General Debate 13 February 2023

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NeverMindTheBollocks

Another good article by Dileepa Fonseka, truly the only Stuff columnist worth reading. He writes about the catastrophe that is Sri Lanka:

“the mistake Sri Lanka made was an ideological one, it went down the path of a State-dominated economy that tried to protect too many domestic industries and do everything itself …

… in India there is one civil servant for every 177 people while in Pakistan that number is one for every 117, in Sri Lanka there is one civil servant for every 14 people”.

It’s a shame that Dileepa did not draw direct comparisons with NZ. But, perhaps he doesn’t need to.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/131124770/a-long-time-to-starve-how-sri-lanka-went-from-booming-to-broke
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February 13, 2023 8:00am
- Wayne Mapp
  
  If you take the New Zealand core public service of 70,000, it is about one for every 75. That does not include teachers, health workers, Police and Corrections and NZDF. Together these add another 170,000, for a total of 250,000. Add in another 30,000 for local authorities. That would then work out to one for 16.
  
  I suspect that the Sri Lanka number is the equivalent of the 280,000, but the India and Pakistan numbers is the equivalent of the core public service.
  
  Many journalists these days have a very poor understanding of metadata and therefore can not make these sorts of obvious assessments.
  
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  February 13, 2023 9:17am
  - Simon
    
    The composition of the wider public sector
    The public sector employed around 448,200 people in 2022, 18.7% of New Zealand’s total workforce (2,393,400), as measured by Stats NZ’s Business Demography data. The majority (88%) work in central government (395,000) and 12% in local government (53,200).
    
    https://www.publicservice.govt.nz/research-and-data/workforce-data-public-sector-composition/workforce-data-workforce-size/#:~:text=contractors and consultants.-,The composition of the wider public sector,in local government (53,200).
    
    The shit weight of govt is extraordinary.
    
    Also what these numbers fail to account for is the legions of employees in the private sector required just to deal with pointless govt regulation shit.
    
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    February 13, 2023 9:26am
    - Wayne Mapp
      
      I would question whether there are 53,200 in local government. Auckland City has just over 11,000 and that covers 34% of the population. Would the other TLA’s have 42,000 for the other 66% of the population?
      If so, it certainly shows how efficient the SuperCity is!
      I did not take into account the SOE’s with nearly 40,000 or the Universities and Polytechs, which probably employ just as many as in the compulsory sector.
      Going to the SOE’s, the largest would be surely be KiwiRail. Are they actually the public sector?
      
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      February 13, 2023 10:01am
      - Local Miller
        
        “it certainly shows how efficient the SuperCity is!” You forgot the //S on the end of that.
        I’ve been trying to get a simple subdivision through in Auckland, and it’s taken over a year and still going!
        
        There’s 2 ways of looking at these numbers Wayne. I would say it shows how much worse the other councils are.
        
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        February 13, 2023 10:23am
      - Wayne Mapp
        
        Local Miller,
        
        My comment was, in part, ironical humour. The exclamation mark was intended to be the pointer.
        
        Although the point does remain. Auckland only has just over 20% of local authority employees, even though we have 34% of the population.
        
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        February 13, 2023 11:16am
      - Graeme Hall
        
        Never underestimate the numbers involved in Govt or Local body activities. I’d guess you have to count work farmed out to local businesses & contractors by the councils & Govt. Isn’t there a perpetual loss-making railway business employing 2500 civil servants thanks to Michael Cullen? And, building consents were/are done by private companies in ChCh & then altered internally to cause maximum distress to applicants. Tree trimming, potholes, & traffic management are also done by contractors. In addition, some local councils employ many staff in construction arms, tourism promotion, business advice, property management & other activities. Again, ChCh has the monstrous blob Citycare which it cannot sell at any price. This is still being propped up instead of liquidated.
        
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        February 13, 2023 11:18am
      - Pavel
        
        @Local Miller. If its taking that long to get a subdivision approved it sounds like Auckland needs to employ a few thousand more people to clear the backlog
        
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        February 13, 2023 3:36pm
- Andrew Worth
  
  India 31%
  Pakistan 23%
  Sri Lanka 21.5%
  
  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_government_spending_as_percentage_of_GDP
  
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  February 13, 2023 9:28am
  - slightlyrighty
    
    NZ. 42.4%
    
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    February 13, 2023 9:59am
NeverMindTheBollocks

India has opened the first stage of its new four-lane Delhi – Mumbai expressway – a route that spans 1,386km. It’s costed at US$13B.

God alone knows what a similar motorway would cost in NZ.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/12/india-opens-first-stage-expressway-delhi-to-mumbai
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February 13, 2023 8:01am
- ClanMcleod
  
  NMTB – we can’t (won’t) even fix potholes in the current roads. It’s what happens when ideologues are in charge.
  
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  February 13, 2023 8:54am
  - Simon
    
    “we can’t (won’t) even fix potholes in the current roads. It’s what happens when ideologues are in charge.”
    
    NZ as core Clown World country now values diversity over of professional competence. NZTA re branded as with some Maori name is a eg. Diversity and inclusion over competency.
    
    This is why everything govt builds is so expensive. Lack of competency and the shit weight of diversity.
    
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    February 13, 2023 9:47am
- Sir Cullen's Sidekick
  
  We can build a 1km long cycleway in Island Bay for US$ 13B.
  
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  February 13, 2023 8:56am
  - ClanMcleod
    
    How much did the crossing in Wellington cost too? It was a horrendous figure and as someone pointed out, the simplest and cheapest option would have been an overbridge. But as is well noted, these clowns don’t want cars on the road and are happy to do whatever it takes to make the use of them as miserable an experience as possible.
    
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    February 13, 2023 9:26am
    - Albert_Ross
      
      $2.4 million. An overbridge would have been less traffic-disruptive, but there is no way it would have been cheaper.
      
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      February 13, 2023 9:30am
      - ClanMcleod
        
        I’m guessing the choice wasn’t due to their concerns for spending money. As we know, they have no problem whatsoever wasting it in bucketloads.
        
        Fiscal responsibility is completely unknown to these people.
        
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        February 13, 2023 10:35am
      - krazykiwi
        
        A simple pedestrian underpass would have worked. But that wouldn’t have given the car-haters an opportunity to install flow-congesting traffic lights.
        
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        February 13, 2023 1:12pm
      - rouppe
        
        @kk, that would have been below sea level in reclaimed land …
        
        Plus someone would shit in it inside the first week for laughs
        
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        February 13, 2023 2:12pm
      - krazykiwi
        
        roupee, only marginally. There are plenty of below sea level structures in Wellington, include CBD carparks. The engineering for a pedestrian underpass om SH1 Cobham Drive would have been trivial.
        
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        February 13, 2023 2:26pm
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        Paint some white lines and put in lights? $2,4 Million is still ridiculous.
        
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        February 13, 2023 5:03pm
    - krazykiwi
      
      $2.4m including $500k for consultants who failed to identify that there was insufficient power capacity to run the traffic lights.
      
      The crossing+lights took 8 months. I use this piece of road 2+ times every day and I have yet to see a red light with a pedestrian crossing the road.
      
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      February 13, 2023 1:10pm
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        Someone in the Council saying “see that? I built that.
        
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        February 13, 2023 5:06pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  An expressway that size in NZ would mean $1B just for the opening ceremony.
  
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  February 13, 2023 9:00am
  - Frank the tank
    
    Nah that is the going rate for the Taniwha fee nowadays.
    
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    February 13, 2023 9:59am
  - Jack5
    
    Someone with knowledge of India’s geomorphology could help, but I think New Delhi’s is on India’s great northern plain, and a highway to Mumbai would go through the largely flat land of Rajahstan before getting into more challenging country.
    
    Meanwhile tiny NZ has mountains, valleys lined with land-slip country, rivers, and we’re earthquake, landslip, and volcano prone.
    
    Then there are the different labour costs.
    
    The best transport by far for the archipelago of NZ is coastal shipping, and we have coastal ports. But we’re not enterprising enough.
    
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    February 13, 2023 12:02pm
    - NeverMindTheBollocks
      
      Agree with all of that, Jack, but I think the question still stands
      
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      February 13, 2023 7:16pm
- MCōs
  
  The minimum wage in India is a little over $US2/day.
  I’m guessing here, but I expect they don’t have expensive plant sitting idle as we do here. Their sites are probably humming 24/7.
  
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  February 13, 2023 9:47am
  - Colville
    
    Yip and non existent heath and safety laws.
    
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    February 13, 2023 12:19pm
O C Smith

Hipkins losing support by the minute on AM show at the moment.
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February 13, 2023 8:04am
- Sir Cullen's Sidekick
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  O C Smith – I remind you to check all the latest opinion polls bro.
  
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  February 13, 2023 8:53am
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    God love ya, Sir Cullen!
    
    This is some kind of Care in the Community gig for you, yes?
    
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    February 13, 2023 8:59am
    - Yabster
      
      just loves Trolling- ignore.
      
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      February 13, 2023 9:08am
    - Sir Cullen's Sidekick
      
      Bollocks Bro – I bow at thy feet with utter humilty
      
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      February 13, 2023 11:52am
  - Frank the tank
    
    Time to promote Ginny?
    
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    February 13, 2023 9:48am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      They did
      
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      February 13, 2023 10:02am
    - Sir Cullen's Sidekick
      
      Frank the tank – Ginny is being groomedby Labour to be your next PM.
      
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      February 13, 2023 11:53am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Last one had Nats 3% ahead
    
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    February 13, 2023 10:02am
  - O C Smith
    
    They will be heading in the ‘right’ direction. Dead cat bounces usually fade away.
    
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    February 13, 2023 10:53am
  - peterwn
    
    Labour’s current rise in the polls is merely a dead cat bounce.
    
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    February 13, 2023 11:22am
    - Trev
      
      It was also a Horizon poll which IMO are for amusement only. Participants of Horizon polls self select so it is not random. Labour have used Horizon polls in the past and their dubious results in an attempt to lead/influence. They are best ignored! More credible polling companies will give us a better idea where Labour’s support is sitting when those polls come out.
      
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      February 13, 2023 12:48pm
      - Paulus
        
        Selected 1,000 people are in this Horizon poll.
        
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        February 13, 2023 1:07pm
    - Nickc2
      
      All three states of Rigor Mortis have affected the Cat’s Bounce to the point whereby it’s become a brick around Labour’s neck.
      Even the Chipmonk with all his BS and Bluster won’t be able to fool a ‘Free-Thinking’ population much longer.
      
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      February 13, 2023 1:23pm
      - Don Beckett
        
        “….. won’t be able to fool a ‘Free-Thinking’ population much longer.”
        
        ….won’t be able to fool the 50% of the population who are “Free Thinking” for much longer.
        Fixed it for you.
        
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        February 13, 2023 2:18pm
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  Do share?
  
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  February 13, 2023 10:01am
- Geoff1
  
  A train wreck interview, he had no idea of the impact on mortgage holders of rising interest rates, bracket creep of rising wages or inflation and reverted to the Cindy retort of “I not believe that characterization of the description” re the bonfire of policy(s).
  He was word soup waffle the same as Cindy
  
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  February 13, 2023 10:40am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Luxon told us he will be a Cindy in a pinny, maybe has more idea than some think? Did listeners text in saying he have lost their support?
    
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    February 13, 2023 10:59am
  - Stellaboxer
    
    Geoff1 “He was word soup waffle the same as Cindy” Thats because he is basically the same as her just packaged slightly differently. A bit like Watties beans over Oak beans exactly the same thing except for the label and the amount of sugar.
    
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    February 13, 2023 11:01am
    - rouppe
      
      I don’t know why, but I just don’t like Oak baked beans
      
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      February 13, 2023 2:15pm
      - Don Beckett
        
        Is the flatulence more odiferous ? 🙂
        
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        February 13, 2023 4:48pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Best make word soup waffle an official language.
    
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    February 13, 2023 5:12pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Something the US media have been covering up. Nancy Pelosi wanted the Jan 6th riot to happen. She even helped her daughter set up cameras to record it.
It was twice, not once that Trump asked for the National Guard. First 20,000 and then 10,000. Both times she refused. Nancy Pelosi will be flown back from Italy (Ambassador) if necessary.
https://billingsreport.com/house-gop-warns-pelosi-they-will-fly-her-back-to-testify-on-the-lack-of-security-on-j6/
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February 13, 2023 8:06am
- Inandout
  
  SO, and the full details (truth) of what happened in her home involving her husband are still being withheld. After she publicly ripped up Trump’s SOTU speech I assumed she wasn’t the full quid.
  
