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August 5, 2021 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 05 August 2021

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General Debate

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Happychappy

This is a bit off the track but I believe you only have to read , see and listen to Media works to realize that they applaud bullies, harrassment, sexual assault and the culture at media works.
I say this because for instance in Politics
they allow the top Journalists to try and crucify top politicians and you only have to go back to the Jamie Lee Ross saga and the lies that flowed from Senior Journalist Tova O’Brien, and to a lesser extent Jenna Lynch with their smear campaign on then National Leader Simon Bridges.
These woman will stop at nothing to create the headlines and while it is several businesses in the media works complaints it actually shows how bad the culture is in many of them with it also being obvious that many of their staff are allowed to get away with gutter politics and deciet.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/300374567/mediaworks-harassment-bullying-report-like-christmas-former-staff-say
You only have to read the bullshit and favouritism and listen to the Radio or Television to see the the culture is toxic.
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August 5, 2021 8:00am
- MCos
  
  Politicians certainly don’t get crucified on Kiwiblog.
  On here they’re “called to account”.
  
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  August 5, 2021 9:25am
  - Loddenthinks
    
    We’re entitled to our opinions, and nobody’s paying us to “make the news”.
    
    What’s more, our employers aren’t being bribed to the tune of tens of millions of dollars to push the government narrative, deflect attention using a baby or a wedding or a kindy visit (“The best way to start the day!”) and worship at the feet of St Jacinda the Good.
    
    Got anything else?
    
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    August 5, 2021 9:53am
  - Happychappy
    
    Just more trolling by a idiot, crawl back under the rock you came from Mr I know everything MCos.
    
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    August 5, 2021 10:04am
- Paulus
  
  All that matter is Sales, to be able to pay the exorbitant wages of these hypocrites.
  Fact and fiction do not matter for these people.
  
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  August 5, 2021 10:17am
- Stephen Russell
  
  Reporters are paid to manufacture news. Media companies then sell the “news” to readers/listeners/viewers.
  Truth, balance and fairness are only important in so far as they contribute to increasing sales. Which is possibly not at all. In news, the market for trash is bigger than the market for quality.
  
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  August 5, 2021 11:00am
peterwn

Waikato DHB wins injunction against Radio NZ and unknown others concerning hacked patient information. Despite requests by the DHB, RNZ broadcast medical details concerning a 5 year old boy. While the boy was not named his identity would have been known to those associated with him. Media article here:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300374471/waikato-dhb-wins-injunction-to-stop-radio-nz-using-hacked-data

Court injunction here:
https://www.courtsofnz.govt.nz/assets/cases/2021/2021-NZHC-2002.pdf

This is another example of disgraceful conduct on the part of Radio NZ, on a par or worse with when RNZ tried to trap Peter Ellis into an interview several years ago (Peter did not fall for it but RNZ broadcast adverse comments which RNZ fought tooth and nail through the Courts to try and justify).
All that hacked information is ‘off limits’ for publication and RNZ and other media should know that. Indeed I would argue that childrens’ patient information is ‘objectionable material’ on a par with child pornography if possessed or used for other than genuine medical purposes. RNZ had ample warning of the DHB concerns but being its usual arrogant seld did not lay off.The authorities should be considering privacy and criminal sanctions against RNZ.
However RNZ will probably get away with it since the Government could fear media retaliation from RNZ news staff if stringent action was taken.
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August 5, 2021 8:00am
Frank the tank

Export controls on timber. Muldoon’s Ghost must be wandering the hallways of the Beehive.

What’s next – import licenses.
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August 5, 2021 8:02am
- Tony Stuart
  
  Don’t give them ideas!
  
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  August 5, 2021 8:13am
  - pdm
    
    It is the only way a member of this government will get any good ideas.
    
    Anything they dream up themselves is crap.
    
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    August 5, 2021 9:15am
- KevO'Brien
  
  Ruin the exports, ruin the economy.
  Muldoon concerns were primarily imports and not having enough foreign exchange to pay for food imports.
  
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  August 5, 2021 8:19am
  - Bob
    
    not having enough foreign exchange to pay for food imports….
    a situation that we are about to experience again very soon!
    
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    August 5, 2021 9:50am
    - KevO'Brien
      
      Is it that bad?
      
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      August 5, 2021 11:29am
- Nickc2
  
  Socialism in progress: Poto Williams dictates how CHH should conduct its business.
  
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  August 5, 2021 8:26am
  - Bobba Fret
    
    Always makes me laugh that politicians that have never worked in a real world company themselves, like to tell companies who have been in business for years how they should run their business.
    
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    August 5, 2021 9:45am
    - Nickc2
      
      Could not agree more. However, we must never forget Poto Williams was a researcher for the Department of Education. I guess that sez it all.
      
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      August 5, 2021 10:29am
      - KevO'Brien
        
        Poto Williams a researcher?
        
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        August 5, 2021 11:31am
  - igm
    
    Closest she has ever come to business would be filling in a benefit form!
    
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    August 5, 2021 10:06am
- MCos
  
  During the Irish Potato Famine huge numbers of locals died of starvation while food was exported to England.
  While that is an extreme example at what point does it become reasonable for the government to stop the export of logs because construction is grinding to a halt due to lack of timber?
  No easy answer if there’s contracts to fill.
  
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  August 5, 2021 9:40am
  - BassilFawlty
    
    Processing is the bottleneck. The Irish potatoe famine, your faulse equivalence? Fuck off noddy.
    
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    August 5, 2021 12:45pm
    - Papalazarou
      
      https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=potatoe
      
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      August 5, 2021 8:53pm
  - Ian Boag
    
    There is also an issue with the capacity to process the logs into timber here in NZ. I guess we need to subsidize some sawmills … Waipa anyone?
    
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    August 5, 2021 6:14pm
Matt Long

New Zealand Government apparently has not learnt over the past year about the dangers of relying on overseas supply chains, and building resilience in the modern world.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/nz-naive-to-shut-down-marsden-point-australian-analyst/I6WITZ3OSC3CSNXIKLYPN5DIZU/
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August 5, 2021 8:02am
- Benedict Yu
  
  At the time this was announced I checked on oil refinery locations globally. It was not a thorough search. But what was clear was..
  
  All OECD countries have oil refineries
  
  All middle income countries have oil refineries.
  
  Most developing countries have oil refineries, including those in Africa which surprised me.
  
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  August 5, 2021 8:16am
  - Master Mariner
    
    https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018806943/could-nz-run-out-of-fuel-if-marsden-pt-oil-refinery-is-closed
    
    Bit late for the penny to drop.
    
    Well least the Oil and Gas ban is going as planned.//
    
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    August 5, 2021 1:14pm
- virtualmark
  
  Whether we have a local refinery at Marsden Point or not doesn’t change our (in)dependence or fuel security. We’re still captive to having a ship come over the horizon. It’s just a matter of whether that ship is carrying crude or refined product.
  
  In some ways it increases our independence, because the refinery is configured to only take certain types/grades of crude, while refined product could be sourced from anywhere.
  
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  August 5, 2021 8:45am
  - virtualmark
    
    Note too that Marsden Pt really only services the top half of the North Island now. The rest of the country already relies on imports of refined product.
    
    Marsden Pt does provide fringe products for the whole country (like cleaning spirits). But in terms of petrol & diesel it’s largely just supplying Auckland.
    
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    August 5, 2021 8:53am
  - Matt Long
    
    Yes our refinery should be configured to process local crude, it would probably have been better located in Taranaki.
    However there’s no way that having the ability to process heavy crude reduces our options compared with just importing refined fuel.
    
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    August 5, 2021 9:06am
    - virtualmark
      
      Our refinery was built to process a particular grade of Middle Eastern crude.
      
      Taranaki crude oil is very light oil that’s not suited to Marsden Point. And the NZ oil producers get good money sending it to Sydney where there are refineries that can only work with those lighter grades.
      
      AFAIK no meaningful volumes of NZ crude have ever been refined here in NZ.
      
      And for sure the NZ crude production is too small to have serviced the local market.
      
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      August 5, 2021 9:15am
  - peterwn
    
    As I understand it, the relatively small amounts of NZ crude oil (byproduct of gas production) is high quality and is worth more for export than processing at Marsden Point. Hence cheaper lower grade crude oil is imported for refining and leads to the fairly obvious conclusion that it may be better to process it in larger and more efficient overseas refineries and import the finished product. The refinery probably needs major investment to update and overhaul it and this would seem hard to justify especially when petroleum consumption is being discouraged. With the increasing emphasis on ethical investing, borrowing or raising money for such work could be challenging.
    Similarly with banknotes which were printed for a while locally at a time when NZ was trying to produce as many things as possible locally.
    
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    August 5, 2021 9:32am
    - Tarquin North
      
      Marsden Point was designed to process pretty much anything. Taranaki crude is of such high quality it is of more value to export. Marsden point serves the whole country. They have small tanker ships that deliver to most ports.
      
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      August 5, 2021 9:50am
  - MrTips
    
    I have heard this naive comment multiple times from many sources.
    
    We stand to lose more than the ability to refine crude.
    
    When the shit hits the fan, AND IT WILL AGAIN, we will be beholden to all other refinery bearing nations.
    
    The cost of sulphur for fertilisers will go up. The cost of CO2, including medical, will go up. The cost of hydrogen will go up. All of those things are made there as well. Northland will lose tech experience and related industries. ALL of those things stand to be lost, because the main shareholders of the refinery, BP/Z/Mobil want to screw us a different type of way from Saturday.
    
    People need to get their head around how catastrophic this will be. No joke.
    
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    August 5, 2021 9:47am
    - KevO'Brien
      
      We don’t like STEM. Kindy training is so much more loving and productive of good feelings. Let the nerfs buy it on Aliexpress if they must import it. Agriculture is regulated so the oil in the ground stays in the ground and the streams are not soiled by gumboots.
      
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      August 5, 2021 11:38am
    - fisho
      
      BP/Z/Mobil, the main shareholders in the refinery, are currently being screwed. The RNZ cost model is rubbish, that’s why they want out, it’s cheaper to import than refine. Bottom line, it’ll result in a better deal for the consumer.
      As I understand, Taranaki crude doesn’t provide the optimum split of products for NZ’s requirements so using it would be even less efficient than what they are currently doing, which is importing Middle Eastern crude.
      
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      August 5, 2021 2:21pm
  - WaveyDavey
    
    But all the magic electricity will power everything forever won’t it?
    
    And with no pollution or cost either
    
    I think that’s what we were told
    
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    August 5, 2021 10:13am
  - Nickc2
    
    What happens if China or any other country for that matter decides to blockade NZ’s supply of petromeum products?
    I’m told we only have 90 days of fuel available in NZ at any one time. Not a lot really when considering we have to truck/train all imports/exports throughout NZ.
    
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    August 5, 2021 10:41am
    - Batman
      
      What circumstance would trigger that?
      
      Unless we declare war on the Pacific Islands (because we ain’t taking on Aussie haha), I don’t see why any country would do this.
      
      Also we don’t get petroleum from China, as a rule, it’s from the mid-east via US wholesale markets.
      
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      August 5, 2021 10:53am
      - Adroit
        
        Do you think they ship the oil to America and then on to us from the West coast? It arrives (mostly) the same way everything does that comes to the Pacific – via the Strait of Malacca.
        
        China doesn’t need actually park frigates off our coast, just blockade Singapore or the Staits of Malacca and it will have the same effect. We could absolutely be casualties of a conflict we didn’t initate or aren’t involved in.
        
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        August 5, 2021 11:32am
      - Nickc2
        
        Most of our fuel comes from Singapore.
        Don’t forget we currently have some allies and if any of them call in some favours whilest they are involved in hostilities we become a target and there’s no better way to shut NZ down than to blockade our imports and exports.
        Whilst we have been sitting on our hands (figuratively speaking), China has not and has been building facilities in some Pacific Island nations presumably to service their Fishing Fleet but also sufficient to service their Naval Vessels if/when a conflict should arise.
        Just saying.
        Batman, you can take your fingers out of your ears now and stop saying la, la, la.
        
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        August 5, 2021 12:24pm
      - Jack5
        
        Australia has lost many of its refineries, as the country’s refining industry struggles to compete with the huge refineries in Asia and the Middle East (such as Exxon’s in Singapore).
        
        https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-11/australia-loses-another-oil-refinery-risking-fuel-supply/13139648
        
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        August 5, 2021 12:48pm
    - fisho
      
      There’s really no difference, either they blockade crude shipments or refined product, we’re reliant on one or the other (or both). The best way to stop it from happening is to ensure a strong coalition of neighbours to put the CCP off trying it in the first place.
      If you want to know why we don’t refine our own NZ sourced crude read the many comments explaining elsewhere in this thread.
      
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      August 5, 2021 2:27pm
      - Nickc2
        
        I couldn’t agree more fisho. I would suggest our traditional friends and allies are somewhat perplexed with our foreign policy and our PM’s ability to badmouth our traditional allies:
        Orange Man bad,
        Boris (she worked with Tony Blaire),
        Scomo (she jumped up and down about him sending NZ citizens back to NZ who had committed crimes in his country,
        
        I’m guessing the Love Fest with the Canadian PM still exists but he won’t be around for long I’m told.
        Singapore (wrong philosophy, too forward-thinking)
        
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        August 5, 2021 2:52pm
- I remember when
  
  You have to love the Labour/Green approach.
  Let’s have self sufficiency – except in the things we don’t like.
  
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  August 5, 2021 8:56am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    How long before NZ has no farms and we import all food? That is where the socialists are headed, they hate farms and farmers.
    South Venezuela yee-haa!
    
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    August 5, 2021 9:46am
    - WaveyDavey
      
      Funnily enough most European food supply chains incorporate a lot of overseas food
      
      Now, I wonder why their food prices are cheaper than NZ’s and why seasonal price variation isn’t a thing
      
      Maybe because they don’t have border controls specifically set up for protectionist reasons
      
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      August 5, 2021 10:14am
      - Batman
        
        Erm, the entire EU is a protectionist barrier to foreign foods.
        
        Just ask any of our producers who export there.
        
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        August 5, 2021 10:43am
      - WaveyDavey
        
        Ah, so there are no products from, say Kenya on UK supermarket shelves
        
        Or cheese or lamb from NZ, or non-EU wines
        
        Oh look, baby corn “Produce of India, Mozambique, Senegal, Kenya, Zambia”
        
        https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/293953719
        
        Yep clearly no food from outside the EU there
        
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        August 5, 2021 10:58am
      - WaveyDavey
        
        Here are some onions, sometimes they even come from New Zealand
        
        They cost 85p/kg or NZ$1.68 on the shelf to the consumer. In the UK because of supply chain resilience they will cost roughly that amount at all times of year
        
        Currently brown onions, grown right here in NZ will cost you NZ$2.00 and their price varies
        
        This is due to cost-effective importing of food, something that NZ seems unwilling or incapable of doing
        
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        August 5, 2021 11:16am
      - Romney
        
        The entire set-up is basically a customs union. They let us sell a little so we buy their overpriced, unreliable cars, etc.
        
        Food isn’t as cheap as it sees when you factor in subsidies from the taxpayers.
        
