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February 18, 2022 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 18 February 2022

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General Debate

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2ic

Over the last couple of months I’ve been following the Medsafe safety reports on the Pfizer vaccine and comparing them to the influenza vaccine reports from previous years.

From Table 1 on the following MedSafe page we can see adverse events being reported for the Influenza vaccine at 16-20 per 100,000 doses:
https://www.medsafe.govt.nz/profs/PUArticles/March2020/Influenza-vaccine-2019-what-to-expect-this-year.html

Taking 2019 data, we have 16.9 adverse events per 100,000, of which it’s stated 2.6% were considered ‘serious’, which is 0.44 per 100,000.

Now we have a new Medsafe safety report on the Pfizer vaccine:

Safety Report #40 – 31 January 2022
https://www.medsafe.govt.nz/COVID-19/safety-report-40.asp

2,447 serious adverse events out of 9,454,911 doses administered, which equates to 25.8 per 100,000 doses.

So your chances of a serious adverse event are:

Influenza Vaccine: 0.44 per 100,000 doses
Pfizer Covid Vaccine: 25.8 per 100,000 doses

This makes the Pfizer vaccine 59x more dangerous than the Influenza vaccine. It’s actually much worse than that, because you are exposing yourself to risk twice with the initial double-vaccination, and now with every booster.

Alarmingly, the reporting of serious adverse events is increasing too. Looking at the serious adverse events per 100,000 from the previous Safety Reports:

Safety Report #37 (20/11/21) : 19.9
Safety Report #38 (04/12/21) : 21.4
Safety Report #39 (31/12/21): 24.6
Safety Report #40 (31/01/22): 25.8

I’m not looking forward to seeing the results of the February ‘Big Boost’ campaign over the coming months.
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February 18, 2022 8:00am
- Surely Knott
  
  Also comparing the excellent mmr measles vaccine to the covid vaccine was grossly misleading. The covid vaccine has much more in common with the flu vaccine.
  
  From the BMJ 2019 in response to the suggestion of mandatory flu vaccines, “Measles vaccine YES…flu vaccine NO”
  
  “Vaccine authorities would save more lives and misery if they were more selective about the vaccines they promote and mandate.”
  
  “Measles vaccine is a true lifesaver. Influenza vaccines, on the other hand, are of very uncertain benefit,..”
  
  ” His advice was ignored, and today we know that influenza vaccines sometime increase the risk of influenza and non-influenza virus infections; they have also caused narcolepsy, febrile seizures, and oculorespiratory syndrome. They provide short-term immunity and prevent some illnesses from seasonal influenza, but in so doing they prevent the development of broad and lasting immunity against influenza viruses, in individuals and in the population as a whole.”
  
  ” US vaccine authorities are now publicizing the hopes for a universal influenza vaccine. Meanwhile, they tell us that, “although flu shots are not perfect, you should get them every year.””
  
  And then whatdaya know…next year….2020 mandatory flu (now covid) vaccines.
  
  https://www.bmj.com/content/367/bmj.l5995/rr-4
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:27am
  - dannz
    
    A (surprisingly!) balanced stuff article on the mandates.
    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/explained/127791413/covid19-are-nzs-vaccine-mandates-justified-in-the-age-of-omicron
    
    And also the vaccine efficacy against Omicron:
    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/127791762/covid19-how-does-vaccination-affect-the-chances-of-hospitalisation-with-the-omicron-variant-in-new-zealand
    
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    February 18, 2022 9:40am
    - dannz
      
      And another one, poll says 30% support the protest: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/127808790/parliament-protest-new-poll-shows-30-per-cent-of-kiwis-support-antimandate-protest
      
      What’s got into them??! 😀
      
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      February 18, 2022 10:09am
    - surfing
      
      “Kiwis who remain unvaccinated are about 12 times more likely to go to hospital with Omicron than people with two or more vaccine doses, new data suggests.”
      
      Krazykiwi would disagree, continually spouts on about negative effectiveness.
      
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      February 18, 2022 1:03pm
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        12 times more likely to go to hospital with other problems, but found to maybe have Omicron that they did not even know about.
        Fear porn from the MOH I guess
        
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        February 18, 2022 2:56pm
      - Jim
        
        Surfing, So you’re saying two people of same age have vastly different C19 risk outcomes purely because one takes the vaccine and the other doesn’t? So your suggesting that it doesn’t matter if one is healthy weight and exercises regularly, and the other has a BMI of 50, smokes and couldn’t catch a bus?
        CDC data (and other reputable sources) proves again and again, that age and metabolic health are the principle factors to C19 risk. I accept that vaccines help but they do not offer a durable immunity, the vaccine can only be relied upon for 3 months (according to NZ Gov ‘calculations’).
        
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        February 18, 2022 5:46pm
      - krazykiwi
        
        Just for you, surfing. You’ll need to tell yourself over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over that you’ll be just fine. Perhaps you will. UK: Reinfections Reveal “The Bad Deal of COVID Vaxx”. And perhaps you won’t. But no amount of rage at me will make any difference. Perhaps you might open your mind to the possibility, even if only tiny and fleeting, that these therapies are immediately dangerous for some, and generally disadvantageous for most over time. Or, I guess, you could trust Pfizer. The choice is yours.
        
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        February 18, 2022 6:05pm
      - dcrane
        
        surfing: Note that by current practice those who get a severe covid-19 case because of getting infected at the time of vaccination get lumped into the “unvaccinated” category even though the vaccine worsened their case. The category also includes all of the people who are too frail to take the vaccine, and who of course are especially likely to die.
        
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        February 19, 2022 3:11am
    - Jim
      
      Thats clearly a broadcast from Ardern and Chippy’s Ministry of Truth.
      
      Like 2ic I’ve been mapping the Medsafe AEFI Vaccine Safety Report Data and it’s astonished how Medsafe can be taken seriously, especially its pharma safety surveillance responsibilities.
      
      By example (myocarditis):
      Safety Report #2o dated 17 Jul 21 reported an Alert Communication regarding myocarditis cases with the Comirnaty vaccine. At that point there were only 21 NZ reported myocarditis diagnosis since Feb 21, but the Alert Communication stated the following:
      
      “There are many possible causes of myocarditis, the most common being viral infection. Over 100 people are discharged from hospital with a principle diagnosis of myocarditis in New Zealand every year.”
      
      (for brevity) the myocarditis cases closely track the vaccination rollout and have increased significantly with each report. Additionally Medsafe has periodically cited expected 10 myocarditis cases per million vaccinations, and then later 30 cases per million vaccinations (Dec 21).
      
      The latest Medsafe Safety Report #40 released 16 Feb 22 (covers data up to end Jan 22) reports 561 myocarditis cases (490 cases since end of August 21).
      
      Yes that’s 561 myocarditis cases from 6Million NZ administered doses (MoH data) of Comirnaty vaccine!
      
      Again, that’s 490 myocarditis cases in just the last 5 months (during the Auckland lockdown when vaccine administration accelerated). This reported case rate simply does not correlate to either the NZ background annual data (100/year), or even Medsafe reported 30 cases per million doses of the vaccine.
      
      Calling all statistics experts, please convince me otherwise.
      
      https://www.medsafe.govt.nz/COVID-19/vaccine-report-overview.asp
      
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      February 18, 2022 2:18pm
- Simon
  
  Medsafe. Ok.
  
  There was some clown here the other day who claimed “no one said the corona vaxxs could prevent transmission of the disease” He or she had been programmed to repeat this misinformation.
  
  Approved indication
  Active immunisation to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV2, in individuals 12 years of age and older.
  
  https://www.medsafe.govt.nz/COVID-19/status-of-applications.asp#Comirnaty12
  
  Prevent the covid.
  
  “Provisional approval” of the jaxxs on the basis they prevent the disease. Its obvious they dont. In a normal world they would pull approval and look at the jaxxs again for all issues over a long period of time.
  
  Good luck to all who have had the jaxx, however number of them. Mean that most sincerely.
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:42am
  - Jim
    
    Agree. The fundamental basis of Medsafe’s Provisional Approval (NZ version of US Emergency Use Authorisation) has failed, it doesn’t offer Immunity.
    
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    February 18, 2022 5:53pm
- 70andstilllearning
  
  “Medsafe advises people NOT to make any decisions about vaccination based on information contained in this report. If you have questions or concerns about receiving a vaccine, please speak to a health care professional.” Their capitisation ,not mine,
  
  What a strange recommendation for data that strongly suggests a recall ( or immediate cessation of use at minimum is required since you can’t “recall”) from an “independent” risk assessment body.
  Enough said.
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:51am
  - Mr_Blobby
    
    The government is in 100% there is no way they would ever issue a recall.
    
    Imagine the political fallout, the compensation claims etc
    
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    February 18, 2022 10:24am
    - 70andstilllearning
      
      Other way round I think Mr_B. Medsafe is 100% in the govt having been sucked up their a…e.. so they’re not doing their actual job. 🙂
      
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      February 18, 2022 11:06am
  - Jim
    
    NZDSOS website has documented proof that the NZ Medical Council is not allowing GPs to make an informed professional risk assessment. Their hands are tied.
    
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    February 18, 2022 5:56pm
- krazykiwi
  
  2ic, thanks for this. I’m staggered at the extent of MSM suppression of vaccine harm. Please keep this front and centre!
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:54am
  - surfing
    
    You do realise that almost all of the reported adverse events are for minor ailments such as sore arms/headaches/dizziness etc?
    
    So, yes, maybe you are onto some big conspiracy that the MSM are hiding sore arms.
    
    More likely though is that the most people aren’t interested in vaccination related sore arms and headaches.
    
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    February 18, 2022 10:29am
    - bronny1
      
      The rates reported by 2ic were for serious adverse reactions. If you have a look at the definition you will see it’s not sore arms. It’s actually the type of things that you are trying to avoid by taking the vaxx:
      
      Serious adverse event following immunisation
      An AEFI is considered serious if it:
      is a medically important event or reaction
      requires hospitalisation or prolongs an existing hospitalisation
      causes persistent or significant disability or incapacity
      is life threatening
      causes a congenital anomaly/birth defect
      results in death.
      
      You’re welcome.
      
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      February 18, 2022 11:44am
      - surfing
        
        So, are you also trying to claim that every adverse event is caused by the vaccine?
        
        If not, then , tell me how many of those adverse events are proven as being caused by the vaccine?
        
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        February 18, 2022 1:39pm
    - krazykiwi
      
      Yes, that correct. But there are still so many serious adverse events, including death, that your blind acceptance of the ‘safe and effective’ claim just makes you look stupid. Wake up.
      
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      February 18, 2022 11:49am
  - Michael J Baker
    
    KK, tomorrow I’m flying from Auckland for the day to join the protest – all legally of course ;). I can’t stay longer because of work and two kids under 3yo. My wife said the protesters need AA batteries and nappies (for the babies, not Trevor Mallard). Where can one find an up-to-date list of what they need?
    
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    February 18, 2022 11:41am
    - krazykiwi
      
      I don’t have a list – sorry. Lots of kids and infants, so nappies probably a good idea.
      
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      February 18, 2022 11:50am
    - Surely Knott
      
      Nice one Michael B! Convoy22 on facebook posted this list 21 hrs ago.
      Parliament City First Aid Center requires the following; -More RN’s , -Aloe Vera plants & Lipbalm , -Large Chilly Bin, -Red Duct Tape. , -Large Gazebo.
      – Vita Gummies Probiotics., -Blue Rub Athletic Cream. , -Eye cream & eye drops, -Tweezers & medicine cups. , -Kid plasters with pictures on them., -Instant Ice Packs, -RN Kirsten also wants a spa pool & some Allblacks..
      
      & 19 hrs ago. Welly Storehouse Kitchen now requires specially the following;
      -Thincut chops for fast grilling. , -More Bread & general meat.
      BREAKFAST
      – Milo / hot chocolate, – Yogurts – 6 packs, – Up & Go drinks, – Hot cross buns, – Milk/Milk Products
      – Coffee sachets – Nescafe, Avalanche etc , – Cerals (NOT weetbix)
      LUNCH
      – Grated cheese / cheese slices, – Tomatoes,- Sliced meats , – bags of Mixed mesclun mix/ salad mix
      – buns, – bread, – butter/margarine
      DINNER
      – Cucumber, – Cabbage, – Spring onions , BBQ sauce , – Whole pickles, Onions (SLICED ONLY PLEASE) , – Precooked sausages , – BBQ meats
      SNACKS ,- Small pre-wrapped packets of biscuits for kids (animal, tiny teddys, oreos etc) , – Small bags of pre-wrapped chips (packs of 10)
      – Home baking , Crackers, – Biscuits, – Gluten free alternative options
      MISC
      – Large rolls of white paper to use as tablecloths (can be purchased from Moore Wilsons)
      – Paper breakfast bowls , dinner plates, disposable cutlery, – Box of paper cups (for soup / hot drinks) – no lids / NOT polystyrene, – Wooden stirring sticks for coffee/tea, – Tin foil trays – small & large (can be purchased from Moore Wilsons), – coffee stirring sticks , – Medium tin foil trays (roast pan size) photo below , – Vitamin C & Zinc suplements.
      
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      February 18, 2022 6:05pm
      - Observer of Life
        
        “ RN Kirsten also wants a spa pool & some Allblacks.” ??
        
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        February 18, 2022 7:47pm
- UrbanNeocolonialist
  
  a hong kong study several months back showed serious heart issues for 1 in every 2700 teenage boys in hongkong. Teen boys are most at risk (or at least heart problems are most noticeable in them). And Dr John Campbell had a video about a week back on a peer reviewed paper from a lot of highly respected doctors showing that risks were increased many times over for subsequent dose and boosters.
  
  Research and judge for yourself, but don’t write off the real and reasonable concerns that people have with vaccine safety.
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:59am
- surfing
  
  Perhaps you’d be better off to ignore the sore arms, headaches & other mild reactions (which make up almost all of the events). Noone cares about the risk of a sore arm. I had a sore arm, didn’t bother me at all . In fact, you are supposed to have some reaction, it is the immune system working.
  
  This is the important info ….
  Up to and including 31 January 2022, a total of 147 deaths
  60 unlikely related to the COVID-19 vaccine
  64 could not be assessed due to insufficient information
  21 still under investigation.
  2 likely due to vaccine induced myocarditis
  
  Using maths, 4.75 people have likely died from the vaccine.
  
  The unanswered question is whether these 5’ish people could have been kept alive had they had received better medical care.
  
  It is a terrible thing for someone to die from walking into a vaccine clinic, nonetheless.
  
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  February 18, 2022 10:06am
  - Surely Knott
    
    64 could not be assessed due to insufficient information????
    21 still investigation.
    
    Medsafe deaths do not include all deaths after the vaccine like the covid deaths which is all deaths with covid. Medsafe deaths are only the ones that people reported because they felt they were linked.
    
    64 lack of info?!?!? Where is the anonymised details? What info do they still need. What further investigations are done when this body doesn’t have enough info? How many are sent for an autopsy? And haematology reports? What percentage of those had common death symptoms? How many were heart or clot related. What information are they missing?
    