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  February 13, 2023 8:12am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Something strange there in the ripping up of the SOTU speech. Someone somewhere said that the copy of the SOTU Trump gave her was nothing like what Trump spoke.
    If you watch that speech you can see Pelosi going through the papers trying to link them to the speech. Trump played a trick to piss her off.
    Details about Paul Pelosi are being held because there is a lot more going on. Male prostitute, and Nancy knew? I don’t know.
    
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    February 13, 2023 8:58am
    - RoboRob
      
      Nah. Pelosi is a poor actor. the ripping up of the speach was a planned stunt.
      
      Re Paul. The police camera footage is out as well as the call centre recordings. Initially I thought something suss was going on but if you listen and watch you can see that it really is just a crazy and Paul does incredibly well to deal with the situation. I think the strangeness was more about the police trying to hide how poorly their call centre handled it.
      
      And yes I dont like Pelosi and her husbands massive share trading profits from he inside knowledge.
      
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      February 13, 2023 9:08am
      - Inandout
        
        RR, the maligned NBC reporter Almaguer is back on air.
        https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/calls-for-transparency-from-nbc-news-grow-louder-in-wake-of-paul-pelosi-attack-bodycam-video/ar-AA16TUh2
        
        It was reported elsewhere that Almaguer got to grovel and apologise for his report.
        
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        February 13, 2023 9:47am
  - Local Miller
    
    The body cam footage of the police arriving at the house has been released. It clearly shows the normal security stationed around the house were MIA. When the police approach the door it is opened for them, Paul Pelosi and DePape are not actually fighting but may have been pushing each other around and the seen looks like two naughty boys caught having some high jinx. DePape pulls the hammer back so Paul lets go, the cops tell him to drop the hammer, and he turns to hit Paul on the head.
    Pure speculation I know, but it looks like a lovers tiff to me. Certainly not a home invasion.
    https://nypost.com/2023/01/27/wild-body-camera-footage-shows-paul-pelosi-hammer-attack/
    
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    February 13, 2023 10:43am
    - Observer of Life
      
      At the end of it you can hear someone snoring?!
      
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      February 14, 2023 8:15am
- Local Miller
  
  Pelosi sounds like another speaker of the house we know who’s actions to “protect” parliament were terrible and who needs to be held to account.
  
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  February 13, 2023 8:16am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    How dare you.
    JA.
    
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    February 13, 2023 5:16pm
- NoCash
  
  .
  
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  February 13, 2023 9:16am
Warren

This story has been around for a while but with what has happen with our weather over the last month our so I have to ask this question.
After the the Ministry of Housing and development purchased this Land that was deemed not fit to build 80 dwellings by the Minister Megan Woods how is it now possible to build 350 dwellings under her Ministry of Housing and Urban
Development, especially when the site was also rejected in 2004 as a possible Cemetery due to the presence of “sewage sludge”.
Is this stupidity, arrogance or gross incompetence especially after Cyclones, Storms and Slips that has caused billions of dollars worth of damage in in the last year or so.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/130999427/350-home-govt-project-on-site-minister-once-ruled-too-risky-for-80-lots
The Minister Megan Woods has changed her view on this parcel of Land in Rotorua which she rejected for a special housing area in 2018 citing flood fears, but five years later and a housing crisis in which Rotorua Motels have been cramed with emergency tenants rather than Tourists and pressure on the Government the site is now set for nearly four times as many houses than originally proposed.
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February 13, 2023 8:07am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Possible Cemetery is not the only thing.
  Building there will awaken the sleeping Taniwhas.
  
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  February 13, 2023 9:06am
- In Vino Veritas
  
  Ventura St, Mangere. State housing being built over the last 3 years. Well done housing NZ, purchased land, built apartments. All in an area that turns into a lake with a bit of rain. As mapped by the Auckland Council. Doh. Desperation is a stinky cologne.
  
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  February 13, 2023 9:40am
  - GJM
    
    A key thing that most people aren’t aware of is that KO issue and approve their own building consents through a department called consentium. They found 5hwt dealing g with councils was to hard and time consuming, so instead of fixing it for everyone, they took their ball and went home. They issue specs for their standard designs, issue their own building consens for their own designs and manage the projects. No conflicts there…
    This is how they can build on unsuitable land without oversight
    
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    February 26, 2023 6:32pm
Paulus

Now that Ardern has disappeared -isn’t she still the MP for Mt Albert ? that Robertson appears to be trying into fading into obscurity as well.
He did not get the job he always wanted, although he denies this now, and has ensured he gets a wage as a hopefully Labour List MP.
His pension will be huge anyway.
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February 13, 2023 8:11am
- Frank the tank
  
  A couple of things:
  1). Ardern will only resign when there is not an ability to have a by-election therefore embarrass the government with a tight win or a shock loss.
  2). Robertson will hit the eject button should Labour lose in October that is the reason for the move to the list so again he doesn’t have to trigger a by-election.
  
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  February 13, 2023 8:54am
  - ClanMcleod
    
    FtT – and these inept clowns are rewarded with a pension. Where is the justice in that?
    
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    February 13, 2023 9:30am
    - Frank the tank
      
      Yep.
      
      The best thing someone would do is a cancel ALL post term MP perks regardless of tenure and/or position.
      
      Moreover pigs never throw away the trough.
      
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      February 13, 2023 9:46am
    - MCōs
      
      No they’re not.
      Those days are long gone.
      
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      February 13, 2023 9:54am
    - All_on_Red
      
      No Pension but a very nice highly paid sinecure somewhere.
      
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      February 13, 2023 10:59am
      - G the giant from Dunedin
        
        Ardern will be receiving the pm pension for life 54 k plus it’s indexed
        
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        February 13, 2023 11:21am
    - NZer In Exile
      
      ClanMcleod: “FtT – and these inept clowns are rewarded with a pension.”
      
      Which brings up an elephant in the room.
      
      Accountability for the said clowns.
      
      We have a system where there is virtually none. Parties and those within them (IE employees of the people of NZ) can lie, U-Turn, evade scrutiny, buy off and muzzle the media, ram through policy with little or no mandate, ram through policy in a way that can not be scrutinised properly.
      
      This insanity needs to stop. Parties must produce clear and understandable manifesto’s BEFORE the election. Playing “small target” (IE hiding intentions by parading froth and bluster instead) should be a reason to be disqualified from an election also. U-turns need to punished severely. Gaming the system in the favour of one ideology or party also need severe punishment. These dangerous morons have no skin in the game currently.
      
      Any party offering reform in this regard?
      
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      February 13, 2023 2:55pm
      - ClanMcleod
        
        They are meant to be public “servants”. Instead they act like arrogant, narcissistic, entitled tyrants. It is beyond time that these people were reined in.
        
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        February 13, 2023 4:26pm
- Simon
  
  Nearly all political govt in a rotation of MPs either snout in the trough (the left) or get a govt gig so they can monetize later on(mostly the nominal center right) .
  
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  February 13, 2023 9:11am
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Biden had the Nord Stream 1 and 2 blown up. Joe needs to face up to the fact that he was responsible. The US is fighting Russia by proxy.
https://billingsreport.com/seymour-hersh-claims-that-biden-had-nord-stream-1-and-2-blown-up/
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February 13, 2023 8:15am
- Simon
  
  Yep no one really gives a shit about Ukraine. Its all about Russia. NZ is at unofficial war with Russia as well. Where are all the anti war left? Thats right they are all aboard the globalist neo-lib war against Russia / China as these countries refuse Clown World.
  
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  February 13, 2023 8:44am
  - NZer In Exile
    
    Simon while I think “refusing clownworld” is a good thing in itself, I think you’ll find many authoritarian regimes that you definitely would not enjoy living under also “reject clown world” (IE the various theocracies and total dictatorships around the world). Clownworld ideology threatens the existence of these nasty regimes.
    
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    February 13, 2023 3:05pm
    - Simon
      
      Yep agree China / Russia are not good. But the choice then becomes countries that are aligned with Russia / China it gets a lot better.
      
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      February 13, 2023 7:19pm
- ClanMcleod
  
  It’s been pretty clear from the beginning that the US was behind the sabotage of the pipelines. Seymour Hersch’s article just says it out loud.
  
  And this article argues that the war was started by Ukraine before Russia invaded.
  
  On February 16, 2022, a full week before Putin sent combat troops into Ukraine, the Ukrainian Army began the heavy bombardment of the area (in east Ukraine) occupied by mainly ethnic Russians.
  
  Officials from the Observer Mission of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) were located in the vicinity at the time and kept a record of the shelling as it took place. What the OSCE discovered was that the bombardment dramatically intensified as the week went on until it reached a peak on February 19, when a total of 2,026 artillery strikes were recorded. Keep in mind, the Ukrainian Army was, in fact, shelling civilian areas along the Line of Contact that were occupied by other Ukrainians.
  
  The author goes on to say that this is surely an act of war and that the Russian response was justified.
  
  Russia’s alleged “unprovoked aggression” was not unprovoked at all but was the appropriate humanitarian response to the deliberate killing of civilians. In order to argue that the Russian invasion was ‘not provoked’, we would have to say that firing over 4,000 artillery shells into towns and neighborhoods where women and children live, is not a provocation? Who will defend that point of view?
  
  No one, because it’s absurd.
  
  https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/whitney-setting-record-straight-stuff-you-should-know-about-ukraine?utm_source=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1248
  
  No, I’m not a “Putin apologist”, I’m a realist. If anyone wants to provide evidence that anything in that article is provably false I would like to see it. I am always willing to change my position when new information is available.
  I detest war and I am sick to the core regarding what is currently happening in Ukraine, but it seems apparent to me that this is yet another outcome that can be fully laid at the feet of the US hawks and their constant desire to maintain American hegemony over the whole planet.
  
  I love what America was and what it stood for, but it seems clear that their democracy has been hijacked by those more interested in profit rather than what is right and what is good. In the meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of young men and women are dying and a country is being destroyed. For what?
  
  Let the downticks begin……
  
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  February 13, 2023 8:44am
  - nathie
    
    Sorry but Seymour Hersch is either thick or a typical “Anti-American” (& anti-govt etc) yank – is he a liberal leftie? If so that explains it.
    
    Russia had amassed thousands of troops, tanks and so on MONTHS prior to their February invasion of Ukraine.
    
    Washington Post 3 December 2021: Russia planning massive military offensive against Ukraine involving 175,000 troops, U.S. intelligence warns
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/russia-ukraine-invasion/2021/12/03/98a3760e-546b-11ec-8769-2f4ecdf7a2ad_story.html
    
    As tensions mount between Washington and Moscow over a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine, U.S. intelligence has found the Kremlin is planning a multi-front offensive as soon as early next year involving up to 175,000 troops, according to U.S. officials and an intelligence document obtained by The Washington Post.
    
    The Kremlin has been moving troops toward the border with Ukraine while demanding Washington guarantee that Ukraine will not join NATO and that the alliance will refrain from certain military activities in and around Ukrainian territory. The crisis has provoked fears of a renewed war on European soil and comes ahead of a planned virtual meeting next week between President Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
    
    I suspect if Ukraine was shelling occupied areas ONE WEEK before the invasion then that suggests the amassed Russians were hiding out (and open firing) on the Ukrainians.
    
    Seymour Hersh sounds like a traitor. I’m not going to read his bullshit.
    
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    February 13, 2023 8:58am
    - nathie
      
      Here’s another article if one doesn’t want to “trust” the WaPo. From the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) published 3 December 2021.
      
      Why is Russia amassing troops at its border with Ukraine?
      
      With its recent troop deployments, there is a real risk of a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. But rather than seeking all-out conflict, Moscow is likely seeking to stoke the embers of a war that serves its interests, argues Samir Puri.
      
