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June 24, 2022 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 24 June 2022

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General Debate

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CJames

Our incompetent Minister of Energy blamed yesterday’s Transpower grid issues on a gas turbine not starting and a problem on a near 40 year old coal fired unit at Huntly having a fault that reduced it to half load. There was also mention of some reduction in wind power. What she didn’t say (because it doesn’t fit the agenda) was wind was only generating 39MW from its 1040MW of bird choppers despite priority on the grid. A bit later than the declaration, wind dropped even further to just 22MW. Also not mentioned was Contact brought both Te Rapa and Whirinaki on which covered the deficit. What she and the Greens want is the thermals shut down (about 20% of our generation at peak times) with more wind installed – we can ignore the stupidity of wanting more solar for 7am on a June morning. Ask Germany how that renewables conversion is going.
The Minister is still pushing her Lake Onslow barrow as the solution to the unreliability of wind and solar. No doubt she has ignored the article in the Australian Financial Review about the Oz version of pumped storage: “the multi-billion pumped hydro project would not be operational before 2028. The original timeline would have seen energy generated in 2026. Snowy 2.0 was first announced by prime minister Malcolm Turnbull with a price tag of $2 billion. It is now expected to cost more than $10 billion and will take a further two years to build. For years the former Liberal-National government dubbed Snowy 2.0 as the answer to Australia’s domestic energy woes, with pumped hydro able to firm renewables and act as an energy storage source.According to the report, the delays have been caused by a number of complications involving contractors and supply chain logistics. Federal energy and climate change minister Chris Bowen said he would work closely with the project developer Snowy Hydro to “try and get it back on track.” However, the “harsh reality is that it is way behind par.” “The bottom line is Australians will be waiting longer than they were led to believe for the start of the new energy to flow,” Bowen said.Bowen said the delay with Snowy 2.0 would come at the cost of Australia’s planned energy transition. The Labour party have campaigned on a promise to reduce emissions by 43% by 2030, significantly higher than the former government’s longstanding target of reductions of 28%. “We supported Snowy because it does have a role to play in energy security. It does have a role to play in providing that stability to the system because, ultimately, it’s a form of storage,” Bowen said. “But we’re going to be waiting a substantial period longer than we were told by the previous government for it to play that role.”
What isn’t stated is Snowy 2 is supposed to be 350GWh but that is only in unrealistic conditions. Real world capacity will be just 250GWh. Same situation here. Two dry years in a row and for the second winter, Onslow will have next to no capability to generate.
The Lithium ion batteries like those starting to be installed here are not sensible at the transmission grid level because they will be charged by coal or gas – and at a 20% premium. There is no surplus wind or hydro generation. Another thing people don’t get. The public understanding of energy production is even lower than that of the MPs.
Word is there will be massive power price rises soon. All the retailers are waiting for the first one to jump so they can follow. The carbon charges and all the fuel being burnt are costing millions. Generating at Whirinaki is costing about $1/unit wholesale. Add in the extra compliance costs and meeting all the legislated safety rules. If generators aren’t profitable, no new stations will be built or existing ones maintained.
The hidden agenda is the left don’t want the proles to have cheap, reliable electricity. Just like they don’t want them driving around in cars. Forget about eating steak – that’s just for the nomenklatura and apparatchiks. And we are supposed to be grateful because we saved Granny from being flooded out. Pity she starved to a lonely death in the cold. Stan Goosman, the last competent Minister of Energy/ Electricity, will be spinning in his grave.
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June 24, 2022 8:00am
- Spam
  
  Totally agree. For Onslow to be even a little bit sensible, it need to run on surplus renewables. And those surplus renewables need to be wind and solar (because why use hydro? It’s already stored! Geothermal? Maybe, but it’s in the wrong part of the country). Where is this surplus going to come from?
  
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  June 24, 2022 8:16am
  - alloytoo
    
    Stored capacity only works to time shift generation capacity between peaks and troughs.
    
    This work great where reliables can meet gross demand, but struggle with peak.
    
    If unreliables cannot meet gross demand no amount of storage is going to defy the laws of physics.
    
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    June 24, 2022 8:32am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Nuclear – but it needs another name, so the idiots don’t start rolling around on the floor
    
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    June 24, 2022 8:37am
    - mikenmildagain
      
      The much-lamented ministry of works spent many years on plans for a reactor at Kaipara. Even in those days when things could actually get built, it was never looking like a realistic option.
      
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      June 24, 2022 8:48am
      - Loddenthinks
        
        “Even in those days when things could actually get built….”
        
        Bit of a Freudian slip to start your day, milky? Not like you to openly state this government is complete tits at everything, except making things worse.
        
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        June 24, 2022 8:59am
      - mikenmildagain
        
        I’m thinking of the ministry or works, whose buildings and dams haven’t fallen down, unlike numerous structure built from the 1990s on. Only the densest commenters would associate every failure with one political party and every success with the other, wouldn’t they? Such brand loyalty overlooks the remarkable record of successive NZ governments basically following the same core policies.
        
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        June 24, 2022 9:05am
      - CJames
        
        milky. It was going to be at South Head. We had already sent engineers overseas for training and had started to hire operators for it. And the thing that actually stopped it being built was the discovery of Maui gas.
        If it had of been done, at the same time as Oz building several of theirs, we wouldn’t be in the mess we are today. Nuclear free is a Teeshirt slogan uttered by those who failed School Cert Physics.
        
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        June 24, 2022 9:11am
      - Loddenthinks
        
        @milky: what an imagination you have – I didn’t say anything about any other governments, and I didn’t say anything about things being built that then fell over. You’re the one who admitted this government can’t build things. Own it.
        
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        June 24, 2022 9:20am
      - I remember when
        
        m&m:
        Of course nuclear doesn’t look like an option.
        We closed down the whole country for a virus.
        
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        June 24, 2022 9:40am
      - Cassandra
        
        The MoW was good at engineering, not so great on the employment side. Like the Railways, it was used to get unemployables off the street. But its engineering side was excellent. I used their services for many years and learned this first hand.
        
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        June 24, 2022 10:23am
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        Ministry of Works were overloaded same as Govt depts now
        
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        June 24, 2022 1:24pm
  - Nickc2
    
    Even the thought of Geothermal will create Maori ownership and control issues the likes of which we have never seen before.
    Whoever started all this Maori ownership BS has a lot to answer for and we have only seen the beginnings of it.
    Remember, Geothermal energy is confined to one very small area of NZ which is lorded over by one bunch of Maoris but it won’t stop the rest of them from putting their claims to it citing ‘brotherhood’ allegiances.
    
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    June 24, 2022 9:08am
    - Alan Wilkinson
      
      Not sure that is true. Northpower is heavily invested in geothermal at Nga Whau near Kaikohe. There are probably a number of other places that could be utilized for geothermal power given the fault lines we occupy. It’s certainly a more reliable source than wind and solar.
      
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      June 24, 2022 10:41am
      - Nickc2
        
        Heavily invested yes but not producing AFIK.
        I was alluding to the Central North Island but didn’t make that clear.
        My eff up.
        
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        June 24, 2022 10:54am
      - Alan Wilkinson
        
        Sorry I said Northpower but should have said Top Energy. The first station went live in Jan 2021. The expansion project is in progress.
        
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        June 24, 2022 11:42am
    - CJames
      
      The Contact geothermal sites have no Maori ownership – land or resource. For Mercury; NAP, Mokai and possibly Kawerau have partnerships with the local sub-tribes who still own the land and partially fund capital costs, then share profits. One of the smaller stations at Kawerau is tribally owned. And I am not certain of ownership of Ngawha. There are two stations there and they are looking at building a third.
      The output of geothermal is over 1000MW, but being baseload, its energy contribution is high – you’d need three times wind MW to match it.
      
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      June 24, 2022 2:42pm
- Ra Henare
  
  Ever heard of paragraphs and spacing.
  Your post is interesting but bloody hard reading.
  Gave up after the first paragraph.
  
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  June 24, 2022 8:19am
- CJames
  
  Today’s peak was 1000MW lower than yesterday and wind 200MW higher, so coal is not generating. The Minister can go back to her bubble believing it isn’t needed.
  
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  June 24, 2022 8:28am
- Hebe123
  
  Agree. Onslow is a pig and will be an eye watering waste of money. All of the Think big hydros were built at a cost that will never be recovered from selling electricity and they were built during periods of relatively cheap labour and good work ethics.
  
  Bring on the EVs. Haha
  
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  June 24, 2022 8:32am
- peterwn
  
  Years ago during a power shortage some wag circulated a cartoon suggesting the re-deployment of Head Office engineers to help alleviate the power shortage. One depicted a bucket chain to replenish a hydro lake from the tailrace and another showed engineers sawing wood for burning in a thermal station. To this could now be added people blowing on wind turbines. I thought the late Tom McGuigan was the worst Minister of Electricity (1972 until he was replaced in 1974) but Megan Woods now arguably takes the cake.
  
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  June 24, 2022 8:40am
- krazykiwi
  
  CJames, what I love about comments like this one is the obvious depth of industry insight that is completely foreign to agenda-driven politicians, and to forelock-tugging mainstream media.
  
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  June 24, 2022 8:55am
  - gravedodger
    
    And blinded philosophers who demean with criticisms of expression rather than spend a minimal extra time reading a post that made excellent salient points, well done CJames.
    
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    June 24, 2022 10:39am
- Gravelroad
  
  @CJames-
  There was an electricity industry spokesman on newstalkzb (HDPA) last evening around 5.15pm. I was driving so didn’t note his name.
  He was asked about the Onslow project.
  Said it would not happen.
  
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  June 24, 2022 9:11am
  - I remember when
    
    Lake onslow to be replaced by wind energy generation at Parliament, with future sessions to be held at night.
    
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    June 24, 2022 9:43am
  - alloytoo
    
    I think he said more by what he wasn’t (allowed) to say than what he did say.
    
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    June 24, 2022 10:07am
  - Nickc2
    
    Agree, too much power lost for too little gain.
    
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    June 24, 2022 10:08am
  - CJames
    
    It was Murray Ellis
    https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/murray-ellis-energy-consultant-says-our-power-system-is-running-too-close-to-the-edge-on-total-capacity/
    
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    June 24, 2022 12:46pm
- surfing
  
  “Ask Germany how that renewables conversion is going”
  
  German hasn’t really converted to renewables, instead relying on gas.
  
  https://www.smh.com.au/national/australia-has-a-lot-to-learn-about-renewable-energy-but-maybe-not-from-germany-20220623-p5avxz.html
  
  I’m not sure what you really mean here, are you saying that Germany needs to move towards renewables, to reduce reliance on Russian gas?
  
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  June 24, 2022 10:12am
  - ClanMcleod
    
    Germany was one of the first countries to implement legislation that gave people a financial incentive to integrate solar into their homes. It helped drive the uptake of alternative energy sources, primarily solar. They had a guaranteed “feed in tariff” that reduced year on year. Effectively you could add solar panels to your home, you fed your power to the grid at a guaranteed price which was actually profitable to you. Unlike in NZ where if you supply to the grid you are paid at the wholesale rate for supply but are charged full retail for what you use.
    It wasn’t bad legislation. But it’s being proven repeatedly, for continuity and dependable powers supply, renewables currently can’t do it.
    Germany is struggling for energy supplies now due to the sanctions on Russia. It’s summer over there. If they try to keep this going winter will be a nightmare.
    
    As of 2020 Germany got 46% of their energy from renewables.
    
    https://wiki.energytransition.org/the-book/policies-for-clean-energy/renewable-energy-act-eeg/
    
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    June 24, 2022 11:08am
    - Don Beckett
      
      Tony Heller has some interesting comments on the current power crisis & causes, and the rate of global warming.
      https://realclimatescience.com/2022/06/reject-the-evidence-of-your-eyes-and-ears-3/
      
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      June 24, 2022 12:42pm
    - CJames
      
      The German data is misleading. They exported a lot when the wind was blowing, paying other grids to take it. This caused a lot of problems there. Poland put phase shifters on the border transformers to stop Germany dumping on them. They then had to import expensive power when short.
      They shut down their nukes because wind and solar were going to replace them. That didn’t work so they have had to re-open their lignite stations. And when the wind doesn’t blow, and no one will sell them power from their grids, they burn Russian gas. Domestic power prices have pushed many families into poverty and industries are shutting down.
      That is what clean green myopia gets you.
      
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      June 24, 2022 12:57pm
      - CJames
        
        Here is a “small” German coal mine supplying one of their power stations.
        https://tallbloke.files.wordpress.com/2017/11/germancoal.jpg
        
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        June 24, 2022 6:07pm
    - peterwn
      
      And as far as I know the Germans also import significant nuclear generated power from France. It is interesting that French people seem to more readily accept nuclear power than other Europeans.
      