    What about the 17 year old girl who died suddenlty at Muriwai beach after her vaccine. They said it was unlikely the vaccine and pointed to another medicine but had yet to receive the haematology report. “The Board noted that expert haematology advice has been sought regarding other factors potentially involved and a report had been made to CARM (Centre for Adverse Reactions Monitoring) regarding another ‘suspect medicine’ (ie, possible cause) which would be considered by the Medicines Adverse Reactions Committee in due course.” Did we hear results back of that haematology report? Why did they rule it unlikely when the haematology report hadn’t been received? How long had the 17 year old girl been taking the pill? Has her death been added to the adverse reports for the pill she has taken? Where is the herald article saying which contraceptive pill she took and the warning for others.?
    
    What of the woman in remuera who died suddenly after her shot . They alluded to murder. Why? How did she die was it a knife in her stomach or heart or clot related. Why didn’t they say and why is it a mystery. What did the autopsy show?
    
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    February 18, 2022 11:08am
    - mawm
      
      From what I can ascertain autopsies are being discouraged (WHO, CDC, etc) as the histology seen when done is specific and diagnostic. Broom carpet?
      
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      February 18, 2022 12:27pm
  - Tom Hunter
    
    I had a sore arm, didn’t bother me at all
    
    In July 2021 I had a sore throat and a sniffle for a couple of days, as did the rest of our family. Didn’t bother me.
    
    We likely got it from our eldest bringing it from his workplace, but who knows.
    
    Was it Covid-19 (Delta)? Like all such viruses it was likely in the community for days or weeks before the big test that brought Level 4 crashing down on us once again. I’d love to know but have no access to antibody tests that would tell me. After all, can’t have people knowing they’ve got natural immunity; that would stuff up the vax plan.
    
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    February 18, 2022 11:27am
    - Matt Long
      
      “Surfing had a sore arm,” when I was a stupid teenager I drove my motorcycle drunk, I didn’t even get a sore arm just nausea, therefore according to surfing’s excellent logic riding a motorcycle drunk is perfectly safe for everyone.
      
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      February 18, 2022 2:06pm
  - bronny1
    
    Hang on. Are you saying that permanent disability wouldn’t bother you. Look at the definition of severe provided by medsafe and get your head out of your ass
    
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    February 18, 2022 11:47am
    - surfing
      
      Hysterical insults from anonymous trolls don’t bother me.
      
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      February 18, 2022 1:42pm
  - Jim
    
    So if you see data that indicates a potential problem, but have insufficient information, wouldn’t you be seeking greater fidelity of the data in order to make an informed assessment?
    After all we’re not talking about something as unimportant as sales figures here.
    
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    February 18, 2022 6:01pm
- tf78
  
  I wonder how many road accidents and drownings have causes related to cardiac events brought on by vaccines reactions.
  
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  February 18, 2022 10:28am
  - Surely Knott
    
    The covid deaths count all road deaths and drowing with a positive covid test as covid. But the vaccine deaths do no count all deaths within a certain time of the vaccine.
    
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    February 18, 2022 11:10am
- Other_Andy
  
  This is the sort of reporting you would expect from the New Zealand media. Unfortunately the media in NZ has been bought and has long since abandoned any pretence of being unbiased, honest, independent, capable and inquisitive.
  
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  February 18, 2022 11:58am
- lastmanstanding
  
  A Message to all Members of Parliament
  
  Unless you are hypocrites the next time a citizen comes to your office with a matter you disagree with you will refuse to speak with them.
  
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  February 18, 2022 12:15pm
- Rodion Raskolnikov
  
  In Australia, they are planting the seeds for 5 shots to be deemed “fully vaccinated.” Anyone else noticing a disturbing a trend here, albeit one that has been clearly predictable for many months?
  
  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10520621/Australians-need-five-doses-Covid-vaccine.html
  
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  February 18, 2022 1:49pm
  - Jim
    
    That’s extraordinary, surely more and more people won’t accept that and begin to question their trust in government authority?
    
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    February 19, 2022 3:01am
krazykiwi

The Jacinda Papers – warped advice that fuels her Covid mania

A remarkable series of documents has been produced by a New Zealand organisation called Covid-19 Modelling Aotearoa, hosted by the University of Auckland but funded directly by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. It is headed by the wildly inaccurate Covid modeller Dr Shaun Hendy, who once predicted 80,000 imminent NZ deaths (the current toll being 53) and includes the participation of academics from universities across the country.
:::
The table shown above condemns as ‘disinformation’ many scientific discussions around Covid, most of which the subject of science publishing even in mid-2020. It dismisses them as fallacious without justification. Subsequent data analysis has upheld them in large part. Yet the rejection by Ardern of their moderating tone was and is used to stoke fear in the whole population
:::
Assertions that Covid-19 disproportionately affects those already ill with comorbidities or the aged (a highly verified fact) are outrageously dismissed as the result of ‘ableism’.
A further table asserts that suggestions that the vaccine might have adverse effects or may alter DNA is a conspiracy theory. Subsequently more than 1,000 papers have been published worldwide examining the deficiencies in mRNA vaccination safety and adverse effects reporting, including evidence published late in 2020 that RNA vaccine genetic sequences can and do integrate into the human genome
:::
Obviously, the paper and others may have fuelled and validated Ardern’s limited understanding of science. Science is a global, rational, empirical endeavour to arrive at truth, not a process tailor-made to support ideology. Perhaps its most frightening consequence is Ardern’s rejection of the notion of individual health rights, which has obvious historical parallels.
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February 18, 2022 8:01am
- Mr_Blobby
  
  So this is our apartheid moment, we’ll done jacinda.
  
  So I am am black (unvaccinated ) and am not allowed to go to white (vaccinated ) only establishments, because I am black (unvaccinated ) , not infectious, not that I could tell, the government requisitioned all the tests for their own purposes, just black (unvaccinated), apparently I am a lethal weapon I will kill millions.
  
  Not sure why the vaccinated are so scared of me, they are after all vaccinated, so they are safe right.
  
  They are all wearing masks, (that don’t work) right.
  
  Jacinda is getting all worked up about an anti mandate protests, why is she so concerned, they are just the infectious unclean unvaccinated, by not taking the vaccine they have killed themselves, so the problem will solve itself in time.
  
  Why would you want to risk police getting infected and dying, just maintain your distance and wear a mask.
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:10am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Do a Trudeau and go white face
    
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    February 18, 2022 8:58am
  - Rodion Raskolnikov
    
    You’d think that given all of the world’s various mass pro-rights protests (protests that we are told, and likely correctly, chiefly comprise the unvaccinated), we’d see breathless reports of “super spreading” as a consequence. As far as I can tell these masses of maskless, unvaccinated people living in close proximity for days on end are not resulting in any outbreaks of illness. That alone tells us that they are correct.
    
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    February 18, 2022 12:51pm
    - Ehlana
      
      There’s some chap gets wheeled out on the news quite regularly to solemnly intone that this or that gathering of people is likely to become a superspreader event.
      
      Never heard any follow up reporting that indicates it did, mind you.
      
      Perhaps the worried chap can stop worrying now?
      
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      February 18, 2022 3:49pm
- cmm
  
  This “ableism” bullshit really has to stop.
  
  It is interfering with the medical establishment’s ability to give proper health advice.
  This does not help patients, but does help reinforce the idea that the patient is a passive being and the only measures open are surgery and pharma.
  
  We’re already at the point where doctors are fearful of giving health advice around obesity because these are often construed as “fat shaming”.
  
  We’re paying that crazy Cat Pausé woman to spread the nonsense that massive obesity is not a health issue. She has a PhD in fat studies. Yes, really.
  
  How long before doctors get accused of heart shaming for discussing someone’s dicky heart?
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:17am
  - UrbanNeocolonialist
    
    PhD in reality denial morelike, like most of humanities it is closer to being theology than it is to science
    
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    February 18, 2022 9:03am
  - Mr_Blobby
    
    The pink haired one could be described as plumpy.
    
    I had that conversation with my doctor I told him to stop pushy footing around, I’m fat let’s have that conversation.
    
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    February 18, 2022 10:31am
  - tf78
    
    cmm, I watched an interview with Dr Guy Hatchard the other day and he said just that.
    
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    February 18, 2022 10:32am
- Simon
  
  Cindy and her fetish for keeping “everyone safe” is some sort of security blanket to cope with the utter failure in all areas of her regime. Its all she has got and society will pay the price.
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:46am
  - Don Beckett
    
    Her fetish for keeping everyone safe – not dying from Covid – but you can die from every other complaint, and she doesn’t give a shit. Callous bitch.
    
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    February 18, 2022 11:32am
- oldfella
  
  krazy:
  
  Science is a global, rational, empirical endeavour to arrive at truth, not a process tailor-made to support ideology.
  
  That’s a great description of Maori science. So why all the controversy? /s
  
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  February 18, 2022 11:00am
- Sir Cullen's Sidekick
  
  Some clown is predicting 10,000 cases per day by March. May be the same clown or another clown who predicted 50,000 cases by Waitangi day..
  
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  February 18, 2022 11:31am
  - bronny1
    
    There may well be – but will never make the stats bc who is mad enough to voluntarily get tested?
    
    I had to sign in for a health procedure last night. My first sign in. I’ll be gutted if I become a close contact from one sign in – but while I considered fake details I realised they know from appointments excactly who was there ?
    
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    February 18, 2022 11:51am
    - Observer of Life
      
      Bron: I had a specialist appointment today.
      Staff gave me the rules of engagement when I entered the building…
      • mask on ✅
      • sanitise your hands ✅
      • scan in – sorry can’t, don’t have the app, but I can physically sign in?
      • ahhhh.. ok, don’t worry, we have you noted down as an appointment (no shit Sherlock)?
      • sit in the corner with at least one seat between empty✅
      • please put your mask over your nose ?✅
      
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      February 18, 2022 8:02pm
- Harry Knuts
  
  Jacinda’s vision from march 2020 was to keep everyone safe, i was dead against lockdown process – rather draconian – but i went with it. But here vision/motives to “keep everyone safe” is now 2yrs clearly impeding on everyone rights to have freedom and make their own decisions and now even more compounded by mandates = control = adhere to the rules or lose your freedoms. This i have never agreed with and never will. She has taken this way to far. perhaps she’s so far down her own rabbit-hole of saintly behaviour that she can’t back out. I hope she is human and compassionate enough now to see this before it’s way too late.
  
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  February 18, 2022 1:24pm
  - Jim
    
    I wish that were true, I believe it’s possible she’s being worked from behind.
    
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    February 18, 2022 7:02pm
- Jim
  
  OMG the MDM paper reads like Orwell’s 1984, any view opposing the party orthodoxy is defined as hateful and harmful. I appreciate that their are some vicious trolls out there but a digital discourse (citing official references) should not be considered MDM.
  
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  February 19, 2022 3:16am
pdm

Was the vote of No Confidence in The Despicable Mallard put yesterday?

I cannot find any reference to it anywhere.
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February 18, 2022 8:05am
- Tony Stuart
  
  No. Mallard substituted Adrian Rurawhe in to act as Speaker yesterday, so the Notice of Motion will wait for another day.
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:09am
  - Tony Stuart
    
    UPDATE: Chris Bishop confirms that the Notice of Motion is still on the Order Paper, and there was no attempt to debate it yesterday because Mallard was absent from Parliament.
    
    54 1
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    February 18, 2022 8:50am
    - 70andstilllearning
      
      So stalling by doing an MIA? Perhaps he’ll suddenly have to “isolate” next week!
      
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      February 18, 2022 11:20am
  - pdm
    
    So Mallard is now The Despicable Cowardly Mallard.
    
    Dishes it out but cannot take – no surprises there Inv.
    
    54 2
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    February 18, 2022 9:08am
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      Thought he was ‘sprinkler of the house’
      
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      February 18, 2022 3:12pm
  - tf78
    
    Tony, Mallard is as cunning as a s..t house rat.
    
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    February 18, 2022 10:36am
- mikenmildagain
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  You mean this vote of confidence?
  
  Every Party in Parliament has signed on to a joint-statement saying they will not talk to the convoy protesters until they stop breaking the law.
  The statement was released by Speaker Trevor Mallard in his role as the chair of the Parliamentary Service Commission, after being hammered out between every political party in Parliament – Labour, National, the Green Party, ACT, and the Māori Party.
  
  https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300520438/political-parties-make-jointstatement-to-protesters-we-wont-talk-until-you-clear-roads
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:10am
  - cmm
    
    Astounding. How meekly they comply.
    
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    February 18, 2022 8:18am
  - westernScientest
    
    somewhat different issues though. They can sign on to that, and still say mallard has brought the office into disrepute by his actions interfering with the police.
    
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    February 18, 2022 8:18am
    - cmm
      
      Technically you are correct.
      
      However in this age of divisive politics you have to pick a side. You can’t support Mallard and try to attack him at the same time – that just comes across as being week and confused.
      
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      February 18, 2022 9:10am
      - mikenmildagain
        
        Hah. It’s politics. The political parties in parliament represent over 90% of the voting population. They have no real difference in the approach to public health. But, politics being what it is, they will seek to make hay over trivialities, such as the speaker’s attempt to make protestors comply with the rules that apply to everyone else at parliament.
        
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        February 18, 2022 9:41am
      - cmm
        
        mma: I would agree with you there.
        
        For the most part the meat of their policies is not very different and people couldn’t tell the difference between Labour and National policies except if they’re printed on red or blue paper.
        
        As they say: sell the sizzle, not the steak.
        The steak might be almost identical, but National and Labour sell different sizzles.
        
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        February 18, 2022 10:06am
  - bronny1
    
    if seymour thinks that will win him back the votes he has lost, to quote a much better man than him, “he’s dreaming!”
    Pathetic all of them.
    
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    February 18, 2022 8:24am
    - G152
      
      He had a fair while to go out and talk to the protesters and didn’t.
      Maybe he fancies Cindy
      
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      February 18, 2022 10:29am
    - Positan
      
      Bronny, the one who’s really blown it is Luxon. Aside from the unacceptability of the actualities the protestors have sought to ram to the government, Luxon has floated like a dithering twit, doing absolutely nothing, ignoring the substance of the protestors’ viewpoint and affirming, yet again, that National in its present state is the completely useless party it’s shown itself to be. The political gains alone for National would have been enormous – but its dullard leader couldn’t even grasp that. At least Seymour did – a small credit to him after all the time he also wasted – but a credit nevertheless.
      
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      February 18, 2022 11:16am
      - BAM
        
        He’s a no principles corporate weasel.
        The only thing that sways luxon is what he thinks will get him the most votes.
        
        He’s a Key clone.
        
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        February 18, 2022 12:26pm
  - krazykiwi
    
    A ‘joint statement’. Pffff. If ever there were a sign that representation in a civil democracy was dead, it is this. People driven from their jobs and vilified by state initiated cessation of civil rights demanding to be heard … and the opposition wants them to leave quietly. Utterly reprehensible.
    
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    February 18, 2022 8:52am
    - mawm
      
      Unbelievable. The government openly encroaches on our stated rights, [deleted by Mod, false claim] but will not engage with people who are protesting these breaches because they are allegedly illegally parked. What happened to the other excuses of exhortation of violence and nooses? Even Trudeau did a bit better with his false accusations.
      