      Starting in November, Russia’s armed forces have amassed close to the border with Ukraine and in occupied Crimea. While seemingly poised to invade Ukraine, Russia’s intentions remain unclear. A similar Russian deployment occurred in March and April 2021, creating an earlier invasion scare. The Kremlin claimed at the time to have assembled these forces for a military drill and they later returned to barracks. With both troop mobilisations, Moscow has sought to overawe Kiev with Russia’s considerably larger armed forces.
      
      https://www.iiss.org/blogs/analysis/2021/12/why-is-russia-amassing-troops-at-its-border-with-ukraine
      
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      February 13, 2023 9:07am
      - nathie
        
        But wait there is more. On the (NZ) Parliament website (Written Questions), approx Oct or Nov or Dec 2021 the Opposition (National or ACT) were asking questions of then Defence Minister Peeni Henare about whether Labour had concerns about a Russian invasion of Ukraine.
        
        The website is down at the moment (server error) and I’m off to work so won’t be able to check when the website is back online and reply, but if anyone wishes to verify what I’m saying go to the following and conduct a search approx Oct-Dec 2021.
        https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/order-paper-questions/written-questions/criteria.Portfolio=Defence
        
        (No offence to you, Clan, like your commentary on every other subject .. except Russia/Ukraine). 😉
        
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        February 13, 2023 9:18am
      - ClanMcleod
        
        Russia has always seen US actions in Ukraine as an existential threat. Their response and troop build ups were inevitable. The first time would have been meant as a deterrent and as that clearly didn’t have the desired effect, the second time was for business.
        
        It’s a tragedy.
        
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        February 13, 2023 9:46am
      - sirknz
        
        Snopes is not exactly a reliable source for anything unless you are looking for confirmation about anything that supports ‘The Message’™ pushed by mainstream media. They occupy the same space and are almost as credible as the ‘independent fact checkers’ on various social media sites.
        
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        February 13, 2023 10:15pm
      - Ghost
        
        Wait, what, someone uses snopes, damn I thought people had moved on from that site
        
        https://anthonycolpo.com/fact-fudgers-why-snopes-is-a-hopelessly-biased-unreliable-website/
        
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        February 13, 2023 10:19pm
    - NoCash
      
      Hook, line, sinker… time for the red pill perhaps…
      
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      February 13, 2023 9:21am
    - ClanMcleod
      
      nathie – the shelling was going on for 14 years. It intensified in the week prior to the invasion. Yes the troops were building up, inevitably. This provocation had been going on for 14 years.
      The US instigated the coup in Ukraine, McCain and “fuck the EU” Nuland went there and actively stirred the anti Russian sentiment. They also publicly declared that the US was right behind the Nazis that effectively run the government.
      
      It’s all documented fact. It just isn’t reported in any of our media.
      
      Whether Hersch “sounds like” a traitor is irrelevant and if you don’t read what he says then it’s harder to counter his claims.
      Contrary to the opinion of some, I don’t support Russia (or dislike America).
      I look in to any situation as a neutral and try to understand how and why bad shit happened.
      
      It’s obvious that the US wanted this situation to occur based on all of their prior actions.
      If they didn’t understand that the Russian invasion would be the outcome of their actions then their intelligence agencies are incredibly stupid.
      
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      February 13, 2023 9:38am
    - ClanMcleod
      
      nathie – I honestly have no problem whatsoever with someone not agreeing with or not liking something I post. I don’t post for “likes”.
      I say what I think and if I am shown to be wrong about something I’ll happily acknowledge and apologise if necessary.
      I enjoy Kiwiblog because this type of open debate is permitted while it isn’t in most places.
      
      You have a great day. 🙂
      
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      February 13, 2023 9:42am
      - nathie
        
        Heh very good points, yes agree at least on KB people can put up different points of view and have a good debate about them (well usually i.e. except when trolls occasionally throw in whataboutisms to derail things)!
        
        Keep up the good work keeping things interesting and not an echo chamber, and for being a pleasant commentator! 🙂
        
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        February 13, 2023 6:26pm
    - Stellaboxer
      
      Intelligence document obtained by the Washington Post lol . That’s as convenient like saying obtained from a Kremlin insider by Pravda.
      
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      February 13, 2023 9:47am
    - Local Miller
      
      Seymour Hersch is an award winning journalist who has scooped multiple stories in the US and been proven to be right time and time again. Certainly not a Liberal Leftie by any standards, much more in the class of the old style investigative journalist who actually does search for truth.
      He also claims to have a source close to the operation, and based on his passed achievements it’s quite likely he does and the article is correct. I recommend you review your opinion ad read what he has to say.
      
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      February 13, 2023 10:57am
      - nathie
        
        Thnx, I have read it now … and none the wiser however I share the article author Steven Ahle’s closing conclusion “We are still waiting for proof or a witness before I will make my judgement known”!
        
        This Snopes article reckon’s Mr Hersch’s reliance on an anonymous source is problematic (first time I have visited Snopes – found the article via google search).
        https://www.snopes.com/news/2023/02/10/hersh-nord-stream-sabotage/
        
        Seems Mr Hersch also got called out for an earlier article about Osama Bin Laden.
        https://www.vox.com/2015/5/11/8584473/seymour-hersh-osama-bin-laden
        
        Either Mr Hersch has some good “deep” contacts or he is over-relying on sources that seem to be a bit removed from the main players?
        
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        February 13, 2023 6:20pm
    - Grunter
      
      nathie – if you’re after someone that’s not a ‘liberal leftie’ have a listen to Col Douglas MacGregor (ex US Military, part of Desert Storm etc)
      
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5VGc4p3IiY&t=643s
      
      Everything ClanMcleod is saying is based on facts. If you want to be blind to the obvious then that’s your choice.
      
      But the fact is this – if NATO keeps escalating the war in Ukraine, then Russia will replicate that escalation because they have no choice. This is a war with NATO right on their doorstep. Who in their right mind wants that? The risk of all-out nuclear war is probably still relatively low (but who knows). But the consequences are massive. When JFK had the Russian missile crisis in the 1960’s, the threat of nuclear war was arguably lower then compared to what we are now facing. (There was no war on the doorstep of the US in the 1960’s).
      
      Yet almost everyone is cheering and clapping as the NATO powers escalate to another level. Why??
      
      It is just nuts and very scary.
      
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      February 13, 2023 11:13am
    - Ra Henare
      
      Suggest you extend your reading. UKraine had been shelling the Donbas since 2014.
      They had amassed an army estimated at 140,000 to “”invade”” the Donbas.
      
      As usual, some reading other than the WAPO (US Propaganda machine) to put things in perspective.
      
      Start with the Minsk agreement in your reading and how Ukraine never intended to honour it.
      
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      February 13, 2023 2:31pm
      - ClanMcleod
        
        Ra Henare – yes, I wonder what it was that made Merkel come out and state clearly that they never intended to abide by the Minsk agreement? That they only went through the motions so they could have time to prepare Ukraine for a conflict with Russia as a proxy for the US and their poodles in NATO?
        
        Sadly they didn’t prepare well enough.
        The country is being systematically shredded and the US and NATO are running out of ideas as fast as they’re running out of weapons to supply.
        
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        February 13, 2023 4:53pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Biden is on video being asked about is and how they coild do it. ‘I promise you, we could do it’ said Joe.
    
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    February 13, 2023 9:09am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      Yes, he said if they invade we will stop the gas, the pipeline blew the day after the invasion
      
      6 3
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      February 13, 2023 11:23am
      - Redapplefalls
        
        Russia invaded Ukraine on the 24 February 2022.
        
        The Nordstream pipelines were destroyed on 26 September 2022.
        
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        February 13, 2023 12:30pm
  - Stellaboxer
    
    ClanMcleod. You won’t get a down tick from me. The Democratic Party has sold its soul to corporate America. Pharmaceutical companies and the arms manufacturers own the government and call the tune. The once great country is now thoroughly corrupt and most of the branches of government politically compromised. After project veritas stung the Pfizer head of development bragging about directed evolution James Okieth suddenly finds himself suspended and under investigation from his own board. If you want to know who the bosses are find out who you’re not allowed to criticise. It’s all in plain sight all you have to do is open your eyes.
    
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    February 13, 2023 9:15am
    - ClanMcleod
      
      Cheers Stellaboxer – I think most people who are open to all available information would agree with you. Many intelligent people still rely on previously trustworthy sources for all of their information. They don’t want to believe that their trust has been abused. I know for a fact my brother is fully in that mindset.
      We can’t even discuss geopolitics any longer or he goes into a rage. It’s sad.
      
      Yes, the attack on O’Keefe is a blatant message to all and sundry. Don’t fuck with us or else. As Snowdon and Manning also found out. At least they are still alive, unlike numerous others who had “accidents”.
      
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      February 13, 2023 10:42am
      - Stellaboxer
        
        Clan O’Keefe of course my wrong spelling due to being too lazy to look it up and being harassed by my puppy as I typed lol.
        
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        February 13, 2023 11:05am
      - NoCash
        
        I used to believe the MSM fully until they started “reporting on” a certain event that I have personal and first hand knowledge of that does not align with their narrative. That was the red pill moment for me.
        
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        February 13, 2023 11:17am
  - Ghost
    
    USA intelligence, hmm, you mean these kind of people
    
    https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/521823-50-former-intelligence-officials-warn-ny-post-story-sounds-like-russian/
    
    7 2
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    February 13, 2023 9:50am
  - Colville
    
    I liked the argument that USA did it to fuck over Germany. Getting Russia was just a bonus.
    
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    February 13, 2023 12:26pm
    - ClanMcleod
      
      Colville – weakening Germany may have been an added bonus, but Russia has always been on their shopping list. Ever since the fall of the former Soviet Union. Russia was the goal in all of this and it goes back decades.
      
      All those juicy resources, but the Russians have had a few centuries of repelling western invaders.
      As they have said from the beginning, they see this as an existential threat. They won’t let it happen.
      Here’s hoping the war hawks in the US don’t push too hard, for all our sakes.
      
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      February 13, 2023 5:02pm
- Frank the tank
  
  Will never come to light unfortunately.
  
  Whatever the US did it would have been with the full co-operation of Nato.
  
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  February 13, 2023 8:55am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    NATO covered the US.
    
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    February 13, 2023 9:11am
    - Stellaboxer
      
      NATO started moving into former Warsaw Pact countries and Soviet Republics under Obama. At that time there was absolutely no threat being made from Russia but of course that’s not why troops were being stationed in those places. It was a purely provocative move by the US to provoke the Russians and keep their influence out of Europe. NATO should have been disbanded when the Warsaw Pact was, having served its purpose.
      American corporations are dangerous, not that other agents around the globe aren’t of course but they really are out of control now. Other countries have corporations whilst American corporations have a country.
      
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      February 13, 2023 9:27am
  - RoboRob
    
    It was obvous it was never Russia, it just didn’t make sense for them to blow up their own pipeline and ‘money supply’.
    
    That only really leaves Ukraine (who likely couildn’t pull this off) and some of the Nato countries. The fact that Biden had publically stated that he would shut down Nordstream if Russia invaded the Ukraine it seems, most likely the US did do it.
    
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    February 13, 2023 9:12am
    - Don Beckett
      
      I have believed that the US – with Joe Biden’s promise – destroyed the pipelines, in part to cut off income for Russia.
      This would never have happened under Trump.
      
      6 4
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      February 13, 2023 10:27am
      - RoboRob
        
        I am sure Trump would have done the same. Probably the major difference would have been on the secrecy level. Joe has kept is quiet, Trump would have been grandstanding.
        
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        February 13, 2023 11:06am
      - ClanMcleod
        
        Roborob – Biden wouldn’t have a clue what is happening in his own house let alone in the rest of the world. He’s a senile, child sniffing puppet.
        
        Trump had the brains to form a relationship with Putin and Russia. The US is learning it is no longer a unipolar world and diplomacy is needed.
        
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        February 13, 2023 5:05pm
- NoCash
  
  While balloons, other UFOs, and F-22s are keeping the MSM airwaves busy, smoke and mirrors…
  
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  February 13, 2023 9:18am
  - kowtow
    
    Yep , meanwhile in laboratories , universities and all manner of corporations and govt bodies across the west their scientists , academics and United Front plants are hoovering up intellectual property , secrets and all manner of knowledge and sending it back to the CCP.
    
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    February 13, 2023 11:36am
    - NoCash
      
      McCarthyism for the win.
      
      4 0
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      February 13, 2023 11:48am
      - kowtow
        
        He was right about the commie threat .
        
        7 1
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        February 13, 2023 1:35pm
- virtualmark
  
  Steve,
  
  Seymour Hersh is not a reliable source.
  
