters – can we speak to someone in the household between the ages of 15 and 45…talk about selective demographic and they are not even trying to hide the “Lets skew the polls”
    
    9 1
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    July 31, 2020 10:56am
    - alex Masterley
      
      did you lie?
      I would have.
      But then again we dont have a landline so we wont get polling calls.
      
      4 2
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      July 31, 2020 11:53am
- Stephen Russell
  
  Actually, what I am picking up is that there are LOTS of things people dislike about Labour. But they’ll vote Labour anyway because Covid-19 trumps everything else. People do not trust that National would have – or will – act with the necessary ruthlessness to keep us all safe.
  
  21 4
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  July 31, 2020 9:08am
  - Prince
    
    And National talking about opening the borders doesn’t help.
    
    3 16
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    July 31, 2020 9:27am
    - Lance
      
      Bollix
      Try listening for a change to what National is saying.
      
      What they are saying is, if the traveler can pay for it, then they should be allowed to come here and isolate. Where there is a will, there is a way. Unless of course you are a govt of complete imbeciles and incompetents.
      
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      July 31, 2020 9:39am
- slightlyrighty
  
  Actually, the Nats are polling higher than Labour was at the same stage in the election cycle. I am also hearing a lot of grumbling about the cost to taxpayers of the free quarantine, and from Labour Voters.
  
  Labour needs to win outright, it’s coalition partners are stareing down the barrel of oblivion, and ACT is surging. It only needs an 8 point swing to change the government.
  
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  July 31, 2020 9:09am
- lastmanstanding
  
  My prediction FWTW is as follows.
  
  1. Labour will get somewhere below 50%
  2. The Nats will get close to 40%
  3. ACT will hold its 5% or even more.
  4. The Greens wont get back. They poll 1.5% above the election result.
  5. NZF is dead in the water.
  6. So the Greens/NZF votes will be wasted.
  7. Labour will govern alone.
  8. Unemployment will keep climbing to at least 20%.
  9. Business confidence will crash leading to unemployment.
  10. Labour will enact many new taxes. Death Duties Gift Duties ( they will say we had them before and this is an emergency ( of their making). CGT. New rates on higher earner one at $100K and another at $150K.
  11. The economy will tank GDP will fall.
  
  Have I missed anything?
  9.
  
  31 2
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  July 31, 2020 9:21am
  - Lance
    
    Cindy will bugger off to the UN and leave Kelvin et al to take the blame.
    
    18 0
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    July 31, 2020 9:41am
  - UrbanNeocolonialist
    
    Tactical voting – some labour supporters will vote green to get them over 5% the threshold.
    
    12 0
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    July 31, 2020 9:48am
  - alex Masterley
    
    LMS,
    Item 10.
    Gift Duty is presently 0%. to change it the government will simply pass a regulation.
    Death duty has been a policy of Labour since i was a small boy 50 years ago
    CGT already exists with the 5 brightline test.
    Agree on 11.
    
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    July 31, 2020 12:00pm
- Sir Cullen's Sidekick
  
  It is all over bar the fat guy (Gerry Brownlee) singing.
  
  2 15
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  July 31, 2020 9:27am
  - I will not surrender
    
    Don’t you mean the fat woman?
    
    1 2
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    July 31, 2020 10:03am
- Billy Collins
  
  14% not sure/refused.
  
  I don’t usually look at that part of a poll, but is that typical?
  
  4 0
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  July 31, 2020 11:34am
- Bullion
  
  Businesses don’t pay enough; WFF, accommodation supplement, community service card and other transfers for working NZers show that the Govt is subsidising businesses (and landlords).
  
  Also, the quickest way to run out of taxpayers is to run out of consumers (people that spend).
  
  4 0
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  July 31, 2020 12:24pm
- curry4me
  
  Captain Mainwaring: Three more years of Labour will give us Depression 2.0. Then a National landslide in 2023 if they keep JC. It’s good to see ACT possibly having 7 MPs. I’d like to see the New Conservatives get to 5% too.
  
  3 1
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  July 31, 2020 12:35pm
- Nutta
  
  Who bought a ticket? Jacinda nailed it to your unwilling forehead while her cabinet held you down…
  
  0 0
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  July 31, 2020 6:11pm
fernglas

Child deaths in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia are likely to rise by 120,000 this year because of the effect of Covid-19 lockdown policies. Another 4.7 million will become severely malnourished. This is a direct result of policies implemented to preserve the lives of largely senile, sick and morbidly obese elderly people. Who says black lives matter ?
https://abcnews.go.com/International/rising-child-malnutrition-rates-lead-120000-excess-deaths/story?id=72028102
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July 31, 2020 8:04am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Yep,
  
  Coronavirus: Seven Zimbabwe babies stillborn in one night at hospital
  https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-53580559
  
  Nurses striking for decent PPE…. patients suffer.
  
  23 0
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  July 31, 2020 8:24am
  - Paulus Gnome
    
    Yes, and we have PPE, somewhere, but we do have it we are assured. At time we are striking nurses off because of having an opinion formed from observation because, you know, hurty feelings . . .
    
    25 0
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    July 31, 2020 8:34am
- Sir Cullen's Sidekick
  
  Cindy saved 80,000 lives. So we are voting her. FULL STOP.
  
  9 15
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  July 31, 2020 9:32am
  - Classic Liberal
    
    Why don’t Kiwibloggers get Sir’s harsh humour? I think he’s actually on our side.
    
    11 3
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    July 31, 2020 10:36am
    - fernglas
      
      Irony has never been a strong suit for those of strong political persuasions
      
      7 1
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      July 31, 2020 10:52am
    - IC5000
      
      I find him funny AF especially given the down ticks.
      
      2 0
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      July 31, 2020 12:08pm
    - double d
      
      Because he is not funny and doesn’t do irony well.
      
      3 0
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      July 31, 2020 1:25pm
    - Scooter
      
      Full stop for the economy if Cindy gets back in.
      
      0 0
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      July 31, 2020 7:54pm
  - lifesgood
    
    SCS…I don’t think you believe a word you say.
    
    3 1
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    July 31, 2020 10:41am
    - Sir Cullen's Sidekick
      
      He he he!! lifesgood bro – I am hoping after hope, somehow National will pull this off…But just to wind the Kiwibloggers, I pretend to be a Labour troll to see how many actually react…
      
      9 0
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      July 31, 2020 11:51am
      - Classic Liberal
        
        You onion you ?
        
        1 0
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        July 31, 2020 1:54pm
igm

Captain: Well said. We are geting overrun with leeches who have never worked, run a business, or arisen from bed before 11,00 a.m.
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July 31, 2020 8:06am
- MT_Tinman
  
  To the point igm, we are getting overrun by leeches who have been taught, through our disgusting “education” system, they don’t have to work, invest in a business or get out of bed before 11:00AM because nanny will provide.
  
  As the Captain asked above: What happens when they run out of taxpayers?
  
  Not one of them has a clue and their masters don’t care.
  
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  July 31, 2020 8:38am
Batman

Perfection. This Turley tweet has aged well

https://twitter.com/JonathanTurley/status/1254399027057131529?s=19
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July 31, 2020 8:09am
- Caleb
  
  I guess you missed Trump’s point?
  
  17 1
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  July 31, 2020 8:15am
  - Batman
    
    He’s losing and is now telegraphing his weakness to the public?
    
    That’s not me, just his former BFFs at Fox:
    
    “It is a fragrant and flagrant expression of his current weakness,” Fox News politics editor Chris Stirewalt said during a Fox News broadcast Thursday morning. “A person who is in a strong position would never, never suggest anything like that. So Trump may be making a tactical error here by further telegraphing his weak position in the polls and his weak position for re-election.”
    
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    July 31, 2020 9:03am
    - Batman
      
      Just to make sure we’re clear about the views of the downtickers, even Federalist co-founder Steve Calabrese it off the bus:
      
      Trump Might Try to Postpone the Election. That’s Unconstitutional. https://nyti.ms/33azE6H
      
      “But I am frankly appalled by the president’s recent tweet seeking to postpone the November election. Until recently, I had taken as political hyperbole the Democrats’ assertion that President Trump is a fascist. But this latest tweet is fascistic and is itself grounds for the president’s immediate impeachment again by the House of Representatives and his removal from office by the Senate.”
      
      4 15
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      July 31, 2020 9:39am
      - virtualmark
        
        Batman,
        
        Don’t worry, “cancel culture” is just as much as part of Trumpism as it is part of woke progressiveism.
        
        By now Steve Calabrese is a RINO Never-Trumper traitor. Just a matter of moments before Trump says “Never knew him”.
        
