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August 13, 2020 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 13 August 2020

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General Debate

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wimpston peeeders

the 140billion dollar question…

Will Jacinda do whats best for the people or whats best for the labour party?
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August 13, 2020 8:01am
- Paulus Gnome
  
  B
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:14am
- pdm
  
  wp -or what is best for Jacinda.
  
  That is my bet – she loves that $500 approx salary for part time work.
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:14am
- the deity formerly known as nigel6888
  
  To ask the question is to answer it, Comrade.
  
  The Party are the people.
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:18am
- cmm
  
  How about C?
  
  You’re thinking on too small a scale. She will do whatever her puppet masters want her to do to get her to the place where she can help them pull the most strings.
  
  NZ is a teenie, tiny and insignificant place. There are probably around a hundred cities in the world with a population greater than NZ. Nobody really needs to manipulate NZ.
  
  We are just an annoying stepping stone on her path to being in charge of “team of 7 billion”.
  
  #CinD4UN!
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:26am
  - namron
    
    Back in the “olden days” [about 1953, I think] I got an Enid Blyton Holiday Book for Christmas and each story was based around one of those wise ole platitudes.
    The only one which has stuck with me for 67 year is “PRIDE COMES BEFORE A FALL.” Over the 3 years of jacinda’s “reign” it has frequently occurred to me that she had better be careful!!
    So now with current events, I am listening, reading and watching very closely as it would appear to me that the platitude is about to come true and her FALL is imminent.
    
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    August 13, 2020 8:50am
    - Fletch
      
      What was the story about?
      
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      August 13, 2020 10:44am
    - lifesgood
      
      Fingers crossed, namron.
      
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      August 13, 2020 12:18pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  She will do what’s best for her Comrades – both people and the party. She will not do what is best for NZ unless she gets TOTAL control
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:30am
  - JackRabbit
    
    “She will not do what is best for NZ unless she gets TOTAL control”
    
    Addendum: She will not do what is best for NZ. Period. There is no sequence.
    
    Doing what was best for NZ implies intelligent design, a carefully laid out plan after in depth constant evaluation of principles and values, and taking her own persona into account.
    
    Nah.
    
    If she was doing the best thing for NZ, she wouldn’t have entered politics in the first place, and thinking she knew better.
    
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    August 13, 2020 9:23am
- CSadler
  
  Given the COLs performances over the last 3 years you would have to be very optimistic to expect the management of our borders to be effective. They have proven incapable in most respects other than crashing the economy.
  
  Given that, I am of the view that our adopted elimination strategy Is doomed. We should be investing in medical capability, protecting the elderly and getting on with life not spending billions to enable the masses to sit on the couch watching Netflix
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:45am
  - The Proper Ghandi
    
    No good. Not enough control. Just as governments use companies such Google and Facebook to collect everyone’s information without exception, no matter who you are or what you have or haven’t done, they’ll never allow any sensible person to ‘opt out’ and take their own precautions. Everyone must be subjected to the same control regime with no exceptions.
    
    Phrases like “The Team of 5 million” are used to make, by definition, any dissenters more easily ostracised for not being “good team mates”. If people were allowed to act as free agents, and make rational choices, the danger is that too many will do so.
    
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    August 13, 2020 9:45am
- lastmanstanding
  
  IMHO the Nats should be pushing the Health & Safety aspect rather than their problem being unable to campaign. The Sheeple dont care a rats arse and the Labour supporters are cheering the prospect.
  
  If Cindy wont delay until at least February the call from the Nats should be
  
  Go to Vote Go to Die.
  
  Use the same tactics as Cindy. Scare the shit out of the Sheeple. We know it works.
  
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  August 13, 2020 9:08am
  - rockape
    
    I think National want a fair and democratic election. Dont you? If we are not informed our vote means little.
    
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    August 13, 2020 9:46am
  - Okahu
    
    Quite right. Three car Collins should be out there telling her supporters they will die if they vote! What a cunning plan!
    
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    August 13, 2020 12:28pm
- igm
  
  To hell with the people, it is what UN and the Communist doctrine order . . . we are in a hell of a mess because of this dangerous and incapable PTPM.
  
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  August 13, 2020 9:09am
  - JackRabbit
    
    Pre-selection of candidates for Socialist grooming, does not require intelligence, just the ability to be moulded. Having a massive emotional chip on your shoulders gets extra special promotion. All the handlers have to do is feed the obessions until the obsessions match the agenda and become the driving force.
    
    Pavlov’s Dog. Little more than an automaton. The real Jacinda Ardern was lost a long time ago.
    
    Jung on Hitler:
    “His expression was that of an inhumanly single-minded purposiveness, with no sense of humor. He seemed as if he might be a double of a real person, and that Hitler the man might perhaps be hiding inside like an appendix, and deliberately so hiding in order not to disturb the mechanism.”
    
    This explains why she can’t answer questions intelligently. Why her communication is always double speak, why she uses cliches. She is not there. She is a series of obsessions and autonomous responses.
    
    She has a lot of people around her, but no-one that will challenge her or insist on intelligent debate. They are either swept up in her emotional whirlpool, or too scared to challenge her.
    
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    August 13, 2020 9:39am
    - The Proper Ghandi
      
      They don’t need or want “intelligent debate” because that would be to entertain the unthinkable possibility that they may be wrong.
      
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      August 13, 2020 10:01am
      - JackRabbit
        
        So true.
        
        People with obsessions always insist they are right. That is the nature of obsessions.
        
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        August 13, 2020 10:07am
      - IC5000
        
        > People with obsessions always insist they are right. That is the nature of obsessions.
        
        I am currently studying psychosis and one of the presentation is delusional belief. Kiwiblog is a rich source of examples.
        
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        August 14, 2020 10:50am
    - artemisia
      
      JackRabbit, don’t forget the invisible shield around our Prime Minister, keeping her safe and protected until she single handedly gets The Party and The Ideology over the line. So, carefully curated public appearances and scripts. No need to think deeply. Why not? Worked so far.
      
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      August 13, 2020 11:42am
  - Nickc2
    
    and her enabler Winston!!!
    
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    August 13, 2020 12:20pm
- Caine9
  
  The Party, every time.
  
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  August 13, 2020 9:25am
  - Paulus
    
    No her every time like Peters – the Party is only the means to an end.
    
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    August 13, 2020 11:07am
- BeeJay
  
  Great post on FB today –
  “Labour couldn’t even isolate an isolated country”
  
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  August 13, 2020 10:28am
Te Rauparaha

So in the epic battle of Coronavirus-19 vs Dr Ashley Bloomfield the virus won hands down.

For how long will Bloomfield bullshit himself that he can control a virus?

For how long will Bloomfield bullshit the public that he can control a virus?

THIS IS ARROGANT INSANITY!
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August 13, 2020 8:02am
- mandk
  
  Bloomfield is sounding more and more like a politician.
  
  He undoubtedly knows whether the pupil at MAGS who has COVID-19 is one of the four confirmed or one of the four probable cases, but he refused to say, when asked by Hosking.
  
  Bloomfield, stop acting like Ardern’s lap dog.
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:13am
  - cmm
    
    Maybe because that’s because he is a politician.
    
    He’s a senior bureaucrat. At that level his job is 99% politics. He hasn’t touched a stethoscope for 25 years.
    
    He spent two years with the WHO. Not sure that that’s too much to be proud of any more.
    
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    August 13, 2020 8:33am
  - hullkiwi
    
    He uttered to Garner that it was one of yesterday’s 4 probables. But comments about Bloomfield being a politician in kind are accurate.
    
    He displayed to Garner that he operates in the realms of plausible deniability when it comes to receiving and passing on information.
    
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    August 13, 2020 8:38am
  - pejhay
    
    Is it wrong to delight in the fact the outbreak is in the Prime Ministers electorate ?
    
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    August 13, 2020 8:47am
    - Ruawai
      
      How is Mt Albert South Auckland, were they trying to throw us off the scent or possibly they live in South Auckland but attend schools in Mt ALbert
      
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      August 13, 2020 9:13am
      - Tony Stuart
        
        I wondered about that too. Perhaps the infected MAGS student is the child of one of the co-workers at one of the Covid people’s workplaces.
        
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        August 13, 2020 9:32am
      - Brian McDonald
        
        Love the paranoia here. Many South Auckland families look to get their children into central Auckland schools, both for sports and education that’s been happening for 20 plus years, usually the best academically or with sport are chosen or those with family who have previously been at the school.
        
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        August 13, 2020 10:52am
    - alex Masterley
      
      The people associated with this cluster reside in South Auckland.
      It has affected both MAGs and MAP as family members attend those schools.
      The child who attends MAP has tested negative so that school should be OK.
      The young person attending MAGS has been off school for a period of time and according to information from the Health Officer there is low likelyhood of transmission. (I hope, as my son attends MAP).
      I dont think you can say therefore the outbreak is in the electorate.
      
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      August 13, 2020 10:13am
  - JackRabbit
    
    Nine months in from when the CoL knew about Covid-19 and still not stats on transmission rates and mortality rates.
    
    No confirmed NZ cases of death by Covid-19, just deaths that would have occurred with any strong flu. USA stats are over exaggerated. Even the CDC state that deaths involve (deaths WITH) Covid-19, not deaths BY Covid-19.
    
    CDC stats to date of deaths with Covid-19 are 149,192, yet World-O-Meter states 168,882 deaths from Covid-19. World-O-Meter fails 10 out 10 for any test as a verified source of stats across multiple stat vectors.
    
    Given overseas reports that the Covid-19 tests shows positive for any Corona Virus, not just Covid-19, puts our tests in question.
    
    Given the overwhelming reports of recoding of flu deaths as Covid-19 deaths, and the heaviliy publicizing of deaths that occur annually in the USA as Covid-19, this is fast becoming another Wag the Dog scenario.
    
    There is no doubt the strain of Covid-19 flu in the USA is was harsher than the flu here. Last time I read reports there were over 60 strains.
    
    And nine months in, not one word from WHO about what you can do on a nutrition / immunity level to immunise yourself or boost your immune system. WHO should be renamed WDO (World Death Organisiation) or WPO (World Pharmac Org).
    
    I’m not a religious person, but if God invented virus and wanted Pharmac vaccines to be the cure, vaccines would be growing on trees. No wait, the answer does grow on trees, and in the bible. Good nutrition, good health, and don’t shag animals, and don’t shag the same sex, and don’t try and play God by inventing viruses.
    
    I note that the Corona Virus is a human virus piggy backing on top of an animal transport mechanism, meaning the human virus was introduced into an animal.
    
    Jack shit has been said in the media about Trump shutting down the funding for joint Wuhan / USA virus research and incubation project put in place in 2015 by Obama.
    
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    August 13, 2020 10:05am
    - The Proper Ghandi
      
      They are lying to us.
      
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      August 13, 2020 10:32am
  - IC5000
    
    > but he refused to say, when asked by Hosking.
    
    That’s because he knows Hosking is a partisan tool. Why give a yapping dog a bone who will do nothing but bite you for your troubles. Looking forward to see this clowns tears on election night. Again.
    
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    August 13, 2020 12:34pm
    - Lizziep
      
      Sorry IC5000, but I really did the uptick. on accident. At least Mike asked the questions
      
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      August 13, 2020 3:39pm
    - Classic Liberal
      
      Radio isn’t about answering the host. It’s about answering the nation.
      
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      August 13, 2020 3:48pm
      - IC5000
        
        Then they should arrange an interview with an actual journalist not a biased political tool masquerading as one. After standards must be maintained and Hosking cannot even pretend to possess them.
        
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        August 13, 2020 6:16pm
- the deity formerly known as nigel6888
  
  Well if your entire strategy is to dance the dance of fear, and ride the wave to imprison New Zealand and declare victory in front of a grateful populace.
  
  It becomes a little tricky to admit:
  
  a) your Ministry has never been able to manage a piss-up in a brewery
  
  b) your lockdown is incompetently managed (see (a) above
  
  c) your latest objective – to eliminate a virus – was always futile
  
  e) you have no plan B
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:23am
  - Ruawai
    
    f) You got amazingly lucky first time round.
    
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    August 13, 2020 9:14am
- G152
  
  No.
  It is political opportunism.
  They knew this was coming last week.
  Remember how the COVID ads started popping up on TV and how the fake news was reacting.
  Its given liebor and Cindy a great opportunity to smother TV with their message and blocking any other party from having a say…
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:27am
  - Ruawai
    
    Grant Robertson says “No” this morning on RNZ , Govt and MoH did not know before Monday, I say BS.
    
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    August 13, 2020 9:15am
    - niggly
      
      Exactly! MoH will want evidence first (hence nothing official announced to last week). That’s Robbo’s slippery get-out-of-jail card.
      
      Well we all know one needs to gather and study the evidence first, before forming conclusions and making public announcements, so I would say MoH were studying the data and of course let their political masters know what they were seeing and working on.
      
      So a week or two ago or even more, presumably MoH were noticing “concerns”, of which the Govt were briefed and devised plans including the resumption of covid advertising and ramping up contact tracing systems.
      
      Now of course this is prudent of the Govt to do (take note of MoH concerns and ramp up messaging and contact tracing etc) but what is not good is again, the lack of openness and transparency by Labour. And their deflections saying National is “up to no good” etc.
      
      This is, pure politicking from Labour and frankly disgraceful.
      
      Perhaps the MSM are missing the real story here again, as they go into Collins/Brownlee attack mode (like they did with Simon Bridges)?
      
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      August 13, 2020 10:00am
      - calendar girl
        
        Well, the media have been paid with a significant sum of public money distributed to the media by the current Government.
        
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        August 13, 2020 9:34pm
    - Northshoredoc
      
      Being a politician he can tell the truth yet lie at the same time.
      
      I suspect they have been doing testing of waste at regular periods and have seen indications of rising COVID 19 markers and knew this was coming.
      