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      June 24, 2022 1:43pm
- Mummy
  
  A friend with family in Melbourne sent me this (friend just happens to be a retired electrician). Relates to Australia but 100% applicable to New Zealand too.
  Some recent Wise Words From An Electrical Contractor In Melbourne
  It is good to have a vision of a renewable energy future but actually moving towards this is another matter.
  “I recently did some work for the body corporate at the Dock 5 Apartment Building in Docklands in Melbourne to see if we could install a small number of electric charging points for owners to charge their electric vehicles.
  We had our first three tenant applications and we discovered:
  1. The building has non- allocated parking ie shared spots. We cannot instal charging outlets that a specific customer can reliably access. This is typical of most apartment buildings. Individually allocated spots (and parking police) will be needed.
  2. The power supply in the building was dimensioned for the residential design loads in the building with virtually no spare capacity. In this case, only 5 or 6 chargers could be installed in total in a building with 188 apartments before exceeding the capacity.
  3. How do you allocate them as they would add value to any apartment owning one. The shit-fight started on day one with about 20 applications received 1st day and with many more following.
  4. The car park sub-boards cannot carry the extra loads of even one charger and would have to be upgraded on any floors with a charger as would the supply mains to each sub board.
  5. The main switchboard would then have to be upgraded to add the heavier circuit breakers for the sub mains upgrade and furthermore:
  6. When Docklands was designed a limit was put on the number of apartments in each precinct and the mains and transformers in the streets designed accordingly. This means there is no capacity in the Docklands street grid for any significant quantity of car chargers in any building in the area.
  7. The whole CBD (Hoddle Grid, Docklands) and Southbank is fed by just two sub stations. One in Port Melbourne and one in West Melbourne.
  This was done to have two alternate feeds in case one failed or was down for maintenance. Because of the growth in the city /Docklands and Southbank now, neither one is capable of supplying the full requirement of Melbourne zone at peak usage in mid- summer if the other is out of action. The Port Melbourne 66,000 volt feeder runs on 50 or 60 year old wooden power poles above ground along Dorcas Street South Melbourne. One is pole is located 40 cm from the corner Kerb at the incredibly busy Ferrars /St Dorcas St Intersection and is very vulnerable to being wiped out by a wayward vehicle.
  Then, where is the energy coming from?
  8. Solar PV on domestic rooftops is not the answer, nor are PV farms. Panels are expensive, have a limited service life (20 years) and need appropriately facing instal space. Then these will need massive grid batteries to absorb the daily excess then supply the demand peak (in the evening). This will be very expensive and have limited service life.
  9. Wind power can work after dark but is very expensive, needs maintenance and has limited service life.
  10. Tidal power might help but that’s further away than nuclear.
  11. It takes 5-8 years to design and build a large coal fired power station like Loy Yang and even longer for a Nuclear one (That’s after you get the political will, permits and legislative changes needed).
  The National infrastructure expenditure required to move to renewable is huge. Just the grid update for electric cars would dwarf the NBN cost and that’s not including the new power stations required!
  The advocates of converting to all electric vehicle transport by 2040 are completely bonkers! The grid simply cannot support it in most places in Australia!
  MOST AUSTRALIANS DON’T UNDERSTAND THIS YET……………..!”
  
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  June 24, 2022 12:35pm
  - peterwn
    
    And the apartment building would also probably require its own transformer (for which space and accommodation would need to be provided) instead of the existing 240/415 volt street infeed. And the network company could be a pack of b******s when negotiating needs.
    
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    June 24, 2022 4:47pm
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  Most of the electricity discussion is supply side; but we also need to consider demand side.
  
  Stop immigration, except where there is unmet demand. Surgeons, yes. Nurses, no. Better to pay the latter more, to entice those already here out of retirement.
  
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  June 24, 2022 2:07pm
CJames

WHO and the Lancet now believe that Covid came as a leak out of a Wuhan lab from work funded by US grants co-ordinated by Dr Fauci. Whoever would have thought that? Only those kooky conspiracy theorists.
https://www.theepochtimes.com/who-and-lancet-commission-chiefs-come-out-in-support-of-lab-leak-theory_4548666.html?utm_source=Goodevening&utm_campaign=gv-2022-06-22&utm_medium=email&est=QEiMoHCjnc5aWya%2Bl87BFJN%2B140RotT%2BVYQDRFkqhIQERdtG6iYSYpSxHJsSky5JwRw%3D
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June 24, 2022 8:01am
- krazykiwi
  
  I distrust ANYTHING put forward by WHO in the absence of open data and open critique. They have a globalist control agenda and any appearance of saying the ‘right’ thing is, in my view, a front for some other nefarious intent. Remember, it was WHO that changed their own definition of ‘pandemic’ to support Chinese-demanded lockdowns, and they deep sixed their decades of advice on the futility of masking with no evidential basis.
  
  I’ve had recommended “Viral”, The Search for the Origin of Covid-19 By Matt Ridley, Alina Chan. Anyone read that yet?
  
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  June 24, 2022 8:20am
  - Joely Doe
    
    Just downloaded from local library now.
    To be honest, I was surprised to find it there…
    
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    June 24, 2022 8:47am
  - Alan Wilkinson
    
    Matt Ridley always writes factual good sense.
    
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    June 24, 2022 10:34am
- krazykiwi
  
  Published on Wednesday, this is a clear eyed summary of a good volume of evidence: Did SARS-CoV-2 Originate in Wuhan in 2019 or Earlier Elsewhere?. What I found interesting was the number of pre-December 2019 instances of what we now know as Covid-19 symptoms identified in several countries.
  
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  June 24, 2022 8:31am
  - Aunty
    
    In light of your comments, I found this interesting too….
    
    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/how-russian-propaganda-exploded-in-new-zealand-before-the-protest-at-parliament/BBSBVE3UNIOH26MUOCKCYMTMTM/
    
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    June 24, 2022 8:48am
    - Zero Kindness
      
      lol Aunty, didn’t you post that yesterday as well?
      It is rubbish reporting.
      Have you ventured out into the real world yet, or still hiding under your bed?
      Did you catch covid yet?
      Do you still believe the vaccines work?
      
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      June 24, 2022 11:10am
    - ClanMcleod
      
      Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!
      
      THank you. That’s the funniest think I’ve read in weeks!!! I thought it was satire from the Babylon Bee, but when I found out it was that idiot from the Whoreald, David Fisher, it was even funnier!!!
      
      Russian disinformation was behind the Wellington protest……lol Check under the bed Aunty, famous for hiding reds since forever!!
      
      Cheers, made my weekend for me!!!
      
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      June 24, 2022 11:37am
    - Rodion Raskolnikov
      
      Seriously? The old chestnut of “Russian propaganda”? What sort of idiot falls for this? They use this ridiculous diversion to cover all manner of tracks and sweep all sorts of their shit under the carpet. I thought the protest was mainly motivated by popular anger at the authoritarianism of the New Zealand establishment.
      
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      June 24, 2022 11:44am
      - ClanMcleod
        
        I’ve engaged Fisher a couple of times during the covid narrative nonsense. I’ve asked repeatedly for his examples of misinformation that he claims are happening everywhere. Tumbleweed. But this article is next level moronic. I won’t pay for anything in that rag, was happy someone pointed me to getpocket.
        It’s a shocking piece of nonsense, even by Fisher’s low standards.
        
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        June 24, 2022 4:32pm
  - virtualmark
    
    Krazy,
    
    There have been glimpses of information that Covid was circulating in small numbers in Wuhan as early as September 2019. But the Chinese government is in full Sergeant Schultz mode and suppressing information.
    
    There is a credible theory that the initial global spread happened as early as November 2019, which would tie in with … https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Military_World_Games
    
    Certainly it appears as though the first Russian cases were in Nov/Dec 2019.
    
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    June 24, 2022 3:57pm
- Ross Campbell
  
  You quote the EpochTimes as the source of this incredible information when it is owned and funded by the Falun Gong nutters.
  What a surprise it fingers the Chinese Communist Party as being to blame for the Covid outbreak as Falun Gong don’t have an axe to grind do they…
  Sorry still a conspiracy theory until proven otherwise.
  
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  June 24, 2022 8:37am
  - ClanMcleod
    
    Ross, apart from the fact that yet again, you attempt to smear the source instead of arguing the subject of the article. But fyi Epoch Times isn’t the source of the information. If you were paying attention you would have noted that they link to the original sources.
    I’m not linking them for you. Go and re read it and find them for yourself. But stop trying to deflect from the actual information by smearing the source. It’s idiotic.
    
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    June 24, 2022 11:51am
  - CJames
    
    You can actually find Matt Ridley wrote the same thing numerous times 6 months ago. It took this long for The Lancet to admit they were wrong and the conspiracists were correct.
    Example 247 of why not to trust “experts”
    
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    June 24, 2022 1:17pm
- Loddenthinks
  
  Clicking on that link invites me to continue reading as a subscriber with an interesting Gmail address. Not sure if that’s you or someone else, or just a piss-take.
  
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  June 24, 2022 9:27am
Scott

Labour has paid the media at least $55m to push a particular line about Maori co-governance and the treaty of waitangi as a partnership. We now know that if the media renege on that line the government can and will require repayment of that $55m. Some say when elected to government National should get rid of the practice. I say no. Let’s hoist the lefties on their own petard!

So in 2023 the new National government should advance similar loans to media organisations to promote the following viewpoints –
– the wonder of the free market that makes everyone more prosperous
– Socialism has never worked and has failed every time it has been tried. Every kindergarten could sing this as a song to start their day.
– Loving your country and the importance of patriotism
– The failure of wind power and solar power.
– Is climate change real?
– We are one people and one nation.

At the same time National and Act will introduce sensible centre right reforms and these will be matter of factly reported by the media as no big deal –
– Vouchers for each child so they can go to the school of their choice
– Reforms of the education sector so that well performing schools can expand their rolls to cater for demand
– The reintroduction of the 3 strikes law and greater penalties against youth offending.

On foreign policy the media would be funded to report on the following –
– For the sake of compassion should Joe Biden be sent to the nearest rest home in Vermont? Is he the worst president ever?
– Donald Trump is the front runner for the next election. He is the best ever. Biggest hands! Other candidates? Total losers!
The possibilities are endless –
– Even a children’s programme along the lines of Where’s Wally? We could call it Where’s Clarke?
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June 24, 2022 8:02am
- Paulus
  
  Heard this morning that Matariki was the beginning of the Renaissance for all Maori in Aotearoa, formerly New Zealand, and from on we will see all things develop from a Maori perspective.
  We are seeing this in the Parliament where all Social, Education and Medical changes are overtaken and controlled by a small percentage of the population.
  
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  June 24, 2022 11:25am
- Rodion Raskolnikov
  
  Or they could announce that they will just let the MSM wither on the vine. It is an anachronism and its role as mouthpiece for the establishment only undermines the democratic process. Collectively it is a walking corpse only held up artificially by taxpayer money.
  
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  June 24, 2022 11:50am
  - septic skeptic
    
    Do both. Sell the newly merged RNZ/TVNZ to Fox and then pay off Fox with copious advertising of govt policies and the PIJF.
    
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    June 24, 2022 2:22pm
  - Bloody Dago
    
    A veritable look of a Weekend at Bernies are our MSM. Lotsa fibs for $55million, one would have to be in a coma to dream them up
    
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    June 24, 2022 8:05pm
Maggy Wassilieff

Had I heard incorrectly?

Our Dear PM was welcoming protestors to Parliament:

. and welcome to our protesters; this is equally your space as well, and I think some have rejoined these grounds.”

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/129059829/parliaments-grounds-officially-reopen-after-occupation-riot

What a Fuckin hypocrite!!!
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June 24, 2022 8:04am
- G152
  
  The place has been de ducked Maggy so its probably safe to go back
  
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  June 24, 2022 8:09am
  - Don Beckett
    
    I saw that on TV1 also Maggy, and my exclamation was exactly as you have stated. A fucking hypocrite indeed.
    
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    June 24, 2022 10:57am
- Yvette
  
  As had been said before – If Ardern had sent someone, or gone herself (with some security), to meet the first 50 or so protesters to say a delegation of ten would be accepted to express the group’s views, when the rest arrived and demanded her attendance, the first would have had to say “She has been and done that”.
  Which may have negated her attendance yesterday to reopen Parliament lawns and children slide.
  Matariki is to allow you to reflect on the last year, or months … or something
  
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  June 24, 2022 8:24am
- krazykiwi
  
  No no, it’s in the Stuff link. The thousands of people who lost jobs or had been coerced to take experimental medicines were ‘occupiers’ and ‘rioters’, not protestors /s
  
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  June 24, 2022 8:25am
  - Ross Campbell
    
    Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
    “Occupiers and rioters”.
    First correct statement you have posted for a while KK but I would also add the term rabble just for good measure.
    
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    June 24, 2022 8:44am
    - Rodion Raskolnikov
      
      That riotous rabble and like-minded New Zealanders are the reason why the tyrannical grip has been loosened, at least for now, a situation that no doubt benefits you directly, even if you remain blissfully ignorant. If I were you or one of the other weak and subjugated Covidians, I would offer some deference to these strong-willed people.
      
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      June 24, 2022 11:54am
    - RightNow
      
      Please tell us you’re loaded to the gills with mrna
      
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      June 24, 2022 12:21pm
  - ClanMcleod
    
    Yes, apparently in the newspeak, single source of truth that Brenda inhabits, she can modify the English language to say whatever fits her mood on any given day. What a talent.
    
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    June 24, 2022 8:48am
    - mawm
      
      It’s the leftist fashion of using a word to mean its antonym.
      
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      June 24, 2022 9:08am
      - Thought Criminal
        
        Kindness
        
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        June 24, 2022 1:04pm
    - krazykiwi
      
      Agreed. They say truth is the first casualty of war. I think there is a precursor: the integrity of words
      
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      June 24, 2022 9:31am
  - Prince
    
    And white supremacists. Except for the majority who were Maori.
    
