General Debate 10 March 2023

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Gravelroad

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300825877/nz-media-council-finds-a-stuff-article-did-not-achieve-fairness
About time.
That the Government thought it appropriate to openly fund news outlets to provide politically influenced propaganda is bad enough.
That the “journalists” at Witch-Hunter Central, aka $tuff, thought it appropriate to accept money to do it – is worse.
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March 10, 2023 8:02am
- Matt Long
  
  Yes, Andrea Vance did her reputation no good by participating in a nasty little political hit job on local candidates that opposed the government.
  
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  March 10, 2023 8:06am
  - lifesgood
    
    What reputation?
    
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    March 10, 2023 10:02am
  - the deity formerly known as nigel6888
    
    She is News of the World, nasty little hit jobs is her MO.
    
    It got so bad that after NOTW folded the only place that would take her is the Dompost – where she is now a “senior journalist”
    
    Bwuhahaha!
    
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    March 10, 2023 11:14am
    - Paulus
      
      Vance should be careful as understand Tova looking for another very highly paid job as her station is under review.
      
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      March 10, 2023 1:15pm
- Lee C
  
  You mean they made shit up?
  
  About sums up the whole ‘pandemic’ doesn’t it?
  
  For what possible reason?
  
  Ah yes.
  
  Corruption and cash.
  
  Don’t forget to get your infants vaxxed.
  
  It’s the only rational thing to do.
  
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  March 10, 2023 8:10am
- Jade Warrior
  
  Judging from the tone of that article, Stuff still feel that they are in the right and they don’t feel a need to apologise to anyone.
  
  Mind you, that’s par for the course for Stuff these days.
  
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  March 10, 2023 8:12am
  - coge
    
    No comments permitted on this Stuff article!
    
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    March 10, 2023 9:44am
    - sirknz
      
      And when the comments are open, if the easy way to tell if the comments are going against their narrative is very few comments published and the comments section is closed very early.
      
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      March 10, 2023 2:27pm
    - NZer In Exile
      
      Standard woke MO re comments.
      
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      March 11, 2023 12:17pm
Opie

In the election debates in 2017…

When asked whether New Zealand could be in for national strikes, Ardern had her most emphatic moment: “No. We. Will. Not”.

And now again we have teachers striking. That makes 2 days of lost teaching and 2 teacher only days in the first month of school. The teachers aren’t even making the grade for attendance levels of 9 days out if 10…. what hope do the kids have?

The irony of course being that the guy that has screwed things up over the last 5 years in education is now the prime minister. Aren’t Teachers supposed to be smart? Yet they keep voting for labour and complaining about the outcome.

Got me thinking, what other industries have gone on strike in the last 5 years since that wretched woman assured us they wouldn’t. Although at that point she didn’t even know what gdp is. Probably still doesn’t.

Nurses/health workers
Firefighters

Feel free to add…
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March 10, 2023 8:02am
- Swifty
  
  That was a very, very unwise statement from Ardern – in addition to being completely misleading.
  
  A truthful answer would have been “I have no way of knowing that. We will work hard to make sure there won’t be, but obviously we can’t guarantee it.”
  
  But no, she chose to mislead us instead. Making promises she had no way of meeting.
  
  Par for her course though unfortunately for us.
  
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  March 10, 2023 8:44am
- Yabster
  
  Teachers blah- lost support from the public- how about you teach the basics like reading and writing then the good ones should get rewarded the bad ones which clearly there are many- should get another job..
  
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  March 10, 2023 8:48am
- kevn
  
  @Opie… I gather that nurses who did receive backpay, were taxed on the payment at the highest secondary tax rate.
  That seems unfair.
  
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  March 10, 2023 8:52am
  - rouppe
    
    Sigh…
    
    That is a point in time taxation. At the end of the financial year their entire income will be assessed, and any refund due to overpayment will be made.
    
    Better that than that assessment resulting in hundreds or even thousands of tax being underpaid, and the individual being required to stump up with that money in one hit.
    
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    March 10, 2023 9:33am
  - rockape
    
    They haven’t had their full backpay yet. It’s still in the hands of the ERA and won’t be resolved till September. They had an interim payment and yes it was taxed to nothing! My wife’s pay equity worked out at less than 2%.
    