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        August 5, 2021 12:25pm
      - Jack5
        
        Adding to Batty’s point (10.43 post), in recent weeks, the EC has announced plans for additional carbon border taxes on imports.
        
        This pointer to an article over the Economist’s paywall gives the gist of them:
        
        https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/07/15/carbon-border-taxes-are-defensible-but-bring-great-risks
        
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        August 5, 2021 12:53pm
    - Nickc2
      
      Spot on Steve.
      
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      August 5, 2021 10:42am
    - Romney
      
      Steve is correct about farms. There is no way we will survive this administration. Not in the long term. And voting doesn’t seem to help. Glad I’m nearly at the end of my career. Hill country sheep farming has been a wonderful way of life for the most part. Not easy, but very rewarding.
      
      They are destroying everything, it’s so sad.
      
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      August 5, 2021 12:30pm
    - Mark
      
      Erm Otto old boy some of us are dairy farmers .Going well too just recently bought150 acres of adjoining farm,nicely timed to collect $8.00 per kilo milk solids this season ,very nice.
      
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      August 5, 2021 2:57pm
Bobba Fret

Back in my day at school, there were a couple of teachers that we would have liked to tell to “F ….off!” but didn’t dare to. However, it seems these days you now actually can do that. I’m getting old, times have definitely changed for the worse.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/macleans-college-told-by-ombudsman-to-apologise-to-student-expelled-for-swearing-at-teacher/3LPNM47BYSO2I54HJP3XASRRFU/
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August 5, 2021 8:02am
- Inandout
  
  BF, how ironic the teachers, many of whom pushed for liberal schools, are now getting results.
  
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  August 5, 2021 8:32am
  - lifesgood
    
    That’s a wee bit unfair. Maclean’s College clearly has standards and it’s the wet, ex cop ombudsman who’s at fault here. It’s absolutely disgraceful that the school has to apologise to this little scrote.
    
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    August 5, 2021 8:55am
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      Bring back the Cane and strap
      
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      August 5, 2021 9:47am
      - Bob
        
        Mod, can I uptick Steve Otto 100 times?
        
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        August 5, 2021 9:52am
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        @Bob, just waiting for Sue Bradford to call me out
        
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        August 5, 2021 10:30am
    - Bob
      
      The parents should have been required to apologise to the Teacher, and make a monetary damages offer to the teacher.
      No wonder we have an unliveable society
      
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      August 5, 2021 9:54am
    - MCos
      
      Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
      You’re missing the point.
      The school expelled the pupil for telling a teacher to fuck off, which is a vast overreaction.
      At his age that could well have been the end of his schooling.
      The school should have dealt with it differently as I’m sure any other school would.
      Their school rules cannot supersede the law of the land when it comes to such things & that stipulates far worse behaviour before expulsion or suspension comes into play.
      
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      August 5, 2021 10:01am
      - alloytoo
        
        “At his age that could well have been the end of his schooling.”
        
        Stop hyperventilating.
        
        There’s another college within walking distance and at least three within a 10 minute drive.
        
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        August 5, 2021 1:03pm
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        Which corner would you like to cry in?
        Respect comes before a law is even made – stupid boy #2
        
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        August 5, 2021 6:11pm
- Nigel Kearney
  
  Explusion for telling a teacher to fuck off is excessive. A one week suspension would be sufficient. Sticks and stones. The Ombudsman is right. State schools can have standards but they have to follow the Education Act not implement their own little dictatorship.
  
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  August 5, 2021 10:20am
  - lifesgood
    
    You can pretty much guarantee this wasn’t the first time with this kid. Judging by the fact his parents took it to the ombudsman it is obvious he has been brought up with a very anti social attitude. This was probably the last straw as far as the school was concerned. You can bet that if it had been out of character he would not have been expelled.
    
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    August 5, 2021 10:26am
  - gravedodger
    
    The use of pretty serious verbal abuse today what does tomorrow escalate to, broken windows anybody.
    
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    August 5, 2021 10:30am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    3 good wacks on the arse with a cane and he won’t do it again.
    Yep, I learnt the hard way, I also learnt respect
    
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    August 5, 2021 10:33am
    - MCos
      
      That’s the theory.
      Of course it didn’t work out that way, from memory.
      It was the same kids getting caned over again.
      A lot of those kids were also getting smacked around at home too.
      
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      August 5, 2021 11:48am
    - Mark
      
      I allus thought you were a slow one Otto ,two was enough for me .
      
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      August 5, 2021 5:26pm
  - KevO'Brien
    
    The rule of law does extend to petty officials.
    
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    August 5, 2021 11:41am
Matt Long

Anyone annoyed about the Ute Tax paying to subsidise coal burning vehicles might like to sign this petition https://www.change.org/NoUteTaxtoBurnCoal
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August 5, 2021 8:07am
- oldfella
  
  Matt, talking of coal…
  China Doubles Down On Coal Despite Global Push To Go Green
  https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/china-doubles-down-coal-despite-global-push-go-green
  Pity we didn’t have some coal to sell to them. Oh, wait, we do…
  
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  August 5, 2021 9:57am
Maggy Wassilieff

Folks are noticing Kris Faafoi’s failure to perform
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/whats-eating-kris-faafoi
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August 5, 2021 8:09am
- zulumonster
  
  More to the point … what’s Kris Faafoi been eating???
  
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  August 5, 2021 8:28am
  - pdm
    
    Perhaps he has first dibs on th pies – now ahead of Megan in the eating order.
    
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    August 5, 2021 9:18am
- Ruahine
  
  Except for the news media most people have noticed long ago that he was a non-performer.
  Keep up Jo Moir.
  
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  August 5, 2021 9:45am
- Bobba Fret
  
  Seems like Faafoi’s heart isn’t really in it at the moment as he’s certainly under performing. Perhaps it was true that he actually wanted to leave but was talked in to staying. Not good for the employee or employer when an employee doesn’t really want to be there.
  
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  August 5, 2021 9:49am
- artemisia
  
  Kris Faafoi and Poto Williams are obviously being seen as weak links. Expect more dissection of their announcements.
  
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  August 5, 2021 9:59am
  - UrbanNeocolonialist
    
    But they are partially armoured from criticism by wokeratti by their ethnicity – so their failure to deliver is less of a problem to Labour than from some of their other ‘stars’
    
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    August 5, 2021 12:10pm
  - Bobba Fret
    
    So many weak links in Labour:
    Poto
    Faafoi
    Twyford
    Wood
    Woods
    Kelvin
    Mahuta
    Willie Jackson
    Clark
    Whatiri
    Mallard
    And I’ve probably missed some.
    
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    August 5, 2021 1:39pm
    - Nickc2
      
      A more complete list.
      https://www.labour.org.nz/ourteam
      
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      August 5, 2021 2:15pm
    - Bob
      
      By my count, there are about 70 weak links in the chain of government.
      
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      August 5, 2021 4:21pm
- DeepBlue
  
  I see National went all out and targeted Kris in QT yesterday. 4 (or may 5) questions across his portfolios starting with the standard stand by his statement questions.
  
  If the man doesn’t want to be a Minister and make decisions this would have been most upsetting for him.
  
  About time National took another ministerial scalp. Quite frankly the country needs a new and focused Minister of Immigration.
  
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  August 5, 2021 10:18am
- WaveyDavey
  
  Imagine if you will…
  
  An “unassailable” leader, a hard-left puppet-master, a “moderate” faction looking for a leader
  
  Now imagine
  
  If the “moderate” potential leader gets a hospital pass, perhaps being the face of hate-speech legislation
  
  Result
  
  “Uppity” politician reminded who’s in charge
  
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  August 5, 2021 10:28am
  - john
    
    I like Kris having dealt with him on other matters but suspect he is being required to follow policy directives that he as a moderate maybe does not subscribe to, effectively leaving him in a no win space.
    
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    August 5, 2021 10:57am
    - WaveyDavey
      
      That’s my point.
      
      The Little-faction that’s in charge may well see him as a threat to their control hence the hospital passes he’s been getting
      
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      August 5, 2021 11:18am
Tony Stuart

The Hamilton to Auckland train, Te Huia, was launched with much fanfare a few months ago. It costs $26,000 per day to run.

So how much revenue is Te Huia generating? According the Newstalk ZB this morning, daily revenue has not been over $2000 per day since May. So the long-suffering taxpayer is subsidising the train by $24,000 per day; that’s $120,000 per week, or half a million dollars a month.

That’s small beer in the overall scheme of things. But it is symbolic of a government which can’t live within its means, and which thinks a service which needs to be subsidised for more than 90% of its cost is our future.
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August 5, 2021 8:11am
- mandk
  
  The Minister of Transport and the Councils are trying to persuade us that demand will increase, but it won’t.
  
  Demand is likely to decrease, once the Hamilton section of the Waikato Expressway opens. This will make car travel even more quick and attractive.
  
  Give it up now, and stop wasting tax payers’ money.
  
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  August 5, 2021 8:15am
  - DeepBlue
    
    Open and 110 km/hrs.
    
    16 0
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    August 5, 2021 10:19am
    - sooty
      
      They would be better to hook that train up to the national grid to charge EV’s!
      
      4 0
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      August 5, 2021 1:06pm
- KevO'Brien
  
  Surcharge the irresponsible Ministers involved. Let them pay for their folly.
  
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  August 5, 2021 8:21am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Under Labour, Ministers are never to blame
    
    39 1
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    August 5, 2021 8:33am
    - KevO'Brien
      
      The public will judge them.
      
      21 1
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      August 5, 2021 9:23am
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        What about the brainwashed sycophant public? Jaspinda for President of the Republic of Aotearoa
        
        20 1
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        August 5, 2021 9:50am
      - hullkiwi
        
        Kev, if only they would. But they can’t because we (the NZ public) are fed & believe (nearly all) the daily diet of PR male bovine excrement, that is tarted up as fact, that eminates from the Beehive and institutions we are meant to trust.
        
        Hence:
        private motor car = bad, public transport = good;
        Dairy farming = bad, vegetarianism = good (don’t ask about food miles or out of season foods or plant based “milks”);
        Covid =mortal danger = vaccines are a must, question any aspect of the PR = you are a denier and a dangerous person;
        Electric vehicles = will save the planet, point out the obvious = you are a dangerous relic who likes big oil and fossil fuels
        The climate change = science, question this and you are a denier & dangerous.
        
        Given the IQ and education levels of the sheeple, & with control of the PR machine, what chance is their that the sherple will vote Jacinda out?
        
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        August 5, 2021 10:21am
- Benedict Yu
  
  But what’s worse is that with those numbers it will INCREASE New Zealand emissions. I ran some numbers when it started. I posted them here somewhere.
  
  It is like everything these guys try to fix they make worse.
  
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  August 5, 2021 8:25am
  - RoboRob
    
    I remember your post and it seems you were likely 100% correct.
    
    HDPA was on the radio the other day pointing out similar numbers. On her numbers 1 person in a banned (taxed) ute creates half as much carbon as they would in the train, based on current passenger numbers. If more than one person is in the car than the benefit of driving increases exponentially.
    
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    August 5, 2021 9:10am
    - alloytoo
      
      I know one person who uses it occasionally.
      
      She uses the time to work and the train fare is cheaper than petrol + parking.
      
      Of course we’re all subsidizing her.
      
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      August 5, 2021 11:39am
- artemisia
  
  Apparently it is super busy on weekends, helped along by excursions on gold cards. Revenue, not so much.
  
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  August 5, 2021 8:25am
  - RoboRob
    
    Super busy being more than ~50 people?
    
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    August 5, 2021 9:10am
  - Flossie
    
    Doesn’t that tell them something? Obviously the need for a train is not for commuters, but possibly entertainment, medical appointments, to see friends and family. Perhaps more people would go Hamilton – Auckland by train if the hours of departure were more reasonable.
    
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    August 5, 2021 10:50am
- Happychappy
  
  Tony it travels past the back of my property daily and I think they are still not being truthful as the last three days I have not been able to see more than a half a dozen passengers..
  
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  August 5, 2021 8:29am
  - DeepBlue
    
    Start collecting evidence. A time lapse camera?
    
    5 0
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    August 5, 2021 10:20am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Media will fix that with some propaganda. Just round up the Gold Card holders on a Sat morning. Roll the cameras
    
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    August 5, 2021 10:37am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Scrap it. This Govt has not had one good idea since they gained power. Bloody socialists
  
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  August 5, 2021 8:31am
  - Benedict Yu
    
    There is no way it will be scrapped.
    
    Another three years and fixing New Zealand will require another revolution of the scale of 1984. Let’s hope that ACT gets up around 20 percent in the next election.
    
    27 2
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    August 5, 2021 9:29am
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      Yup, Act is looking more and more the choice each day. National need to HTFU and stop being Labour Lite
      
      20 4
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      August 5, 2021 9:52am
      - Bob
        
        Steve… Haste makes Waste.
        National are too wise to dive in at the shallow end and rescue Labour.
        
        8 1
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        August 5, 2021 9:58am
      - UrbanNeocolonialist
        
        Elections are won in the middle, not by servicing the right or left. National are right to keep to wet centrism, Act can provide the backbone.
        
        5 1
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        August 5, 2021 12:14pm
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        @ UrbanNeocolonialist.
        National are sucking Labour’s dick, and Labour like that
        
        1 4
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        August 5, 2021 4:05pm
- Simon
  
  “But it is symbolic of a government which can’t live within its means,”
  
  This is the outcome of all climate change zealotry to replace petrol with expensive alternatives which do not perform the same as petrol modes of transport.
  
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  August 5, 2021 8:32am
  - Nickc2
    
    The size of the Black Hole National/ACT gets even bigger by the day. This is despite the current Govt knowing full well they are spending beyond their means to repay.
    I would venture to say they have no intention of repaying because its all about power in their minds and money doesn’t count when you have a mission to take a once afluent country and turn it into a shit hole like many other Socialist/Communist countries.
    
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    August 5, 2021 10:02am
- Ultima
  
  No doubt they’ll have the answer to fix that, taxes. Raise car and road taxes. Tax is always the answer.
  
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  August 5, 2021 8:41am
  - Bobba Fret
    
    Don’t even joke about it, you may give them ideas. They will probably make the Southern motorway / Waikato expressway around the Bombays a toll road!
    
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    August 5, 2021 9:55am
    - Flossie
      
      They’re going to have to do stuff like that as there’s not going to be any fuel taxes sooner or later. Do owners of EV think the rest of us poor people who have to stick with our old cars are going to be able to keep the roads in good repair for them for free…all vehicles need a road to drive on however they are powered. How long before rego of one of those goes through the roof!
      
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      August 5, 2021 10:54am
- virtualmark
  
  Te Huia is something you can pin directly on Twyford and Genter.
  
  Twyford got caught up in the Greater Auckland blog’s pipe dreams about high-speed passenger rail between Auckland, Hamilton & Tauranga (https://www.greaterauckland.org.nz/regional-rapid-rail/) and made some big electoral promises. When reality was explained to him that high-speed rail would make the $800m cycle bridge look like a smart deal this Te Huia sham was put in place instead.
  