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    June 24, 2022 8:53am
- O C Smith
  
  My comments verbatim when I heard that statement.
  
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  June 24, 2022 8:26am
- Dr John
  
  And is that an accompanying photo of Trevor Mallard with his hand over his heart during the haka?
  First of all, hand over heart only for the National Anthem. And secondly, hand over heart is an American gesture. In the British world, we stand to attention with hands by side.
  I get bloody cranky when I see assorted sportsmen – like PJ Perenara – doing the American gesture during the National Anthem.
  
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  June 24, 2022 8:38am
  - Jack5
    
    Mallard has a heart?
    
    Or do shapeshifters from out near the Pleiades just know where humans’ hearts are.
    
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    June 24, 2022 12:29pm
- mikenmildagain
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  I don’t recall anyone stopping protestors from having their say at parliament. I do recall a rabble earlier this year grossly overstaying the generous welcome afforded in our open society.
  
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  June 24, 2022 8:50am
  - Frank the tank
    
    Rivers of filth eh Mikey.
    
    When the hikoi protesting the cancellation of 3 waters occupies in 2024 I’m assuming your stance will change….
    
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    June 24, 2022 8:55am
  - Prince
    
    Generous welcome ? Go back and review the footage on days 1 through 4.
    Descending from their exalted heights and meeting with them (maybe even accepting a few heckles) would have ended this on day one.
    
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    June 24, 2022 8:56am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    I don’t recall the Prime minister or any Minister of her Government coming out to “welcome” the anti-mandate protestors on 6 February.. or anytime.
    
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    June 24, 2022 8:59am
    - mikenmildagain
      
      Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
      Protestors being welcome to protest in parliament grounds doesn’t compel and minister or MP to speak with them. You might recall that in a notable show of unity, none of our elected representatives met the protestors.
      
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      June 24, 2022 9:08am
      - Surely Knott
        
        The group think from all our political parties started earlier than the protests. The parties were lockstep in their support of all the “vaccine” authoritarianism and all participated in vilification and public shaming of those questioning it. Refusing to speak to the protestors was just the latest chapter in the parties commitment to Pfizer at any cost and the shutting down of any other voices.
        
        There were three parties who walked outside that group think – Matt King – Democracy NZ, Winston Peters – NZ1 , Sue Grey – Freedom&Outdoors.
        
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        June 24, 2022 9:20am
      - krazykiwi
        
        There it is. Acknowledgement that the deliberately manufactured disunity was sewn was into the fabric of New Zealand society by aligned, elitist politicians who uniformly refused to accept that the marginalised should be heard.
        
        This is the reason ditching Ardern and installing Luxon will have ZERO impact on the overall trajectory of New Zealand.
        
        They may have different uniforms, and play a slightly different score, but the elitist political party bands march in the same direction.
        
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        June 24, 2022 9:22am
      - leoj
        
        Yes, and a POX on ALL of them.
        
        All are a bunch of spineless jackasses.
        
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        June 24, 2022 9:39am
      - ClanMcleod
        
        It was a notable show of cowardice by gutless, publicly paid representatives being cowed by “leaders” too afraid to engage in adult conversation.
        
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        June 24, 2022 9:53am
      - G the giant from Dunedin
        
        Seymour did meet with the protesters
        
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        June 24, 2022 10:02am
      - Cassandra
        
        Not quite. Eventually some of them eg Seymour, came to their senses.
        
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        June 24, 2022 10:24am
      - mikenmildagain
        
        Yes, Seymour did go back on the unified position and pretended to sympathise with the rabble once he thought it could play well to some segments.
        
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        June 24, 2022 10:58am
      - G the giant from Dunedin
        
        Seymour did not go back on any bloody thing , it was a dictate from the most rotten speaker in history
        
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        June 24, 2022 2:22pm
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      Trevor came out and played Barry Manilow to them.
      What a gentleman!
      
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      June 24, 2022 10:30am
  - krazykiwi
    
    “I don’t recall anyone stopping protestors from having their say at parliament”
    
    Apart from the water sprinklers, Barry Manilow on full volume at 2am, the commentary about ‘Rivers of Filth™’, the tear gas, the police barricades, the “You are trespassing” on PA loop, the refusal to even meet with the protestors (yes, and Luxon and Seymour, you can hang your head in shame at that….)
    
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    June 24, 2022 9:01am
    - mikenmildagain
      
      Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
      I am referring, of course, to the entirely reasonable limitations on protest – no camping, for example – that all MPs have supported for very many years. Once the rabble had overstayed their welcome, they needed to leave.
      
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      June 24, 2022 9:10am
      - Surely Knott
        
        1. There was already a precedent for camping at parliament.
        2. Not allowing camping means only wellington locals can protest at parliament for any length of time.
        3. There were a large number of protestors in Picton. They received no coverage. There are a large number of protestors at Marsden Point. The media doesn’t cover their concerns. If MP’s and media don’t listen to protests elsewhere then the protestors bring their concerns where they can’t be ignored.
        
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        June 24, 2022 9:23am
      - Benedict Yu
        
        I agree with you to an extent. There does need to be limitations on protest. But…
        
        In this case, these people were pushed to the point that they were angry at having their lives up ended by vaccine mandates. Make people that angry and that is what you get.
        
        Politicians not talking to them made things worse.
        
        The government encouraged illegal Maori occupation of private land, caved, and bought the land. Where were the police and the riot shields?
        
        The climate change ministry recently encouraged protestors to vandalise cars by deflating tyres, causing property damage and potentially endangering lives as someone may have been denied a vehicle, for example, to take a child to hospital. So much for limits on protest as you describe them.
        
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        June 24, 2022 9:43am
      - leoj
        
        ….and if one rep from each party had the guts to talk to the protestors, it probably would have shortened the protest.
        
        Our parliamentarians, every last one of them, is a total disgrace.
        
        We are being governed by morons.
        
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        June 24, 2022 9:43am
      - ClanMcleod
        
        The “deplorables” in the “river of filth”. “Let them eat cake”.
        So kind, so caring. Libtards are such wonderful people.
        
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        June 24, 2022 9:50am
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        “rabble” Are they infiltrators just like the ones at the Capitol on 6th Jan Mike?
        
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        June 24, 2022 10:33am
  - JimBobJoe
    
    Ahhh Mike. Protestors where ignored by the elected representives on site. All it needed was some leadership from your heroes and heroines (what is a non-gender Hero/ine called btw the way?) from the Left who currently control the treasury Benches. Situation could have been talked down and resolved in the first week before the trouble makers arrived or were inserted….
    
    But what did we get?
    >Punching down statements
    >Psyops lying and use of tactics like blaring music in the middle of the night and turning on sprinklers (which of cause caused very unsanitary environment)
    >Idiots like Woods and his nasty bully boy Rivers of Filth rhetoric
    >The NZ police employing unlawfully violence
    
    The COVID protesters have seen what the Left is all about: Control, ridicule and violence.
    
    you must be so very proud Milky
    
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    June 24, 2022 9:09am
- peterwn
  
  She needs their votes.
  
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  June 24, 2022 9:08am
- Nickc2
  
  So the ‘Rivers of Filth’ were flowing through land they owned. What a surprise. We were led to belive some arrogant useless prick called Trevor Mallard owned it eh?
  
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  June 24, 2022 9:21am
- Zero Kindness
  
  Excellent news Maggy.
  I shall head down to “our space” to scope the best place for the food tents for the next peaceful occupation.
  Always nice to feel welcome.
  
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  June 24, 2022 11:14am
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Happy Pleiades day!
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June 24, 2022 8:06am
- mikenmildagain
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  Any special plans for the day, Steve?
  
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  June 24, 2022 8:13am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Yeah! Troll on Kiwiblog – just like you!
    But you are the second best troll in the World, now who is first??
    DONALD JOHN TRUMP
    
    38 3
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    June 24, 2022 8:24am
    - mikenmildagain
      
      Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
      But I have better hair, and no history of fraud or bankruptcy.
      
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      June 24, 2022 8:51am
      - Loddenthinks
        
        So you say
        
        31 2
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        June 24, 2022 9:01am
      - mikenmildagain
        
        Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
        I am at least as truthful as Donald Trump, although I would concede that is a very low bar.
        
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        June 24, 2022 9:11am
      - JimBobJoe
        
        No history of anything positive for you Milky… at least the Trump put himself out there and did stuff: one notable thing was calling on European NATO members to pay for their own defense. He seems to have known what he was talking about and been borne out by subsequent events…
        
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        June 24, 2022 9:11am
      - Don Beckett
        
        That’s what Trump says too. 😆
        
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        June 24, 2022 11:05am
  - Mobile Michael
    
    Mine are to go shopping for a new lawnmower and get KFC for dinner for the family. Cause it’s not a holiday with any meaning to me.
    
    As an example, Easter is a festival of forgiveness and gratitude for the sacrifice of Jesus in the Christian world. Not about family time as Labour and the Greens would have it when they oppose shop trading hour liberalisation. (Something I also oppose, but if your rationale is there is too little guaranteed time off then ban trading on all Sundays – something the fourth Labour Government liberalised.)
    
    ANZAC Day is a day to commemorate those who fought on behalf of this country. While most wars are not worthy of commemoration, the young men and woman who served did not start those wars and all sacrificed much. The day off is to be able to commemorate their sacrifice as a community. If it falls on a weekend then having a day off on the Monday says it is a meaningless day and it’s about time away from work.
    
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    June 24, 2022 10:21am
    - mikenmildagain
      
      Yes, imagine different people and different cultures having their own cherished myths and special days. No one is forcing anyone to do anything special for Matariki, just like no one can be forced to attend any other form of dawn ceremony, or to maintain that wine magically turns into blood, etc, etc.
      
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      June 24, 2022 11:05am
      - Don Beckett
        
        In the Catholic world, today is the Solemnity – the Feast Day – of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It celebrates the humanity (alongside the Divinity) of Jesus, and the love that He has for mankind. This has been celebrated since the medieval period, and is well represented in the magnificent Sacre Coear Cathedral on Montematre in Paris. So that is what I celebrate today, but I guess Matariki has its place in Maori mythology.
        Just sayin’. 🙂
        Just saying.
        
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        June 24, 2022 11:14am
      - Ross Campbell
        
        “It celebrates the humanity of Jesus and the love that he has for mankind”.
        Just a shame Don that a bit more of that did not rub off on to his followers on KB instead of their normal prejudice and bigotry spewed out on a daily basis.
        
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        June 24, 2022 11:32am
      - Don Beckett
        
        Mmmm. Your comment accepted Ross – we can all do with more love & consideration for others. Yes, there is much prejudice by many on this blog. Unfortunately that is the fallen human condition, and I certainly include myself. But we do need to differentiate between truth – objective truth – and opinion, and oftentimes we fail to, and sometimes the ridicule that some my put on others is deserved, even if it is somewhat ‘unkind’.
        
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        June 24, 2022 2:34pm
- Black with a Vengeance
  
  Try taking a break from all your bitching and bastarding.
  
  Enjoy time with loved ones over a good feed and maybe gather round a fire to tell stories in the evening.
  
  Stories of ancestors and gods and legendary deeds that celebrate this amazing and beautiful land we call home.
  
  Give thanks and praise to whatever you choose your gods to be. Humble yourself before them in acknowledgement of their greater power.
  
  Strive to be more patient with those things that vex your spirit and unbalance your soul. Lok to spread love and create beauty in the world with your words and actions.
  
  Live with good intention, if only for one day…Happy Matariki!!!
  
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  June 24, 2022 8:24am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Jesus Christ, almost tempted to uptick!
    
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    June 24, 2022 10:44am
    - mikenmildagain
      
      Go on, Steve, you know it was a great comment.
      
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      June 24, 2022 11:05am
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        Dunno if he was aiming at me or you LOL
        
        10 2
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        June 24, 2022 11:52am
      - Jack5
        
        … Stories of ancestors and gods and legendary deeds …
        
        Kava talk, eh BWAV?
        
        8 2
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        June 24, 2022 12:05pm
    - Don Beckett
      
      I did uptick 🙂
      
      7 5
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      June 24, 2022 11:16am
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      Me too.
      
      8 3
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      June 24, 2022 11:53am
    - Loddenthinks
      
      I would’ve too, if not for the friendly opening. Brown with a Grievance should perhaps remove the beam from his own eye before requiring anyone to remove the mote from theirs.
      
      Point 2 – agree!
      
      Point 3 – no thanks, the stars are there for reasons unconnected with your ancestors or made-up “gods” and the legends are just that, made-up stories.
      
      Point 4 – there are no gods; there are thousands of gods. All made up.
      
      Point 5 – agree!
      
      Sign-off – it’s how I live all my days. Whatever Matariki is, or is supposed to be, not interested.
      
      9 2
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      June 24, 2022 2:10pm
      - Don Beckett
        
        There is only One True God. 🙂
        
        5 3
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        June 24, 2022 4:22pm
  - Alan Wilkinson
    
    Why change the habits of a lifetime for one day – and a cold, cloudy, windy and rainy one at that?
    
    I’ll be lighting the fire and marvelling at the clowns celebrating stars they can’t see through the clouds and myths they need to invent to hide their ignorance.
    
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    June 24, 2022 12:17pm
- Chris R
  
  I shall celebrate by cleaning my Subaru!
  