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    March 10, 2023 10:06am
    - rockape
      
      Oh and their last MECA pay agreement was due Sep 22. No resolution and liable to end in a strike. With ED lists as they are and winter coming it could be bad news this winter.
      
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      March 10, 2023 11:44am
- DeepBlue
  
  Do we believe anything Jacinda said? Her thought process was all ideological nonsense or spin.
  
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  March 10, 2023 9:29am
- waikatosinger
  
  Heard someone on the radio this morning complaining about how hard it was for preschool teachers these days because they have had to teach kids how to speak once the masks came off.
  
  Yelling at the radio while driving … not a good thing.
  
  Of course it was the union that was responsible for forcing preschool kiddies into masks in the first place. You reckon you deserve to be paid extra for that?
  
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  March 10, 2023 10:17am
- Sir Cullen's Sidekick
  
  Opie – Go and check the latest TPU-Curia poll. Sheeple don’t care about anything. They like Labour, they like Chippie. They like the way NZ is now. That is all it matters.
  
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  March 10, 2023 12:07pm
  - leoj
    
    SCS: Never used to appreciate your snide and sarcastic comments, but now….
    You’re on to it.
    Huge section NZ voters are dumb.
    The country is stuffed.
    
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    March 10, 2023 1:42pm
  - Gravelroad
    
    Yes, Sir Cullen, you seem to be quite correct – despite anecdotal evidence which says people are sick of and don’t trust, this government.
    I hear that regularly round here – but the polls say otherwise.
    The only thing that will prevent people voting Labour is if they turn off the personal spending money tap.
    And they are not going to do that.
    
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    March 10, 2023 1:50pm
Matt Long

https://www.foxnews.com/media/biden-dodges-reporters-question-covid-19-origin-hold-china-accountable
Biden responds to questions about the Wuhan Lab leak by running away looking for a teleprompter.
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March 10, 2023 8:03am
- virtualmark
  
  That’s not how this works.
  
  The President speaks for the country, so if the President says Covid leaked from a Wuhan lab then that’s the USA’s concrete position. They may, one day, have the confidence and the political need to say that … but certainly not today. In all these situations the President should be the last word, said only at the time it can extract the most leverage.
  
  In the meantime the President can/will let various intelligence agencies publicly speculate … which starts to move public opinion and put indirect pressure on China, but without tying the USA’s flag to any one mast.
  
  The journalists know this too … so they’re just going for the simple “gotcha” that isn’t really a “gotcha” but is just delivering their audience what they think the audience wants to hear.
  
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  March 10, 2023 8:24am
  - virtualmark
    
    If – and I think this is still an if – the USA had incontrovertible evidence that Covid leaked from a Wuhan lab then I expect they would be hold that accusation and evidence back until such time as they *really* want to put China’s balls in a vice.
    
    There is no geopolitical value in just lobbing it out there right now. You wait until they are either (a) on the front foot over their skies and you want to push them back or (b) reeling on the back foot and you want to hit them again.
    
    Mouth breathers: Blurt it out right now.
    Nose breathers: Hold and wait until the right moment.
    
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    March 10, 2023 8:38am
    - ClanMcleod
      
      It was a Wuhan lab funded by Fauci via NIAD and the NIH. So yes, it came from China but it was funded by the US.
      They do like their proxies don’t they………
      
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      March 10, 2023 9:57am
      - mawm
        
        Maybe Wuhan was the US’s patsy and the virus came from one of the US labs (Chapel Hill, NC), was brought to Wuhan to be the scapegoat and then deliberately released into China. There have just been too many of the major MSM organisations lining up behind the Wuhan narrative. I would not put anything past the CIA.
        
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        March 10, 2023 12:53pm
  - Simon
    
    “The President speaks for the country,”
    
    Lol – everyone knows Biden cant even wipe his own arse.
    
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    March 10, 2023 8:57am
    - leoj
      
      ….or, from a great cartoon I saw recently…..
      
      Biden-Fetterman ticket for ’24 is a no brainer.
      