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      August 13, 2020 10:10am
    - Brian McDonald
      
      Where is your evidence to show the results of the test were not reported immediately, you need a lot of people to be keeping quiet in your conspiracy theory including health officials. It’s whacko, flying saucer stuff. Ring Donald.
      
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      August 13, 2020 10:57am
      - Nickc2
        
        If the lie is told, maintained and repeated by people in and within the Labour Party and the MoH, who is there that can reveal the truth? Yes, we would normally rely on our MSM to discover and reveal the truth but remember, this is NZ where the MSM is owned by the current Government thus public opinion is bought and paid for by the Labour Party and Government. We get what we pay for.
        
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        August 13, 2020 12:36pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  He is a Cindy sycophant
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:31am
- Frank the tank
  
  As the rest of the developed world moves to management vs isolation this madness will become more pronounced. Expect Australia to give up the ghost if they can’t control by Christmas.
  
  The results now coming out from Sweden are confirming what I expected all along – they got it right everyone else wrong. I see now Switzerland has now moved to management as opposed to elimination.
  
  It’s madness to think a vaccine is a healthy option than herd immunity and even then where in the international pecking order will NZ be for a vaccine? We laugh at Russia now however I suspect it’s from this type of country that we will be getting our medicine from because there will be no other choice.
  
  I see a lot of ‘hit job’ articles in the MSM this morning against Collins. Nervous perhaps?
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:35am
  - Pharmachick
    
    Hi this is British Columbia calling, our numbers for the last week/10 days (new cases) 37, 46, 46, 55, 103 (3 days), 48, 85 (today). 0 deaths, -2 in ICU. Second wave well underway.
    
    Everything is still open [for now].
    
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    August 13, 2020 10:50am
  - Northshoredoc
    
    “It’s madness to think a vaccine is a healthy option than herd immunity..”
    
    I’m sorry ….what ?
    
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    August 13, 2020 11:15am
  - IC5000
    
    > It’s madness to think a vaccine is a healthy option than herd immunity and even then where in the international pecking order will NZ be for a vaccine?
    
    They don’t even know if herd immunity works because antibody levels have been shown to reduce significantly after 20 days. Put that together with people suffering from internal organ damage and chronic health issues for month after the initial infection making them unable to work and possibly more susceptible to health issues when they get reinfected herd immunity may not be the panacea people are touting.
    
    I wish people would stop engaging in magical thinking for ideological reasons. Do I want herd immunity to work, of course. Do I believe it will work, not in the face the the current evidence.
    
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    August 13, 2020 12:41pm
- yossarian
  
  The elimination strategy was complete bollocks. The world hasn’t eliminated malaria, the plague, ebola, measles, the flu or yellow fever…yet little old New Zealand will eliminate Covid???? This strategy is actually setting us behind the entire world
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:39am
  - Cinematic
    
    Precisely. NZ is, health wise, exactly where it was in March. Other places have suffered through the pain and are opening up.
    
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    August 13, 2020 9:04am
    - Evadne
      
      We might be, virus wise, in the same position as March. But we are also poorer, economically unstable, with massive lockdown related medical backlogs (all those cancelled appts, tests and procedures), and in the middle of winter, which is always worse for respiratory diseases and hospital capacity issues.
      
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      August 13, 2020 11:15am
- KevO'Brien
  
  From the the MoH.
  
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  August 13, 2020 9:24am
Classic Liberal

Lol

Grant Robinson tells red radio that it’s “irresponsible nonsense” when Collins says the government has known longer about the spread. Implies he will be spending more of our money on more lockdowns.

Next item on red radio: we have a huge outbreak, there’s probably a super spreader. The current cases seem to be several generations in.

And as for how necessary lockdowns are: if it has been spreading like this, it’s either a asymptomatic or a fairly weak Lol

Grant Robinson tells red radio that it’s “irresponsible nonsense” when Collins says the government has known about the spread. Implies he will be spending more of our money on more lockdowns.

Next item on red radio: we have a huge outbreak, there’s probably a super spreader. The current cases seem to be several generations in.

And as for how necessary lockdowns are: if it has been spreading like this, it’s either an asymptomatic or a fairly weak strand.

So why are they making such a fuss? Tell people to stay home if they are sick, have ventilations ready in hospitals for the worst cases.

Then let us get back to work!!

And then an item about people waiting 6 hrs in line for a test and still not getting it, for instance a man with a fever: 1. They can’t be all that sick. 2. If anything makes them worse it will be all that waiting in line!

So why are they making such a fuss? Tell people to stay home if they are sick, have ventilations ready in hospitals for the worst cases.

Then let us get back to work!!

And then an item about people waiting 6 hrs in line for a test and still not getting it, for instance a man with a fever: 1. They can’t be all that sick. 2. If anything makes them worse it will be all that waiting in line!
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August 13, 2020 8:04am
- Suze Wainwright
  
  Absolutely – Grant Robertson says Collins & Brownlee are irresponsible. I note he seems to be compelling them to ‘unify’ and not come up with any evidence…
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:13am
  - Ruawai
    
    I noted that also, he doesn’t want them to look and find evidence. Also note the homeless man in quarantine story turned out to be true.
    
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    August 13, 2020 9:18am
    - Brian McDonald
      
      Where did it turn out to be true?
      
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      August 13, 2020 11:19am
- Classic Liberal
  
  Sorry about repetition- phone typing skills…
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:16am
  - NoCash
    
    I thought you did it intentionally to emphasis the points… LOL
    
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    August 13, 2020 8:28am
  - Prince
    
    I took it as a chorus
    
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    August 13, 2020 8:34am
    - pejhay
      
      But it was probably a Vodafone…
      
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      August 13, 2020 8:52am
  - Random T Person
    
    Holy moly you typed all that on a phone? Give this man a 9am beer.
    
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    August 13, 2020 8:39am
    - Classic Liberal
      
      Haha, it’s the problem w copying and pasting ?
      
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      August 13, 2020 8:49am
  - Local Miller
    
    I thought you had developed a serious stutter
    
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    August 13, 2020 2:15pm
- Jimmy White
  
  What is Kim Hills place on Labours list
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:53am
  - Ruawai
    
    Regardless of her politics I enjoy listening to Kim Hill. The other one I like listening to is Ryan Bridge.
    
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    August 13, 2020 9:19am
    - niggly
      
      I do agree Kim Hill can be excellent, but today she went feral and “aggressively” conflated what Gerry Brownlee was saying (how come things were being ramped up) by pressing Judith Collins into trying to admit National were playing into “conspiracy theories” etc.
      
      Perhaps what National can reply with (to that line of questioning) is that “no National are not promoting conspiracy theories, we are simply asking the questions that NZ’ers are asking”!
      
      Does the MSM then want to pursue the line that NZ’ers are conspiracy theorists? Well I hope they do because that is an insult to thinking NZ’ers and will backfire!
      
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      August 13, 2020 10:06am
      - Bullion
        
        Gerry can see what happened in Victoria and the Govt most likely wanted to be better prepared, and for the public to be better prepared.
        
        There is no conspiracy. Just asking questions is irresponsible if you are not prepared to clarify why you are asking those questions. Otherwise you open up all sorts of shit being put into the public domain with no accountability.
        
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        August 13, 2020 10:48am
      - lifesgood
        
        I have seen Jacinda fan girls crowing with delight on FB about how Kim Hill questioned Judith Collins this morning. Honestly I despair how pathetic lefties are. So tribal and dumb they don’t think rationally about what Judith has actually said. I seem to be missing something here. I always thought an opposition’s job was to hold a government to account. I must have got that wrong.
        
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        August 13, 2020 12:30pm
      - IC5000
        
        You wanted the media to hold politicians accountable. You just didn’t expect them to be ones you support lol.
        
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        August 13, 2020 2:45pm
- wimpston peeeders
  
  judith and gerry need to make jacinda really own this and totally back her into a corner.
  
  Judith and gerry: Jacinda ardern will you resign if evidence arrises that you knew of community transmissiom ANY time prior to 4pm tuesday.
  
  Jacinda: um ah ah um well you see…. look a unicorn
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:57am
  - Isobar
    
    Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
    The only thing Judith and Gerry are doing right now is a Simon Bridges, except worse. They need to be wary going down the shouty negative road, last time they did this they lost 20% in the polls. The public absolutely hate this.
    
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    August 13, 2020 9:17am
    - Tony Stuart
      
      The public also hate not being able to go about their normal business because the Government stuffed up MIQ and allowed the coronavirus back into the community. And I think I know which one the public hates more.
      
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      August 13, 2020 9:35am
      - Ruawai
        
        It came from frozen food dontcha know.
        
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        August 13, 2020 9:53am
      - Isobar
        
        Things here in Christchurch are more of less normal and we’re used to disruption and taking things in our stride.
        
        We’re talking three days. Lets see what happens before getting worked up about hypothetically what could happen after that time.
        
        In regards to a virus, its a virus. No government can stop a pathogen, it is futile to think that we can. The best we can do is stamp it out as quickly as possible and resume normal life as quick as possible.
        
        It will happen again. Best to be prepared.
        
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        August 13, 2020 9:59am
      - herb1
        
        Tony whats this bullshit i keep seeing about MIQ.
        Mismanaged Isolation and Quarantine should be MMIQ
        
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        August 13, 2020 1:39pm
      - Local Miller
        
        Isobar: “No government can stop a pathogen, it is futile to think that we can. The best we can do is stamp it out as quickly as possible”
        This is a contradiction, if you can’t stop the pathogen, you also can’t stamp it out. this is why Sweden’s approach was correct. Protect the vulnerable and let the virus run it’s otherwise relatively harmless course. This virus has radically changed the whole understanding of herd immunity because it’s the first time we have actually had a live situation to asses this. The result is that the new thinking is we only need between 30% and 50% infection to have herd immunity. Previously the expectation was 90%.
        
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        August 13, 2020 2:27pm
    - Classic Liberal
      
      This time is different. Most people can see that we’re broke and can’t afford all these extreme lockdowns. And that lockdowns kill people who go undiagnosed for cancer etc!
      
      Unfortunately National have not clearly dared say that: they just query when the government knew about this outbreak. National needs to stand up for all businesses that can operate safely.
      
      Better tracing, masks maybe in confined spaces, of course aged care facilities and hospitals get more protection.
      
      But let us get on with our businesses!
      
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      August 13, 2020 9:48am
      - Isobar
        
        I think National should avoid the conspiracy nonsense (then walking back those claims today) and instead do what you say – come out and say whats on their minds.
        
        Be brave and be bold. More importantly tell us how you would do things different. Have the guts to say – actually we wouldnt put the city in lockdown for just four cases.
        
        But right now, they are doing what Labour did in opposition, shouty, negative and the public just turn off.
        
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        August 13, 2020 10:03am
      - The Proper Ghandi
        
        What have National got to lose? They will lose simply being lukewarm about this, so they may as well crank up the heat a bit. People are pissed off and they should have the political instinct to realise this. The people who shout at them the loudest will never vote National anyway, so who cares?
        
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        August 13, 2020 10:09am
- Chris R
  
  I suspect that Grant Robertson must occasionally despair over Jacinda’s narcissism.
  
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  August 13, 2020 9:58am
  - Engelbert Humperdink
    
    I doubt it. He really has no personal skin in the game. He and the other people like him have got more than enough money and contacts and future company directorships to know they will live their lives out in luxury.
    
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    August 13, 2020 1:48pm
Scott

Watched the TV 1 news last night. Within 10 minutes they reported on multiple occasions that the lock down will go for at least 3 days. Based on that and a student with covid and a feeling in my waters I’m predicting the country is shutting down.

Our risk averse rulers will continue their over reach and confine us to our homes this weekend.

I actually think NZers are better than this. But we need our leaders to have some courage. We cannot keep locking down. We will run out of money for a start.

Let’s tell the media to get stuffed and demand NZ stay open!
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August 13, 2020 8:05am
- cmm
  
  We’re already in debt. We’ve already run out of money.
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:34am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  I hope you learnt a lesson. Watching play school TV1 news is a mental disorder imo.
  Atm I am watching breakfast because the speaker of the house insists. My head hurts
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:35am
- niggly
  
  Well we have a few people now with Covid and hopefully they will fully recover if they are healthy. Plus no media reports of them being rushed to hospital or put on ventilators so presumably they are recovering at home.
  
  We’ve also had a few dozen people arriving into the country of late and placed in isolation with Covid. Presumably they have all recovered (with the latest arrivals still recovering). Yet again “no media reports of them being rushed to hospital or put on ventilators so presumably they are recovering at home”.
  
  So why on earth are we shutting down the country for people that will fully recover? After all we don’t shut down the country when people have a bad case of the flu?
  
  Of course, during these Covid times, protect the elderly and vulnerable. That means retirement homes have much more restricted access (perhaps only 1-2 visitors, or periods with no visitors etc – I’m sure the MoH can come up with some rules).
  
  Now if the Govt extends the lockdown Friday night as some are speculating (here yesterday), so that Auckland goes to level 4 and the rest of the country level 3, surely that is a massive over reaction? Let alone more economic vandalism that future generations will have to pay for? What about the unintended consequences – more people not receiving cancer treatment or operations and will be impaired (or face early death) as a result? Because hospitals cancel these types of appointments whilst sitting around doing nothing waiting for the health system to be “overwhelmed” with thousands of covid cases? Has Labour not learnt from this over the last few months? Are they that stupid?
  
  The problem with the Labour Govt isn’t that it is deliberately “hiding” things, they are simply incompetent. Out-of-her-depth Jacinda Ardern is simply not up to the role of being Prime Minister. She is deferring all decision making to the Health experts without taking into account other voices and issues such as economic well being (which impacts people’s everyday lives, more so than actually catching Covid).
  