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  August 5, 2021 8:48am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Nice name, ‘Huia’ It is an extinct bird, very fitting
    
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    August 5, 2021 9:54am
  - hullkiwi
    
    VM, I’ve got a funny story about the Auck – Ham – Tauranga train services.
    
    Once upon a time, there was a train service between Auck and Tauranga via Ham. It was cancelled because of a lack of patronage. After the rail service was cancelled, a company that offered inter city bus services thought they were going to pick up some additional patronage. Reality was there were no extra passengers, as those commuting between Auck and Tauranga had already found alternatives.
    
    What zealots like the blog ignore is that choice of travel is a personal choice, based on a variety of personal factors. Unless, you are a zealot, have plenty of time on your hands, you don’t mind discomfort, it is convenient for your needs, and you can afford it – public transport is not your first choice to meet your transport needs.
    
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    August 5, 2021 12:30pm
- I remember when
  
  Perhaps it needs a rebrand.
  Give it an appropriated name – lets call it “Naviety” – that sounds green enough.
  
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  August 5, 2021 8:52am
- Ruahine
  
  I presume every reader on this blog knows that this train and all of Kiwirail is now being funded directly by ‘Gov’t’ fuel taxes.
  
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  August 5, 2021 9:48am
  - virtualmark
    
    Not quite.
    
    KiwiRail’s above rail logistics business and the InterIslander ferries are cashflow positive. But the maintenance of the track network soaks up that money and a lot more besides. Effectively the Government/Land Transport Fund is funding the network infrastructure. Which is not crazy … the Land Transport Fund is there to pay for land transport infrastructure.
    
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    August 5, 2021 3:10pm
    - Batman
      
      We just also need a way for users of said infrastructure to chip in for it.
      
      Same goes for cyclists. A car owner with more than one vehicle pays the same for every one, despite only being able to drive one at a time.
      
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      August 5, 2021 4:04pm
      - virtualmark
        
        The argument would be that petrol levies and RUC are that “user pays” funding model. And I think that’s pretty sound, except:
        (a) there’s no real feedback loop on how much the motorist is prepared to pay (the demand side) … we just get fleeced, and
        (b) the supply side (how many roads we want to build) seems to be largely driven by the infrastructure companies like Fulton Hogan.
        
        So that’s two kinds of wrong.
        
        But we will likely need to move to a new funding model as electric vehicles become more common. We could carry on with RUC, like diesel cars do. But I suspect there will be people dreaming of GPS-driven systems that allow for time-of-use charging. I for one though do not want any form of GPS monitoring in my car, and I suspect it’s an issue that would cause a government to lose an election.
        
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        August 5, 2021 5:06pm
      - Batman
        
        Agree with you totally there.
        
        It’s just my hobby horse that if a sector like rail or cycling is going to dip into the NLTF it needs to also cough up $$$ from its users.
        
        In my view, the cyclist argument of “well most of us also own cars so we pay our taxes” is a thinly veiled excuse for double dipping.
        
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        August 5, 2021 5:09pm
- Bob
  
  No worries Tony, Robbo will just print some more money.
  Problem solved until our grandchildren receive the bill in future years.
  
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  August 5, 2021 9:55am
- Loddenthinks
  
  And they can’t even keep the carriages coupled together, Tony!
  
  Whoever thought that introducing a train line “to connect Hamilton and Auckland” that does no such thing, and that you have to get off it at one end, and switch to another service with a different ticketing and fare system, would be a good idea, needs their head read.
  
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  August 5, 2021 10:00am
- Billy
  
  That’s almost 9 million a year!
  
  I’d be interested in seeing what demographics are using the train. Who exactly is willing to live that far away from their work?
  
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  August 5, 2021 10:47am
Kiwi_in_Paris

German newspaper Bild apologizes to German children for their fear mongering coverage of Covid:

https://twitter.com/SueC00K/status/1422257791293612033
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August 5, 2021 8:11am
- Simon
  
  Yep what is happening in Aust with the lockdowns and the military patrolling the streets is an abomination. Its very quiet here about the terrible guberment abuse of power happening in Aust. Has there been any political commentary about what is being rolled out in Aust?
  
  Labo / Greens will be getting their jollies but how many in National are appalled about what is happening in Aust? Why so quiet. Do they think no one will notice?
  
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  August 5, 2021 8:22am
  - Batman
    
    Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
    Nonsense. The ‘it won’t happen to me’ crowd have proven they don’t give a shit about spreading the virus, despite the fact people are dying from it.
    
    Governments’ enforce drink driving laws, murder laws, fraud laws, and so on. Public health laws are no different.
    
    The people breaking the restrictions are making a rod for their own backs. The Aussies have a suitable term for those people but I can’t use that word on KB ?
    
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    August 5, 2021 8:47am
    - Frank the tank
      
      LOL. I see the 20-something that died WITH covid had a cardiac arrest.
      
      So he didn’t deteriorate rapidly for Kungflu he had a fucking heart attack.
      
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      August 5, 2021 8:50am
      - Batman
        
        Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
        Choosing to be this myopic must really take a lot of work. Congratulations.
        
        4 56
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        August 5, 2021 8:53am
      - sooty
        
        Love it, Batmans comments are doing a Stephie!
        
        7 0
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        August 5, 2021 1:12pm
    - Loddenthinks
      
      “Governments’ (sic) enforce drink driving laws, murder laws, fraud laws, and so on. Public health laws are no different.”
      
      These aren’t public health laws in any sense of the word. They are laws to control and restrict the free movement of people, enforced by violence. You probably wet your pants about that, but freedom-loving Aussies see right through it.
      
      How ironic that Australia pulled out of the Rugby league World Cup because they were scared of catching something in the UK, where those irresponsible Poms have removed all restrictions, and now they’re locking down 85% of the population because their own “public health laws” have failed spectacularly.
      
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      August 5, 2021 10:04am
    - RoboRob
      
      Did you feel the same when the Black lives matters protests in the US occurred?
      
      In the US certain protests were fine while others were health risks depending on what was bein protested against. How does one protest against vaccine lock downs without breaking the laws you are protesting against.
      
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      August 5, 2021 10:34am
      - Batman
        
        Those protests were not appropriate, though at least the participants largely wore masks and stayed outside.
        
        Also, you’re comparing totally different legal jurisdictions.
        
        I thought you’d cite them as a great example of why restrictions are silly, but maybe you just want a cheap political point instead?
        
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        August 5, 2021 11:08am
      - RoboRob
        
        @Batman
        
        I’m not sure what cheap political point you think I am making?
        
        I personally was stunned in the US that BLM protests were appropriate and welcomed by the likes of CNN yet other protests were deamed dangerous and harmful.
        
        The problem with the lockdown stuff in AU is that the only way to protest against it, if you feel it is wrong, is to march. When you do people like you say things like ‘…proven they don’t give a shit about spreading the virus, despite the fact people are dying from it’.
        
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        August 5, 2021 12:02pm
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      Enforcing gun laws does not seem to be working, just saying
      
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      August 5, 2021 10:40am
    - Surely Knott
      
      Why didn’t we shut down for RSV. Why weren’t the numbers reported until the emergency subsided. The government is saying that it probably came from Australia so why weren’t rsv carriers tested at the border in quarantine.. 9 people died?! What other viruses are they letting in. How do you explain the difference in approach.
      
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      August 5, 2021 1:16pm
  - Critical Thinker
    
    It’s absolutely shocking what has happened to the once proud free world nations these past 18 months. We are all rapidly giving up on most of our hard-fought human rights and freedoms, over a pandemic that is a 100x less severe than the Spanish Flu.
    
    We can say empathically that the tyrannical Covidiocracy that is now occupying our Australian cousins is truly demented.
    
    Daily new confirmed COVID-19 cases per million people:
    World = 77.55
    Australia = 9.05
    
    Daily new confirmed COVID-19 deaths per million people
    World = 1.19
    Australia = 0.02
    
    As you can see there’s no crisis in Australia. And the science has irrevocably shown us that these deadly and inhumane lockdowns do not work.
    
    The dystopian nightmare that we are currently inflicting on our children and grandchildren is truly criminal if not downright evil. We need to stand up and declare the line has been crossed and demand our freedoms once more.
    
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    August 5, 2021 10:04am
    - Batman
      
      Good to see you being honest that you’re totally okay with people dying from a preventable illness, to facilitate the virtue signalling of political leanings.
      
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      August 5, 2021 10:31am
      - WaveyDavey
        
        So would you approve of lockdowns every winter for the equally-avoidable flu deaths?
        
        Or limiting motor vehicles to say 5km/h for the equally-avoidable road deaths?
        
        Or banning sports such as rugby, sailing, climbing, tramping… for the equally-avoidable sports deaths?
        
        Perhaps outlawing cycling for the equally-avoidable cycling deaths?
        
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        August 5, 2021 10:39am
      - Batman
        
        All of those things have preventative measures in place, and *gasp* vaccines.
        
        This ridiculous game of ‘X is actually worse’ is the charlatans favourite.
        
        The only reason those things can be claimed to be more dangerous is because of the efforts put in to prevent covid killing more people.
        
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        August 5, 2021 10:57am
      - WaveyDavey
        
        But many people still die from flu every year, even with a vaccine
        
        I mean to take the same risk-averse approach we should surely close our borders to stop those “avoidable” deaths
        
        12 2
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        August 5, 2021 11:02am
      - WaveyDavey
        
        And enough with putting words in my mouth: I’ve never mentioned relative danger.
        
        You’re supporting lockdowns and restrictions to avoid those “avoidable” deaths that’s YOUR principle so why doesn’t it pertain to other “avoidable” deaths
        
        You really are proving logically inconsistent on almost everything you comment on not mention the fact that you’ve very much moved to the “playing the man, not the ball” form of argument usually by wilful misinterpretation
        
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        August 5, 2021 11:07am
      - Batman
        
        That’s exactly what you did. Don’t try to wriggle out of it by splitting hairs.
        
        You’re so keen to get me for hypocrisy that you’re chopping out all context from your argument. Sad.
        
        Sometimes calling a spade, a spade, is useful. There’s no point debating with the wilfully dishonest.
        
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        August 5, 2021 11:13am
      - WaveyDavey
        
        Ah so when the hypocrisy of your position is pointed out you, as I said, play the man
        
        All I have said is that you are being logically inconsistent in your argument
        
        You accept a certain number of deaths that go along with every human activity but not when it comes to Covid
        
        It’s the ultimate question that needs to be addressed – how many deaths are you willing to accept?
        
        Your argument with regard to Covid is to avoid all deaths by any means necessary but you don’t apply the same principle to other illnesses or activities – that’s the hypocrisy
        
        My argument it that we accept risk and deaths for everything else but not this. Why?
        
        I’ve been making exactly the same argument for 18 months now and have remained consistent in that time
        
        I believe that we have to accept that some will die of Covid you on the other hand seem to believe that zero-covid is a feasible option – here’s the thing; it isn’t and it never has been if you want to live in an open society
        
        And yeah to reduce it to your simplistic point, I am okay with some people dying from covid just as I am with the other “avoidable” illnesses and activities deaths that regularly occur
        
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        August 5, 2021 11:26am
  - Nickc2
    
    Since when has it been an abuse of power when the Govt call on its Military to do a job they have been trained for?
    Would you call it an abomination if Cindy called out the NZ Military to protect other NZers from a Covid-19 epidemic?
    If so, why havn’t you raised your head about our Military assisting authorities in Policing/Managing MIQ Facilities in NZ?
    
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    August 5, 2021 10:14am
- MrTips
  
  All fair enough given children should be the least worried about COVID, irrespective of variant.
  https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-01897-w
  
  To wit:
  
  Of 3,105 deaths from all causes among the 12 million or so people under 18 in England between March 2020 and February 2021, 25 were attributable to COVID-19 — a rate of about 2 for every million people in this age range. None had asthma or type-1 diabetes, the authors note, and about half had conditions that put them at a higher risk than healthy children of dying from any cause.
  
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  August 5, 2021 9:54am
  - WaveyDavey
    
    For context: 32 deaths from influenza in 2019 in the under-25 cohort
    
    https://www.statista.com/statistics/970800/influenza-deaths-by-age-and-gender-england-wales/
    
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    August 5, 2021 10:36am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  When will lour socialist Govt apologise? Oh wait, we don’t do that
  
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  August 5, 2021 9:56am
- gravedodger
  
  Thanx KiP, the mental health damage from lockdown policy will be a long time emerging both for the young and vulnerable and those more mature watching their world crumble around them needs to be first admitted then resourced to attempt recovery. Too late for three I am aware of they are still dead at present.
  
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  August 5, 2021 10:36am
westernScientest

Now I dont own a rental or anything like that, but I cant really think of many things worse than having a house you cant rent out because of the ridiculous rental laws, being forcibly ‘managed’ by Kainga Ora

“The benefit for owners of empty properties is that the owner would get an income from rent while NGOs or Kāinga Ora could carry out management of the properties and provide guarantees of the property being looked after and rent paid.”

https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/homed/housing-affordability/300373992/government-project-targets-ghost-houses-to-encourage-owners-to-fill-empty-homes
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August 5, 2021 8:12am
- artemisia
  
  Renting for social housing works for some owners. For sure. Others swear never again. Owners who have the option of leaving their rental empty are less likely to offer them for social housing. Unless desperate, possible but unlikely.
  
  The numbers in the linked article from HUD suggest many of the 40,000 ‘ghost houses’ in the headlines actually are nothing of the sort.
  
  I’m sure we will find in time that some of those that really are ‘ghost houses’ are waiting out the bright line period before selling. Rather than pay huge amounts of their capital gain to the government at up to 39%.
  
  (Think about that in light of 5 years of price rises in the annual 6 figures. Why would you sell?)
  
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  August 5, 2021 8:39am
  - westernScientest
    
    The solution to that problem though is to get rid of the regulation which stops the owners renting out the houses. Not to have a government department take over control of a private property.
    
    By the logic that people are waiting out the period, the capital gains tax will be driving prices up, not down. by reducing supply. Again the solution is to get rid of the tax. Government intervention in markets always makes the markets less efficient.
    
    The only thing that will bring prices down is to increase interest rates, which comes with a whole host of other problems. The only reason prices are high is because interest rates have been decreasing for decades, and the LSAP program. The inflation has already happened, prices in housing are up because the amount of available credit in the system is high, and housing is one of the few places banks will let that currency flow to.
    
    Of course people are waiting out the tax on capital gains, because it is a tax on inflation, not a tax on a profit. If one sells a house now, they can only buy the equivalent house in the market, tax the change in value of the house and they are buying one which is of lower value than the one they already have, so why would they sell? It is completely irrational to expect a tax on inflation to cause people to sell an appreciating asset. All it did was reduce supply, driving house prices up. The same way that the interventions in the rental market have driven rental prices up.
    
    As an aside, the inflation of the currency supply has shown up in houses, houses are low liquidity assets and so the velocity of money is very low. Price increase are driven by a few things, but a major driver is the supply of currency x velocity of currency. Right now we are seeing the effect of the supply of currency increase in houses prices, but as soon as it starts to leak out of housing into more liquid assets the velocity will start to increase causing more general price rises.
    