        The Trump death cult has no room for heretics.
        
        1 2
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        July 31, 2020 1:24pm
      - Batman
        
        Unfortunately I made Steve more cultured than he actually is, it’s ‘Calabresi’ not ‘Calabrese’.
        
        But yes I am sure that he is now totally cancelled due to his crimes against Dear Leader Manliest President Ever™️
        
        1 5
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        July 31, 2020 1:41pm
    - virtualmark
      
      Trump saying the election should be delayed means we’re entering the “flinging poo” stage of the Trump presidency.
      
      1 2
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      July 31, 2020 2:03pm
      - All_on_Red
        
        Actually he never said it SHOULD be delayed
        You are lying again
        Four years in and you guys still fall for the laser pointer flitting around the wall
        I don’t think I’ve ever come across such dumb and gullible people who have been so consistently wrong about everything
        And yet you’re clearly not embarrassed at how you look!
        Hilarious
        
        2 1
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        July 31, 2020 2:22pm
      - virtualmark
        
        Sure Red, whatever you need to believe to get you through the day.
        
        What Trump tweeted was “Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???”. Even hard-core RWNJs called it out as un-Constitutional and fascist. But you do you.
        
        1 2
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        July 31, 2020 2:33pm
      - Batman
        
        Ahhh yes AoR, the defence of “it was a question not a statement”
        
        What a chicken.
        
        1 2
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        July 31, 2020 3:40pm
    - All_on_Red
      
      ‘He’s losing’
      Is that what you think?
      Lol
      
      2 1
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      July 31, 2020 2:24pm
      - virtualmark
        
        You’re starting to sound pretty shrill mate.
        
        Thoughts and prayers.
        
        1 1
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        July 31, 2020 2:34pm
- Simon
  
  Poor National party types and their TDS now crying about fake polling.
  
  Fake polling tip of the iceberg.
  
  I tell you why Trump is medically correct and CNN might be killing tens-of-thousands
  
  https://twitter.com/ScottAdamsSays/status/1288910299643273217
  
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  July 31, 2020 8:23am
  - Batman
    
    I’ll take medical professionals over some loon in his kitchen.
    
    Besides, I thought CNN had terrible ratings and was watched by no one? How could they also influence hundreds of thousands to die?
    
    Sounds like death cult MAGA stupidity to me.
    
    5 13
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    July 31, 2020 9:08am
- BeeJay
  
  Very interesting now that Trump has actually come out with the proposal! Biden knows that Trump is capable of doing anything for his own self preservation. Also looks like both Houses have said No! Constitution rules!
  
  4 15
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  July 31, 2020 8:23am
  - Batman
    
    Haha yes it seems Moscow Mitch has finally found his red line
    
    3 14
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    July 31, 2020 9:04am
  - KevO'Brien
    
    Having seen voters in NZ bussed from outside the electorate to vote, why should we expect better from the USA with postal votes?
    
    13 5
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    July 31, 2020 9:08am
    - Flossie
      
      Please explain where and when NZ voters were bussed in? You’re on an electoral roll or you’re not.
      
      6 5
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      July 31, 2020 9:16am
      - KevO'Brien
        
        It refers to a distant time.
        
        4 5
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        July 31, 2020 10:25am
      - IC5000
        
        Probably because they were elderly and living in a retirement home.
        
        It’s amazing how these trump memes are imported here and somehow we’re to believe them.
        
        Next Kev will be telling us how Labour are planning a secret fleet of ships carrying 200k Samoans to breach our borders and illegally vote to keep them in power.
        
        4 4
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        July 31, 2020 12:12pm
    - Flossie
      
      Oops – meant to Reply – not report.
      
      Although if somebody wants to make such statements “a distant time” is hardly helpful. Got anything on this – the decade maybe? I’ve googled and found nothing.
      
      2 1
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      July 31, 2020 12:51pm
      - Steve Todd
        
        Given his age, and that he claims to have “seen” voters bussed in from outside “the electorate to vote”, Kev is likely referring to sometime in the 60s.
        
        He won’t be more forthcoming than that, either because he’s making it up, or can’t prove it. Consequently, his comment can safely be ignored.
        
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        July 31, 2020 9:03pm
Durden

“That ‘be kind’ bulls**t only happens when the cameras are on. It’s all for show,” one former employee was quoted as saying.”

Click bait lead in! Could be true of Jacinda and her government. But no..it is about Ellen Degenerate the LGBT icon who has demanded kindness for the special ones.

Delicious when the left eat their own. Its only going to happen more and more. When the scales on the ees fall off you can see the clay feet clearly.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=12352443
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July 31, 2020 8:18am
- tf78
  
  Oprah Winfrey was exactly the same.
  
  5 0
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  July 31, 2020 10:46am
kowtow

The severe lockdown was implemented, we were told ,to flatten the curve to protect the health service . Then the policy became elimination.

82% trust this woman.

I despair.
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July 31, 2020 8:23am
- Paulus Gnome
  
  82% trust this woman, 47% dont according to the Monday
  
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  July 31, 2020 8:36am
- JackRabbit
  
  With surveys its all about the questions that get asked. The questions determine the spin.
  
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  July 31, 2020 9:16am
  - JackRabbit
    
    Question: If Cindy and Robber were given full access to your life savings, and those savings were your sole and only means of putting food on the table and paying the mortgage or rent, would you ‘trust’ them to not spend it?
    
    I suspect that the number that would ‘trust’ them would be single digits.
    
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    July 31, 2020 9:23am
    - Classic Liberal
      
      They would love it away to people more needy because you’re obviously too rich!
      
      6 0
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      July 31, 2020 10:50am
    - IC5000
      
      They have access to people’s savings anyway. I believe there was legislation passed which enabled banks to be recapitalised through bailing in depositors funds. Obviously the concerned among us keep significant funds outside the banking system. Just look what happened to Cyprus. It doesn’t matter what political persuasions the govnt is because at the end of the day it’ll side with big business over the individual.
      
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      July 31, 2020 1:16pm
      - JackRabbit
        
        That’s a negative outlook. That is and has not always been the case.
        
        0 0
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        July 31, 2020 2:41pm
- Stephen Russell
  
  They trust her to eliminate.
  
  8 0
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  July 31, 2020 9:21am
  - Jimmy White
    
    “Let keep Moving” they have a pan.
    
    5 0
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    July 31, 2020 10:10am
Prince

National held the ‘strong, united team’ image together for longer than most parties after a prolonged spell in power. However the last three months have seen;
– An ill-advised leadership push from a guy who obviously wasn’t up to it. Supported by party members who should hide their heads in shame.
– Two forced resignations from MP’s who should never have been selected.
– A resignation of the Auckland Central MP, dispirited after a deputy stint that she was not ready for, despite several years in parliament. And another MP who left, came back, then left again. Both signs of a party whose members didn’t give a stuff about their caucus, just a few weeks out from the election
– Apparently, continued leaks suggesting at least one caucus member isn’t a team player.
– Yesterday, a ‘seasoned’ MP, Jacqui Dean, giving further proof that the so-called ‘strong, experienced team’ is a very thin layer now. Like Labour, there is only a handful of MP’s who can stand up to even the mildest scrutiny of an interview.

I believe we finally have the leader needed, but until the caucus swings in behind, she is fighting on her own.
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July 31, 2020 8:24am
- KevO'Brien
  
  Matched on the other side by talk, obfuscation, incompetence, Shane Jones, Willie and a back bench that can barely open their mouths except to feed.
  Now we have Pooh Bah aiming to steal the the Reserve Bank.
  ☑️☑️Give NZ a Future ☑️☑️
  
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  July 31, 2020 9:13am
  - Prince
    
    Well, no.
    Matched and surpassed by a very popular and determined Leader, with a team that understands their future depends on her success. It is a weak team in terms of performance, but we continue to underestimate Ardern on this blog, with the ‘Cindy, Princess’ etc epithets.
    The claims that ‘Crusher’ would destroy ‘Cindy’ at Question Time etc ignores the fact that QT is strongly tilted to the Govt side, and, like it or not, Ardern is not a weak MP ready to run screaming from the House. She has her weaknesses (Finance is one), but she is very good at communication. Collins was right to say she doesn’t underestimate her – I wish her team would swing in behind and, in many cases, stick to knocking on doors around their electorate.
    
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    July 31, 2020 9:38am
    - KevO'Brien
      
      It’s not a leader when it’s a thief of freedom. An ideologue does not lead but enslave.
      
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      July 31, 2020 10:29am
- Sir Cullen's Sidekick
  
  Fantastic summary.
  