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      February 18, 2022 9:17am
  - Weetbix3ways
    
    Protesters ALREADY tried reaching out to the government without camping out on the lawn and blocking streets. Remember all those protests nationwide before this one?
    How did the pollies respond? Exactly the same way as now.
    So no, I don’t expect the protest camp to be going anywhere. These ones are far harder to fool than 2020’s majority of voters.
    
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    February 18, 2022 9:16am
  - Mr_Blobby
    
    Have you considered that the agent provicatures may be linked to the government.
    
    Under cover police etc
    
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    February 18, 2022 12:33pm
    - Harry Knuts
      
      as cynical as i am – yes
      
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      February 18, 2022 1:29pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    How about ‘we won’t clear the roads until the Govt talks?’
    They are avoiding it like leprosy
    
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    February 18, 2022 3:14pm
- Sir Cullen's Sidekick
  
  It is a waste of time and it will be defeated even before it is taken up for discussion.
  
  2 7
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  February 18, 2022 11:39am
  - BAM
    
    You need to stop hiding under your Mums dress and grow a pair.
    
    10 1
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    February 18, 2022 12:27pm
    - Sir Cullen's Sidekick
      
      BAM – I am not an idiot like you hoping for miracles to happen. So stop advising me and wake up and smell the reality of the political world we live in bro.
      
      2 3
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      February 18, 2022 3:49pm
Captain Mainwaring

I’m told that Cuddles Coster is Spindy’s brother in law.
Can anyone confirm this?
If true, this is not a good look by any stretch of the imagination.
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February 18, 2022 8:05am
- Tony Stuart
  
  I don’t think the relationship is as close as that, but I have seen suggestions that Clarke Gayford and Andrew Coster are cousins.
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:10am
  - mikenmildagain
    
    Yes, but you and I are also cousins, Tony.
    
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    February 18, 2022 8:12am
    - Tony Stuart
      
      You can choose your friends mikenmild, but you can’t choose your relatives!
      
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      February 18, 2022 8:25am
      - mikenmildagain
        
        But blood is thicker than water.
        
        4 11
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        February 18, 2022 9:05am
      - Yabster
        
        hmmm hope your kidding for your sake Tony-
        
        5 2
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        February 18, 2022 9:12am
      - H. Upmann
        
        A loyal friend is worth 10,000 relatives.
        
        13 1
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        February 18, 2022 9:18am
      - I remember when
        
        Another Reply/Report error.
        mikeandmildagain.
        90% of blood is water.
        
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        February 18, 2022 9:21am
  - oldfella
    
    Tony, but only one of those cuzzies have vanished. Conspiracy theory time. 😉
    
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    February 18, 2022 11:16am
- mikenmildagain
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  Checks out as much as your other nonsense.
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:11am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  I think you’ve been reading too much disinformation.
  
  Our Dear PM has one sister…and she’s married to
  Ray Dussan
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:16am
  - Captain Mainwaring
    
    Obviously I’ll have to bring my conspiracy theorist friend into line.
    
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    February 18, 2022 8:30am
    - mikenmildagain
      
      Is it the same source as the rest of your rubbish? If so, perhaps take Tony Stuart’s advice about choosing friends.
      
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      February 18, 2022 9:05am
- curry4me
  
  I looked it up earlier. They’re not related.
  
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  February 18, 2022 12:29pm
iMP

Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Oh dear. Matt (who?) King ex Nat northland wants to start a new party to exploit the popularism of the Parl. protest. Winston Peters will eat King for morning tea.

Ex dumped new consv leader Leighton Baker is a rumoured participant. It’s only about self interest: 2 unsuccessful hacks who want back in to the trough using a wave of anti-Govt sentiment amidst a crisis. Self interested mercenaries.
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February 18, 2022 8:06am
- RightNow
  
  It’s either that or the Outdoors party to get the 30% protest vote.
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:09am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    When will this protest vote start showing, much of Curia poll was done after the protesters left their homes
    
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    February 18, 2022 9:08am
- mikenmildagain
  
  Tell us about the more successful hacks you have backed in the past, iMP. Will any of them come riding to the rescue now?
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:17am
  - Simon
    
    “Tell us about the more successful hacks you have backed in the past, iMP. Will any of them come riding to the rescue now?”
    
    Lol – she / he was big on Todd Muller. National tribal members shouldnt go on about failed hacks so much.
    
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    February 18, 2022 8:52am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      Failed hacks like Goof, Shearer, Cunliffe, Little spring yo mind, snd Ardern is Ted biggest failure of them all
      
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      February 18, 2022 9:10am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Plenty voted for that hack Ardern because of the sniffles
    
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    February 18, 2022 9:08am
- bronny1
  
  Either that or they are concerned with the way NZ is going and want to make a difference. They have both put their time and efforts into helping the protesters, and other policies dependent, i will certainly strongly consider voting for them.
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:21am
- pdm
  
  I say good on Matt King .
  
  His party may or may not make but in true New Zealand tradition he is having a go.
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:26am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    If he can gain some traction Northland may be left open for him, because Labour will lose that seat for ever
    
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    February 18, 2022 9:13am
  - Sir Cullen's Sidekick
    
    He will get about 237 party votes.
    
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    February 18, 2022 11:44am
    - Matt Long
      
      In my immediate district
      
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      February 18, 2022 2:14pm
- kevn
  
  @iMP… So you have been to the Welly rally then? Spoken to people there have you?
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:30am
- Simon
  
  Peel some vote off the most uesless gutless National Tribe. Cant be all bad.
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:49am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    He won’t be taking Nat bites unless a desk is done, the Labour Mp will lose next election for sure, either Nats or a Nat support King will win that seat, the useless Labour party are going to lose a huge amount of electorates, Northland being just one of them
    
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    February 18, 2022 10:35am
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  King would have bolted in in Northland, it is quite possible he will be left the seat for his new party if they take some percentage of the vote, there is rumours of many of these small parties joining forces, this pathetic NNP has kind of disappeared, King has left Nats on just one issue, seems to me it’s quite possible a deal is being done, king is extremely popular, he may well win that seat under a new party, Peters will not be eating anything, much of the most recent poll was done after he opened his tapper, and he is still at 1.5% humble pie maybe something nice for the corrupt old prick to eat
  
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  February 18, 2022 9:06am
  - bronny1
    
    It’s not just one issue though is it. It’s mandates but it’s also the much bigger issue of democracy, and representation, which National don’t appear to care about.
    
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    February 18, 2022 11:56am
  - bronny1
    
    Also, you can say its “just one issue” but when you don’t have a vax pass and can’t live a normal life without one, its THE ONLY ISSUE.
    
    Was talking to my neighbour about this earlier. He’s vaxxed but i doubt he will understand why i say its the only issue (he got angry when i said i won’t vote for Luxon or Seymour over this “one issue”) – until he becomes unvaxxed himself. Which isn’t till the end of May i believe.
    
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    February 18, 2022 5:00pm
westernScientest

~30% pro protest, with 25-45 year olds near 50%
Would have been nice to see a gender breakdown

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/127808790/parliament-protest-new-poll-shows-30-per-cent-of-kiwis-support-antimandate-protest
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February 18, 2022 8:07am
- bronny1
  
  Wow, imagine if it was an independent poll!
  Liebour will be shocked about this. Actually they probably all will. Small fringe minority indeed.
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:27am
- pdm
  
  HDPA got about 95% supporting on her brief straw poll on Wednesday afternoon..
  
  There has never been a lot of confidence in the veracity of Horizon Polls – so 60% support may be a truer reflection.
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:29am
  - westernScientest
    
    The self selected herald poll was 49/51 with about 16000 responses as well. I do suspect that support is higher than 30%, and the trend up will continue as long as they dont do anything too stupid.
    The age breakdown is interesting.
    
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    February 18, 2022 8:37am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      Yes, snd they say the poll was very slow then took off, the same fools that are hitting MPs FB pages on mass
      
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      February 18, 2022 9:17am
    - Jim
      
      At this point it’s the politicians that are desperate and most likely to do something stupid.
      Negotiations and reasonable submission is the only intelligent way out for Ardern now (if she wants to save her failing international reputation).
      
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      February 18, 2022 7:19pm
  - tf78
    
    pdm, support for the protestors is growing every day. Good on them I say.
    
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    February 18, 2022 10:55am
    - Matt Long
      
      We can thank Trevor for galvanising support for the protests, he’s really shown what dirtbags he and his mates are.
      
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      February 18, 2022 2:17pm
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  I support the mandate protests too, but I refuse to ho along with this shit all parties have to be scraped, it’s not going to happen, when you look at the people there, there are a large number of Māori, a large number of young, and a large number of women, I think Cindy will have noticed
  
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  February 18, 2022 9:16am
- WaynelSexton
  
  30%???
  I only see about 1% fighting back by not wearing a mask at the grocery store.
  
  So you expect the government to go against the overwhelming majority 2/3 who want masks and vaccines?
  
  How about the 30% just take off their masks and refuse the vaccines instead of putting their faith in a bunch of unemployed losers yelling at a building.
  
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  February 18, 2022 9:40am
  - westernScientest
    
    What other medical procedures shell we mandate? Vasectomies/Hysterectomies maybe?
    I mean it is inflicting all the pains of life on an individual without their consent to have a child. Why shouldn’t the government decide who must or must not do that? It is for the greater good of society after all.
    
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    February 18, 2022 10:18am
    - WaynelSexton
      
      I’m starting to think they should westernScientest.
      Because people who can’t even do the tiniest bit of noncompliance, like walk into a supermarket without a mask on probably shouldn’t breed.
      They can’t even walk in without a mask and wear the one the supermarket gives them. If the 30 % just did that today the mask mandates would essentially be over.
      But no, the only bit of noncompliance most of you can do is anonymously cheer on a bunch of unemployed people yelling at a building.
      
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      February 18, 2022 11:11am
  - Weetbix3ways
    
    The losers are yelling INSIDE the building, and are sadly still very much employed.
    
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    February 18, 2022 10:21am
  - bronny1
    
    Most of them got vaxxed too. Doesn’t mean they support mandates.
    
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    February 18, 2022 11:57am
  - Klondike
    
    I wear a mask not because I want to but out of courtesy to other people. They kill come around once this nothing burger comes to a natural conclusion in 2-3 months
    
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    February 18, 2022 2:20pm
  - Jim
    
    “”Who want masks and vaccines” please add “that work for only 3 months”
    
    Keep trusting the NZ government narrative (ignore the international data) and you may be embarrassed if you revisit revisit your post in two more months.
    
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    February 18, 2022 7:27pm
Tony Stuart

Someone in Andrew Little’s office is in the the mother of all bollockings; Newshub reports:

Health Minister Andrew Little was blindsided by the news 10,000 healthcare workers will go on strike.

Those going on strike include contact tracers and lab workers who carry out COVID-19 testing, saying they’ve had enough of being disrespected by their employers.

There’ll be two 24-hour strikes on March 4 and 18 – when the Omicron outbreak could be at its peak.

“If we go on strike, COVID testing will be delayed. We need to be listened to by the Government and we need to be appreciated for all the work that we do,” says laboratory technician Sue.

But Little was blindsided when asked about it on Thursday.

“I’m not familiar with exactly what you’re talking about so I’m reluctant to comment on that,” he says.

“You’ve ambushed me, I’m sorry, you’ve ambushed me and I’m not familiar with that.”

He later released a statement saying he “gets their frustration” since sometimes negotiations take a long time.

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2022/02/covid-19-andrew-little-blindsided-by-news-10-000-healthcare-workers-will-go-on-strike.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

You might well wonder why the Health Minister didn’t know that key health personnel were going on strike at the height of the Omicron pandemic. It’s almost certainly because he wasn’t briefed on the issue.

Now that in itself doesn’t get Little off the hook; a good Minister will be across issues within his/her portfolio, especially something as significant as this, given that laboratory staff and contact tracers are among those striking. But it’s also why the No Surprises policy exists; to prevent Ministers from getting ambushed or blindsided, both words used in the Newshub story.

There may well be good reasons why Little wasn’t briefed about this, but we’ll never hear what they might have been. Instead, just when you thought that the Labour Government had sunk to the lowest of lows, Andrew Little exclaims “Hold my craft beer”!
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February 18, 2022 8:08am
- Mr_Blobby
  
  Just another minister with “absolutely ” no idea what is happening.
  
  Seriously you did not know that your employees were not happy?
  
  Or you just did not give a fcuk.
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:17am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Why is associate minister Verral doing all the talking
    
    18 1
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    February 18, 2022 9:20am
    - curry4me
      
      Its a very old trick. The boss announces the good news, and gets the praise. an underling announces any bad news, and draws the flak. Bosses that do this are cowards.
      
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      February 18, 2022 12:37pm
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        Who is the boss of New Zealand? or who thinks they are the boss of NZ?
        
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        February 18, 2022 3:32pm
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      She is taking one for the team. Soon she will be thrown under the bus.
      Leaves space for another associate Minister of Health. How many now? 7?
      
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      February 18, 2022 3:31pm
- The Other Enoch
  
  Tony, I understand that Little is one of those ministers who often turns up without reading his briefing papers. Perhaps he has been briefed but has been ‘too busy’ to read them.
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:29am
  - UrbanNeocolonialist
    
    That would be very unsurprising, many labour MPs (most notably the PM) lack the necessary work ethic to do the job competently.
    
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    February 18, 2022 9:08am
  - pdm
    
    `y, I understand that Little is one of those ministers who often turns up without reading his briefing papers.’
    
    Trained by Winston Peters perhaps.
    
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    February 18, 2022 9:11am
    - Tony Stuart
      
      Indeed; Peters was legendary for not reading Cabinet papers.
      
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      February 18, 2022 9:58am
      - gravedodger
        
        Legendary Tony? maybe Notorious more accurate?
        
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        February 18, 2022 11:02am
      - Hollyfield
        
        I was told he hadn’t even unsealed the envelope; he didn’t even attempt to pretend to have done his job.
        
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        February 18, 2022 6:09pm
  - Jim
    
    C’mon man, he’s the Health Minister during a pandemic? Complacency? Dereliction of duty? Or what?
    
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    February 18, 2022 7:32pm
    - RichardF
      
      Mountain biking?
      
      1 0
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      February 18, 2022 9:34pm
- Opie
  
  A health minister (somehow) whi doesnt even know critical health staff are striking.
  
  You cant make this up.
  
  He is a terrible human and awful member of parliament.
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:33am
  - pdm
    
    `A health minister (somehow) whi doesnt even know critical health staff are striking.’
    
    He isn’t even in the inner cabal running Covid.
    
    Imagine Tony Ryall or even Annette King allowing that to happen.
    
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    February 18, 2022 9:13am
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  Cindy probably knew, but left Little to struggle, taking the pressure off her for a short time
  
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  February 18, 2022 9:19am
- tf78
  
  Tony, it begs the question, if he’s not on top of his health portfolio what is he up to?
  
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  February 18, 2022 10:59am
- curry4me
  
  The sound you just heard is me laughing my tits off!
  
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  February 18, 2022 12:34pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Bit late to the party. Just found out about Russel Coutts this morning.
Russel Coutts is a leader – just what this protest needs. Forget his history of The Americas Cup, the protesters need a leader/spokesman real bad.
I wonder if he will offer? I do hope so.
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February 18, 2022 8:08am
- westernScientest
  
  He is a smart dude to. There were some comments here a few days ago saying that the protest needed some intellectual muscle. With no one else stepping up, it may well be him. Hopefully he is well read in the appropriate subject areas, and does it well.
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:16am
- mikenmildagain
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  There’s a whole separate post on this, Steve.
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:21am
  - leoj
    
    Why would you be concerned that the subject is in two places?
    Let me guess. You want it shut down.
    Too late. You and your ilk have lost touch.
    Milk and ilk – what a coincidence!
    