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      March 10, 2023 1:45pm
  - Matt Long
    
    Slick Willie would have answered the question easy as pie. He was easily the smartest US politician I’ve seen, just a pity his his policies and character we’re so low.
    
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    March 10, 2023 9:10am
  - NZer In Exile
    
    “The President speaks for the country, so if the President says Covid leaked from a Wuhan lab then that’s the USA’s concrete position. ”
    
    But only if it’s a far left prez? Otherwise trust nothing the Prez says?
    
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    March 10, 2023 10:37am
    - virtualmark
      
      No, any President.
      
      One skill the leader of a country needs to master is to let others say the controversial things, and for you to only say the stuff that really matters at a time when it really matters. Particularly in foreign affairs.
      
      As true for Biden as it was for Reagan or G W Bush, for example.
      
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      March 10, 2023 2:44pm
  - Ghost
    
    Has there been a president who hasn’t told porkies to the American public?
    
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    March 10, 2023 10:38am
- info@cruzpro.com
  
  I could be overthinking this but possibly the US Wuhan lab leak story might be a warning shot to the Chinese that if they contribute to the Russian Ukrain war efforts that stronger evidence will follow.
  
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  March 10, 2023 8:45am
  - sirknz
    
    Like banning the Tik Tok app that is turning kids minds to mush?
    
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    March 10, 2023 10:03am
    - waikatosinger
      
      If it was sold to someone to a US owner would it be any better? There are plenty of US billionaires who would be quite happy to continue turning kids brains to mush as long as they could make a quick buck in the process.
      
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      March 10, 2023 10:10am
      - sirknz
        
        It is more the fact that the algorithm for the western version is very different to the Chinese version with what it boosts, the CCP doesn’t care about the money, more about the damage it does to the kids who use it.
        
        The Chinese version limits the time that kids are allowed to use it each day to 45 minutes total and it feeds them science and tech based content that supplements their education curriculum. The western version has no time limits, boosts the dregs of western culture, and impairs the kids ability to concentrate on anything beyond much more than ten minutes.
        
        Not saying western social media is much better as I have caught myself doom scrolling through a feed on many occasions.
        
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        March 10, 2023 2:33pm
- Maggie Pie
  
  Commander-in-Chief
  
  https://twitter.com/SicarioScott/status/1633254297575075841
  
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  March 10, 2023 8:53am
  - Inandout
    
    Maggie, this besuited humanoid wants another Presidential term. FFS
    
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    March 10, 2023 9:47am
- thirteenstars
  
  And then he walked over to an ice cream truck painted to look like Marine One.
  
  Pilot: Did they ask you a tough question, Joey?
  Joey: Yes, they did. They were very mean to me.
  Pilot: Would you like a vanilla Frosty?
  Joey: With extra sprinkles?
  Pilot: Yes, with extra sprinkles. Now, let the nice Marine rub your tummy.
  
  Then the ice cream truck flew away never to be seen again.
  
  Or something like that.
  
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  March 10, 2023 10:05am
Yvette

I thought we now had a Maori Health Authority, with Tipa Mahuta, co-chair, and Health New Zealand, with until just recently Rob Campbell in charge.
But apparently the old Health Ministry remains a separate entity rather than being absorbed into new Health New Zealand.
So 3 Healths instead of 2

And it seems Christopher Luxon and three of his MPs thought the same, unless I have that wrong too.
So how well has that all been explained by the 200 communicators one of these 3 Healths have on their staff? – if at least 4 of the MPs in Parliament while the legislation was passed, didn’t get the whole concept

Hands up if anyone else didn’t fully understand 3 Healths

And if 3 Healths was simple, let Hipkins now explain “co-governance” – like, before the Election, rather than putting it out of site until after.
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March 10, 2023 8:04am
- virtualmark
  
  Ministry of Health = policy and funding decisions.
  
  Health New Zealand = service delivery, funded by the Ministry of Health.
  Maori Health Authority = service delivery to Maori, funded by the Ministry of Health.
  Countless other health agencies or private sector players = delivery of other point services, funded by the Ministry of Health.
  
  What I’m not sure about is whether primary healthcare comes under Health New Zealand, or whether the GPs contract directly with the Ministry of Health.
  
