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September 24, 2020 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 24 September 2020

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General Debate

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Suze Wainwright

Anyway, Bryan Gould reckons Cindy lost the debate because Judith Collins had the more favorable tv camera angle…
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September 24, 2020 8:02am
- Suze Wainwright
  
  I’m sure that Cindy’s ex flat mate Tova will make all the necessary arrangements for future Newshub appearances
  
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  September 24, 2020 8:05am
  - Exclamation Mark
    
    Is this true? Not doubting you but I have never heard that they were previously flatmates. Would not surprise me in the least given how cozy Ardern is with the parliamentary press.
    
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    September 24, 2020 8:17am
    - Suze Wainwright
      
      Hopefully it’s just a nasty social media rumour (Not!)
      
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      September 24, 2020 8:39am
  - Sir Cullen's Sidekick
    
    Even Toxic Tova immediately agreed that Judith Collins won the debate.
    
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    September 24, 2020 8:21am
  - Catgurl13
    
    Who Tova….Miss Botox forehead?
    
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    September 24, 2020 9:20am
- Paulus
  
  Why any media continue weekly to give page room to this Gould the failed UK Labour MP is beyond me.
  He should STFU in his wonderful property in Ohiwa in the Bay of Plenty, living off the proceeds of his Helen Clark sponsored University job.
  You know every week what line he will take – but so for $50 million anything goes.
  
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  September 24, 2020 8:15am
  - the deity formerly known as nigel6888
    
    He is the wanker that having failed in the UK gave the NZ Labour party their new constitution.
    
    The one that gives the party to the unions – the same constitution than meant the UK labour party could never get rid of Corbyn.
    
    Trail of destruction. Not one of NZ’s finest.
    
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    September 24, 2020 8:31am
  - Suze Wainwright
    
    Hey! He acknowledged that Cindy lost didn’t he…
    
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    September 24, 2020 8:41am
- Paulus Gnome
  
  Vote compass had Ardhern at 45% approval.
  
  Pfffft . . .
  
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  September 24, 2020 8:25am
  - Paulus
    
    I lie too in this scam – fun answering a number of times.
    
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    September 24, 2020 8:40am
  - G152
    
    Vote Compass needs funding
    
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    September 24, 2020 8:51am
    - hullkiwi
      
      It is TVNZ, it’ll do anything its number 1 shareholder needs.
      
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      September 24, 2020 8:58am
    - freethinker
      
      G152 your last word has correct number of letters but a couple in the middle need changing.
      
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      September 24, 2020 10:57am
  - alloytoo
    
    it’s self selected group, easy to rort.
    
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    September 24, 2020 9:01am
- DeepBlue
  
  You mean like when John had to say to Jacinda… Your main camera has moved over there. I think she might have been looking at the wrong camera throughout.
  
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  September 24, 2020 9:09am
  - Saks
    
    No, that was so she could read the teleprompter for her closing address…
    
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    September 24, 2020 11:11am
- Hollyfield
  
  I did notice that Judith looked considerably younger than Jacinda. At first I thought they were in different studios with different lighting, then I realised that actually Judith just looked more relaxed and more confident, generally more in control of herself and the situation. So I don’t think it was anything to do with camera angles.
  
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  September 24, 2020 12:37pm
  - IC5000
    
    Maybe Collins got a better TV makeup artist. I made the comment that was moderated that she looked quite dessicated in some of her photos. Obviously having better foundation or whatever has had the desired effect.
    
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    September 24, 2020 1:40pm
- UrbanNeocolonialist
  
  Lefty putting consideration of superficialities ahead of content in his assessment of performance. How very on-brand.
  
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  September 24, 2020 5:35pm
Luke Piewalker

Just when you think the Democrats can’t put up someone worse than Clinton – they choose Biden

The guy can hardly string a sentence together
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September 24, 2020 8:03am
- Simon
  
  Biden reads out as best as he can whatever its written on the teleprompter. But no one in 2020 really knows what Creepy Joe thinks or is about.
  
  Good example of the organ grinder and the monkey.
  
  Its just the teleprompter not Creepy. Merica needs to hear from Creepy’s handlers not the monkey.
  
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  September 24, 2020 8:32am
- Raphael
  
  And his son Hunter has now been linked to a prostitution / human trafficking ring
  
  https://nypost.com/2020/09/23/senate-report-links-hunter-biden-to-trafficking-ring/
  
  Hunter Biden sent “thousands of dollars” to people who appear to be involved in the sex industry, according to a report released Wednesday by Republicans in the US Senate.
  
  The report says unspecified records show that Biden “has sent funds to non-resident alien women in the United States who are citizens of Russia and Ukraine and who have subsequently wired funds they have received from Hunter Biden to individuals located in Russia and Ukraine.”
  
  “The records also note that some of these transactions are linked to what ‘appears to be an Eastern European prostitution or human trafficking ring,’” the report says.
  
  The allegations are contained in a footnote to a section of the report that details potential “criminal concerns and extortion threats” involving the son of Democratic presidential nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden and other members of the Biden family.
  
  The report also cites “extensive public reporting concerning Hunter Biden’s alleged involvement with prostitution services.”
  
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  September 24, 2020 8:42am
  - virtualmark
    
    Johnson’s report has been clearly shown to be Soviet deza. As in “Dezinformatsiya”. Disinformation. We even know the path it took (Derkach > Guiliani > Johnson/Nunes).
    
    But deza still needs useful idiots to believe it …
    
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    September 24, 2020 8:49am
    - mikenmildagain
      
      I soemtimes wonder if these morons believe all this shit, or are just pretending.
      
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      September 24, 2020 9:06am
      - Ed Snack
        
        So that’s the party line is it, all simply “Soviet” (must be pretty old to be Soviet !) disinformation. Have to try to divert somehow.
        
        Must be hard on then brain (assuming you possess such an item) to keep up with all the defences that ol’ Creepy Joe needs these days.
        
        Though maybe there’s something in it, the Russians probably know that Joe isn’t for sale – the Chinese aren’t selling !
        
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        September 24, 2020 3:55pm
  - MCos
    
    “Hunter Biden’s alleged involvement with prostitution services”
    
    You mean like Stormy Daniels
    
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    September 24, 2020 8:55am
    - Batman
      
      No no, paying illegal hush money during an election campaign and being found guilty for that is entirely different and a good thing, actually.
      
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      September 24, 2020 8:57am
      - virtualmark
        
        Evangelicals love it when you cheat on your wife with a porn star. Especially when their leader is in a messy threesome with the pool boy …
        
        Seriously though, Trump extorted the endorsement from Falwell in 2015 by threatening to disclose his wife’s arrangement with the pool boy. I don’t see how the Christian Right can think any aspect of that is okay. But it doesn’t seem to be stopping them.
        
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        September 24, 2020 11:48am
      - Ed Snack
        
        Not illegal, and the subsequent court cases back that up. Anyway, Ms Daniels isn’t a prostitute, she’s an “adult entertainment specialist”, I’m sure she would object to your characterisation.
        
        Cohen pleaded guilty to a non-crime to try to reduce his sentence, just another piece of malfeasance by the Democrats on Mueller’s team.
        
        Hunter Biden’s involvement looks to be considerably more sinister, but of course you really want to give him a free pass just because he’s a Democrat and hence not subject to the same laws as the little people, right ?
        
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        September 24, 2020 4:25pm
      - mikenmildagain
        
        How dare you, Mark! Stormy Daniels is no more a prostitute than is Melania Trump.
        
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        September 24, 2020 5:11pm
      - Ed Snack
        
        Typical gutter trash from Mikey. But then, all women are sluts to the left aren’t they. Maybe best not to mention what talents Harris bought to the Biden team then eh ?
        
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        September 24, 2020 9:42pm
    - RJ
      
      Last I looked stormy wasn’t involved in trafficking, so nothing like it.
      
      But always interesting when their is cases like this it is always you and mike defending the creeps. I wonder why
      
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      September 24, 2020 12:42pm
      - mikenmildagain
        
        “I’m automatically attracted to beautiful women — I just start kissing them, it’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything.”
        – totally not a creep…
        
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        September 24, 2020 1:37pm
      - RJ
        
        Yeah, your typical game play you try defend how you stick up for sexual abusers by posting something about trump, someone I have never stuck up for in the claims against him. And I will say again, having sex with a prostitute who consented is nothing like trafficking in woman and children, but I doubt you would understand that or care, you just like to defend those who commit sexual crimes. What was it you said about the labour youth camp sexual abuser, it was a minor offence. Na it was just done on minors
        
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        September 24, 2020 3:06pm
      - Ed Snack
        
        I suspect Mikey does it out of envy.
        
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        September 24, 2020 4:26pm
      - IC5000
        
        “I’m automatically attracted to beautiful women — I just start kissing them, it’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything.”
        – totally not a creep…
        
        If you didn’t know it was Trump who wrote this the next best guess would be an anonymous incel on 4Chan.
        
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        September 24, 2020 5:01pm
      - mikenmildagain
        
        Sorry, RJ, who do you think is involved in sex trafficking?
        
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        September 24, 2020 5:12pm
  - IC5000
    
    Biden junior is acting out like some kind of mini-Trump lol.
    
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    September 24, 2020 1:44pm
    - MCos
      
      Except he’s not President.
      Under normal circumstances the family of President has no involvement with running the country.
      There have been exceptions in recent times. Bobby Kennedy was Attorney General. Hillary had some involvement will revising healthcare & Trump’s daughter & husband are at the centre of the action. His sons are sniffing around the trough too.
      
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      September 24, 2020 5:43pm
      - Ed Snack
        
        Maybe a little unfair if reports of who actually was involved in negotiating the latest middle east diplomatic recognition deals are true. Looks like the “family” are actually pulling their weight.
        
        The Kennedy association has to be the most apparently unethical, having your brother as AG – especially when they’re sharing the same mistress.
        
        Biden’s family just seem to have acted as Joe’s bagmen rather than in official positions.
        
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        September 24, 2020 9:47pm
Vory v zakone

Who among us hasn’t gotten kicked out of the Navy for snorting cocaine, knocked up a stripper, preyed on a brother’s widow, and collected $3.5 million in secret wire transfers from the wife of Moscow’s former mayor?
? ?

https://t.co/qPuasDsHmG

#thebestisyettocome
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September 24, 2020 8:03am
- emmess
  
  So the whole Russia Hoax thing was just projection?
  
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  September 24, 2020 8:26am
- Critical Thinker
  
  Hunter Biden was the MOST qualified candidate for the Burisma job.
  
  PROOF: https://twitter.com/som3thingwicked/status/1308847407111852034
  
  https://twitter.com/i/status/1308837980963041282
  ?
  
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  September 24, 2020 8:49am
- All_on_Red
  
  https://thefederalist.com/2020/09/23/hunter-biden-took-3-5-million-from-ex-moscow-mayors-wife/
  The Mayors Billionaire wife is also a good friend of Putin.
  But just not Bribes from Russia
  
  ‘The Senate’s conclusions from an investigation launched in 2017, long before Joe Biden would eventually make an entrance into the crowded Democratic presidential race come now just 41 days until the November election and features a wide array of potentially criminal allegations exposing a far deeper level of corruption in the people working with the Biden family than previously known.
  
  In China, a series of businessmen working with Hunter Biden to establish a private equity firm investing Chinese capital in major American projects were also shown to possess deep ties within the Chinese Communist Party. The same Chinese business leaders also reportedly opened up a line of credit allowing Hunter Biden, Joe Biden’s brother James Biden, and James’ wife Sara to go on a more than $100,000 shopping spree that included extravagant items such as airplane tickets and high-tech products from Apple.
  