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    February 18, 2022 9:08am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Who are you? The KB police?
    
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    February 18, 2022 11:46am
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      It is just Mike being Mike – troll and diverts attention
      
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      February 18, 2022 3:48pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    That means you can divert attention on two posts Mike.
    Go for it
    
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    February 18, 2022 3:47pm
- Maggie Pie
  
  What about my bestie – Gilda?
  Star of….. ‘Real Housewives of Auckland’.
  She set up tent there a couple of days ago as well.
  One of the girls at tennis reckons that’s why Russ is going down 😛
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:39am
- Shaun the Sheep
  
  With respect Steve, the protesters have very strong leadership.
  That such a disparate group is as organised as they are is testament to a quality of leadership many businesses and municipal/government authorities can only dream of.
  (Looking at you, Luxon, Coster, Chambers, Foster, Mallard, Ardern)
  The fact they are also so low profile is also a strategic strength.
  I’ve never thought of Coutts as principled. Time will tell if he has a role, or if it’s more of his trademark WIIFM.
  
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  February 18, 2022 9:00am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    There leadership is that strong, no one can get to speak to them, as no one knows who they are
    
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    February 18, 2022 9:31am
    - bronny1
      
      It’s not that hard to figure it out is it.
      
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      February 18, 2022 12:00pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    They need a non political leader – some one who is not controlled by the left or right
    
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    February 18, 2022 3:51pm
  - Jim
    
    Agree StS, I can only wish these ‘modest and capable leaders’ were our NZ cabinet. NZ international reputation and domestic life would be a whole lot better.
    
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    February 18, 2022 7:37pm
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  He will get there before Peters does
  
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  February 18, 2022 9:27am
- Sir Cullen's Sidekick
  
  He will be there with the crowd for about 15 mts, have a cup of tea and then bugger off.
  
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  February 18, 2022 11:58am
- Rodion Raskolnikov
  
  I genuinely commend Coutts for speaking his mind, and I encourage everyone (well-known or anonymous) doing likewise. But I disagree that the protest needs a leader. It has been made very clear what they are demanding as a whole, so rather than having one “spokesman” representing them, a better strategy is a decentralised movement with everyone pushing in the same direction. It is impossible to “cut of the head” of a decentralised movement, so they are often more effective. A centralised representative spokesman can be singled out and targeted, as well as giving concessions that do not represent the whole.
  
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  February 18, 2022 1:03pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Jaspinda can not talk with more than one person at a time – if she does the non meaning waffle is double.
    30 minutes and everyone goes ‘what did she just say?’
    
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    February 18, 2022 3:53pm
Rusty

If their were 1,513 community cases in NZ yesterday with 1,140 cases in Auckland then why did Wellington only have 20?

I thought the govt and our health experts said these anti-social and unhygienic protesters in Wellington would be super spreaders.

Shouldn’t their be a mass outbreak of cases in the capital in the last 10 days since the protests began?
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February 18, 2022 8:11am
- Tony Stuart
  
  I don’t imagine many of those at the protest at Parliament would be lining up to be tested for Covid.
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:23am
  - bronny1
    
    and yet, are they sick?
    
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    February 18, 2022 8:49am
    - westernScientest
      
      how would they know if they dont get tested!
      (/sarc for those sarcasm impaired individuals)
      
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      February 18, 2022 9:13am
- westernScientest
  
  a couple of days ago it was being pushed that it was going to be a super spreader of E. coli or some other gastro bug.
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:39am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  I think the mass outbreak is in Police Headquarters…
  https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/127811633/challenging-times-staff-at-police-hq-test-positive-for-covid19
  
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  February 18, 2022 9:04am
  - Tony Stuart
    
    I think it’s only a matter of time until an MP tests positive, and Mallard has the excuse he’s been looking for to shut Parliament completely.
    
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    February 18, 2022 10:28am
    - cmm
      
      “shut Parliament completely”
      
      How could you tell?
      
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      February 18, 2022 12:23pm
    - Nickc2
      
      He could always get Cindy to fake it. She’s good at that.
      
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      February 18, 2022 1:05pm
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        Ouch
        
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        February 18, 2022 3:58pm
- UrbanNeocolonialist
  
  went to a gathering last night with many kids in attendance (all masked, but indoors). One of them coughing so I made sure to spend more time around him. Here’s hoping I caught something.
  
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  February 18, 2022 9:11am
- backster
  
  Rusty……..Maybe the protestors are migrants from Auckland seeking a safe refuge.
  
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  February 18, 2022 9:47am
  - Rusty
    
    You could be right.
    
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    February 18, 2022 12:20pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    There are quite a few. Govt seem to be in defence mode and ignoring the public – as they do
    
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    February 18, 2022 4:00pm
artemisia

Yesterday there was a sad story about a Masters graduate living with parents in Auckland for 4 months while trying to find a flat to rent in Wellington.

She says –

“The situation is so dire, it reaches the point where someone will apply for a flat like this. I’m applying for flats that I know don’t meet the Healthy Homes standards, just because I need somewhere to live. I shouldn’t have to make sacrifices to get a roof over my head.

Slight problem with her sad and entitled story – there are hundreds of rental vacancies and flatmates wanted advertised in Wellington (Trademe) today and that’s just Wellington Central and nearby suburbs. So either she can’t afford them or landlords / flatties won’t make her an offer.

Supply not a problem then. Credit and tenant history might be. Affordable rent might be despite government top ups. (Now I wonder why that is.)

And BTW despite what MBIE apparently confirms, it is not illegal to rent a room with no windows or skylight if the room meets the specified exemption, not that unusual in Wellington. Maybe MBIE is not aware of their own legislation.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/wellington/127802294/bang-for-your-buck-350-per-week-for-windowless-former-brothel-room
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February 18, 2022 8:12am
- Southern Raider
  
  When I was at Uni goths would have loved a room like that
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:27am
- westernScientest
  
  I hear there is a popular campsite nearby
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:41am
- cmm
  
  What is the biggest problem is entitlement.
  
  Why does someone really need to live in a Healthy Homes endorsed dwelling?
  
  What has happened to the tougher younger crowd that grew up camping or living in a squat when OEing in Europe? Nope, now they consider anything less than 5 stars slumming it.
  
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  February 18, 2022 9:25am
  - artemisia
    
    I’m all for warm and dry rentals. As long as tenants are prepared to pay the rent. Otherwise there is heavily taxpayer subsidised social housing. For the extremely patient.
    
    Cheap, fast, good – choose any two.
    
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    February 18, 2022 10:38am
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      Same in the engineering trade – only two
      
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      February 18, 2022 4:03pm
- Weetbix3ways
  
  When I was last studying around a decade ago, my family and I lived in a house that ought to have been demolished long before.
  
  There was no way to properly lock it up. Except the front door, that was screwed into the frame on all sides.
  Most lights didn’t work on arrival on account of having been smashed out.
  No internal door handles worked or in some cases existed; Master bedroom had a rope through the handle hole.
  Etc.
  Rented through an agency that also treated their tenants based on the quality of property they lived in (ie treated us like trash).
  
  We dealt with it, and moved onward and upwards as our means improved on completion of the study.
  
  Toughen up, I say. It is entitled to believe you can live in situations like that of your (presumably long hard-working) parents when you are but a student.
  
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  February 18, 2022 10:32am
- Paulus
  
  My Wellington Granddaughter is out of her friendly 3 year flat as owners selling.
  Says she will have no problem finding another one again.
  
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  February 18, 2022 1:46pm
iMP

Coutts is pitching for parliament. “Hello Russell. Chris Lux. here. Love your work. Let’s have a beer…”
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February 18, 2022 8:13am
- fightingtemeraire
  
  I hope Russel would reply with 4 Q 2
  
  Say it fast. Radio Operator short hand
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:25am
- RightNow
  
  Haha, the old political parties will be wetting their beds some more
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:34am
- Dougal10
  
  Chris Lux can’t talk to him since he signed up to mallards pledge.
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:40am
  - Sir Cullen's Sidekick
    
    Chris Lux will even apply for Labour membership if we are not careful.
    
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    February 18, 2022 12:01pm
    - curry4me
      
      No need. All National MPs have had it gratis since the mid 60s. That’s why they’re called Labour lite. Matt King didn’t renew his.
      
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      February 18, 2022 12:45pm
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  Give it time, one case lurking there, and it will become a hell hole, the protesters won’t get tested either, it will become a nightmare
  
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  February 18, 2022 9:48am
  - Weetbix3ways
    
    How will they know there’s a case if no-one gets tested?
    
    Noticed recently how many people are being hospitalized with this ‘deadly virus’ vs number of known cases? Even FEWER because of the virus (let’s not conflate the two!)
    
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    February 18, 2022 10:58am
  - cmm
    
    The protestors are generally a healthy mob. They are generally not in the 10% or less of people in the worst health that are getting the worst impact of CV19.
    
    On top of that they’ve getting some sunshine. Probably helping their Vit D levels no end.
    
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    February 18, 2022 11:07am
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      Wellington has sunshine? really?
      3 days a year//
      
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      February 18, 2022 4:08pm
    - bronny1
      
      Also, of the 3,000 that have died with covid in Aussie, apparently (source: SKY news) only 80-something actually died “of” covid. All hte others had at least 3 comorbidities.
      The average age of the 80 that died “of”, 81 for men and 86 for women.
      
      I don’t think there are too many with the required demographics at the protest.
      
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      February 18, 2022 5:05pm
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  Hmm, Waitaki maybe, he does own a dairy farm there, and I think the MP there will be moving on
  
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  February 18, 2022 11:48am
  - Dougal10
    
    He can’t do any worse that our current mp .
    
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    February 18, 2022 3:47pm
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      Are you in Waitaki?
      
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      February 18, 2022 6:05pm
Opie

1539 cases yesterday. 1206 in vaccinated people. Oops.

But but it keeps you out of hospital…

Total increase in hospitilisation this week is 23, of which 16 are fully vaxxed and only 3 are unvaxxed. Double oops.

And do we need to tank the country because 16 people had to go to hospital?

I thought red light was for when hospitilisations were unsustainable?

Even for the most stubborn out there it must be obvious that the virus infects both unvaccinated and vaccinated in equal amounts and if the numbers continue the way they are the hospitilisation numbers will even up too. It’s now the denial stage.

Lets hear anyone justify the use of mandates and passes based on the above?

You simply cant, especially for a virus that is now causing so little harm.
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February 18, 2022 8:18am
- cmm
  
  “I thought red light was for when hospitilisations were unsustainable?”
  
  It was exactly the same for Level 4 under the old Level system.
  
  Level 4 was for when hospitals were completely overrun and other services would have to be curtailed to redirected to serving CV19 patients.
  
  But what we saw was ridiculous: we immediately went to Level 4 and hospitals were effectively shut down. People such as myself had appointments cancelled – causing me to miss important cardiac testing for 4 months. For me the outcomes were not serious (beyond having to stay on nasty meds for an extra 3 months), but for many people the outcode was far more serious and many people would have lost years of quality life.
  
  During that time, Christchurch hospital had a maximum of two or three CV19 patients. Most of the time it was zero or one.
  
  Shutting down a whole hospital system for one or two cases is beyond absurd.
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:40am
  - bronny1
    
    you were fortunate. My neighbour who got his heart surgery put off for better part of 18 mths (also in CHCH) has just come off life support. He’s been in hospital over a month after surgery that failed due to his deterioration while he waited. Fit 55ish, physical job. He might survive, but without the surgery being completed….
    
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    February 18, 2022 8:52am
    - bronny1
      
      You gotta wonder who downticks a guy needlessly hospitalised.
      
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      February 18, 2022 12:03pm
  - MCōs
    
    The whole hospital system wasn’t closed down, of course, but I know what you mean.
    
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    February 18, 2022 9:03am
- Surely Knott
  
  Ministry of Health NZ gives no definition for what a hospitalisation is. Here is how it is defined in NSW, Oz.
  
  “Hospital admissions are counted in this report where the COVID-19 diagnosis is at least two
  weeks before or six weeks after the onset of illness. This does not necessarily mean all hospitalisations
  were attributable to the COVID-19 diagnosis. ”
  
  So am I reading this right. If you get covid 5 weeks after you were at hospital, you are a “hospitalised with covid” statistic.
  
  https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/covid-19/Documents/in-focus/hospitalisations.pdf
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:48am
  - Mummy
    
    I read somewhere that in the UK anyone who dies of anything who had tested positive for covid in the past 28 days is classified as a covid death.
    
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    February 18, 2022 11:45am
    - Rodion Raskolnikov
      
      According to the WHO, a “Covid death” is defined as follows:
      
      “A death due to COVID-19 is defined for surveillance purposes as a death resulting from a clinically compatible illness, in a probable or confirmed COVID-19 case, unless there is a clear alternative cause of death that cannot be related to COVID disease (e.g. trauma). There should be no period of complete recovery from COVID-19 between illness and death.
      
      A death due to COVID-19 may not be attributed to another disease (e.g. cancer) and should be counted independently of preexisting conditions that are suspected of triggering a severe course of COVID-19.”
      
      https://www.who.int/classifications/icd/Guidelines_Cause_of_Death_COVID-19.pdf?ua=1
      
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      February 18, 2022 1:11pm
- UrbanNeocolonialist
  
  If aussie experience is a guide it will go up to 1000 ish in hospital (stays tend to be only a few days), and maybe 70-100 in ICU at peak. Similar to a normal flu season.
  
  2020 showed us (in their absence) that respiratory diseases kill about 1000-1500 over a normal winter. Omicron is expected to be about half of that.
  
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  February 18, 2022 9:16am
Warren

I have heard that most of the Publc Servants in Wellington believe Jacinda Ardern our Prime Minister is a great leader and think she is the only one that’s capable of leading us through Covid19 and all it’s variants.
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February 18, 2022 8:21am
- Southern Raider
  
  That is a why Wellington needs to be cancelled and those basic functions moved to regional cities
  
  That area of Wellington is like one big university student association for adults
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:28am
- cmm
  
  I have heard that most pigs like the people that put slops in their trough and occasionally scratch them behind the ears.
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:33am
  - Warren
    
    Well cmm is it any difference to your waffle about National and Chris Luxon.
    
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    February 18, 2022 8:44am
    - cmm
      
      No, not waffles. I just baked some scones though…
      Unfortunately I’m in Chch so I can’t drop a batch off at the Beehive.
      
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      February 18, 2022 11:08am
  - Yabster
    
    oink oink- the name public servants should really be changed- more like “we don’t give a toss about the public and we serve ourselves and Cindy” – probably a bit long I suppose.
    