  Labour and the PM are in a bubble all right, and it is a dangerous bubble. Sure the MSM can’t see it (they are employed, they are ok), but tell that to devastated businesses and devastated people. They are hurting big time. And Labour don’t have the self-awareness to think “hey, maybe we need to approach this Covid issue differently”.
  
  Labour and Ardern and Robertson are inflexible. A measure of good leadership is recognising the need to be flexible. Ardern and Robertson don’t have that – they are NOT good leaders. Which is not good for NZ as a whole. 🙁
  
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  August 13, 2020 9:04am
  - Scott
    
    niggly- great post. I could not agree more .
    
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    August 13, 2020 9:20am
  - Paulus Gnome
    
    ‘Are they that stupid?’
    
    Yes. So are we, the populace of New Zealand, home of ‘blow on your pie’
    
    New Zealand, a nation of masochists.
    
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    August 13, 2020 9:27am
  - Bob
    
    A very good summing up of the present situation that NZ finds itself in.
    Of course the ‘MSM can’t see it”; they don’t want to, they see their roll as promoting the Socialist Nirvana that Karl Marx postulated way back in last century. Didn’t work too well in the USSR, and hasn’t worked in Venezuela etc.
    We as a nation have been badly let down by the MSM journalists, perhaps if they were to develop ‘investigative journalism’ skills they might be better remunerated, and we the public would be a lot better informed.
    I would suggest that motivated young journalists take out a subscription to the Economist, which recently printed a very informative article about the truth of Covid and its many forms.
    
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    August 13, 2020 10:53am
  - Ian Boag
    
    Bit of a corner we are painted into.
    
    If we do a Sweden now, there will be a lot more cases and deaths. Too bad, but it is what it is – “old people who would have died soon from something anyway” etc etc. It will no doubt all pass in the fullness of time as the vulnerable (oldies) cark it.
    
    There will also be a heap more hospitalisations. That “flood” we waited for that didn’t happen will definitely arrive. We have one of the lowest no of ICU beds/capita in the OECD. So I don’t know that will pan out.
    
    Most of the devastated businesses are in tourism or hospo. Closing the borders meant they were pretty stuffed anyway. Only reopening the borders (restarting tourist flow) and ending the “work from home” thing will fix it (consequences as above).
    
    Will the tourists come back? Will everybody go back to the office? All those with crystal balls should share their readings ….
    
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    August 13, 2020 11:15am
- KevO'Brien
  
  Any lock down must be proven to be lawful. I am not satisfied.
  
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  August 13, 2020 9:27am
  - IC5000
    
    Cool bro. See you at the High Court.
    
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    August 13, 2020 2:48pm
    - Nutta
      
      Does Fraser House let you out from under your bridge?
      
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      August 13, 2020 8:57pm
- alwyn
  
  They cannot possibly allow a national shutdown until at least August 27. Christchurch at least cannot be allowed to go past level 2 restrictions or it will interfere with Cindy’s knees-up with everyone she has invited, at our expense, to come to the sentencing of the nutcase who committed all the murders at the Mosques.
  To have to tell all the visitors that they couldn’t have a get-together with St Cindy would ruin her whole day.
  
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  August 13, 2020 9:51am
  - The Housekeeper
    
    The victims could be given an exemption but all others excluded?
    
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    August 13, 2020 12:57pm
Maggy Wassilieff

The DG and Minister of Health have very wide powers under the Covid-19 Public Health Response Act… but those powers run out on 15 August.
(90 Days after assent)

They will need to be extended by an Act of Parliament.
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2020/0012/latest/LMS344134.html

http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2020/0012/latest/LMS344600.html
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August 13, 2020 8:05am
- herb1
  
  So I guess they’ll lock us down on Friday while they can
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:09am
  - fernglas
    
    If the Act ceases to be in force, any orders made under it will cease to be in force. This very interesting.
    
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    August 13, 2020 8:16am
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      How about ‘retrospective legistration’?
      Aunty Helen did it to get her way
      
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      August 13, 2020 8:42am
      - fernglas
        
        If the act is repealed by operation of the 90 day sunset clause, then any power conferred by the Act, and any conduct made criminal by it, will cease to have effect. Retrospective penal legislation would contravene the Bill of Rights.
        
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        August 13, 2020 8:53am
- krazykiwi
  
  And yet parliament has been dissolved. Is it time for the Governor General do something more than ceremonial?
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:16am
  - wimpston peeeders
    
    No they delayed it untill monday
    
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    August 13, 2020 8:18am
  - SJ Actual
    
    Dissolution has been delayed
    
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    August 13, 2020 8:19am
    - Flossie
      
      Yesterday saw a “journalist” on I think TVNZ noon news outside parliament saying the “Dissolvement” had been delayed…
      I thought to myself Did you ever go to journalism school?
      Then I thought to myself Did you ever go to SCHOOL!
      
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      August 13, 2020 9:14am
    - KevO'Brien
      
      Will that allow a freaky renewal? They never called Parliament previously using a lame excuse from 56 years ago. The present legal status is very doubtful.
      
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      August 13, 2020 9:29am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Parliament hasn’t gone into dissolution…
    
    Looks like there will be lots of work for the CoL tomorrow… as they organise a widespread lockdown.
    
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    August 13, 2020 8:20am
    - Ruawai
      
      Just when they thought they were on holiday and tikki touring round the country selling their ideas.
      
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      August 13, 2020 9:23am
      - Paulus Gnome
        
        Their ideas?
        
        How many roading projects have they cribbed from National.
        
        Labour does not do ideas, Liebor just does nothing for the good of New Zealand.
        
        People can recover from a cancer, I feel it is going to be very difficult for New Zealand to recover from Labour.
        
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        August 13, 2020 9:42am
      - Ruawai
        
        ….selling their snake oil might be more appropriate.
        
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        August 13, 2020 9:55am
      - IC5000
        
        > How many roading projects have they cribbed from National.
        
        Roading projects don’t take much imagination or effort which is why they’re getting the impact National thought they would.
        
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        August 13, 2020 2:50pm
    - Paulus Gnome
      
      ‘as they organise a widespread lockdown’
      
      Hahahaha, organise!?
      
      What the fuck has this clown show organised to date aside from overseeing a system to tax your grandchildren as new Zealand spirals towards bankruptcy.
      
      They do announcements. There is no planning! Announcements means they don’t have to step away from the buffet table for too long.
      
      Remember Chippie telling the nation that all children would be home schooled?
      
      What was put in place to make that happen?
      
      Nothing. Oh I am wrong. Sent modems all over the country to people who did not need or want them. Based on the success of the PPE distribution and flu vaccines roll-outs because that was soooooo successful.
      
      If you need sarc marks here, you probably come from the Standard.
      
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      August 13, 2020 9:38am
      - IC5000
        
        LOL If its so bad then you’d be wanting election tomorrow then?
        
        Its interesting to note the tone of posters here are increasing in impotent rage and delusion as the election date comes ever closer and the voting public reject the national Party. Building a few roads won’t solve anything and its sad to see there are really no positive ideas being thrown around here.
        
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        August 13, 2020 6:25pm
  - Hacked-Off
    
    KK, Parliament has not been dissolved yet – it will, on current thinking, rise on Monday. It was supposed to be dissolved yesterday but because of Covid has been delayed.
    
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    August 13, 2020 8:21am
    - krazykiwi
      
      Right. So Ardern will delay statutory events which support her agenda. The woman is a totalitarian, no better than a tin-pot dictator.
      
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      August 13, 2020 9:00am
      - Isobar
        
        The dissolution delay was actually requested by the National Party.
        
        Given the circumstances having parliamentary oversight during this time is a very good idea.
        
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        August 13, 2020 9:19am
      - The Proper Ghandi
        
        Cin Jong-un
        
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        August 13, 2020 10:16am
  - krazykiwi
    
    Thanks for the clarification, all.
    
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    August 13, 2020 8:58am
- stroker08
  
  That Extension wont pass a recalled parliament without Winstons casting numbers…..
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:58am
  - DeepBlue
    
    Winston has total control to decide the future of NZ and the lockdown. What will he do?
    
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    August 13, 2020 9:27am
    - The Proper Ghandi
      
      I’d almost forgive the c*** another 3 years if he stepped up on this one.
      
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      August 13, 2020 10:18am
      - The Housekeeper
        
        Same, total absolution for one good thing
        
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        August 13, 2020 1:00pm
  - KevO'Brien
    
    Any extension granted by Winston will have conf ron him immunity and assure him of continuity in Office.
    
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    August 13, 2020 9:32am
wimpston peeeders

I have a mate who is a tinfoil hat type kinda guy but made a comment that made me laugh then think for a second

Usa spy on every country and with 5eyes etc was it just coincidence they placed a travel warning on NZ last week or did they know what the govt wasnt telling us?

Does make one wonder.
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August 13, 2020 8:07am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  With NZ, it is 4 eyes and a squint
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:44am
  - Loddenthinks
    
    Who are you calling 4 eyes, big-nose?
    
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    August 13, 2020 9:26am
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      One more time mate, and I’ll take you to the fucking cleaners.
      Classic!
      
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      August 13, 2020 9:52am
      - Loddenthinks
        
        You’re not so bad yourself, conk-face. Where are you two from, Nose City?
        
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        August 13, 2020 10:47am
  - oldfella
    
    4 eyes and a bobbly head.
    
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    August 13, 2020 10:09am
- Flossie
  
  My US family tells me they had a travel warning on just about every country, so don’t feel special!
  
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  August 13, 2020 9:17am
  - wimpston peeeders
    
    as I said they spy on most countries 🙂
    
    Name one country you think that has been honest and sensible about covid (excluding sweden)
    
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    August 13, 2020 11:24am
    - Pharmachick
      
      Switzerland.
      
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      August 13, 2020 12:48pm
niggly

Well well well. For the last 36 years I had been led to believe by the left wing politicians and media, that Robert Muldoon was in the wrong by NOT doing as he was asked by Labour, whilst he was still PM, to undertake their instructions (to devalue the NZ dollar).

The left-wing claimed that although they were not in power (yet), morally he had to do so (Muldoon refused of course and the narrative since has been he was wrong).

So fast forward to today. We now have Labour, Ardern, Roberston and a (Labour) sympathetic media, saying “no” to having National briefed better on Covid matters – their justification being in-effect “we are still the government so therefore until the election we DON’T have to do what the Opposition asks of us”.

So why is it ok for Ardern and Labour to pull that line, but it wasn’t ok for Muldoon and National?

So why isn’t Labour “vilified”, but Muldoon/National were and still are?

Surely it isn’t a case of Hyp, hyp, Hypocrisy (and left-wing bias)!
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August 13, 2020 8:07am
- bruceavon
  
  Well the difference is that in that instance Labour had already won the election and Muldoon was clinging to power when the countries financial situation was dire. The reserve bank said the dollar had to be devalued immediately, something Muldoon had completely opposed, he refused initially even though he had lost the election, but did eventually. Not really the same as here.
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:26am
- peterwn
  
  And Stuff true to form is accusing Judith Collins of playing a ‘dangerous’ constitutional game – Stuff must still see some of the Government’s $15M flowing into Stuff’s coffers.
  Seems to me that Labour is playing the dangerous constitutional game by conflating the Government’s Covid 19 response with its electioneering. This is resulting in a suboptimal and financially extravagant response. Labour should either accept a consensus Government approach or should agree to postpone the election until November in the first instance.
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:28am
  - JJ56
    
    The point is the Labour Party has made it clear they are campaigning on their management of Covid. At that point the public service should be much clearer on ensuring they aren’t being politicised. They should be insisting on greater bipartisan management than appears to be occurring. That is the constitutional issue.
    
    Where’s the State Services Commissioner when we need him?
    
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    August 13, 2020 8:51am
    - peterwn
      
      While Labour claims it is campaigning on its management of the outbreak, it seems a portion of Government financial assistance is being applied to areas to achieve a political rather than an economic outcome.
      There is also the matter of the four guys being allowed into NZ to help install all-weather horse race tracks when commerce is being very seriously inconvenienced by the inability of business people to travel in and out of NZ. Are these guys being let into NZ for ‘essential service’ or political (ie to keep Winston happy) reasons?
      
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      August 13, 2020 9:24am
  - IC5000
    
    > Labour should either accept a consensus Government approach or should agree to postpone the election until November in the first instance.
    
    Haha you’re taking like this is a negotiation.
    
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    August 13, 2020 6:27pm
- Isobar
  
  As Parliament has not been dissolved, technically we are not in the election period yet.
  
  Maybe National could be part of a COVID cabinet during this time (along with the other parties in Parliament), but would they agree to be bound by the collective decision making?
  
  Be careful what you wish for, because if this were to happen they would not be able to criticise the response as technically they agreed with it.
  
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  August 13, 2020 9:22am
  - Ruawai
    
    Is there a set amount of time that has to lapse between dissolution of parliament and the election date? If so the Govt will have to move the election day out.
    
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    August 13, 2020 9:57am
    - Isobar
      
      I believe so, but dont know what it is. From what i read delaying it a week still allows election day to happen on the 19th.
      
      I think it should just be – push it back a week, election date goes back a week.
      
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      August 13, 2020 10:05am
      - Paulus
        
        One week – you must be joking – that will not make one iota of difference – try three months first because that is where it has got to start.
        
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        August 13, 2020 2:10pm
    - peterwn
      
      The question is best re-phrased as – Does Parliament has to be dissolved at least x days before election day? I cannot find anything that seems to require this in the Electoral Act or Constitution Act. So it could be that dissolving Parliament is customary so MP’s are free to go on the campaign trail. Also a Government that desires to call a snap election would want to dissolve a Parliament that is potentially hostile eg because it is no longer sure of a majority. It gets tricky since the GG may not accept advice to dissolve Parliament or call an election. This happened in 1998 when the National/NZF coalition fell apart and Jenny Shipley wanted to call an election. The GG required that the parties in Parliament be given a chance to re-form a government which Jenny managed to do by bringing some disaffected NZF MP’s and Alamein Kopu on board. This led to Winston’s requirement for the ‘Waka Hopper’ law.
      