  “The transaction,” committee investigators wrote, “was identified for potential financial criminal activity.”
  
  Senate investigators also found that Mykola Zlochevsky, the owner of the Ukrainian energy company Burisma where Hunter Biden raked in an excess upwards of $50,000 a month for serving on the board, bribed Ukrainian prosecutors to shut down an investigation into the firm and release $23 million in frozen assets by British authorities.
  
  The bribe reportedly raised red flags within the State Department, where Deputy Assistant Secretary of State George Kent who also served as the department’s top official on Ukraine, informed Vice President Joe Biden’s office of his concerns which were dismissed by White House staff.’
  
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  September 24, 2020 8:56am
  - Fletch
    
    But his Dad knew nothing about any of this… ???
    
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    September 24, 2020 11:03am
- virtualmark
  
  Eric Trump will be in prison long before Hunter Biden is. Don Jr will probably also be there, keeping Eric company.
  
  (It’ll either be a New York City prison, or a New York state prison)
  
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  September 24, 2020 12:19pm
  - Paulus Gnome
    
    Bollocks.
    
    I have a lazy fiver that says you are wrong, wrongly mcwrongly face . . .
    
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    September 24, 2020 1:08pm
    - virtualmark
      
      Seems like an easy $5 to me … here’s the latest in just one of the three *State* legal actions the Trump’s are facing.
      
      https://edition.cnn.com/2020/09/23/politics/eric-trump-deposition/index.html
      
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      September 24, 2020 3:35pm
      - Ed Snack
        
        And of course completely unpartisan !
        
        But Hunter has a few very real problems according to the Senate report. He was paid $1.4M by his Chinese billionaire (who, BTW, was arrested by the Chinese in 2018 on corruption charges and hasn’t been heard of since) and Hunter recorded on the bank transfer notice (the anti-laundering notes that all significant transactions require) that it was for his law firm to represent an employee of the billionaire who was in legal trouble in the US (later convicted)/ But on the legal documents, Hunter’s firm had zero involvement. Lying on your bank laundering forms is a crime. And the other known $5M he received from the same source seems to have gone to his mistress via his law firm as salary, but no tax payments or documents seem to exist. Interesting.
        
        But he’s probably in the clear, he has that magic “D” after his name that means that no prosecutor who seeks advancement would dare to actually indict him.
        
        Oh, and maybe the $70M or more that the Biden Foundation apparently received from Chinese interests which has never been declared (as required) would be worth a look at ?
        
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        September 24, 2020 9:54pm
      - virtualmark
        
        Ed, get back to me when the grand jury convenes.
        
        In the meantime the Trump family are currently in the gun from at least three separate criminal investigations.
        
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        September 25, 2020 2:51pm
Yvette

PM Jacinda Ardern has ruled out implementing a Capital Gains Tax while she is at the helm of Labour
The Prime Minister has shocked New Zealand by ruling out a capital gains tax not just before the next election, but while she is Prime Minister.

She told reporters this afternoon that Cabinet could not reach a consensus and, as such, she scrapped the Tax Working Group’s recommendation for a capital gains tax (CGT).

“Under my leadership, we will no longer campaign for, or implement a capital gains tax – not because I don’t believe in it, but because I don’t believe New Zealand does.”

Ardern said the Government simply didn’t have the mandate to implement such a tax, as so many Kiwis were against one. [1]

As reported, this drives a fracture into any Greens-Labour Party relationship if the Greens demand a “bottom line” wealth tax be part of any future Coalition government agreement.

In fact, without announcing any accommodation of this, Prime Minister Ardern will be dishonest if she does not acknowledge this bottom-line situation and declare Labour can not form a coalition with the Greens while it remains.

I trust Judith Collins will demand an explanation, so everyone knows where exactly they stand
– on capital gains tax, and honesty.

[1] https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12223262

( The capital gains tax or wealth tax was the enormous “conversation” to be had after the Tax Working Group reported back, when Ardern allowed weeks of criticism to occur without putting forward any Government view – so a “conversation” of one side, with the obvious result being one she could not turn around, so did the impulsive, impetuous Captain’s Call of throwing it as far from the cot as she could manage – ie: not while I am here.
Like kiwibuild, Auckland light rail, and the trees, it is another Labour/NZ First/Green train wreck )
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September 24, 2020 8:05am
- wimpston peeeders
  
  judith: Ms ardern will you stake youre leadership of the labour party and gaurantee you will not allow a cgt, wealth or other envy tax to be implemented in nz. eg. Resign if cindy allows greens etc to get their way.
  
  🙂 That would be a surefire way to get a definate yes or no.
  
  my prediction of what she will say (heavily edited to cut 14.5mins of waffle) well we cant rule in or out anything at this stage and its up to coalition partners as we have to negotiate in good faith.
  Translation: yes we will wealth tax and no im not guna resign.
  
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  September 24, 2020 8:19am
- Libertarians are right
  
  A wealth tax is not a capital gains tax. She has not ruled it out at all. It will be coming in if they need the Greens.
  
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  September 24, 2020 9:02am
  - Jack5
    
    Good point.
    
    The phobia about a capital gains tax is irrational.
    What counts is the total tax take.
    
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    September 24, 2020 10:55am
    - Classic Liberal
      
      It’s not a phobia to want no tax on what is really just inflation. A house gets older but more expensive: it’s just inflation. Sell that house and after Cgt you can’t afford a similar one!
      
      Anyone trading in houses is already taxed w bright line tax and income tax. It’s enough. Long term mum and dad landlords should lose value by paying tax in inflation.
      
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      September 24, 2020 12:34pm
      - mikenmildagain
        
        Care to guess whether residential property values have risen above the inflation rate, kep pace with it, or fallen below it, over the past 40 years?
        
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        September 24, 2020 1:07pm
      - Classic Liberal
        
        It’s still just the inflation of the house value.
        
        Care to guess how one would be able to buy a similar house? One wouldn’t.
        
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        September 24, 2020 4:24pm
      - Ed Snack
        
        Mike is, in this case, correct. Anyway, you can index a CGT to inflation, doesn’t collect as much of course.
        
        We already have a semi CGT with the bright line tests etc, doesn’t apply to long held assets of course. And nominally, anyone trading in “capital assets” is supposed to declare any profits as income.
        
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        September 24, 2020 5:15pm
- Bobba Fret
  
  Jacinda will win the election for Labour this October, but I think there is a good chance she will not stay as PM for the next three years. Say she leaves and goes off to the UN in say July 2021, then Robbo and his mates can bring on the taxes including wealth and cap gains and probably others too.
  
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  September 24, 2020 9:32am
- NoFax
  
  It is an interesting interpretation of how our democracy works. If Labour and the Greens campaigned on it, and won the election, then they would have a mandate.
  
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  September 24, 2020 9:51am
Justitia

Memo to National Party bigwigs:

“Let Judith be Judith!”

PS: I have just made a donation to National for the first time in many years.
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September 24, 2020 8:06am
- Sir Cullen's Sidekick
  
  Oh I see. You have spare money eh? I will let the toxic Greens know. You are a target for their wealth tax.
  
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  September 24, 2020 8:23am
  - Justitia
    
    Please Sir Cullen, just a few kopecks I had scraped together from busking outside the Labour Party Conference the other day. The apparatchiks especially liked my arrangement of the Red Flag on the spoons. Pleas don’t nark on me to Julie-Anne.
    
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    September 24, 2020 8:54am
    - Sir Cullen's Sidekick
      
      Hmmmm….considering your situation, I will tip off your name to Judith for some well deserved tax cuts!!!
      
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      September 24, 2020 9:08am
fernglas

For those of you who still feel aggrieved at the decision to suppress the name of the offender at the Labour Party camp, I suggest you read the Court of Appeal decision. It is very interesting as it discusses the principles around name suppression in the context of social media behaviour. It also confirms that the offender is not the child of any MP, and is likely to be a member of a minority community.
http://www.nzlii.org/nz/cases/NZCA/2020/387.html
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September 24, 2020 8:07am
- Ruawai
  
  [No discussion of CoA name suppression decision. Mod.]
  
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  September 24, 2020 8:18am
- Paulus
  
  [No discussion of CoA name suppression decision. Mod.]
  
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  September 24, 2020 8:19am
  - fernglas
    
    Did you read the decisision?
    
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    September 24, 2020 8:31am
    - Durden
      
      I read the decision. In fact I found the link and posted it on KB for others to read. I am not sure which words gave you the impression that the offender is from “minority community” . Not also sure how you got the impression that an MP is NOT involved. I would like to know what political relationships the father of the culprit has.
      
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      September 24, 2020 1:47pm
  - the deity formerly known as nigel6888
    
    [No discussion of CoA name suppression decision. Mod.]
    
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    September 24, 2020 8:32am
- the deity formerly known as nigel6888
  
  So why was the offender there then?
  
  Predators go where the prey is? Perhaps those kids were asking for it, with their systemic privilege?
  
  Guess it is the Labour rite of passage – get molested at a Youth Camp, become a party worker, if you are lucky you might end up a Parliamentary staffer, maybe even in the Leaders Office, you can get molested there too!
  
  If you keep your mouth shut, you might get a safe list placement, or a senior role.
  
  Behaviour tolerated in the workplace becomes the norms of that workplace culture – every person who claims to understand organisational psychology agrees with this.
  
  So, why is it that Labour is so remarkably tolerant of sexually abusing the help? Asking for a friend.
  
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  September 24, 2020 8:20am
- Sofia
  
  Fernglas, what precisely leads you to suggest the person concerned is “likely to be a member of a minority community”
  This has been raised before and I did not see a reference myself that would suggest this.
  
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  September 24, 2020 8:48am
  - wimpston peeeders
    
    it was revealed a week or so ago on another thread that the offender was indeed a member of muslim community.
    also that there was “fondling of genitals” but it wasnt for sexual gratification, something I find very strange???? What were they doing, truth or dare? Hehe touch xxx’s Whohaa…
    
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    September 24, 2020 9:18am
    - Loddenthinks
      
      It was probably a “sexual emergency”
      
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      September 24, 2020 12:00pm
    - Durden
      
      “it was revealed a week or so ago on another thread that the offender was indeed a member of muslim community” — By a commentor who provided no proof.
      
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      September 24, 2020 1:48pm
- crikey
  
  There is no information at all available through the link to Court of Appeal decisions. It is redacted.
  
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  September 24, 2020 8:52am
  - fernglas
    
    I just re-read it by clicking on the link
    
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    September 24, 2020 9:05am
  - JamesP
    
    http://www.nzlii.org/cgi-bin/download.cgi/cgi-bin/download.cgi/download/nz/cases/NZCA/2020/387.pdf
    
    [45] First, the uniqueness of X’s name means there will be no room for doubt that he is the person named in any mainstream media reports.
    
    [46] Relatedly, X’s name clearly identifies him as a member of a particular community.
    
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    September 24, 2020 10:42am
    - bennerg
      
      JamesP also relevant:
      
      [55] (iv) the suggestion that X’s discharge without conviction was the result of political influence (“Aunty Helen and Jacinda pulling big strings there”), or that X’s mother is a Labour Minister or a sitting MP (none of which is true); and
      
      [55] (v) the suggestion that X was discharged without conviction because he was “white”.
      
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      September 24, 2020 11:54am
      - wimpston peeeders
        
        it goes on to talk about cancel culture towards certain groups that are rich/affluent.
        
        rich white kid to a well known family? Its hard to decipher as different parts contradict each other.
        