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    February 18, 2022 8:45am
- RightNow
  
  Well they suffered no financial loss, kept their cushy jobs and largely have been “working” from home throughout lockdowns, so it’s hardly surprising.
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:35am
  - Suze Wainwright
    
    Yep, that’s pretty much it. Makes it very easy for academics, teachers and public servants to sit comfortably at home and smarmily text RNZ in support that it’s ‘not about the economy,’ you morons…
    
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    February 18, 2022 9:25am
- Sir Cullen's Sidekick
  
  Not only public servants, but lot of women and giggling teenagers believe Jacinda is actually an angel sent from heaven to save NZ. No wonder Labour is considered better in Leadership and Covid response.
  
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  February 18, 2022 12:03pm
Southern Raider

Health system failing already

Hearing about multiple people waiting up to 5 days (in one instance never getting a result) from PCR tests required due to close contacts.

More people refusing to get a test or scan in.

Hospitality on its knees and Tourism about to go terminal with risk we can’t reboot

2022 is looking like the downfall of Jacindamania as working NZ fights back
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February 18, 2022 8:25am
- Simon
  
  Wait until winter Comrade. Its gonna be grim.
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:58am
  - I remember when
    
    Once again the government is going to be lucky.
    Omicron will be at worst a lingering tail by Winter.
    Almost, the timing, makes you wonder if you’re a ‘conspiracy theorist.’
    End of March/middle of April will reveal what the damage is going to be.
    
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    February 18, 2022 9:30am
- Tony Stuart
  
  A Twitter friend had a child who was a close contact of another girl at her school. They waited seven days for test result.
  
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  February 18, 2022 10:30am
- Jim
  
  No way Southern Raider, our DPM Robbo keeps saying our economy has bounced back………..shame it’s to 1948
  
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  February 18, 2022 7:52pm
piglady

I travelled down to Wellington on Tuesday with a Ute load of food, bedding and clothing. The food delivered to the fantastic team in Grant Rd and the bedding and clothes off loaded to a group of people happy to take it up to the administration tent.
I spent two days at the protest and it will be one of those memorable things I’ve done in my life that I am really proud of.
I went down to protest as an unvaccinated woman who has not been able to enter my mothers rest home since the mandates began. Fortunately, until recently my mum has come out to me and I’ve had special quality time with her. The last two weeks she had deteriorated hugely and so my contact with her was through her window.
My beautiful mother passed away during my last night in Wellington and I have driven home yesterday to help my brothers with all that needs to happen next.
I’m very sad but I am enormously pleased that I went and I am very likely to go again.
Sorry to those checking my grammar, I’m not well educated but my heart is in the right place.
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February 18, 2022 8:27am
- Tony Stuart
  
  Sincere condolences on the passing of your mother.
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:41am
  - RightFirstTime
    
    I support your condolences Tony. I must say that from this post and other posts you put up on this blog you show yourself to be a person of class – an attribute on which you and Mallard are light years apart.
    
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    February 18, 2022 3:18pm
- Tricati
  
  Thank you for supporting the protest and my sincere condolences at your loss – Take care.
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:53am
- bronny1
  
  so sorry for your loss. You should be proud for fighting for what’s right. Not being able to have normal interactions with your mum at that time is not right!
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:54am
- leoj
  
  Bravo for your efforts.
  Your Mum would have been proud.
  Fight the good fight.
  
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  February 18, 2022 9:14am
- RightNow
  
  Sorry to hear about your mother passing and the difficulty just being able to see her in her last days.
  Your experience of the protest is similar to a number of people I’ve spoken to about it, even a few who went there to jeer but instead came back with reports of an amazing experience.
  
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  February 18, 2022 9:23am
- cmm
  
  Thank you piglady.
  It sounds like you have had a wonderful relationship with your mother to look back on.
  
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  February 18, 2022 9:32am
- curry4me
  
  Please accept my sincere condolences.
  
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  February 18, 2022 12:50pm
- krazykiwi
  
  My sincere condolences, piglady. I know for a fact that your heart is in the right place. Go well.
  
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  February 18, 2022 3:34pm
- Observer of Life
  
  So sorry to hear of your mum’s passing Piglady. It’s always a difficult time, but doubly so when you haven’t been able to have the contact you would have wanted. And well done with the donations to this incredibly important cause.
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:28pm
nathie

I haven’t joined the chorus of those criticising National and ACT over their initial response to the protest, because as some others have pointed out they are in a no-win situation (eg the Labour sympathetic media, and Labour Party apparatchiks and activists on Social Media would simply frame National and ACT MP’s with the radical element (or Ardern’s so-called “imported” element) at the protest.

But …. if I understood yesterday’s announcement correctly (?), it appears that Speaker Mallard has sought agreement for all political parties to NOT speak to the protesters.

If this is correct, then National and ACT need to now reject this. First of all, how dare Speaker Mallard interfere with the Parliamentary Press Gallery last week by telling those journalists not to speak to the protesters. So secondly, how dare Speaker Mallard now try and muzzle all other political parties (be they National, ACT, the Maori Party and even the hypocritical Greens.

The optics of this is appalling. Speaker Mallard is responsible for Parliamentary Services NOT the political parties – especially the Opposition.

This protest is for Labour to handle, they are in power, they instigated unpractical and unworkable rules around Covid, dragged the chain on all sorts of issues such as approving RAT tests, keeping MIQ working as if it was still 2020 conditions (pre-vaccine, as travellers are now double vaccinated), are destroying the event industry with the ridiculous red light setting and now won’t offer relief to businesses affected by the absurd self-isolation rules.

National and ACT – you can bet if the foot was on the other shoe and National and ACT were the current government, there is no way Labour (and Greens) would be supporting you guys. They would agitate at the protests and work with the media to frame the narrative that the Nat/ACT got were “arrogant and out of touch” etc.

Yes, National and ACT need to be aware of any radical elements (and Speaker Mallard should be briefing all political parties on any potential such threats), but National and ACT (and the Greens and MP) need to interact with those genuine protesters concerned about the mandates.
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February 18, 2022 8:29am
- bronny1
  
  I believe the agreement was put forward by Seymour who is now congratulating himself about being the Party of Law and Order.
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:55am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    He is suggesting that if they move the cars, snd stop harassing business owners they they will be able yo speak
    
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    February 18, 2022 9:54am
    - bronny1
      
      And remove their structures. You know, the ones they sleep in during the protest. Like the protesters are stupid.
      
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      February 18, 2022 12:06pm
- Simon
  
  If at this point National or ACT have not worked out the right thing to do they will always be garbage.
  
  Tariana Turia says the regime are abusing their powers. She is right.
  
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  February 18, 2022 9:02am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Mallard is that regime
    
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    February 18, 2022 9:55am
    - Tony Stuart
      
      Dame Tariana, always a straight shooter, did not have many nice things to say about Speaker Mallard.
      
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      February 18, 2022 10:32am
- leoj
  
  Nats, Luxon, Bishop and Seymour are horrifically out of touch.
  Both parties need a wake-up call.
  If they had shut up, their polling would have been better. Fools, all of them.
  
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  February 18, 2022 9:18am
  - Batman
    
    No point trying to catch guppies when you’re fishing from a Marlin boat.
    
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    February 18, 2022 9:21am
    - oldfella
      
      WTH does that mean, Batty?
      
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      February 18, 2022 11:32am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Nats polling is booming FFS, look at the people on the ground, Māori, young , Women, activists, who do you think will cop it
    
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    February 18, 2022 9:57am
    - Sir Cullen's Sidekick
      
      They will still vote Labour and Jacinda on any given day!!
      
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      February 18, 2022 12:24pm
- Wayne Mapp
  
  How likely is it that National and Act would immediately go back on a statement they agreed to just yesterday?
  National and Act haven’t been forced into the statement, they agreed to it voluntarily and presumably helped write it.
  I must say I was rather surprised that Act did agree. I would have expected that Act would not do so.
  Presumably National and Act agreed on the basis they want to encourage the protestors to at least move their vehicles, so traffic can move and businesses reopen. That at least seems plausible, and to my view is a reasonable request.
  I think shifting the tents, etc off the parliament lawn is much less likely. I think we can anticipate the “camp in” at Parliament will last at least a month, maybe longer.
  
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  February 18, 2022 9:21am
  - Tony Stuart
    
    I can’t help but laugh that Mallard, having spent all last weekend antagonising the protesters then slagging them off this week as “ferals” thinks that he could possibly broker an agreement between them and Parliament. Even his wife has slagged him off, via a comment in her latest Listener article:
    
    Being blasted by James Blunt and the brain-hostaging Macarena was bound to fail for sheer unoriginality
    
    That might explain why Mallard has spent much of the time since the protest began in the Speaker’s apartment at Parliament!
    
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    December 18, 2021 10:37am
  - westernScientest
    
    Yep, but by saying they have to do everything before they will get anything, they have pretty much guarantied the vehicles wont be moved. If they had have just said move the vehicles they might all be in the parking lot by now.
    
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    February 18, 2022 9:31am
  - Tom Hunter
    
    A week ago you said you expected the police to move on the protestors in about a week’s time.
    
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    February 18, 2022 9:54am
    - Wayne Mapp
      
      I imagine the Police Commissioner was of the same view a week ago, but like all of us he has had time to re-evaluate.
      Will he even try to shift the cars and vehicles? It is much less certain that he will do so than it was a few days ago.
      I think negotiation is now the most likely way forward.
      So yes, a long haul protest. I also think that political parties will relent on the tent issue, if they see progress on the car issue.
      
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      February 18, 2022 11:31am
      - Matt Long
        
        Sure, because the more you give away for nothing in negotiating, the more the side in the position of power relents, it’s called complying your way to freedom and works just great. //
        
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        February 18, 2022 2:28pm
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        So Coster is your cuzzy bro too?
        
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        February 18, 2022 4:22pm
      - Wayne Mapp
        
        Since that post I see the Commissioner has said he won’t move any vehicles except by consent of the owners.
        
        The protest movement now has full control of the parliament forecourt and Molesworth St and look like they will do so for some weeks. But they don’t control the buildings themselves, and probably they don’t want to. It does not seem that the protestors actually want to stop parliament functioning. In addition the police have been vigilant in protecting the buildings.
        
        However, one does wonder whether the police would actually protect the buildings if the protestors wanted to occupy them. That is, if the protestors wanted a 6 January moment. I don’t think they do want such a moment, but can you rule it out?
        
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        February 18, 2022 5:25pm
      - Tom Hunter
        
        That is, if the protestors wanted a 6 January moment. I don’t think they do want such a moment, but can you rule it out?
        
        A truly frightening thought. Crowds of people wandering around aimlessly inside while taking selfies and following rope lines. My God, they might even halt the passage of Parliamentary laws for a few hours while MP’s hide under their benches and then where would be?
        
        With luck one of them might get shot by protective details while another gets beaten to death by them. Then we could have an government inquiry for a year or so to pin the blame on National/ACT leading up to the election.
        
        Perfect.
        
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        February 18, 2022 8:38pm
      - Wayne Mapp
        
        Tom
        
        The Jan 6 protestors weren’t in the Capitol Building just wandering about and taking selfies. They were actually trying to stop the Congress from certifying a lawful election. Not exactly what you would expect in one of most mature democracies in the world.
        
        Fortunately things are nowhere near that in New Zealand.
        
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        February 19, 2022 7:57am
  - cmm
    
    “Presumably National and Act agreed on the basis they want to encourage the protestors to at least move their vehicles, so traffic can move and businesses reopen. That at least seems plausible, and to my view is a reasonable request.”
    
    Possibly, but how do you encourage people to do things unless you actually engage with them?
    
    Likewise, making requests – reasonable or not.
    
    Luxton has even beefed up his security detail. How is that in any way a conciliatory move?
    
    If the MPs (of all stripes) show no desire to talk or negotiate, then why do they expect the demonstrators will roll over and comply?
    
    If the MPs really want to achieve something other than power play then they need to:
    1. Acknowledge that the demonstrators represent a reasonable % of the NZ population. Even if we accept the low-ball 30%, that is still more people than vote for Act or more than were going to vote for a Andrew Little-led Labour).
    2. Stop using parliament as a way to belittle and rubbish the views of a healthy % of the citizens.
    3. At least talk to them.
    
    So far the MPs are doing everything they can do to escalate the situation. Unacceptable.
    
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    February 18, 2022 9:59am
    - curry4me
      
      Yes, they are excellent recruiters for the protestors.
      
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      February 18, 2022 12:57pm
  - Cinematic
    
    The agreement was basically asking the protestors can you please move your cars? It’s actually opened a window to dialogue. I imagine the cars will be moved. Then the politicians will have to get outdoors.
    
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    February 18, 2022 10:03am
    - westernScientest
      
      no it wasnt that is the issue, it was:
      Move the cars, remove the tents, stop ‘intimidating’ behaviour (whatever that means in malards head) then we might consider talking to you.
      It wasn’t even a will talk, it was a might talk.
      
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      February 18, 2022 11:35am
  - nathie
    
    @ Wayne Mapp. Thanks, you raise fair points and I can see where you are coming from.
    
    But here’s the “but” part. This is Labour’s and the Speaker’s problem – not National’s and ACT’s!
    
    Speaker Mallard has overstepped the line on so many occasions with this protest and National and ACT should be distancing themselves both from him and his “authoritarian/1984-esque” dictates.
    
    Yes some of the protestor cars need to be moved from private property eg VUW’s carpark and I’m comfortable with National/ACT calling for that.
    
    But moving the protestors cars from the rest of the (public, not private?) streets is another issue for the WCC and the Labour Govt to resolve. National/ACT should keep away from that in terms of agreeing with the Speaker.
    
    Finally as ex-Police negotiator Burdett has repeatedly said, negotiations need to commence. National and ACT should be calling for Labour to negotiate (even if Nat/ACT position, at the moment, is not to negotiate themselves. After all they don’t have to (officially) as they are not the govt)!
    
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    February 18, 2022 10:48am
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  Nope, Mallard has dictated to them, do not forget we are in a dictatorial regime, we are no longer a democracy, what if he said your party will be expelled from parliament if you try and speak to them? As each day goes by there is definitely a fringe lunatic element, did you see the protest trying to shut down one of their own on TV spouting about the third tower falling in NY he was convicted the FBI knocked down the third tower, are you telling me that type of person is middle NZ?
  
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  February 18, 2022 9:53am
- curry4me
  
  National have missed the bus. ACT are running after it as it accellerates away. What would Muldoon do?
  
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  February 18, 2022 12:53pm
surfing

USA has hit 1 million excess deaths. Apply this to NZ on a per capita basis and without lockdowns we would have had 15-16 thousand covid deaths.

The NZ annual mortality rate due to all causes is approx 33,000 people. Covid has been around for several years, so that would be an increase in total deaths over 2 years from 66,000 to 81,000. i.e, a 22% increase.

I’d ‘guess’ the majority of excess deaths were covid ‘hastened’ deaths. People with serious co-morbidity illnesses/conditions.

My view is the first lockdown was arguably justified, the second lockdown was directly caused by government incompetence.
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February 18, 2022 8:35am
- I remember when
  
  Of the people the first lockdown saved – up to 41.66% will have perished since.
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:54am
- UrbanNeocolonialist
  
  USA has had ridiculously high mortality levels compared to other countries. But then they are the fattest western nation (NZ is 2nd due to our Maori >50% and PI >70%!!!!) with the worst access to health care.
  https://data.worldobesity.org/rankings/
  
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  February 18, 2022 9:27am
- Fuzzysnuggleduck
  
  Sigh.
  As with the UK and Aussie and even here, the Covid stats don’t stand up to scrutiny. # of deaths, nor # of hospitalisations.
  In US hospitals in particular, there was a financial incentive to test for Covid; more $$ if a Covid case.
  So this means that a car crash victim, scraped off the road, can be swabbed.
  So the 1,000,000 dead number. Uhuh, yeah, right.
  “Lies, damned lies, and statastics”, attributed to Mark Twain.
  