    This is how periods of run away inflation start. Now I’m not saying it will happen, but it is certainly a danger zone.
    
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    August 5, 2021 9:38am
  - Observer of Life
    
    Art: My warning to those landlords thinking of giving their property to Housing NZ… DO NOT!! Been there, done that, remember the damage, remember trying to be compensated for it, remember eventually giving up and walking away with a large bill to fix it myself. They will say one thing and do another. A-holes and not to be trusted – EVER!
    
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    August 5, 2021 11:12am
    - artemisia
      
      There is a very big NZ property investors facebook page over 55,000 members. Renting for social housing comes up quite often. Your experience is not at all uncommon.
      
      I probably have more on the ground experience of social housing than most people. I would never do it.
      
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      August 5, 2021 11:22am
- Colville
  
  Having KO take over your rental would be like winning Lotto.
  
  Incredibly high rents, no vacancy and total refurbishment when the lease expires.
  
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  August 5, 2021 8:53am
  - artemisia
    
    Incredibly high rents? More like KO assessment of market rent.
    
    Total refurb? No, damage repair only. Wear and tear responsibility of the owner. KO decides which is which.
    
    Unless the contracts have changed recently.
    
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    August 5, 2021 9:26am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Why have tenants when the scum will just make P and trash the place
  
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  August 5, 2021 9:58am
- JibberJabber
  
  The only properties that would benefit from Kāinga Ora management would be some of those old fucking Heritage protected eyesores, cos’ after 12 months the tenants would have demolished them.
  
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  August 5, 2021 12:04pm
Matt Long

And while the Herald has a hysterical article about a new Covid variant “six hundred times worse than delta,” nine people have quietly DIED with RSV and no response from the team of five million.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/rsv-six-dead-in-auckland-as-covid-19-takes-its-toll-on-our-national-immunity/B56A6X5LCCRA6ONKON5RVKUJ74/
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August 5, 2021 8:15am
- Frank the tank
  
  C’mon Matt – it’s got a 1-30,000 of occurring.
  
  [Para deleted for unreasonable abusive language – Mod]
  
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  August 5, 2021 8:25am
- Inandout
  
  Matt, the whole fear scam over C19 is beginning to appear. People are asking if C19 is that dangerous then why is the US southern border being open to thousands of virus affected illegals? Joe is going ape about masks and the Big C, but is at the same time busing and flying thousands of these illegals to all over the US. It is a scandal of huge proportions.
  
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  August 5, 2021 8:40am
- virtualmark
  
  But just to get Kiwiblog’s anti-vaxxers in a bother … I see that yesterday Moderna got approval to run trials of an mRNA vaccine for RSV.
  
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  August 5, 2021 8:50am
  - Cinematic
    
    I doubt many on here would have a problem with taking a vaccine that has travelled through the usual procedures for approval.
    
    Incidentally I have recently had RSV. It was a nasty cold but much like Covid it can take out the infirm.
    
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    August 5, 2021 11:41am
  - Matt Long
    
    So speaking hypothetically, will the serious adverse reaction rate for this vaçine be say 80 per 100,000 and of these 80 say 1 out of 10 dying?
    And would that be better or worse than no RSV vaccine?
    Will the RSV vaccine be compulsory for the population before those questions are answered?
    
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    August 5, 2021 11:50am
- RoboRob
  
  The silly thing is that while the Delta variant might be much more contagious, it is also much less deadly. Lots of people catching the virus isn’t really a problem if the symptoms are mild. It might even be good as the people who catch a mild variant are essentially ‘immunised’ too.
  
  The media / government fearmongering over the Delta variant is disgusting. In the US Washington is putting in restrictions and compulsory masking to deal with it, yet they haven’t had a single Covid death for days. Currently more people are dying of car crashes than Covid in Washington and you don’t see ‘car bans’ in place.
  
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  August 5, 2021 9:41am
  - Batman
    
    Given that the survival rate for vaccinated individuals is 99.99% then yes Delta is less deadly in partly-vaccinated populations.
    
    The big risk is that is it more transmissible and potentially affects young people more than the earlier strains.
    
    You cherry pick Washington state yet fail to mention Florida or any of the other red states which have large spikes in cases and have full ICUs. Republicanism is killing its voters, which is deeply ironic.
    
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    August 5, 2021 10:11am
    - Frank the tank
      
      Cmon Batty – if Texans, Floridians and Georgians were dying of the KuFlu Indian variant then this would be all over CNN/NYT/WaPo and by extension the Horrid/FakeNewsHub/Stuffed.
      
      Also we are still waiting for the ‘abracadabra’ super variant that the pink lady said was coming out of 10 Downing Street as well.
      
      Couple more months of infections and no meaningful deaths in Europe and the game is up Batty.
      
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      August 5, 2021 10:16am
      - Batman
        
        I mean, it is all over the news that normal people read, just not the cult sites.
        
        https://www.reuters.com/world/us/covid-vaccine-or-test-mandated-new-york-transport-workers-governor-2021-08-02/
        
        https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2021/07/14/covid-vaccines-cases-hospitalizations-pandemic/7959256002/
        
        https://news.yahoo.com/these-6-red-and-blue-states-tell-you-everything-you-need-to-know-about-where-delta-is-hitting-hardest-and-why-183835357.html
        
        https://fortune.com/2021/07/07/delta-variant-midwest-trump-country-rejects-vaccines/
        
        https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/07/briefing/delta-variant-spread-red-states-us.html?smid=url-share
        
        You’re right that the game is up, just that it’s up for Trumpets who will catch it and die in the name of willful rejection of science and loyalty to the leader.
        
        I invite you to take your chances in the red states and report back after you’ve survived a small covid sniffle.
        
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        August 5, 2021 10:43am
      - RoboRob
        
        @batman
        
        I am pro vaccination. My point is that the Delta variant is too hyped, not anything to do with vaccinations.
        
        Look at the stats from the US regarding who is un vaccinated. There are two groups; Republicans and people of colour. Guess what, the vaccination rate is lower in people of colour than republican voters. The media pretend this is a Trump thing, it’s not. It’s a failure of government to inform and convince people to get the vaccine.
        
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        August 5, 2021 12:10pm
      - Batman
        
        Hey there Rob,
        
        This is a tricky topic as you’re talking about two things in my opinion, which I’ll try to adroitly cover.
        
        First is communities of colour, who have a history of hesitancy over vaccines due to episodes like the Tuskegee scandal. They’re also now having to cope with being targeted by anti-vax groups as ‘easy pickings’, which is fucking ghoulish of those groups to say the least.
        
        Secondly, there is about 30-40% of the population which won’t get a shot just for political reasons. It’s wider than Trump I think, the conservative movement has been rejecting more and more science ever since climate change appeared on the scene and the donor class wanted to make it go away.
        
        The unfortunate end result is that we get this:
        https://apnews.com/article/health-coronavirus-pandemic-michael-brown-038c02dbc512e00b9e08aef98061b13d
        
        “I was strongly against getting the vaccine,” Barker said through labored breathing. “Just because we’re a strong conservative family.”
        
        That isn’t conservatism, and it certainly looking after your family. It’s madness.
        
        I see in the last week or so that the US government is pushing stronger on vaccines, which is good and needed. Measures like no vaccine, no flight, will overcome a lot of people who want to signal the politics until it actually inconveniences them and then they’ll get it.
        
        Vaccines should be pushed harder, I agree with you (if that’s what you meant).
        
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        August 5, 2021 5:18pm
    - Inandout
      
      Bat, those stats are rather like the old Colgate ad: ‘99% of dentists recommend Colgate toothpaste’.
      
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      August 5, 2021 10:18am
      - Batman
        
        Although conversely, 99% of deaths are in unvaccinated people, which really puts a lie to your neat little weaseling effort.
        
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        August 5, 2021 10:37am
      - Cinematic
        
        Batman I think you need to moderate yourself out of this thread. You’re a little touchy today.
        
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        August 5, 2021 11:36am
      - Paulus Gnome
        
        [Much like yourself Gnome. (another) Mod.]
        
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        August 5, 2021 4:06pm
      - Batman
        
        You don’t like it therefore I’m the problem and you have nothing to offer but abusing me.
        
        D- must try harder to contribute to the class.
        
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        August 5, 2021 5:06pm
    - RoboRob
      
      I dont fail to mention Florida. In almost all states the number of infected cases has significantly increased. I said ‘…much more contagious’. However the death rates, in those not vaccinated, are significantly lower than the other variants. I wasn’t referring to the vaccinated as they are largely safe from all variants and therefore a non issue.
      
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      August 5, 2021 12:05pm
      - Batman
        
        The death rates are lower because those who catch it and are vaccinated recover much faster.
        
        In addition, we know how to treat it better and hopefully prevent another death.
        
        None of that means the disease itself is less deadly.
        
        To make a comparison, plane crashes are just as deadly as they were in 1950, except these days we have many more safety systems and features to prevent them from happening.
        
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        August 5, 2021 5:25pm
- Cinematic
  
  Matt you just wait for Delta ++. Then it’s gonna get weally weally badder!
  
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  August 5, 2021 11:38am
- wreck1080
  
  The herald just invented a story that is completely false, they should be penalised for this story.
  
  Reading the fine print in the story…
  
  “But a potential mutation of the virus is 600 times better at breaking into human cell”
  
  So, the headline is entirely fabricated and designed to invoke fear so people will open it.
  
  They Might as well have made claims of a million fold, it is possible after all.
  
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  August 5, 2021 11:38am
- Surely Knott
  
  The media tiptoes into doing it’s job and reporting RSV death numbers, although it doesn’t report case numbers of RSV – only deaths, and they are also withholding the age of those affected.
  
  But the elephant in the room for RSV, and any other NZ deaths including suicide is that the government hasn’t reported provisional mortality statistics since 2018!!??! And that data is only available in a complicated web tool. Australia has provisional cause of death by month right up until 2021 and summarised by the main categories with clear charts showing history of that cause of death until 2021.
  
  Least Transparent.
  
  https://www.health.govt.nz/publication/mortality-web-tool
  
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  August 5, 2021 12:49pm
Maggie Pie

RANDOM IMPERTINENT QUESTION

After nearly three years, why has the long awaited trial of rogue MP Jamie Lee Ross and other co-accused, in relation to claims surrounding donations to the National Party, been mysteriously postponed, just a month out from when they were due to face Court?

No public explanation has been forthcoming….
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August 5, 2021 8:16am
- RoboRob
  
  Good question. At risk of sounding like a broken record, justice delayed is justice denied. The delays in the legal process in NZ are unfair to the victims and those charged.
  
  I will follow with my yearly Kim Dot Com (who was initially charged in 2012) question…
  
  He lost his appeal last year, was given until June this year to appeal the appeal verdict. He doesn’t appear to have, so why is he still in the country?
  
  ‘On 4 November 2020, the Supreme Court of New Zealand ruled that Dotcom could be extradited to the United States to face 12 criminal copyright-related charges. However, the Supreme Court also ruled that he and three other co-defendants could challenge the decision through a judicial review’
  
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  August 5, 2021 9:47am
  - Maggie Pie
    
    This may go some way to providing an explanation Robo…..
    
    https://twitter.com/KimDotcom/status/1422521444022378501
    
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    August 5, 2021 10:44am
    - RoboRob
      
      Thanks, but it doesn’t really tell us anything. AFAIK there is no current court proceedings, the last being Nov last year. He lost, why is he still here now if he hasn’t started a judicial review?
      
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      August 5, 2021 12:12pm
westernScientest

More corruption from the elites, I wonder if there was some sort of prid pro quo… or if our officials were just so awe struck they kissed feet as hard as they could.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/300373505/google-billionaire-larry-page-travelled-to-nz-amid-covid-border-restrictions
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August 5, 2021 8:18am
Simon

Everyone is gonna be exposed to the corona. If you got the Ro vax now then by about March 2022 the vaxx will not really help against the symptoms.

The Ro vax is good against the symptoms, but its got very short span of time to help so should expose NZ now to the corona.
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August 5, 2021 8:18am
- DeepBlue
  
  If we open the borders over summer with say 70% vaccinated, maybe there is hope a booster to the venerable will complete herd immunity. A bit like the UK experiment, which will be deemed a success or failure in the coming months. For the world I hope it is a success.
  
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  August 5, 2021 10:25am
Maggy Wassilieff

The demise of NZ Science exposed

https://pointofordernz.wordpress.com/2021/08/03/the-attacks-on-seven-eminent-professors-over-a-listener-letter-in-which-they-championed-science-have-missed-their-target/
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August 5, 2021 8:24am
- westernScientest
  
  Unfortunately this is just the NZ version of a global phenomenon.
  
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  August 5, 2021 8:55am
- cmm
  
  Did it really miss the target?
  It really depends on what the target was.
  
  If the target was to be correct and censure some scientists off on a racist rant, then yes they did miss the target because the scientists took pains to show that the Maori knowledge, while not science of itself, had been used as an input to a scientific process and had been “sciencified”.
  
  But, in my opinion, the target was different. They wanted to fire a shot across the bow of staff and make them shut up. Anything that could be construed as critical of Maori culture in any way would not be tolerated. They wanted to send a clear signal that Universities are now places of activism (and activism-oriented funding) and are no longer on the quest for science, knowledge and truth.
  
  That target was achieved.
  
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  August 5, 2021 9:02am
- Loddenthinks
  
  An excellent article, thanks Maggy for the link.
  
  The Tl;dr version is that the firestorm that engulfed the seven academics who dared to speak the truth that matauranga maori is not science did nothing to argue against their views.
  
  Not one person argued that mataurangi maori was in fact science, and they also wrongly (but unsurprisingly, given their collective stupidity) tried to paint it as some out-of-touch crusties defending something called Western Science, when of course they did no such thing.
  
  The entire thrust of their hysterical response was to silence views that dissented from the “everything maori is wonderful” zeitgeist and, again predictably, put forward nothing that could be called an argument, or stance, or facts, or examples. It was a pile-on, pure and simple, led by the pink-haired attention-seeker who had the gall to suggest that “It’s caused untold harm and hurt & points to major problems with some of our colleagues.”
  
  Wrongthink is punishable by excommunication and loss of privileges, it seems. I’m sure I read about that somewhere, in a book, some time ago. Supposedly a work of fiction but now evidently a training manual.
  
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  August 5, 2021 10:38am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    The arguments that I have read to justify the bullying attacks on the 7 writers are puerile.
    
    This latest effort in NZ’s version of “The Conversation” (and republished on Sciblogs and RNZ website) is a shallow attempt to paint a considered view of the controversy.
    
    https://theconversation.com/lets-choose-our-words-more-carefully-when-discussing-matauranga-maori-and-science-165465
    
    But for anyone familiar with the history and methodology of science – (as I would expect Dan Hikuroa – A Geologist – to be) it provides a garbled word-soup as to what Science is or isn’t.
    
    There’s plenty of concise explanations of Science that Hikura could have used: e.g.
    
    “Science is the pursuit and application of knowledge and understanding of the natural and social world following a systematic methodology based on evidence.”
    
    and then he could have listed the methodology employed by scientists.
    
    https://sciencecouncil.org/about-science/our-definition-of-science/
    
    It is this activity/discipline that the 7 writers sought to defend.
    