        Being white isnt a barrier to being muslim either, but maybe the “particular community” ment wealthy elite?
        
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        September 24, 2020 3:19pm
- DeepBlue
  
  This case has been used to allow permanent name suppression for one other person since. Seems to me if you’re going to get into trouble make sure it is so scandalous SM will hound you and then your good name and prospects will be protected by law. Perverse outcome.
  
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  September 24, 2020 9:16am
- burt
  
  This case sets an awesome precedent. Just have a few beers, grope random boys and girls then say being convicted and named would cause you grief – boom – name suppression granted and charges gone.
  
  13 1
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  September 24, 2020 9:59am
  - sooty
    
    Whip out the Labour Party membership card and you are sweet.
    
    14 1
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    September 24, 2020 11:17am
- freethinker
  
  It appears that courts were aware of underage drinking which is an offence yet nothing was done to investigate or prosecute?????????
  
  15 1
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  September 24, 2020 11:24am
  - burt
    
    Look on the bright side… If you have teenage children and they have friends over you can give them alcohol without their parents knowing and sexually assault them. Just say it would upset your life if you get charged and you’ll get charges dropped and name suppression.
    
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    September 24, 2020 11:31am
Maxx

If you haven’t looked at it already, Google Trends has a website that tracks the activity of what parties are getting search traction in relation to the election https://trends.google.com/trends/story/NZ_cu_8Vqf23MBAAAdAM_en

This is also a fascinating look at the different topics and how they relate. No surprises really that jobs, taxes and roads are the main things with everything else being noise https://public.flourish.studio/visualisation/3563253/
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September 24, 2020 8:09am
- hullkiwi
  
  Maxx,….but,…..but that is not what TV One is telling us?
  
  24 1
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  September 24, 2020 8:17am
- the deity formerly known as nigel6888
  
  but I thought Climate Change was the big issue this election….?
  
  Bwuhahahaha!
  
  26 1
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  September 24, 2020 8:22am
  - Jimmy White
    
    I thought to two biggest searches were ‘If te Cindy is going to have a another baby next year?’
    and
    ‘If te Cindy is losing weight?’
    
    11 4
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    September 24, 2020 9:18am
- wimpston peeeders
  
  click on labour trends.
  no1 search: what has labour achieved… wonder what fluffed up shit is at the top of the list.
  
  quite interesting trends.
  
  15 1
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  September 24, 2020 8:38am
fernglas

In belligerent countries, male-to-female sex ratios at birth increased during and shortly after the two world wars. Is this an illustration of nature rebalancing itself, and if so, should we see Covid-19 as a similar phenomenon?
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September 24, 2020 8:10am
- Simon
  
  Socialist China during the Mao dictatorship new born female babies were routinely drowned in a bucket of water.
  
  Humanity always needs a rebalancing after the left have overstepped or are unchecked.
  
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  September 24, 2020 8:20am
- wimpston peeeders
  
  the wars wiped out 10s of millions in a population far less then today so doubt it, nature wants more humans dead/ depopulation not breeding more.
  
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  September 24, 2020 8:21am
- TWEEDSE
  
  A thought for discussion. Is the western worlds move to socialism synonyms with the move away from religion? Human beings by nature are risk averse. The survival instinct. Religion has traditionally provided an element of certainly. Socialism is a creed of risk aversion. In the absence of religion do people turn to socialism?
  
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  September 24, 2020 8:28am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    I don’t think folks under Socialism/Communism ditch religion.
    
    They may give up overt religious practices at the start of repressive regimes… but the moment the pressure from authorities lessens, religious practice becomes evident. (75% of Russians have flocked back to their once suppressed Orthodox Christianity).
    
    The only communist country I’ve spent time in is Vietnam… and every shop/business had a little altar in one corner.
    
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    September 24, 2020 8:55am
    - TWEEDSE
      
      Thanks Maggy. I will file that theory away 🙂
      
      6 1
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      September 24, 2020 9:02am
      - fernglas
        
        I tend to think that socialism often reinforces the human desire for religion, in that it also involves the surrender of the individual to a higher power, namely the “common good”. A truly Libertarian society should (if one ever came along), have the opposite effect because the true Libertarian believes that people should have control of their own destinies.
        
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        September 24, 2020 11:44am
  - wimpston peeeders
    
    humans are weak and need to believe in something be it religion, socialism etc. believing in something gives direction but most important it gives hope, hope is what makes the bulk of the population tick.
    
    9 2
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    September 24, 2020 9:14am
    - IC5000
      
      Agree. Hence why the fanatical support for Trump.
      
      3 3
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      September 24, 2020 1:46pm
      - wimpston peeeders
        
        trump is god mate
        
        2 2
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        September 24, 2020 3:21pm
      - Ed Snack
        
        Well, he certainly lives rent free in YOUR head mate !
        
        2 2
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        September 24, 2020 5:27pm
Tony Stuart

Re-posted from the Judith Collins thread of late yesterday:

I’ve seen some crap in the media recently, but yesterday’s nasty hit-piece against Collins on Newshub takes the cake. It’s so bad I am seriously considering a complaint to the NZ Media Council (UPDATE: I am drafting the complaint this morning). Here’s the link:

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/09/judith-collins-blasted-for-weaponising-husband-s-ethnicity-during-leaders-debate.html

The story is built entirely around a few social media reactions to last night’s debate, where Collins remarked that she was married to a Samoan man. They’re all bad, but one in particular takes the cake, suggesting that when she is finished in politics, Collins will walk away from her husband because she no longer needs him to shield her from accusations of racism.

This is gutter journalism of the worst kind from Newshub, and from the story’s author Vita Molyneux. It relies on nasty gossip and innuendo, with no factual basis whatsoever. At this point in the electoral cycle, it can only be seen as a political hatchet-job.
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September 24, 2020 8:10am
- Benedict Yu
  
  Also ignores the fact that they have been together for 40 years. Which is some achievement.
  
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  September 24, 2020 8:21am
- Poppa
  
  That is bloody gutter reporting Tony.
  
  The media in this country need to hang their heads in shame the way they conduct themselves.
  
  Good luck with your complaint
  
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  September 24, 2020 8:21am
- Prince
  
  There were quite a few of these articles yesterday, based on someone’s twitter ravings.
  eg ‘Did Judith mutter a curse during the debate ” ?
  ‘Did Judith exaggerate Ariculture difficulties’ ?
  
  Worse that gutter journalism.
  
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  September 24, 2020 8:23am
- the deity formerly known as nigel6888
  
  Good on you, it was a typical shit piece of journalism. One or two lefties on twitter as usual, and a “journalist” perceives a mass movement.
  
  Jesus these people are mendacious.
  
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  September 24, 2020 8:23am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Judith Collins has been married for 35 years…
  Yet Newshub highlights a nasty tweet from “Josh”
  stating that she only has a Samoan husband for political purposes and she’ll leave him when she quits politics.
  
  Judith Collins leaving her Samoan husband the moment she quits politics bc she no longer needs to use him to shield herself from accusations of racism
  
  https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/09/judith-collins-blasted-for-weaponising-husband-s-ethnicity-during-leaders-debate.html
  
  Why is Newshub allowing itself to be a platform for this ridiculous, vile disinformation?
  
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  September 24, 2020 8:24am
  - Paulus Gnome
    
    Crumbs from $50mil feed the ‘journasists’
    
    If journalists were relying on their talent to survive, most would have starved to death long before now . . .
    
    42 1
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    September 24, 2020 8:30am
  - Tony Stuart
    
    Disinformation is the right word Maggy. It doesn’t rely on anything factual, rather a sampling of four random tweets out of the many thousands posted on Tuesday night, many of which said there was nothing racist at all about Collins mentioning the FACT that her husband is Samoan. It was a story designed to create a controversy where none existed. Hopefully, it will backfire on Newshub.
    
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    September 24, 2020 8:33am
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      Do these idiots even realise that Judith is the mother of a child with P.I. heritage.
      
      46 1
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      September 24, 2020 9:00am
      - Tony Stuart
        
        Indeed Maggy. She’s joked that she is an ethnic minority in her own home!
        
        34 1
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        September 24, 2020 9:19am
  - JackRabbit
    
    Perhaps there is more truth in the reverse. Judith’s husband was a policeman and is a lawyer.
    
    Her opponent’s husband is a well paid actor.
    
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    September 24, 2020 8:51am
    - Captain Mainwaring
      
      Her opponent doesn’t have a husband.
      
      49 2
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      September 24, 2020 9:08am
      - All_on_Red
        
        I don’t think he’s that well paid either
        
        26 1
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        September 24, 2020 9:19am
      - JackRabbit
        
        Yes you are right. And that makes it easier for them to go separate ways when the gig is over.
        
        16 3
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        September 24, 2020 9:20am
    - lifesgood
      
      Her opponent doesn’t have a husband.
      
      25 1
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      September 24, 2020 9:11am
    - rockape
      
      Judiths husband owns or is a director of 10 companies Not small ones either. I don’t think he is short of a bob or two.
      
      17 1
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      September 24, 2020 10:31am
      - stigie
        
        The toxic Greens will be salivating to get their filthy hands on his wealth then !~
        
        7 2
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        September 24, 2020 11:59am
      - crikey
        
        What’s that got to do with anything?
        
        3 1
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        September 24, 2020 1:29pm
    - Hard Cheese
      
      Some might say her opponent was also a well paid actor….
      
      5 3
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      September 24, 2020 12:49pm
  - JackRabbit
    
    Relationships among freedom lovers tend to be more based on respect and shared conscious values. So I understand why Judith’s marriage has lasted so long.
    
    Relationships among the militant left are more likely to be “skin and skullduggery” deep. If your partner is bitter, self serving, greedy and out to bring down all that is good, you either have to have similar shared hatred, or have very low self-esteem.
    
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    September 24, 2020 9:15am
    - ds
      
      While I abhor this type of gutter journalism it seems to be a case of what goes around comes around.
      Looking forward to our new communist government who seem to avoid dirty politics. Maybe they are just nicer people.
      
      1 17
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      September 24, 2020 9:48am
      - Lance
        
        Your having a laugh right?
        
        Labour invented dirty politics in NZ (under Helen) and have since perfected it. So skilled are they at it, they have managed to get National labelled with the dirty politics label. More cunning than a shit house rat.
        
        If you don’t believe me, who started the bald faced lie that Collins hubby worked for a Chinese company?.. I’ll give you a hint, our old friend Robbo.
        
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        September 24, 2020 11:15am
      - ds
        
        Collins’ husband David Wong-Tung was a director of Oravida a New Zealand company which has close relations with China. Amoung the directors is Jenny Shipley of failed Mainzeal.
        Big question is Collins relationship with Oravida.
        
        Not dirty politics..just dodgy politics.
        
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        September 24, 2020 12:05pm
  - tf78
    
    Maggy, do you know if is it true that Jacinda/My life Neve (or something like that) is the latest cover of the NEW, NZ Women’s Weekly.
    
    7 2
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    September 24, 2020 9:16am
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      I thought those magazines had gone under.
      
      I must admit that my days of looking at “Women’s Mags” seem to be over as the local coffee shops have stopped providing these virus-catching materials…and I’m too tight to fork out $$ for one of them.
      
      17 1
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      September 24, 2020 9:28am
      - Tony Stuart
        
        No, the Women’s Weekly is back under new ownership, and guess whose smiling visage is on the front cover?
        
        14 2
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        September 24, 2020 9:43am
      - RJ
        
        Ooooo oooooo, is it Winston in drag?
        
        7 1
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        September 24, 2020 11:08am
    - Saks
      
      Yep saw it yesterday. My life with Neve.
      