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  July 31, 2020 9:39am
Durden

And here is some lefty bullshit justification for Boochani. He is a refugee. He got preferential treatment to get ahead of a whole lot of other waiting refugees. Period.

And more critically he lied on his visitor visa application saying he is unlikey to overstay when clearly planning to. This was enabled by various virtue signalers led by the Greens GG and her “human rights warrior” con artists including Amnesty International, various academic lefties.

Tracey Barnett’s sophistry might be passed by some academics mental gymnastics based criteria, but common people will see it for what it is — unadulterated horse poo. He lied and he jumped the queue. And by the way he is a nth rate “writer”. No amount of distraction claiming “hate speech” is going to change these facts.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12352305
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July 31, 2020 8:27am
- kowtow
  
  Doesn’t matter what they do . 82% trust.
  
  Baaaaaaa.
  
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  July 31, 2020 8:39am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Stuart Smith – General Debate 29 July – talked about how Boochani and his Visa…
  https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/hansard-debates/rhr/combined/HansD_20200729_20200729/tab/video?page=5&mode=form
  
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  July 31, 2020 8:55am
  - Swifty
    
    Thanks for that.
    
    No ‘hate speech’ there. No siree.
    
    Perfectly reasonable questions; questions I might add that Labour and the Greens would be falling over themselves to ask if the shoe was on the other foot.
    
    I wonder whether they will ever be answered?
    
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    July 31, 2020 10:53am
- MCos
  
  Due to no refugees coming into the the country right now there is no queue.
  
  The Mangere Refugee Resettlement Centre in Mangere is empty.
  
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  July 31, 2020 9:23am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Good place for quarantine instead of expensive hotels
    
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    July 31, 2020 10:18am
    - MCos
      
      Very handy to Middlemore Hospital too.
      
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      July 31, 2020 10:51am
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      Exactly.
      
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      July 31, 2020 11:59am
- Sir Cullen's Sidekick
  
  Don’t care about Boochani. Cindy saved lives. That is all it matters. Let’s keep moving and groovin. Cindy is winnin. People are happy to hand over life long savings to Cindy so that she can save more lives.
  
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  July 31, 2020 9:44am
  - freethinker
    
    Hope you have bet the farm on Cindy winning so you become a Billionaire waiting to be sucked dry by Robbo.
    
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    July 31, 2020 10:42am
RW Capitalist

Parker on the AM show…pushing the 9 long years narrative again.
But the 6 fold increase in emergency housing under the Labour govt…not mentioned.
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July 31, 2020 8:27am
- herb1
  
  9 long years of National saw decades of surplus.
  3 short years of Labour left us with decades of deficit and and a huge mortgage for our grandchildren.
  imagine what they’d do if they had 9 years.
  I suspect that won’t happen .
  Arderns constantly tilted and nodding head will cause major spinal issues and ultimately lead to hospitalisation.
  her only saving grace will be the considerably lower weight her neck needs to support
  
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  July 31, 2020 8:53am
- Tricati
  
  I get tired of that 9 years of neglect crap – Yes, National did sell state houses but to NGO’s that were better placed to manage and run them (eg ComCare in Christchurch). National also supported NGO’s to build additional housing stock as well as replacing a number of state houses during their tenure.
  If you deduct the state houses already committed to and/or under construction under National, then Labour’s effort is a bit thin but don’t expect any MSM muppet to accurately reflect the true position.
  Labour equals Kiwibuild – a bloody costly disaster on any scale.
  
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  July 31, 2020 8:55am
  - KevO'Brien
    
    National sold off end-of-life State Housing stock as part of a renewal program.
    
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    July 31, 2020 9:16am
  - Sir Cullen's Sidekick
    
    Jaquie Dean needs to go.
    
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    July 31, 2020 9:44am
    - KevO'Brien
      
      So does Ardern.
      
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      July 31, 2020 10:29am
    - The Boss
      
      If National lose, it will not because of Judith, but because of useless MPs like Jacquie
      
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      July 31, 2020 10:53am
Justitia

The historian Roy Medvedev recalls that after Stalin’s death in 1953 some 300,000 people who had been sent to the gulag for telling jokes about Soviet rule were released from the labour camps. (They were the lucky survivors.) How soon will telling jokes about Dear Leader and her incompetent drones be made a “thought crime” ?
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July 31, 2020 8:29am
- kowtow
  
  The Media Party has already made any criticism in any form of left wing female politicians / personalities into “misogyny” , which will be one category of hate speech/crime .
  
  We have been prepped like the proverbial lamb to slaughter.
  
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  July 31, 2020 8:44am
  - Justitia
    
    Hopefully Phil Twyford will be put in charge of building the gulag.
    
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    July 31, 2020 8:58am
Maggy Wassilieff

Who knew Climate Science was linked to White Supremacy?

https://wattsupwiththat.com/2020/07/30/alert-warmist-eric-holthaus-admits-it-the-climate-emergency-isnt-about-science-its-about-justice/
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July 31, 2020 8:33am
- KevO'Brien
  
  It’s about the redistribution of wealthy to cheeky claimants. Abetted by those with power to take further advantage.
  
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  July 31, 2020 9:18am
JB.49

I need a vomit bowl
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12352492
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July 31, 2020 8:33am
- amospicton
  
  Staggering – she might be many things but eloquent she ain’t! Listen to any interview with Hosking.
  
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  July 31, 2020 8:40am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Move over, we all need that bowl
  
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  July 31, 2020 8:51am
  - Engelbert Humperdink
    
    “You’re gonna need a bigger boat oops bowl”.
    
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    July 31, 2020 2:11pm
- Jack5
  
  Yep, the Hooerald boosts Jacindarella as the “world’s most eloquent leader”.
  
  Who are they quoting?
  
  “The Development Academy wing of Acuity Training,”
  
  Who are Acuity Training? Surely not this outfit which describes itself:
  
  “We are a small training business based in Guildford with a permanent training centre in London.”
  
  https://www.acuitytraining.co.uk/about/
  
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  July 31, 2020 9:11am
  - sooty
    
    Who? Maybe “Karen” works there?
    
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    July 31, 2020 10:43am
  - Tall Man
    
    Don’t know, don’t care.
    
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    July 31, 2020 11:06am
  - Jules99
    
    What’s the betting they have a kiwi working there. Most Brits think kiwis mangle their vowels, so her accent won’t go down well.
    
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    July 31, 2020 3:47pm
Maggy Wassilieff

Here’s Marama Davidson’s take on Climate Justice

“Climate disruption, social injustices, cultural and economic injustices are all breathing the same oxygen of disconnecting us from each other and our planet,” says Marama. “We have no option but to have and keep hope.”

https://thecorrespondent.com/612/heres-how-we-could-reinvent-the-climate-narrative/81020623068-e0670bd4
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July 31, 2020 8:36am
- Tall Man
  
  As I have said many times, she really did choose the right word to own, was just lacking the self awareness to claim “stupid” as well.
  
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  July 31, 2020 8:51am
- Jack5
  
  Davidson – batshit crazy, but too old for Antifa.
  
  Talking of Antifa: On the internet I see one of its symbols on display in the heavily white Black Lives Matter protests in Portland Oregon. The three arrows.
  
  Extremists love arrow symbols: Hungarian and Italian fascists have used them and still use them.
  
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  July 31, 2020 9:28am
  - Jack5
    
    Here’s the Antifa symbol at the “Black Lives Matter” protest in Portland.
    
    It’s at 1:51 on the video clip.
    
    https://youtu.be/QxYx9Joz_L8
    
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    July 31, 2020 12:52pm
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Drei Pfeile
    
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergei_Chakhotin
    
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    July 31, 2020 1:18pm
  - kowtow
    
    Hey Jack 5
    
    Here’s an interesting backgrounder from Germany of anti fa , including a bit on their flags etc
    
    https://www.dw.com/en/trumps-antifa-accusations-spark-debate-in-germany-the-movements-birthplace/a-53665573
    
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    July 31, 2020 2:02pm
Maggie Pie

Anyone else as disappointed as we are with the selection of genuine cuisine available in the ‘Mexican Food’ aisle at Countdown?
Surely we must have Latino residents in the country that deserve better. Mexico is the New Black.
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July 31, 2020 8:39am
- Tall Man
  
  Talking of Mexican ….
  
  I tried the Louisiana Chicken but … the Nashville Chicken is way better Maggie, you have to give it a crack 😉
  
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  July 31, 2020 8:49am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    I foolishly went out and bought some Louisiana Chicken too…
    Pffffffffff…
    Won’t be bothering with them again…..
    