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  March 10, 2023 8:41am
- pdm
  
  Yvette – obviously using the Mahuta Inc Water model for health too.
  
  3/5/AllHealth.
  
  Got it???
  
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  March 10, 2023 11:35am
Tony Stuart

One of ZB’s opinions for hire comments that Chris Luxon doesn’t have “star quality”.

Quite frankly, NZ doesn’t need star quality in a PM at the moment; we need someone who will get things done, and empower those they manage to get things done. Luxon has a pretty solid business record having been CEO of Unilever Canada before he returned to New Zealand and ultimately became CEO of Air New Zealand.

Star quality is overrated; we need someone who gets shit done!
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March 10, 2023 8:06am
- Lee C
  
  No, Tony, we really need a PM who could gaslight – sorry – moonlight – as a children’s TV presenter.
  
  How else can we know our cash is being spent usefully?
  
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  March 10, 2023 8:12am
  - Mark Hanley
    
    Who to vote for?
    Whilst I read a lot of negative feedback about National on KB, Luxon’s state of the nation speech appears to hit the nail on the head.
    One – National will curb the rising cost of living.
    Two – National will lift incomes for all.
    Three – National will deliver resilient infrastructure for the future.
    Four – National will restore law and order.
    Five – National will provide better health and education services.
    
    ***PLS NOTE. no mention of climate change
    
    Whilst ACT has some very good policies, most of them won’t see the light of day as a junior coalition partner. Also, ACT lacks proven managerial/governance expertise in its caucus. This experience and expertise is vital for implementing policies successfully.
    
    So… I’ll be voting ACT for the policies (TOW referendum) and National for the expertise required to clean up/out the public service (as John Key’s government did).
    
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    March 10, 2023 8:41am
    - Chuck Bird
      
      Which party will get your party vote?
      
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      March 10, 2023 9:35am
    - Wayne Mapp
      
      Well, you certainly won’t get a referendum on the Treaty. There is no way that National will agree to Act’s demand on that. Act will gets lots of things, especially in education and law and order, but not a referendum.
      
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      March 10, 2023 10:55am
      - Nickc2
        
        Not having a referendum on the ToW and/or its interpretation is just delaying the inevitable.
        Its interpretation must be sorted out before its teaching in our New/Revised History Curriculum comes into force in our racially divided schools.
        
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        March 10, 2023 11:02am
      - pdm
        
        WM – you may be surprised.
        
        Common sense may prevail and a referendum on the Treaty and Maori Seats will be scheduled for the 2026 election.
        
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        March 10, 2023 11:43am
      - Chuck Bird
        
        Wayne, do you think National will like to be a minority government with Act just supporting with supply and confidence?
        
        Who do you think is the best negotiator – Luxon or Seymour?
        
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        March 10, 2023 11:55am
      - Wayne Mapp
        
        To the respondents,
        
        National would sooner go it alone rather than agree to a referendum. It is not as if Act can go left.
        
        Speaking from experience, it is quite nice to only have fellow National members in the Cabinet, rather than having coalition partners as well. They have a habit of making the proceedings of Cabinet quite challenging.
        
        Of course National would need Act to vote for legislation that it wanted to pass. If Act wanted anything to change from Labour’s legislation they would have to vote for it. Otherwise Labour’s legislation would stay in place. No doubt there would be negotiations on this, but you can see how the government (solely National) has the advantage. Only they can put up government legislation.
        
        Of course so can the rest of Parliament. If Labour, the Greens, the Maori Party and Act all got together they could pass legislation. But how likely is that?
        
        Coalition partners can’t force each other to do things that are anathema to each other. I put the referendum demand in that category. National for a while variety of reasons simply won’t go along with it.
        
        Effective coalitions do things that both parties can reasonably accept.
        
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        March 11, 2023 8:10am
      - NZer In Exile
        
        ” it is quite nice to only have fellow National members in the Cabinet, rather than having coalition partners as well. They have a habit of making the proceedings of Cabinet quite challenging.”
        
        Rather bothersome that democratic representation thing isn’t it.
        