      Leave the family out of it, unless required for blatant electioneering.
      
      Can’t imagine what rubbish it would say. I simply turned the magazine over and walked out
      
      17 1
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      September 24, 2020 11:20am
      - Flossie
        
        That’s so disgusting! I thought we had to leave families out of these things. Or is it just on KB?
        What blatant electioneering.
        
        13 1
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        September 24, 2020 11:41am
      - Bob
        
        Clearly there must still be some of the $50 mill available to chosen recipients
        
        5 1
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        September 24, 2020 1:38pm
  - namron
    
    I have seen a couple of complaints that Judith was using the term “Miss Ardern.”
    According to my dictionary – “Miss” is the title for an unmarried woman.”
    Has there been a wedding we haven’t heard about?
    Hope Judith continues as these ridiculous grizzles show feeble failed attempts to upset her and the National Party’s campaign.
    
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    September 24, 2020 9:24am
    - Fletch
      
      Maybe she meant ‘Ms’
      
      8 1
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      September 24, 2020 11:06am
    - Unity
      
      I thought Judith was saying Ms Ardern – this would be correct as she’s most definitely not Mrs – yet!!
      
      9 1
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      September 24, 2020 11:56am
      - Bob
        
        No but she is definitely a miss..ed out
        
        5 1
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        September 24, 2020 1:40pm
    - Bill Felt
      
      I think the intention of calling her “Ms Ardern” was to take away the informal relationship some have with her as “Jacinda”. Cindy has worked hard on her image as being just a humble Kiwigirl (painted the fence etc). By referring to her as “Ms Ardern” suggests that she is a politician just like other politicians.
      
      Once this is established you can then call “nonsense” to what she says – a thing that others have got into trouble when criticising her (Bridges, Brownlee,…). This strategy worked very well for Judith.
      
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      September 24, 2020 1:49pm
  - Bobba Fret
    
    This just goes to show that the left are worried as they know Judith wiped the floor with Jacinda in the debate although they probably wont admit it.
    There was a further nasty article stating Judith dropping the ‘F’ bomb on TV, although no one actually heard it, or could confirm it.
    They are starting to throw mud and as I have said before, Judith will beat Jacinda every time, but she is going to have to beat the media as well and that will be a lot harder.
    
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    September 24, 2020 10:06am
    - Lance
      
      Yes, the left are masters of dirty politics
      
      15 1
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      September 24, 2020 11:17am
    - Paulus Gnome
      
      Mallard is about to call in and say that he heard it and that it was JC who called the Prime Minister, a ‘silly little girl’
      
      Better hearing than a blind bat that duck.
      
      6 1
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      September 24, 2020 1:20pm
  - Sacha
    
    Why?
    Because they are reporters bred from Social Media out of Crass Vulgarity.
    They are what emerges when breeding takes over from Breeding – if you get my drift.
    
    6 2
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    September 24, 2020 10:46am
- hullkiwi
  
  Tony, I’ve just responded in the Spinoff thread to someone else about the manure being posted about Judith by the left and Ireferenced the same piece.
  
  Yesterday, it was clear Labour were in a spot of bother, they had chosen to go light into the election with policy/promises that are under done, Judith beat Jacinda in Tuesday’s debate, so Labour were out to exact revenge. So they couldn’t hit at National/Judith the politician, instead they resorted to throwing manure and came up with:
  1. A photo post on Reddit, with the by-line, “Did Judith drop the f-bomb”; and
  2. The Newshub piece about “People are upset Judith is weaponisong her husband”. The piece talks about Judith parading her husband as Samoan, and these people are somehow aggrieved that Judith has family experience to call upon when relating to issues of ethnic families. On the other hand, Jacinda has never weaponized her daughter, to the extent of telling the media about baking a cake for her daughter’s second birthday. The words, pot, kettle and b**** come to mind.
  
  But it shows, Judith is getting to them, if the have to resort to personal abuse, and want it Jacinda who said she didn’t want a blood sport? A case of “do as I say, rather than as we do….”
  
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  September 24, 2020 8:45am
  - KevO'Brien
    
    Care is required that the attackers don’t rark up the PI community. Samoa is a great country and would be my second home.
    As a community they will be very loyal and a personal attack on Judith’s husband may loose all their votes.
    Faavae ile Atua Samoa.
    
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    September 24, 2020 10:01am
- alloytoo
  
  Looks like she really triggered the nasties.
  
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  September 24, 2020 9:19am
  - Paulus Gnome
    
    Be fair, that trigger is set at a very low bar . . .
    
    3 1
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    September 24, 2020 1:21pm
- Tall Man
  
  More likely to be discontent in ardern’s nest yet that would never be commented on in the media.
  
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  September 24, 2020 9:25am
- Local Miller
  
  It was an obvious segue into being able to greet the girl in her home language, to make more of it is to be deliberately mischievous.
  
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  September 24, 2020 9:42am
- ex-golfer
  
  MODS – nothing against Tony – but when I tried to repost something the other day just to make sure it was under a more appropriate thread it got declined with an explanation that it was a duplicate so wouldn’t be posted.
  
  All we ask for is consistency.
  
  [Mod: Point taken]
  
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  September 24, 2020 10:33am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Our MSM is in the habit of placing some choice newsy stuff on their websites late in the afternoon or evenings…
    It means if we come onto KB to comment about it in the evening few folks see our comments.
    
    I can see why some stuff deserves the morning audience.
    
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    September 24, 2020 11:42am
    - Tony Stuart
      
      And that was precisely the rationale Maggy, with the proof being in the number of comments generated.
      
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      September 25, 2020 6:59am
- Loddenthinks
  
  Good luck with the complaint. I note that at the bottom of the execrable example of journalistic standards these days, they stated that “Newshub has contacted Collins for comment.”
  
  This will probably get them off the hook, even though the question to Judith probably came 30 minutes before publication, and was no doubt phrased along the lines of “What do you say to people accusing you of making capital from your husband’s ethnicity?” to which the correct reply is “Nothing” but would not be the reply I would give.
  
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  September 24, 2020 12:12pm
- herb1
  
  I wonder if there’ll be a similar article today about Ardern in ChCh , using the mosque victims to enhance her empathetic and kindness reputation.
  How surprising that after being shown up on TV as out of her depth when she can’t find her prepared notes on topics, that she resorts to using murder victims to hide her shortcomings
  
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  September 24, 2020 1:30pm
- herb1
  
  Tony , perhaps you could ask Newshub why they aren’t attacking Jacinda today , for her very cynical use of the tragedy and personal loss of the many families at the ChCh Mosque.
  If Arderns to be attacked for supposed cynical use of her Husbands birthright it’s only fair that they attack a woman who’s used the suffering of hundreds of people for the same thing
  
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  September 24, 2020 3:29pm
- Ed Snack
  
  Why on earth are you surprised ? Remember the key point about the left is projection. That’s how they would act so they make sure to accuse “you” of having the same corrupt ethics and morals.
  
  They also believe that they, and they alone, are NOT subject to the same laws as the run of the mill “little people”.
  
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  September 24, 2020 5:50pm
Natfan08

National will WIN the next election.

If you look at the mechanics of MMP then things are in National’s favour to win the next election.

1. No Party in the History of MMP has governed alone or polled over 50% on election night. This means the Gap will be knife edge close between Labour and National. People always say NZ First poll better on Election day but thats not true

2. Every time NZ First has got into government they have only lasted one term and been voted out the very next election. NZ First and Winnie are toast.

3. The Greens always poll lower on Election day, so if their polling around 5% now then more than likely they will poll below 5% on election day, even with the overseas vote coming in.

4. This leaves National and ACT, polling around 42% and 6% respectively on election day is my pick
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September 24, 2020 8:11am
- Tony Stuart
  
  NZF is goneburger. You only had to look at the One News story last night in a Northland pub where Peters was being interviewed, and behind him, Shane Jones was necking a beer.
  
  I think Jones has given up already. He’s not renowned for either hard work or stickability, and I think he’s decided it’s time to move on.
  
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  September 24, 2020 8:36am
  - Inandout
    
    TS, it has been mentioned this is Winston’s ‘farewell tour’.
    
    31 1
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    September 24, 2020 8:53am
    - Bobba Fret
      
      It was hilarious listening to Sean Plunkett yesterday, he was saying get out and see Winston if you can when he’s touring as its his farewell tour.
      
      14 1
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      September 24, 2020 10:09am
    - DeepBlue
      
      Even Elton John is hanging on till 2023 …
      
      The Ghost of Winston will haunt us for many, many years ever with his beatification of the young, malleable Jacinda in 2017.
      
      12 0
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      September 24, 2020 10:15am
    - IC5000
      
      Had to happen at some point. All politics ends in failure and smart operators like a Key know when to bail out gracefully.
      
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      September 24, 2020 1:49pm
  - Unity
    
    Please be right natfan08. Jones has this habit of looking either bored or aloof and as if he would rather be elsewhere.
    
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    September 24, 2020 12:01pm
- Greg Ettridge
  
  I hope you are right, the bookies see it from different eyes, they have huge odds on a second party forming a COL with winning party.
  I tend to agree with your prediction, NZ first are toast, greens unknown factor but falling.
  ACT are on fire.
  Jacinda starting to look like a Biden clone, is looking Like she will struggle to get herself across the line if this trend keeps going.
  Judith is looking like a real leader and acting like a real leader.
  
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  September 24, 2020 8:41am
  - Bobba Fret
    
    Beware of the dirty politics of the left….they will be right now thinking of a ways to stop the Nats and Acts momentum. They are definitely worried.
    
    17 1
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    September 24, 2020 11:08am
  - Bob
    
    The bookies are terrified that having thrown their lot in with an Adern win, they now look very likely to be vastly out of pocket.
    
    5 2
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    September 24, 2020 1:43pm
- MCos
  
  I would suggest if National are in power come November, or whenever, it will be as part of an ACT government, or not at all.
  
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  September 24, 2020 2:49pm
greenfinger

I see Cindy and her team have placed some more COVID19 infomercial across world media and and encourage the local left wing media to plagiarise the reports. Poor wee thing, 3 years on, the only thing she can claim success is others‘ pain and suffering as a result of covid19. Even then, it is highly debatable if another person in charge would not have done better than her.
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September 24, 2020 8:11am
Simon

OMG! The Russian truthers were right. DonTrump jr got a $3.5 million payment from a Putin stooge.

Wait it was Hunter Biden while Creepy Joe was VP who just started on Ukraine issues. No its fine.
47 3
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September 24, 2020 8:13am
- Sigmund Freud
  
  It would take much, much more money than a piddling $3.5 million to bribe a billionaire!
  
  11 3
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  September 24, 2020 8:35am
  - Tall Man
    
    No it wouldn’t. The richer you are the more you like freebies ……..
    
    3 2
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    September 24, 2020 2:04pm
- mikenmildagain
  
  Hadn’t heard the Butt Hunter lines for a while. Next we will be back to talking about Ben Ghazi and the Buttery Males.
  
  7 17
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  September 24, 2020 9:10am
  - Loddenthinks
    
    Senate report. NY Times. Eat that, Milky.
    
    7 2
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    September 24, 2020 12:13pm
  - Ed Snack
    
    Poor old Mikey thinks nobody will notice Hunter acting as a bagman for his father. One of the oldest political tricks in the book, don’t get bribed directly, let your family take the moolah and pass it on discreetly ! Then you can claim that “your hands are clean” while raking it in.
    
    Next you’ll be claiming that you are shocked, yes shocked, to find out that there was gambling at Rick’s.
    