  Beside, the much more sober Otago Covid Research Group said in early 2020 that 14,000 dead was the upper limit, assuming zero government mitigation of any kind, and 98% certainty the number will NOT eventuate.
  ….Because models give a range of outcomes, depending on what assumption is fed in.
  However, the 80,000 dead via Auckland modellers (Cash-money Hendy) was the one the media and government latched on to.
  Hmm, I wonder why.
  What harm they have collectively done.
  
  There is no reason to hold to such nonsense any more, of inventive attempts to translate death rates in a place like the USA onto NZ population.
  Our lesser reliance on public transport, smoking rates, density of population etc. Just like there were age demographics and housing peculiarities in Milan that means deaths were higher there.
  Silly “>10,000 death” numbers presume we were going to be struck many fold worse than New York and the other worst localities in the world.
  
  C’mon dude. Even the 3.5% mortality rate was revised by the WHO early last year to be 0.5% (I have posted the link here before). And now we know that Omicron is something like 20x less deadly.
  Tens of thousands were not saved.
  No more than a rock in my garden keeps away bears.
  “I don’t see any bear around here, do you?”
  Ergo – my bear-repelling rock works. To paraphrase the Simpsons dialogue around the Bear Patro, and Homer wanting to buy the rock; this was trying to teach people that correlation does not equal causation.
  
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  February 18, 2022 2:12pm
  - Fuzzysnuggleduck
    
    Here’s the Simpsons clip:
    It was a ‘Tiger repelling rock’ actually.
    Q: How does it work?
    “It doesn’t work, it’s just a stupid rock. But I don’t see any tigers around here. Do you?”
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fm2W0sq9ddU
    
    “Lisa, I want to buy your rock”
    
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    February 18, 2022 2:21pm
- Jim
  
  I’d ‘guess’ the majority of excess deaths were covid ‘hastened’ deaths. People with serious co-morbidity illnesses/conditions.
  
  Yep 100% sir, and borne out by much international data.
  
  But sshhhh we mustn’t talk openly about one’s personal responsibility to do our best in maintaining health and fitness as it shames the lazy, and might well be considered hurtful and/or hateful by the MDM police at AK Uni.
  
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  February 19, 2022 4:05am
ecco

Anyone who thinks the protest will go on for months hasn’t lived in Wellington. The weather is just miserable at times. The 100+ km winds, horizontal rain and bone chilling temperatures in a southerly, unfortunately will probably end the protests or diminish their size substantially. I’ve got a friends who had their trampoline get lifted, airborne and sent over the adjacent bank in the Wellington winds. That kind of wind. Think Cape Reinga winds, or the wind strength at the Catlins beaches. Molesworth St in particular is a wind tunnel along that strip with parliament and the office buildings.

The ‘good’ weather currently will probably last another 3-4 weeks max I’m estimating. I walked through the protest last week around dusk and it was already decidedly nippy and this is high summer. On average, I’d say in the change of seasons, Wellington weather is about 5 bad days to one good day of weather. You rarely get two good days of weather in a row in Wellington in the trans seasonal periods.

Don’t get me wrong I’m actually in support of the protest and hope it goes on as long as possible and does max damage to Cindy’s international brand, which she seems to worry about most. Many of these protestors come from warmer climes. I just hope they’ve got a decent stock of thermals, wet weather gear and some sturdy tent pegs.
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February 18, 2022 8:36am
- westernScientest
  
  I suspect it will be wrapped up by then (although it has already gone on longer than I thought it would). Either the pollies will set a date to get rid of the mandates, or they will go full on rubber bullets. It is too much of a continuous reminder that the peasants dont like them.
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:51am
  - ecco
    
    I reckon Ardern (and ****) will start fragmenting the protest groups by throwing out bribes, one by one at each group. Her divide and conquer strategy, that has worked quite well for her so far.
    
    Either that or she’ll find some bullshit excuse for removing the mandates one by one using her usual BS spin around ‘scientific’ evidence.
    
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    February 18, 2022 10:22am
- bronny1
  
  I agree that Welly has horrible weather – that’s why i moved south. As for wind though, as a former windsurfer i spend a lot of time watching the weather and have to say….Christchurch isn’t any better in terms of wind.
  Will they last….I think they will, though their new raised bed veggie garden may not be too productive.
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:57am
  - leoj
    
    The isthmus that is Auckland also makes for really windy conditions.
    As the say, Wellington blows. Auckland sucks.
    
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    February 18, 2022 9:22am
  - westernScientest
    
    It cant be any worse than this one:
    https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/chazgarden1.jpg?itok=Xr2a_jlj
    
    (the infamous CHAZ garden)
    
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    February 18, 2022 9:23am
  - Tony Stuart
    
    They will be if Mallard keeps ordering that the sprinklers be turned on!
    
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    February 18, 2022 10:42am
- RightNow
  
  My guess is the weather will remain good enough for them until at least after Easter. They seem to be very resilient, much to the duck’s chagrin.
  
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  February 18, 2022 9:27am
- UrbanNeocolonialist
  
  we are only a month from peak Omicron. Mandates are pointless now and will be even more so then. Govt will fold (as international examples all demonstrate) just a matter of when. At some point the protest will become counterproductive because Labour MP’s and PM’s egos will stupidly not allow them to concede.
  
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  February 18, 2022 9:31am
  - Tony Stuart
    
    Going by the “double every three days”, we are potentially looking at:
    
    Thursday 17/2/22 – 1500
    Sunday 20/2/22 – 3000
    Wednesday 23/2/22 – 6000
    Saturday 26/2/22 – 12,000
    Tuesday 1/3/22 – 24,000
    Friday 4/3/22 – 48,000
    
    Will we top 50,000 cases per day? Whether we do or not, “peak Covid” is probably only a couple of weeks away and Kiwis will by then be able to return from Australia without going into MIQ so yes, it probably is very close to time to stop the mandates and vaccine passes.
    
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    February 18, 2022 10:49am
    - All_on_Red
      
      You’re assuming all those people will get tested.
      I bet they wont.
      
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      February 18, 2022 12:50pm
Maggie Pie

CINDY DOES ROTOVEGAS 😀

“blah, blah, blah, COVID, blah, blah, blah, COVID, blah, blah, blah, COVID, blah, blah, blah, COVID blah blah COVID”

https://twitter.com/ZeitgeistPOL/status/1494161449576402946
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February 18, 2022 8:46am
- bythesea
  
  one of the odd things Jacinda does is to move her eyebrows all the time. Its the weirdest thing. Once you notice it you can’t unsee it
  
  I wonder if its on purpose, as part of media training.
  
  Justin Trudeau does an eyes widening trick just like the Elizabeth Holmes woman of Theranos.
  
  The thing they have in common – all sociopathic liars.
  
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  February 18, 2022 9:47am
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  She only blah blahed to little kiddies, well planed, no adults to boo or jeer
  
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  February 18, 2022 9:59am
kglm

The Government line is that they will not give in to the protesters. I believe they will, and that the protesters have already won. But the Government will need to capitulate in a face saving manner.

There has been talk of the “booster” becoming mandatory to maintain valid vaccine passes. I believe that will not now happen. A sizeable minority are not “boostered” and any move to mandate “boosters” will lead to trouble the Government doesn’t want. So no mandatory booster means that vaccine passes more than six months old will have no point. So I think that vaccine passes will not be renewed when they expire in May/June.

I believe the protests will have significantly contributed to that outcome.
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February 18, 2022 8:46am
- westernScientest
  
  probably true, but a lot of people are going to loose their jobs for not getting the booster in the next couple of months. Because they have already mandated it in some sectors.
  
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  February 18, 2022 9:25am
I remember when

Based on the ‘science’ from overseas experiences we are going to slow down Omicron infection to manage hospitalisation, etc.
So how will we achieve this so far elusive feat.
Perhaps if we restrict the number of PCR tests that will reduce infection numbers.
Maybe asymptomatic cases do not result in future cases of symptomatic infection, so no risk of hospitalisation.
As the number of obviously vaccinated infections continue to grow, when is the government going to stop the “covid lies.”
Do they really think we believe that the growing number of omicron cases is because of unvaccinated, ‘conspiracy theory’ believing, Anon and Donald Trump supporting, non mask wearing, rule breaking, mandate convoy supporting, members of the public.
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February 18, 2022 8:48am
artemisia

A serious serve from Point of Order aimed squarely at Dr Duncan Webb.

Dr Webb told the House real progress is being made on the ‘housing crisis’ (“nine years in the making” and child poverty. Loads of big numbers support his stance. Apparently. Must be true though because he’s been a law professor and a social(ist) activist so pretty smart. Apparently.

Salvation Army on the front line doesn’t agree –

The Salvation Army says this is not a housing crisis — it is a catastrophe. The Salvation Army is warning in its annual state of the nation report that vulnerable New Zealanders are in a more precarious position than they ever have been. The report shows 17 of 25 indicators either deteriorating over the past year or not improving.

https://pointofordernz.wordpress.com/2022/02/17/poverty-and-the-housing-catastrophe-govt-mps-screed-of-social-policy-successes-is-sullied-by-the-sallies/#more-14407
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February 18, 2022 8:50am
- Captain Mainwaring
  
  Of all the inept Labour MPs Dr. Duncan Webb has to be the most cringeworthy.
  
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  February 18, 2022 9:27am
  - UrbanNeocolonialist
    
    He’s got a lot of competition.
    
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    February 18, 2022 9:32am
- marcw
  
  The Salvation Army is about 2 years late in coming to and publishing their conclusions. Of course, last year was election year so all was sweet in the shire, and Labour was just amazing and there were no homeless or car dwellers, and rents were cheap.
  
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  February 18, 2022 9:52am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    All the better for pointing the finger with
    
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    February 18, 2022 10:10am
    - Jack5
      
      Let’s not forget the role of the Reserve Bank in letting the housing bubble swell.
      
      The governor could have stood up to the Labour politicians and:
      
      – expressed opposition, or even just concern, about the billions of dollars of bonds issued to finance the Government subsidies and general spend-up, and thus blow out the money supply. He seems to have been happy with this Social Credit-style strategy. Money supply outrunning economic output causes inflation.
      
      – been more intelligent and firm on interest rates, instead of being slow and behind the pace of inflation.
      
      – focused on the financial crisis we face instead of being diverted by climate concern and Maorification of the institution.
      
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      February 18, 2022 11:12am
  - Jim
    
    Since the past 3 years, I now regularly see 3 or 4 cars with people sleeping in them at the local beauty spot.
    
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    February 19, 2022 4:12am
WellingtonBFF

Where are all the deaths? The covid merchants of doom’s narrative is falling apart. With the level of positive cases (yes a casedemic) >7000 surely there would be some deaths by now?

Wiles, Baker, Hendy, Short Plank will be livid!!
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February 18, 2022 9:00am
- westernScientest
  
  not even any in ICU, hospitalisation rate yesterday was 0.77%.
  
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  February 18, 2022 9:43am
  - WellingtonBFF
    
    Obvious for all to see. Unless blinded by the gummint cool-aid!! Like the media!!
    
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    February 18, 2022 10:08am
  - Captain Mainwaring
    
    And my next point is: With such rapid transmission of Omicron, masks are obviously useless.
    
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    February 18, 2022 10:10am
    - WellingtonBFF
      
      Yep – always have been!! Even Ashers and Cinders said so!! Until they mandated them……
      
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      February 18, 2022 1:01pm
  - GJM
    
    And how is that figure calulated? Are they in hospital due to covid – or say a gunshot wound, tested positive with the innaccurate PCR test and hence are in hospital “with covid”?
    We know the figures given are a lie, and don’t mean what the pollies are trying to lead us to believe
    
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    February 18, 2022 4:37pm
kevn

@Maggie… Thank you. Watching with sound off is entertaining.
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February 18, 2022 9:00am
I remember when

Newshub: Another Royal Scandal.
A story that has been launched more times than the Himatangi lifeboat.
Allegations go back a decade.
So it has taken up to 10 years to convince the police they should have a poke around.
Isn’t it the way that a considerable proportion of knighthoods are indirectly gained.
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February 18, 2022 9:01am
Maggie Pie

“I don’t know so much”

– Dame Tariana Turia

https://twitter.com/NakiEthan/status/1494273028385292288
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February 18, 2022 9:19am
Nickc2

Everything you wanted to know about Cindy and her relationship with the WEF but were afraid to ask.
https://rumble.com/vqvxu2-exposed-klaus-schwabs-school-for-covid-dictators.html
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February 18, 2022 9:34am
Yvette

‘You’ve ambushed me’:
Andrew Little blindsided by news 10,000 healthcare workers will go on strike
He later released a statement saying he “gets their frustration” since sometimes negotiations take a long time.

PSA member Leighton said many of the union’s workers were burnt out and some could not even get leave.
“We are understaffed and over worked, and we have problems retaining staff. The final nail in the coffin is the message we have been sent that we are not as important or as valuable as the other professions in the health system.”
Fellow member Nichola said the mental health workforce was also streteched from before the pandemic, and now they were “close to burn out“.

Newsroom –
In Auckland, where almost 30 percent of the population identifies as Asian, the demands on mental health services have also increased, says Asian Family Services national director Kelly Feng.

Little … told Newsroom he’s confident resources are going where they’re needed now that there’s new leadership within the mental health team at the Ministry of Health.
“I had issues with the leader of the directorate last year and you’ve got a different person in charge now.
“What I find now is the response from the ministry isn’t defensive when we get evidence there is greater need or we have to think differently about doing stuff,’’ Little told Newsroom

But –
“We’ve got a small window here to get ahead of the bow wave of mental distress and an urgent summit is the right way to deal with it.” – Matt Doocey, National

The National Party has been calling for a bipartisan approach to mental health, with leader Christopher Luxon as recently as last week telling Newsroom he saw it as an obvious area where the Opposition and Government could work together.

But Little says the Government is across the issue and a major international conference is being hosted by New Zealand later this year on mental health issues. He doesn’t intend to run a localised summit.

… Little told Newsroom the mental health directorate at the Ministry of Health is “now actively keeping abreast of trends and what is happening’’.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/bipartisan-approach-to-mental-health-off-to-bad-start

But Little – apparently ignorant of the point that mental un-wellbeing has driven Nurses to – is setting up the Maori Health Authority, one entity “to rule them all” but what population portion are Maori of, for example, the “super-city” Auckland, compared to “Asians”, for another example?
And Little and his lackeys are too busy with the Maori Health Authority and an international opportunity for Ardern to parade more beneficent slogans, than to know Nurses are striking at what is anticipated to be the height of a pandemic.
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February 18, 2022 9:36am
- Cinematic
  
  ‘You’ve ambushed me’ oh poor widdle Andrew Little. Cry me a river.
  
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  February 18, 2022 10:09am
Frank the tank

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2022/02/17/canada-police-to-distribute-names-of-trucker-protesters-to-financial-institutions/

Where this will go. The politics of kindness and the left.