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        March 11, 2023 12:33pm
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      Thanks for thinking about how to vote, nothing wrong with ACT for party vote and Nats for electorate, there is no point giving ACT an electorate vote they won’t win, do we really want Labour winning all the electorates like last time
      
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      March 10, 2023 12:24pm
      - Chuck Bird
        
        Except in BOP and Botany and there two ticks Act.
        
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        March 10, 2023 1:38pm
- pdm
  
  Someone who is up front and honest would be a big plus too.
  
  I must say I have concerns about Luxon and Muller’s lovefests with climate change. Could someone tell them they need to focus on the economy.
  
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  March 10, 2023 8:12am
  - Gravelroad
    
    @pdm-
    As someone who has been involved with farming and rural communities for many years, I found the appointment of Mr Muller as National’s agriculture spokesperson a bit insulting tbh.
    
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    March 10, 2023 8:22am
    - Matt Long
      
      No no Gravel, G says we love Muller.
      
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      March 10, 2023 8:29am
      - Gravelroad
        
        @M. Long-
        My impression of Mr Muller is that he is more involved with, and invested in, the corporate farming sector rather than the people working on the ground.
        
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        March 10, 2023 8:40am
      - Matt Long
        
        I have a good friend very involved with local Nats and very disturbed by Muller’s positions.
        
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        March 10, 2023 9:13am
      - Warren
        
        Matt just like you used to fawn over Winston, you have always been one to run with the hares and hunt with the hounds.
        
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        March 10, 2023 6:18pm
    - pdm
      
      grave l- I spent the first 17 years of my life on farms and have lived in rural towns since then – Hastings the largest and it is very much a rural service city.
      
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      March 10, 2023 8:36am
    - pdm
      
      gravel- I spent the first 17 years of my life on farms and have lived in rural towns since then – Hastings the largest and it is very much a rural service city.
      
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      March 10, 2023 8:37am
  - peterwn
    
    Sorry, but you have no grasp of political reality. If Chris L became a ‘climate denier’ he would lose votes hand over fist and this would let Labour back in. People will believe the likes of Private Jones on climate change – ‘we are doomed’.
    Anyone who is observant would realise that National is most concerned with the economy and have ideas what to do. The Finance shadow portfolio is in very capable hands with Nicola Willis assisted by Paul Goldsmith and others. Chris L would be taking intense interest in the economy and would habe a major part of formulating policy.
    
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    March 10, 2023 8:23am
    - pdm
      
      pw – `we are doomed’ was not Jones. It was either the Scot Fraser or the other doddery old fellow whose name escapes me.
      
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      March 10, 2023 8:40am
      - Gravelroad
        
        Fraser the undertaker.
        
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        March 10, 2023 8:41am
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7NlFWh7Sz8
        
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        March 10, 2023 8:50am
      - RalphT
        
        The doddery old fellow was Private Godfrey. The thing about him that made everyone laugh was his old man’s bladder that saw him “having to go” at the wrong time. How we laughed. Now over 50 years later I can assure you it’s no laughing matter.
        
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        March 10, 2023 9:06am
    - Random T Person
      
      So it has nothing to do with reality, but everything to do with optics. Got it.
      If you look at the climate articles on Daily Mail for example, it is nearly 90% of people who say it is rubbish and tax. Yet we are to believe everyone has been conned and won’t tolerate binning the climate rubbish?
      I dunno man. The whole thing stinks, just like the Covid con.
      
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      March 10, 2023 8:53am
    - Chuck Bird
      
      Maybe he could point out like Seymour that people died because of Green policies regarding slash.
      
      You are assuming that over half of Kiwis are stupid.
      
      If we reduce the country’s income by reducing stock numbers as Muller thinks we should do there is less money to spend on the relocation of properties where necessary.
      
      Do voters what us to send billions overseas to pay some country to plant trees?
      
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      March 10, 2023 9:49am
    - ClanMcleod
      
      peterwn – if I read that correctly, what you are saying is that most people are really dumb and have learnt nothing from the scam that was the covid narrative.
      
      Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, I’m a dumb, gullible idiot who deserves everything coming my way. People reap what they sow, it often makes me despair for our species.
      
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      March 10, 2023 10:25am
    - trout
      
      If we ‘are all doomed’ and climate change, and the way politicians propose to deal with it, are going to be major factors in the upcoming election how come support for the greens is falling in the polls?.
      