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    July 31, 2020 9:08am
    - Tall Man
      
      Maggy, at $10 per kilo the Nashville Chicken is worth a crack. It even made the potato pom poms spicy 🙂
      
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      July 31, 2020 9:17am
    - Maggie Pie
      
      See my respOnce to TM below. A game changer 😀
      
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      July 31, 2020 9:19am
    - Swifty
      
      I did too, based on comments here.
      
      Once is enough for me. Most disappointing. Not cheap either, for what are basically chicken nuggets.
      
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      July 31, 2020 9:51am
      - Tall Man
        
        Give Nashville a go Swifty.
        
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        July 31, 2020 11:05am
      - MT_Tinman
        
        I bought some cheap (from factory shop) and they were still over-priced.
        
        Purchased two packets, had one “meal” of the chicken in a bread roll and deposited remaining chicken, including unopened packet, in the rubbish bin.
        
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        July 31, 2020 11:08am
      - Swifty
        
        Will do TM.
        
        It was the Louisiana tenders I had and they were awful.
        
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        July 31, 2020 11:59am
  - Maggie Pie
    
    Thanks TM. I’m heading up to NW very soon so will definitely try that one.
    .Last time I did mine with a Japanese Vermont Curry Sauce, mixed veg, herb mash tatties and shoestring chips. DELISH! You should give that a crack 😛
    
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    July 31, 2020 9:16am
    - Tall Man
      
      I like “convenience food” to be convenient for those lazy times like now when on holiday.
      
      Adding sauces etc is waaay too much effort for me unless I am starting from scratch.
      
      I’m also a snob and using a ready made sauce is more than my snooty nose could handle 😉
      
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      July 31, 2020 9:24am
      - Maggie Pie
        
        Fair enuff too TM.
        Here i was all along thinking you were just another Pleb 😀
        
        11 2
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        July 31, 2020 10:05am
- MCos
  
  Shop where the Mexicans shop, would be my advice.
  There’s no Mexicans in our house, but we eat mainly Thai food and the ingredients we buy are imported by the Asian supermarkets, not Countdown.
  Having said that the Cambodians at the local cafe knock out a great, teeth busting Anzac biscuit.
  
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  July 31, 2020 12:04pm
thetiedarch

The reality is that Labour have bought the election with the extended wage subsidy. By delaying the inevitable until September, the resulting job losses and business closures won’t happen in the pre-election period.

Humans are generally poor at looking to the future and considering consequences. Anyone thinking that the masses can consider what happens when the wage subsidy ends is sadly delusional.
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July 31, 2020 8:45am
- WaveyDavey
  
  They must be pissed off that they wasted the reeferendum on this election when it would be more useful in the future.
  
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  July 31, 2020 9:00am
Aunty

Ok, boys and girls, let’s wipe away all the distracting confused crap. What narrative do we need (the center-right) to win this election given the situation we., i.e., the country, are in right now and are facing in the future. And no, I’m not interested in your pet hobby horse or about freedom at all cost and that the UN is out to get us and the whole world is a conspiracy of the Rockefellars and that 5G causes bunions on old ladies feet, and Jacinda is using COVID to control our minds. That’s just not going to cut the mustard, in fact, all it will do is to drive even more voters to Labour.

I want workable, grounded, practical suggestions that will resonate with voters, not the weirdo whackness of the fringe and the nutter.

What do voters need to hear from National that will get them to give their vote to the party bearing in mind that Oppositions don’t win elections; Governments lose them.
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July 31, 2020 8:47am
- Gravelroad
  
  Aunty – see my post at 8.22am re Jacquie Dean MP.
  I am not directly involved in the pastoral lease issue – but listening and reading Ms Dean’s brave reckoning of it definitely lifted my spirits about a National Party response.
  What I want to hear from the Party is what it stands for – does it have a clear purpose and focus?
  No more running with the hares and hunting with the rabid hounds. Is Ms Dean the only brave one?
  Just making big-noting announcements about possible future infrastructure spending which we all know is unlikely to ever happen erodes confidences and credibility.
  I know people who campaigned regularly during National’s last tenure on reforming the RMA.
  Nothing happened. A whole lot of feeble excuses were made. And now Labour says it has done it in less than 3 years. Their version, of course, may be more limiting, costly and reactionary than before – but they did something rather than obfuscating as National did on this particular issue.
  
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  July 31, 2020 9:26am
  - chukar
    
    Sorry a clumsy finger so a down tick.
    Totally support Gravelroads comment.
    
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    July 31, 2020 10:00am
- Stephen Russell
  
  What’s killing National above all else (from what I hear) is that National is not trusted to keep NZ safe from Covid-19. People think they will take more risks with it because of giving priority to the economy – just like Trump and Morrison and Johnson. That fear trumps everything else, and means National’s other messages are irrelevant.
  
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  July 31, 2020 9:36am
  - Bobba Fret
    
    Yes and everyone says look at Victoria and Melbourne. That would happen in NZ if National were in charge.
    
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    July 31, 2020 10:22am
  - Gravelroad
    
    Correct, S. Russell.
    National cannot compete with St Jacinda our Saviour from Covid.
    All they can do is say what they would have done if they had been on the treasury benches ie: take advice from a range of public and private health experts and providers and then act in the best and safest interests of NZ and our citizens.
    Same with the Mosque shootings. What would National have done differently in response. If anything differently?
    The publicity cards have fallen well there for Ms Ardern also with the upcoming sentencing of the criminal gunman.
    Get ready for a lot of pics of hanky wearing/waving and hugging as the relatives of those murdered arrive from near and far for the sentencing.
    National cannot and should not compete with that either.
    
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    July 31, 2020 11:43am
    - Paulus
      
      Understand that the the Taxpayers are standing the total costs of the families from overseas coming for the sentence over three days, in late August.
      Presumably they will all arrive and shortly go into quarantine, and be supported in every way – but do we have enough five star hotels and Halal chefs to support all these families ?
      
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      July 31, 2020 1:59pm
      - Nickc2
        
        …..and departing the country afterwards will be totally out of the question. A taxpayer funded benefit for all for life? Oh, and the state house.
        
        2 1
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        July 31, 2020 2:31pm
  - Engelbert Humperdink
    
    “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” – H. L. Mencken.
    
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    July 31, 2020 2:15pm
- Prince
  
  TAX.
  1) No new Taxes, no increased taxes. Totally reject Green tax increases.
  2) Lower threshholds to move with mean salary increase annually.
  3) The usual blurb (see NZ First last election) about cracking down on companies avoiding tax. Meaningless but mildly effective.
  4) Ensure every caucus member gets this, is prepared to answer questions, and gets out and sells it.
  
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  July 31, 2020 9:50am
- surfing
  
  For a start, Judith Collins has not been popular.
  
  So, she has to go.
  
  Nationals cunning plan, change the leader as many times just before the election until something sticks.
  
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  July 31, 2020 10:34am
  - Classic Liberal
    
    I don’t care what she has been as she was learning and developing a decade ago.
    
    Now she is a strong, experienced politician with sensible views and a good sense of humour.
    
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    July 31, 2020 2:29pm
Tony

Last night’s poll result definitely wasn’t good for National.

However, I think there is still a scenario where a surprise could happen.

Here is what I think is a definite possibility.

Firstly, it is a definite possibility that the Greens don’t make it back in. That would mean significant wasted vote for the left. I think NZ First is gone for sure, so their vote would be wasted for the left as well.

Secondly, there is likely to be a degree of complacency on the left. Hence the vote for the left could well under perform slightly.

Thirdly, the vote for the right is reasonably solid. Act will definitely get back in due to the Epsom arrangement. So the vote for the right on last night’s poll is a solid 37% rather than the 32% for National.

Still quite away off. But, assuming the Greens don’t get back in, it only takes an 8% swing back towards the right to put Labour and National + ACT on level pegging based on last night’s poll.
Given a bit of underperformance for the vote on the left side of the equation, National + ACT could sneak in.

A very hopeful scenario admittedly. But I would think probably about a 20% likelihood of happening in reality. So, a fighters chance.
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July 31, 2020 8:47am
- Cinematic
  
  Agreed. All it will take is some ill considered sniping at workers and net tax payers by Marama the lover of taxes.
  
  Marama your moment awaits! NZ needs you, but not in the way you think.
  
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  July 31, 2020 9:16am
- KevO'Brien
  
  That wasn’t a poll but a hit job on NZF and National.
  Play with numbers and you can die by them. Self deception is easy.
  If Labour do fool themselves and the people and get returned to power they will regret it. This next three years could probably be the worst NZ has ever had to face. It will take all the management skill and economic nous available. Ideology will be useless in dealing with external economic forces.
  