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    September 24, 2020 6:09pm
Paulus

Isn’t Helen Clark still not legally married as she was told to marry as she would never get on in the Labour Party unmarried ?
They have lived separate lives for “ever”.
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September 24, 2020 8:22am
- Paulus Gnome
  
  Last weeks chip wrapper chap.
  
  Who cares, aside from you that is.
  
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  September 24, 2020 8:33am
- Aliog
  
  You complain about the left when they come up with shit like that, Paulus – don’t be so pathetic.
  
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  September 24, 2020 8:39am
Maggie Pie

Random Impertinent Question….

Has David Seymour categorically ruled out a Labor – ACT coalition?

Asking for a friwend.
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September 24, 2020 8:23am
- JackRabbit
  
  Climb into a bed of scorpions?
  
  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102945/
  Sleeping with the enemy.
  
  8 3
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  September 24, 2020 8:53am
  - Tall Man
    
    Turds more like.
    
    7 2
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    September 24, 2020 9:30am
- Raphael
  
  I don’t think he has to. As much as I dislike Seymour, I don’t see him ever going into coalition with Labour.
  
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  September 24, 2020 8:54am
- wimpston peeeders
  
  labour would rather work with national before going near act, neither would ever happen tho
  
  8 1
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  September 24, 2020 9:09am
- gorse
  
  Come on Maggie. He only gets Epson because it suits National. David is a man of integrity, he would never do a deal with Labour. The Epson voters would demand his resignation.
  
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  September 24, 2020 9:18am
  - Maggie Pie
    
    But ‘Deputy Prime Minister’ has a certin ring to it.
    
    Even Winston reckoned HE was a man of integrity.
    
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    September 24, 2020 10:00am
  - Loddenthinks
    
    I had an Epson printer once, was pretty reliable but the consumables a bit dear.
    
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    September 24, 2020 12:14pm
Im Right

HYPOCRISY ALERT!!
Over at TDB Bomber has allowed Matt McCarten to make posts of companies/individuals who have taken Covid money and then sacked workers….now that’s not a bad thing in and of itself, but having McCarten pen these posts when he himself was done by IRD for stealing his workers Kiwisaver payments is not only hypocritical it would be funny if it were not true!
Needless to say my posts asking Matt if he has paid back his workers have not been posted…funny that eh?
Seems the left have loooong memories when someone from the right does something illegal, but from the left not so much! (Yes, I know…it’s different when the left do it)
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September 24, 2020 8:26am
- Tony Stuart
  
  McCarten is a hypocrite of the highest order. Not only did he incur a significant debt to IRD for the Unite Union through not passing on PAYE and other deductions for a significant period either side of the 2008 election, but he openly stated the money went towards political campaigns:
  
  https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2010/12/ctu_asks_unite_to_explain_unpaid_paye_tax.html
  
  But wait; there’s more! As well as the IRD debt incurred by the union, from not passing on money deducted from employees, McCarten had a company, Unite Support Services Ltd. This company provided administration support to the Unite Union, and somehow managed to accrue a debt to IRD of in excess of $150,000.
  
  http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/5342791/IRD-chasing-Matt-McCarten-company
  
  Can you imagine McCarten’s outrage if a business employing Unite members had acted like this?
  
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  September 24, 2020 8:43am
  - Im Right
    
    Sheesh Tony, looks like McCarten rails against all business as being evil and he himself couldn’t run one then stole from his employees wages to IRD….seems he is just like the Greens, better at activism than actually walking the walk!
    
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    September 24, 2020 8:50am
- alloytoo
  
  Couple of things about the wage subsidy.
  
  1. Companies could not make people redundant for the duration of the subsidy.
  
  2. Companies had to pay out the subsidy to the employees on who’s behalf they applied for.
  
  3. the only possible exception to 2 is if the employee resigned during the subsidy period.
  
  4. There was nothing to stop companies making people redundant in respect of employees for whom they did not apply for the subsidy. (nothing said you had to apply for your entire staff)
  
  5. Some companies postponed redundancy so that their employees could take advantage of the subsidy.
  
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  September 24, 2020 9:25am
Maggy Wassilieff

A couple of recent articles on Fires in the USA:

https://sciblogs.co.nz/guestwork/2020/09/23/humans-ignite-almost-every-wildfire-that-threatens-homes/

https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2020/09/did-global-warming-play-significant.html
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September 24, 2020 8:31am
- Brian Marshall
  
  I saw a Map of the US fires the other day Maggy. Only a couple of fires were above the US/Canadian border. Amazing how global warming recognises political borders.
  
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  September 24, 2020 10:10am
Maggie Pie

Just logged into my Checking account to pay a few of the lay-buys.
I see the annual ‘Entrust Dividend’ was paid in last night. About a hundy less than last year by the look of it. But do you know what really gives me gloom-pants…..the fact that no matter how much your power account is each month, everyone gets the same payout!
So whether your bill averages say 1300 a month, or 200, all consumers wake up this morning with $280 in their bank. It’s a bloody joke 🙁
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September 24, 2020 8:40am
- wimpston peeeders
  
  down here we just got 464 off our last bill with a bonus annual discount.
  
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  September 24, 2020 9:07am
  - Maggie Pie
    
    We get that most months for prompt payment 😀
    
    4 3
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    September 24, 2020 9:26am
    - Tall Man
      
      So you don’t use the battery models then?
      
      4 2
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      September 24, 2020 9:29am
      - Maggie Pie
        
        We’re on 3-Phase
        
        2 3
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        September 24, 2020 10:16am
    - wimpston peeeders
      
      we got 280 prompt payment ontop of that too, smallest power bill in 2yrs.
      
      1 1
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      September 24, 2020 9:46am
- Local Miller
  
  I’m staggered at peoples power bills. My bill is never over $490 a month before prompt payment discount, and I have Electricity, Gas to 2 houses and UFB all on the same bill. We run heaters and a spa pool besides the normal household appliances. What do people run that uses so much power?
  
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  September 24, 2020 9:56am
  - Maggie Pie
    
    It’s mainly in the winter months that we get the big blow out.
    I think along with everything else, the underfloor heating is expensive to run. And keeping a 150,000 ltr pool at around 25+ sucks it up as well.
    
    5 4
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    September 24, 2020 10:54am
    - Lance
      
      Yep, that would do it.
      Underfloor is nice but outrageously inefficient, needing around 12watts power square foot typ (can’t remember the metric equivalent).
      And water holds (needs) more heat energy than just about any other substance (only ammonia holds more).
      
      5 1
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      September 24, 2020 11:23am
  - wimpston peeeders
    
    experienced winter time in southland in a 1920s high ceiling house?
    
    add 2kids that leave doors open and drain a hot water cylinder everynight, all laundry 8mnth year in dryer, walk in chiller, welder etc and it jumps up quick.
    also our line charges are horrendous due to large capacity transformer and on 3phase.
    
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    September 24, 2020 11:03am
  - rockape
    
    Well I run5 freezers , one for the beefies, one for the sheep, one for hunting kills, one for out of season berries and fruit and one for home cooking. My bill still is under 300 pm for 4 adults. Efficient house and solar hot water help.
    
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    September 24, 2020 11:26am
  - IC5000
    
    Mining crypto or speeding up the crop growth.
    
    3 0
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    September 24, 2020 4:27pm
redeye

Karl Du Fresne on Labour wasting ten million to buy votes in the Wairarapa.
http://karldufresne.blogspot.com/

“The announcement of the Hood upgrade came out of the blue and makes sense only when seen as an enticement to vote Labour. In other words, it’s a prime example of the old-fashioned pork-barrel politics most of us thought had been consigned to history decades ago.”
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September 24, 2020 8:42am
- hullkiwi
  
  redeye, last week it was even worse than that. While Cindy toured Otago and Canterbury, she was openly announcing shovel ready projects during her campaign speeches. This was even noted during one tv report on the TV One 6pm News by Benedict Collins.
  
  As he put it, she had nothing to announce as part of her campaign, but as Prime Minister she was able to announce some shovel ready projects. A definite blurring of the lines, and shows just how corrupt Cindy and the left are.
  
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  September 24, 2020 9:13am
  - KevO'Brien
    
    The election should be declared void and awarded to National by default.
    Never have I seen such shonky bribery before.
    
    16 2
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    September 24, 2020 11:08am
    - Loddenthinks
      
      Kev – every major political party does it. Remember all those bridges in Northland that National decided they were going to build, in the run-up to the 2015 by-election that Winston ended up winning?
      
      National-led government was in power for another 2 years, yet as far as I’ve been able to determine, none of them were built. Pork-barrel politics is what it is, and discerning voters will see through it, as the voters of Northland did 5 years ago – mind you, the National candidate was very poor and is no Matt King, that’s for sure. I believe the electorate delegates missed an opportunity to bury the old charlatan once and for all, which I believe selecting King over Osborne would likely have achieved. We move on.
      
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      September 24, 2020 1:12pm
      - HeatherW
        
        3 have been done, completed last year. The location of the two bridges at Matakohe were moved to straighten the roads which took 2 years to get resource consent and other matters. Consent approved Sep 2017 and work started Nov 2017.
        
        7 1
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        September 24, 2020 2:48pm
      - MCos
        
        “It has awarded contracts for the replacement of two one-way bridges at Matakohe in Kaipara, and one at Taipa in the Far North.“
        “The six remaining bridges in the programme were still in the planning stages, he said.“
        Simon Bridges
        https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/323729/work-to-start-on-northland-bridges-this-year
        
        1 6
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        September 24, 2020 3:04pm
      - hullkiwi
        
        Not correct Loddenthinks. West of Mungatoroto on SH12, there is a new bridge completed 15 months ago. It replaced two old one lane bridges. Work on this bridge will have started before the 2017 election.
        
        6 1
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        September 24, 2020 3:52pm
Peter Lane

FFS my phone now informs me that my network is VF Aotearoa.

If it wasn’t such a hassle it’s enough to make me switch providers.
37 1
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September 24, 2020 8:58am
- mikenmildagain
  
  Tell us where the te reo touched you.
  
  6 30
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  September 24, 2020 9:12am
  - Jimmy White
    
    Getting some tips Mike
    
    10 2
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    September 24, 2020 9:27am
  - snowy
    
    In my wallet milkey
    
    11 1
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    September 24, 2020 10:52am
  - KevO'Brien
    
    When the Police nabbed him.
    
    7 2
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    September 24, 2020 11:06am
- lifesgood
  
  What network is that? Need to know to avoid.
  
  13 1
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  September 24, 2020 9:15am
  - Peter Lane
    
    Vodafone
    
    13 1
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    September 24, 2020 9:21am
    - Jimmy White
      
      My Phone still says ‘Vodafone – Stay Safe’
      
      9 1
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      September 24, 2020 9:28am
      - Peter Lane
        
        Maybe I’m special.
        
        6 0
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        September 24, 2020 9:59am
      - Bobba Fret
        
        Mine has just got the Aotearoa message which used to be stay safe….I’m also on Vodafone
        
        4 1
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        September 24, 2020 11:19am
- giltee
  
  The Loopy Greens will see NZ being renamed Aotearoa. Don’t know how true this is but:
  http://i.stuff.co.nz/blogs/opinion/205670/i-Aotearoa-a-European-hoax-i
  
  11 1
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  September 24, 2020 9:54am
  - rockape
    
    Why don’t the Green Party change their name to whatever is Maori for “ Green Party” ?
    
    6 1
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    September 24, 2020 11:28am
    - Paulus Gnome
      
      Maori dont have a word for twats as far as I know . . .
      