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      August 13, 2020 10:52am
  - JJ56
    
    “Be careful what you wish for, because if this were to happen they would not be able to criticise the response as technically they agreed with it.”
    
    Which is why Labour are dumb for not having offered it.
    
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    August 13, 2020 10:29am
  - peterwn
    
    “Be careful what you wish for”
    Yes, it is like a game of Chess. Judith will be thinking some moves ahead on such things. If Parliament has to urgently reconvene then the stance she would take has to be carefully thought out. It would also need an assessment of how stroppy Winston may be and what the reaction of MSM journos would be.
    National could attempt to filibuster the proceeding but this is likely to backfire given a hostile media. National could be cooperative as Simon Bridges was last time. Judith would probably drive a harder bargain the negotiating chip being the desire to avoid a filibuster situation. But even then Judith is likely to cop it from a hostile media. The stance to take would require extremely shrewd political judgment.
    
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    August 13, 2020 11:05am
  - curry4me
    
    Isobar: Yes, it’d be a terrible mistake.
    
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    August 13, 2020 10:16pm
lifesgood

Seems clear we will be at stage 4 from Saturday. What a massive cock up! I don’t buy this nonsense about it coming from a cold store. The terrible twins Ashley and Jacinda, are desperately scrabbling around to apportion the blame anywhere but on them. Meanwhile I am massively pissed off.
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August 13, 2020 8:08am
- fernglas
  
  The cold store trope is just an attempt to deflect from what is blindingly obvious, and that is that it has got through a porous border. All the 103 days of no community transmission is just down to sheer dumb luck, and the weaknesses have now been exposed.
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:25am
  - Engelbert Humperdink
    
    Further to that, I remain of the opinion that because we weren’t doing extensive population testing, we were never looking seriously for evidence of community transmission. You don’t get the result if you don’t do the test…
    
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    August 13, 2020 8:45am
    - Loddenthinks
      
      Somebody else said that a while ago, someone from overseas, can’t quite think of the name. Couldn’t be that he was right all along, could it?
      
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      August 13, 2020 9:28am
      - Paulus Gnome
        
        Help me out here.
        
        What colour was this man?
        
        Is he the same colour as the guy working the election with a puppy?
        
        Has he been described by Justins Trudeau’s wife as an ‘arsehole’?
        
        Is he going to be reappointed to his job as leader of the free world in November?
        
        Does he have inappropriate fingers working a twitter account?
        
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        August 13, 2020 9:50am
      - Loddenthinks
        
        @PG:
        
        1. Orange
        2. Yes
        3. I’ve no idea what Jacinda has called him
        4. Yes
        5. Yes, but he does it beautifully
        
        No more clues!
        
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        August 13, 2020 10:49am
    - DeepBlue
      
      With all the tens of thousands of tests they are doing today it will be interesting if there are hundreds of Covid cases and many, many asymptotic ones and zero hospitalisations.
      
      With the cat so far out of the bag there would be no point in going into lockdown. It might be the opportunity for JA to stop this madness and blame the people… She could say -if only you’d stepped up and got tested in the last month we could have stopped this,-
      
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      August 13, 2020 9:34am
      - Sacha
        
        Listening to Magic (and Paula) and people are ringing in saying that they have been in a testing queue since 8.30, or even earlier, and can’t see the head of the line.
        Why are they flocking to get tested if they have no suspect contacts?
        The logic escapes me.
        
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        August 13, 2020 10:19am
    - the deity formerly known as nigel6888
      
      Au contraire, Mr Humperdink.
      
      You get exactly the result you want.
      
      No tests = no virus = victory granted by grateful populace.
      
      Funny how those NZers travelling overseas to Australia and Korea tested positive, when we had no community transmission here?
      
      Even funnier that the US put us on a travel advisory last week.
      
      Hilariously funny how all the covid ads started again a week or so ago.
      
      On that note.
      
      Bloody ironic:
      
      Either Cindy knew this was out and ramped up the advertising for legitimate precautionary public health concerns…
      
      or
      
      Cindy was cynically relaunching the covid advertising to keep up the fear and the gratitude of a nation during the election campaign.
      
      Hard call!
      
      Bwuhahahaha!
      
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      August 13, 2020 9:36am
      - Akarak
        
        If the govt wanted on-going community testing then why were most of the community testing centres being removed?
        
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        August 13, 2020 10:30am
      - Evadne
        
        And why did the community testing tents mysteriously appear last week?
        
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        August 13, 2020 11:48am
- rockape
  
  I would have one question for them, if it was possible for the virus to enter that way, why was that route not blocked. Are the corovirus hero’s just making shit up as they go along, or is it science based?
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:32am
  - Frank the tank
    
    Because if it was blocked you would have no imports at all into the country – no medicines, essential IT parts, components for medical machines, PPE etc
    
    you get the picture?
    
    And yes they are making this up – no evidence that the virus spreads this way at all
    
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    August 13, 2020 9:06am
    - DeepBlue
      
      Then our borders are permanently porous to Covid and we she stop this lockdown madness.
      
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      August 13, 2020 9:36am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    If refrigerated goods are a likely conduit of coronovirus infection then you would have had evidence of this for the last 150 years.
    
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    August 13, 2020 10:52am
    - peterwn
      
      Yes, people in London thought that the mutton slaughtered at Totara Park, railed to Port Chalmers, loaded into a ship bound for London, frozen on board and sold at Smithfield was delicious. They did not seem to suffer from food poisoning.
      
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      August 13, 2020 2:01pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Those two clowns have known about community transfer for no fewer than 5 weeks but kept the lid on it. Somehow it was exposed/leaked and they have been made to own their own shit. Far too many lies have been told – the trust is in the gutter
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:53am
  - DeepBlue
    
    They rushed the announcement because a reporter got wind of it.
    
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    August 13, 2020 9:37am
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      Yeah, well, that reporter is not part of the team of $50M. Prob shunted off the Christmas Card list as well
      
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      August 13, 2020 2:43pm
  - KevO'Brien
    
    It’s negligence for the Queen presumptive not to expect community transmission. For the MoH it’s both a disgrace and and outski. His capacity to give any valid order has been invalidated.
    Does the flu not get around?
    
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    August 13, 2020 9:39am
- crikey
  
  I say massively angry at the Government’s totally mismanaged border control.
  
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  August 13, 2020 9:40am
- Chris R
  
  I heard Dr Bloomfield state this morning that the cold store theory is possible but “highly unlikely.” Any ideas ought be objectively assessed rather than dismissed as a piece of “nonsense.”
  
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  August 13, 2020 10:02am
Sir Cullen's Sidekick

Now that Cindy’s incompetence has been exposed to the world, the poodles of MSM are turning their guns on National for discussing election dates and not praising Cindy for her decisive actions and offering National’s support. Already puff pieces have started to appear in Nanny Herald about mutual admiration between Cindy and Megan. $50M buys lots of loyalty I guess.
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August 13, 2020 8:09am
- the deity formerly known as nigel6888
  
  So quarantine centres are still not isolating cohorts. Pathetic.
  
  Lets just hope that this wasnt 7 bus loads of young military age men in the advance party…
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:27am
  - sooty
    
    Why was there 100 Chinese people over the border last weekend?
    
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    August 13, 2020 10:00am
- Engelbert Humperdink
  
  SCS: Please report to Engineering, your sarcasm injectors appear to be malfunctioning… Reality is streaming through 🙂
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:46am
  - Sir Cullen's Sidekick
    
    Oh nooooooo….Nine long years of neglect….
    
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    August 13, 2020 8:54am
    - Paulus Gnome
      
      Twelve months of incompetence followed by twenty-four of the same incompetence being repeated as nothing, that is 0, was learned.
      
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      August 13, 2020 9:53am
- Flossie
  
  Who amongst us admires Meghan? Gold digger that she is. Who amongst us on KB admires Jacinda? Lucky they’ve got each other.
  
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  August 13, 2020 9:22am
  - curry4me
    
    Flossie:
    
    Q: What do the first two letters of Meghan spell?
    A: Me.
    
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    August 13, 2020 10:21pm
Maggie Pie

Further to my GD post yesterday in relation to the, “…110 non-English speaking Chinese arriving at the Ellerslie Novotel,” this eye-witness account of their actual arrival is also very disturbing….

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EfNRGivVoAAouwa?format=jpg&name=medium
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August 13, 2020 8:10am
- hullkiwi
  
  Maggie, these are CCP well connected “businessmen” there have been regular groups visiting and staying at the Ellerslie Novotel for a number of years now. This has all been with a nod and a wink from both National & Labour govts.
  
  What amazes me, is that Simon hasn’t been beating his chest about it!
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:49am
  - Jimmy White
    
    But during a Covid Pandemic when most business will be closed down when we move to level 4 on the Weekend
    
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    August 13, 2020 9:05am
artemisia

Some lower North Island motels no longer take people for emergency housing. One owner: – “they were “disappointed and letdown” by some of the special needs grants guests who had turned their motel into “party central””.

Maybe that is why some folk can no longer find a private rental. Landlords in most locations can pick and choose tenants so they do.

As motels close doors to emergency guests people are being forced into tents

OK then, no numbers, just ‘some people” are camping in the hills, despite Kainga Ora saying there is no waiting list for emergency housing. More “fact checking before we publish” from Stuff.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/120123664/as-motels-close-doors-to-emergency-guests-people-are-being-forced-into-tents?rm=a
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August 13, 2020 8:12am
gorse

How many business people here think NZ would survive another 4-6 week total lockdown? I’ll go first – many, many businesses won’t, so NZ will be economically destroyed. I now think we have to man ( person) up and let it go, herd immunity. By the way I am in the old age bracket, but prepared to accept the risk.
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August 13, 2020 8:12am
- Prince
  
  How many people here believe the Govt gives a stuff about any business, aside from extracting taxes from them ?
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:23am
  - KevO'Brien
    
    If you remove the business you can’t tax it. Just have to make that up by the new tax on pot.
    
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    August 13, 2020 9:42am
    - Classic Liberal
      
      Wealth tax. They will follow the greens’ plan to steal our savings and assets.
      
      Though of course in a depression all those will be worth far less.
      
      Leftards don’t get that: there needs to be economic activity for assets to be worth anything.
      
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      August 13, 2020 10:59am
- Simon
  
  Herd immunity for NZ is inevitable. The only question is how utterly destroyed will the economy be between now and then.
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:26am
- fightingtemeraire
  
  Friend’s husband has had to turn down a huge contract as he couldnt take the risk of another lockdown,
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:30am
Suze Wainwright

Might just be me, but I’m not noticing so many ‘Jacinda Ardern – Stellar Leader’ posts on Facebook at the moment…
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August 13, 2020 8:16am
- lifesgood
  
  I agree. I’m seeing a lot of fury and a lot of criticism of both Jacinda and her lap dog, Ashley. I hope this rigging of the election back fires on them massively. Even comments on the Herald are mainly ant both of them. It is unbelievable that they can get away with completely shutting out the opposition during an election campaign and then give themselves hour long party political broadcasts on tv every day. Where is the democracy in this?
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:28am
  - Suze Wainwright
    
    Well RNZ (or Jane Patterson) still seem to be bowling for Ardern…
    
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    August 13, 2020 8:47am
    - peterwn
      
      Well, you do not bite the hand that feeds you. Corruption – where is Labour’s anti-corruption expert Ginny Anderson when she is needed the most?
      
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      August 13, 2020 9:29am
- emmess
  
  Yes, the mood is very different this time
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:38am
- Unity
  
  Hopefully people are starting to wake up. There is a lot of airy fairy stuff going on and we aren’t stupid.
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:41am
Maggy Wassilieff

Our experts reckon the virus has been in the community for weeks

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/423412/experts-michael-baker-and-shaun-hendy-share-concerns-auckland-outbreak-could-be-generations-deep

But look how the Media fought against National Politicians for suggesting some weeks ago that the virus could be present in our community.

https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/nationals-todd-muller-suspects-undetected-community-spread-covid-19-in-nz

I don’t suppose that Auckland’s “Mystery” outbreak will be traced back to quarantine failures.
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August 13, 2020 8:16am
- wimpston peeeders
  
  swabbing cold storage for covid 2wks after an infection could have occured… if that returns positive as a source we know for sure a massive cover up and a 1st? In the world. tui I have a new billboard idea.
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:21am
  - KevO'Brien
    
    swabbing cold storage for covid
    It would be a pretty dormant virus to take up residence in a sub zero store. Staffers limit their time in such places to 20 minutes.
    
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    August 13, 2020 9:46am
- rockape
  
  Well the family had symptoms for the last 10 days so it’s been around that long at least and being spread!
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:28am
- UrbanNeocolonialist
  
  genetic testing makes it possible to trace back the origins and ‘family tree’ of infections. Assuming the MOH actually wants to know.
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:32am
- Suze Wainwright
  
  It’s only a jealous, irresponsible conspiracy that reeks of petty dirty politics if it comes from the National Party…
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:49am
- Durden
  
  MW. If the virus has been on the loose even for 10 days before being spotted this week, the community testing program has failed in its “sentinel” testing responsibility. But it is more likely that it has been on the loose since the second week of July as proven by the travelers to Sydney and South Korea who had covid confirmed by overseas (independent) authorities.
  
  Contact tracking and testing MAY be able to track and isolate all cases if tracing is starting only 10 days late, but I doubt the system is capable of even that.
  