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  June 24, 2022 8:39am
- Geoff1
  
  Subaru day?
  
  21 2
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  June 24, 2022 9:11am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Yes it is. Subaru going to sue Moari for plagiarising?
    If they do, who is going to pay?? We all know who.
    
    16 3
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    June 24, 2022 10:47am
    - mikenmildagain
      
      I’m sure the amateur epidemiologists and geostrategic experts who proliferate on the blog will also be able to explain how trademarks and copyright work. But if a US congressman could suggest moving the Moon, I am sure that it should be comparatively simple to trademark a constellation.
      
      4 20
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      June 24, 2022 11:10am
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        ‘US congressman?’ They could start with that idiot who did not want the US Military on Guam. He reckoned Guam would tip over with the weight!
        
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        June 24, 2022 12:06pm
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        Oh, it’s not a constellation, it’s a cluster of stars.
        Someone else on here said that.
        
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        June 24, 2022 12:07pm
      - Loddenthinks
        
        You don’t trademark a constellation (and Pleiades is a cluster, not a constellation); you trademark a name, phrase or symbol. Could you be any more wrong about everything?
        
        (Rhetorical question, no response necessary)
        
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        June 24, 2022 2:16pm
peterwn

National Party President – The President is elected annually by the Board from Board members) during the Party’s annual Conference after it has elected Board members (three or so retire by rotation each year but may stand for re-election). Nominations closed a few days ago and there were three nominations from the three retiring members so the election will be a formality. Then yesterday the Party President Peter Goodfellow announced he would be standing down as President but would continue on the Board until he retires by rotation until next year.
This has been criticised by ex MP Maurice Williamson and others since it would seem that he and others would have liked to have a crack at standing for President and would have sought a Board seat if they had known that Peter Goodfellow was standing down. As far as I am concerned they can jump in the lake. The last thing the Party wants is President wannabes standing for the Board, getting elected and then getting all bitter and twisted because they fail to be elected President. This is especially as the Board is concentrating on the campaign for next years election. In the circumstances it is obvious that the new President must be elected from the incumbent Board members.
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June 24, 2022 8:06am
- H. Upmann
  
  National – open and transparent //
  
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  June 24, 2022 10:41am
  - peterwn
    
    Yes, quite open and transparent. The National Party constitution is on its web site for all to see and sets the processes for Board elections (by delegates appointed by party members in each electorate) and the election of the President by the Board.
    If Party members want the President to be elected directly by delegates the members can always change the constitution accordingly.
    
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    June 24, 2022 1:50pm
    - H. Upmann
      
      I have respect for your comments on this blog Peter and I read them all, but this is a scam, bordering in corruption, that Labour would be proud of.
      
      Goodfellow is not worth anything, particularly having you defend him and by default, National. This is clearly an inside mates scam.
      
      Were it not for Goodfellow, National would have won 2017.
      
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      June 24, 2022 10:10pm
- Loddenthinks
  
  I agree and disagree. Has Goodfellow been “economical with the truth” about his intentions? Undoubtedly. Is he a nefarious back-room schemer determined to get his own way? Without question – and one could make a convincing argument that you need to be to be the President of a prominent political party.
  
  However, the rules and constitution are there for all to see, and if a would-be candidate decides to put themselves forward there’s no mystery about the process. If they didn’t think they could beat Goodfellow for a Board position then the outcome’s the same anyway. Goodfellow is under no obligation to share his plans with anyone.
  
  Having said all that, I’m delighted he’s not seeking re-election as President, and firmly believe (on this I agree with Williamson) he should also step down from the Board. It’s likely the Board has the ability to co-opt him as immediate Past President for a short time, if indeed some “ushering in” of a new President is required.
  
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  June 24, 2022 2:25pm
- Loddenthinks
  
  STOP PRESS According to the constitution of the National Party (https://www.national.org.nz/rules) nominations must be received “no less than 6 weeks before the Annual Conference”.
  
  The Annual Conference is to be held in Christchurch on Saturday August 6th. 6 weeks prior to August 6 is tomorrow, 25 June.
  
  There’s still time to forward nominations, and if (as the National Party has stated) nominations have been closed, that is in breach of the constitution.
  
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  June 24, 2022 2:45pm
  - peterwn
    
    OK, there you have it. If a nomination is put into the mailbox at 41 Pipitea Street by end of tomorrow, it would on this basis, need to be considered. But a wannsbee faces two hurdles. 1. the wannabe would need to campaign hard to be elected to the Board. 2. If elected the wannabe would need to convince that he or she is the right person for the Presidency. Chance of meeting the two criteria would be very small especially any instability among the branches, electorates and Board would currently be low.
    
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    June 24, 2022 4:57pm
mikenmildagain

Eighty years today saw the first, and so far only, attempt by the labour and national parties to form a government. A War Administration was formed, with seven labour members and six national members. It lasted three months.
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June 24, 2022 8:13am
Cassandra

Meng Foon promoting co-governance. What he and other advocates of special benefits for just one race miss is that racism is wrong, in principle and in practice. Foon is a parody of a Race Relations Conciliator.
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June 24, 2022 8:13am
- GJM
  
  If there was no racism, Foon would be out a job, along with his staff. Where else is he going to get a well paid cushy number with no expectations of results or accountability? Especially with his stunning lack of talent?
  Of course he is going to do everything to promote racism in NZ. It is in his interest.
  
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  June 24, 2022 11:42am
Jade Warrior

Morning all – I was going to post something more substantial on how sick I am of Matariki and the deification of Maori culture that we have seen in our media over the last two weeks. But I don’t want to be branded a racist, so I suspect like many other non-Maori New Zealanders today, I will just smile and nod politely whenever Matariki is mentioned, but otherwise keep my true feelings to myself. I guess it’s a day off at least.

And in any event, Cactus Kate in her latest blog post pretty much sums up how I feel anyway.

https://asianinvasion2019.blogspot.com/2022/06/the-romanticisation-of-maori-culture.html?m=1
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June 24, 2022 8:14am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Well that’s a kick in the guts from Cactus Kate!
  
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  June 24, 2022 10:50am
Maggy Wassilieff

How to explain away nepotism:

We’re all whanau in Aotearoa.

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2022/06/politicians-give-their-take-on-nanaia-mahuta-s-family-member-appointments.html
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June 24, 2022 8:17am
- Frank the tank
  
  Tinkerbell has definitely converted to left.
  
  Along with Burrows he is now the go-to person whenever someone in the feckless wants to prove National did it first.
  
  21 2
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  June 24, 2022 8:59am
- surfing
  
  Some whanau are more equal than others though.
  
  Typical BS way the left explain away corruption.
  
  21 1
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  June 24, 2022 9:20am
- Loddenthinks
  
  Good old Newshub, the most biased left-leaning publication in New Zealand, running interference for their paymasters yet again. Who’da thunk it?
  
  https://mediabias.co.nz/
  
  28 2
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  June 24, 2022 9:53am
  - bco90
    
    Michael Morrah seems to be doing some good work though.
    
    https://t.co/lGje6jaKZv
    
    11 1
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    June 24, 2022 10:24am
- I remember when
  
  And the pool gets even shallower when you remove the Maori outside the elite.
  
  10 1
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  June 24, 2022 9:55am
- oldfella
  
  Maggy, the last line in that story (used by the reporter last night).
  
  New Zealand is a small place – Te Ao Māori is smaller. These conflicts come up and as long as they’re dealt with by the book – which seems that way for Mahuta – no issue.
  
  So, nothing to see here. Nanaia is squeaky clean. Move along. Got it!
  
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  June 24, 2022 9:58am
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    Surprising that all three are Tainui. Nga Puhi, Ngai Tahu etc must see this as a slap in the face.
    
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    June 24, 2022 2:14pm
- Alan Wilkinson
  
  Sleazy cnut seems the only accurate description of the lady.
  
  16 2
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  June 24, 2022 10:55am
- curry4me
  
  Nepotism is wrong end of. Even the remotest perception of it must be avoided at all costs.
  
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  June 24, 2022 8:46pm
- Cactus Kate
  
  “In 2013, then Minister Paula Bennett appointed Amy Adams’ sister Belinda Milnes as Families Commissioner.
  
  In 2015, when Bill English was Finance Minister, his brother Conor was appointed an advisor to the Reserve Bank”.
  
  Is that the best they can throw up?
  Belinda and Conor are well known to be at least as smart and qualified if not more, than their siblings.
  
  As impossible as it sounds Nanaia appears to be the best and brightest in her family!
  
  As for Chris Finlayson’s comment, Wira Gardiner had his snout firmly in the trough for decades right across the political spectrum so it is meaningless to include him.
  
  The business the Mahuta’s are running is very close to something you would expect in a small closely held town in Italy.
  
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  June 25, 2022 12:34am
CJames

Unless of course you are ACT supporters when you are the wrong sort of Maori and they don’t want to know you.
53 2
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June 24, 2022 8:19am
Maggy Wassilieff

A new acronym for a very clumsy name:

ANZPM

Aotearoa New Zealand Public Media

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/469672/rnz-tvnz-mega-entity-named-aotearoa-new-zealand-public-media-in-draft-legislation
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June 24, 2022 8:21am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  $676M? Cheap as…
  
  21 3
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  June 24, 2022 8:29am
- alloytoo
  
  Sell it to Murdock.
  
  10 0
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  June 24, 2022 8:51am
- mikenmildagain
  
  I think DPF could run a very entertaining naming competition.
  
  10 15
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  June 24, 2022 8:53am
  - Maggie Pie
    
    That wouldn’t be fair milkey….you’d get 3 goes at it.
    
    28 5
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    June 24, 2022 9:12am
    - Loddenthinks
      
      Still wouldn’t win.
      
      18 1
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      June 24, 2022 9:43am
      - Maggie Pie
        
        😀
        
        13 3
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        June 24, 2022 10:08am
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      4 or 5
      
      7 3
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      June 24, 2022 10:56am
      - mikenmildagain
        
        Just for you, I’ll try:
        – NZ Broadcasting Corporation
        – Broadcasting Corporation of NZ
        old favourites, but maybe something more contemporary, a brand that is initially mocked but soon accepted, like Te Papa or Fonterra:
        – Ponga – for the silver fern
        – Anzac – for the biscuits
        – Mahuta – for our royal family.
        
        3 10
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        June 24, 2022 11:25am
      - All_on_Red
        
        ‘Royal Family’?
        You mean the Truck driver who is the Honorary Mayor of Huntly?
        
        11 1
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        June 24, 2022 12:21pm
vand

Mikey – a Maori lady spoke on Radio Pravda about making an offering to the star cluster- the new official religion of NZ now I suppose -worshipping rocks in the sky.
22 1
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June 24, 2022 8:22am
- rockape
  
  More balls ofNuclear energy that rocks!
  
  7 2
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  June 24, 2022 11:51am
- Jack5
  
  Whoosh! Off they go ….
  
  From the NZ Encyclopedia:
  
  Matariki was a time to acknowledge the dead and to release their spirits to become stars.
  
  4 1
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  June 24, 2022 12:01pm
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    I thought they all headed north from Spirits Bay, getting back to the old country.
    
    Have I been misled all these years?
    
    3 0
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    June 24, 2022 2:16pm
Ra Henare

So much for the obesity epidemic.

I have been eating fast food (Big Macs and Thick crust pizzas) 4 or 5 times a week for the last month.

NO increase in weight still 72 Kgs. Had hoped to get back to 75 kgs(75 also my age) to save buying new pants or belts.

Bloody media misinformation about fast food causing fatties.
13 3
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June 24, 2022 8:23am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Drink Beer. It does not have much weight increase stuff, so you need to drink a lot.
  
  10 3
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  June 24, 2022 11:03am
  - Ra Henare
    
    Am drinking lots of sugary drinks because, apparently they are also contributing to obesity. So its cokes and or Ginger beer twice a day.
    (Am off beer at the moment ie its too bluddy expensive)
    
    5 1
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    June 24, 2022 12:36pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Whole lot of Moari stuff on play school TV1.
Guess what? Nobody, nobody, is wearing a mask, not even Jaspinda.
48 4
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June 24, 2022 8:26am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Masks hide your moko kauae.
  
  53 3
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  June 24, 2022 8:34am
- Rich Prick
  
  I watched some free to air TV last night for the first time in ages. I had no idea how bad the pidgin gibberish could get. I won’t be back for any more of it.
  
  58 2
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  June 24, 2022 8:37am
  - mikenmildagain
    
    Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
    I sincerely recommend that you don’t watch, read or listen to anything which might upset you.
    
    7 42
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    June 24, 2022 8:54am
    - JimBobJoe
      
      Follow your own advise Mike…. don’t watch HOBM, they have very bad habits involving marching powder and trophies…
      
      9 3
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      June 24, 2022 9:13am
      - mikenmildagain
        
        He’s back playing today. All was forgiven. HOB will beat MSP today. Petone will struggle at Wainui, and the Hutt Rec will resound to a shout that will shatter the front windows of the Bellevue.
        
        1 9
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        June 24, 2022 11:28am
  - The Other Enoch
    
    RP, they talk Minglish. Mangled Maori and English.
    