    The writers pointed out that the proposed school curriculum was presenting Science in a negative light to students by describing it as a Western pursuit and was used to colonise indigenous peoples.
    
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    August 5, 2021 11:02am
    - Jack5
      
      What sort of a scientist is Pandemic Hendy, leading the mob to shut down other scientists daring to question the Woke Wash of Maori “science”.
      
      One point from the “Conversation” piece you link to. It asks:
      
      Does matauranga [Maori knowledge of Maori lore] (or do forms of it) use scientific methodologies to generate knowledge?
      
      What scientific finding did Maori come up with? No written language, technology at the stage of stone tools and without the wheel, landlocked in isolated in New Zealand for centuries – what science was performed in New Zealand?
      
      The twisting of the meaning of the word “science” is Woke Wash on a scale of Orwell’s “1984”.
      
      A view of Maori science:
      
      https://skeptics.nz/journal/issues/32/maori-science
      
      AND another:
      
      https://skeptics.nz/journal/issues/81/is-kaupapa-maori-research-methodology-credible
      
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      August 5, 2021 12:11pm
yossarian

9 dead from RSV, where’s the lockdown??

Any more proof that Covid has been milked for all it’s worth
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August 5, 2021 8:27am
- Inandout
  
  yoss, add a ‘P’ and you have a response to an invitation.
  
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  August 5, 2021 9:07am
- Ruahine
  
  There have been no lockdown instructions from China and the WHO yet.
  
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  August 5, 2021 9:53am
- Loddenthinks
  
  Yoss, the milking is only just getting underway.
  
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  August 5, 2021 10:24am
nathie

There’s another Labour Government Covid/MIQ botch-up brewing in the background that needs better exposure, and calls for Labour to outline an exit strategy.

It’s the continued use of using military staff to guard MIQ facilities. It’s wrecking havoc on military families …. and it also means the NZDF doesn’t have staff available for routine exercises (eg no NZDF aircraft, ships or Army fighting vehicles and troops were sent to the recent Talisman Sabre exercises in Australia – instead a dozen or so staff were spared to observe).

As said above, the Labour Govt need an exit strategy for the Army, Air Force and Naval staff guarding MIQ.

Yes they were needed initially when there were deficiencies with private/contracted Security organisations.

But Labour have had over a year now to sort out procedures to have private/contracted Security companies to start taking over MIQ … and let the NZDF return back to their bases so they can be reunited with families and get back to regular training and deployment opportunities.

Hopefully TV3’s Michael Morrah (or David Seymour or Chris Bishop or Judith Collins etc) can take this up?

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/125955534/lives-in-limbo-families-at-breaking-point-over-soldiers-unending-miq-service
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August 5, 2021 8:29am
- john
  
  I know a soldier who has spent the last 6 weeks guarding a MIQ. He was supposed to going overseas for a 3 month training course next week but it has been cancelled because there are no MIQ spaces available until March next year, 3 months after his course finishes!
  
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  August 5, 2021 9:34am
  - cmm
    
    Using MIQ for this seems crazy.
    
    If you send a ship load of people somewhere then just do what they did in the old days: quarantine them on the ship!
    
    That would be far better for them since the whole return journey could count as MIQ time.
    
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    August 5, 2021 11:12am
- Bob
  
  no NZDF aircraft, ships o……
  because we don’t actually have any military hardware that is relevant to the present defence needs of the still -only just- FREE WORLD
  
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  August 5, 2021 10:02am
- Drone
  
  What else do you expect the NZDF staff to do. There are no wars to fight, no insurgents to crack down on no civil disobedience to supress. Would you rather they went back to their bases to spend the day drilling and training for a war they will never fight in. Covid service is a useful exercise for them of immense value to the country and they should be honoured to have taken part in the battle against Covid19. In fact I will probably write to the defence Minister Peeni Henare suggesting that he issues a medal to the NZDF staff involved as recognition of their service..
  
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  August 5, 2021 10:19am
  - gravedodger
    
    What is at issue Drone? we have airport fire crews with great pay and rosters doing such “Training” ad nauseum every week at many landing grounds around the nation. When a small charter plane crashed North of Harewood International years ago it was The Rolleston “Volunteer” Fire Brigade crew responding from South of the airport that found the wreck and instituted the rescue plan. The “dreamers had barely got out of their lazyboys and that was the few rostered on?
    
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    August 5, 2021 10:55am
- cmm
  
  If you join the military then it is a given that family life will take a pounding.
  
  Surely serving at MIQs is far less disruptive to family life than 6 months in Iraq.
  
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  August 5, 2021 11:14am
  - Adroit
    
    Less than you’d think. At least being away allows for reasonable operational allowances that help parents to pay for baby sitters, buy wood that might otherwise have been chopped, have someone mow the lawn etc. Being posted away from your home for an extended period of time can be quite significant in its imposition.
    
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    August 5, 2021 11:37am
Maggy Wassilieff

Implausible climate scenarios are the basis for all of our Climate-change policy.

https://issues.org/climate-change-scenarios-lost-touch-reality-pielke-ritchie/
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August 5, 2021 8:31am
KevO'Brien

Is their actually a SARS-COV2 isolation? No one seems to have seen it (including our Otago Uni.)

https://www.globalresearch.ca/90-health-science-institutions-globally-all-failed-cite-even-1-record-sars-cov-2-purification-anyone-anywhere-ever/5751961
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August 5, 2021 8:33am
- Adroit
  
  This is literally first year health science stuff. Kochs postulates from which your need for the virus to be isolated was out of fate even in his life time. Viruses are intracellular obligate parasites – they can only exist through hijacking cellulqr machinery to replicate, not like microorganisms that are living in their own right.
  
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  August 5, 2021 8:40am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Yes, it has been isolated
  
  First description here:
  A Novel Coronavirus from Patients with Pneumonia in China, 2019
  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7092803/
  
  First isolation from S. Korea
  Virus Isolation from the First Patient with SARS-CoV-2 in Korea
  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7036342/
  
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  August 5, 2021 8:42am
  - Greg Ettridge
    
    So why cannot it be achieved in Australia or New Zealand?
    I don’t think believe anything that comes out of China, I still find it very hard to believe they have had just 4 covid deaths in over a year.
    I spent months and months there, they are very economical with the truth.
    South Korea is a different story.
    I am still of the opinion that many of these cases are flu or the result of dead covid tissue.
    
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    August 5, 2021 9:50am
- Greg Ettridge
  
  I am sure that someone will come along and give us concrete evidence that it does exist.
  But in saying that, it much more about feels and fears, scientific evidence has been sadly lacking in this whole sordid affair.
  I had an Australian Federal Minister actually email two days ago and tell me the PCR test is “gold standard”.
  when I asked for scientific reviewed proof, he has gone silent and all I can hear is crickets.
  I also asked him as I am banned from visiting my next door neighbor, but I can see as many penis stretchers I want in a day (prostitutes)
  I posed this question
  Is it safer to practice reverse cowboy or is missionary no masks the way to go?
  Maybe she has satisfied half a dozen before my turn.
  I asked him to name the very sick puppy that dreamed this shit up.
  I live in an area that has never recorded one case according to these morons.
  it is all based on science.
  
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  August 5, 2021 9:00am
  - Inandout
    
    Greg, during our wonderful full lockdown I was told the drug houses and hookers were doing a roaring trade. Please don’t tell me this group were practising safe distancing and hand washing. Not a peep from any news source about these trades and how they coped. What a picture in one’s mind of a user scanning his phone at the gate of a drug dealer or at the door (or alleyway) of a prostitute.
    
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    August 5, 2021 10:26am
    - Greg Ettridge
      
      Thats another great question, does each hooker have their own QR code?
      I can drive the 4 hours to Richmond in Melbourne and shoot up drugs as well, but not see my next door neighbor a km away.
      It is just lunacy
      
      12 2
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      August 5, 2021 11:24am
- MrTips
  
  https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/why-nz-scientists-are-growing-the-coronavirus/DMALLIEXU2DSFLR73ZFBITMD3E/
  
  Miguel’s onto it. So is ESR.
  
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  August 5, 2021 10:00am
RockyJ

A couple of days ago someone on Kiwiblog was asking if anyone knew anything about a rumour we were going to experience fuel shortages.
While I realise spreading rumours is potentially dangerous here is my hypothesis:
The Marsden Point oil refinery is likely to be closed down. That means that to supply petrol someone will have to import it and distribute it. I wonder if the supply infrastructure has been set up? I mean the ability of a port like Marsden Point to take petrol rather than crude oil off tankers.
If this capability does not exist will or can the petrol companies set it up quickly? If not the government may have to face investing in the infrastructure which would probably not happen.
The Greens would be in heaven.
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August 5, 2021 8:36am
- Taieri
  
  Crude tankers (such as those supplying Marsden Poin refnery) are typically much larger than product tankers distributing refined products. As an example, the capacity of the last crude tankers calling at Marsden, Torm Valborg (at 100000 DWT) and Apache (at 160000 DWT) is just over twice and three times respectively, the capacity of the NZ coastal tankers Matuku and Kokako. If, or rather when the Marsden refinery closes, there won’t be any need to use the facilities there as distribution centre at all, since the imported fuel can be supplied directly to all NZ ports.
  
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  August 5, 2021 9:44am
  - RockyJ
    
    Thanks for that Taipei, I didn’t know that. I am speculating that the delivery of finished product into other ports may well require the oil companies to make investments in handling and storage infrastructure. Given that the long term future for petroleum use in NZ is looking shaky they may decide to forget this small market altogether.
    
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    August 5, 2021 10:32am
    - Taieri
      
      Currently, approximately 70% of total NZ fuel requirements are fulfilled by the Marsden Point refinery (supplied almost exclusively from the Middle East), with the remainder of refined products being imported from mainly Singapore and Korea. This is fine if the current geopolitical situation remains stable but any disruptions, political or otherwise would severely affect the functioning of the NZ economy as it did in the early 1970’s. I’m not sure what is NZ strategic petroleum reserve; perhaps it exists only in the form of pedal power. While Marsden could be reconfigured for processing domestic crude it is not a five minutes job and if the refinery closes this option will not be available anyway. Makes me wonder though whether the current inhabitants of the Beehive are even aware of all this?
      
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      August 5, 2021 11:25am
- Paulus
  
  Why import petrol and diesel any more as we will all be Electric.
  Q. Where is the Electricity coming from ?
  
  13 0
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  August 5, 2021 10:32am
  - sooty
    
    They are going to import it too, silly!
    Or are they going to send Twyford out in an electrical storm with a long metal pole to catch lightning bolts!
    
    8 1
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    August 5, 2021 1:25pm
    - Nickc2
      
      Without knowing it Sooty, you have single handedly re-written Labour’s Energy Policy.
      
      9 1
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      August 5, 2021 2:18pm
I remember when

Does the Maori Electoral Option falls into the be careful what you wish for category.
How long would the people accept one part of the voting population having the potential to unfairly influence an electorate or an election.
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August 5, 2021 8:38am
Maggie Pie

TRENDING

MP-for-Tijuana tells twitter followers… his partner now sooo excited about leading street parade in next years Auckland Pride Festival.

https://twitter.com/TheSun/status/1422983170568376320
24 3
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August 5, 2021 8:38am
- Frank the tank
  
  Hate speech next year Maggie. You’ll be in Auckland Central remand with Harry Tam’s missus.
  
  25 1
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  August 5, 2021 8:52am
- Greg Ettridge
  
  The failed retired snatch and jerker has plenty of time on his hands, surely he would be a better captains pick by Jacinda Kate Laurell, but two whities ganging up on a sis of color just doesn’t cut the mustard these days.
  How did I go Frank, have I done enough to lose my super yet, no remand for me.
  
  11 2
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  August 5, 2021 9:58am
  - Frank the tank
    
    If you transition you could be in the hate speech cell next to Maggie next year
    
    9 2
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    August 5, 2021 10:12am
I remember when

Aotearoa or New Zealand. TV3 “The Project.”
So they have a poll taken on the two parts of the Aotearoa or New Zealand argument that the majority view favourably.
Strangely, the question that worries many is never mentioned.
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August 5, 2021 8:46am
- Greg Ettridge
  
  Sister asked me once why I refused to watch “the project” with her, I said I would rather go outside and gouge my eyes out with a blunt razor blade.
  She never asked again
  
  23 1
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  August 5, 2021 10:00am
- Bob
  
  This was a very obviously managed manipulation POLL, which probably took all day to arrange.
  
  9 2
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  August 5, 2021 10:05am
hannity

What happened to DPF’s tree planting whinge meter.
I guess it fell down the hole it dug itself.
6 16
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August 5, 2021 9:01am
- rangitoto
  
  NZ First didn’t get back in so no point.
  
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  August 5, 2021 9:38am
- UrbanNeocolonialist
  
  Govt are failing hard at everything they touch. It’s no longer remarkable to witness any particular metric of the omnishambles they present, if they are involved then it is for sure fucked and underperforming to a massive degree.
  
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  August 5, 2021 12:28pm
I remember when

You can’t argue with a statement like that.
Just watching Fish Harvester ads on TV.
One of the users said, “Every time I catch something, whether it’s one or ten, I catch something.”
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August 5, 2021 9:05am
graham

The results of Newshub’s “Question of the Day: What should New Zealand officially be called?” from yesterday:

Aotearoa: 1,252 (7%)
Aotearoa New Zealand: 2,738 (15%)
New Zealand: 14,768 (79%)

Sitting back comfortably with my popcorn, waiting for the screechers to wail that 79% of Newshub readers are racist …
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August 5, 2021 9:23am
- Tricati
  
  I believe the results speaks more to the general maorification off the news, government departments, naming of new local government buildings etc than just the name of NZ – General population starting to get pissed off with it, and not having any say on it’s introduction.
  
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  August 5, 2021 9:55am
- Greg Ettridge
  
  That’s dead and buried.
  The people that lurk around newshub are prominently from the left, it is a convincing “take your two name change ideas and stick it where the sun don’t shine.
  Interesting, had to have two “Aotearoa” questions to skew the result, but sill couldn’t get 1 in 5 over the line.
  It is a convincing shellacking, there is no way back from that if you get this in sea of left.
  
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  August 5, 2021 10:08am
- MCos
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  So that’s a total of less than twenty thousand people bothers to reply out of an average of around 240,000 audience.
  That is to say most people don’t give a bag of beans about this non issue stoked up by the National Party.
  
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  August 5, 2021 10:13am
  - Yabster
    
    It’s statistically relevant- more so than most polls- just not the answer you were after huh comrade?
    
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    August 5, 2021 11:01am
- Paulus
  
  But the argument is that if Collins wants a referendum so she is wrong, as the so called media say so – not her, we know the result so it would have to be accepted as overwhelming, like the flag, so what else to bitch about or will any revolution carry on with another one.
  Tauranga and Western Bays agree to fly the Tino Rangatiratanga (whatever that means as it is actually a new flag) flag anyway on all Council buildings, so why change anything as it will happen anyway.
  