Who are the Nazis?
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February 18, 2022 9:58am
Maggie Pie

TRENDING

There’s on thing you have to say about ‘The Daily Mail’…..

they come up with some great Headlines 😀 😀 😀

https://mol.im/a/10513521
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February 18, 2022 9:58am
Frank the tank

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2022/02/16/watch-lawmakers-burst-out-laughing-at-justin-trudeau-saying-responsible-leadership/

Can we swap opposition leaders? Bergan is a keeper and love that accent.
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February 18, 2022 10:08am
krazykiwi

Just seen three van loads of police in civvies arriving at a Wellington CBD hotel
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February 18, 2022 10:12am
- cmm
  
  We have got the place where:
  * Cops are ashamed to wear their uniforms and be identified.
  * National flags (eg. in Canada) are now considered symbols of protest against the state.
  
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  February 18, 2022 11:17am
artemisia

Headline in NBR (paywalled) –

The new reality for businesses dealing with Omicron
Covid-19 Response Minister gives a clear message to business – over to you.
Brent Edwards | Fri, 18 Feb 2022

Meanwhile at Point of Order –
$50m generated four new Māori jobs in eight months – let’s see what happens under the Māori Employment Action Plan

https://pointofordernz.wordpress.com/2022/02/17/50m-generated-four-new-maori-jobs-in-eight-months-lets-see-what-happens-under-the-maori-employment-action-plan/
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February 18, 2022 10:34am
- Suze Wainwright
  
  Is Willie Jackson still creating meaningful jobs for his people?
  
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  February 18, 2022 11:19am
Jack5

Mike Hosking on Newstalk ZB near the end of his talk show this morning asked Gerry Brownlee how many properties he owned.

The answer was five.

Soon after, as Hosking ended the show and thanked Brownlee, the politician replied, “Yeah right.”

Someone phoned in after the show and asked why Hosking hadn’t asked the co-interviewee, Megan Woods, how many properties she owed. Hosking replied, “one”.

It’s a perfectly legal (and astute) investment, but with so many politicians putting money into houses for rent, how will we get a fair vote on whether the country should have an effective capital-gains tax?
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February 18, 2022 10:40am
- hullkiwi
  
  Where do you & others get the ridiculous idea that Capital Gains Taxes help with capital investment in a country? Or stop property speculation or price escalation?
  
  CGT does not help an economy at all.
  
  They are:
  1. An opportunity for govts to raise funds out of letting inflation escalate asset values;
  2. An opportunity for lawyers, accountants and financial advisors to make money in tax avoidance schemes; and
  3. An encouragement for investment funds to be diverted from a country rather than invested in a country.
  
  The UK has CGT and Estate Duty Taxes, both of which aid tax avoidance industries and collect tax only from those who are poorly advised about protecting what they have inherited or already paid tax on! These schemes do not raise sufficient sums for the Exchequer to warrant being maintained, but they are there to satisfy the screams of the socialists and the politically jealous.
  
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  February 18, 2022 11:26am
  - Jack5
    
    You’re putting words that I didn’t “speak ” in my mouth, Hullkiwi.
    
    Whoever said capital gain taxes were to help with capital investment in a country?
    
    They’re another tax tool, one used by probably most countries I know of among the 35 who have higher GDP per capita than New Zealand does. What counts is the total tax take, and it would be better, in my opinion, to have a CGT, balanced by a lower income tax or lower GST.
    
    Which countries do NOT have a capital gains tax? Here are three that anti-CGT people sometimes hold out as countries free of capital gains tax.
    
    Singapore officially has none but there is a 12 per cent “stamp duty” charge on property if you re-sell within a year. There are othe property restrictions. Foreigners can buy a flat in Singapore, (except Housing Development Board flats) but need Government approval to buy a house.
    
    Switzerland is sometimes regarded as being CGT free. Yet it distinguishes “private investors” as being tax free, and to qualify, in say securities, these need to be held for at least six months and gains must not make up more than 50 per cent of the investor’s income. There is a CGT on property sales and generally you aren’t allowed to sell property in the first five years of ownership.
    
    Belgium is also often held up as being “tax free,” but this post from Taxpatria explains the position on land sales in Belgium:
    
    Your private residence is always tax-exempt on the condition that you occupied it for at least 12 months. The capital gain on any other building that is sold within 5 years of its acquisition is taxed at 16.5% (plus local taxes). After that, it is tax-free. For unbuilt land, the conditions are stricter: if sold within 5 years of acquisition, the rate is 33% (plus local taxes), or 16.5% (plus local taxes) if sold after 5 years but within 8 years of acquisition. After that, it is also tax-free.
    
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    February 18, 2022 3:27pm
  - Alan Wilkinson
    
    A tax on inflation that Govt causes. Do you really want any more incentives for the Left to waste money?
    
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    February 18, 2022 4:45pm
    - Jack5
      
      Capital gains taxes need not raise total tax take. They could be offset by lowering one or more other taxes.
      
      Income tax is also a tax on inflation unless the levels are adjusted. GST, initially 10 per cent and fairly quickly raised to 15 per cent, won’t be adjusted, so is a tax on inflation.
      
      Perhaps you are right, and it will finally become a battle between those who want a higher total tax take and those who don’t.
      
      In the meantime, New Zealand’s economic performance, combined with one of the worse property bubbles, is no recommendation for an extremely low CGT.
      
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      February 18, 2022 8:11pm
Random T Person

Morning team. Left whakatane at 5am on my motorbike. Currently breakfasting in Bulls. Beautiful day for a ride. Will be in Wellington shortly. Tell Mikenmild I’ll meet him at the King Dick statue, coffee is on me. Stand up for your rights and be free. Cheers
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February 18, 2022 11:00am
- krazykiwi
  
  Good effort, RTP. The place is buzzing today. Get amongst.
  
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  February 18, 2022 11:52am
Surely Knott

Twitter @fubar has been a person attending the protest and posting footage. He put up a bank account number for donations. He is claiming that kiwibank has now frozen his account and won’t give him a reason. Reports ASB are doing the same.
It’s not just Canada freezing bank accounts. Be aware.
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February 18, 2022 11:21am
- krazykiwi
  
  I’d be a little bit suspicious of this. The account I’ve been running is still active, and has just helped fund meals over the next few days.
  
  22 1
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  February 18, 2022 12:00pm
  - Surely Knott
    
    Looks like they took some protestors in, who sung a waiata and it’s been reactivated. So your right, who knows what actually happened there.
    
    13 0
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    February 18, 2022 12:13pm
  - bronny1
    
    Perhaps put in in credit at Moore Wilson or wherever we are sourcing materials?
    
    12 0
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    February 18, 2022 12:23pm
    - krazykiwi
      
      I our fund gets frozen, I will personally guarantee the remaining balance and, like you suggest, move it to a trade account.
      
      16 1
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      February 18, 2022 1:16pm
      - krazykiwi
        
        Sorry, “If our fund …”. I need a new keyboard, and one or both of slower/slimmer fingers.
        
        8 1
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        February 18, 2022 1:44pm
- Nickc2
  
  Not that I disbelieve you but have you got any proof other than hearsay?
  
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  February 18, 2022 12:46pm
curry4me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiK-ZEgylyU

Pauline Hanson’s Please Explain, Episode 15 “Please Explain The ABC”.

The ABC, you might pay for it but how much do you really know about it? When was the last time anyone watched it for that matter? In this week’s episode, we dig a little deeper into what really drives our national broadcaster. So tune in, get ready to be shocked and remember It’s your ABC whether you like it or not. [2:05]
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February 18, 2022 11:36am
curry4me

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

‘Unacceptable activity’

Stalinda doesn’t like protestors. Looks like the ball has been dumped in Cuddles Coster’s court. [2:07]
14 2
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February 18, 2022 11:36am
- Inandout
  
  curry, her arms are glued behind her back it seems.
  
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  February 18, 2022 1:29pm
curry4me

Freedom Convoy Live Press Conference Feb.16, 2022 – Day 12 Holding The Line | #IrnieracingNews #freedomconvoy #pressconference
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February 18, 2022 11:37am
Michael J Baker

Per my above question to KK, tomorrow I’m flying from Auckland for the day to join the protest – all legally of course ;). I can’t stay longer because of work and two kids under 3yo. My wife said the protesters need AA batteries and nappies (for the babies, not Trevor Mallard). Does anyone know where one can find an up-to-date list of what they need?
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February 18, 2022 11:44am
- Inandout
  
  MB, I hear they are overwhelmed with supplies. I did hear Kiwibank have had a ‘glitch’ with protestor funding.
  
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  February 18, 2022 1:27pm
I remember when

Does contact tracing need to be adjusted according to the vicinity of case/cases.
At present there are cases in Marton and Bulls.
In Bulls, there is a very high passing traffic volume which makes places of interest the obvious approach.
However, in Marton a far greater number of contacts will be locals.
When the ‘privacy’ card is played it largely defeats the point of contact tracing.
Schools, early childhood, retail and work would always cover most areas of contact, but in Marton, knowing a name would greatly reduce unnecessary follow-up.
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February 18, 2022 11:58am
Maggie Pie

A bestie retweets…

‘Remember when the Government rubbished those forced vaccination claims made by Jamie-Lee Ross and Billy TK…..labelling them ‘conspiracy theorists’ ?

https://twitter.com/ErikaHarveyNZ/status/1494400614461489152
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February 18, 2022 12:16pm
- WaynelSexton
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  No one was forced to take vaccine. I haven’t been vaccinated, and I have a job.
  The majority of jobs you don’t need a vaccine for, so if you were fired you could of found another one.
  You took the vaccine because you didn’t want the social shame. Your still wearing a mask because you don’t want the social shame. Speak the truth
  
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  February 18, 2022 12:27pm
  - UrbanNeocolonialist
    
    Too bad if you have a career in education or health or any of the other fields where vaccines have been mandated. Economic destruction is just the price you should be prepared to pay as penance for living in a country where idiots vote for airheads.
    
    22 1
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    February 18, 2022 1:03pm
  - krazykiwi
    
    No one was forced to take vaccine?
    
    Do you think your experience is representative of that of every other New Zealander?
    
    Have you been living under a rock?
    
    34 3
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    February 18, 2022 1:19pm
    - westernScientest
      
      trolls live under bridges
      
      18 2
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      February 18, 2022 1:34pm
    - WaynelSexton
      
      Show me one person who was forced?
      
      2 20
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      February 18, 2022 1:43pm
      - krazykiwi
        
        Tell me, WaynelSexton, is the sex consensual because the other party agrees to it while you’re holding holding a knife to their neck? Well, is it? No. It is forced.
        
        “Do this, or I do that” constitutes force using anyone’s definition, and that you pretend otherwise shows just how deep your sycophancy runs.
        
        11 2
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        February 18, 2022 5:53pm
      - Observer of Life
        
        My partner has been forced.
        
        7 2
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        February 18, 2022 9:01pm
      - WaynelSexton
        
        Where were the knives?
        People lose jobs all the time. Put your big boy pants on and get a new job.
        
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        February 19, 2022 5:54am
  - Maggie Pie
    
    TBH Wayne, the reason I am tripled vaxxed is because my ongoing contract with the DHB insisted upon it.
    Other than the N95 I wear for work, I actually quite like ‘masking-up’. Balenciaga produce a range of styles and colors….you’d be amazed at the number of people who tell me how fab I look and ask me where they can buy them.
    
    And do you still sing the ‘Happy Birthday’ song when you wash you’re hands?
    I do.
    
    18 3
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    February 18, 2022 1:31pm
  - JCB
    
    You obviously don’t work in Wellington. No unvaccinated person is allowed to be employed by any Govt department including private contractors to Govt departments. Current employees are accommodated by sending them home indefinitely. They could not terminate my current contract so I’m employed for a couple more weeks. After that I am unemployable in Wellington. I’m totally in support of the protest.
    
    26 2
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    February 18, 2022 1:38pm
    - artemisia
      
      And Wellington City Council, as well as ‘papers’ needed to enter their premises.
      
      10 1
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      February 18, 2022 4:52pm
    - Observer of Life
      
      I hear ACC might give you a job. Apparently they’ve pushed the deadline out for (forced) vaccinations as the staff assessing claims aren’t happy with what they are seeing on the forms with “adverse affects from Covid jabs”. Reality is striking I hear.
      
      7 1
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      February 18, 2022 9:04pm
      - krazykiwi
        
        One leak. Just one leak for the dam to be breached.
        
        6 1
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        February 18, 2022 10:17pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Dick. I took it to stay in a job. There is no social shame.
    I am ashamed the the World now knows New Zealand is ‘socialist; and heading of to ‘communist’ unless we stop it
    
    17 2
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    February 18, 2022 4:45pm
  - bronny1
    
    i know plenty who were forced to take the vaccine.
    -My nieces boyfriend as he can’t do the 3rd year of his uni degree by distance as she is. Otherwise he has to go on the dole or try to find a min wage job that doesn’t mandate.
    -my other nieces work colleagues who work in hospo and have no qualifications past high school
    -My sister in laws teaching colleagues who didn’t want it but couldn’t afford to leave their job. The alternative is an entry level job which is hopeless with a family.
    
    So actually, yes they were forced, the vax or your livelihood, ability to keep paying the mortgage, etc. Easy to get a job perhaps but actually most are mandated – all gov depts, SOEs, health, education, hospo, most of the construction sector, supermarket sector, truckies for the supermarket sector, have imposed their own mandates, etc etc etc.
    
    I’m about to lose my main client. I work from home, i’ve never even met them in person, but their (SOE) vaccine policy says no. Yes, i can go work for someone else, but without using my skills, i’d be close to minimum wage, which wouldn’t pay the bills, fortunately i have savings.
    
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    February 18, 2022 5:14pm
- Swifty
  
  Classic misinformation from Ardern.
  
  And they wonder why we don’t trust her.
  
  BTW, has anyone seen any sort of apology from Ardern over this? You know “sorry, I put you crook there….” sort of thing. Or, true to fashion, has she and Labour just ignored this and continued to pretend it never happened and that she never said that?
  
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  February 18, 2022 12:34pm
kowtow

Is there no end to it ?

‘The former New Zealand and Māori rugby league player Issac Luke says he was almost forced to watch the coverage of last weekend’s All Stars rugby league match in Sydney “on mute”.

Luke was among many people to criticise the Fox Sports and Channel Nine commentators for mispronouncing Māori players’ names in the game between the Māori All Stars and the Indigenous All Stars.

Although it was not all personnel in the commentary, with Andrew Voss and Billy Slater saying Māori correctly, the Rabbitohs premiership winner said it was noticeable enough to make him and his family “furious” while watching the match.’

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/sport/461764/luke-laments-poor-maori-pronunciation-in-television-league-coverage
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February 18, 2022 12:28pm
- herb1
  
  Lucky the 76% of New Zealanders who aren’t Maori , aren’t as hypocritical as the Isaac Luke’s of this world , who think nothing of mangling the English language.
  Self awareness isn’t a strong suit of Maori
  
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  February 18, 2022 2:59pm
  - oldfella
    
    Herb, it’s actually 84% non Maori. Only 16% Maori.
    