    11 1
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    June 24, 2022 8:57am
  - MCōs
    
    I’ve looked at all sorts of niche channels over the years to see what draws the multitudes & because they’ve been part of a package I’ve subscribed to.
    In that respect TV1 Breakfast is hardly offensive unless you think anyone speak in a language you don’t understand is disrespectful.
    I’ve seen these preachers on Evangelical channels in thousand dollars suits screaming and hollering that guys like me are going to hell, but not if I send all the money I can to this number so he can buy a new jet.
    Operators are waiting.
    
    13 6
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    June 24, 2022 9:41am
    - krazykiwi
      
      There is a special place in hell for those Tele preacher frauds. I read somewhere (ie veracity lacking, bit still…) that foreign capital inflows to Mozambique switch to outflows a month after that country got access to Tele preacher TV channels. Abhorrent if true.
      
      17 4
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      June 24, 2022 9:48am
      - David Garrett
        
        Krazy> When I lived in Tonga, an American outfit arrived…I say “outfit” because although it claimed it was a church, in fact it was just yet another con the poor Tongan people have been subjected to.
        
        I remember channel surfing up there and coming across this new channel soliciting money from the Tongans…soliciting money from people in a third world country who often struggle to buy basics.
        
        I gave this prick a call and told him what I thought…he was utterly unfazed. It later transpired that he had links via his wife to the American mob. Despicable [insert banned noun in plural] all of them.
        
        27 0
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        June 24, 2022 10:08am
      - Cassandra
        
        “The missionaries came to do good and did very well indeed”.
        
        13 0
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        June 24, 2022 10:26am
      - mikenmildagain
        
        Cassandra
        They started badly in NZed with the ‘flogging parson’ and never got better.
        
        3 10
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        June 24, 2022 11:30am
BeaB

Most Kiwis will happily take a day off, even one in the middle off winter, but has there ever been one we needed so much instruction about? So many do’s and don’ts. So much superstitious nonsense and twaddle. The media are totally sucked in. It’s all a bit embarrassing.
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June 24, 2022 8:27am
- Alan Wilkinson
  
  Claptrap for morons produced by paid-for idiots.
  
  23 2
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  June 24, 2022 10:51am
- GJM
  
  Well it is completely fabricated from thin air, so they need to make up the history as well.
  
  8 1
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  June 24, 2022 11:46am
  - MCōs
    
    I would say it’s more meaningful than Boxing Day or ‘the day after New Year’s Day’, which have no meaning whatsoever. Easter Monday is a nothing day.
    The raison d’être for some of these days is for Briscoes to have a sale.
    
    3 1
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    June 24, 2022 5:42pm
DRHILL

So less than 12 hours after a massive stabbing attack in Auckland, Stuff decides it’s not news now. Matariki is.
One link to the story. one that says “What Happened”
18 1
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June 24, 2022 8:41am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Stabbing? Have the bad guys run out of guns? Maybe they handed them in….
  
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  June 24, 2022 11:10am
slightlyrighty

I’m seeking guidance….

Is it Merry Matariki?

Pleasant Pleiades?

Jolly Jacinda day?
20 1
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June 24, 2022 8:49am
- Alan Wilkinson
  
  Official Racism Day.
  
  29 2
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  June 24, 2022 10:50am
  - septic skeptic
    
    I thought that was Waitangi Day? I’m confused!
    
    4 0
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    June 24, 2022 2:38pm
surfing

https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-guns-decision-58d01ef8bd48e816d5f8761ffa84e3e8

“Supreme Court expands gun rights”
Supreme Court said Thursday that Americans have a right to carry firearms in public for self-defense

It seems crazy to me… Next it will be cows with guns.
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June 24, 2022 8:52am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  It’s New York, not all States.
  Btw, did you know Trump has more than two guns, and has a concealed carry permit. He carries a gun quite often. Also does not mind if his employees carry.
  
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  June 24, 2022 11:19am
  - virtualmark
    
    The ruling applies to 7 states. New York of course, but also Hawaii, MA, NJ and three others I can’t remember. But, incidentally, they’re the 7 states with the lowest death rates from guns.
    
    America is the country that will ban vapes because they’re just too dangerous, and then the very next day block gun regulation of virtually any kind because freeeeeedumb.
    
    3 1
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    June 24, 2022 4:04pm
    - virtualmark
      
      America is also the country where each state can decide a woman must carry a foetus, but not whether you can carry a gun.
      
      Dysfunctional.
      
      2 2
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      June 24, 2022 5:11pm
  - mikenmildagain
    
    The supreme court decision is now a precedent for lower courts to strike down concealed-carry laws, and many other firearms restrictions, in many other states.
    At least have the honesty to admit that the supreme court has ruled that nearly all restrictions on firearms must be presumed to be unconstitutional.
    
    3 3
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    June 24, 2022 4:53pm
    - virtualmark
      
      Mikey,
      
      Gallup polls on Americans’ confidence in SCOTUS:
      June 2020: 40%
      June 2021: 36%
      June 2022: 25%
      
      The 25% now is the all time low and also roughly the portion of the American population that are gun nuts and Christianists.
      
      And just wait a day or two until SCOTUS releases its final decision on Roe vs Wade …
      
      3 3
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      June 24, 2022 5:16pm
- Dave
  
  See cows with guns here:
  
  https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cwBFkT_KZr8
  
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  June 24, 2022 4:53pm
ClanMcleod

Bethlehem College Chair Paul Shakes responds to the woke attacks on the school and their principles, and the bullying attempts by the MoE.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/bay-of-plenty-times/news/bethlehem-college-chair-paul-shakes-religion-rights-and-mutual-respect/PE7MW4UZ6D5DHYMDHKEGYL6XYE/

Article is paywalled. This is an excerpt.

“The Ministry of Education has asked us to remove point 13 from our Statement of Belief that marriage is between one man and one woman, with the reasoning that it was not in our Statement of Belief when we became a state-integrated school in 1999.

However, we doubt the inclusion of this belief in 1999 would have posed a problem given this view of marriage was more widely accepted at the time. We also understand that human rights to transparently hold beliefs are among the most fundamental freedoms.

We are therefore continuing to engage with the Ministry of Education on this matter, and in the meantime we’re reverting to our original Statement of Belief to show good faith.

We think it important, however, to be completely transparent with everyone about the fact that our Christian beliefs, including about marriage, will not change. ”

They have an opinion. Ardern’s attempts at creating a Ministry of Truth will try and ban that fundamental human right. Just like she tried to force people to partake in a medical experiment.
She is a very dangerous person.
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June 24, 2022 8:54am
- mikenmildagain
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  They are welcome to their beliefs. They would have a stronger case if they weren’t asking taxpayers to fund the teaching of those beliefs.
  
  5 37
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  June 24, 2022 8:56am
  - ClanMcleod
    
    So you are an advocate for the removal of taxpayer funding if you exercise free speech?
    Clearly you also support coercion and bribery to control a “single source of truth” narrative as we’ve been exposed to for almost three years. Disagree with dictator Ardern and you will be punished.
    There was me nearly believing that she really was “inclusive”, “kind and caring” and leading a “team of five million”.
    Apparently only if you do what she says and think what she thinks. Sounds totally fair and reasonable.
    
    That you are a fan of this fascism comes as no surprise whatsoever.
    
    34 4
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    June 24, 2022 9:04am
    - Don Beckett
      
      Very flawed comment milkey – the parents & people at Bethlehem College also pay taxes, so are entitled to have that proportion of taxes paid to the college from the Education budget.
      
      22 2
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      June 24, 2022 11:27am
      - Jack5
        
        Milky’s … asking taxpayers to fund the teaching of those beliefs….
        
        Heaps of taxpayer money being splashed on matariki promotion and broadcasting, Milky.
        
        13 4
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        June 24, 2022 12:12pm
  - Peter S
    
    Except that they are taxpayers, and as such have every right to expect that an appropriate proportion of the tax they have paid would support them as taxpayers, just as a proportion goes to fund the teaching of things that they disagree with but which are in line with the beliefs and opinions of other taxpayers.
    
    23 3
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    June 24, 2022 11:09am
    - mikenmildagain
      
      Seeing as the taxpayers already fork out for everyone to have a free education, it should be relatively logical to expect those choosing to go to special schools to pay for that, as was the case till the catholic schools collapsed in the 1970s. Taxpayers should not be subsidising religious teaching, of whatever form, be it the multitude of Abrahamic cults, Polynesian pantheism and animism, Buddhism or whatever.
      
      4 25
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      June 24, 2022 11:58am
      - Jack5
        
        Milky, does that go for tertiary education, too?
        
        Think of the three wananga. The State regards these as peers of universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.
        
        The enabling legislation says:
        
        A wananga is characterised by teaching and research that maintains, advances, and disseminates knowledge and develops intellectual independence, and assists the application of knowledge regarding ahuatanga Maori (Maori tradition) according to tikanga Maori (Maori custom).
        
        Special tertiary schools? Close to religious teaching in many cases.
        To regard all things as possessing a life force or mauri is a religious belief. If not this, what are the Maori technology and Maori research the wananga teach?
        
        Do any of the three promote Ratana?
        
        13 2
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        June 24, 2022 12:21pm
      - Rodion Raskolnikov
        
        “Taxpayers should not be subsidising religious teaching, of whatever form, be it the multitude of Abrahamic cults, Polynesian pantheism and animism, Buddhism or whatever.”
        
        Why not? Don’t the members of these “cults” also pay those taxes used to (hypothetically) fund such teaching, probably paying to an even greater extent than those taxpayers who fund the (actual) teaching of the Intersectionality, Ethnic Narcissism and Anti-White Male Grievance religious doctrine? All of these various religious doctrines are, ultimately, as much as each other, supported by faith and distinguishable by differing metaphysical and ethical systems, so what is the difference?
        
        You worship and bend the knee at the altar of Gay Pride (and good for you), others at the altar of Polynesian pantheism and animism: why should your religion be state-sponsored, but not the latter? Intolerance is likely the deciding factor
        
        17 3
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        June 24, 2022 12:29pm
      - amospicton
        
        So choice in this utopian society is only available to those that can afford it milky?
        
        11 2
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        June 24, 2022 12:29pm
      - Matt Long
        
        The issue is Mike that many public schools are useless at teaching core subjects, while they are pushing socialism, critical race theory, and animism the trendy acceptable religion that brought us a new public holiday.
        That is why special character schools generally have large waiting lists from parents who just want their kids to get a good education, including those who want their cake and to eat it too.
        That is those who want a good education without the underlying philosophy that makes a good education possible.
        
        16 3
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        June 24, 2022 12:50pm
      - mikenmildagain
        
        I’m sorry that I could not include Gay Pride in that not very comprehensive list of supernatural beliefs, Rodion. Perhaps you could explain how ‘Gay Pride’ is a religion. Is the Russian law banning gay ‘propaganda’ based on some assessment of homosexuality as a religious belief?
        
        3 11
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        June 24, 2022 2:18pm
      - NeverMindTheBollocks
        
        Close the Catholic schools down overnight & you will see a clusterf*ck on a scale not previously reached even by Jacinda
        
        6 2
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        June 24, 2022 2:21pm
      - mikenmildagain
        
        Jack
        It should go for all state-funded activities, although I would make an exception for ceremonial uses that no one believes have any actual magic powers, like prayers in parliament or at Anzac parades, or karakia at building openings.
        I would certainly make a distinction between teaching about religious belief and teaching that specifically religious practices should be followed.
        
        5 9
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        June 24, 2022 2:22pm
      - Rodion Raskolnikov
        
        Progressive Liberalism in general, and one of its flagship doctrines and ideological vehicles, Gay Pride in particular, most certainly exhibits many characteristics of an organised religion, albeit one that worships degeneracy as opposed to virtue: performative rites (e.g. parading in the street with strap-on penises, g-strings and engaged in cross-dressing and the like for a month every year); religious iconography (e.g. pride flags); dogmatic belief (e.g. that homosexuality is normal and even worthy of universal approbation); public condemnation of heretics (i.e. anyone who disagrees with the core tenets); matyrdom (e.g. the purported victims of homophobia and discriminative exclusivity at the hands of heterosexuals); a canon of individuals who have been granted gay sainthood (e.g. Elton John, Stephen Fry, Ellen DeGeneres, etc.).
        
        5 2
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        June 24, 2022 2:59pm
  - Rodion Raskolnikov
    
    “They would have a stronger case if they weren’t asking taxpayers to fund the teaching of those beliefs”
    
    If they hadn’t been cowed into submission over the years by a tiny minority of aggressive radicals and irrational proponents of perverting social institutions, a vocal minority who nonetheless happen to have greater amplification of their twisted anti-human views, I think you’d probably find that a very large proportion of the taxpaying public actually agree with the school that the essence of marriage is that it is between a man and a women. You would also find that those who think otherwise hold what is actually the minority view, large amounts of taxpayer funding and incessant LGBTQ propaganda campaigns funneled towards this minority notwithstanding.
    
    12 3
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    June 24, 2022 12:17pm
surfing

Few retailers are using the M word in their long weekend sales promotions.

Bigger retailers have avoided the word, but, some smaller retailers are using the word.

Computer Lounge used the M word in their marketing email, but, not on their website.

Such is the state of race relations today. People are scared of offending maori.
26 1
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June 24, 2022 9:04am
Bridgenag

Has anyone else had their screen flooded with ads on this site?
7 1
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June 24, 2022 9:09am
- Alan Wilkinson
  
  Every time you do anything you get a full page advt you have to back out of. I presume it is paying the rent for someone.
  