  Here’s just a couple of recent articles calling him out … https://oalexanderdk.substack.com/p/blowing-holes-in-seymour-hershs-pipe and https://twitter.com/EliotHiggins/status/1623693699224829952 … but there are plenty of others too.
  
  *Maybe* the US did have the Nord Stream pipelines blown up. That is possible. But hard to see it playing out like Seymour Hersh alleges. And there are other countries with stronger incentives to have done it.
  
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  February 13, 2023 10:24am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Does it matter who was the messenger? The gas pipes were destroyed by the US full stop.
    
    9 2
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    February 13, 2023 1:14pm
    - All_on_Red
      
      You have to laugh at VM complaining about ‘sources’.
      The lack of self awareness is epic.
      
      6 1
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      February 13, 2023 1:53pm
  - ClanMcleod
    
    Eliot Higgins is a former employee of a women’s underwear company. He is a US intelligence asset responsible for much of the totally debunked Russiagate garbage.
    
    He founded Bellingcat which is funded by The Atlantic Council. He has zero credibilty and the other link you gave used Higgins as a reference which makes it very difficult to take seriously anything else he wrote.
    
    Higgins once said:
    
    “Journalists assume I’ve worked in the arms trade,” he says, “But before the Arab spring I knew no more about weapons that the average Xbox owner. I had no knowledge beyond what I’d learned from Arnold Schwarzenegger and Rambo.”
    
    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/mar/21/frontroom-blogger-analyses-weapons-syria-frontline
    
    He operates out of a flat above a shop in Leicester, England. The fact that he is used by The Guardian and WaPo is really more than enough to ignore anything he says.
    
    He has been eviscerated so many times on geopolitical matters it is embarrassing.
    
    One famous Twitter exchange regarding the faked “chemical weapons” attack in Douma (reported on by the discredited OPCW) saw Peter Hitchins destroy him with this comment:
    
    You didn’t think that one through, did you, @eliothiggins sweetie? You’re not in the ladies’ lingerie trade now. This discussion is about truth, which endures, is not held together by elastic, and is not for sale.”
    
    There are some holes in Hersh’s version, analysed here by an actually reputable blogger.
    
    https://www.eugyppius.com/p/seymour-hersh-on-the-american-covert
    
    Real analysis that asks pertinent questions.
    However, all evidence does point to this being a US action.
    I suppose it’s like covid deaths and injuries.
    
    “Correlation is not causation.”//
    
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    February 13, 2023 6:53pm
Rusty

The repeated mantra we are hearing from the experts since march 2020 is “Stay at home”

Covid and climate change is too dangerous for us to go outside and go about our normal business.

I wonder what previous generations of Nzers would think of us softies today?
58 2
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February 13, 2023 8:21am
- Ruawai
  
  Can’t remember any schools closing in the 80’s and 90’s for a bit of rain and wind.
  
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  February 13, 2023 9:40am
  - pdm
    
    Definitely not in the 50’s and 60’s even when some roads were impassable. If other kids could get to school school went on.
    
    18 0
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    February 13, 2023 10:10am
    - ClanMcleod
      
      I remember us swimming under a flooded road underpass for fun after flooding in the UK. about 20 metres from memory. Didn’t bat an eyelid. These days some overzealous social worker would have had us removed from our families and the underpass permanently closed or filled in.
      
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      February 13, 2023 10:53am
      - Stellaboxer
        
        Clan I did exactly the same thing in Southwick near Brighton on my way home from the pub one night with a girl who’s name escapes me. Fond memories fun rather than fear.
        
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        February 13, 2023 11:09am
  - NothingLeft
    
    It’s truly pathetic. Lazy unprofessional teachers. We have worse wind and rain than today several times a year in Auckland. Strong rain not expected till tonight
    
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    February 13, 2023 10:10am
  - Bobba Fret
    
    Imagine what would happen if we ever got snow in Auckland!
    
    10 0
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    February 13, 2023 10:23am
    - Don Beckett
      
      I thought Auckland had some snow a few years ago. I think around 2014 -15, I was driving along on a cold September day in Tauranga. Nek minit snow on the windscreen & along the roadside – it lasted for about 10 minutes, and enough to be visible on the grass for a few minutes before it dissolved.
      If I remember correctly, snow was reported in west Auckland & as far north as Dargaville.
      Obviously a freak event, but it has happened.
      
      7 1
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      February 13, 2023 11:19am
      - G the giant from Dunedin
        
        I seem to remember we bet a mount in the far north in the 80s covered in snow
        
        5 1
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        February 13, 2023 11:30am
  - Ehlana
    
    A cyclone is not a bit of rain and wind, Ruawai. People who live in places regularly hit by cyclones (aka typhoons) do close their schools, and businesses, and put up storm shutters and shelter indoors. And if you’ve recently had a lot of rain, more rain + strong gusty winds is a good recipe for trees toppling and land sliding. If a strong wind can pick up a car or boat, what chance would a child have?
    
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    February 13, 2023 10:35am
  - sirknz
    
    I remember sitting in a classroom during Bola in 87 and watching a tree almost getting pushed over, roots coming out of the ground trunk at an angle . As soon as we could get outdoors, we all headed to the tree.
    
    H&S for the win…
    
    7 0
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    February 13, 2023 11:28am
    - NothingLeft
      
      Won’t someone think of the teachers? It’s super unfair expecting them to actually get up, leave the house and go to work like grown ups do.
      
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      February 13, 2023 4:11pm
- kowtow
  
  In the past it was the bull dog spirit of keep calm and carry on.
  Numerous folk adopted that as a poster , picture or decoration in our current times but then did the opposite .
  
  Panic and hide , is the modern mantra.
  
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  February 13, 2023 11:38am
- Loddenthinks
  
  I still remember the day in 1968 in Wellington when the Wahine went down. We were at school at Cardinal McKeefry’s residence (Viard House) in Guildford Terrace. A bit windy, sure, and a bit of rain. What’s the problem?
  
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  February 13, 2023 3:07pm
  - NothingLeft
    
    Won’t someone think of the teachers? It’s super unfair expecting them to actually get up, leave the house and go to work like grown ups do.
    
    5 0
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    February 13, 2023 4:11pm
- Alan Wilkinson
  
  Was out down the back road several times today. First time to take a generator to an old guy who couldn’t run his oxygen breathing asist without power. Seemed like every second vehicle on the road was a ute with a guy with a chainsaw ready to clear the trees that were falling on it. We cleared a fair few. Then we checked on our horses and set up another generator to recharge the batteries for our pumps that send the rain up to our tanks. No sun for the solar panels. So the real NZ still exists – just not in Wellington.
  
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  February 13, 2023 7:53pm
Captain Mainwaring

Sharon Murdoch plumbs new depths of Luxon derangement syndrome this morning.
Why do they keep her on?
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February 13, 2023 8:23am
- sirknz
  
  Because she is part of the lefty derangement tribe and her ‘cartoons’ tend to tell and not show.
  
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  February 13, 2023 8:35am
  - igm
    
    To think you and I are indirectly funding this trash via taxes.
    
    39 1
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    February 13, 2023 8:46am
    - kowtow
      
      Every click helps . Best we all break the habit.
      
      9 0
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      February 13, 2023 11:39am
      - sirknz
        
        ublock origin extension in my browser stops them advertising at me.
        
        4 0
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        February 13, 2023 10:21pm
- Nickc2
  
  If you witnessed the biased reporting on Prime TV and NZTV1 last night with regard to Akld’s Mayor Brown and the Cyclone fiasco, the reason they retain her is obvious.
  In short, our MSM is paid by the Govt to support leftist radicals.
  
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  February 13, 2023 8:36am
- Simon
  
  Will National keep funding left wing MSM once they are govt. Of course they will. Suck it up.
  
  20 28
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  February 13, 2023 8:38am
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  It’s pathetic, thry think they will sway the election the rotten swines, fact is people still remember who the failures were, yes these goons may have gotten a bounce, but tell me just on thing Hipkins has done that is constructive, I note on Labours very own polling, Luxon is at 27% pm, that is the highest he has ever been as far as I am aware.
  
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  February 13, 2023 8:41am
- Prince
  
  Some months ago I emailed one of Stuff’s Editor in Chief, pointing out that all their cartoonists seemed to be fixated on rcritiquing National, while Labour got a free ride. They needed some diversity in their cartoonists.
  He replied that this was not true. He claimed Stuff’s cartoons contained a range of political views and often lampooned the Government. The conversation went back and forth but Stuff maintained their cartoonists were fair and balanced.
  I can only marvel at either their ignorance or their straight-faced lying.
  
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  February 13, 2023 8:49am
  - ClanMcleod
    
    Prince – it’s straight faced lying. They are firm believers in the Goebbels mantra that if you tell a lie often enough people will believe it.
    Sadly there are idiots out there who this works on and they are allowed to vote.
    
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    February 13, 2023 9:00am
    - Paulus
      
      Ardern, of whom cannot be found, or ever existed, believe that if she said the lie often enough we would believe her.
      
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      February 13, 2023 1:14pm
  - RoboRob
    
    Lol, just checked todays cartoon and its Hipkins tortouring Luxon to get his policies. Dont go to Stuff often but dont reacall a cartoon directly negaive to JA. In the old days the Cartoons were always attacking the current government (with humour). You would never see cartoons attacking the opposition.
    
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    February 13, 2023 9:16am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    There was never attacks on opposition when Key was copping the attacks
    
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    February 13, 2023 11:32am
    - Prince
      
      The point of lampooning and satire is to speak truth to power. To strip away the facade of authority and lay bare the ridiculous and absurd.
      Stuff’s cartoons are didactic – meant to drive home a ‘Labour Good, National Bad’ message.
      It’s what teh Left Wingers call humour.
      
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      February 13, 2023 1:23pm
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Sharon Murdoch plumbs new depths
  
  She reveals quite clearly what many of us already know:
  
  Labour is happy to resort to violence against its citizens.
  
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  February 13, 2023 8:56am
- Tricati
  
  I saw that nonsense and wondered, where are the questions of Hipkins as to his replacement policies now he has flip-flopped on his previous ones (He was in the caucus that implemented them, so can’t disown his part in their implementation)
  
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  February 13, 2023 8:59am
  - RoboRob
    
    Only national ‘flip flops’. Labour has policy re organisations to maximise through put in their incredibly busy and productive year.
    
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    February 13, 2023 9:17am
  - gravedodger
    
    Not only Caucus Tricati, he was a top ranked minister in the Cabinet, executive branch of Government.
    
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    February 13, 2023 9:45am
  - Stellaboxer
    
    (He was in the caucus that implemented them, so can’t disown his part in their implementation) They’re hoping that people won’t notice that.
    
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    February 13, 2023 9:59am
- the deity formerly known as nigel6888
  
  Haven’t bothered looking, but what exactly is the reason why a political cartoonist would keep taking shots at the opposition leader?
  
  Is the government so amazeballs high achieving that there is nothing that could be topical to talk about? Really?
  
  How is inflation going? child poverty? roads? education? health? law and order? housing? Really nothing to see there at all?
  
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  February 13, 2023 12:25pm
- greybeard
  
  That cartoon is now attributed to Emma Cook !
  Did anyone take a screenshot this morning ?
  
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  February 13, 2023 2:33pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Feb 1st. Ozzy Osbourne cancels his remaining shows. He has a spine injury, something I did not know.. Last time I saw him on TV he had subtitles. Drugs!
https://dailypatriotreport.com/legendary-rock-star-announces-hes-done-touring-cancels-all-remaining-shows/
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February 13, 2023 8:23am
- edhunter
  
  To be fair Steve, Ozzy is 74 and between himself and Keith Richards they probably put enough blow up their noses to drag a couple of 3rd world countries out of poverty and into the developed world. The fact that his body and possibly mind are no longer up to doing the thing he loves most is just sad, there’s no cautionary tale. Unless of course the tale is about escaping the purgatory of the Birmingham slums, playing music around the world with your mates for over 50yrs, doing as many drugs, women and booze as you want, until one day it finally catches up with you and you cant continue. Hell I’d sign up for that.
  
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  February 13, 2023 9:51am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    I did not mean Ozzy Osbourne had subtitles in a bad way. He has had a hard life with his ‘medicines.’
    