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  August 5, 2021 10:39am
curry4me

ASTERISK PRESIDENCY: Episode 29.
Direct from Harveywood, here is this week’s episode of Asterisk Presidency. Brought to you by the CCP, MSM, Wall Street, $oros, ANTIFA, BLM, CDC, Nordstream, globalists, ‘academia’, FBI, CIA, NSA, and Cuba.
Will the CDC maskurbators flip-flop again? Have some blue cities given up on maskurbation? How many red states will ignore the mask mandate? Are unvaccinated illegal aliens spreading the CCP virus? Are kids spreading PBJ on their sandwiches? Will Hunter sell more ‘artworks’? Is all ‘art’ the same when it comes to money laundering? Will Tencent be worth a cent? Will some red states copy Delaware’s election laws? Will Merrick Garland want them rescinded? Is ATF nominee Chipman the right kind of racist? Is a national vaccine requirement being considered? Will Sleepy Joe remember which side of the cards to read? Which red state will bar mask and vaccine requirements? Will school kids enjoy masking up? What will parents think? Will inflation hit a 13 year high? Is an ‘inflation storm’ worse than a s— storm? Will the GOP’s proposed bills limiting big tech cause one? Will new CCP virus variants make Sleepy Joe ‘build the wall’ to stop them? How many more EV owners will switch back to convenient gas? Have some blue cities given up on maskurbation? Will Sleepy Joe swap the ‘Beast’ for an 18 wheeler? Is he a few wheels short of 18? Will Secretary Blinken meet the Dalai Lamas Aide? Will the presitator protest? Will he blink? Will Hunter vaccinate himself? Will ‘Dr’ Jill do it instead? Will Sleepy Joe emulate Simone Biles? If Quemala stays under water will the navy name a sub the USS Quemala? Is Sleepy Joe the new nightmare on Elm Street? Is WH staff morale low? Would they rather work for Quemala? California will ban pork. Which state will be next? Will ‘pork prohibition’ make a new Al Capone? Will more Latinos, and Asians forsake the Dems? Can they still rely on the ‘dead vote’? Is it easier to re-boot Windows 11 than the Dem message? Will Cuomo resign over the NY Attorney General’s report? What about all the dead grandparents? Is sexual harassment more important? Can Sleepy Joe block evictions? Has ‘Dr Jill’ blocked Quemala on Face Book? Will more Trump candidates win primaries? Will the ‘1619 Project’ feature historic Dem racism? Is ‘Defund the Police’ defunct? Will more governors call on Cuomo to resign? Will CNN? Stay tuned folks!
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August 5, 2021 9:24am
- Batman
  
  The 1619 project did cover the parties of the time, but I’m sure you haven’t listened to it so wouldn’t be aware of that.
  
  Maybe listen and then critique?
  
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  August 5, 2021 9:33am
  - Frank the tank
    
    I see the polls are indicting the majority of Americans disapprove of congress and the direction of the country and the old coot’s approval ratings are dropping rapidly.
    
    2022 not looking good for you and your Dems Batty.
    
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    August 5, 2021 9:41am
    - Batman
      
      Cite those pills please?
      
      The Congress has had high disapproval for years and years because of the shitposting by Republicans and the lily-liveredness of Democrats. So that’s not surprising or news.
      
      The direction rating isn’t a surprise given the Delta surge fuelled by conservative disinformation and willful death advancement.
      
      1 23
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      August 5, 2021 10:00am
      - Frank the tank
        
        https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/president-biden-job-approval-7320.html
        
        There you go Batty. Crocodile’s jaws are closing soon.
        
        12 1
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        August 5, 2021 10:04am
      - Batman
        
        So he’s still above water and +7 overall?
        
        Wow, terrible ???
        
        Now, link me the Trump figures… Go on…
        
        1 14
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        August 5, 2021 10:33am
      - Critical Thinker
        
        Americans now have a more favourable view of Trump than Biden, according to the latest Rasmussen poll.”
        
        Also 2/3rds of Americans want the Black Lives Matter and Antifa protests investigated. While a majority don’t support the corrupt Democrats inquiry into the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol, according to the latest Rasmussen poll.”
        
        14 1
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        August 5, 2021 10:41am
      - Batman
        
        Rasmussen?? Bahaha even you must know that’s like Labour touting their in-house pollsters UMR.
        
        Come on, at least find something not obviously biased.
        
        1 16
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        August 5, 2021 10:54am
    - Greg Ettridge
      
      When the Sleepy Joe chucks the towel and the cackler is the leader of the free world, she will have to just get her popularity vote up a tad.
      She is headed back to single figures where she was when she decided that it was impossible to win with a few percent of the vote.
      The mid terms are going to be a blood bath unless someone pulls a rabbit out of the hat from somewhere.
      The best thing Joe can do is turn the tele prompter 180 degrees so we can read it ourselves.
      It is a train wreck going down a very steep hill.
      
      19 2
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      August 5, 2021 10:18am
      - Inandout
        
        Greg, Donald has managed to accumulate hundreds of millions of dollars for the next election campaign. Joe is the worst figurehead ever to be planted in the WH and once again proves socialists couldn’t even organise a bun fight in a bakery; totally useless.
        
        13 1
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        August 5, 2021 10:36am
      - Batman
        
        Please let Frank know, he’s fully backing Ronny D for 2024.
        
        And a slight correction, Trump has collected hundreds of millions of his supporters dollars, to spend however he wants as per super PAC rules. There is no sign he has even spent it on anything other than his own costs.
        
        https://www.forbes.com/sites/zacheverson/2021/07/28/trump-pac-spends-20-of-its-operating-expenses-at-trumps-business/
        
        Say it with me: it’s a grift!
        
        2 13
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        August 5, 2021 11:00am
  - Frank the tank
    
    https://www.foxnews.com/politics/desantis-biden-do-job-secure-border
    
    Warming up for 2024 Batty.
    
    President elect Ronnie 1; old coot 0.
    
    12 1
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    August 5, 2021 9:51am
    - Batman
      
      Haha so you guys are full on board the DeSantis train then huh?
      
      Gonna be real awkward given Trump still owns the GOP, financially and otherwise. It’s weird that you’ve stopped talking about Trump 2024, are you getting nervous about his legal position?
      
      Sadly, Ronny is so desperate to please the Fox News and OAN base that he’s killing Floridians and handing the Dems a cudgel to beat him with in ’24.
      
      https://www.miamiherald.com/news/coronavirus/article253168148.html
      
      2 20
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      August 5, 2021 10:17am
      - Frank the tank
        
        LOL. You wish. By 2024 the old coot will be calling Jill Champ and Kamila Major. My left gumboot will be half a chance against him.
        
        Last I heard Trumpie wants to be speaker of the house.
        
        13 2
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        August 5, 2021 10:36am
      - Batman
        
        Oh you’re also on board with the Anon idea of Trump speaker?
        
        Tell me, why would a man who has been President, relishes adoration and power, and his sole driving need is to fuel his ego, would deign to become No.3 in the line of succession, and spend time undertaking House business on votes and procedure? (Lol, he would never actually do those).
        
        Also did you hear the news that there is evidence that Covid causes grey matter degeneration? Would explain a lot about Trump’s behaviour since he came out of hospital early…
        
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        August 5, 2021 11:05am
curry4me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vak4GPXgcZg

Why Does Beijing Want to Destroy Didi What’s in DIDI’s Data that CCP Fears Zooming In China.

Why Does Beijing Want to Destroy Didi? What’s in Didi’s Data That Makes the CCP Angry and Afraid? The disastrous IPO of Didi Global in early July has set off a firestorm for all Chinese companies looking to be listed on U.S. stock exchanges. Following their $80 billion valuation after two days of trading, Didi, China’s equivalent to Uber, looked to be a rising star with the largest IPO of any Chinese company since Alibaba in September 2014. But in going forward with their IPO, they had rejected a request from the Chinese government to postpone that IPO until their public filing documents could be thoroughly reviewed by the Cyberspace Administration of China. The Chinese government quickly responded, placing Didi under a mandated cybersecurity review and removing their apps from all Chinese app stores. Why is the Chinese Communist Party so angry with Didi? Why are they now attempting to destroy Didi? China observers say the answer may lie in Didi’s data. [9:18. It looks like the presitator fancies himself as Mao 2.0. What could possibly go wrong?]
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August 5, 2021 9:25am
curry4me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sE1-eKSa_3s

North Korea ready to resume denuclearisation talks.

North Korea is ready to resume denuclearisation talks, but in exchange, it wants the U.S. to lift sanctions on luxury goods like fine alcohol and suits. Did someone say priorities? [4:49] I hope Lil Kim can be prised away from China. A formal peace treaty would be a bonus. Then US troops can be removed. I think this will have to wait until 2025.]
9 1
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August 5, 2021 9:26am
- Batman
  
  Tired: A starving population
  
  Wired: bling suits and booze for Dear Leader
  
  9 1
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  August 5, 2021 9:31am
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Common sense prevails for the McCloskeys. This is the couple who defended their home against BLM intruders.
https://thepoliticalinsider.com/missouri-governor-pardons-mccloskeys-the-armed-couple-who-defended-home-from-blm-protesters/?
25 1
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August 5, 2021 9:27am
Benedict Yu

Question. If in the 2023 election ACT and National got the same number of seats, who decides who is Leader of Opposition? I’m thinking positive ?
16 1
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August 5, 2021 9:32am
- Bobba Fret
  
  OMG they would probably have to have joint leaders (like the bloody Greens)!
  
  6 0
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  August 5, 2021 10:02am
- cmm
  
  What’s all this opposition nonsense!
  
  If you’re thinking very positively then ACT and National are both over 25% and they don’t need to be in opposition.
  
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  August 5, 2021 11:01am
Maggy Wassilieff

Mountain bikers are special people; they think rules don’t apply to them.

The riders had ignored signs placed before the muster near a Department of Conservation car park, which warned “Road closed! Stock coming out”….

When the mountain bikers were confronted, they said they thought the road was only closed for vehicles.

https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/central-otago/mountain-bikers-criticised-over-cattle-deaths
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August 5, 2021 9:37am
- alex Masterley
  
  Those people were complete and utter morons.
  The owners of the station have been at logger heads with DOC over the use of the road at certain times of the year. And particularly in winter when the fords along the road become rather difficult to traverse even with appropriate vehicles.
  
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  August 5, 2021 10:18am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Ignorant road lice
  
  19 1
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  August 5, 2021 10:21am
- alloytoo
  
  If bicycles aren’t vehicles then why do we tolerate them on our roads?
  
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  August 5, 2021 10:53am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    On top of that, they pay nothing – freeloaders
    
    3 1
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    August 5, 2021 4:07pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

We have show ponies like this in NZ. Putting shit on just for the camera.
https://bongino.com/aoc-masks-up-for-photo-op-immediately-removes-it-after/?
21 1
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August 5, 2021 9:40am
- Frank the tank
  
  Her star is waning as people become aware that she has evolved into another swamp creature
  
  22 1
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  August 5, 2021 9:44am
  - Inandout
    
    Frank, she should return to the liquor bar she crawled from.
    
    5 1
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    August 5, 2021 10:40am
Brian McDonald

Without needing to write with mandatory platitudes of political bias there are 3 good issues:
1/ That Government should learn a very stern lesson from its knee-jerk reaction on the Auckland Harbour Cycleway a monument of which should sit in the middle of Cabinet’s table as a reminder of decisions made in haste.
2/ In troubled times it is idiocy to f about with fuel supply by bragging about sources of refined fuel that could disappear overnight. Marsden Point refinery should be maintained as a national interest.
3/ Like petrol or diesel an economy needs labour so a 4% unemployment rate indicates a national problem as well. If more people are coming off the dole and into possibly good jobs there are still gaps that should be filled from overseas – if we can bring the Wallabies here we can bring anyone not just to hold up a scrum but to fill job vacancies in nearly all sectors.
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August 5, 2021 9:46am
- MrTips
  
  Who are you and what have you done with Brian?
  
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  August 5, 2021 10:02am
- virtualmark
  
  Qu: Do you ever wonder if our source of crude oil could disappear overnight too?
  
  Qu: Given more than half of NZ’s population is already dependent on imported refined petrol & diesel then if the source of that disappears overnight will all the Aucklanders share the crude?
  
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  August 5, 2021 10:05am
- Frank the tank
  
  Good God Brian – did a common sense stick hit you last night?
  
  22 0
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  August 5, 2021 10:09am
- Happychappy
  
  You get a uptick from me, Brian.
  
  13 0
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  August 5, 2021 10:11am
- Captain Mainwaring
  
  A momentous day. Brian McD said something sensible.
  
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  August 5, 2021 10:31am
I remember when

“Unintelligent men less likely to comply with covid-19 regulation:” University of Sydney study.
Why do 0-29 year-olds have to accept lockdown when they are relatively risk free.
Much of the business most affected by covid employs large numbers of 0-29.
Students 0-29 have suffered major disruption when there would be little affect on them from attending classes.
What is the benefit to 0-29 year-olds of being vaccinated for covid.
Why will they need a vaccination passport to travel.
Why do 0-29 year-olds have to stay inside when there is little danger from outdoors activities.
So why would young men see little point in changing their behaviour because of covid.
14 1
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August 5, 2021 9:47am
- westernScientest
  
  University of Sydney definition of intelligence: those who agree with us = high, those who dont = low
  
  Probably
  
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  August 5, 2021 10:31am
- Fletch
  
  I see the media make a big deal of reporting on “unvaccinated” young people who die of the virus. You don’t hear about the ones who died who were vaccinated though.
  
  Apparently in NZ, 24 people have died from Covid. And 19 have been reported who have died from “adverse effects” after being vaccinated although the official literature states that it is “unlikely” any died directly of being vaccinated.
  
  https://www.medsafe.govt.nz/COVID-19/safety-report-19.asp
  
  But of course they are going to say that, right?
  
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  August 5, 2021 12:24pm
Maggie Pie

TRENDING

Chief Ombudsman presents preschooler with ‘Roaring Ice Dragon’ from Zuru, after father complains his son had been made to stand in naughty corner for yelling at Kindy teacher, “f— off c- -t”.

Also orders Mt Roskill Kindergarten to provide parents with letter of apology…. plus 3 month supply of Kebab vouchers.
24 1
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August 5, 2021 10:00am
- Frank the tank
  
  Wokeborg has assimilated Boshier.
  
  His “rulings” over the past 6 months make as little sense as the dribble that comes out of the Children’s commissioner’s feeding orifice
  
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  August 5, 2021 10:06am
Jimbob

Just seen a graph from David Rosenberg research showing New Zealand has the third highest debt per GDP ratio since Q4 2019 behind the US and Canada. So the NZ government spent truck loads of cash that NZ doesn’t have, resulting in massive unsustainable debt and eye watering inflation. The research noted that a hard landing is coming, hinting to get out of NZ investments. Shite, we’re screwed.
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August 5, 2021 10:05am
Mark

Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
For the fourth time can any of you gnat bedwetters tell me how many houses Key govt built to house 600000 immigrants in his time in office. And how many apprentices did he train.Come on you tory champions stop acting like cowering dribbledicks and muscle up .Or not .
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August 5, 2021 10:09am
- Swifty
  
  [don’t just abuse or smear others. Deleted – Mod]
  
  2 0
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  August 5, 2021 10:43am
  - Mark
    
    Wassa matter Swifty ,it looks as tho you have gone all sooka bubba .Tsk Tsk .
    