  8 1
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  June 24, 2022 10:48am
  - Nickc2
    
    Add free using the BRAVE Browser.
    
    4 1
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    June 24, 2022 12:04pm
- Joely Doe
  
  No ads anywhere – AdGuard
  
  7 1
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  June 24, 2022 11:04am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  What ads?
  Adblock Plus is hiding 112 atm.
  
  7 2
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  June 24, 2022 11:22am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Now 190. The advertisers know a lot will be at home.
    
    5 2
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    June 24, 2022 1:33pm
Yvette

“I think we have reached the point where we can say we have made a great and meaningful step towards understanding our national identity, who we are as a nation in this part of the world,” said Matariki Advisory Group chairperson Dr Rangi Matamua.
He’s hoping the principles that underpin Matariki will guide the new holiday.
“In the winter, just before the sun, they rise as a single cluster. As one group. That’s a message to all of us here in Aotearoa that we are one people and one nation,” said Dr Matamua.
_________

“The nature of democracy has changed. This is a democracy now where you take into account the needs of people, the diverse needs, the minority needs. Its not the tyranny of the majority anymore, that’s what co-management and co-governance is about. It’s nothing to fear,” Māori Development Minister Willie Jackson said.

Minister of Māori Development Willie Jackson says democracy in 2022 is broader and more expansive than just one person, one vote.

Is Matariki the Polyfilla to hide the cracks in Jackson’s Gib board (if he has any)?
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June 24, 2022 9:17am
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  The nature of democracy has not changed, Willie
  
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  June 24, 2022 2:22pm
Maggie Pie

My partner was saying there’s a rumor doing the rounds at the Viaduct that one of the Mayoral candidates had to act in self-defense at his meeting last night and whacked a member of the public.

Anyone else hear about that?

Asking for a friend.
23 4
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June 24, 2022 9:20am
- Inandout
  
  Maggie, that tougie Muldoon sorted out a protestor outside Peter Pan in Auckland. Can’t imagine that happenning now..except.
  
  11 2
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  June 24, 2022 9:31am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Peter Pan! Was it called a Ballroom? I did not remember the name the other day.
    I do remember Muldoon dropping someone outside there. Muldoon said ‘He blocked my path, so I hit him, and he went down’ or something.
    
    8 1
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    June 24, 2022 11:28am
  - mikenmildagain
    
    Different times. These days, a politician punching someone would get some busybody prosecuting him. I can’t imagine a PM partying with Black Power like Rob did, either.
    
    3 11
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    June 24, 2022 12:01pm
    - ClanMcleod
      
      No, now they just give them the money and don’t attend the subsequent party. Optics or something.
      
      9 2
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      June 24, 2022 12:42pm
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      Jaspinda would not party with the Mongrel Mob?
      Fuck, they have plenty of money like $275M
      
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      June 24, 2022 1:35pm
- Ross Campbell
  
  That contract your partner has to scrape the chewing gum off the footpath down at The Viaduct must be pretty substantial as he seems to spend a heap of time down there.
  
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  June 24, 2022 11:17am
Paulus

Re The recent Electricity slowdown earlier in the week, a couple of weeks ago I heard from a good senior source that they are looking at a 15% wholesale price increase in the cost of electricity.
When asked to confirm what he said he prevaricated and said about that amount.
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June 24, 2022 9:38am
Nickc2

Board members must collectively have the financial and sector-specific skills and experience to meet the charter. At least two of them must also have good knowledge of te ao Māori and tikanga Māori, appointed in consultation with the Minister for Māori Development, and engage with Māori where relevant.

This bill is too Maori-centric for me, especially with Willie Jackson leading its introduction.
Question for those in the know: Do successive Govts have to appoint a Minister for Māori Development as specified in the bill? My initial thoughts are NO, definitely not, and on those grounds, the bill must be rejected at all costs.
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June 24, 2022 9:44am
jon

Matariki Day..Anyone much interested, i doubt it!
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June 24, 2022 9:49am
ClanMcleod

Someone tell the NZ mainstream media. The rest of the world is admitting that lockdowns were a complete disaster and caused an incredible amount of harm, both physical and financial.

“According to a recent study by the World Bank, published today in the journal Nature, lockdowns and the response to Covid-19 have pushed an additional 75 million people into extreme poverty, living on less than US $1.90 a day.”

https://michaelpsenger.substack.com/p/the-mainstream-begins-to-see-lockdowns

Oh, that’s right. NZ media have to raise their hands and ask Brenda for permission to speak. Silly me.
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June 24, 2022 9:56am
- MCōs
  
  I thought the World Bank was the devil incarnate?
  
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  June 24, 2022 10:10am
  - ClanMcleod
    
    Which of course makes the comments even more relevant. The numbers are probably much higher. Thanks for pointing that out.
    
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    June 24, 2022 10:13am
  - mikenmildagain
    
    The nutters are allowed to have it both ways, MCos. Dispute anything that doesn’t suit them based on the source, except when they imagine that source is providing information that suits their opinions.
    
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    June 24, 2022 12:04pm
    - ClanMcleod
      
      Milkey, I didn’t say the World Bank was the “devil incarnate” – McCos said they “thought” it was. It wasn’t a very clear comment to be fair.
      As for “nutters” having it both ways, it’s the unintelligible such as yourself that have this very bad habit of smearing the source of information as a diversion from actually addressing the content. It’s an old trick and has become very boring, though revealing of the person using that tactic.
      
      The point was, and still is, empirical evidence was always going to expose the fraud of the covid circus over the last 2.5 years. The revelations are increasing with the increasing volume of real world data now available.
      Here’s a couple more for you, find some original smear this time. Just calling someone a “nutter” isn’t very compelling.
      
      “danish national board of health admits vaccinating kids for covid was a mistake”
      
      https://boriquagato.substack.com/p/danish-national-board-of-health-admits
      
      “first a trickle, then a flood: the vaccine adverse events dam is breaking”
      
      https://boriquagato.substack.com/p/first-a-trickle-then-a-flood-the
      
      And when the real world data doesn’t fit your narrative, hide it.
      
      “Reinfection study hyped by Coronadoom Twitter has weird missing data.”
      
      https://www.eugyppius.com/p/hmmm
      
      Here’s a hint, tackle the subject matter, not the source, it does wonders for your credibility!
      
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      June 24, 2022 12:53pm
- UrbanNeocolonialist
  
  I saw data from USA the other day showing covid killed about 350 teenagers, but about 3000 died as a result of increased suicides, overdoses and homicides during the social upheaval of 2 years of lockdowns, shut schools etc.
  
  Unintended but completely predictable consequences showing why we should almost always ignore politicians, academics and media in their adopted roles ase single-issue merchants of scare. The considered approach that balances economics and other factors against the mitigation cost (eg like Sweden) is almost always proven to be right in retrospect.
  
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  June 24, 2022 10:36am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Yes. Friends in Alaska told me that more than 10 suicided in Anchorage. They get ‘cabin fever’ in the cold winters (Minus 25C) But the lockdowns increased the numbers.
    
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    June 24, 2022 11:33am
    - I remember when
      
      Steve how would you know if you were in lockdown in Anchorage in winter.
      
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      June 24, 2022 2:54pm
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        Some still work. The people I know make signs, big signs. They stop work when the temp gets to minus 30 C
        
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        June 25, 2022 10:16am
- Joely Doe
  
  The penny is starting to drop for some… Roy Liddle – Sunday Times
  
  a href=”https://archive.ph/ctpaF”>I totally backed the lockdown (and quite enjoyed it). But was I just a mug?
  
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  June 24, 2022 10:40am
  - Joely Doe
    
    Ooops – screwed up the HLink
    
    The penny is starting to drop for some… Roy Liddle – Sunday Times
    
    — Nope didn’t screw up – just not working for some reason
    
    C&P https://archive.ph/ctpaF
    
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    June 24, 2022 10:46am
    - Joely Doe
      
      Another study (from Italy) suggested that the more stringent the lockdown measures, the more likely (by a factor of three) people were to flout them. In retrospect, good for them. I suppose we can console ourselves that at least we weren’t as gullible as the New Zealanders —
      
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      June 24, 2022 11:07am
- blue collar
  
  😅 classic brother clan …. Raise their hands indeed
  
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  June 24, 2022 3:58pm
oldfella

I see Meng Fool says there’s nothing to fear from co-governance, and we should give it a go.(Warning: the article is written in ‘manglish pidjin’).
https://www.stuff.co.nz/opinion/129049161/cogovernance-give-nothing-to-racism-and-give-it-a-go
We all give things a go from time to time, but usually with the option of going back to the way things were if they don’t work out.
So if co-governance doesn’t work, can we just abandon it and go back to the way things were? Yeah, right…
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June 24, 2022 10:08am
- Philview
  
  I read the article which provided no information on the actual plan. His argument is that he shares decision making with his wife and it works well. Personally, I think there are aspects of Maori culture unique to NZ that are great but this process of moving decision making out of democratic control without seeking a democratic mandate is morally wrong. If we had a referendum on Co-Governance and it is what the people want then I would accept the result. Instead we are getting Co-Governance and the debate is pretty much shut down. This is a corruption of our democracy.
  
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  June 24, 2022 10:55am
- Swifty
  
  What utterly juvenile comparisons Foon makes to co-governance.
  
  We now have a Race Relations Commissioner advocating racial discrimination in our law-making. Well, let’s see how that pans out over time with regard to race relations.
  
  I note too that we can add Foon to the list of recent commentators who openly say that if you oppose co-governance you MUST be a racist.
  
  What a totally intellectually bankrupt position to advocate. Of the half a dozen major objections I’ve got to co-governance (as well as a few others I could mention) not a single one could be described as anything approaching racist.
  
  Meng Foon should be ashamed of himself for making that suggestion. And especially given the office he holds.
  
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  June 24, 2022 12:04pm
  - I remember when
    
    Is my greyhound a ‘racist.’
    
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    June 24, 2022 2:57pm
Maggie Pie

If you watched ‘The Lion King’ you’ll appreciate this….. 😀

https://twitter.com/kiwiwayne2/status/1539779668936519680
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June 24, 2022 10:11am
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Well well well. Is this Colbert idiot the same Colbert that had Jaspinda on his show?
https://rumble.com/v199pbc-insurrection-day-2.0-tucker-carlson-roasts-stephen-colbert.html?
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June 24, 2022 10:17am
bco90

Hey guys, I don’t know if there has been any update, but I remember a few years back there was a discussion about what to do with thr Auckland ports in order to open up Aucklands harbour.

So, what is happening exactly? Has there been any developments?
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June 24, 2022 10:18am
- Matt Long
  
  There’s a new study being done on moving the port to Manukau, guess some consultants needed their palms greased for something.
  
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  June 24, 2022 12:54pm
Alan Wilkinson

Stuff and Herald full of Matariki drivel. A sad reminder the world is full of idiots and we live amongst them.

Downtown today is a graveyard. No tradies and few tourists. Bakery says it looks like they’ll be going home early.
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June 24, 2022 10:27am
Maggie Pie

The-Queen-City today…. after 6 years of Goff

https://twitter.com/Coltheman1/status/1539889739461193729

One can only IMAGINE what the down town precinct will become if Faanana were to ever be voted in as Mayor….God. Help. Auckland.
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June 24, 2022 10:33am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Same in Hurstmere Rd, Takapuna. Trees everywhere, root lifting the pavement, and birdshit everywhere. Don’t like it.
  
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  June 24, 2022 11:45am
  - ClanMcleod
    
    Didn’t they plant kauri trees down the centre of Glenfield Road a few years ago? What do they think is going to happen there?
    
    14 1
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    June 24, 2022 1:06pm
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      Yup, they are still there, but bigger now. Imagine when they get 10 meters high, and the crown blocks out the sunlight. There are some fucking clever people on the Council.
      
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      June 24, 2022 1:39pm
Tony Stuart

Matthew Hooton takes deliberate aim at the Government, in particular Chris Hipkins, this morning, fires, and scores a direct hit. He argues that had Hipkins not been replaced as Minister for Covid Recovery a fortnight ago, the PM would have had no option but to sack him over the sleazy attack on Charlotte Bellis, which he knew was untrue.

His final paragraph of his paywalled piece entitled “Chris Hipkins’ Charlotte Bellis apology rings hollow” simply twists the knife:

There comes a time when governments simply must be thrown out. It’s bad enough that the Ardern Government has proven incompetent at delivering any of the things it was elected to do. Its performance over Bellis shows it has now joined some of its most infamous predecessors in the slime.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/matthew-hooton-chris-hipkins-charlotte-bellis-apology-rings-hollow/N6NFGWXMKKILEYMPEXD3EP3SJE/#
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June 24, 2022 10:39am
- Yvette
  
  A precedent was set when Ardern refused to apologise to the young woman KFC worker over the totally inept communications on covid isolation – the confusing message sent by a school to the young woman’s sister.
  At least Hipkins eventually did apologise … well, sort of
  
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  June 24, 2022 10:53am
  - Hollyfield
    
    Two weeks ago I tested positive. When I picked up my RATs from the Government testing centre I was given 2 pamphlets. Both with Govt covid branding. Both dated March 2022.
    One called “Rapid Antigen Testing Guide for Home Use” and the other called “Isolating at Home with Covid-19”.
    One says “If the result is positive, this means you have Covid-19. You and your household must now isolate at home for 10 days” and “If you test positive at any stage, you must isolate for 10 days.”
    The other says “You can leave home isolation after 7 days.”
    More than two years and they’re still mucking up their messaging.
    