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  July 31, 2020 9:32am
- MCos
  
  National could start by getting rid of the appalling, constantly bad tempered, Gerry Brownlee. Or at least keep him out of sight, like Labour does with their #2.
  He’s too easily goaded into angry responses by reporters, or anyone else, who seem to play up to him.
  Yesterday at some sort of policy announcement re the Chch Hospital carpark he told a reporter for Stuff and The Press: “Oh Jeez, I hate your newspaper. I really do.”
  The Press might have deserved it, I don’t know, but they’re the ones with the printing press.
  
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  July 31, 2020 9:40am
  - UrbanNeocolonialist
    
    The smiling riposte the only way to play hostile questions if you don’t want to look like a negative dick.
    
    Never pick fights with those who buy their ink in barrels.
    
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    July 31, 2020 9:59am
  - Cinematic
    
    Yeah because getting into a battle with the media never works…oh wait.
    
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    July 31, 2020 10:03am
  - The Boss
    
    MCos: Nothing wrong with Gerry. Get rid of Jacquie Dean instead.
    
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    July 31, 2020 11:15am
- Bobba Fret
  
  Yes that is exactly what I am hoping happens, that the Greens and NZF votes are wasted. Unfortunately there always seems to be 5% of nutters who vote Greens! I’m hoping Judith will increase National up to high 30’s or even low 40’s…..a week is a long time in politics and I believe the left are genuinely concerned that this could be a one term gig.
  
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  July 31, 2020 10:26am
Happychappy

You have to love it when the Prime Minister plays with the vulnerability of the elderlys health and lives by trying to eradicate CORID-19 and crowing about how we have not had community Transmission since the lock down. So her day of reckoning could be sooner than later with the Korean tourist that traveled to Queenstown and Manurewa testing positive for second swab.
Phttps://i.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/122296156/south-korea-covid19-case-second-positive-test-rules-out-testing-error-man-spent-time-in-queenstown.
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July 31, 2020 9:10am
Clyde

So Trump is sowing the seeds for keeping his Presidency because of the likelihood of voter fraud. Unbelievable was my first reaction, but then I thought again. Of course its believable. The guy is staring down the barrel of the biggest economic downturn in recorded US history, the leading nation in failure to deal with Covid (its just a little China flu that won’t hurt anyone) and absolutely no plans to deal with either. But if you have the mind of a despot, then anything is possible.
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July 31, 2020 9:18am
rockape

The good news in all these polls is that now it will be Labour that have to clean up their own crap. Wh3n National return to the Government benches they will be there for a long time. Me , my money is going overseas and if they start taxing rich prick nurses more the Mrs will be working in Aus for half the year.
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July 31, 2020 9:30am
- kowtow
  
  ‘The good news in all these polls is that now it will be Labour that have to clean up their own crap’
  
  In a way it’s karma and will be the real test of how they can manage , cos up to now , other than shutting the country down, they’ve done SFA.
  
  And when the shit does hit the fan I hope all those morons who think she’s one of the world’s great leaders ,have a deep think about it all.
  
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  July 31, 2020 10:11am
I remember when

The Maori arguments with Oranga Tamariki, while not being without some merit, seem to lack a certain amount of realism.
While Maori being responsible for their own sounds good, it ignores a couple of points.
Point number one being, that Oranga Tamariki is the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff. Any long term answer has to be able to reduce and prevent the problems in the first place. Plenty of opportunity there.
Secondly, who are Maori’s own. When does a child of mixed heritage become Maori? Is there a magical percentage that makes someone Maori (51%) while someone of only (49%) Maori is not?
Who makes the decision? The parents, the wider whanau, some appointed public service?
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July 31, 2020 9:33am
- surfing
  
  What merit? Maori didn’t like cyfs, so they changed the name to Oranga Tamariki, which didn’t really help.
  
  I guess they’ll have to change the name again because that is definitely why maori children are being abused.
  
  I know an old lady who swallowed a fly…… sounds a lot like trying to fix the issue of maori child abuse.
  
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  July 31, 2020 10:33am
  - JackRabbit
    
    Oranga Tamariki.
    Or as it is often referred to (abbreviated):
    Oranga Tam (tang).
    
    So racist when said in English. Makes it sound like its where people go who are one IQ point above apes.
    
    Why not call it what it is and what everyone understands. i.e. The original English name.
    
    Screwing with language and meanings is a communist trick.
    
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    July 31, 2020 12:58pm
    - Batman
      
      The only people who refer to it as that are folks like you, looking to undermine Te Reo.
      
      Meanwhile the usual abbreviation is OT, ya dunce.
      
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      July 31, 2020 1:04pm
      - JackRabbit
        
        “The only people who refer to it as that are folks like you..”
        
        No, it is how it is pronounced that is the issue. Some translations between languages do not do well. e.g. Pajero.
        https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pajero
        
        So the use of Maori names in an English speaking country is NOT undermining the English language? 95% of anyone with traces of Maori blood does not speak full Maori!
        
        You will find it hard to find anyone at all that can translate 100% of modern language and concepts into Maori. Try translating a 400 page thesis on bacteriophages or inductive rational thinking into Maori. Its impossible because the underlying concepts don’t exist in the Maori language.
        
        English is the common language, not Maori.
        
        When a language, any language, no longer has the translations and syntax to describe modern objects and concepts it becomes a dead language. or gets bastardised such as Pigeon English. The same happens with computer languages. When they no longer serve the purpose, they get replaced.
        
        Modern concepts including those of law and justice are not well represented in Maori. There are vast volumes of data that have no Maori translation, and would instead rely on the English text intermingled with Maori.
        
        Maoris is nice for those who wish to keep it alive and respect their ancestors and culture, as are other languages.
        
        But to enforce it onto the population is about as daft and totalitarian controlling as insisting that the modern computer and internet age revert back to using DOS or Fortran and punch cards.
        
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        July 31, 2020 2:38pm
      - Batman
        
        Sorry but it’s not hard to do basic pronunciation and things like not apostrophising Maori words, e.g. saying “Maoris” when the plural is Maori.
        
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        July 31, 2020 3:39pm
Maggy Wassilieff

Injection of new blood… or a last gasp?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/300070620/anna-fifield-trades-the-washington-post-for-the-dominion-post
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July 31, 2020 9:34am
- Jack5
  
  Fifield should be good value. She may be getting out of Beijing at the right time, as China-US relations dive.
  
  Stuff is throwing cash around: first it repays voluntary wage cuts to staff, and now hiring big name journalists from overseas.
  
  Where is the cash coming from?
  
  Sinead Boucher, who bought Stuff for $1, has hinted or suggested it comes from advertisers, but there don’t appear to be a lot of advertisements in the Stuff web site or in its print publications.
  
  Boucher is still registered as the sole owner, through her fully owned company, Kenepuru Holdings. So far there’s no evidence of any further capital injection into Stuff.
  
  Has the company hit pay dirt with its appeals to the public for donations? What is the tax status of donations? Are they exempt from being included in the revenue that leads to taxable profit?
  
  Perhaps donations plus Wuhan flu subsidies are keeping Stuff humming?
  
  Has Labour found a way to funnel cash to Stuff Ltd on the eve of a general election?
  
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  July 31, 2020 1:17pm
BAM

The only way National can win is if they come up with a policy that has a direct effect on the voters back pocket.

The options are.

Tax cuts
Cutting petrol tax
Rates

Tax cuts arn’t really a sensible option at the moment.

Petrol taxes sort of fall into the same basket, tax has to be found from somewhere else.

I’d be leaning to towards coming up with policy around rates, policy that forces councils to actually cut rates, put in spending controls, that sort of thing.

People hate rates with a passion
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July 31, 2020 9:37am
- greybeard
  
  I agree with you about councils having to control their spending.
  I worked for a council for 5 years ( my only non-private job ) and the wastage was mind-boggling:
  Seminars, ‘training’ courses, artworks, social-engineering programs, consultants everywhere for everything, countless morning teas for countless groups, endless expenditure on tweaking the landscape, huge usage of colour printers for brochures and posters, it just went on and on.
  
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  July 31, 2020 10:57am
  - Albert_Ross
    
    I agree too that councils ought to control their spending, but unfortunately central Government forcing them to constrain rates increases is likely to be counterproductive. All it will mean is that councils cut back on things that really matter to local people and when people complain about poor service, the council blames it on central government.
    