      7 1
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      September 24, 2020 1:30pm
      - Papalazarou
        
        Google translate says tenetene
        
        1 1
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        September 24, 2020 4:05pm
- Deagle
  
  This is all I needed to know about Vodafone:
  
  https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/02/vodafone-slammed-for-vulgar-advert-at-big-gay-out.html
  
  5 1
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  September 24, 2020 10:22am
- Local Miller
  
  Mine’s also switched to VF Aotearoa but it’s a work phone, so I don’t have any options to ditch them.
  
  2 1
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  September 24, 2020 10:47am
- Lance
  
  Spark still says NZ…. for now
  
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  September 24, 2020 11:25am
cas

Do you think either Paddy Gower or JessicaMutch McKay will ask Jacinda, she of the most open and transparent govt ever, whether she will commit to releasing the FULL text of any coalition arrangements. And press her for a yes no answer.

Yeah nah
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September 24, 2020 9:04am
- Tricati
  
  First question should be what is the status of Ihumatao and what commitments have the government made.
  
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  September 24, 2020 10:01am
wimpston peeeders

whole country went to level 2 and auckland level 3 over unknown amount of community transmission, following the reasoning for that why havent the re implemented heightened levels with the latest cluster? Who actually thinks only a few plane passengers will be the only transmission.

go on cindy I dare ya to lockdown again 🙂
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September 24, 2020 9:05am
- hullkiwi
  
  And this morning’s news:
  
  Because of incomplete collection of data, they can’t genome sequence the original case, but it is believed it probably came out of a managed isolation facility…..
  
  FFS, a failure at the border again…..what was that Megan? You had something to say in between mouthfuls?
  
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  September 24, 2020 10:27am
  - Loddenthinks
    
    “Are you going to finish that half-eaten pie?”
    
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    September 24, 2020 1:19pm
Rusty

What’s the latest on Nigel Farrage’s consultants helping out Winston Peters/ NZ First during these elections?
13 1
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September 24, 2020 9:13am
- Tall Man
  
  I thnk they’re working for free so value for money so far 😉
  
  18 2
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  September 24, 2020 9:27am
- wimpston peeeders
  
  They had great success with farrage due to him being a well respected man with morals and boundaries… winston not so much
  
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  September 24, 2020 9:43am
I remember when

Does anything demonstrate the great city versus country divide more?
Dannevirke Smallbore Rifle Club have just finished a ten round parents v their children competition.
The children ranged in age between years 5-8 at school. They were given certificates and top three,
who all shot 92/100 average, received medals. In HB Today it reported 30 children participated.
It is different in the country because of the pest control, stock protection. humane killing of badly injured stock and hunting needs.
City dwellers just don’t have the same contact with firearms or opportunities to learn correct gun safety rules.
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September 24, 2020 9:15am
- wimpston peeeders
  
  yup my 5 and 7yr old kids could outdo the average townie in a target shoot, we do air rifle target practice every few weeks dads beer cans get slaughtered 🙂
  they also know how to kill, skin and gut sheep pigs cows and deer, During lockdown we butchered the lambs and my daughter went straight to the guts and grabbed kidneys and ran to the house so mum could cook them for afternoon tea!!!
  
  Cant beat growing up country, our kids know where food comes from and not to waste it esp if an animals life was given, we grow 80%of veges and meat (kids help every step of the way) only meat we buy is chicken everything else is grown on our small block.
  
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  September 24, 2020 9:41am
- graham
  
  I live on a lifestyle block in Rodney, and while I’ve never shot I don’t even flinch when I hear a gun going off in close proximity. It’s just … normal.
  
  Don’t think you get the same reaction in Remuera!
  
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  September 24, 2020 10:30am
  - Bobba Fret
    
    People leap out of their skin if a car back fires in Remuera!
    Off course it seldom happens as most vehicles are reasonably new european models.
    
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    September 24, 2020 11:22am
    - MCos
      
      I don’t remember the last time I heard a car backfire.
      For that matter I don’t remember the last time I heard gunfire either (except nailguns) and I couldn’t care less. Probably the last time was upcountry in Thailand when one night a bunch of people fired their automatics into the air nearby.
      BTW
      Don’t get into an argument over a car park, or scratch a black Benz that pulls in front of you, or yell at someone who grabs your taxi. It might be your kidneys served up for afternoon tea.
      
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      September 24, 2020 3:25pm
- Loddenthinks
  
  I’ve shot at the Dannevirke Smallbore Rifle Club, a lifetime ago. I enjoyed it but didn’t mind waiting for my turn as they had a full-size billiards table in the clubrooms too, and didn’t mind if teenagers played on it. This was the start of a lifelong love of snooker, billiards and cue sports in general.
  
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  September 24, 2020 1:45pm
- Lance
  
  We used to have rifle shooting at the schools rifle range. Best to learn in a supervised environment, where safety breaches would result in your arse being caned until your nose bleed.
  Nobody did anything silly oddly enough and we all learned how to safely handle firearms.
  
  Good grief, imagine the hysterical screeching if that were the case now.
  
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  September 24, 2020 4:06pm
Maggie Pie

Maybe i’ve just become a little hardened to certain events, but is anyone else tired of hearing about Todd Muller’s problems?
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September 24, 2020 9:24am
- Tall Man
  
  It’s merely media and social media tyrying to push “negatives” to counter ardern’s own ineptitude.
  
  Attack back at them Maggie.
  
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  September 24, 2020 9:26am
- Sacha
  
  I read about his panic attack experience.
  Many years ago when my husband was desperately ill, no income, and 3 small kids, & living in a rental property, I had a sudden, full blown panic attack which lasted about 30 minutes.
  I had no idea what was happening and my husband rang our GP, who came immediately and diagnosed the problem. I did not need any medication, but a kindly ear was the key to understanding.
  I have sympathy for Todd Muller who found himself in a highly stressful situation, and wisely decided to remove himself.
  
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  September 24, 2020 11:02am
- Bob
  
  It isn’t Tod Mullers problem; it is Labours problem. They are looking for any past national party event to use as a means of discrediting National,
  You have to look somewhere when you don’t have any policies…. a drowning soul.. (Labour party)…will grasp at any straw
  
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  September 24, 2020 1:53pm
- Tony Stuart
  
  I had a breakdown three years ago Maggie, in circumstances very different to Muller’s but with similar symptoms.
  
  I think it’s brave of him to share in such detail what he went through, because there are plenty in politics who will exploit it if they can gain benefit from it. I also think it’s helpful for him to be open about what happened for him, in the hope that it might help and encourage someone else.
  
  Like Todd, my wife was hugely supportive, and without that support, I may not have come out the other end. I won’t belittle or criticise anyone who opens up about their struggles with mental illness because I’ve been there, done that and got the antidepressants (much better than any t-shirt), and I know that it can happen to any one of us at any time. If his column helps to destigmatise mental illness a bit more, all power to him.
  
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  September 24, 2020 2:10pm
- MCos
  
  This is Mental Health Awareness Week.
  As his contribution to an understanding of this unseen illness Todd Muller wrote a piece on his problems for the Bay of Plenty Times that has been reproduced in New Zealand Herald.
  
  Maybe his illness is of no consequence to yourself, but I’m sure other people who recognize his predicament within themselves will take comfort that they’re not alone and will seek help.
  
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  September 24, 2020 3:45pm
Happychappy

This is what happens when you keep on throwing money at problems without the right plan or the ability to listen to those from the past. One point nine billion thrown at Mental Health and still nothing has changed and the same problems on Child Poverty in which Bill English showed that it was not the answer and had implemented a plan to combat the problem that was working only for Jacinda to come along and she that her plan was better, look what has happened to that a costly failure. So I have to say Duncan Garner has right with Mental Health with all the money Jacinda Ardern has thrown at what has changed absolutely zilch, and will cost the taxpayer billions more before anything has been achieved if the Prime Minister has her way.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/09/duncan-garner-this-government-talked-all-the-platitudes-on-mental-health-but-it-s-the-same-ugly-result.html
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September 24, 2020 9:25am
- rockape
  
  But an example of waste in mental health is this. Instead of spending it directly NMDHB are not employing someone to deal with patients but a nurse educator to educate nurses in mental health awareness. Still it will give the nurse educator time to work on her PhD so someone wins, pity not the patients.
  
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  September 24, 2020 10:18am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Yep,
    we have professional mental health carers afraid for their safety in crowded, under- staffed wards.
    
    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/426710/wellington-hospital-mental-health-unit-unsafe-for-staff-patients-union
    
    7 1
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    September 24, 2020 2:16pm
    - rockape
      
      You may remember this in Nelson.https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10618528
      
      1 1
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      September 24, 2020 5:23pm
Critical Thinker

Covid-19: Do many people have pre-existing immunity?

T cells could be a key factor that explains why places like New York, London, and Stockholm seem to have experienced a wave of infections and no subsequent resurgence.

This would be because protective levels of immunity, not measurable through serology alone but instead the result of a combination of pre-existing and newly formed immune responses, could now exist in the population, preventing an epidemic rise in new infections.

At least six studies have reported T cell reactivity against SARS-CoV-2 in 20% to 50% of people with no known exposure to the virus.

https://www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m3563
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September 24, 2020 9:26am
- Critical Thinker
  
  The US CDC last week updated the survival rates if infected with Covid19:
  
  Age
  0-19 = 99.997%
  20-49 = 99.98%
  50-69 = 99.5%
  70 = 94.6%
  
  Didn’t see it reported much in the Fake News Media for some reason ?
  
  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/planning-scenarios.html
  
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  September 24, 2020 9:34am
  - fernglas
    
    There’s more to it than that, because a high percentage of Covid carriers are asymptomatic, and are unlikely to be tested other than at random. Equally, certainly at the peak of the illness, many symptomatic people were not tested because of constraints on testing. No-one really knows the actual death rates vs. infection. The only way to assess the true impact of Covid will be to look at excess death rates comparing this year with the average of the previous five. Even that will not necessarily show you how many deaths were with or because of Covid because mortality figures are much lower for vehicle accidents, but almost certainly higher because of deferred medical treatment.
    There are roughly 800,000 people in NZ between 50 and 65. If they all got Covid and .5% 0f them perished, that would still be 4,000 people, but of course not everyone gets it and, as I say, the death figures are far from accurate.
    In summary, enough to make the old sphincter clench a little, but not enough (IMHO) to justify trashing society.
    
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    September 24, 2020 12:01pm
  - MCos
    
    I’m 72. According to that table if I was to become infected there’s a 5% chance of death.
    From what I read there’s also a pretty good chance of long term side effects.
    Either way Middlemore Hospital’s capacity to treat some other poor bugger with some other condition would be curtailed.
    If the bug was unrestrained in NZ and half the old buggers picked it up the hospitals would be clogged shut
    
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    September 24, 2020 4:11pm
    - fernglas
      
      The evidence of long term side effects is limited to a few, mainly female, recoverees who have ME, a known consequence of most viruses.
      
      2 1
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      September 24, 2020 8:32pm
- Critical Thinker
  
  Dr Johan Giesecke – Current Deputy Chair of the WHO’s Strategic and Technical Advisory Group for Infectious Hazards.
  
  “We should all realise, that the counter measures hurt the poor and marginalised people most.”
  
  He recommends that COVID be let spread through the population in a controlled fashion. Through a soft-lockdown alongside a programme that concentrates on the “old and frail”, and that also frequently tests staff and residents in care homes ?
  https://twitter.com/i/status/1308741605160112129
  
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  September 24, 2020 10:05am
  - fernglas
    
    There is a strong analogy to the Green reaction to technology here. The obsession with refusing to allow GE is damaging to developing countries that need crops that are better able to withstand drought, pestilence and plagues of locusts. Replacing carbon fuels is a luxury of the rich countries; emerging economies will be hamstrung by any zealotry in this respect. Which makes me wonder if the Greens are in fact the most racist political movement we are currently seeing?
    