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    June 24, 2022 12:32pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Ardern – appologise.
    Nah, those words together just don’t look right.
    
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    June 24, 2022 1:40pm
    - blue collar
      
      And when she does steveo it’s the worlds greatest virtue signalling attempt at gaining votes …. Dawn raids , put a blanket on me , perfectly normal to throw out overstayers so what the fuck was she apologising for ?
      
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      June 24, 2022 3:34pm
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        She refused to appologise to the young girl at KFC
        
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        June 25, 2022 10:19am
gravedodger

And blinded philosophers who demean with criticisms of expression rather than spend a minimal extra time reading a post that made excellent salient points, well done CJames.
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June 24, 2022 10:39am
mandk

Is it just me, but whenever I hear people talking about the significance of Matariki, it sounds like frontier gibberish?
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June 24, 2022 10:57am
- ClanMcleod
  
  mandk – it all sounds like Ardern, plastic and fake.
  
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  June 24, 2022 1:08pm
- blue collar
  
  It’s not just you 😅
  Even my brown brothers at work couldn’t give a fat rats , just another day off , a chance to punch some bongs n drink a heap of piss
  
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  June 24, 2022 3:37pm
oldfella

Anyone else on here think the Black Caps need a new coach? I suspect Gary Stead has had his day, and it’s time for some new blood in that role.
8 2
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June 24, 2022 11:00am
- greybeard
  
  And drop Williamson entirely.
  He does not deserve to be there in any capacity.
  
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  June 24, 2022 12:08pm
  - mikenmildagain
    
    I don’t think you start by dropping the best player, aged 31, unless his injuries compel it.
    
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    June 24, 2022 12:15pm
  - blue collar
    
    Yeah greybeard , I don’t care who you are , a stint at club cricket works wonders for pulling you out of a slump .
    Same in the nrl .
    Complacency or burnout …. Combo of both , force him to hv a break
    
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    June 24, 2022 1:01pm
- mikenmildagain
  
  I’m not sure. We were fortunate to make the test championship final last year, and then there have been a couple of big retirements and Williamson’s injuries. I don’t know that the poor top order form in England, which has been the difference in two quite close tests, is down to coaching. Selections have been a little odd though – Ravindra, Patel, Bracewell. And dropping Wagner? There have been positives as well – Mitchell and Blundell batting, for example.
  Always hard looking on to know what might be going wrong and what the solutions might be.
  
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  June 24, 2022 12:13pm
- blue collar
  
  Strange selection choices and doesn’t seem to be able to fix the top orders heads …. So yeah old fella .
  The boys hv the talent , but they seem shot mentally , poking and prodding , over thinking things .
  Any good sportsman will tell you you hv to go on instinct , just do it .
  A coach needs to be able to keep their guys mentally fit , notice how the newer guys with nothing to prove , or not core role are fine
  
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  June 24, 2022 12:58pm
I remember when

Bus numbers in Canterbury have not recovered to pre-Covid levels.
Before half price fares were introduced, in April, bus passenger numbers were 59% of pre-Covid levels.
Once the cut-price fares were introduced they improved to 71%.
Figures compared Feb-March and April-May in 2019 with the same 2022 periods.

Someone has to pay so Ecan has ‘locked in’ a 16.2% average annual rates increase for Cantabrians.
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June 24, 2022 11:23am
crikey

A long post but I think it’s worth repeating here in case people have missed it

Mike King question to Jacinda

Another Mahuta husband consultancy payment

A Facebook post by suicide-prevention campaigner Mike King raises questions over Government payouts to Nanaia Mahuta’s husband for suicide prevention work

DTNZ has reproduced the post, dated 8 June in full below:

Dear Jacinda
For the last 10 years me and my little team at I AM HOPE have been visiting schools from Cape Reinga to Bluff in order to better understand what is driving our appalling youth suicide rate. After speaking with, and listening to over 300,000 young people,we have made some groundbreaking discoveries which I will share with you now:
· 40% of young people will have a suicidal thought before they leave school
· Shockingly, 80% of those kids never ask for help for fear of what friends, family, or society will think, say, or do. And by continuing to push your ‘reach out and ask for help’ message you are actually making things worse
· The number one problem driving suicidal thinking in young people is imposter syndrome and an overactive inner critic.
· The pressure of living in a “perfection is the only acceptable standard” world our kids live in is having a devastating effect on their wellbeing by forcing them to hold on to problems out of fear of not being perfect
· Young people want help but either don’t know how to access it, can’t find it, have to jump through to many hoops to get it or the help they receive is not actually helpful

To combat these issues we have developed two in-school programs that normalise overthinking and give practical tools to manage each individuals inner critic. Both programs focus on the importance of reframing vulnerability from being seen as a weakness, to being seen as a strength, which is what it really is. And the number one lesson they learn from our young ambassadors is NO ONE HAS GOT THEIR SHIT TOGETHER!! Demand is so high for both programs that we have a six month waiting list from schools wanting us to visit. These talks are delivered free of charge and all expenses are covered by our charity and many generous donors.

We have also developed a world class counselling service that we designed to take the pressure off your mental health crisis teams. We are currently doing 75% of the total combined volume of counselling sessions provided by every DHB in the country. We are faster, cheaper and more efficient than anything your experts have come up with and receive no funding from you whatsoever.

Which brings me to my point. Could you please explain what expertise Nanaia Mahuta’s husband has in suicide prevention and what his funding was used for?
Were you and your officials not concerned by how this would look when it came to the publics attention or did you arrogantly expect it would fly under the radar?

Prime minister, when you came into power you promised you would be the most open and transparent government of all time but in reality you are just like everybody else with too much power and it has clouded your thinking. For a long time I have felt angry at the way you and your administration have handled mental health but now I just feel sad for you because in a few years when you look back on your time in government I know you are going to look back and say ‘I wish I had done more’
Nga mihi nui
MK
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June 24, 2022 11:47am
oldfella

This is pretty much how I feel about the Peter Goodfellow (faux) resignation.
https://nominister.wordpress.com/2022/06/24/timing-was-the-key/#comments
Mrs Oldfella and I joined the Nats this year – first time either of us have ever joined a political party – after being encouraged by Chris Luxon’s early promise. That positive feelings is now on the wane, and this Goodfellow ‘bait and switch’ has really annoyed us both to the point where we may yet give ACT our party vote next election if only to provide National with some backbone.
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June 24, 2022 11:58am
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Taxpayer’s Union, from Facebook.
The Government paid $220,000 in fees and reimbursements for travel expenses to its seven-member Matariki Advisory Group, which provided advice on the ideal dates to mark Matariki and appropriate ways of celebrating the holiday.
https://www.taxpayers.org.nz/matariki_advisory_group?
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June 24, 2022 12:14pm
- Nickc2
  
  You’d have thought they would have asked Nanaia Mahuta and Willie Jackson, they purport to know everything eh?
  PS: If they were still in doubt, Nanaia Mahuta could have contracted her husband’s Ormsby outfit to put a Focus Group together (at a price of course)..
  
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  June 24, 2022 12:30pm
  - Benedict Yu
    
    The Chair of the Group received $131,000 in fees for 123 days work. Holy crap 🙁
    
    9 0
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    June 24, 2022 4:25pm
- Benedict Yu
  
  Holy crap. I STRONGLY recommend that you open the link and download the excel spreadsheet with all of the itemised costs. It is astounding. I showed it to the Tall Readhead. She has smoke coming out of her ears 🙁
  
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  June 24, 2022 4:24pm
  - Benedict Yu
    
    Honestly I hope DPF reads this and does a dedicated post.
    
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    June 24, 2022 4:26pm
Swifty

That’s odd. In nearly every case I’ve seen about modern slavery in NZ or the Pacific there have been Muslim South Asians behind it and here’s yet another one:

https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/469710/vanuatu-court-sentences-four-bangladeshis-for-trafficking-and-slavery

I wonder why that is?
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June 24, 2022 12:22pm
Alan Wilkinson

As a mere pakeha invited without consent to celebrate the celestial and spiritual mysteries of Matariki I feel we should be honouring one of mnm’s missionaries, Thomas Kendall. He spent a couple of years screwing his student daughter of a local tohunga in order to learn about Maori spirituality and liked it so much he converted and was kicked out of the Anglican Church. Now that’s what I call co-governance.
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June 24, 2022 12:40pm
- blue collar
  
  I hate the way they are trying to tell us how to celebrate .
  Wish I had fireworks , it’s a public holiday , we will do what we want , each to their own ….
  
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  June 24, 2022 1:12pm
  - mikenmildagain
    
    I feel the same way about suggestions everyone should go to Anzac day services or, even worse, those dawn parades. Slim chance of me getting up to see stars rise before dawn in mid-winter, although I must admit none of the promotion has given me the slightest intention of doing so.
    
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    June 24, 2022 4:20pm
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      The visual magnitude of the brightest star in the Pleiades is at the limit of my naked eye vision.
      I’d need at least 30 minutes of dark sky observation for my eyes to start registering the light from Alcyone and Atlas.
      
      https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/many-pleiades-can-see10222014/
      
      A warm bed is a damn sight more tempting.
      
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      June 24, 2022 5:10pm
      - Mike
        
        Stargazing is best enjoyed in planetarium.
        
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        June 24, 2022 6:20pm
Maggie Pie

And I’ll tell you something else I find a bit strange…
STILL haven’t heard of a single-sole receiving another Wedding-Invite yet either.
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June 24, 2022 12:41pm
- mandk
  
  She’s still trying to figure out if she can get away with inviting Stephen Colbert after his completely irresponsible stunt last week.
  
  After all, she won’t want to be judged by the company she keeps.
  
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  June 24, 2022 12:48pm
- blue collar
  
  Just before the election is my pick . Gotta get the political capital … double header with mask rule being dropped
  
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  June 24, 2022 1:14pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Cancelled according to the google machine.
  
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  June 24, 2022 1:45pm
kevn

@Maggie… From the (still) un-wedded mother of one?
Pre nups might be complex. “What is yours is mine”
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June 24, 2022 12:44pm
Alan Wilkinson

Williamson makes a good case that the Goodfellow resignation is a manipulation to ensure successionv:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/former-national-mp-maurice-williamson-says-old-boys-network-in-play-around-belated-peter-goodfellow-retirement-announcement/OWKKGVA4Q3C7TL3W5GYKWZWL3I/
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June 24, 2022 1:00pm
- blue collar
  
  I don’t understand if Luxon is behind this or if this is separate and they are in charge of the party that Luxon currently leads , and so Luxon has to roll with what the board and president decide
  Anyone know how it works ?
  
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  June 24, 2022 1:06pm
- mikenmildagain
  
  It’s a political party, so there is every chance of it being part of the machinations that come so easily and naturally to people who join such clubs.
  
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  June 24, 2022 4:22pm
krazykiwi

An enjoyable read, with a well balanced quantity of snark : Yes Media Minister — Briefly reading bureaucratic dreams

Because I – with that kind of sickened awe that can make it impossible to look away from gruesome spectacles – enjoy keeping an eye on what the nuttiest elite sub-species of the whole ecosystem of America’s governing bureaucracy is saying, I am a devoted subscriber to the U.S. State Department’s press release listserv. (You too can subscribe to this magnificent, gushing stream that flows out of Foggy Bottom, should you desire such entertainments!)

Which is how yesterday I spotted the kind of thing that tends to attract my attention, in this case the release of a “G7 Media Ministers Meeting Communiqué,” which started like this:

The following statement was released by the G7 Media Ministers following their meeting in Bonn, Germany on June 19th, 2022:

Begin text:
1. We, the Media Ministers of the G7, met in Bonn on 19 June 2022 to work more closely together on issues regarding our media policies and their role in strengthening democracy – a task that requires a global response.

I was intrigued, if chiefly because as an American I was unaware that we had a Minister of Media. Typically we try to avoid encouraging that kind of insinuation. But after like an hour of digging I learned that we do, and her name is Trudeau, because of course it is. The world is, after all, a comedy of the absurd.
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June 24, 2022 1:01pm
- ClanMcleod
  
  KK I came across this video of the Ministry of Truth interrogating someone suspected of spreading misinformation, particularly regarding that inflammatory question – “what is a woman?”
  
  WARNING – MAY CONTAIN SATIRE REQUIRING A SENSE OF HUMOUR. LIBTARDS SHOULD STAY WELL CLEAR.
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FhCfRdISeU
  
  11 2
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  June 24, 2022 1:12pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Well that had me laughing out loud for sure, especially the last claim!!
    
    7 2
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    June 24, 2022 1:58pm
curry4me

https://www.thedailyexaminer.co.nz/all-in-the-mahuta-family-part-6-changing-nzs-democracy/

All in The (Mahuta) Family Part 6 – Changing NZ’s Democracy.