    If local voters won’t elect councillors with a clear mandate to focus only on doing the basics properly and cut out wasteful and unnecessary spending, they will not get councillors who will do that and central government can’t make them
    
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    July 31, 2020 11:47am
  - BAM
    
    When you have a revenue stream that’s never ending and you can increase that revenue anytime you want and people have no choice but to pay it, that sort of environment is not conducive to responsible spending.
    
    I reckon National could really make some hay around this.
    
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    July 31, 2020 12:01pm
- Jules99
  
  Could take GST off rates. It’s a tax on a tax. If you think rates are a good or a service, you try not paying it. They will take your house off you. Ditto ACC.
  
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  July 31, 2020 3:42pm
gump

I see that the GDP figures in the US reveal there was a drop of 9.5% in the second quarter of the year.

The legacy of the Trump administration is a weak and divided America.
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July 31, 2020 9:53am
- surfing
  
  Huh? Are you being purposefully ignorant?
  
  So the GDP drop has nothing to do with covid?
  
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  July 31, 2020 10:26am
  - gump
    
    The fall in GDP is a clear and powerful indication of the mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic by the Trump administration.
    
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    July 31, 2020 11:05am
    - All_on_Red
      
      Narrator : Gump doesn’t understand the Federal system in the US
      
      7 3
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      July 31, 2020 12:29pm
      - gump
        
        Gump understands the role of Political leadership in explaining the risk of a pandemic, and acting as a role model.
        
        Trump understands neither of these things. Which is why the US economy is now being devastated.
        
        As I said earlier, the legacy of the Trump administration is a weak and divided America
        
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        July 31, 2020 12:44pm
      - All_on_Red
        
        Sure Gump, sure
        You’re clearly ignorant of what resources Trump brought to bear to support the Governors whose job is was to deal with it
        I’m no fan of Trump but the way you guys lie or are ignorant is just sad
        
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        July 31, 2020 2:31pm
  - Bullion
    
    funny, many comments are recession in America has nothing to do with Govt but recession in NZ has everything to do with Govt.
    
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    July 31, 2020 1:29pm
I remember when

So the National Party have a highly talented candidate for the Banks Peninsula seat.
Only trouble is that Catherine Chu is still getting her salary for being a sitting member on the Council and Health Board.
Once again an interesting question has to be asked. Is it reasonable to expect a person to give up their income to contest a public office?
Is it different if the job is in the private or public sector?
There is no guarantee that a candidate will win a seat?
Does a candidate who knows they have little chance of winning have the same duty?
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July 31, 2020 9:55am
- Sir Cullen's Sidekick
  
  Chu won’t win Banks Peninsula. So she is protecting her job. Let her do that.
  
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  July 31, 2020 10:22am
I remember when

Anna Fified.
I feel another lovely Jacinda Article is in the pipeline.
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July 31, 2020 9:58am
I remember when

Is Australia now suffering because of their earlier success with covid-19.
Does the suppression of the first wave just leave more victims the next time around. The people
have lost part of the desire for lockdown in it many forms.
If there is no vaccine in the next year, is their experience just what happens?
Great that we can go overseas on holiday – just add $3000+ to the bill and a spell in a tiny room for 14 days.
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July 31, 2020 10:06am
- Cinematic
  
  Yes, there’s no avoiding the pain. Can’t isolate forever.
  
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  July 31, 2020 11:01am
- Kevin Herlihy
  
  Australia is paying the price for adopting a more relaxed approach to lock down thereby allowing community transmission of the virus.
  That approach coupled with Australians flouting travel restrictions and voluntary self isolation will result in a protracted infection cycle, more deaths and hospitalisations.
  Other nations such as the US also are experiencing a similar effect because of a similarly ineffective containment strategy.
  Critics of the New Zealand governments approach were clearly wrong in their prognosis given the fact that New Zealand has some of the lowest infection rates globally.
  
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  July 31, 2020 11:37am
  - Libertarians are right
    
    Not at all.
    Until 2 weeks into the lockdown we were still relying on self isolation (until Simon Bridges forced their hand with a petition).
    Our position has relied heavily on luck and the fact that most of the people coming in were doing what they were told. It has very little to do with good decisions by politicians.
    
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    July 31, 2020 12:02pm
    - Bullion
      
      So its ok as libertarian to be locked in managed isolation because an mp you like said so?
      
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      July 31, 2020 1:33pm
      - Libertarians are right
        
        I believe people should take responsibility for their actions. Voluntary isolation is fine if anyone that spreads is held accountable. Freedom must always come with responsibility and accountability. We aren’t in a position to do that are we? How would we charge the 10-20 people who caused community spread and forced the lockdown and thousands of job losses and billions in cost? So we must use some degree of state power to ensure that innocent people aren’t negatively affected by other people’s bad choices. Quarantine was always the best plan to ensure we didn’t have community spread. In fact, every community case and every death is due to the Government not applying a quarantine.
        
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        July 31, 2020 2:41pm
    - Engelbert Humperdink
      
      If Victoria had a moat NSW would be pretty safe. We have a huge moat. We were lucky not smart, hard and early.
      
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      July 31, 2020 2:19pm
Libertarians are right

After the news yesterday that Maria Dew QC was in charge of a kangaroo court over a “racist” nurse, surely we can now disregard anything she says about anything. The perception is now that she goes into a job with a predetermined result in mind and ensures that that’s the result she gets.

Her review into the scumbag in Jacinda’s office is therefore utterly tainted and should now be regarded as worthless.

I will now assume whenever her name comes up that they are actively trying to force a predetermined outcome and that a cover up is in play.
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July 31, 2020 10:22am
surfing

Judiths numbers look shaky, no doubt someone is lining up to stab her in the back.
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July 31, 2020 10:24am
Paulus

Is it true that returning Maori will not have to pay the returning quarantine taxes ?
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July 31, 2020 10:57am
- sooty
  
  Probably, they are special don’t cha know!
  
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  July 31, 2020 11:55am
lifesgood

I can’t quite fathom the poll numbers. Last election National won and it was only Winston who, in a fit if utu, put these incompetents in power. So are we saying that quite a few of the people who voted National last time will now go left? I’m sorry but that doesn’t make any sense to me, especially after the appalling performance by the col and their increasingly communistic ways which go against what a Nat voter believes in. I suspect the polls will change as we get nearer to the election, hopefully in a good way. Judith Collins performance so far has been outstanding. She is one clever, experienced, capable woman. Quite different from Jacinda who has nothing to show for herself but a lowly comms degree. All that teaches you is how to bullshit effectively.
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July 31, 2020 10:59am
- James Stephenson
  
  I tend to agree. I think the conditions in public debate at the moment are absolutely perfect for a big “shy tory” effect.
  
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  July 31, 2020 12:09pm
- BAM
  
  The swing voters are generally sheep, if the pack is voting National, they’ll vote National, if the pack is
  voting Labour, Labour it is.
  
  Hard to do anything about that.
  
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  July 31, 2020 12:10pm
  - JackRabbit
    
    Polling conducted by a left leaning media is about creating consensus, not measuring it. So long as National and Act keep their foot on the gas, the outcome may not be as determined as you think.
    
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    July 31, 2020 12:50pm
- IC5000
  
  > Last election National won.
  
  MMP has been in place for over a decade now. Maybe it’s time for you to understand how it works.
  
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  July 31, 2020 1:21pm
  - All_on_Red
    
    I think we understand that your Hero Winston is gone
    Hahahahaha
    
    7 1
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    July 31, 2020 2:28pm
    - IC5000
      
      They’ve said that quite a few times. I don’t recall that there has been another leader of NZF since it’s inception unlike other parties who are still flaying around searching for someone electable who can take them over the 25% threshold against a communist PM.
      
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      July 31, 2020 2:42pm
  - Libertarians are right
    
    Winston betrayed his voters and went with Labour at the price of concessions that most of his voters weren’t interested in.
    It was a soft coup, not a Government by electoral mandate.
    
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    July 31, 2020 2:30pm
Jack5

A tale of two reporting standards: Left and foaming, raging Left.

This is in the two reports of the inquiry into the NZ Army Operation Burnham.

The Radio NZ report is headlined:

Operation Burnham: Child killed, but death was justified, inquiry finds

Meanwhile on the web site of Stuff, the $1 media company, we have the heading:

Operation Burnham inquiry: Child was likely killed, SAS soldiers misled, prisoner was tortured

Are donors to Stuff Ltd happy with what they are getting for their handouts?