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    February 13, 2023 1:18pm
- Ghost
  
  He nearly died from a biking accident, then further damaged his back a few years ago
  
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  February 13, 2023 9:58am
- Hollyfield
  
  He also has Parkinson’s, which can cause problems with speech.
  
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  February 13, 2023 5:23pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

No fireworks on July 4th at Mt Rushmore. Third year in a row.
This is how much the Democrats hate America.
https://dailypatriotreport.com/biden-admin-bans-mt-rushmore-firework-celebration-for-insane-reason/
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February 13, 2023 8:26am
- krazykiwi
  
  Speaking of Mt Rushmore, this is what it looks like from the Canadian side 🙂
  
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  February 13, 2023 1:18pm
igm

One of Cameron’s best articles . . .
https://thebfd.co.nz/2023/02/13/the-peter-principle-in-the-labour-party/
Absolutely irrefutable!
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February 13, 2023 8:29am
- kevn
  
  @igm… wood for brains.
  
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  February 13, 2023 9:43am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    The pic used makes him look like a ferret 😃
    
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    February 13, 2023 11:36am
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Trump’s first Policy plan. He is coming back despite what the leftist media say.
https://redrightdaily.com/trump-makes-his-platform-clear-for-2024-watch/
Trump 2024.
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February 13, 2023 8:35am
Frank the tank

My highlights (so far) from this instalment of RainCult:

1). The “weather presenter” last night on OnePravda who could barely speak English and looked like she had just come from a gang party.
2). Closing of the Harbour Bridge for no reason whatsoever other than “an abundance of caution”.
3). The Cultists that brought 6 months supplies during the weekend leaving the supermarket shelves empty.
4). Hosking and Hawkesby – shinning lights of sensibility in an otherwise sub-Saharan water puddle of talent within the feckless. The rest seem to believe EX-CYCLONE Gabby is the second coming of the Krakatoa eruption.

Oh and the weather person that said this is going to be a long, hot summer should be put into stocks and rotten fruit thrown at he/she/whatever.
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February 13, 2023 8:36am
- Jimbob
  
  She sure likes her Tucker.
  I always mute her, watch her face. She shows straining impressions. Poor lass.
  
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  February 13, 2023 10:03am
- sirknz
  
  What good are supplies going to do you if they are underwater because of the totally manmade climate change induced storms?
  
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  February 13, 2023 10:27pm
Maggy Wassilieff

What’s the difference between a cyclone and a politician?

https://www.bassettbrashandhide.com/post/tremain-cyclones-et-al
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February 13, 2023 8:36am
- In Vino Veritas
  
  Tremain is by far the best cartoonist in NZ media. If you are dumb enough, and read the Herald, you get Murdoch. Who is probably a card carrying member of the Communist Party.
  
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  February 13, 2023 9:44am
  - MCōs
    
    Quite clearly you’re unfamiliar with Sharon Murdoch’s work if you think it’s in the Herald.
    
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    February 13, 2023 5:27pm
cmm

I saw more silliness on the weekend over the Nord Stream pipeline, with claims that only a few countries have the sophisticated expertise required to do this.
I call bullshit.

The Baltic is very shallow. The average depth is somewhere around 55 metres. The place where the sabotage occurred is only 60 metres deep. That is well within the range of amateur Scuba divers. No special gases etc required.

But, but, but… diving deep in the ocean. Nope, not really. The Baltic is extremely relaxed water to dive in and boat in. It doesn’t even have proper tides.

The location of the explosion was only a few km off shore. Pretty much anyone with a fishing boat, or rubber duck could have got out there in half an hour from many places on the shore. 2 hours puts it in range of 6 different countries.

So that really just leaves the explosives. If you’re just making a big bang, there isn’t much training required. Just about anyone could do this.

If it was a navy that did this, it wouldn’t have to be a top shelf navy either. In the last few years the Royal Navy has been running training/cooperation diving missions with smaller Baltic states locating, then blowing up old mines and bombs from WW2. Thus all the navies from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Denmark, Finland and Sweden have trained up to Royal Navy standards in blowing stuff up underwater.

So, in reality it could have been anyone from the Finnish Navy to the Copenhagen Scuba club.

But who has the motivation? Sweden, Poland and. of course USA all do – amongst others. And it isn’t just state actors either. various people with commercial interests would profit hugely.

Heck, even if the USA wanted to do this it would be cheaper and easier to hire an non-USA crew. Find two ex-Estonian Navy divers and pay them $50k each. Easy money for a day’s work.

SO all the talk of it needing highly trained special forces is, IMHO, complete nonsense.
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February 13, 2023 8:38am
- MarkF
  
  I concur cmm. Blowing something up in 60mtrs of water, and especially the Baltic, is not an overly technical task. Even a very small ROV could easily deploy said bomb.
  
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  February 13, 2023 8:53am
  - cmm
    
    You probably don’t even need a diver or an ROV. Just lower it on a rope like a crayfish pot.
    
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    February 13, 2023 9:22am
    - Master Mariner
      
      Not according to the damage done, They definitely knew too destroy it completely to ensure its non repairable.
      Also keep in mind these Pipelines are “Burried” in the seafloor and not just “laying the bottom”.
      
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      February 13, 2023 9:37am
      - mawm
        
        “The four Nord Stream pipelines, two for Nord Stream 1 and two for Nord Stream 2, are strong:
        
        The steel pipe itself has a wall of 4.1 centimeters (1.6 inches), and it’s coated with another 6-11 cm of steel-reinforced concrete. Each section of the pipe weighs 11 tonnes, which goes to 24-25 tonnes after the concrete is applied.
        The pipelines are also buried into the sandy sea ground, not deep, but deep enough to prevent fishing equipment or anchors from damaging them.
        
        To blow such pipelines takes a lot more than just putting a few pounds of C4 explosives on top of them. The pipelines had first to be dug out, must likely with pressurized water. Next explosives had to be placed all around them. Then a trigger mechanism of some kind had to be deployed and fixed on to them. Lastly the explosive laden section would have to be reburied to prevent detection or unforeseen entanglement with some external elements. All this had to be done at least four times. If I had planned the operation I probably would have gone for a total of eight explosive packages.
        
        The whole process takes time. Unmanned submarine like vehicles were needed to carry the hundreds of kilograms of explosives and equipment. Diving time at that depth is not unlimited and there must have been a few crew changes. It probably took three to four weeks to fix the whole issue.”
        From :- https://www.moonofalabama.org/2023/02/some-small-corrections-to-seymour-hershs-new-nord-stream-revelations.html#more
        
        I do not know who the author is but his description of what needs to be done sounds about right to me. This is not something that can be done by a crayfish diver.
        
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        February 13, 2023 4:06pm
  - Master Mariner
    
    I’m picking the bombs were placed months ago before explosion. Activated by a sonar bouy likely dropped by plane/helicopter too trigger device.
    We use these to release Beacons on the seabed. Basically a frequency activated signal to trigger release etc.
    The Location was selected due to merger of of Nord 1 & 2 being close and also the depth of water. I’d also assume perhaps geopolitical reasons as well, ie Capabilities of Sweden’s Territorial waters and ability to respond / And or ignore.
    ROV would need a Surface ship and would be tracked.
    The article explains the most logical sequence of events during naval exerscises.
    So far the silence from EU is deafening ?
    
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    February 13, 2023 9:34am
- ClanMcleod
  
  Seymour Hersch’s article on the subject makes as much or more sense as anything else being put forward.
  Motive and means.
  
  Personally I’d want substantially more than $50k if I knew I was potentially invoking the wrath of Putin and his security people. You’d need to find a very good hiding place to ever get to enjoy spending the money.
  
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  February 13, 2023 9:13am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    The explosive were placed days before, so NATO was well clear of the area before detonation. US special Forces, Navy Seals? Green Berets? SAS? USMF? There are many with many names that you just don’t hear about.
    
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    February 13, 2023 9:33am
    - cmm
      
      Nobody knows for sure that they were laid days before. The main reason for saying this is the broken logic that it must have been a major navy and the US were in the area a few weeks before.
      
      Why should it be hard to rig a delay? Why does that make it a military job? With what I have on my desk I could make a delay that runs off a couple of AA batteries and lasts for a year.
      
      I repeat: just about anyone could have done this and plenty people had the motivation to do so.
      
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      February 13, 2023 9:40am
    - Stellaboxer
      
      Steve Otto it may have been the SBS but it most certainly wasn’t the SAS.
      
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      February 13, 2023 10:20am
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        I just took all of those names from the google machine.
        
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        February 13, 2023 11:13am
- Colville
  
  cmm.
  Have you ever been underwater at anything approaching those depths??
  
  Pitch black, around 3 degrees and in open water.
  
  On unmixed gas you might have a bottom time of 5 minutes on twin 90cuft tanks.
  
  Hmmm…
  
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  February 13, 2023 12:15pm
  - Local Miller
    
    As an x-diver (too old now) I agree, 60m is actually pretty deep for an amateur diver. Using an online bottom time calculator, you have at most 16 minutes bottom time at this depth. While “any amateur diver” could do it, it’s unlikely that anyone other than a professionally trained (military) team of divers would go near it. To do this with any guarantee of success you would either need a rebreather or a nitrox kit and do 2 or 3 decompression stops. Compression stops are required on normal air once you spend more than a few minutes below 30m. As a safety we always did a compression stop if we went below 25m, but this was 40 years ago. I also know a bit about this side of diving having spent time on the NZHMS Manawanui (previous dive ship) and with the divers.
    To set explosives like this you need bottom time, and standard dive techniques don’t give it to you.
    
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    February 13, 2023 2:36pm
    - Colville
      
      Wow.
      Someone who has spent some time sucking on canned air and knows stuff. 🙂
      IMHO to do a open water dive in 60M to a hidden goal in the dark without a descent/assent rope on air while carrying a FUCKING BOMB is just fanciful.
      But this is the internet and anyone can offer an opinion.
      
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      February 13, 2023 5:59pm
  - cmm
    
    Yes Colville, I have been to these depths. Deepest was 70m, but I have done a lot of dives in the 40-50m range especially around Cape Town. Bottom time is very limited unless you do decompression stops.
    
    This is certainly not your PADI Level 1 diving, but it is within the bounds of what I would consider club diving.
    
    It can get dark, depending on the water clarity. In very clear sea water, there is still reasonable visibility at 60m, but in most cases lights are recommended.
    
    Many people dive where they need lights. Not a biggie. When I was in Cape Town we’d sometimes hire a fishing boat and do a night dive a few km off shore to 25 to 30m or so. These were just club dives. For me, the most freaking out bits were the long swims back to the boat on the surface in some of the most Great-Whitey water in the world.
    
    I did a really deep lake dive new Pretoria. Muddy water, over 50 metres. Absolutely dark after about 5 metres deep. Yes, it can be a bit claustrophobic if you are not used to it.
    
    There’s nothing outrageous in my diving history. There are many who spent a lot of time far deeper than I did.
    
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    February 13, 2023 7:58pm
sirknz

Green policies are so great. They can take a net exporter of food and in a very short amount of time turn them into needing to be net importers of food:

https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/131124770/a-long-time-to-starve-how-sri-lanka-went-from-booming-to-broke
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February 13, 2023 8:43am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  NZ Greens are the same. Cut our Primary Industries of Lamb, Wool, Beef, Dairy, Farm sizes. Grow grain for biofuels, but nor food. The NZ Greens are truly mad commies.
  
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  February 13, 2023 9:38am
  - kisekiman
    
    More madness is the wholesale planting of perfectly good South Island sheep country into pines. The rural property agents call it “carbon farming”. That land will not produce food again in the foreseeable future, unless starving townies are forced to hunt the rabbits whose numbers are exploding in the absence of former landowners who gave a shit.
    
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    February 14, 2023 1:18am
Simon

That Luxon buffoon is all in on fake man made climate climate. In NZ there is a sliding scale in the belief in man made climate fraud.

From it can be used to lower NZ’s standard of living so we are equal with Ethiopia, to just being a virtual signaling fool.

Where is Luxon harm against NZ or just a fool?
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February 13, 2023 8:50am
- Frank the tank
  
  The funny thing is those that believe in Climate Cult also believe that driving Nissan leafs and banning plastic straws will make a difference.
  
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  February 13, 2023 9:02am
  - Simon
    
    EVs are about pricing people out of the ability to afford a motor vehicle.
    
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    February 13, 2023 9:18am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Makes them feel good. All about emotion, not reality.
    Thanks Jaspinda.
    