Recent significant changes have taken place or are being attempted, in local government in New Zealand.
• Concerns have been raised about a Local Bill which proposes to fundamentally change the principle of equal voting rights in the Canterbury Regional Council.
• A similar tactic was attempted in Rotorua until the Attorney General issued an opinion which labelled the proposal discriminatory and a breach of the Bill of Rights.
• The Tauranga City Council had all its elected councillors replaced by Wellington-appointed commissioners in February 2021. This was meant to be a temporary measure until this year. However the commissioners asked Nanaia Mahuta, Minister of Local Government, for a year’s extension, which was granted and extended until July 2024. Former Tauranga mayor Greg Brownless (2016-2019) has this removal of elected local councillors the “death of democracy for Tauranga,” and says the city is now being run by what is “effectively a dictatorship”.
10 2
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June 24, 2022 1:05pm
curry4me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=No5zXWYNtOc

News Roundup Thursday June 23rd 2022 – Matariki Weekend.

We break down the Daily Examiners coverage of current FENZ issues, take a look at David Seymours recent statements in the BFD, and pull apart MSM awesomeness (sarcasm) with an Opinion piece on the economy from NZ Herald. [11:10]
6 2
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June 24, 2022 1:06pm
curry4me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34NYTXmrobc
Kari Lake 1 CNN 0.

Kari Lake does a good job of shutting a CNN ‘journalist’ in the nicest possible way. [0:33]
7 2
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June 24, 2022 1:06pm
skyblue

Just landed in Dubai airport on the way to the UK. How is Martariki day going?
9 4
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June 24, 2022 1:11pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Nobody knows. Best contact Jaspinda
  
  12 3
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  June 24, 2022 2:01pm
- krazykiwi
  
  Did Emirates enforce their mask rules in flight?
  
  2 0
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  June 24, 2022 9:15pm
  - skyblue
    
    Yes. But lots did not wear.
    
    0 0
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    June 25, 2022 8:58am
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Trump says he will never ride a bike. Must be because his balls are too big.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHI_y8C4Fnk&t=181s
8 4
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June 24, 2022 1:21pm
Maggie Pie

My partner’s got a few of his mates coming over later for their Friday poker-night.

He’s contemplating whether it would me appropriate to go and get a Keg.
9 4
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June 24, 2022 2:03pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Get three! Keg parties are fun. Guys turn up with their own handle, tied around the neck with baling twine. Watch out for the guys holding the handle and ask for ‘two stroke’
  
  8 4
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  June 24, 2022 4:27pm
  - mikenmildagain
    
    Get a lot of mates holding your handle and asking for strokes, do you?
    Oh well, what goes on tour stays on tour,
    
    5 6
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    June 24, 2022 4:58pm
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      Two stroke = 2% low alcohol. There ya go, I taught you something from the drinking world
      
      1 0
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      June 25, 2022 10:23am
- Don Beckett
  
  Tell him to go for it — I understand the new Bro Brewing Whanau has a fine Hazy IPA entitled The Kumara Kapai Indian Pakeha Alimony Brew. 🙂
  
  6 3
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  June 24, 2022 4:49pm
kevn

@Maggie… I’m sure all the bro’s are at it so why not.
5 1
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June 24, 2022 2:15pm
ClanMcleod

This is gold!! Trudeau gets asked a question that he doesn’t have a prepared answer for and no teleprompter to help him. What does his family do to help reduce the amount of plastic they use.
Awesome!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMJ8UJ8wEiY
12 3
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June 24, 2022 2:19pm
Maggie Pie

Maybe it’s just me…..but is Trevor starting to look a bit ‘Irish’ all of a sudden?

https://twitter.com/BrookingRachel/status/1539795952105451520

😀 😀 😀
12 2
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June 24, 2022 2:24pm
- Maggie Pie
  
  Actually, here’s the close-up….
  
  looks like Trev got into a scrap at Paddy’s Bar and came off second-best 😎
  
  https://twitter.com/nessblackmore/status/1540071950197747712
  
  8 3
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  June 24, 2022 2:31pm
  - blue collar
    
    Mallard told me to get off his fucken lawn ….
    
    7 1
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    June 24, 2022 3:03pm
    - krazykiwi
      
      And me
      
      3 0
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      June 24, 2022 9:17pm
- ClanMcleod
  
  That’s a very scary photograph. If I had seen that before going down to the protest it would have been enough to keep me away. Weird photo. Very weird.
  
  9 3
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  June 24, 2022 2:37pm
- Nickc2
  
  You can bet he’ll be ensconced in Irish VIP Hospitality Boxes at all the upcoming Irish Rugby matches in NZ eh?
  
  0 0
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  June 25, 2022 1:56am
Steve Otto(North Shore)

United Spot. All Trump’s fault!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJyJbMxnwIM
4 4
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June 24, 2022 2:31pm
NK

The funniest thing ever – Labour on Facebook proudly proclaiming it has delivered on Matariki!!

The only thing it has delivered on according to its promises. And it’s a day off (not hard to implement) BUT a day off that costs the economy $450 million.

I am laughing because I feel like crying but don’t want to as a grown man.
28 2
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June 24, 2022 2:32pm
blue collar

Stuff article about some 501 winner studying climate change ( who gives a fuck ? )
But the bit that got me was the tosser writing it saying that he’s doing his bit to SAVE THE PLANET !!
When will these clueless moronic whackjobs understand that the planet is fine ….
We may wipe ourselves out but the planet isnt going anywhere .
Retards writing rubbish
Yeah yeah I know … what the hell was I doing reading stuff ? Give myself an uppercut
12 2
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June 24, 2022 2:57pm
- Loddenthinks
  
  As the late great comic genius George Carlin said: “The planet is fine. The people are fucked!”
  
  8 0
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  June 24, 2022 6:29pm
greybeard

Christ, I am sick of this Matariki rubbish.
Hardly anyone in NZ had ever heard of it 12 months ago but now it seems to be some sort of life-changing world-dominating event.
19 5
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June 24, 2022 4:21pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  AND — you are Paying for it!!!!!!!!!!
  
  14 3
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  June 24, 2022 4:31pm
- Benedict Yu
  
  “Matariki kai: Where to fill your puku in Tāmaki Makaurau over the weekend”
  
  https://www.stuff.co.nz/pou-tiaki/300619280/matariki-kai-where-to-fill-your-puku-in-tmaki-makaurau-over-the-weekend
  
  How cringeworthy 🙁
  
  21 4
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  June 24, 2022 4:47pm
  - greybeard
    
    KFC !
    Where else !
    
    11 3
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    June 24, 2022 4:55pm
  - mikenmildagain
    
    For once, it’s a shame I’m not in Auckland. Some tasty options there.
    Please don’t be scared of our culture here, Benedict. Like most cultures, it is welcoming of visitors and places an emphasis on providing them with hospitality. I’m sorry if you grew you somewhere that this is frowned upon.
    
    5 8
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    June 24, 2022 5:04pm
    - cmm
      
      Maori Mex – Maori Mexican fusion… that is “our culture”?
      
      6 3
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      June 24, 2022 5:33pm
      - Mike
        
        Is any culture – yours, for instance – free of influence from other cultural influences or change over time?
        
        2 7
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        June 24, 2022 6:16pm
      - cmm
        
        Mike of multiple handles: The way you’re labelling things suggests that you view my culture as being distinct from “our” culture.
        
        Why is that?
        
        Sure, I am an immigrant from Africa, but I am an NZ citizen and have lived here for one month shy of 30 years. That is the vast majority of my adult life. In a few months the majority of my life will have been lived in NZ.
        
        But it seems you think that I am not allowed to be part of “our” culture?
        
        Perhaps if I was to immerse myself in Matariki etc that would make you happy.
        
        9 3
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        June 24, 2022 6:51pm
    - blue collar
      
      Nothing wrong with Maori culture , it’s the shoving it down our throats that pisses me off .
      
      10 0
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      June 24, 2022 7:46pm
  - graham
    
    “… the little ones(can) take a ride on Taiki the Train …”
    
    Yes, it’s cultural appropriation at it’s best – Thomas the Tank Engine with a brown face and a Moko.
    
    Now THAT’S cringe-worthy.
    
    10 2
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    June 24, 2022 5:57pm
- cmm
  
  It’s getting the inflation and hospital issues off the front page. That’s what really matters.
  
  7 1
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  June 24, 2022 6:26pm
Maggie Pie

Fuck this matariki shit is sooo boring!
Went up to NW earlier to see if they’d put out anything special……not even a Hot-X-Bun!

God only knows what it must be costing SME’s who have to pay for it all.
And looks like i’ll be drinking alone tonite…a few of my partner’s mates have already arrived.
12 3
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June 24, 2022 5:07pm
Old.Mickey.Blue.Eyes

we know he wasn’t a gang member otherwise he would have had a gun https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/crime/north-shore-stabbings-man-charged-with-assault-four-counts-of-wounding/
9 0
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June 24, 2022 6:14pm
cmm

Someone gets stabbed and they’re told not to speak to the media.

Why is that? Maybe they must not say something about the attacker?

Cops, it you want to be believed and trusted then you have to be transparent and cannot be seen to be constructing and managing a narrative!

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/auckland-stabbings-murrays-bay-stabbing-victim-speaks-of-frightening-incident/3M2QAES3DMNICI356PCMZU3TEU/
9 1
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June 24, 2022 6:24pm
Maggie Pie

Just waiting for te hor-d’oeuvres to warm up and take into the boys.

Thort I might run a quik poll in the meantime….

“Is New Zealand better, or worse off, after 5 years of Jacinda Ardern?”

>>Uptick for…… ‘worse-off”
>> Downtick for….. ‘better-off’

I’ll publish the results once all my partner’s mates leave for home.
14 4
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June 24, 2022 7:11pm
- Maggie Pie
  
  OK…I see milkey & Ross have recorded their down votes…
  that just leaves ‘Mike’ to log in now and make it 3.
  
  7 2
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  June 24, 2022 8:08pm
Maggy Wassilieff

Has anyone sighted an (accurate) astronomical explanation for Matariki in the last day or so in our MSM?
8 0
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June 24, 2022 7:32pm
- wilderbeast
  
  Seems to be the whole “matariki” thing was an insignificant Maori custom if it was really ever one at all. Which is one reason why NZ on Air funded “journalism” telling me how to celebrate it will be met only by my middle finger.
  
  13 0
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  June 24, 2022 7:55pm
- graham
  
  I’m afraid that I haven’t bothered reading anything in the MSM concerning Matariki – I have assiduously avoided clicking or watching all such articles.
  
  So I can’t help.
  
  11 0
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  June 24, 2022 7:56pm
Cinematic

Having been in the UK for a couple of weeks and chatted with many friendly locals I can confirm I have not heard a single ‘gasp of admiration’ at NZ’s response to covid.

Most here view NZ’s effort as seemingly brilliant at a point in the past and now a bit of a joke.
11 0
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June 24, 2022 7:35pm
wilderbeast

Back in 2015 I had a coffee with a prominent Maori businessman and Iwi leader. “Matariki” was just coming into the consciousness via the MSM and told me he “invented” it. By that time I’d read pretty much every authoritative text on NZ and Maori history – Belich, Moon, King, Sinclair etc and matariki was not something that I recalled at all so I had no reason to doubt him. Over recent years as the matariki phenomenon has grown I’ve periodically recalled that conversation and had come to the conclusion that he was exaggerating, and that more likely he has been involved in commercialising it and growing it’s profile. However, the fact that I’d never heard of it sort of nagged me, so yesterday I checked my Raupo Maori dictionary, published in 2009. This lists around 10,000 Maori words and “matariki” is not one of them. Flat out not there. That dictionary has had five updates and twenty odd print runs going back to 1949……
13 0
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June 24, 2022 7:48pm
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Elsdon Best records it as the name for Pleiades in 1899
  
  http://www.jps.auckland.ac.nz/document//Volume_8_1899/Volume_8%2C_No._2%2C_June_1899/Notes_on_Maori_mythology%2C_by_Elsdon_Best%2C_p_93-121/p1
  
  The revival of Matariki and Maori mythology follows a similar pattern to that occurring in certain quarters in Hawaii and Australia.
  
  https://www.ksbe.edu/article/the-rise-of-makalii-marks-a-hawaiian-new-year/
  
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Aboriginal_astronomy#:~:text=In%20the%20Western%20Desert%20cultural,is%20songline%20known%20as%20Kungkarangkalpa.
  
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  June 24, 2022 9:56pm
blue collar

Dunno but even the ancients knew the sun stalled for 3 days before it started to move back … apparently even today with our technology it’s the same

The sun ( Jesus ) died on the cross ( when viewed from northern hemisphere it’s right under it ). Then was reborn 3 days later , 12 deciples ( zodiac signs ) etc etc ..

Christianity Plagiarised from the Egyptians and many other cultures , was a story about the sun , the giver of all life
1 4
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June 24, 2022 7:53pm
- Lenticular
  
  Son and sun don’t sound at all similar in Hebrew or Greek. Nor does the sun ever stall in the sky.
  
  1 0
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  June 24, 2022 11:33pm
blue collar

Dunno about the sex scandal story in the Ferald today , mining camps in oz , saying women being abused .
Maybe a few .
Most were pigging out on cock from my experience . No matter how ugly . Married or not . One of my camps was 7000 men , 500 women . Ratio of 14 men to one woman .
I was lucky to hook up with a cleaner . 😁
Hard to compete with all the fit , young , cut dudes … the women could pick and choose at their leisure.
I tell my wife’s moaning friends who can’t get any action to go get a job in a mining camp . Guaranteed to score .
Wish there was a similar gig for blokes ….
6 1
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June 24, 2022 8:00pm
- Loddenthinks
  
  Go to any retirement village on the planet
  
  3 0
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  June 24, 2022 10:05pm

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