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/422424/operation-burnham-child-killed-but-death-was-justified-inquiry-finds

and

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/122306197/operation-burnham-inquiry-child-was-likely-killed-sas-soldiers-misled-prisoner-was-tortured
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July 31, 2020 12:04pm
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Justin Giovannetti of The Spinoff gives a pretty fair summation
  https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/31-07-2020/sas-cleared-of-major-allegations-made-in-hit-and-run-book/
  
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  July 31, 2020 12:39pm
Lee C

I think the media have just refined “Jacindamania”.
I also think many who voted tactically last time will go National/Act this time.
I think the Greens and NZ Fist will tank.
I think Labour will fail to achieve a majority and will have no Winston to bail them out.
I think National Act will win by one seat.
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July 31, 2020 12:26pm
- JackRabbit
  
  I support your foresight.
  While general consensus and polls show Cindy and Labour and highly preferred, part of that ‘apparent’ result is that many law abiding citizens are terrified of not liking her, in case it is deemed hate speech or being disloyal.
  
  Many people who are not outspoken secretly hold the fear that to contest the fuhrer in the company of friends and relatives, may result in backlash. They do not want to say she is a lunatic or that she reminds them of what they learnt in history about Hitler or Stalin.
  
  They are concerned about the youth being misled. In the same way that the anti-smacking brigade encouraged children to report their parents, they are concerned that to dis Cindy may result in repercussions through social media. And then there is the implied threat from Andrew Little’s police state that he controls.
  
  They are the silent percentage that simply hope to privately cast their vote on election day and get rid of the evil white witch.
  
  Personally I think that the overwhelming support for Cindy, is a mirage and not as widespread as the media would have us believe. I’m seeing more and more people who three years ago thought she was good, who now despise her.
  
  And I wouldn’t count on blue collar workers supporting her in droves. Even those on minimum wage think the power has gone to her head, and are stunned at how quickly she went through tens of billions of dollars like it was monopoly money.
  
  When they are on minimum wage and she spends billions it like it is worth nothing, and their situation has not improved and their job is not 100% guaranteed it scares the crap out of them.
  
  I would not see the election as a done deal. Far from it.
  
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  July 31, 2020 12:46pm
  - lifesgood
    
    You are so right. I have a multitude of lefties in my family and woe betide anyone who says a word against the incompetent fake, Cindy. Better to keep your mouth shut and have a quiet life. Won’t stop me, and others in the family, voting two ticks blue, though.
    
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    July 31, 2020 1:58pm
    - JackRabbit
      
      Ever since the Stazi lockdown, in business and personal situations especially with new contacts, I have been finding those people dropping ‘breadcrumbs’ or hints into the conversation, to test the water as to how you think.
      
      Everyone wants to talk about the illegal lock down and how the mounting debt pile and impacted business is savaging the country. Everyone so far does not approve of Cindy. But many were fearful of being up front about it, because it could have a backlash.
      
      Brainwashing and fear is creating a false public perception.
      
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      July 31, 2020 2:47pm
- James Stephenson
  
  What effects will the referenda have on the turn out of different parties’ support?
  
  One would imagine that the dope vote skews to Green voters and the anti-End of Life vote skews to National and/or Winston First (I don’t think anyone will extra motivated make sure they get down to vote in favour of EoL). Would those conservative votes be conscientious civic minded voters at the polls anyway though?
  
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  July 31, 2020 1:04pm
curry4me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gi6ey6b7kCc
Armed Citizens Patrolling Cities.

The Democratic party have destroyed most of Americas major cities with welfare.
ANTIFA, and BLM rioters are finishing the job. Of the top 20 most violent cities,
17 are run by Dems,2 by independents, and one by republicans. So, armed
Citizens are patrolling their neighbourhoods as Dems de-fund, or withdraw police.
The NAACP has asked black gun owners to patrol their areas. Cities
Like Minneapolis have imploded. There is more crime in daylight. Criminals
Have little fear of consequences. Utahs Citizens Alarm are policing BLM ‘protests’ there.
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July 31, 2020 12:33pm
- kowtow
  
  In a word , anarchy.
  
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  July 31, 2020 1:41pm
  - Batman
    
    Keep huffing that sweet combo of Tucker and Gateway, Lads.
    
    4 13
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    July 31, 2020 1:43pm
    - All_on_Red
      
      Only a moron thinks there is no violence occurring
      Oh wait…
      
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      July 31, 2020 2:27pm
curry4me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyAT1GWqfuI
Teachers Pet is Angry.

French whinging about post-Brexit fishing rights may lead to
A WTO Brexit by default. They need British fish to revive their
Economy. The UK are saying no. I wonder if chocolate fish would
be an acceptable substitute? Boris Johnsons government seems determined
to revive UK fishing and coastal towns.
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July 31, 2020 12:33pm
Maggie Pie

Just been outside to pay the Drain Surgeon..
We had a huge root that blocked the sewer pipe running thru the back of our section. He’d showed me earlier what it looked like on his camera.
He was telling me that he’s been in the business for well over 30 years, “….but just how hard it was these days to find a young bloke that wanted to take on an apprenticeship”. Even his own son is not interested, preferring instead to obtain an Arts Degree at Uni.
God only knows who we’re gonna call when people like him retire. It’s actually quite a scary thought.
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July 31, 2020 1:11pm
- Flossie
  
  I had thought being a tradie is a key to the goldmine. Had to have a couple here recently for minor stuff and the charges make your eyes water! Got a couple of nephew plumbers in the family but unfortunately they are at the other end of the country so no mates rates available. (Pretty sure they’d charge their Grandma full price though, never mind Aunty!)
  
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  July 31, 2020 1:17pm
  - Maggie Pie
    
    You’re right about the charges FLOSS!
    Just cost $360 for about an hours work – and gawd only knows what the extra water-rates will be?
    Still, as my partner said this morning, “…when the back lawns covered in sh*t, it’s no use calling someone that knows how to write Python.”
    
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    July 31, 2020 2:10pm
The Proper Ghandi

Oh, Maggie. Never fear, I have no doubt that you’ll eventually come across a young man who’ll happily film your back section being blocked-up by at huge root.
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July 31, 2020 1:16pm
cha

Ammon Bundy, a real anti-government libertarian, not a cosplaying fraud like Rand Paul, comes out in support of BLM.

Ammon Bundy
Who is the greatest terrorist group? Who do the people fear most? Who loots upon the people’s property more? Who destroys more windows and more doors in people’s homes and properties and force their way in to terrorizes the people? Who kills more people and get away with it? Who takes more liberty than any other organization in the world? Who takes more of the fruits of the people’s labor? Is it the people in Black Lives Matters or the Police? Let us end being played my friends. It’s time to wake up. I do not align with the BLM organization but I do with the people and I don’t care what race they are.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1lqgCEQy9s
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July 31, 2020 2:06pm
Batman

A Reagan and HW alum gives his view on the current legal situation in the US of A

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/07/bill-barr-trump-reelection/614653/

DONALD AYER served as United States Attorney and Principal Deputy Solicitor General in the Reagan administration and as Deputy Attorney General under George H.W. Bush.
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July 31, 2020 2:10pm
- Fletch
  
  So, America should just let these people riot, set fires and destroy property? No. Totally wrong. And Barr is one of the best AGs America has ever had.
  
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  July 31, 2020 2:29pm
  - Batman
    
    He’s a disgrace to the rule of law.
    
    The federal contractor goons are inflaming things just for fear porn.
    
    3 10
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    July 31, 2020 3:41pm
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      Ohhh, BDS, Barr Derangement Syndrome.
      Yet on Wednesday Bill Barr was not allowed to answer questions. “I am reclaiming my time”
      And the Dems got away with it!
      
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      July 31, 2020 4:49pm
Ipanema69

This South Korean traveller thing is beginning to look a bit interesting. The food court at Sylvia park has been deep cleaned. If he was infected in NZ its interesting to speculate just how far it has spread.

Testing numbers are down and I am suspicious of statements saying no evidence of community transmission. That will be true until its not.
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July 31, 2020 2:13pm
- kowtow
  
  I understand they think he got it in transit in Singers.
  
  Airports are a major vector for these things.
  
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  July 31, 2020 2:58pm
  - Engelbert Humperdink
    
    Actually, the evidence is very much that airports are not a major factor for these things.
    
    Major vectors are protest marches with proximity, shouting and singing and spitting; singing in choirs with spittle-clouds and voice projection; cuddling up close in bars and churches; and sitting in the ventilation air stream someplace like a bar or restaurant where you will get the upstream spit-cloud cloud blown over you continuously for 90-120 minutes. Airports are not places like that with sustained proximity and uncontrolled spitclouds. Occasionally I have to frequent airports for work and I’d much rather be in an airport than in any of the above locations.
    