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    September 24, 2020 12:07pm
- Sacha
  
  Survival instinct?
  It’s deeper than we know.
  
  6 1
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  September 24, 2020 11:05am
- rangitoto
  
  It’s both B and T memory cells that provide longer term immunity. The B memory cells retain the blueprint to make the required antibody and the T memory cells retain the ability to recognise and kill infected cells. Both types multiply prolifically as part of the immune response.
  
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  September 24, 2020 11:06am
gorse

Is Gower going to fix last election debate setup and ask Ardern something like “you said in front of me three years ago there was no need to lie in politics, yet you seem to have spent the last three years doing little else, should you apologise?
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September 24, 2020 9:26am
- mandk
  
  Gower has turned into a real wuss since he got that interview humiliation from Lauren Southern and Stefan Molyneux.
  
  He hasn’t got the balls to ask hard questions anymore.
  
  36 2
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  September 24, 2020 9:56am
  - snowy
    
    Yeah, that interview with Southern broke him
    
    21 1
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    September 24, 2020 10:55am
    - TWEEDSE
      
      Paddy should have done better research for that interview to have at least appeared intelligent. I found it a pivotal point in the obvious collapse of reporting integrity in New Zealand. It was embarrassing beyond belief.
      
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      September 24, 2020 11:53am
      - lifesgood
        
        And then, to make matters worse, he went on 7 Sharp and explained how horrible the interview had been and what absolute meanies Southern and Molyneux had been to him and oh, boo, hoo, hoo. I was cringing with embarassment at that appalling segment. Believe it or not he got a sympathetic hearing from the 7 Sharp crew who nodded in agreement and offered him bucket loads of sympathy. What an absolute dork he is. I can’t really bear the thought of having to watch him in the leaders debate. I hope Judith gives him no quarter.
        
        13 1
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        September 24, 2020 12:53pm
      - graham
        
        He must have gone to the same school of journalism as Marcus “I don’t do research” Lush.
        
        12 1
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        September 24, 2020 12:55pm
      - Papalazarou
        
        One thing I’ll say for Paddy: he has a great face for radio.
        
        8 1
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        September 24, 2020 4:36pm
godruelf

Anyone else think that Rugby Australia have been royally screwed by QANTAS. Firstly QANTAS appeared to be a prime mover in getting Israel Folau sacked with the massive costs and disruption . Now today we hear that they will no longer be a sponsor.
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September 24, 2020 9:31am
- RJ
  
  Nope. They’ve taken a massive financial hit. I expect others will follow and reduce or stop their sponsorships as well
  
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  September 24, 2020 10:05am
- hullkiwi
  
  Not QANTAS, it was their Chief Exec who is the guilty party.
  
  7 4
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  September 24, 2020 10:31am
Greg Ettridge

I see a couple kiwi heavyweights are starting a new life back in New Zealand with 28 others deported from aussie to NZ on Wednesday.
John Andrew Rakena former President Mongrel Mob Rockhampton.
Hylton Miharo King known as the cop choker.
Peter Dutton gave him a glowing reference
Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton blasted King, calling him a “coward and a horrible person”.
Also joining the flight was La Familia national president Christopher Yeoman was found with a sawn-off shotgun, meth and a digger’s war medals when police raided his Kelvin Grove home in 2017.
So here are the stats
Since June there have been more than 90 New Zealanders deported, 38 Vietnamese citizens and about 8 United Kingdom citizens.
There are not alot really, Vietnamese stat intriques me, but those that are going have given away any right to live in Australia.
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September 24, 2020 9:52am
Catgurl13

So many chances given and so much money spent, paid for by tax payers of NZ ,to keep a Samoan dropkick import here…
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/300111832/ninetime-drink-driver-dodges-deportation-again-after-turning-life-around
Yet if it were a white Kiwi,they would have been named and shamed with many fines long before this. Why do we keep letting these people in?.It’s not like he’s in the skills category??.An alcoholic will always be tempted no matter how long in between drinks. We don’t need or want this guy here. We need to erase the Pacific agreement now!!!
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September 24, 2020 10:00am
- mandk
  
  He was named.
  The article shows he is Luteru Vili.
  
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  September 24, 2020 10:57am
  - Catgurl13
    
    Not until now. He’s been charged all those times and we haven’t heard about it before now.
    
    5 2
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    September 24, 2020 1:58pm
- RJ
  
  Plenty of white drunk drivers get away with it
  
  1 8
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  September 24, 2020 11:00am
  - Catgurl13
    
    No on Police 10/7 the white ones get locked up and their cars impounded. Maori and Islanders get directed to a Marae or their Church elders and diversions because they can’t afford the fines.
    
    4 2
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    September 24, 2020 2:22pm
Maggie Pie

While I would never want to come across as superior or condescending, has anyone else noticed when you tune into late-nite talkback, it’s always dominated by the same group of bleating leftards, who honestly believe the world owes them a living.
And the thing i find a worrying, is that the vast majority seem unable to string three words together in a coherent fashion, and most have an annoying speech impediment of some sort.

Just saying.
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September 24, 2020 10:10am
- Tauhei Notts
  
  Several years ago I got off the Picton ferry at Wellington at 10.30 p.m. and drove north. The two talk back stations had the sort of people you are writing about, running the show. I switched to National radio and got some pathetic public service whinger. Then I sought solace in the Concert programme. I think the Concert programme is a necessity.
  
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  September 24, 2020 11:21am
  - Miritu
    
    I don’t understand why, after so many years of this, people still pay attention to NZ radio and television, when they have so many other superior information sources available
    
    6 1
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    September 24, 2020 12:25pm
    - lifesgood
      
      Sky News all the way. Shame they dropped out from NZ.
      
      6 1
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      September 24, 2020 12:55pm
- Alex13
  
  “And the thing i find a worrying, is that the vast majority seem unable to string three words together…”
  
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  September 24, 2020 11:23am
I remember when

“Did Judith exaggerate agriculture’s difficulties.”
I don’t think many farmers would think that she did.
One of the problems farmers have is that many of them are ‘one-man-bands’. They do not have a team behind them to learn, advise on and complete the increasing demands legislation is placing them under.
They have to complete what seem to be ever more complicated forms. Maintain their farm buildings, equipment, effluent, irrigation requirements, plantings of riparian, shade and erosion control areas, stock feed requirements, animal health, winter grazing, health and safety, stock performance records, financial records and hope that the economy makes it all financially viable.
If you are dairy you are up at 4.00 am ish in the morning to do the milking.
Plus make certain your Check List is completed, so that nothing important is overlooked as this could be very costly.
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September 24, 2020 10:46am
Dave Mann

Mental Health Week
I’d like to share something which has happened to me this year. Since February I’ve been under the delusion that our society has developed a mental health problem. It really seems to me that, under the delusion of a terrible plague, society has gone mad. In my rational mind I know that this can’t be happening, but every time I go out of the house now I think I can see people in masks walking around like zombies. I’m hoping that if I vote Labour this year my delusions will go away – especially if I can soon get legal access to more psychoactive drugs. I also know that the solution somehow involves randomly uttering phrases in an unintelligible language and that if I’m kind everything will be OK and magically I’ll be looked after. Can someone please help me with my delusions?
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September 24, 2020 10:53am
- IC5000
  
  > Can someone please help me with my delusions?
  
  Yes. Just don’t vote for ACT.
  
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  September 24, 2020 4:31pm
- MCos
  
  It’s not Mental Health Week, it’s Mental Health Awareness Week and it’s not a time to snigger at people in trouble.
  I was talking today to someone who is struggling for reasons around the events of the year that you may find frivolous, but not to them.
  
  It was the same at the time of the Christchurch earthquakes. Some people, particularly young kids & the elderly were badly effected and some breezed through.
  
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  September 24, 2020 6:15pm
  - IC5000
    
    > it’s not a time to snigger at people in trouble.
    
    Of course. Let’s just slash their benefits and like IGM does, without any protest from most here, describe such people as parasites and losers.
    
    1 3
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    September 24, 2020 9:51pm
Benedict Yu

https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/climate-news/122873181/election-2020-coalfree-heat-for-18-more-schools

This is utterly utterly insane. $50 million to convert schools away from coal fired heating. The price of coal already incorporates the emissions price determined by the ETS. That is what the ETS is for – to avhieve emissions reductions at the lowest cost. I can’t believe there is not outrage over this
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September 24, 2020 10:59am
- Catgurl13
  
  Meanwhile we are still buying a lot of coal in from China!!
  
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  September 24, 2020 2:25pm
slightlyrighty

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300115026/election-2020-live-jacinda-ardern-unveils-plaque-at-al-noor-mosque

Of course, its just a co-incidence that this happened during the election campaign. She sure knows how to get mileage out of other peoples suffering.
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September 24, 2020 11:09am
- mandk
  
  Yes, she’s really into grief porn.
  Very unhealthy.
  For the nation, that is.
  
  32 2
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  September 24, 2020 11:49am
- the deity formerly known as nigel6888
  
  What the hell is the plaque for
  
  “here is the spot where an Australian immigrant took advantage of inept administration of firearm vetting to attempt to become a political martyr”
  
  23 2
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  September 24, 2020 11:58am
  - RJ
    
    What is wrong with having a plaque? It’s how we remember tragedies. The first shooting I remember was Aramoana. They have a plaque as well.
    
    7 2
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    September 24, 2020 12:23pm
    - Catgurl13
      
      Yes a plaque could have been done for this but Cindy did not need to go running down there dressed in a hijab. It screams desperation. She needs their votes!
      
      13 4
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      September 24, 2020 2:59pm
    - IC5000
      
      The people killed in Aramoana were ones that counted. Not so much those in CHCH. Hence the distinction.
      
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      September 24, 2020 4:33pm
      - RJ
        
        Your racism is disgusting, I’d rather have a Muslim neighbour than some hate filled creep like you and catgurl
        
        2 3
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        September 24, 2020 4:59pm
- Catgurl13
  
  She’s really desperate to remind those little Muslims she needs their votes. All done in a hijab again.
  
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  September 24, 2020 2:00pm
- the deity formerly known as nigel6888
  
  Its like she’s a one hit wonder, trying to do a greatest hits tour!
  
  Coming to a Kindy near you soon!
  
  11 1
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  September 24, 2020 3:04pm
- the deity formerly known as nigel6888
  
  At least the latest hijab looks like a sugar sack. Couldn’t she find the versace one?
  
  3 1
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  September 24, 2020 7:53pm
Fletch

Looks like we hoped too soon, re: the virus in Auckland…

https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/morning-briefing-sept-24-authorities-grapple-historical-cases-and-new-infections
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September 24, 2020 11:25am
- rangitoto
  
  Surely not a border issue. There must be some frozen peas somewhere that can be blamed.
  
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  September 24, 2020 1:16pm
TWEEDSE

I see Our Lady of the Pestilence, St Cindy has doned a hijabi on the election trail in Christchurch today. Attempting to make further political capital out of the pain of the victims of the massacre.

I guess she has run out of kindergartens to visit.

Poor wee thing.
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September 24, 2020 11:36am
- Catgurl13
  
  Yes she’s out begging in her hijab this time kissing g up to the Muslim voters. So desperately.
  