  What I fear, is that the virus has been around since early July, and the CoL and Bloomfield instead of actually taking useful action by chasing the virus down instead of waiting for it to show, put their heads in the sand and weakened potential public response by downplaying the possibility. In this scenario, there is no way contact testing will be able to help get it under control. I also believe their lack of separating incoming cohorts in isolation centers and not routinely testing workers at the border and isolation centers, and airline/shipping workers will be ultimately found to be the cause of this second wave. It cannot be anything else. So in this sense their management of border control system gets a big fat fail.
  
  The virus is out and and spread is uncontrollable now. All the government can do is to minimise the spread and hope like hell that it will peter out over time like all other secondary waves around the world have. Unfortunately we have had very little infection during the first wave and hence negligible herd immunity and a more vulnerable population. So, where other countries’ second waves were less severe than their first wave, our second wave will be more severe than our first.
  
  Buckle up for significant human and business fatalities.
  
  If Jacinda were truly honest about her published statements that she was not thinking about elections (“I accept there is an election”), but only about fighting Covid, then she must postpone the distraction of the election and fight the second wave of the pandemic with focus.
  
  If she does anything else, it proves again that she is a facile liar.
  
  This is in addition to being confirmed as a poor leader and manager who knows how to emote announcements but not how to be effective.
  
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  August 13, 2020 9:09am
Grant

Not everyone is drinking the Ardern Kool Aid.
An American article that you won’t find quoted in our media….https://www.aier.org/article/authoritarianism-in-auckland/
Perhaps we could discuss this?
G
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August 13, 2020 8:18am
- Ruahine
  
  Grant.
  
  That is a great read. Refreshing to read a bit of honest reporting and shows what utter lapdogs of Labour and totalitarianism our media are.
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:47am
- Nukuleka
  
  Maybe the Herald and Stuff might consider reprinting the article. Just for balance.
  
  Ha ha.
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:55am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  That should be force fed to all lefties
  
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  August 13, 2020 9:12am
  - wimpston peeeders
    
    aw gawd imagine that, we would have to make airplane noises in an attempt to get them to swallow it.
    
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    August 13, 2020 9:26am
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      One way to get the children to comply
      
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      August 13, 2020 9:54am
- krazykiwi
  
  That is brutal, honest truth that all NZers should read. Needs to be shared widely on social media.
  
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  August 13, 2020 9:35am
- pejhay
  
  WOW !
  
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  August 13, 2020 10:13am
- Classic Liberal
  
  Yes please read and distribute it, everyone.
  
  This is what National need to be saying: we need gradual herd immunity, not dictatorship and lockdowns every time there is a case!
  
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  August 13, 2020 11:12am
niggly

So we also have Labour (Ardern and Robertson) mocking National for asking the question – how come you guys were ramping up Covid measures recently (talking about facemasks and resuming the Covid ads/warnings etc), by saying they (Govt) were not aware of any community transmission cases so everything they have done is coincidental (and National are clutching at straws so to speak).

But we have their (Govt) fan-bois like Shawn Hendy saying doom and gloom stuff like community transmission has likely been happening bigtime for weeks and many many people will be carrying and spreading the disease etc?

Meethinks Labour is spinning. Sure they can aggressively “refute” National and say they are “crazy” and point to no formal reports on this from the MoH (so how dare National undermine the DG of Health says Robbo on Morning Report) …. but surely it is a case that informally, and until evidence had been gathered, that health officials would have had some “concerns” and hence relayed those thoughts to the Govt (remember “No Surprises” policy after all), which then allowed a cunning and manipulative Labour Party to quietly start ramping up Covid precautions?

That I think seems to be plausible.
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August 13, 2020 8:19am
- Jimmy White
  
  The most transparent Government ever. We can now see straight thru them smoke, mirrors and all.
  
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  August 13, 2020 9:10am
- fisho
  
  Yeah, the thing I find interesting is that late last week they made an announcement that access to aged care facilities and management of staff across these facilities is going to be made more stringent then, presto, it comes out today that one of the latest ‘infectees’ visited a family member in a rest home.
  Timing is a bit suspect.
  
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  August 13, 2020 2:01pm
Maggie Pie

Just logged into ‘My Lotto’ to check last nights draw.
Looks like I’ve won Division 7 !!
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August 13, 2020 8:20am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Wow!
  
  if that Bonus ticket wins $50M on Saturday, you’ll be able to buy your own couch.
  
  17 1
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  August 13, 2020 8:31am
  - Maggie Pie
    
    I still haven’t bought that Kentucky Seasoned Flour yet! 😀
    
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    August 13, 2020 8:45am
  - Te Rauparaha
    
    $50 MILL buys not just a couch, but the entire NZ media!
    
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    August 13, 2020 9:25am
  - crikey
    
    All I ever win is bonus tickets. Regrettably they cannot win the $50M Pwerball first prize as they do not have the Powerball number.
    
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    August 13, 2020 9:56am
fernglas

Is it just me, or are there others who are beginning to resent being lectured on how to conduct themselves by every second person appearing on TV? There’s someone on now from Countdown, who I assume is an expert on shopping, not ethics or morality, doing just that.
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August 13, 2020 8:21am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Especially those try hard psychologists telling us how to feel
  
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  August 13, 2020 9:15am
- Isobar
  
  Its called netflix, no ads, no worries!
  
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  August 13, 2020 9:28am
- Classic Liberal
  
  Yes, and I’m sure sick of being told to be kind!!!
  
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  August 13, 2020 11:21am
oldpark

Believe it or not .Addressing the Nation of NZ yesterday there were two proven Flu Vaccine Liars Apprentice Control freak Bloomfield, flanked by Control Freak Extraordinaire Ardern. Who both said not so long ago that there was no shortage of the Flu Vaccine and made out our Doctors were the liars .TVNZ exposed the Ardern/ Bloomfield lies.
Yes Ardern with her Nauseous Diatribe as she addressed the now untrusting crowd who were fooled on the Flu Vaccine lies Commie.Ardern was definitely Politicizing Coronavirus. In fact the whole Labour /Green Campaign was on and still is Covid-19 .
Yes her “Narcissistic Personality Disorder” was there for all to see . When she had the gall and Temerity aided and abetted by NZs CNN ne’er do wells clones, our Mainstream Media and far left University Professors all putting the boot into Judith Collins accusing her of Politicizing the General Election . FFS.
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August 13, 2020 8:24am
- surfing
  
  Ha, you’d better go dark then, jacinda will be around at least another 3 years.
  
  All politicians lie.
  
  This is why we need to change our political system to a random representative democracy.
  
  I’m fed up with our politicians. On the right and left.
  
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  August 13, 2020 9:08am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Lies get them publicity. Even bad publicity is still publicity. They are so full of themselves they don’t give a shit how bad the lies are
  
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  August 13, 2020 9:18am
Tomtoddy

Stuff attacks Collins for flouting conventions. Pray, tell me when do conventions get changed or new ones emerge??? When you have a major national crisis on the edge of an election.

Media are scraping the bottom of the barrel to find something to criticise Collins and National.
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August 13, 2020 8:25am
- Te Rauparaha
  
  Media are scraping the bottom of the FIFTY MILLION DOLLAR GIFT barrel to find something to criticise Collins and National.
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:34am
- fernglas
  
  Political conventions are created by practice and evolve with changing circumstances. In unprecedented times such as these, I see no reason why the Government should fall back on convention as a reason not to consult with the opposition. To do otherwise is overtly political.
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:44am
  - Tony Stuart
    
    I agree fernglas. These are indeed unprecedented times, and the Government is treading very dangerous ground if it does not consult with the Opposition, especially now that there is no parliamentary oversight or accountability.
    
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    August 13, 2020 8:54am
- the deity formerly known as nigel6888
  
  https://www.aier.org/article/authoritarianism-in-auckland/
  
  Look we are getting noticed! That is good isnt it???
  
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  August 13, 2020 9:25am
- Isobar
  
  If parliament has not been dissolved, technically the election period has not begun.
  
  Even an convention which is loose and unwritten would surely not apply until parliament’s term is up?
  
  Maybe its time to actually legally define what happens in caretaker mode, but in MMP i would imagine that would involve all parties in parliament.
  
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  August 13, 2020 9:31am
rockape

My medical grapefpvine extends to Rotorua. I have it that they have been told there to prepare for the worst.
On a related subject, th election being delayed is something Labour don’t want because with every case their chances get less. With increasing debt and job losses their chances get less. Judith is pushing for a delay so we can have an election where parties can inform the public of their policies and FAIR elections are about an INFORMED public voting.
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August 13, 2020 8:25am
- surfing
  
  There are no confirmed cases from Rotorua as yet.
  
  What do you know that we don’t? Come on , you’re anonymous.
  
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  August 13, 2020 9:15am
  - rockape
    
    I have a senior nurse friend there. They have been told to expect and prepare for the worst. If people with the virus can wander round unmasked having the symptoms of the virus( they have had 9 days sick leave) then there is a risk. If there isnt then what are we all worried about? Why lockdown Auckland if they dont present a risk?
    
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    August 13, 2020 11:04am
    - Classic Liberal
      
      Hardline socialists want to destroy businesses and the free market. Then the government seizes assets, controls production and citizens. This fear of the virus is a perfect opportunity for them.
      
      We’re utterly at the mercy of Taxinda and team now: when will they allow us to work again? When it suits them. Meanwhile they borrow and keep us alive with little hand outs, but our businesses are destroyed.
      
      The government will decide whether your business can survive, whether you have a job, whether you can keep your assets. Whether you get treatment in hospital or are the wrong race. Whether you can study or are the wrong race.
      
      This is what you get when a hardline socialist rules.
      
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      August 13, 2020 11:36am
      - IC5000
        
        > The government will decide whether your business can survive, whether you have a job, whether you can keep your assets
        
        Govnt of any persuasion can do this. Look at Trump and Huawei. Don’t be so naive in the future.
        
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        August 13, 2020 3:00pm
- niggly
  
  Good points, it makes one wonder why the MSM continue to play the bad-National/good-Labour card when it is obvious that this is what it is all about!
  
  Perhaps the MSM should be asking – what if the shoe was on the other foot i.e. if National were in power and a few weeks out from the election were hogging the media limelight and locking down the country so that Opposition parties couldn’t hold public rallies.
  
  We know what would happen. Leftie media commentators would be writing screeds and screeds or articles saying how draconian this was (National). Labour and the Greens would be lent a sympathetic ear day after day by journalists to outline their “disgust” (and not be shouted down like Kim Hill did with Judith Collins at around 8.30am this morning).
  
  I hate the stench of hypocrisy which is covering Labour and the most of the MSM – gee do they stink or what!
  
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  August 13, 2020 9:21am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Labour do not have policies yet. They will make them up if they should win the election. Every goal they have set has been a failure
  
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  August 13, 2020 9:22am
- tf78
  
  We just heard through a “friend” that there were actually 76 cases of Covid yesterday – I wonder if we mushrooms will be informed of that.
  
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  August 13, 2020 11:01am
Prince

I can’t log in – website tells me MyLotto is currently unavailable. I can only assume I won and the management is arranging my cheque. Off to Glengarry for cases of Cristal and Krug. Party at my place tonight. First 100 guests only admitted.
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August 13, 2020 8:26am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Lotto has been won by the Labour Party and they are trying to cover it up //
  
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  August 13, 2020 9:23am
Maggie Pie

And don’t let anyone tell you “…there’s a shortage of disposable Face Masks in the public system”.
I personally know of more than 2 million that have been sitting in storage since last April.

https://i.imgflip.com/42x4nm.jpg
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August 13, 2020 8:29am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  A cyclone mesh fence to stop mosquitos, but it makes the sheep feel good
  
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  August 13, 2020 9:27am
  - sooty
    
    Face masks are been given out to special people and bennys free of charge. The rest have to pay!
    
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    August 13, 2020 10:07am
    - oldfella
      
      What’s a ‘benny’?
      
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      August 13, 2020 11:47am
      - Engelbert Humperdink
        
        Benefit…
        
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        August 13, 2020 1:02pm
  - cmm
    
    Certainly, a cyclone mesh fence won’t stop a mosquito, but that’s not what it is trying to do.
    
    Yes, a virus is extremely small (1 million viruses for everyone in the world would fit in a teaspoon), but that’s not what you’re trying to stop.
    
    The viruses are stuck in droplets. The surface tension of the droplets is very strong relative to a virus. It can’t escape from the droplet.
    
    Back to the analogy that is like a mosquito stuck in a soccer ball.
    
    Can a cyclone mesh fence stop a soccer ball with a mosquito in it? That’s the question.
    
    Fine so far for large droplets (eg. coughing), but some droplets (aka aerosols) are tiny – less than 100th of a millimetre across and can still hold hundreds of thousands of viruses.
    
    Back to our game, that’s like a cyclone fence trying to stop a marble.
    
    So, yes, the masks have effect against large droplets, but not necessarily against the smallest aerosols.
    
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    August 13, 2020 10:46am
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      Masks become contaminated with body fluids, that is unhealthy imo. Wearing one will still not stop the spread. That is the way I see it.
      Govt over reaction, 4 cases in the team of 5 million. That is 0.0000008%
      
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      August 13, 2020 11:40am
      - cmm
        
        Let me correct that for you.
        
        There are 4 positively tested individuals.
        
        That means there will be heaps running around out there – mostly oblivious to being infected.
        
        Still, I agree, so damn what? This is not as bad as a bad flu.
        
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        August 13, 2020 12:51pm
bruceavon

I am usually fairly cautious and moderate but I think Collins needs to go for it and keep up the attacks on the government and it’s response to covid. The other option is she sits on the sidelines applauding the government. That doesn’t work for Judith. That’s a no win position come the election.
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August 13, 2020 8:32am
- Tony Stuart
  
  I concur. And after all, who, by her own words at Labour’s campaign launch last Saturday declared This will be a Covid election?
  
  https://twitter.com/TonyStuart55/status/1293636507756969984
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:50am
  - The Proper Ghandi
    
    As an apparently connected man, ffs have a word to them would you, Tony. Tell them to have a look at KB asap if they want a survey of public opinion. They have nothing to lose by telling the truth.
    