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    February 13, 2023 9:41am
  - Master Mariner
    
    That’s exactly what I do not understand, The huge disconnect between reality.
    All the facts are staring people right in the face.
    Maybe its a “forrest through the trees” thing ?
    Buggered if I know.
    
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    February 13, 2023 9:41am
  - I remember when
    
    Of course the unfortunate fact is that the ‘climate change’ believers don’t believe in nuclear, the power source most likely to quickly reduce CO2 emissions.
    
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    February 13, 2023 11:46am
- RoboRob
  
  Lol Luxon / National cant win. The right hate that Luxon believes in climate change while the left hate Luxon becuase he doesn’t really believe in climate change.
  
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  February 13, 2023 9:21am
- Jimbob
  
  You’re the only fake man, how much does Chippie pay you?
  
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  February 13, 2023 10:06am
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  He has never mentioned he thinks climate change is man made, the climate has definitely changed since I was a kid, but it’s bullshit it’s man made
  
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  February 13, 2023 11:49am
  - Local Miller
    
    Ne G, the climate hasn’t changes since you were a kid. Your memory of it and what’s being reported, but the apparent change simply isn’t there. This has been analyzed to death, as there is excellent historical data on things like hurricanes (tornadoes, cyclones, pick your location pick your name) their frequency and strength. Similarly with floods and droughts. While there are some minor local trends, globally there is no change.
    If anything the slight trend being seen indicates improved weather. A proper reading of the latest IPCC Report shows that they know this and all the “climate change” hysteria is based on models, not reality.
    
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    February 13, 2023 2:43pm
    - Doc Holliday
      
      Codswallop.
      
      The experts can be trusted.
      
      There is no conspiracy.
      
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      February 13, 2023 9:25pm
Stellaboxer

After 30 years permanent residence my wife and I applied for citizenship in June 2022. Having heard nothing at all we enquired as to the status of our application last week only to be told that we hadn’t even been appointed a case officer and that they were working on applications from January 2022 at present so it might be some time yet. How does a government expand their public sector as much as these clowns only to deliver such unacceptable outcomes?
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February 13, 2023 8:50am
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  Should have applied when National was in Govt, Stella. Just sayin’.
  
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  February 13, 2023 9:02am
  - GJM
    
    Better off applying for Australian citizenship. Cut out the middle man when you need to become an economic refugee escaping Aotearoa.
    
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    February 13, 2023 9:58am
  - Stellaboxer
    
    Never mind the Bollocks . Agree totally but we weren’t considering fleeing to Australia under National.
    
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    February 13, 2023 10:24am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  The bloated Public Sector have no idea what to do. They just go to work to eat their lunch and get paid by the Net Taxpayer.
  
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  February 13, 2023 9:44am
- Simon
  
  “How does a government expand their public sector as much as these clowns only to deliver such unacceptable outcomes?”
  
  Easy. A focus on diversity over competence.
  
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  February 13, 2023 9:54am
  - the deity formerly known as nigel6888
    
    But the form is now in six languages, and you have 57 boxes for gender identity – see the progress!
    
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    February 13, 2023 1:10pm
cmm

If you think things are bad in NZ education, then spare a thought for South Africa.

82% of grade 4 kids cannot read. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXnd5F-KPL0
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February 13, 2023 8:52am
- Frank the tank
  
  Umm – that is our trajectory. You do know this right?
  
  In 20yrs we won’t have English as a subject – it will be replaced by Te Reo. Again you are aware of this?
  
  We are logically 20-25yrs behind South Africa but are heading down exactly the same path.
  
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  February 13, 2023 9:04am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Have no fears.. Our Young folk are all connected to world-wide youth/sport/fashion/ movie-music/gaming culture.
    
    Most will have as much regard for learning Te Reo as I did for learning French & Latin.
    
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    February 13, 2023 9:16am
    - Frank the tank
      
      I don’t share your cautious optimism.
      
      world-wide youth/sport/fashion/ movie-music/gaming culture = WOKEBORG.
      
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      February 13, 2023 9:40am
    - oldfella
      
      Maggy, good point. A language has to have relevance to your life or you’ll simply drop it, no matter how much it’s force-fed into you.
      My own example is French at high school. (Mind you, I was crap at it, so France dodged a bullet. 😉 )
      
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      February 13, 2023 12:30pm
      - Alan Wilkinson
        
        Learnimg French (and Latin) convinced me to switch to chemistry. Not that I regret it at all. I just wanted to know other stuff as well.
        
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        February 13, 2023 8:06pm
  - cmm
    
    Frank, perhaps not as deep and not as hard as SA, but the general trajectory is certainly a concern and I agree there’s around a 20-25 year difference.
    
    Of course it isn’t an exact fit, but then there is variability even within SA.
    
    I would say that NZ is more similar to what is happening in Cape Town than the whole of SA. Some parts of SA are extremely backwards.
    
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    February 13, 2023 9:29am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    The Coup is happening right under our noses.
    
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    February 13, 2023 9:46am
- mawm
  
  cmm – South Africa had a President who could not read a number (It was a difficult number – probably an 8 or 9 digit number //s).
  
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  February 13, 2023 4:18pm
Maggie Pie

Picked up the latest copy of ‘Woman’s Day’ on the way home.

They’ve a fab photo-spread of Chippy’s sidekick Carmel Sepuloni. I must say she’s looking absolutely beautiful.
There’s a fab pic of her and Chris standing together in parliament’s corridor….she’s towering over him by about 2 feet! 😀

The EXCLUSIVE 4 page expose is headed…..

“I DON’T WANT TO BE THE SOOKIE BUBBA DEPUTY PM”

I just showed my partner, he said “To think they’re running the f-ing country”
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February 13, 2023 9:10am
- RoboRob
  
  Wonder if they will do a similar article on nationals deputy Nicola Willis or Acts Brooke van Velden?
  
  Me thinks not.
  
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  February 13, 2023 9:24am
  - Ghost
    
    https://zlibrary.to/pdfs/womans-weekly-new-zealand-august-22-2022 Nicola
    
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    February 13, 2023 9:38am
    - RoboRob
      
      Good on Womans Weekly!
      
      4 1
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      February 13, 2023 11:04am
  - Captain Mainwaring
    
    Seymour and VanVelden are a dream team. I wish they’d get married.
    
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    February 13, 2023 9:44am
- the deity formerly known as nigel6888
  
  So he was wearing rises for the photos then? Or maybe standing on a box?
  
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  February 13, 2023 1:12pm
- Nickc2
  
  Great. Thanks, Maggie. I must rush out and buy a few copies. My local Supermarket’s run out of Toilet Paper.
  
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  February 13, 2023 1:44pm
Frank the tank

When Hurricane Ian went through Florida Ron DeSantis had an army of lines people lined up to restore power and otherwise built bridges/transport infrastructure to isolated communities within days of Ian passing.

Is there anyone confident the same will occur in New Zimbabwe?
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February 13, 2023 9:11am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Hang on, we’ll get a working group to investigate, and make an announcement about a possible announcement maybe some time next week.
  
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  February 13, 2023 9:57am
  - Frank the tank
    
    prediction State Highway 25 won’t be open before the election this year
    
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    February 13, 2023 10:01am
    - Alan Wilkinson
      
      SH1 is still closed on the route to Kaitaia. So much for our main highway.
      
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      February 13, 2023 8:09pm
  - Nickc2
    
    And the Govt will have to fly in one of their chosen people to recite a Maori Karakia (Prayer) on consultancy rates. The fly-in/fly-out will of course involve an overnight stay at an all-expenses paid Five Star Hotel, Hire Car, and of course, an unlimited Expenses Card with which to shout the bros eh?
    Racism in this country has been five long years in the making, promoted by this Govt and its Maori Caucus.
    
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    February 13, 2023 10:06am
- MCōs
  
  Florida has multiple hurricanes/cyclones every year.
  It stands to reason they should be prepared.
  We have torrential rain that cause bridge and road washouts that are not the same thing.
  
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  February 13, 2023 3:46pm
- Ghost
  
  Sure, you just have to watch the work the lines companies put in when there is a storm, but there are always ungrateful shits complaining they aren’t working faster enough.
  
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  February 13, 2023 3:59pm
rangitoto

Metservice are claiming that Maori gods are causing the bad weather!

https://twitter.com/MetService/status/1624252343687708672
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February 13, 2023 9:13am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Whew, that’s a relief then… I thought it was due to all the jets/cars/cows/coal-burning….
  
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  February 13, 2023 9:23am
  - Tony Stuart
    
    Indeed Maggy; dairy farmers will be pleased to be off the hook for this one. I might have to have a milkshake today to celebrate!
    
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    February 13, 2023 9:30am
  - cmm
    
    It’s happening in Aotearoa. I don’t think they have jets, cows and coal there.
    
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    February 13, 2023 11:03am
  - Nickc2
    
    Those are the free Extensions that come with the App Maggy. The trouble is, you can’t switch the damned things off until we change the Govt and even then, I’m not so sure the OFF Toggle Button will be included eh?
    
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    February 13, 2023 12:47pm
- Local Miller
  
  Does this mean that Maori mythology is now an official state religion?
  
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  February 13, 2023 2:45pm
- Local Miller
  
  Imagine the outcry if this had read: “Jehovah, God of the Jews and Christians is just doing His thing” and “Respect the natural laws and natural behaviour of our God” ?
  
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  February 13, 2023 2:48pm
Bridgenag

SENT TO ME

Horrible link [Don’t know how to fix it] Hobsons Pledge getting signatures to stop New Zealand being changed to Aotearoa

A survey on the name of our country :
New Zealand, Not Aotearoa

[Mod – cleaned up the link for you]
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February 13, 2023 9:27am
- Yabster
  
  signed it a while ago.
  
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  February 13, 2023 10:26am
Tony Stuart

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reportedly asked the British government for some crack helicopter pilots. Someone observed that if the Brits offered up Princes Andrew and Harry, it could solve problems for both nations!
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February 13, 2023 9:34am
- Jimbob
  
  Send in the Migs from Slovakia.
  
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  February 13, 2023 10:09am
Maggie Pie

One of my tennis besties lives out on the cliff at St Helliers.
She just txt to say her partner has his telescope set on a number of Windsurfers out in the Bay. Recons they’re getting at least 5 meters of clean air!

Not something I’d be game to do.
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February 13, 2023 9:39am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Same at Takapuna I guess, and Mangawhai.
  The rule for crossing that bar is if the surfers are out, leave your boat on the hard. I have seen a few boats just smashed to bits.
  
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  February 13, 2023 10:04am
  - Frank the tank
    
    There is a smashed up surf ski on the beach in Stanmore Bay. Perhaps the rumoured “resident” wanted a snack?
    
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    February 13, 2023 11:53am
Yvette

Reframing co-governance
Māori Development Minister Willie Jackson says the ship’s sailed on explaining co-governance to the public, which is why it needs to be reframed in a way it can be understood.
“David Seymour and Christopher Luxon have successfully transitioned a section of the New Zealand public into thinking that it is all part of a Māori take-over,” he told Newsroom in an interview at Waitangi.
“We have to reframe it, and we’re looking at possibilities… it’s just become so tainted.”

Cabinet’s discussions around how to re-pitch co-governance to the public in an election year will take place over the next few weeks, Jackson said, and the Māori caucus is meeting in the coming week to talk about some of the potential solutions.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/jacksons-co-governance-warning-to-labour

What did Willie Jackson present to 72 hui of invited targeted Maori Elite across the nation for six months, which encouraged a response from them which has so far taken Willie and his team over 9 months in attempting to knock it into some shape which Willie’s Cabinet colleagues may find acceptable?

What propositions or talking points did Willie offer Maori, that the same material can’t be presented to the 83 percent non-Maori portion of the population? Is the majority of the population too stupid to understand what the Elite Maori apparently understood in spades.

In fact, for an equal and proper “conversation”, shouldn’t the same material be put before the non-Maori sector, so that everyone – to use a bloody awful expression – “is on the same page”?
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February 13, 2023 9:55am
- Hacked-Off
  
  That’s what National and ACT should be demanding. They should stand up at Question Time and public demand the release of the Declaration Plan now, before the election, so that all New Zealanders can see, discuss and vote to indicate what they think. This is not a Maori-non-Maori issue, its a constitutional issue. Ardern promised that we would discuss it before 2022 was out – and like all her promises this one was unfulfilled. After all the key question is ‘What does Labour have to hide?’ If the release the plan are they electorally sunk?
  