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    August 5, 2021 12:36pm
    - Swifty
      
      Not in the least.
      
      9 0
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      August 5, 2021 1:52pm
- alloytoo
  
  Those immigrants were mostly highly skilled net taxpayers who didn’t require (and indeed weren’t initially entitled to) benefits.
  
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  August 5, 2021 10:57am
- cmm
  
  OK, I’ll bite.
  
  National tends to achieve, or at least partially achieve, THEIR stated goals. ie. you generally get what you voted for.
  
  Labour – not so much. In fact all the key things they said they’d do have gone backwards.
  
  Where you’re going wrong is saying that National didn’t meet Labour’s stated goals. That is a ridiculous way to measure anything.
  
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  August 5, 2021 11:05am
- DeepBlue
  
  Since we don’t have a shortage of homes for 600,000 people it seems the market managed to house the vast majority. Agreed there was a shortfall, but why the heck is it the government’s responsibility to build these? I’d much prefer the likes of Sally Army, iwi, etc to do the heavy lifting with their wrap around services. Government should just reduce all the ‘Red’ tape.
  
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  August 5, 2021 11:14am
  - hilaryt
    
    It used to go that the govt would regulate to permit developers to compete…remember Neill Homes etc…then you’d get a layered service catering to all budgets.
    
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    August 5, 2021 12:06pm
  - Mark
    
    Deep Blue pls stop prevaricating, I know I know if you are a righty it is hard ,but deep breathe now you can do it .600000 immigrants ,how many houses built.Simples nést ce pas .
    
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    August 5, 2021 12:42pm
- I remember when
  
  NZ Resident population during John Key’s time as Prime Minister grew by an estimated 487,300 according the Stats,NZ.
  
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  August 5, 2021 11:37am
- Libertarians are right
  
  OK Mark,
  
  Obviously John Key didn’t train any apprentices and National didn’t build many houses.
  
  Government doesn’t actually have to create things, you do know that right? They are far less capable than the free market at doing just about everything.
  
  It’s worth noting that a large number of those 600,000 immigrants were Kiwis who had hope for NZ after Helen had been kicked out so came home and many others were highly skilled (beyond apprentices) trades people.
  
  The housing issue was always the RMA. National missed their chance in their first term and then when Labour threw the by-election to give Winston Northland and distort the MMP election result, they again missed their chance.
  
  And look, I managed to disagree with you without resorting to any unintelligent, bigoted insults. Try that next time.
  
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  August 5, 2021 1:02pm
  - Mark
    
    I have been threatened with all sorts of crap on here over the years ,having been a regular reader /commentator since I was in Cairns back in 2004.As I recall one hero was going to sink his well polished brogue deep into my sphincter.It would appear right wingers can dish out abuse but cannot cop it.Tough. Any how come on you army of blitherers how many houses did the Key?English governments build for a net 500000 immigrants in 9 years .
    
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    August 5, 2021 5:46pm
- westernScientest
  
  Why on earth would anyone want a government to train apprentices or build houses? Have you ever met a bureaucrat? They cant even fill their own forms out correctly
  
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  August 5, 2021 6:46pm
Greg Ettridge

Maybe she was having a one on one with him on the vax chat. The 5 year old in Queensland was put in detention for telling her he didn’t want to listen.
Maybe she pushed his buttons.
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August 5, 2021 10:23am
oldfella

For those of you who can’t live without it… Be afraid. Be very afraid…
Facebook is reportedly trying to analyze encrypted data without decrypting it
https://www.techspot.com/news/90660-facebook-reportedly-trying-analyze-encrypted-data-without-decrypting.html
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August 5, 2021 10:26am
- cmm
  
  Encryption of data just means that the actual data itself is obscured, but – depending on the type of encryption uses- it can still have noticeable patterns.
  
  These patterns can still be mined for some meaning.
  
  The thing with the AI data mining game is that they don’t need specific data facts. The mining just looks at patterns of bits.
  
  The AI data mining algorithms that decide what ads to show you (or other classifications) just look at the way these bits match. It does not matter if those patterns of bits are a birthdate, name, whatever.
  
  There is no specific code of the form if he’s a white male and has recently clicked on a ute ad then show him other ute ads. Instead it just sees that people with a similar bit pattern to you responded well to these ads, so show you more of them.
  
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  August 5, 2021 10:54am
  - Jack5
    
    Can you meaningfully read patterns in RSA code, CMM, with or without a supercomputer?
    
    Also, if you are using even a relatively basic and simple one-time pad (key base), by the time skilled snoopers have busted that code, you are on to the next pad or the next …
    
    Code enthusiasts likely know about this, but for the rest of us:
    
    https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21028133-700-unbreakable-the-mit-time-lock-puzzle/
    
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    August 5, 2021 11:11am
    - westernScientest
      
      Im certainly no expert on these things, but before facebook brought whatsapp – which is what the article says the project is about, not encryption generally – I think it used opensignal as the encryption back end, which used one of the new algs at the time, so if its the same its only maybe 15 years old. I think it might even be the same one that openssh uses.
      
      I might be wrong, but I dont think it has been broken or anything, probably why the think they need a massive AI to do it.
      Of course with facebook owning it now, who knows whats actually being used, or if they have inserted their own root keys or something.
      
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      August 5, 2021 11:36am
  - oldfella
    
    cmm, thanks, very interesting. Question: despite encryption, is it possible that FB could still use some kind of backdoor to access our data? I’m thinking of a demand for information from the NSA, or a similar security organisation?
    
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    August 5, 2021 11:35am
- westernScientest
  
  Facebook own whatsapp anyway, so they know how the encryption alg works, even if they dont have the ability to directly decrypt user message, (which I suspect they do) they can generate huge amounts of training data with encrypted and unencrypted sets. The challenge they will be trying to solve is that each encryption should use different keys, so the same string of words will not be encrypted the same way between users or sessions.
  
  The alg may leave a kind of fingerprint each time for a particular phrase though, which would be considered a flaw in the encryption, and one would hope that they were using it to increase the strength of encryption, but that is probably wishful thinking.
  
  If they can generate an AI which can relate trends in encryption, it is probably still unlikely that they will be able to decrypt the message using the AI, but what they might be able to do it match a pattern of behaviour of the encrypter to a specific user action, such as post on facebook about x, search for y or clicking on an ad for z. They may well even know there is a flaw which will mean it is successful.
  
  A cynic might say that they are claiming to work on this, and then they will just use a backdoor to decrypt all the whatsapp messages and run them though their normal AIs then claim they are not decrypting the messages, they just have a super good fancy new AI that lets them generate the results without ‘reading’ your messages.
  
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  August 5, 2021 11:21am
Maggy Wassilieff

No why would we expect the Government to understand the MIQ system?

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/448494/call-for-miq-booking-system-reform-the-government-just-doesn-t-get-it

Have any Government MPs tried booking a MIQ space?
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August 5, 2021 10:37am
- I remember when
  
  I, Yi, Yi, Yi.
  
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  August 5, 2021 10:45am
- kevn
  
  @Maggy… The (not really an MP) mexican and his pal slipped in, no problem.
  
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  August 5, 2021 10:50am
- oldfella
  
  Maggy, the MP-for-Tijuana knows how the system works.
  He just logged on and two free passes back to MIQ in NZ fell into his lap. Honest.
  Didn’t even need to ring his mates in the Beehive to get them to rort the system.
  It was that simple.
  
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  August 5, 2021 10:56am
  - oldfella
    
    Maggie, now I think of it, this Larry Page guy also seems to know how the MIQ system works. Seems he came straight in. No waiting. Easy peasy! https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/google-billionaire-visited-new-zealand-while-the-countrys-border-was-closed/RZUI2KXZUCS4Q7L3X4J3HBHEPA/
    
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    August 5, 2021 11:02am
    - Ruahine
      
      oldfella
      I have been told Larry Page can speak Spanish like what they speak in Tijuana.
      
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      August 5, 2021 11:53am
- david
  
  The hyphenated Member for Mexican Affairs supposedly did and was quite successful as I recall.
  
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  August 5, 2021 11:00am
- DeepBlue
  
  Ha ha, Govn MP’s don’t book anything . That’s what the spare contingency beds are for…. to move the elite across the border when they wish.
  
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  August 5, 2021 11:07am
- Ehlana
  
  I believe Maggy that one MP did – and he and his partner had no problems.
  
  So clearly, any problems anyone else is reporting are just a media beat-up…
  
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  August 5, 2021 11:07am
Benedict Yu

New Zealand has managed to get 25 percent of the population with at least 1 shot of covid vaccine. (This includes children so the percentage of eligible people will be higher.)

https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/covid-vaccine-tracker-global-distribution/

That means that we are still last in the OECD. But what is surprising is the countries ahead of New Zealand.

El Salvador and Cambodia are now racing ahead with 40 percent of people having had at least the first dose. Cambodia has a population of about 10 million. I have been there. It is a very poor, corrupt country with poor infrastructure. It seems astonishing that they have managed to achieve such high rates of vaccination.
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August 5, 2021 10:40am
- oldfella
  
  Benedict, when the local MSM hypes up our vaccination progress, they always forget to mention how poorly we’re doing by international standards.
  We’re like the Laurel Hubbard of the OECD – lots of noise, but failing at every attempt.
  
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  August 5, 2021 11:09am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  You would have loved the analysis of the vaccine roll-out presented on TV one last night:
  
  We were told that 25% of the population had had a single jab
  and 15% had had a double jab
  and 40% of the population had had a vaccination!!!!!
  
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  August 5, 2021 11:12am
  - lifesgood
    
    Dumb idiots.
    
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    August 5, 2021 11:40am
I remember when

Veteran Taranaki photographer, Fiona Clark, will share her work in an Auckland festival during July and August:
Work by photographers throughout NZ is being added to a You Tube channel created by the Auckland Festival of Photography.
Her photo series started in 1970s including one about the rise of the gas industry in Tikorangi.
The photos, she says, of Tikorangi are quite significant – the climate crime scene, gas lands.
“That’s how people in the future will see it,” she said. “These images are now invaluable.”
Clark’s work goes online on August 12.
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August 5, 2021 10:42am
Maggie Pie

Honestly, between The Chief Ombudsman, The Commissioner for Children, and Meng the Merciless, it’s no wonder this country has become a free-range asylum.

SHEESH!!
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August 5, 2021 10:49am
cas

Just watching a re-run of the athletics yesterday. The winner of the 800m clocked 1minute 45.something. Peter Snell’s world record of 1962 was 1m 44.3 so he was a super super athlete.
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August 5, 2021 10:52am
- lifesgood
  
  Absolutely. And shoe technology has come a long way since then so he was even better than it seems,
  
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  August 5, 2021 11:39am
Jack5

Boxing on in the pandemic …

One of our seafaring posters may be able to comment on the NZ position as shortages and bottlenecks arise in supply of world shipping containers.

From the Wall Street Journal:

“John Fossey, head of container equipment and leasing research for London-based Drewry, said that in principle there are more than enough containers to handle global trading volumes. In practice, he said, availability in several parts of the world has become incredibly tight because large volumes of containers are stuck in the wrong place.”

Meanwhile, the newspaper reports, China’s container factories are expected to produce a record 5.4 million 20ft containers this year, up from 2.8 million in 2019.
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August 5, 2021 11:02am
MrTips

Has anyone noticed, or cared, that we don’t hear from Phil Twyford or David Clark anymore?

Didn’t think so.
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August 5, 2021 11:06am
- Libertarians are right
  
  Twyford’s wife has cancer so he’s away.
  Clark is just lazy and stupid.
  
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  August 5, 2021 12:50pm
  - Nickc2
    
    Was that Clark’s self diagnosis?
    
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    August 5, 2021 2:11pm
- sooty
  
  They are or ain’t there just to eat their lunch till the next election, when they retire!
  (Gardening leave or till needed for their vote)
  
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  August 5, 2021 1:43pm
Lance

Opps….awkward
https://www.stuff.co.nz/motoring/300374762/while-they-were-asleep-their-evs-burned-in-the-garage
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August 5, 2021 11:09am
- alloytoo
  
  The duration and intensity of EV battery fires is a cause of grave concern especially the hazard they could pose to structures.
  
  https://www.motorbiscuit.com/fire-danger-underground-parking-lot-bans-electric-vehicles/
  
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  August 5, 2021 11:46am
- rangitoto
  
  “electric-vehicle makers have warned owners not to leave the cars charging unattended in certain circumstances, or sitting fully charged in garages.”
  
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  August 5, 2021 11:46am
  - alloytoo
    
    ok, so we should leave them uncharged until we need them and then wait a couple of hours to charge them?
    
    Could store my ICE with and empty tank, pop 5 litres in and toddle off en route to my destination to top up.
    
    Gosh…..10 mins max?
    
    or I could just park my ICE with 1/2 tank.
    
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    August 5, 2021 3:58pm
- Nickc2
  
  Careful Lance, Cindy will have you cancelled.
  
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  August 5, 2021 12:06pm
Maggie Pie

BREAKING…

Tour Bus driver from Northland confirms to ZB’s Kerry Woodham that…. Barrack and Michelle Obama were holidaying at ‘The Crows Nest Villas’ earlier this year.

No MIQ in Rotorua for them then?
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August 5, 2021 11:36am
- kevn
  
  @Maggie… Tour coach needed for all the hangers-on I guess.
  Barry and Shelz would be limo’ing it.
  Surely.
  MIQ? pfft, that’s for the plebs.
  
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  August 5, 2021 11:56am
  - Maggie Pie
    
    So right there kev. No sitting in the back of the bus for them.
    But it’s amazing how much goss those Tour Coach drivers hear.
    
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    August 5, 2021 2:10pm
    - kevn
      
      @Maggie… Same with limo drivers, used to be the same for taxi drivers. Uber drivers? Not sure.
      
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      August 5, 2021 3:30pm
      - Maggie Pie
        
        Most Uber drivers I’ve struck can hardly speak English anyway 😀
        
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        August 5, 2021 4:51pm
MrTips

The more I read on it, the more I become moderately positive about Ivermectin use in early COVID Tx.

Israeli study shows 72% of patients receiving Ivermectin in a double blind study reached the 1° endpoint of reduction in viral load by day 6. Regression model indicated 2.6x increased likelihood of doing so using Ivermectin compared with std care.

What’s also interesting is they classified a non-infectious PCR Ct result as <30. Why? they have references 14-16 as stating good reasons for assuming this. but there is HARD evidence too. This paper from South Korea showed that no viable virus was found in cultures taken from patients who had a PCR Ct value of more than 29.
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August 5, 2021 11:41am
- alloytoo
  
  I firmly believe that we will be using this class of drug, as a cheap preventative, like we use them for Malaria.
  
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  August 5, 2021 4:00pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Obama backing down? His birthday bash was to have over 500 guests, now family and friends.
Rules for thee but not for me.
https://thepoliticalinsider.com/barack-obama-backtracks-forced-to-downsize-massive-birthday-bash-after-criticisms/?
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August 5, 2021 11:43am
- Fletch
  
  I heard it was 700 guests, but yeh. One rule for liberals and one rule for everyone else.
  