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    August 13, 2020 10:52am
Paulus

We are now a one Party State with the Opposition parties being denied voice.
Like Chavas and Mugabe – one voice only.
And she accuses the Opposition of playing politics – what hypocrisy.
But twice a day SHE is electioneering with her mate Bloomfield.
Now I am annoyed and that takes a lot of doing after over 80 years.
I was a WW2 London child and saw the effect of destruction from Dictatorships both German then Russian.
Does she really know what she is doing or is she being manipulated from elsewhere – she does not have the intelligence to make decisions by herself which is the impression she gives.
And that is dangerous but who cares – the women think she remains omnipotent.
I shall not be around much longer but am sorry to believe that I should have done more.
Can I vote by Proxy ?
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August 13, 2020 8:34am
- Engelbert Humperdink
  
  Now who the actual eff would down check that comment from Paulus. Hopefully an automated bot, even in Fraser House they can’t be that unkind. Actually, maybe they can.
  
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  August 13, 2020 9:12am
  - fernglas
    
    It’s a badge of honour to get a downtick, and just to prove it, I will give you one.
    
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    August 13, 2020 9:58am
    - Engelbert Humperdink
      
      I appreciate that 🙂
      
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      August 13, 2020 1:01pm
  - Paulus
    
    Engle
    Wish I knew what the hell you are talking about.
    I am quite truthful – too old to otherwise.
    
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    August 13, 2020 2:21pm
    - Classic Liberal
      
      He was paying you a compliment, Paulus. Querying who on earth would downtick you, because your comment was great.
      
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      August 13, 2020 4:15pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  You forgot her other heroes. Pol Pot, Marx, Stalin, Idi Armin, Mao Zedong, Kim Jong Il, Castro, Lenin.
  But they did it wrong, Jacinda knows how it should be done
  
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  August 13, 2020 9:42am
  - Parnell Gun Club
    
    Idi Amin? The others I can believe though.
    
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    August 13, 2020 11:01am
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      The ‘butcher of Uganda’ was a Dictator
      
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      August 13, 2020 11:43am
- Classic Liberal
  
  “ Does she really know what she is doing or is she being manipulated from elsewhere ”
  
  Both: hardline socialist textbook stuff: destroy the market, control who can trade, make everyone totally dependent on the state. State makes all the decisions re production.
  
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  August 13, 2020 11:54am
  - Nickc2
    
    I agree with what you say Classic Liberal but unfortunately, what you say isn’t being taught or studied in our schools and universities these days.
    If and when we come out of this COVID crisis, will our schools and universities change tack and use the current government’s tactics as a case study into how countries are taken over by Marxists in current times. My bet is they won’t, the Teachers and University lecturers are too entrenched in the ideology to reverse any wrong and deceitful past practices.
    
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    August 13, 2020 12:55pm
    - Classic Liberal
      
      Alas. I’ve met supposedly educated people in their twenties who have no idea what East Germany was! These young people don’t know how destructive and deadly communism is.
      
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      August 13, 2020 4:17pm
Maggie Pie

My partner was wondering if any of those Covid infected people from South Auckland who visited Rotorua last week, called into a Coffey bar.

Asking for a friend.
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August 13, 2020 8:41am
- Tony Stuart
  
  Did they drop in for a long black?
  
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  August 13, 2020 9:04am
  - Maggie Pie
    
    😛
    
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    August 13, 2020 9:15am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Flat white more likely
    
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    August 13, 2020 9:43am
  - Nickc2
    
    What, a racist coffee? What will Black Coffee, Black Beans and Black Pepper be renamed as in the future ………… and that’s just food?
    
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    August 13, 2020 12:59pm
Engelbert Humperdink

“It isn’t the cough that carries you off

It’s the coffin they carry you off in”

I first learned that treating TB patients… They would sing it themselves!
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August 13, 2020 9:10am
Lee C

This may be a crazy notion, but why is no one being held accountable for this?

It is a sign of how totally bludgeoned into submission we are that no one has asked for The Minister of Health to “please explain” or tender his resignation.

We’ve got a city looking at lockdown and a nation at Level 2 FFS.
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August 13, 2020 9:11am
- fernglas
  
  Cart before the horse, Lee. First they flannel furiously, then they investigate. Once they find out where it got in, they say they don’t want anyone to be blamed, and appoint Mike Heron to do an inquiry. He reports back and by then nobody is really that interested any more. Ashley gets his gong, Jacinda goes to the UN and we are stuck with the mess.
  
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  August 13, 2020 9:46am
  - Libertarians are right
    
    Or if they really want a cover up, they appoint Maria Dew QC after telling her the result they want.
    
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    August 13, 2020 9:59am
    - Nickc2
      
      The most Honest and Transparent Government ever. Cindy’s words, not mine. We really got sucked in by this bovine thanks to Winston 1st.
      Watch your fingers Winston, the cell door is closing!
      
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      August 13, 2020 1:03pm
RW Capitalist

“I am death, the destroyer of worlds”
Openheimer
“I am death, the destroyer of Economies”
Socialism
“I am death, the destroyer of the NZ economy”
Jacinda Ardern
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August 13, 2020 9:19am
- fightingtemeraire
  
  Originally from the Bargavad Gita
  
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  August 13, 2020 9:56am
- Nickc2
  
  A great tomb stone epitaph for Cindy.
  
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  August 13, 2020 1:05pm
hullkiwi

Maggy, sorry, I’ve been questioning for weeks here on KB whether they had ever eliminated/eradicated Covid in NZ. My reasoning dates back to the period when JA was dancing on a pinhead over eliminate v eradicate and she was putting herself into positions to lower the Alert levels.

We then had the farce over whether there was testing at the borders/and managed isolation etc. There was a period of 2 to 3 weeks with no cases, then suddenly we were getting 1 to 2 cases per day for the past 2.5 months. Each time, we were told they were in managed isolation, but we weren’t told that each case had arrived from overseas.

But the topper was the two people who flew out from NZ. The excuses given by NZ authorities in both cases were not plausible. Therefore, the only conclusion was the virus was within NZ.

Before Melbourne got out of control, Jacinda sack the idiot Clark and went on to begin talking about regional lockdowns, why?

Finally, over the past 2 weeks we’ve had the reappearance of the Covid ads on TV, and then both Bloomfield and Chippie Hipkins at the 1PM pantomime urging people to get tested etc. Admittedly, by then Victoria was again out of control, but what did they think was going to happen? The virus would blow here from Aust, or was it already here and the situation they knew about was threatening to get out of control?

All of the above suggests Bloomfield, Hipkins, Woods, Robertson and Ardern knew the virus was still here and they were sitting on the information.

So what changed on Tuesday, they clearly have a cluster that is more than just 4 people who they can scoop up and put in managed isolation. That is why we are here?

May I recommend you watch Professor Des Gorman’s interview from last night’s Seven Sharp. He would have won no friends in the Jacinda establishment by suggesting the government and Bloomfield have been playing political tactics rather than looking after the health and economic well being of New Zealanders and New Zealand.
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August 13, 2020 9:26am
- hullkiwi
  
  The above relates to Maggy W’s post above.
  
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  August 13, 2020 9:29am
- alex Masterley
  
  Professor Gorman has been critical of the handling of this from day one. He is a bit of a thorn in the side of the government at the moment. Long may it continue.
  
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  August 13, 2020 10:19am
  - cmm
    
    But he’s being airbrushed out of the picture and replaced with the 80,000-will-die Hendys of the world.
    
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    August 13, 2020 12:40pm
Clyde

And did I hear on Moaning Report that a tangi for an East Polynesian took place yesterday with over 300 attending while at the same time other East Polynesians were “helping” the Police at road blocks because East Polynesians are particularly vulnerable to Covid? The hypocrosy is staggering but of course Moaning Report or any other media won’t point that out.
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August 13, 2020 9:31am
Maggie Pie

From what i see trending on Twitter, I’m pleased our beach house isn’t in the Far North.
Sounds like it would be safer for Jaffas to holiday in Somalia 🙁

Just saying.
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August 13, 2020 9:36am
- Yvette
  
  As others in various media have asked –
  Why, before a Lockdown, is advance notice given of it, so people can relocate to almost anywhere they wish to across the country (just as some will panic buy for similar reasons) and possibly take infection with them?
  
  Some Aucklanders have reputedly now relocated to holiday homes outside Auckland, so how many may be infected and residing in Taupo, as an example, for the next few days, where there is no Lockdown.
  
  Without a reasonable explanation for this tactic (or lack of tactics), I hesitate to believe the Government knows what they are really doing
  
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  August 13, 2020 9:49am
  - wimpston peeeders
    
    theyre still alowed to flee auckland by plane, same as china done before it went global.
    
    air nz and airports need to step up and stop the virus flights 🙂
    
    btw I dnt give a hoot about covid im for herd immunity and reopening borders but priority given to damaging jacindas reputation and create dissent amongst her devoted followers.
    
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    August 13, 2020 10:46am
burt

I know someone who works for a government department that has a key role in managing covid issues and he was saying their internal comms on covid have bern very quiet recently but that changed on Monday. A very strongly worded internal email was sent to all employees demanding use of the tracking app, reminding all about possibilities of communidy transmission etc.

Surely that was a coincidence?
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August 13, 2020 9:43am
WaynelSexton

I hear we are having a minute of silence today for all the checkout operators who died from covid 19 in the last lockdown.
What no one died? But but but they must of died, they weren’t wearing masks…..
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August 13, 2020 9:43am
kwkiwigirl

Was funny watching the commentators on CNBC (the US business channel) last night at 10pm. They announced that NZ now had covid cases after 100 days of no cases. The salient points were:

1. Astounded that the whole of Auckland has been locked down over 4 cases.
2. Don’t believe the lack of cases in NZ. Surmised that it’s due to lack of testing!!!
3. Think the lack of cases doesn’t mean that covid wasn’t in NZ. Just wasn’t detected.
4. Don’t believe for one minute the story that it may have come into NZ off a food container (per NZH news story last night). Their resident doctor, Dr Scott Gottlieb, the former FDA commissioner, totally dissed that theory and put it on a par with the chinese government who tried to put that out there. (clearly this news clip came from the Labour party propaganda machine, trying to avoid blame for the border f**k ups that have caused this outbreak).

Anyway just interesting to see overseas media calling BS on the NZ covid ‘success’ story.
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August 13, 2020 9:46am
Tony Stuart

Love him or loath him, Cameron Slater does ask some interesting questions. And he’s asked a very interesting one today about the PM’s opening statement in her speech in the Adjournment Debate last Thursday; she began thus:

Adjournment Debate
ADJOURNMENT

Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Prime Minister): I move, That the House do now adjourn until 2 p.m. on Tuesday, 18 August 2020.

https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/hansard-debates/rhr/document/HansS_20200806_051180000/ardern-jacinda

Can anyone throw any light on this, given that it’s not one of the “critical” dates shown on the Parliament website’s timeline to the General Election?

Will Parliament be recalled to sit next week, to possible debate a delayed election date? And if so, did the PM already know that when she spoke last Thursday, or is there another explanation?
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August 13, 2020 9:50am
- RJ
  
  Did you not watch Jacinda yesterday, don’t question her lies and the fact she knew ages ago she was going to do this, it is now about the team of 4,999,999 and COVID (i have wake jumped her team, please feel free to as well)
  
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  August 13, 2020 10:37am
- Ruahine
  
  My guess is to ‘legalise’ further shutdowns. The present legislation expires 15th August. Friday.
  
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  August 13, 2020 10:40am
- The Housekeeper
  
  Wasn’t this raised by a KB’er at the time? I can’t find the posts so it may have been on BFD but at the time I dismissed it as pedantic and thought Adern had simply misspoken. I was wrong. Well spotted whoever that was. Were the rest of Parliament complicit or simply didn’t notice?
  
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  August 13, 2020 11:23am
- tf78
  
  I wonder who her speech writer is.
  
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  August 13, 2020 11:28am
Dave Mann

CALL TO ACTION
In my view New Zealand is in absolute crisis right now. It’s glaringly obvious of course that things aren’t exactly rosy, but my point is that our whole society is facing a threat from which we will never recover unless we take action now.

This virus is a totally innocuous minor infection which has absolutely no effect on around 99% of those who get it, causes flu-like symptoms in some and kills a tiny number of elderly people and those who are already sick with something else.

The propaganda raves on about ‘spikes’ and ‘community transmission’ etc, but the actual facts tell us that, measured as a percentage of population, the death rate from Covid is absolutely infinitesimal. Even the most ‘badly’ affected counties (for example the USA) have death rates of around 0.05% of population. It’s madness.

On the basis of this purely imaginary threat, the Marxists have seized control of our country and, with the help of a cowed and compliant population, they are not only destroying our economy, our businesses and our future, but they are successfully destroying our freedoms of action and even our thoughts. They have atomised our society through fear, driven us apart from each other and literally divided us in order to control us.

Why have we allowed ourselves to be controlled by these totalitarian maniacs? We desperately need a strongly organised and coordinated resistance to take back our country before it is too late.
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August 13, 2020 10:12am
- tf78
  
  Divide and conquer – but conquered by whom. Will it be the mother party or the CCP, or are they one in the same.
  
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  August 13, 2020 11:25am
- Alex13
  
  So, do we know what National will do with regards to the epidemic if they win the election?
  
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  August 13, 2020 11:45am
- KevO'Brien
  
  Once we would have got the guillotine out.
  
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  August 13, 2020 12:13pm
Maggie Pie

When this popped up on Twitter, it immediately made me think of what life must be like for our ‘resident downticker’ during 2020 😛

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EfOkqNuWsAcI50G?format=jpg&name=900×900
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August 13, 2020 10:15am
- The Proper Ghandi
  
  Looks like he should’ve used a condom.
  