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  February 13, 2023 10:29am
  - peterwn
    
    Don’t disturb the enemy when the enemy is making mistakes. The optimum time to shot off about co-governance is much closer to the election. Also it needs to be done carefully, otherwise things may backfire.
    
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    February 13, 2023 11:29am
  - Paulus
    
    Who is Ardern ? – she appears to have disappeared as the media have been told to not find or comment on her.
    The other part has a tv programme so he appears to be around.
    
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    February 13, 2023 1:24pm
  - Prince
    
    Have you ever listened to Question Time. It is exactly what it says on the cover. The Opposition cannot ‘demand’ anything. They get to ask questions, and if the questions become too difficult for the Govt they are ruled out of order.
    
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    February 13, 2023 1:42pm
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  to use a bloody awful expression – “is on the same page”?
  
  Do you mean EQUITY?
  
  Are you telling us that Willy Jackson has been deliberately excluding non-Maori from discussions on Co-Governance?
  
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  February 13, 2023 11:21am
- Dave
  
  How many people in total attended these 72 huis?
  
  I vaguely remember a news report that attendance, by invitation, averaged just seven, but can’t confirm it. If true, the discrimination against the majority of the population is even more blatant.
  
  In Sep-Oct 2020 315 people attended 18 preliminary huis, including three zoom meetings, but I can’t find the 2022 attendance figures to confirm my shaky memory.
  
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  February 13, 2023 11:44am
  - oldfella
    
    Dave, and the budget for the 72 hui? Including koha? Willie? Can you hear me, Willie? //
    
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    February 13, 2023 12:43pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Stop Co-Governance. Julian Batchelor.

Yesterday’s meeting in Whangarei:
https://www.stopcogovernance.kiwi/blog/report-on-our-whangarei-meeting-and-other-news/

https://issuu.com/esisite/docs/3481_jb_-_go-governance_-_a5_booklet_-_online
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February 13, 2023 10:22am
ClanMcleod

Last Wednesday House Oversight Committee members grilled former Twitter executives.

In this clip sacked Twitter executive Vijaya Gadde is destroyed by Representative Nancy Mace regarding censorship of experts opposed to the “official” covid narrative.

https://www.newswars.com/watch-rep-nancy-mace-destroys-fired-twitter-exec-vijaya-gadde-over-twitters-covid-censorship-reveals-she-had-vaccine-side-effects/

Outstanding. I dream of a similar platform to grill the likes of Baker, Hendy, Wiles, Bloomfield, Hipkins and co.

Here is Representative Clay Higgins telling them in no uncertain terms that arrest and jail is a real possibility. This time for interference in US elections by suppressing the Hunter Biden laptop information.

“This is the investigation part, later comes the arrest part.”

https://news.yahoo.com/house-rep-clay-higgins-warns-003102217.html

Outstanding. I dream of a similar platform to grill the likes of Baker, Hendy, Wiles, Bloomfield, Hipkins and co.
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February 13, 2023 10:23am
Maggie Pie

I see my partner just retweeted this 🙁

‘Looks like the Turkish Police have the right attitude in dealing with scum ramraiders. Doubt many of them would be recidivists’

https://twitter.com/MaroKochinyan/status/1624534513266163718
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February 13, 2023 10:47am
- cmm
  
  Those cops need some serious health and safety training.
  
  If you don’t warm up properly it’s really easy to get a bad case of truncheon elbow. Much worse than tennis elbow I would think.
  
  Funny to see the NGO-luvvies bleating about this.
  
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  February 13, 2023 11:01am
  - the deity formerly known as nigel6888
    
    Maybe we should start a gofundme to get some police dogs too?
    
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    February 13, 2023 1:16pm
- info@cruzpro.com
  
  Those dudes are going to think twice before doing whatever they did again. Nothing like immediate feedback to make one learn quickly.
  
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  February 13, 2023 1:14pm
- rjay
  
  Meh. A few bruises around the arms and legs. Love the hair spray at the end.
  
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  February 13, 2023 1:48pm
- Ghost
  
  All they said was they would like Jacinda to become their prime minister.
  
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  February 13, 2023 1:49pm
Doc Holliday

I dream of the time we used to keep the loonies in a nice safe place where society could ignore their madness.
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February 13, 2023 10:53am
- peterwn
  
  You mean Kingseat, Avondale (Oakley/ Carrington), Seacliff, etc?
  
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  February 13, 2023 1:52pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Cyclone. A boat up on the hard and the outboard stolen already?
https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/national/in-pictures-cyclone-gabrielle-smashes-into-nz-causing-flooding-power-outages/ar-AA17p6pb
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February 13, 2023 11:31am
I remember when

I remember when meteorologists used to tell us what type of weather we were going to get.
Now they tell us what has caused to weather we are going to get.
What action we should take because of the weather we are going to encounter.
Why the weather is going to be worse in the future.

Was it better when we listened to the Weather Report and then decided what we were going to do for ourselves.
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February 13, 2023 11:41am
- ClanMcleod
  
  I remember when – you’d be better off with the Irish Weather Rock.
  
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weather_rock#/media/File:The_Milestone_weather_forecasting_stone_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1708774.jpg
  
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  February 13, 2023 12:39pm
- MCōs
  
  “I remember when meteorologists used to tell us what type of weather we were going to get.”
  
  The met service forecasts the weather.
  
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  February 13, 2023 3:18pm
NothingLeft

Russians are resealing repaired Kerch bridge. Waka Kotahi should volunteer their services to help Ukraine.
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February 13, 2023 11:44am
I remember when

Professor David Tipene-Leach says even unconcious biases are still “just racist.”
Am I just lucky?
When I’m unconcious I don’t have any biases.
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February 13, 2023 11:56am
Maggie Pie

Thort this worth sharing with the family…..

We have a fab old antique ‘Georgian Barometer’ in our Vestibule – and it’s still as accurate as the day it was made!

When I went to bed last night it was on ‘RAIN’
But when I came down this morning, it’s dropped all the way to ‘STORMY’

A harbinger of things to come? 🙁
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February 13, 2023 11:56am
ClanMcleod

A wonderful post in the BFD today.

This Government took the opportunity Covid-19 gave to turn people against each other. The resulting chaos for families and businesses, and friends arguing, and relationships falling apart, must have warmed the cockles of the socialist Government’s hearts. The rules that then-Prime-Minister Ardern announced and that were cruelly taken up by members of the public were astounding:

You can’t come to the street BBQ
Your child can’t play in the football team
You must not talk to your neighbours
You must stay in MIQ while your Mum dies alone
You can’t use the public toilets
You can’t visit granny – and on it went.

Indeed.

It must rile the Government that thousands of New Zealanders joined groups like Voices for Freedom (VFF), named on a list of 13 groups in NZ branded ‘the disinformation dozen’, along with NZDSOS (NZ Doctors Speaking Out with Science) and NZLSOS, a similar group for lawyers.

Yes, it made many people re examine what they once thought were friendships. Through this nightmare we found out who was really there for us when it mattered.

https://thebfd.co.nz/2023/02/13/exponential-growth-of-new-friends/

It was a deliberate divide and rule tactic and a policy designed to force people to take these experimental jabs. If they wouldn’t do it voluntarily then make their lives as miserable as possible. Turn neighbours on neighbours. Nark on each other. Split families. Destroy friendships.

It was the most disgusting act by a government in NZ against a segment of society ever. All to achieve Ardern’s aims of being the “best” jabber on the planet.
Mind you, Chris “Lucky Strike” Bishop seemed to salivate at the chance to do it “better” than Ardern. A worrying position which he has never once walked back.

Michael P Senger has done an excellent post reflecting on the psychological damage that has been done to so many people.

How the Response to COVID Affected Us at a Personal Level

It will take many years to fully process the trauma of what we experienced during COVID. But our individual human stories can help us get at least part of the way there.

Just some of the responses, worth reading through and reminding ourselves exactly what was inflicted on us.

Which aspect of the response to COVID affected you most at a personal level?”

Mark Trent: “Watching the last remnants of my belief in democracy get peeled away. Seeing the collusion across the globe roll out in lockstep made me realise just how powerful and comprehensively in control those that orchestrate the darkness are.”

Dr Jonathan Engler: “The realization that nearly everyone I knew would give up literally all their individual rights for the illusion of safety.”

Muriel Blaive, PhD: “How my friends, including many colleague historians who know very well the history of the 20th century, proved ready to believe any propaganda, to refrain from questioning government nonsense, and to public shame anyone who did. It’s as if all the studies we led were for naught.”

Myrddin the Weathered: “How easily people were propagandized. Particularly people who I thought carried the ability to properly scrutinize the situation. Frankly, it was down right chilling how easily most people fell in line. No question how the Nazis were able to control their populace.”

Watcher: “Closures. My business was thrown for a loop the outlets I used to deal with depression like the gym or going for coffee w/friends were closed and it was beyond hard to get through the day with everything going on and no outlet to deal with any of it Talking about it is traumatic.”

Christine Bickley: “Everything. My business that I spent 30 years building hasn’t recovered and is unlikely to. I used to have health insurance and save. Had to cancel the ins and am using my savings to top up income. I’m not the worst off by far. It was criminal.”

Jemma Palmer: “Lockdown = no income, no home, health declined, mental health declined, didn’t see my family or friends for years, changed my life for the worse, not sure I will get to have kids now, I’d like to be who I was before lockdown & for my life to be what it was.”

Sarah Burwick: “The restrictions on travel and rules governing visiting patients in the hospital. I believe my mom would be alive today had I been able to visit her and advocate for her care in person. It haunts me.”

ProfessorYaff1e: “Not being able to visit my dad in hospital as he lay dying until the last couple of days when he was so far gone he didn’t know what was going on.”

https://michaelpsenger.substack.com/p/how-the-response-to-covid-affected

Never forget.
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February 13, 2023 12:16pm
- Inandout
  
  CM, if there is such a thing as divine retribution may these parasites that happily subjected us to these cruel outcomes be handsomely rewarded. Personally I am ashamed at being herded so willingly for those first two jabs. And the propaganda via radio and TV was designed to scare the shit out of us; and we complied.
  
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  February 13, 2023 12:30pm
  - ClanMcleod
    
    Inandout – many were conned, many were coerced, many were threatened, many just felt that if they did what they were told things would go back to “normal”.
    Most people probably fit into one of these categories. Nothing wrong with realising you were duped and it’s nothing to be ashamed of.
    
    The ones I feel contempt for are those who now realise it, but refuse to admit they were wrong. These people will just refuse to even talk about it. I have former friends and family members in this category and it makes me very sad.
    
    Until we have the adult conversations and vow that nothing like this will ever happen again, our society is going nowhere.
    
    The cowardice of the 121 “representatives” in the NZ parliament is nauseating.
    
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    February 13, 2023 12:47pm
    - krazykiwi
      
      Those who were duped will swell the ranks of the skeptical (those of us that demand evidence rather than placatory piffle) thereby increasing resistance and sharing the load the next time the global elites try it on.
      
      I, for one, and now deeply mistrusting of the medical establishment in respect of anything ‘new’ given the wholesale capture of regulatory authorities by Big Pharma, a topic well addressed by uTobian just today – How misguided corporate law leads to totalitarianism.
      
      This mistrust isn’t total. I have an injured shoulder, and the assessment, treatment and impending surgery is well established best practice, all of which I am comfortable with.
      
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      February 13, 2023 2:18pm
      - ClanMcleod
        
        KK – yes of course, there are tried and trusted remedies that have been around for decades.
        
        This was one of the key reasons why some of us were reluctant to partake in this experiment. We knew the history of vaccine development and the idea that it could be rushed by throwing money at it was ludicrous. Long term trials take a long time. Now we are seeing the problems emerge.
        
        The dangers of loss of trust in our medical systems was clearly warned about. Now it appears those chickens are starting to come home to roost.
        
        The last three months of 2022 saw a drop in routine paediatric vaccination levels in New York City from 64.5% a year ago to 59.2%, a five-point drop. The New York Post has little doubt about who is to blame. According to a piece by the Editorial Board last week, it is because “city, state and federal officials lied again and again to the public about the efficacy of numerous Covid interventions including masking, social distancing, school closures and vaccines”.
        
        https://dailysceptic.org/2023/02/12/take-up-of-routine-paediatric-vaccinations-declines-in-new-york-city-whos-to-blame/
        
        Who would have thought it?
        