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    July 31, 2020 6:34pm
- lifesgood
  
  This Covid insanity has now got beyond a joke. The guy was in the Sylvia Park foodcourt 2 weeks ago and they have only now deep cleaned it. FFS, what a waste of time…how many thousands have been through it since then and how long do these germs survive on surfaces.? The germs would have been well gone. I think we are being fed a load of crap so that Cindy can stay in power. She’s just waiting for a magical, fictional, 2nd wave to appear so she can ride in on her white charger just before the election.
  
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  July 31, 2020 4:45pm
Fletch

Trump explains the problem with voter fraud and why he opposes mail-in ballots.

https://www.facebook.com/BlazeMedia/videos/897097457440683/

He has a point, really. Hundreds of millions of voting forms would be sent out. To whom? And they can easily be intercepted on the way and filled out. Or intercepted and changed. I wouldn’t put it past the Democrats to cheat and do this.
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July 31, 2020 2:37pm
- Steve Todd
  
  Why the Democrats? The Republicans control more states than the Democrats.
  
  Here is an alternative point-of-view to yours: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jul/30/can-trump-delay-the-election-mail-in-voting-attacks.
  
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  July 31, 2020 4:05pm
  - Inandout
    
    Guardian?
    
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    July 31, 2020 4:56pm
    - Steve Todd
      
      What a mindless response.
      
      Is there information in the article you disagree with? If so, what, and why?
      
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      July 31, 2020 8:33pm
theoldbloke

Travel certainly broadens the mind.

For the last 5 months I have NOT been exposed to the New Zealand media Gold Fish bowl.
My retirement holiday in SE Asia got hobbled in March when I was in Cambodia.

Without all the gory details I have not been able to return to NZ so far.
Think outrageous airfares (if the flights are actually available and not canceled)
Combined with transit airports(Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur) not allowing foreigners in.
So much BS in NZ media about returning Kiwis, must have been written by people who have never had to do much serious international travel.

However I have had good internet access and watched the NZ saga from afar.
I was bemused to watch the politics leading to the lockdown and the associated fear generating machine, then the accolades about the Government doing a great job in saving lives.

So what did I experience in Cambodia?
16 million people, Three land borders (Laos, Thailand, Vietnam)
A struggling health sector, a mainly 2nd/3rd world country.
Zero Covid deaths, a few hundred cases
But a pragmatic strongman leader.

They did not panic and lockdown the country.
In March they closed schools, museums, sports grounds, night clubs etc.
They delayed the traditional Cambodian New Year 3-5 day celebrations from April(They will be held in August)
ie where crowds would be expected to be in close proximity.

At the outset the PM said he would NOT close restaurants or markets.
The only panic I observed was Western Expats who were reading European/Oz?NZ news online.
Many of said foreigners locked themselves away in their accommodation for 4 weeks plus.
Sales of Food freezers was outstanding!(for local appliance merchants)

A strong government media campaign was launched about wash your hands, social distance wear masks. With regard to the latter, Cambodia and many Asian Countries have a culture of wearing masks both for pollution(in the cities) and to contain YOUR germs when having a cough cold etc

Late in March I observed in the local market 100% of vendors and most customers were wearing masks. By April this had dropped to about 50% wearing masks. In May when I went to the local market, nobody was wearing masks.!!!! Throughout the period I have been free to wander around. Go shopping and eat out.

Initially Cambodia had closed borders late in March(all land borders are still closed to travellers-open for trucks). However airports are accepting flights from overseas. Tourists are still not allowed in.
But others ie returning residents, people coming to takeup jobs etc etc are allowed in.
But there is a caveat. For Non Cambodians.
You need a Valid Visa, obtainable from a Cambodian Embasy
You need a negative Covid test completed within 72 hours of your original departure airport
You need to have medical insurance for a minimum $50,000 USD which includes treatment for Covid.
You need to deposit $3,000 USD on arrival to cover costs
ON arrival you will be tested ($100.) Then you will be transported in buses with police escort(flashing lights, the works) to a Hotel(usually 4 star plus) chosen by health authorities. Cost of transport $5 per head.
You will wait for results of tests either 1 or 2 nights ($30 night plus food)
If EVERYONE on your flight tests negative. Then you can go to your chosen(and approved) location for quarantine. Checkups done there daily. At day 13 you get another test($100) if negative you get the remains of your $3,000 deposit refunded and you are free to live your life.
IF ANYONE on the flight is tested positive then ALL persons on board are placed in mandatory quarantine for 14 days(you paying for the hotel, food and tests)

The system works!
Only people tested positive are returning Cambodians who do not need the preflight test, Insurance or deposit. Oops and exception 3 american consular staff have been tested positive. Appears they didnt need a preboarding negative test.

Its interesting, but understandable, that the NZ Government wants to lockdown all arrivals as they need to keep the “”fear factor”” high leading up to the election as I believe they are campaigning on saving lives.
Of course not being in the daily fishbowls of NZ Media. I could be wrong.

Cambodia has, like NZ taken a huge hit in Tourism. Many Tens of thousands laid off. Also badly hit is the garment industry with some 150,000+ workers(from a total of 750,000) being laid off.

Unlike NZ, the fear factor is low key as people struggle to get on with their lives. No Social welfare, no generous Government handouts. I have done what I can with my limited resources to help out with rent payments/food/medical etc.
One of the things I find wonderful is that people here have very strong family units and they take care of each other. They do not expect any financial help from their government. A refreshing change from the “”I need””/”gimmes”” I see in New Zealand.

So why has Cambodia done so much better than New Zealand…???
Different countries, different cultures, different Covid actions.
Its still a mystery to me.
I am just thankful that I have been “restricted”” here rather than a western lockdown/fear generated country.

PS. Vietnam also has Zero Covid deaths!
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July 31, 2020 3:18pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Maybe Vietnamese take hydroxychloroquine for malaria?
  
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  July 31, 2020 5:02pm
  - greybeard
    
    Or maybe they just tell lies, like the rest of the East.
    
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    July 31, 2020 5:16pm
  - Engelbert Humperdink
    
    Possible but unlikely to be recommended or prescribed to the Vietnamese, as the parasites are widely resistant to chloroquine in Vietnam and elsewhere in Asia. Has been so for decades.
    
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    July 31, 2020 6:35pm
- Doc Holliday
  
  What is the number for excess deaths for various months compared with averages of the same past months, is it zero?
  
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  July 31, 2020 6:06pm
Michael

The problem I have with places like Cambodia and Vietnam so far as the coronavirus is concerned is that I don’t trust their figures. I certainly don’t trust the figures coming out of India and I am very suspicious about China’s figures, they look far to low to me. I would say our figures are probably more accurate than most although even we would have to test everyone to get a 100% correct figure.
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July 31, 2020 5:00pm
Michael

So far as the election goes I believe the writing on the wall is very clear. Labour will win without help from anyone else. The Greens will get at least 5%.
And while Winston Peters has been written off before this time round will probably see the death knell for New Zealand First unless someone apart from Winston Peters wins an electoral seat. Act may get 5% but I will be surprised if they do.
This is from a Judith Collins fan.
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July 31, 2020 5:11pm
greybeard

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/300071367/i-derailed-the-season-kiwis-star-corey-harawiranaera-apologises-for-sex-scandal
Why is this piece of shit called a “Star” by the press ?
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July 31, 2020 5:22pm
rouppe

This is a rather inflammatory opinion piece.

All that was missing was the repeated use of the word “comrade”
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July 31, 2020 5:56pm
RJ

Some interesting COVID articles

78% of COVID-19 patients show signs of heart damage after recovery

We Thought It Was Just a Respiratory Virus

Some COVID-19 survivors are losing the ability to walk and need to relearn motor skills — these patients are proof

Ohio pharmacy board withdraws ban on hydroxychloroquine from coronavirus treatment
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July 31, 2020 7:33pm
- Engelbert Humperdink
  
  You do know those sequelae also affect the survivors of the annual a.k.a. seasonal flu, which kills about 500 Kiwis a year, and sickens thousands of others, yes, RJ?
  
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  August 1, 2020 4:09pm
Prince

Brad Olsen, Govt fanboy believes the economy is doing better because….
“an additional 1478 people went on to a jobseeker support benefit or Covid-19 income relief payment.”
This is apparently a slowing in growth of people needing Govt support. Over 212,000 people are now on a benefit or income support.
Have we allowed our expectations to fall so far ? At the very least this should be a concern, not a cause for celebration
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July 31, 2020 10:04pm
- Prince
  
  I should add, that’s 1478 more people in a week !
  
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  July 31, 2020 10:40pm

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