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  August 13, 2020 11:01am
  - Maggie Pie
    
    It probably burst
    
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    August 13, 2020 12:09pm
    - The Proper Ghandi
      
      Possible, but I doubt he has the reproductive wherewithal to over-stress the capabilities of the average condom.
      
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      August 13, 2020 1:00pm
Lee C

Let’s assume National have lost the election.

Good. Now that’s out of the way can Her Majesty’s Opposition PLEASE go full berserk and flame these imposters?

What do you have to lose?
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August 13, 2020 10:19am
- RJ
  
  Let’s not assume we have lost when we haven’t.
  
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  August 13, 2020 10:33am
  - the deity formerly known as nigel6888
    
    Not the point. There is no point in being compliant sheep in the face of an orchestrated litany of lies.
    
    We might as well fight back, because we have literally nothing to lose.
    
    Baaaaaaaa, Comrade
    
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    August 13, 2020 12:03pm
    - RJ
      
      Very easy to fight back without giving up and thinking we have lost. Both Judith and Gerry have being fighting this the past two days, and certainly haven’t given up, actually she still strongly thinks that we can win this election.
      
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      August 13, 2020 1:13pm
  - KevO'Brien
    
    Certainty is getting closer by the day.
    
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    August 13, 2020 12:12pm
- KevO'Brien
  
  Who’s going to run the barbecue?
  
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  August 13, 2020 12:11pm
Maggie Pie

Have been listening on and off to Paula on MagicTalk.
Someone needs to tell her not to invite life’s losers to call in with their problems. Sooo boring!!
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August 13, 2020 10:34am
Goon

Ooops….seems some people are starting to shake their heads and chuckle at NZ and “Ardern the wise”

https://www.aier.org/article/authoritarianism-in-auckland/
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August 13, 2020 10:35am
Bobba Fret

Anyone else thinking the announcement late Friday will be that we are going back to level 4 from Monday for two weeks?
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August 13, 2020 10:38am
- Frank the tank
  
  It will depend if there is any unrelated cases today – if so expect level 4 – Auckland; level 3 everywhere else from midnight Friday.
  
  My understanding all emergency services et al are being prepped as we speak.
  
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  August 13, 2020 11:01am
I remember when

The Government have at least got one thing right if they want to control covid-19 deaths – closed rest homes to public.
When the media advise that 70% of Victorian deaths have been in the 80+ group the answer is obvious.
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August 13, 2020 10:42am
- wimpston peeeders
  
  gotta keep em alive untill she gets her death taxes in place!
  
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  August 13, 2020 10:51am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  It wasn’t the Government that put them into Lockdown…
  They did it off their own bat….as they did earlier in the year when they closed rest homes to visitors etc..
  
  But Jacinda took credit for their latest lockdown.
  
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  August 13, 2020 11:18am
- KevO'Brien
  
  That was obvious as far back as the Diamond Princess cruise ship. The incidence there by cohort has been been reasonably repeated worldwide. Most don’t get visible symptoms and from 60 + it begins to ramp up to the 80+ being the worst affected. The 10-19 cohort had the second highest risk reflecting their youthful flings.
  The elderly get more trouble from co-morbidities.
  
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  August 13, 2020 12:08pm
I remember when

Three people dead after train derailed in Aberdeenshire. The driver, conductor and one passenger are said to have died.
Stated that the train hit a landslide after heavy rain and thunder.
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August 13, 2020 10:48am
- JackRabbit
  
  If they test the dead for Covid the deaths and the cause of the accident will be Covid.
  
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  August 13, 2020 11:47am
Ruahine

Reading or listening to NZs Media.

I love the stench of hypocrisy in the morning.
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August 13, 2020 10:52am
I remember when

Although it has been stated the covid-19 can remain alive on frozen goods, there has been no proof of cases resulting from this source after seven months of the disease.
Is this a case of the Trevor Bailey’s, a straight bat and play for time.
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August 13, 2020 10:55am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  If frozen goods were a repository of coronoviruses, I would have expected to have caught colds/ respiratory complaints every time I opened the freezer.
  
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  August 13, 2020 11:22am
  - Brian McDonald
    
    Wouldn’t be mobile when it is frozen Maggie. This report says its tranference on frozen goods may be unlikely but that also virus samples are stored in the lab by being frozen, also that outbreaks are more common in the colder months.
    
    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-china-food-factbox/factbox-can-frozen-or-chilled-food-spread-coronavirus-idUSKBN23N1JL
    
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    August 13, 2020 11:43am
- Brian McDonald
  
  It can survive on frozen foods, which has been known for months. Many articles on this including the following. If you think it can survive and not be contagious you’ll need to show the proof.
  
  https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=12325961
  
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  August 13, 2020 11:34am
  - JamesP
    
    What is viral load?
    
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    August 13, 2020 12:40pm
- krazykiwi
  
  Refer Exaggerated risk of transmission of COVID-19 by fomites from The Lancet. The author notes:
  
  A clinically significant risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission by fomites (inanimate surfaces or objects) has been assumed on the basis of studies that have little resemblance to real-life scenarios.
  
  Paper by Emanuel Goldman, Professor of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, New Jersey Medical School.
  
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  August 13, 2020 11:43am
  - Brian McDonald
    
    Your link doesn’t speak to viruses surviving on frozen surfaces, try to keep up.
    
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    August 13, 2020 11:53am
- oldfella
  
  You have a long memory if you can remember Trevor Bailey. Good cricketer, though – I one owned a how-to book he’d put out on batting and bowling. Unfortunately, I lacked the skills to put his advise into practise. 😉
  
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  August 13, 2020 11:57am
Humble Capitalist

A little birdie tells me there is a probable case in Rotorua. I wonder if the `PM’ knows yet
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August 13, 2020 11:31am
- Brian McDonald
  
  Would do for sure, 2 from the South Auckland cluster visited there when the mother was symptomatic and that visit is under investigation. So I think your little birdie slept in.
  
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  August 13, 2020 11:55am
Alex13

Labour have made COVID-19 their main election theme. What they would or will do in various scenarios of fighting the spread of the virus is more or less clear as it can be inferred from what they have done so far. Some people will agree with their measures, other may not, but the said measures are rather predictable.
Has National spelled out clearly as to what would they do with regards to the current pandemic? – I haven’t seen that laid out in a clear way, but maybe I missed it. Or do we need to get a hint of National’s intentions from suggestions made recently by Stephen Joyce (“bring in foreign students”, etc.) and John Key?
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August 13, 2020 11:37am
- peterwn
  
  What are you asking? What is National doing about the pandemic health-wise or what is National going to do economic-wise. Do not conflate the two issues. The Left and MSM elements would love to. Labour has given no indication at this stage as to what it will do economic-wise post election, so why should National? This is especially as National has not started its election campaign (was due this Sunday) and anyway the proposed start is now on hold.
  
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  August 13, 2020 12:13pm
  - Alex13
    
    Health-wise…
    
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    August 13, 2020 12:48pm
- The Proper Ghandi
  
  We need to just follow Sweden’s approach now. They are the empirical example, so we needn’t speculate about hypotheticals any longer. Even we have a large enough data set to conclude that it is no real threat. The relative proportions will hold, even as the absolute numbers increase. At least 97% recover fully and the data show this. Sweden are nearly over it at this point.
  
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  August 13, 2020 1:30pm
Maggie Pie

You will recall that i posted here last week about an extremely potent Fly Spray called ‘Green Leaf’ that I purchased from an Indian Superette out Panmure way.
As the directions on the can are in Hindi, I took it up to the local dairy earlier on, to see if Raj could decipher the contents for me.
He has copied it down thus….. Pyrethrumm, Chlorpyrifos, Dichlorvos, Cyfluthrin, Butane, Propane (…there’s a few other things that are not clearly shown). Raj thought it may be more for Cockroaches but devastating on flies & mozzies.

I must say if you can put up with the smell, the ‘knock-down power’ is amazing – would highly recommend.
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August 13, 2020 11:38am
- greybeard
  
  It is probably the depleted uranium which does the trick.
  
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  August 13, 2020 12:18pm
- Southtop2
  
  Hehe Maggie
  I bet it gets the job done on anything the flys or crawls.
  Green Leaf is likely more dangerous than the current virus. Chlorpyrifos is an old organo-phosphate insecticide that nuc’s everything. Not sure it is even allowed to still be used in apple orchards?
  
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  August 13, 2020 1:20pm
  - Maggie Pie
    
    WOW! I just showed my partner your comment ST2.
    He suggested rather than risk spraying it all round the place, we should just leave the Spray Can standing on the kitchen window for the flies to see. He reckons they probably understand Hindi 😀
    
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    August 13, 2020 2:57pm
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Yep, it can still be used… but no entry to the orchard for 24 hrs after application.
    
    It was implicated in the death of a NZ backpacker in a Thai hostel (bedbug spray?)
    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10724455
    
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    August 13, 2020 5:15pm
    - Maggie Pie
      
      Jeepers Maggs! Thank goodness neither of us are backpackers (..in the true sense of the word anyway 😛 )
      
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      August 13, 2020 5:26pm
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        I’ve stayed in quite a few less-than-salubrious establishments, but the only time I’ve encountered a bed bug was in a Mt Victoria ~~doss-house~~ Wellington accommodation a couple of years back.
        
        Crikey… give me Gizzy cockroaches any day.
        
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        August 13, 2020 6:03pm
      - Maggie Pie
        
        We don’t get cockies in Remmers thank goodness.
        The only time i’ve even seen one was in a restaurant in Hawaii. It was HUGE! My partner went to hit it with his shoe when a guy from the next table admonished him “DON’T not kill it – put a saddle on it”.
        LOL!!
        
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        August 13, 2020 6:53pm
The Housekeeper

Little bird tells me Wellington is moving to Level 3 tomorrow.
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August 13, 2020 11:39am
- oldfella
  
  Lots of little birds flying around on KB this morning. I wonder how many of them will drop poop on our PTPM?
  
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  August 13, 2020 11:59am
- Odakyu-sen
  
  Since South Auckland is the latest hot spot, if Wellington is to go to Level 3, then Auckland must surely go to Level 4!
  
  (Or Level 3 for the entire country?)
  
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  August 13, 2020 1:22pm
Komata

FWIW, and concerning the sudden ‘Miraculous / convenient’ reappearance of the virus:

I was told last Saturday (8 August 2020) by a General Practitioner friend that there were NO virus cases in NZ, and knowing him-well, had no reason to doubt the statement.

On that basis, the ‘sudden’ reappearance of said virus does seem to be somewhat convenient and ‘well / carefully’ timed to create the maximum amount of fear, frustration and dependency and a situation where Dear Leader / Mummy can sweep-in and ‘magically’ ‘make it all better’ while (also conveniently) making very sure that the metaphorical Cinderella (in the form of the NZ National party) will never, ever, get to the Ball (I know, the metaphores are mixed, but the point is made by their use).

Add-in the complete absence of any media worthy of its name, and voila, a forgone (some would even say ‘rigged’) election result…

But yet….

Perhaps cindy shouldn’t be counting her chickens just yet.

Time will tell.
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August 13, 2020 11:52am
- bruceavon
  
  Well I think Labour were going to win easily anyway, so I don’t see why they would want a virus outbreak that is going to piss everyone off and could point to incompetence. So I don’t buy that theory. It makes no sense. The longer the election is delayed the better for National as far as I can see.
  
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  August 13, 2020 12:41pm
- RJ
  
  Well there were cases in New Zealand but they were all in the isolation hotels. And if they ever trace the virus back to who it came from it will be either those hotels, the boarder or the air crew. But let’s also remember it is possible to be an isolation hotel, spend 13 days in it and then new people come I. With the virus and you’re are released on the 14 days
  
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  August 13, 2020 1:09pm
- The Proper Ghandi
  
  I think it is reasonable to say that it has been out in the community since late 2019 or early 2020 . But because the symptoms have now been found to be usually minor-to-non-existent, nobody has been tested for it in recent months, unless arriving from overseas. No one is dying or being hospitalised. It’s a joke. They needed to get some positive tests recently, in order to justify another over-reaction lockdown that is their only election strategy.
  
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  August 13, 2020 1:25pm
- MCos
  
  Time to get a new imaginary friend who sound a bit more believable.
  
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  August 13, 2020 3:46pm
I remember when

There has been a reasonable amount of information on behaviour, the do’s and don’ts, with regards to covid-19.
However, a picture on the front of the Manawatu Standard today and the caption below, raise some interesting questions.
The photo shows a line of passenger leaving a plane said to be from Auckland to Palmerston North. The caption states “Passengers from Auckland returned to Palmerston North Airport yesterday, many wearing face masks even after getting off the plane.”
So the masks were only needed on the plane? Once they were in Palmerston North they were safe? If anyone onboard the plane had covid-19 the danger departed once they left the plane?
I also wonder what do people do with the masks once they take them off (from the back of course)?
Do you place them in a pocket, purse, drop them in a rubbish bin?
Are you careful to sanitise your hands before touching anything else? Is the mask re-useable and placed with items to be washed before sanitising your hands?
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August 13, 2020 12:05pm
Fletch

Mark Levin’s podcast yesterday in which he pretty much takes Kamala Harris’ nomination apart piece by piece.

https://youtu.be/r_8Trgok2Zs?t=43
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August 13, 2020 12:31pm
- virtualmark
  
  Well, if it’s such a bad decision you Trump-fans should be smiling all the way to the bank.
  