  17 1
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  September 24, 2020 2:03pm
- ex-golfer
  
  So she’s donned a symbol of oppression of the male patriarchy in the Muslim faith again.
  She really doesn’t care about female empowerment does she?
  
  19 1
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  September 24, 2020 2:12pm
  - Tall Man
    
    She only cares about her empowerment and will do whatever it takes to get and stay there.
    
    11 1
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    September 24, 2020 3:24pm
virtualmark

Did you know … Trump’s new Covid-19 czar, Dr Scott Atlas, is a global expert on diagnosing dementia from MRI scans. He literally wrote the book on it … https://www.amazon.com/Magnetic-Resonance-Imaging-Brain-Spine-ebook/dp/B01JMBRWO4

Qu 1: How did Trump come to meet a global expert on diagnosing dementia?

Qu 2: WTF do you think he knows about virology, pandemics and public health?
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September 24, 2020 12:04pm
- mikenmildagain
  
  “Person, woman, man, camera, TV”
  
  1 11
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  September 24, 2020 1:17pm
  - Ed Snack
    
    I swear allegiance, for real, you know, the thing…..come on man.
    
    5 1
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    September 24, 2020 6:37pm
  - Loddenthinks
    
    “Blank, froth, gibber”
    
    5 1
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    September 24, 2020 6:57pm
- Fletch
  
  1. Maybe Trump was boning up on Biden’s symptoms and read his book…
  
  7 1
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  September 24, 2020 3:20pm
  - mikenmildagain
    
    Trump read a book? Good one, Fletch.
    
    1 10
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    September 24, 2020 5:05pm
    - Fletch
      
      He writes them, too, you know. And I don’t mean ghostwritten, like Obama’s.
      
      3 2
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      September 24, 2020 9:03pm
      - virtualmark
        
        That will come as quite a surprise to Tony Schwartz.
        
        https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/07/25/donald-trumps-ghostwriter-tells-all
        
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        September 25, 2020 2:53pm
Maggie Pie

Just been taking tea and KK’s out in the atrium.
My partner made the observation “….it’s a while since we’ve heard from the Bishop’s missus”
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September 24, 2020 12:52pm
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Haven’t you been watching “The Hui”?
  
  Here she is from a couple of days back… reckons you should get out and do some possuming….
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06HXqgEE6SM
  
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  September 24, 2020 1:46pm
  - Maggie Pie
    
    WOW! Thanks Maggs – No, wasn’t aware of that. We’ll definitely have to watch it later 😀
    Used to follow Hannah on Twitter till i got blocked. All I did was tweet to ask if that was her we saw outside the City Mission loading a food parcel into the back of a Merc?
    
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    September 24, 2020 2:04pm
    - Swifty
      
      A few weeks back she, The Bishop, and another couple entered the Grand Harbour for yum cha just as we were paying and leaving.
      
      It was a sight to behold, power dressing and wearing sunnies inside.
      
      He looked like a great dork to be honest. Oily. Slimy. And I didn’t know he was such a wee short fella.
      
      I wonder how many of the credulous folk he cons money from can afford to dine there.
      
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      September 24, 2020 4:43pm
oldfella

So our PTPM said today that the Government hasn’t been able to progress hate speech law in this term of Government, but it will be campaigning on this as a Labour Party.
That’s why my party vote is going to ACT! To stop this attempt to further erode our freedoms.
Because if we don’t have freedom of speech, we’re not free.
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September 24, 2020 1:39pm
- Catgurl13
  
  Oh no Muslims can’t have anyone disagreeing with them one bit. The Muslim dairy owner got upset just because a woman walked into his shop telling him the Koran was evil.That we Kiwis don’t agree with their religion,that their project Mohammed was evil. She actually wasn’t rude or threatening even. But he couldn’t handle that and ran off to the media about it.
  
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  September 24, 2020 2:09pm
  - RJ
    
    Right so someone should be allowed to walk into someone’s business and abuse their religion. I wonder if you are a labour troll trying to make out the right are racist.
    
    8 11
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    September 24, 2020 3:08pm
    - Swifty
      
      You want to criminalise rudeness?
      
      Really?
      
      Have you really thought that through? And all that that would mean?
      
      8 1
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      September 24, 2020 5:04pm
  - kowtow
    
    Yeah but walking into someone’s business to abuse them is not a freedom or right of any kind , it’s being a dick and possibly a breach of the peace.
    
    6 1
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    September 24, 2020 7:37pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  First thet came for your guns. You know where this is leading – think 1933
  
  6 2
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  September 24, 2020 5:28pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    *they, ffs
    
    5 1
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    September 24, 2020 5:28pm
Fletch

Don’t people realize that removing someone from packaging because of the color of their skin is actually being racist?

https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/world/uncle-bens-rice-brand-officially-renamed-following-racial-stereotype-criticism
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September 24, 2020 2:03pm
- Catgurl13
  
  It’s just getting so ridiculous now.
  
  11 2
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  September 24, 2020 3:00pm
- the deity formerly known as nigel6888
  
  Democrats, firing blacks and people of colour since 1861. They offed Aunt Jemima, the Washington Redskin and the lady of the Lakes too!
  
  “No blacks or coloureds need apply”!
  
  7 1
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  September 24, 2020 3:07pm
Nickc2

How can Biden possibly be a presidential contender for the US? Bloody Democrats again. Corruption personified! Kamala for President? Who will the VP be?
https://www.michaelsmithnews.com/2020/09/how-can-biden-be-a-presidential-candidate-after-todays-us-senate-report-on-bidenukrainianchinese-cor.html
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September 24, 2020 2:14pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  The VP will be Killary, who will somehow become POTUS. Have no idea how she might do that //
  
  7 2
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  September 24, 2020 5:30pm
  - the deity formerly known as nigel6888
    
    Is there a dreadful accident, or an awful suicide involved?
    
    I understand Arkancides can get dreadfully messy, the last suicide shot himself in the back of the head four times, tragic!
    
    2 1
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    September 24, 2020 7:55pm
I remember when

This week’s edition of the Northern Outlook has an article that will hopefully be the last on “Til the Cows Come Home Sanctuary’ debacle.
It is something that should be read by everyone who is thinking of saving animals without considering all the pitfalls.
Kind hearts don’t pay the bills and the bills have to be thought about before you start.
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September 24, 2020 3:27pm
Loddenthinks

Well this is most inconvenient for the TDS sufferers:

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=12366438&ref=recommendedv1

I’ve always said there’s only one poll that counts, but this guy is uncannily accurate especially in picking results that go against the prevailing polls.
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September 24, 2020 3:42pm
- mikenmildagain
  
  Interesting. There might be some validity to this approach, but also some reasons to be cautious:
  https://theconversation.com/4-reasons-why-social-media-election-data-can-misread-public-opinion-121403
  
  1 6
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  September 24, 2020 4:24pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Look at all of the boat parades and the vehicle caravans, and tell me he will not win
  
  7 2
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  September 24, 2020 5:33pm
greenfinger

Thanks to Cindy, COVID19 is now making its way all over NZ after today’s discovery. For all you know, it is now a ticking time bomb. Who will have to be sacrificed next to protect her own reputation?
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September 24, 2020 3:58pm
- the deity formerly known as nigel6888
  
  Only 3 more lockdowns till Christmas, Comrades!
  
  Learn to love your bubble, dust off your bear, and remember to be kind, team of (nearly) 5 million…!
  
  Cindy and the “Podium of Truth” ™ have been missing you.
  
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  September 24, 2020 7:58pm
graham

Ali Shakir, an Iraqi immigrant, writes on the Jacinda-mania that has swept New Zealand – and is worried by it.

He arrived in New Zealand in 2008, looking forward to living in a peaceful democracy. Finally able to cast a vote, he read through the policies of the various parties, and felt that Labour ticked all the boxes for him. He voted for Labour in every election through to and including 2017, describing the formation of the coalition as “one of my happiest memories in Aotearoa.”

It now seems the glitter is wearing off. Hardly a day goes by without a friend from overseas emailing or texting Ali about how fortunate New Zealanders are to be led by Ardern, and how impressed they were with her decisive response to Covid-19.

Ali isn’t so sure.

He suspects that the shutdown of NZ was necessary simply because the health system is so vulnerable that larger outbreaks could lead to an absolute disaster.

And it’s not only the health system this Government has failed to fix. Poverty, infrastructure, housing crisis, to name a few, the Labour Party made huge promises, but delivered very little.

He worries that the Labour Party have given up on the fight for change, and are relying solely on Ardern’s stardom to win the election. That, riding high on Ardern’s international recognition and plaudits , the Labout Party is simply coasting to a victory that may not be entirely deserved.

The international glorification of Ardern, I noticed, was filling her and her party with a sense of great accomplishment that was, sorry to say, not always deserved. It was painting a rosy picture of life in New Zealand to rub in the faces of Trump’s and Johnson’s supporters. To be then recycled locally through flashy headlines, citing this or that posh American or British publication or platform.

Journalists have been attacked for daring to ask director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield slightly tough questions at his press conferences last month. Criticism and calls for accountability, online and in real life, are often met with insults and ridicule. The opponents on the other side are not holding back either.

Throughout my 12 years of living in New Zealand, political polarisation has never been wider, and more alarming.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12367660
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September 24, 2020 4:04pm
rockape

Nationals internals brought a smile to my face. That was before the debate!
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September 24, 2020 5:25pm
Okahu

Few years back I found myself in Southland. We passed a river that ran brown. Not topsoil brown, as bad as that would be. Shit brown. Bank to bank. Oh, that’s the dairy boom, went the explanation from a local. Seems that we as a society may have been a little lax with regard to allowing profit to be made by treating waterways as shit conveyancing systems. Still I suppose there’s nothing that can be done. Two ticks blue for rivers of poo.
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September 24, 2020 5:38pm
- the deity formerly known as nigel6888
  
  downstream of a town were you?
  
  7 1
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  September 24, 2020 8:14pm
  - Okahu
    
    Yes. And I pity the kids there. You wouldn’t look at that river let alone swim in or drink from it. But no worries. Judith’s tears will flush the entire ecosystem.
    Did I mention the lovely dairy farmers I met in the bar on the Emirates A380? On their way to Switzerland. “It’s so beautiful there they told me.”
    
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    September 24, 2020 9:40pm
    - Okahu
      
      …there” they told me.
      
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      September 24, 2020 9:48pm
      - the deity formerly known as nigel6888
        
        Woosh, there goes facts and logic over Okahu’s head.
        
        You do know that towns shit in the river, with far nastier stuff than cows do? Don’t you?
        
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        September 25, 2020 10:50am
greybeard

Just heard David Seymour on the Ryan Bridge “Magic Talk” program.
This guy is PM material: maybe not the next term but the one after.
Between him & Judith Collins they will slaughter this current so-called “government” in a month’s time.
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September 24, 2020 6:17pm
Fletch

Jacinda says yeh to bringing in so-called “hate speech” laws around religion, and also around sexual orientation, age or disability. Very worrying. ?
7 1
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September 24, 2020 8:04pm
- sooty
  
  They won’t need a Labour party card then!
  That’ll worry Frasier House!
  
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  September 24, 2020 9:40pm
- Okahu
  
  Indeed. Let’s make the religious a trade. We won’t call you god addled far quits if you pay your tax and keep clear of kids. All kids. If what you believe is so important let adults buy in. No more bullshit immersion zones for under 18s. They attract rapists like flies to shit.
  
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  September 24, 2020 10:23pm
Tall Man

Look at the photos of ardern at the mosque. Again, no social distancing.

Still think you haven’t been covid conned?
8 1
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September 24, 2020 9:12pm

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