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  August 5, 2021 12:18pm
- Inandout
  
  Steve, the internet is awash with photos of mongrel US politicians ordering their underlings to wear masks when they don’t bother. Little wonder politicians are universally regarded as lower than a snake’s belly.
  
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  August 5, 2021 12:29pm
- Libertarians are right
  
  So instead of 700 guests he’s going to have about 500 but has just fixed the mistake of telling everyone how many were going?
  
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  August 5, 2021 1:38pm
thirteenstars

Brilliance from Don Brash in his latest post on his blog about the RMA replacement and the sad state of the NZ housing market…

https://www.bassettbrashandhide.com/post/natural-and-built-environments-act-rma-replacement

…in which he lays it out in severe and honest terms.

Did Don join ACT? Surely he’s not still a National member.
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August 5, 2021 11:52am
Nickc2

Most of our fuel comes from Singapore.
Don’t forget we currently have some allies and if any of them call in some favours whilest they are involved in hostilities we become a target and there’s no better way to shut NZ down than to blockade our imports and exports.
Whilst we have been sitting on our hands (figuratively speaking), China has not and has been building military facilities in some Pacific Island nations presumably to service their Fishing Fleet but also sufficient to service their Naval Vessels if/when a conflict should arise.
Just saying.
Batman, you can take your fingers out of your ears now and stop saying la, la, la.
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August 5, 2021 12:37pm
- Ian Boag
  
  You seem to understand the problem. Now can we move on to your solution?
  
  If we get in the way of the Chinese when they decide they want to take us over, what are we expected to do? Would it be better if we still had a dozen Skyhawks or had traded up to early F16s … ? A couple more frigates/Poseidons perhaps? Another battalion of soldiers?
  
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  August 5, 2021 5:21pm
  - [email protected]
    
    With all due respect, would a few F16 fighter jets and a couple of extra frigates be a deterrent to any invasion of New Zealand?
    
    New Zealand’s security lies entirely with having agreements with other countries that can actually defend us.
    
    Allowing 5 million Kiwis to have guns might also actually be useful if our country got invaded.
    
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    August 5, 2021 6:40pm
    - Ian Boag
      
      That’s sort of what I meant ….
      
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      August 5, 2021 7:07pm
  - Nickc2
    
    If we had all the Military hardware, our allies may take us more seriously and less of a threat (weak link in the chain).
    Forget the A4G Skyhawks, they are well past their use-by-date. Some Hornets (Ground, Air and EW) would be nice but we don’t have Combat Pilots anymore and to train some takes yonks. That said, we don’t have any Ground Crew capable of servicing the damned things.
    I could venture into our Navy and Army shortfalls but I’m sick of typing and it would take too long anyway.
    
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    August 5, 2021 7:48pm
comm4nder

On a completely different topic, have you seen this?

https://haveyoursaynz.com/

I love “The Magical Fog of Lies”
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August 5, 2021 12:54pm
Mark

Am in OZ on a short term contract, mayhem here .160 men sent home early last week ,err sorry false alarm folks ,army patrolling the streets in Sydney. Brisbane and Gold Coast lockdown.All the tradies talk about at smoko is how well NZ has done through all the covid fiasco,and how much their wives admire Jacinda .
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August 5, 2021 1:02pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Pass the bucket (empty it first thanks)
  
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  August 5, 2021 4:14pm
- Bob
  
  Perhaps the Tradies, should start discussing how much they – the tradies-, admire the photogenic Jacinda.
  That should quickly refocus the wives attention on the real world, not the fairy dust world.
  
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  August 5, 2021 4:26pm
  - Mark
    
    You just do not get it ,gnat plonkers ,covid is breaking out here bigly,what is truly pathetic is your inability to acknowledge how well the govt has managed this at home .This pandemic is really really starting to bite here .
    
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    August 5, 2021 8:34pm
- westernScientest
  
  How do you send 0.160 men home? It seams cruel and unusual, and definitely against Australian health and safety laws…
  
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  August 5, 2021 6:48pm
Maggie Pie

TRENDING…

Police, Building & Construction Minister, Poto Williams, calling for “limiting of timber exports”…. to ensure there is sufficient wood left in the country to fuel our power stations.

MP Chloe Swarbrick, Green’s spokesperson for Drug Reform & Mental Health, believes Poto’s blood is worth bottling.

https://twitter.com/nzherald/status/1422682566054850561
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August 5, 2021 1:06pm
- cmm
  
  Burning building grade timber is a bloody crime!
  
  There is a lot of waste wood that could be used for fuel, but anything that can be made into building materials should rather be used for that purpose.
  
  I doubt any of the timber being exported is waste wood suitable for firewood.
  
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  August 5, 2021 4:17pm
  - [email protected]
    
    Funny but true story. I called a local mill to ask about milling some titree logs into planks so we could build some outdoor furniture. They said that because titree was a native tree they couldn’t mill it because that required a special license. When I said I had bought two trailer loads of logs for firewood the answer was you can burn it without a license but you are not allowed to mill it.
    
    You can’t make this sort of stuff up! Who the heck comes up with these ridiculous laws?
    
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    August 5, 2021 6:16pm
Aunty

Sadly, we have to conclude that Australia, from a Covid point of view, has been lost. This is due to the Delta variant of course.

The only way to prevent that from happening here is for everyone to get vaccinated asap, regardless of their age. As soon as you can, get a shot. There is no other strategy to prevent ourselves from becoming locked down for a protracted and expensive period of time.

As we have seen in Australia it only takes one slip up at the border and the situation is lost. And at only 16% or so of the entire population of New Zealand having been double vaccinated, and not much more than 20% of the population having received one jab, we remain sitting ducks.

Labour has left us in the most vulnerable of positions imaginable. We are like England in the summer of 1940. Will the Nazi hordes storm across the channel, or will the RAF (in our case vaccination) see them off?

Will our luck hold?
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August 5, 2021 1:21pm
- [email protected]
  
  I have absolutely no doubt that Covid19 will break out here in New Zealand. It’s happening all over the world.
  
  You simply cannot keep the entire country locked down forever or force everyone to do what would be required to prevent the spread of the virus.
  
  Hopefully our we’ll paid politicians have a plan to minimize the damage but I am not confident.
  
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  August 5, 2021 6:07pm
kevn

@Maggie… This is like an IQ test. So = fail. Not a low score, but just fail.
Clown circus. Lots of them.
Steel framing getting very popular.
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August 5, 2021 1:37pm
A Nonny Mouse

Typo in a Newshub headline (I’m assuming to was a typo.)
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2021/08/covid-19-concerns-mounting-as-large-portion-of-port-workers-remain-unvaccinated-misinformation-party-to-blame.html

COVID-19: Concerns mounting as large portion of port workers remain unvaccinated, misinformation party to blame

“Misinformation party”

I see they are finally giving Labour an accurate description.
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August 5, 2021 1:52pm
- A Nonny Mouse
  
  OK – this gets even funnier…
  
  The comment from the minister that port workers are not getting the jab due to misinformation, is itself misinformation…
  
  https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/charles-finny-many-port-workers-not-yet-eligible-for-covid-19-vaccine/
  Many port workers aren’t vaccinated for Covid-19, because they aren’t yet eligible.
  
  Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says he’s concerned that 44% of port workers have yet to receive a single dose.
  
  He says it’s a worrying sign of vaccine hesitancy, caused by the spread of misinformation.
  
  But the chairman of the Port Company CEO Group, Charles Finny, says most of those workers would be getting a jab, if they could.
  
  He says only a small proportion of workers are eligible — because they’re deemed high risk, or deal directly with ships.
  
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  August 5, 2021 5:48pm
MrTips

I have just had a very interesting conversation with a friend whose Uncle lives in Fiji – has done for decades. The relevant conversant cousin is a 25yr Fiji military veteran and they were discussing said Uncle who is old and obviously at COVID risk (but doesn’t give a damn).

Said cousin then relayed that Fijians are mightily pissed off that UN worker got expedited to NZ for treatment. Fiji has had a very dim view of NZ and Australia for while; COVID has exacerbated this. Fijian military and govt now way more interested in talking with China, due to AIIB filling the funding gap when NZ wouldn’t. In fact, AIIB is working its way around the Pacific and views NZ as a “bunch of losers, easily bought into line”.

No surprise.
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August 5, 2021 1:58pm
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Looks like Helen Clark has read things wrong.
  
  She’s created quite an upset back in Fiji.
  
  https://www.stuff.co.nz/tarana/125963687/uns-fiji-medical-evacuation-flight-unfair-says-human-rights-advocate
  
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  August 5, 2021 3:27pm
- MCos
  
  NZ coping flak on this forum for not spending enough money on aid in the South Pacific?
  My how the world goes round.
  
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  August 5, 2021 4:10pm
rangitoto

Jacinda’s kindness having results:

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2021/08/armed-police-responding-to-incident-in-south-auckland-public-asked-to-avoid-area.html
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August 5, 2021 2:09pm
- Ruahine
  
  Some of her ‘friends’ having a big day out.
  
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  August 5, 2021 4:49pm
Critical Thinker

Latest Imperial College Report Finds “Vaccine” Effectiveness Could Be as Low as 22%, With Under 65-Year-Olds Having a Greater Risk of Hospitalisation Than Before the Injections
?
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August 5, 2021 2:25pm
Joely Doe

This needs to be posted far and wide. I don’t think I have ever felt as strongly about a subject as this one.

Free Speech Submission

Got mine done!
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August 5, 2021 2:47pm
Maggie Pie

3pm ZB BREAKING NEWS…

Poll shows 79% of Police Officers want to be fully armed.

Poto says….. “she remains opposed”
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August 5, 2021 3:08pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Train them up physically and mentally. NZ has had enough of bad bastards.
  Let’s do this!
  
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  August 5, 2021 4:17pm
- cmm
  
  They still hold on to the policing by consent myth – that arming police forms a barrier.
  
  Policing by consent – or any consent based anything – requires that everyone obeys some rules and are prepared to work together.
  
  That is a quaint notion from the age of the bobby on the beat who would command respect with a glance and waving his notebook. We do not have that any more. Armed crims are on the street and are quick to attack/threaten both citizens and police.
  
  It does not help that criminality has been conflated with race and that upping the game against crime is now being portrayed as racist against Maori (and Polynesians in general).
  
  As long as these activists (including the current ministers) sell that lie, the most vulnerable (ie. mainly low income and brown people) will be victimised by criminals.
  
  It is these lies that form the wedge between the citizens and the cops – not arming the cops.
  
  When we do end up arming our cops, giving them guns is only a very tiny part of it. Adequate training is what really makes the difference.
  
  Those that are well trained are:
  * More likely to present firearms with confidence, thus
  * More likely to effect a non-shooting arrest and thus
  * are actually less likely to have to shoot someone
  * Less likely to cause collateral damage (hitting unintended people)
  * Less likely to have accidental discharges etc.
  
  *
  
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  August 5, 2021 5:05pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Those that are well trained are:
    * More likely to present firearms with confidence, thus
    * More likely to effect a non-shooting arrest and thus
    * are actually less likely to have to shoot someone
    * Less likely to cause collateral damage (hitting unintended people)
    * Less likely to have accidental discharges etc.
    Now convince Jaspinda. She don’t want Police to police her mates
    
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    August 5, 2021 5:21pm
- KevO'Brien
  
  Why? many of her constituents are. The Police are frequently to be seen in her patch.
  
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  August 5, 2021 5:29pm
- Nickc2
  
  Her response is common amongst dictators.
  
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  August 5, 2021 8:08pm
Maggie Pie

WOW!! Congratulations to Lisa Carrington…
6 GOLDS!!

But no matter what they say, I wouldn’t want shoulders that big 🙁
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August 5, 2021 3:39pm
- Biscuit
  
  You’re a Tennis nut, I know, Maggie.
  
  Strange that v. few female Tennissers (that a word?) are so muscled about the shoulders. You’d IMAGINE, no?, that such would be huge advantage re serving. I remember a very muscular French lady about a decade ago but no-one recently…
  
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  August 5, 2021 3:51pm
  - Batman
    
    Tenisists is surely a word right??
    
    2 2
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    August 5, 2021 4:02pm
  - Maggie Pie
    
    Bikkie…I think you may be talking about ‘Ms Mauresmo’?
    I recall her wife saying the thing that first attracted her was Amelies ‘muscular physique’ 😛
    
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    August 5, 2021 4:19pm
    - Ruahine
      
      Yep. Me Too.
      
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      August 5, 2021 4:40pm
- Scooter
  
  She looks quite feminine from the head up.
  
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  August 5, 2021 11:13pm
MrTips

The single biggest NZ adverse event of special interest from the Pfizer jab?

Herpes*

*Ok, its shingles but it was fun to write……
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August 5, 2021 4:05pm
Maggie Pie

BREAKING….

Jacinda tells NewstalkZB, “She does not want to see our Police fully armed”.
Goes on to say…. “And nor does the Commissioner”

Well butter my butt and call me Andrew.
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August 5, 2021 4:33pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Gangs armed is OK coz they are good boys
  
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  August 5, 2021 5:23pm
Ruahine

Does that mean she only wants them partly armed?
That is a bit like being partly pregnant.
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August 5, 2021 4:42pm
Maggy Wassilieff

Do Jacinda Ardern and her Minister of Police have any clue about ridding our Country of gun-toting criminals?

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/300375193/house-shot-at-while-children-slept-in-one-of-four-auckland-gun-incidents-overnight
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August 5, 2021 5:10pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  ‘ ridding our Country of gun-toting criminals?’
  Nope, they vote for her
  
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  August 5, 2021 5:24pm
Maggie Pie

Just been watching 1Ewes….
my partner reckons Farfoi and Ardern must reckon we’re all f–ing stupid!!
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August 5, 2021 6:26pm
greybeard

Sharon Murdoch: what a filthy piece of work.
Totally out of touch with normal humanity.
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August 5, 2021 6:40pm
- Cobolt24
  
  Here’s her Twatter
  https://twitter.com/domesticanimal
  
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  August 5, 2021 9:58pm
MrTips

It’s official. The world has until Sept 30 before it finds out if the USA is going to go nek levl nutbar.
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/02/treasury-to-invoke-extraordinary-measures-as-debt-ceiling-returns.html
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August 5, 2021 7:32pm
krazykiwi

A well targeted quote in The Spectator:

We are simultaneously told that if you have the vaccine you can still be infected with and spread Covid, but if you don’t take it you are putting others at risk. The argument should fold under the weight of its own incoherence, but instead vaccine passports are being mandated in multiple countries with eerie synchronicity. It’s not conspiracism or paranoia to be alarmed by such developments.

Yes. Quite so.
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August 5, 2021 7:33pm
fernglas

You guys had better pray that Covid doesn’t get loose, if this is what is happening without it.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/dunedin-hospital-ed-staff-fear-patients-could-die-due-to-wait-times/65EXTAIENYT5TTTB43BO2HRHD4/
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August 5, 2021 10:16pm

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