  (Except for Mike Pence. He has to debate her on October 7th. That’s like putting Peewee Herman in the ring with Mike Tyson.)
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:04pm
bruceavon

More cases. So there’s probably 50 out there. No chance we aren’t headed into lockdown. Probably level 4 for 2 weeks to a month. Election must be delayed. Covid committee reconvened. National must stay in attack mode, They were supportive last time and ended up in the 20’s in polls. They have nothing to lose. If it can be shown this government were hiding anything, they are done.
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August 13, 2020 12:34pm
Westie Bob

If you set the covid response as an assignment for intermediate kids they would come up with a better plan. Why are isolation facilities not treat like meth house. All workers in disposable coveralls proper PPE face mask and gloves,decontamination at the end of the day. After supermarket shopping in the last lockdown clothes went in the wash then showered and new clothes donned.
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August 13, 2020 12:48pm
septic skeptic

Don’t miss the latest thrilling developments on the Ash and Cinders Show. I trust everyone is sitting on the couch glued to channel One. What will today’s numbers be?
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August 13, 2020 12:54pm
Maggie Pie

Gawd, to think when i first met my partner, we’d often head over to the Ellerslie Novotel for dinner and a dirty night.
What a cluster that’s become now.
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August 13, 2020 1:12pm
- RJ
  
  Gawd, to think you went to Ellerslie, have you no standards?
  
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  August 13, 2020 1:39pm
  - sooty
    
    Know it’s only wishful thinking and a night in front of the telly! Arh, those were the days when you allowed out! Not like now, can’t even go outside before “Karen” pimps on you!
    
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    August 13, 2020 3:32pm
  - Maggie Pie
    
    Of course we do! If we didn’t, we’d have stayed home 😛
    
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    August 13, 2020 3:38pm
    - Classic Liberal
      
      You make me think of that Frank Zappa song, Maggie.
      
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      August 13, 2020 4:31pm
    - sooty
      
      That wouldn’t have been half as exciting, now would it!
      
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      August 13, 2020 5:59pm
Nickc2

For something totally different with regard to COVID-19. Is it possible that the virus could be imported into countries like NZ by migratory birds (the feathered type of course)? If this is possible and I see no reason why it shouldn’t, how are we going to protect against it?
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August 13, 2020 1:17pm
- Steve Todd
  
  Oh, dear. You’re just making a complete fool of yourself.
  
  Stick to what you know about.
  
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  August 13, 2020 2:09pm
  - RJ
    
    He is asking a question and if you don’t know the point of asking a question is because they don’t know the answer.
    
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    August 13, 2020 2:26pm
    - Nickc2
      
      Thanks RJ. I was in the middle of mentally composing a reply to Steve and it wasn’t going to be friendly or kind. However, you have said it for me, albeit somewhat abridged. Thanks again.
      
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      August 13, 2020 2:58pm
      - Steve Todd
        
        So, Nick. Why do you think my response to you was not “friendly or kind”? No bells ringing? That’s okay.
        
        Let me enlighten you. Cast your mind back to your response to me at General Debate on 23 June, at 8:17PM, and to my response to you, at 10:37PM.
        
        While you’re doing that, try and recall your advice to me, to “Stick to things [I] know about.” Should you bother to refresh your memory, and scroll back to 23 June, and read our exchange, keep in mind that Steven Joyce has since admitted that National would have done pretty much the same as the government.
        
        Because I’m a hell of a nice guy (unlike you, in my view – I read your contributions pretty much every day), I’ve let you off lightly; with a mere tit-for-tat. I hope we can leave it that.
        
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        August 13, 2020 3:39pm
      - Nickc2
        
        @ Steve Todd 3:39PM
        TKS Steve, not sure we are on the same page here. I have accessed General Debate 23 June 2020 and no mention of yourself or myself. However, in the interests of harmony, I will not pursue the discourse further.
        https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2020/06/general_debate_23_june_2020.html
        
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        August 13, 2020 4:23pm
      - RJ
        
        You have got your tits all twisted over something that long ago, Jesus, get over it.
        
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        August 13, 2020 6:35pm
      - Steve Todd
        
        @Nickc2 @ 4:23PM
        
        Nick, you’re right. Our exchange of views was at ‘$30 million to appease protesters’ (on 23 June). I apologise to you, profusely.
        
        Scroll down to just over half-way down your screen.
        
        I was responding to Tony Stuart. You climbed into me, and, rather than respond, I said to myself, “You’ll keep.” ?
        
        I, too, have no wish to pursue the discourse further.
        
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        August 13, 2020 6:56pm
    - Steve Todd
      
      Mice, pigs, chickens, and ducks do not seem to become infected or spread the infection based on results from these studies.
      
      COVID-19, the viral disease gripping the globe, is not bird-related.
      
      RJ, I did the same research you did, before I responded. The two extracts, above, are one each from your two websites, below.
      
      I have my own particular reason for responding to Nick the way I did.
      
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      August 13, 2020 3:09pm
- RJ
  
  Try these sites
  
  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/animals.html
  
  https://www.audubon.org/news/birds-have-their-own-disease-problems-sometimes-become-ours
  
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  August 13, 2020 2:28pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  The aliens are doing this as well. Not the illegals, the ones that are controlling Jacinda.
  Stupid boy
  
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  August 13, 2020 6:05pm
Frank the tank

13 more cases – buckle in folks. Cindy is getting her big girl pants on as we speak.
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August 13, 2020 1:19pm
Humble Capitalist

Have Comrade Ardern and Comrade Bloomfield lost the dressing room?
Not on your nelly – she can walk on water didnt you know.
If you ever want to see her supporter’s `kindness’ just question her actions even in a gentle way
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August 13, 2020 1:20pm
RJ

Have the media turned on Cindy. In her current campaign stand up, oh I mean COVID, the media ask “its obvious we are going to be moved up in levels why don’t you just announce it now”.
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August 13, 2020 1:26pm
Happychappy

It looks like our Transport Agency has become a breeding ground for fraudsters and it appears that the Government did want the public to know before Parliament rose to canvass for the 2020 General Election.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/nzta-lashed-for-retrospective-tender
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August 13, 2020 2:00pm
- greybeard
  
  Probably has a lot to do with its alternative name.
  
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  August 13, 2020 3:26pm
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Martin McMullan had a nice little thing going at NZTA….
  https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/394239/ex-nzta-boss-faulted-over-innovation-unit-s-extensive-disregard-for-processes
  
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  August 13, 2020 5:05pm
  - sooty
    
    He must have a labour party membership card!
    
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    August 13, 2020 5:45pm
RJ

Remember this case for when she appears in the media murdered

A former Timaru youth who assaulted his girlfriend twice has had his bail conditions altered so the relationship can continue.

Zenath Richard Wishart’s partner of two years was in the Timaru District Court to support him when he admitted assaulting her and impeding her breathing before Judge Peter Rollo on Tuesday.

Article
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August 13, 2020 2:00pm
- The Housekeeper
  
  I fear you’re right RJ. Judge Rollo must be pretty stupid if he doesn’t know that strangulation is a very common factor, and so THE biggest red flag for deaths in domestic violence. Despite Zenath (teenage mother?), attacking her twice, once when pregnant, Judge Rollo says, “he’s an otherwise fine young man” and his victim, even more stupid than the judge, welcomes him back. Darwin Award?
  
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  August 13, 2020 11:18pm
Maggy Wassilieff

Great NZ Myths…

102 days with no community transmission
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August 13, 2020 2:13pm
- RJ
  
  I believe that is from the same person who also spread a myth that we went hard, we went early
  
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  August 13, 2020 2:24pm
Spring Bank Westie

There are few things you can be sure of these days, but number 3 on my list is:
If Jacinda ever says “let’s not politicise this issue”, you can be sure that Labour are about to politicise the hell out of it.
Case in point yesterday, during the Covid press conference Jacinda several times used “the day Todd Muller was replaced by Judith Collins” when referring to, for instance, when the government released their resurgence plan.
Only the feeble minded would not interpret this as “National have had a lot of leaders recently and we haven’t”, so please don’t try to tell me that this wasn’t a party political broadcast.
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August 13, 2020 2:44pm
I remember when

I wonder if Zenath would have been in court if they had used the alternative spelling of Zenith?
Would it have lead to greater expectations?
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August 13, 2020 2:58pm
sooty

The Army maning the roadblock on top of the Bombays, have shot up a furniture truck escaping the lockdown in Auckland!
It was on fire and the fire brigade was attending!
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August 13, 2020 3:19pm
- Maggie Pie
  
  Saw that soots…..my partner tweeted the video about an hour ago.
  He reckons an SAS sniper took out the driver from about 3000m !
  
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  August 13, 2020 4:27pm
RJ

I blame Jacindy, if you are going to lock down an area lock it down straight away with no one allowed to leave, but allow them time to shop

Aucklanders travelled to Queenstown before alert level 3 on Wednesday – Mayor
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August 13, 2020 3:26pm
Swifty

For rock trivia fans – one of Grace Slick’s lesser known works:

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=10156288627861737

I remember it, sitting in front of the telly after school in the early 70s.

Groovy man!
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August 13, 2020 4:00pm
Suze Wainwright

Has anyone checked on Jack Tame?

I imagine not being able to say that the rest of the world is just so jealous of aotearoa during political debates must be somewhat devastating…
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August 13, 2020 4:07pm
Maggie Pie

We keep getting inundated with REA’s putting letters and cards in our box to see if we want to sell the house?
One even phoned my partner yesterday and told him he has buyers willing to pay ‘any price’ just to get money away from the clutches of the CCP.

So prepare for even higher Rates by the sound of it.
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August 13, 2020 4:35pm
- Max
  
  I have to ask Maggie Pie, do these potential buyers supposedly escaping the CCP, think they are coming to a democracy? A hard sell for the REAs.
  
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  August 13, 2020 6:53pm
david

Looks [] Robbo has been writing more $16million cheque’s for comms assistance.
I say this by observations over the last two days and especially today (Thursday) during what has become known as Cindy’s Kindy session at 1:00 pm. The increasing use of”I” , “US” and “WE” has become noticeable and the PM’ pronouncements on scientific subjects such as genome sequencing and medical/statistical terminology smacks of a campaign to convince the public that what she says comes from personal knowledge, skill and intellect and must be therefore somehow more credible.
For one, I detest being manipulated and deplore this false positioning of what I perceive to be a nice but misguided very ordinary person.
For myself though, I can see through it enough to judge that it is a false front know enough to see that it is making a little bit of script sound like a PhD.
There are however enough people around who do not possess the education, experience or qualifications to see the shallowness and cynical nature of this campaign.
It concerns me greatly.
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August 13, 2020 4:35pm
- greybeard
  
  I agree will everything you say except the “nice person” bit. She is not nice. She is a manipulative, well-trained, well-coached , badly-spoken communist.
  I cannot wait for the day, very soon, when she is removed from this country’s government.
  
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  August 13, 2020 6:16pm
- Tall Man
  
  I detest cindy … Is that the same thing?
  
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  August 13, 2020 6:35pm
Nickc2

Is Winston trying to sabotage NZ on his way out? I guess it’s one way of getting his name recorded in NZ history.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/08/12/uk-not-match-fit-post-brexit-trade-talks-claims-new-zealands/
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August 13, 2020 4:53pm
- RJ
  
  Really no different than what Key and English have said in the past that the uk does not know how to do trade negotiations since they have been part of the EU for so long and that is something that New Zealand could help them out with.
  
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  August 13, 2020 6:04pm
- Tall Man
  
  “what’s in for wynston” … STFU …… please.
  
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  August 13, 2020 6:32pm
RJ

Looks like Jacindy learned nothing from the last lockdown, moronic.

ACT leader David Seymour is shocked the Government is still requiring butchers and greengrocers to close at alert level 3, having hoped the rules would be changed this time around.
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August 13, 2020 4:58pm
- Tall Man
  
  cindy learn ….. Silly boy 🙂
  
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  August 13, 2020 6:30pm
- Max
  
  Hasn’t happened where I live RJ. We went to both our locals today.
  
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  August 13, 2020 6:45pm
greybeard

5:50pm
I have just heard an ad on MagicTalk which is asking for people to become involved in the administration of Elections 2020 as staff.
Does that mean that the election will not be deferred ?
6 0
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August 13, 2020 5:54pm
- RJ
  
  Ad has been running for a few weeks now, I’d guess no decision will be made on the election until at least Jacindy announces tomorrow that Auckland is not part of New Zealand and New Zealand is COVID free
  
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  August 13, 2020 6:05pm
lifesgood

Lets look on the bright side, all those long term expats racing back here to sponge off the long term tax payers might think again.
5 2
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August 13, 2020 6:05pm
sooty

Why do the tv front people go to outside sites to tell us crap? Just think how much money of ours they could save by only going onsite to interview someone, rather than themselves!
9 1
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August 13, 2020 6:08pm
WaynelSexton

The media is really trying to push mandatory face diapers. These idiots on the news wearing masks when they’re alone is beyond nonsense.
11 2
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August 13, 2020 6:51pm
- Tall Man
  
  https://youtu.be/AatN_Jw6v88
  
  Yummy ….
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:06pm
Maggy Wassilieff

How long before our Media will run with headlines like this?

‘Elimination strategy’ proven to be a dud
https://www.skynews.com.au/details/_6180676431001
11 1
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August 13, 2020 7:14pm
- Tall Man
  
  How about
  
  “ardern proven to be a dud”………
  
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  August 13, 2020 8:04pm
  - RJ
    
    Doesn’t have as much of a ring as “Ardern lies to New Zealand”
    
    Or
    
    “Ardern quits politics in devastating election loss”
    
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    August 13, 2020 8:30pm
RJ

Hmmm, just had a survey asking me to rate how the parties are currently doing in reply to the current outbreak. Do I support extending the Auckland lockdown. Do I support postponing the election. Guess Jacindy wants people surveyed before she makes the vice captain call tomorrow
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August 13, 2020 8:17pm
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Yep,
  That’s why she’s had just a 3-day trial… time to read the public mood.
  
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  August 13, 2020 9:59pm

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