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        February 13, 2023 7:11pm
    - mawm
      
      Clan – I’m particularly nauseated by the two parties I thought stood for personal responsibility. Surely part of determining one’s personal choices relies on critical thinking. Neither of the leaders of those two parties displayed any.
      
      Here’s what a leader sounds like. (Please note Mr Luxon) – 20 seconds.
      https://twitter.com/CartesnDuelist/status/1624481695188631555?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1624481695188631555%7Ctwgr%5Ed62a87f55191e35710fb72dcc058fd3d50cb8ede%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fvladtepesblog.com%2F
      
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      February 13, 2023 4:34pm
      - ClanMcleod
        
        mawm – I’ve heard that politician speak a fair bit of sense before. I am picking Trudeau will be following Ardern before too long.
        
        5 1
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        February 13, 2023 7:15pm
Maggy Wassilieff

How peculiar that the Met Service informs us that the Maori God of the Wind Tāwhirimātea and his mates are just doing their thing, but fails to provide us with the chants and incantations to quell the storm.

https://twitter.com/MetService/status/1624252343687708672

I’ve scratched around and found a couple just in case
you need to go fishing tomorrow.

1.
Tokona nga hau
Tokona ki waho
Tokano nga hau
Tokona ki uta
He rangi kia purapura.

2.
Pokokohua!
Poko-ko-hua!
Riri-e! Riri-e!
Riri te rangi i runga nei
Riri nga hau.

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/TPRSNZ1901-34.2.8.1.5
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February 13, 2023 12:46pm
- Ghost
  
  Does throwing a Virgin into the ~~volcano~~ storm still work?
  
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  February 13, 2023 12:49pm
  - Maggie Pie
    
    Anyone like to fuck around and find out?
    
    14 2
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    February 13, 2023 12:59pm
    - Don Beckett
      
      Nah – can’t find any virgins nowadays. 🙂
      
      7 1
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      February 13, 2023 2:27pm
      - ClanMcleod
        
        That’s why Jesus wasn’t born in Ireland, they couldn’t find three wise men and a virgin.
        
        3 1
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        February 13, 2023 10:08pm
  - the deity formerly known as nigel6888
    
    The only virgins this Deity can reliably find seem to be Incels, and I doubt that their sacrifice is fully in the spirit of things… speaking theologically of course?
    
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    February 13, 2023 1:19pm
  - Nickc2
    
    Those sorts of sacrifices are in short supply these days I’m told.
    
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    February 13, 2023 1:32pm
- Blog-aholic
  
  Did it work?
  
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  February 13, 2023 1:00pm
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    I’ll tell you tomorrow….. or maybe Wednesday.
    
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    February 13, 2023 1:39pm
    - Colville
      
      Maggy.
      Are you raiding a year 7 boys school dorm?
      
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      February 13, 2023 7:08pm
Maggie Pie

German women claims she tried warning the USA about Chinese Balloons 40 years ago!

https://youtu.be/Fpu5a0Bl8eY
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February 13, 2023 1:44pm
thirteenstars

The Taxpayers’ Union latest poll:

The two largest parties are tied at 34% – Labour is up two points on last month while National is down three points. ACT is up one point to 12% while the Greens are down three points to 8%.

The smaller parties are NZ First on 2.9%, Māori Party on 2.1%, TOP on 2.0%, NZ Outdoors & Freedom on 1.0%, Democracy NZ on 0.9%, New Conservative on 0.8%, and Vision NZ on just 0.2%.

The two biggest parties are on 46 seats each with Labour up five seats on last month and National down three. ACT is up one seat to 15 while the Greens are down four to 10. The Māori Party is up one seat to 3.

As with other recent public polls, Labour has clearly seen a bounce under Chris Hipkins’s leadership, but based on this poll, the increase in support has primarily come at the expense of the Greens.

The means only a slight uptick in the combined total for the Centre-Left to 56 seats – up one from last month. While the Centre-Right dips to 61 seats – down two seats – but still has just enough to form a government.

Nice to see that even if National was to try the old trick of playing parties off against each other, they need ACT to form a government, with ACT making up 25% of the coalition. At those percentages they must get key policies and portfolios.
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February 13, 2023 2:18pm
- mandk
  
  National should clear the way for Matt King/Democracy NZ in Northland.
  
  Matt has said there are no circumstances in which Democracy NZ would ally with Labour.
  
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  February 13, 2023 2:42pm
  - Ross Miller
    
    A vote for Matt King in Northland is a vote for Willow-Jean Prime to retain the seat for Labour. Since King jumped ship National has been steadily rebuilding in Northland. M’ship has more than trippled since King departed and is now the highest of any electorate in the country … National/ACT/Labour/Greens. M’ship translates into money and the electorate organisation has never been better resourced to fight the election. On Saturday the first step in selecting our candidate will take place with the pre-selection cttee meeting. Their task will be to sign-off on the candidates who have put themselves forward for selection. Interest is high with a number of really quality candidates seeking endorsement.
    
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    February 13, 2023 4:15pm
    - Colville
      
      Exactly.
      There is National/ACT or the other lot. No middle ground.
      If you are going to vote for an outsider you deserve derision or something more robust than that.
      
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      February 13, 2023 7:11pm
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      So you rule out the seat will be pushed towards King?
      
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      February 13, 2023 8:41pm
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    If King wins his seat, he won’t bring in an extra MP, he needs 1%, i guess he may well get passed the 1%, but is that worth the Nat’s sacrificing an electorate when its quite possible they will split the vote and let the worst MP in history back in.
    
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    February 13, 2023 8:39pm
Ghost

The first photo of the ufo object shot down by USA has been released, Metallic ufo
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February 13, 2023 2:23pm
- Don Beckett
  
  It looks like a 1963 Ford Anglia. 🙂
  
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  February 13, 2023 2:30pm
- Maggie Pie
  
  Obviously the monkeypox ruse didn’t work 😀
  
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  February 13, 2023 2:45pm
  - Ghost
    
    Looks like it, they have their next story
    
    https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2023/02/can-aliens-be-ruled-out-top-us-official-asked-crucial-question-about-strange-objects-floating-above-north-america.html
    
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    February 13, 2023 3:52pm
    - Maggie Pie
      
      Probably just a coincidence they’ve timed their arrival with the pending release of 163 names in Epstein’s little-black-book 😛
      
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      February 13, 2023 4:14pm
    - Maggie Pie
      
      https://twitter.com/PaulHook_em/status/1624911901107912704
      
      😀 😀 😀
      
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      February 13, 2023 4:24pm
      - Ghost
        
        That poor old guy, looks like the probe got left behind
        
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        February 13, 2023 4:44pm
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Funny that when the monkey pox was only killing the rainbows, the monkey pox vanished.
    
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    February 13, 2023 8:42pm
G the giant from Dunedin

New TPU poll out, centre right can govern, centre left can’t with the MP as well
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February 13, 2023 2:25pm
- Steve Todd
  
  Or, to put it another way: centre-right lead 61–59, down from 63–57 on 20 January.
  
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  February 13, 2023 2:42pm
  - Colville
    
    The dead cat bounce is over.
    
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    February 13, 2023 7:12pm
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Not much of a bounce then, was it? another thing, the MP have stated they will sit on the cross benches.
    
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    February 13, 2023 8:43pm
Tom Hunter

Viruses that replicate in the human respiratory mucosa without infecting systemically, including influenza A, SARS-CoV-2,…

….endemic coronaviruses, RSV, and many other ‘common cold’ viruses, cause significant mortality and morbidity and are important public health concerns. Because these viruses generally do not elicit complete and durable protective immunity by themselves, they have not to date been effectively controlled by licensed or experimental vaccines. In this review, we examine challenges that have impeded development of effective mucosal respiratory vaccines, emphasizing that all of these viruses replicate extremely rapidly in the surface epithelium and are quickly transmitted to other hosts, within a narrow window of time before adaptive immune responses are fully marshaled.”

Fascinating. Tell me more, O Learned One, of what I already learned in biology classes at high school and university.

“Taking all of these factors into account, it is not surprising that none of the predominantly mucosal respiratory viruses have ever been effectively controlled by vaccines. This observation raises a question of fundamental importance: if natural mucosal respiratory virus infections do not elicit complete and long-term protective immunity against reinfection, how can we expect vaccines, especially systemically administered non-replicating vaccines, to do so?”

Gosh, I don’t know. It’s a mystery. Maybe with lots of testing?

“Considering that vaccine development and licensure is a long and complex process requiring years of preclinical and clinical safety and efficacy data, the limitations of influenza and SARS-CoV-2 vaccines remind us that candidate vaccines for most other respiratory viruses have to date been insufficiently protective for consideration of licensure”

Wow! So doing it quick and dirty might be… dangerous? Or at least, unsafe?

Thank you, thank you DR FUCKING FAUCI for writing all this in an article for Cell magazine.. Glad to know you were only lying because pig ignorance in a public health official would be totally unacceptable. Lying might get you fired, but of course you’ve already retired, and I guess your pensions and Pharma investments will be untouchable.

But in all honesty no punishment possible could possibly match what I would like anyway, which at a minimum would be stripping him of those things plus jail time – and at best to that good old American custom of tarring and feathering.

A public execution is probably a little too harsh and in any case would not be necessary since the objective here is less punishment of Fauci for his sins than for the mirror objective to that of the British Navy executing Captain Byng by firing squad on the quarterdeck of his own flagship which, in the snarking words of French historian Voltaire, “was done to encourage the others”.
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February 13, 2023 2:44pm
- krazykiwi
  
  Fauci is a bio-terrorist, a modern-day Josef Mengele who is desperately trying to ditch his scrubs and file nonchalantly out of the vax camp with the prisoners.
  
  The extent of the societal damage he has done will be the subject of documentaries and, hopefully, future medical training.
  
  He would do well to spend a large portion his pfilthy pharma lucre on private security.
  
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  February 13, 2023 3:06pm
Maggie Pie

No wonder ’emmy rakete’ prefers to protect her Tweets.

This would be the most concerning part for anybody 🙁

https://twitter.com/cannibality
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February 13, 2023 2:51pm
- Blog-aholic
  
  By her bio and images online there seems a lot of missing rakete.
  
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  February 13, 2023 2:57pm
mawm

Here are two excellent presentations on “excess deaths”.
The first is Dr John Campbell PhD.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNT-YNLhprw

And the second is an analysis of German data and the link between Covid vaccines and mortality.
https://dailysceptic.org/2023/02/12/the-link-between-german-excess-mortality-and-the-covid-vaccines/
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February 13, 2023 4:46pm
Ghost

Curry night in Brazil?

Ouch
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February 13, 2023 4:58pm
Monique Watson

What does FBI stand for ? 🙂
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February 13, 2023 6:41pm
- Monique Watson
  
  Facebook Instagram Database.
  I was dicking around on Urban Dictionary following Super Bowl and I caught my fancy!
  
  5 1
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  February 13, 2023 7:35pm
Maggie Pie

Now they’re saying yet another Interislander Fairy has broken down in Cook Straight tonite! 🙁

SHEEESH!!!
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February 13, 2023 7:21pm
Scooter

I heard Mike Hosking ask Hipkins if insurance companies are price gouging, to which he gave some wishy washy reply. I just got mine from State, up from $1100 to $1500. In his predecessors famous line, yep yep that is what it is.
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February 13, 2023 8:38pm
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  Apparently, the interview was an utter train wreck.
  
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  February 13, 2023 8:45pm
- NothingLeft
  
  If your government fails at policing crime effectively and maintaining infrastructure, and controlling inflation, then you inevitably get sharp rises in home insurance costs.
  
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  February 13, 2023 9:26pm
Ghost

Looks like gisborne is having a few earthquakes tonight

https://www.geonet.org.nz/earthquake/weak
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February 13, 2023 9:42pm
Doc Holliday

The vaccines are imperfect so Dr Fauci is _ _ _ _ _ ?

Nah, Fauci is one of the most important scientists of the age and the vaccines have saved millions from serious illness and death.

Sorry, loonies, that you aren’t better sheltered from reality – your brains are clearly overloaded.
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February 14, 2023 6:39am

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