    9 0
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    February 18, 2022 5:14pm
    - herb1
      
      I did know the figures. In my old age and anger at the hypocracy I forgot how to count
      
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      February 18, 2022 6:52pm
Yabster

Neil Oliver speaking sense again: Cindy and the protest feature.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPIVjCy2Zjo
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February 18, 2022 12:45pm
Tauhei Notts

Some humour to brighten your day.
An old schoolmate, aged 73, sold a shotgun for $5000 cash and went to deposit it. The bank officer asked where the money came from as that information was required for Anti-Money Laundering purposes. My mate asked to see the manager and she eventually appeared. He spoke quietly with her and explained, in strict confidence, that he was a male escort and this was his cash earnings. The man is 5’6″ and weighs about 16 stone +. The manageress did not press the matter any further.
Weird thing is that 56 years ago he could run a mile in 4m 7secs. Everybody at some stage in their life weighed 9 stone.
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February 18, 2022 1:18pm
- UrbanNeocolonialist
  
  Oh the Grand old duke of york;
  he borrowed 12 million quid,
  He gave it all to someone he never met,
  For something he never did.
  
  21 0
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  February 18, 2022 1:28pm
- All_on_Red
  
  They should only be asking about $10,000 or more so….
  https://www.dia.govt.nz/AML-CFT-Frequently-Asked-Questions-for-DIA-Reporting-Entities#E
  
  13 1
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  February 18, 2022 1:52pm
MrTips

I see the shorter more rotund half of the BelowTheBeltwayBoys™ and backup dancers like MorbidGoblin© (Morgan Godfrey), Russell Brown and Te Pou are going feral over the protest and simple requests that the PM front.

Jonesey needs to find another bearded sidekick – his current one is fast becoming a commercial liability.

https://twitter.com/ClintVSmith/status/1494446513397059584?cxt=HHwWgMDS7fPLq70pAAAA
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February 18, 2022 1:20pm
- nathie
  
  Note how Labour insider “Clint” misrepresents and conflates DPF’s original post.
  
  Deliberate misinformation from the guy that has very close connections to the podium of truth.
  
  These so called “champions of the people” sure don’t like it when “the people” realise they have been duped and counter-protest against Labour!
  
  Waiting for these Labour Goons to call the protesters “deplorable” (or something) … I mean, after-all, “imported” is so weak and confusing, “white supremacists” doesn’t fit the narrative when so many everyday affected Maori are highly visible in the protest crowds!
  
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  February 18, 2022 4:27pm
- UrbanNeocolonialist
  
  It’s very funny seeing (as we have always known) all these tedious and loud left wing propagandists who try to project an image of being the little people’s white knights, now demonstrating to all that they are at heart authoritarian thugs who think that Stalin was a big ole softy. The left is deeply deeply ugly a thin and fractured superficial veneer of care (daily contradicted by actual results) over a core that is nothing more than will-to-power.
  
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  February 18, 2022 4:47pm
surfing

Who said hospitality is dead? Can’t book a table at all for tonight.
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February 18, 2022 1:27pm
- Captain Mainwaring
  
  Is that because half the places have closed down?
  
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  February 18, 2022 4:31pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Nah, Waikikamukau has no cafes, …..
    
    7 1
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    February 18, 2022 4:48pm
krazykiwi

The most bio-fascist of European nations appears to be backing down.

Austria U-Turns on Vaccine Passports
Austria will lift most of its remaining COVID-19 restrictions by March 5th, including scrapping an earlier closing time of midnight for bars and restaurants and allowing nightclubs to reopen, Chancellor Karl Nehammer said on Wednesday
:::
“On March 5th the bulk of the restrictions that so burden people will be lifted,” Nehammer told a news conference. The Government recently announced that as of this Saturday unvaccinated people can return to restaurants and non-essential shops if they have been tested. Nehammer said such proof of testing, recovery or vaccination would also be scrapped and limits on the size of events would be lifted by March 5th.

Those protests – eh?
19 2
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February 18, 2022 1:35pm
- WaynelSexton
  
  They were always bluffing, do you not see the pattern?
  Now take the mask off, no one will give you a fine or arrest you.
  
  3 5
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  February 18, 2022 2:15pm
- Rodion Raskolnikov
  
  This is solely due to non-compliance. The importance of standing firm cannot be overstated.
  
  17 1
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  February 18, 2022 2:33pm
Swifty

There are people on NZ who think the creation of a new ministry will enable rainbow people to flourish?

https://i.stuff.co.nz/pou-tiaki/127805964/lgbtqia-advocates-back-green-partys-call-for-a-ministry-for-rainbow-communities

How utterly naive and foolish. And you’ll notice, not one single word about the poor and long-suffering taxpayer who will be forced to fund it.

But hey, lots of cushy jobs for the luvvies.
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February 18, 2022 1:44pm
Maggie Pie

TRENDING LIVE…

Finally getting a few pics thru from bestie Gilda now that she’s set up camp.

The beautiful thing about Gilda… she’s happy to muck-in and help!
Her kind of people 😀

https://twitter.com/Strange_G/status/1494472627427381250

OMG….I need a pr of them lime gummies!!!
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February 18, 2022 2:31pm
- The Housekeeper
  
  Maggie, it’s turning into Coachella Downunder. The FOMO will be intense. Hope they have kept a space for the VIP helicopters to land. It’s an influencer’s dream come true.
  
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  February 18, 2022 3:14pm
- Gravelroad
  
  How will these boots hold up in the “river of filth” though?
  
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  February 18, 2022 5:22pm
  - Maggie Pie
    
    No wurries…she only bought them to match the umbrella.
    Wouldn’t be seen dead in them up here. Be in the bin next week “D
    
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    February 18, 2022 5:44pm
Yvette

I would be very interested to know from someone like University of Otago law professor Andrew Geddis, if, in trespassing protesters from Parliaments grounds, has Mallard done enough to not offend under (3) below

COVID-19 Public Health Response (Protection Framework) Order 2021
51 No event unless permitted
(1) A person must not attend an event unless it is a permitted event.
(2) A person must not organise an event unless it is a permitted event.
(3) A person in control of premises must ensure that an event does not take place at the premises unless it is a permitted event.

– or having trespassed the protesters, has responsibility now passed to the Police to act on those notices?
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February 18, 2022 2:42pm
kowtow

just heard an add on the wireless saying “getting boosted was the best way to stop the spread of the virus’

That’s misinformation , unscientific and untrue .

Any wonder people have doubts about wot’s goin’ on.
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February 18, 2022 2:44pm
- Don Beckett
  
  They’ve been advertising that way for weeks now.
  
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  February 18, 2022 5:39pm
Maggie Pie

YOU CAN WATCH IT HERE…

Police Commissioner Cuddles Coster provides live update on action he intends taking against ‘Anti-Mandate’ protestors.

Threatens he’s going to count to a hundred 😀

https://twitter.com/NewshubNZ/status/1494484862970912770
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February 18, 2022 2:55pm
- Russ the Muss
  
  Also seen waving a white flag down Molesworth st. I wonder what Mr Mike Bush thinks of all this? He used like to invite people over to there ‘house’ if people stepped out of line. I’d love his honest take on the current response!
  
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  February 18, 2022 4:15pm
Captain Mainwaring

So Cuddles has decided that trying to take the protesters on will be too hard, and has handed Parliament grounds over to the lawless Mob.
Where will it end?
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February 18, 2022 3:16pm
- Paul Marsden
  
  We won, you lost. Eat that.
  
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  February 18, 2022 3:28pm
- Maggie Pie
  
  And now I see where a lot of Wellingtonians are tweeting threats to ‘coin’ cars 🙁
  
  Hope Gilda has managed to find a safe spot for the Bentley.
  
  https://twitter.com/Strange_G/status/1494486874919866373
  
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  February 18, 2022 4:07pm
  - Russ the Muss
    
    Hehe, that’s the funniest thing I’ve seen the last 10 days. I can assure you that the wellington elite wouldn’t know how to coin a car, and would soon run off after seeing the messages on the cars after being triggered. These bedwetters wouldn’t have the balls, I’d be pleasantly surprised if just ONE of them stepped up and did that;)
    
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    February 18, 2022 4:19pm
  - greybeard
    
    Who?
    
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    February 18, 2022 5:39pm
    - Maggie Pie
      
      You know what twitter handles are like….could be anybody 😀
      Things like ‘MoaHunter’ from Hutt Sth….etc
      They use all sorts of silly pseudos tbh.
      Anonymous cowards most of them.
      
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      February 18, 2022 6:49pm
      - greybeard
        
        Like “Greybeard”.
        Or “Maggie Pie”.
        OK, thanks, I get it now !
        
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        February 18, 2022 7:08pm
      - Maggie Pie
        
        Well hang on a tic…im not sure you do ‘get it’.
        The ones I’m refering to are those who make actual physical threats against people or property.
        Something I’d NEVER contemplate.
        
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        February 18, 2022 7:59pm
- Russ the Muss
  
  Yup, it’s not good and it’s been coming for a while now. Talk about embolding lawlessness. The irony is delicious given the morons running thebolace [the place] wanted this kind of policing. But long term I have concerns
  
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  February 18, 2022 4:17pm
- kowtow
  
  i’m more concerned about his constant referring to the police in the singular .
  
  Police is , police has ; ffs wot’s that about !
  
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  February 18, 2022 5:31pm
wilderbeast

I see a bunch of people have signed a document carrying zero legal weight telling the protestors to cease and desist. What’s more telling to me than the people on the list is the people NOT on the list, given they almost certainly shopped around hard. The possibilities are endless….

Disappointing to see Nicola Willis on there but I guess she’s acting as Wellington List MP
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February 18, 2022 4:24pm
- krazykiwi
  
  Many people eventually find a spine.
  
  Willis seems to have lost hers.
  
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  February 18, 2022 6:28pm
Michael J Baker

Tariana Turia was incorrect about Ardern giving a Nazi salute but Ardern definitely gave the Socialist ‘raised fist’ immediately prior to becoming an MP (this isn’t news for many on KB) https://tinyurl.com/5yhd6f2p [2min:06sec]. I suspect Ardern is a narcissist more than she’s a socialist but the latter forms her views and actions when she’s not looking out for number one. What’s interesting about the famous IUSY video is how much she talks about poverty and yet Ardern has achieved so little despite being the Prime Minister for 5 years and having tremendous political capital. I wonder if Harvard University will ask her about this?
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February 18, 2022 4:49pm
- nathie
  
  Interesting that Jacinda speaks honestly about her convictions eg being proudly anti neo-liberal at these Socialist Youth rallies …. but will never use such words and phrases (like “comrades”) in front of Kiwi’s and NZ MSM audiences.
  
  For the latter, she portrays herself as the “humble girl from next door whose dreams of becoming a woman Prime Minister became true” (as per Women’s Weekly and MSM puff-pieces)!
  
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  February 18, 2022 5:56pm
Inthe09

Nice to see the Stuff political reporters and associated ‘ruling class’ being put out a little by the protest in Wellington.

With love,
Auckland.
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February 18, 2022 5:41pm
krazykiwi

Sent to me earlier today (thanks, PCH) …

12:50pm – The medical director of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners, Dr Bryan Betty has called on the Government to stop scaremongering over the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

In an interveiw (sic) with Chris Lynch, Dr Betty said Omicron is mainly cold-like illness and probably less severe than flu.
“Omicron is highly infectious, and so a lot of people will come down with it, but the majority of people will have mild symptoms or no symptoms at all, and so it is very different from the Delta situation,” Dr Betty said.

“The scaremongering and the fear factor is causing a huge amount of resource being unnecessarily being taken up in our health system, and in some circumstances, people are suffering dire consequences due to their inability to access urgent healthcare.”
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February 18, 2022 5:45pm
- kowtow
  
  He was interviewd by HDPA this evening and she said he’d done an opinion piece ( didn’t say where that was)
  
  It’s over . bar the politicians and their in house experts .
  
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  February 18, 2022 6:22pm
Scott

Thanks for posting this krazy. Given this information isn’t it sound to end all the covid mandates and restrictions. If it’s no more or even less than the flu?
Wouldn’t that be the most reasonable and sensible thing to do? Or am I missing something?
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February 18, 2022 5:58pm
rouppe

But late in the day but just noticed this story on Philip Arps.

Now there’s not much to like about the guy, and they constantly refer to him as a white supremacist.

In the first photo they show him giving a bro-shake to someone. Can’t tell to much about them because they’re facing away.

Scroll down and there’s a picture of the same guy facing forward the camera (shirt is same, and clutching the same thing in left hand) who is clearly Maori.

What on earth would a white supremacist be doing getting all cozy with a Maori?

Marine Lourens fails to enlighten us…

[Your link text is not working. mod.]
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February 18, 2022 6:04pm
Joely Doe

Stuff Poll: if you have mild symptoms will you get a covid19 test
Good to see that 35% of those polled (as of 6pm) have their heads screwed on properly.
You would have to be mental to get a test.
The RCGP med director has broken ranks as well!
Covid App Scanning is down 1.2 million over the last week from the highs of Xmas, and trending further down daily –
Covid 19 NZ Covid Tracer App Data
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February 18, 2022 6:14pm
greybeard

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/127815608/foreign-minister-nanaia-mahuta-heading-to-europe-as-leaders-aim-to-avert-russiaukraine-war
If we weren’t the laughing stock of the world by now because of Jacinda then we will be shortly.
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February 18, 2022 7:06pm
wilderbeast

Has the MSM lost the plot even more than we already thought? Are they so bought and paid for or wrapped up in their own bubble that they can’t see how ironic they are? See here:

https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/covid-19/covid-19-omicron-outbreak-protesters-anti-media-views-a-concern-experts-say/

Projects that the MSM is beyond reproach and adopts a breathless despair that people wouldn’t accept everything they say at face value. And of course the vilification of the whole protest group by emphasising extreme elements. The MSM’s bias is chilling.

I genuinely fear for my children’s future.
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February 18, 2022 7:11pm
Warren

Auckland School Headmaster denied unapproved type of rapid antigen test, dispite it exceeding Ministry’s Standards.
The type of test isn’t yet approved by Ministryof Health – but is widely available in Australia with a accuracy assessment of 90%.
Auckland Grammer Headmaster Tim O’conner is incensed as he managed to get 2,000 Rapid antigen tests into the Country , but they are being held by Customs.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2022/02/auckland-school-headmaster-denied-unapproved-type-of-rapid-antigen-test-despite-it-exceeding-ministry-s-standards.html
It seems no mater how hard you try to protect your Students the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern , Director of Health Ashly Bloomfield and the Labour Government they put obstacles in your way so they can grab the recognition of conning the Public that their the ones that know best dispite these rapid antigen tests with a 90% rating being the same rating as what the Government has.
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February 18, 2022 8:01pm
- Alan Wilkinson
  
  The health bureaucracy is an abject disgrace.
  
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  February 18, 2022 8:58pm
  - Alan Wilkinson
    
    I should have said abject totalitarian disgrace.
    
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    February 18, 2022 9:00pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Govt is going to steal them
  
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  February 19, 2022 8:38am
Rich Prick

God, enough of your feelings “journalists”.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/127826689/prisoner-escapes-in-van-from-rimutaka-prison-may-be-heading-to-wellington-protest

No doubt Hitler’s long lost nephew’s second son’s third daughter is on her way to the protest too.
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February 18, 2022 11:45pm

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