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      March 10, 2023 10:41am
      - Chuck Bird
        
        And Act polls higher than the Greens although Act is the only party that follows real science.
        
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        March 10, 2023 10:50am
    - leoj
      
      Willis is in the wrong party.
      She would be much happier with Labour.
      
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      March 10, 2023 1:52pm
      - NeverMindTheBollocks
        
        Too competent for Labour
        
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        March 10, 2023 9:24pm
  - Colville
    
    How will our economy look if we are blacklisted by our trade partners because we back out of international CC agreements?
    
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    March 10, 2023 8:24am
    - CJames
      
      I am certain India and China would still trade with us. And how many stopped trading with the US when Trump pulled them out?
      
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      March 10, 2023 8:47am
      - kowtow
        
        Britain fired up some coal plants the other day .
        It’s cold there at the moment and if they hadn’t the grid could have been in serious shit.
        
        Meanwhile that horrible little man Albanese is in India trying to sell them coal that he doesn’t want Australians to use domestically.
        
        The hypocrsiy is astounding.
        
        Burn baby burn.
        
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        March 10, 2023 9:56am
      - Wayne Mapp
        
        Colville,
        Never going to happen. Not even a government led by Act (which won’t happen) would withdraw from the main climate change agreements.
        
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        March 10, 2023 11:00am
      - NZer In Exile
        
        “Never going to happen”.
        
        Coolies. How about you guys state this up front , loud and clear, just before the election. You know, transparency and all.
        
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        March 11, 2023 12:35pm
    - Master Mariner
      
      Yes you are correct Colville, That is the reality.
      
      However, We are really “measuring/accounting” for a Scorched Earth Policy.
      
      Think Methane for Farmers as only one point. The list keeps on giving.
      
      The real issue is why are we “Blackmailed” by non elected officials ?
      
      At the moment, There is plenty of Push back against ESG and Huge Fund dictating how to do Business.
      NZ would be a perfect “Outlier” to go against the Grain and Threaten to join the BRIC’s aligned countries.
      At the least we would have “Energy Security”.
      
      Which ever way you look at it, If it continues along the same lines, NZ is Buggered either way you look at it.
      
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      March 10, 2023 8:51am
    - Taieri
      
      As if China cared…
      
      There’s no need to back out of international agreements. But there’s every need to be pragmatic about them. Such as discarding magalomaniacal notions of “leadership”, “first in the world” and so on.
      
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      March 10, 2023 8:53am
    - mawm
      
      Col – We’ll have the same climate and no economy if we hurtle down this path of green lunacy.
      
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      March 10, 2023 9:48am
    - ClanMcleod
      
      Well the sanctions against Russia were meant to destroy their economy. Instead they found new markets. Their economy looks to be increasingly strengthening while those who imposed the sanctions are struggling.
      Sometimes it pays to just do the right thing.
      
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      March 10, 2023 10:28am
      - Sparrow
        
        People and governments get around sanctions. I was on ships trading to Southern Africa at the time of the Ian Smith regime in Southern Rhodesia in the late 60,s. Beira was the entry and exit for goods to and from Rhodesia. The Royal Navy had ships stationed off the port to stop sanction busting. What a joke. We had cargo before containers marked Salisbury South Africa etc etc. Never stopped Navy would signal (,morse lamp) good morning etc etc. What a waste of UK tax payers money.
        
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        March 10, 2023 12:01pm
      - ClanMcleod
        
        Sparrow – apparently Russian oil tankers are queuing up near Greece and Spain to transfer their oil to other tankers.
        
        Millions of barrels of Russian crude and fuels have been switched between tankers just a few miles off the coast of Greece, one of a series of workarounds that traders have used to overcome European Union sanctions against Moscow.
        
        At least 23 million barrels of Russian crude and additional volumes of refined fuels have been transfered from one tanker to another in the Bay of Lakonikos since the start of this year, according to tanker tracking by Bloomberg.
        
        https://www.rigzone.com/news/wire/bay_off_southern_greece_becomes_cog_in_russia_oil_supply_chain-23-feb-2023-172136-article/
        
        This means Europe and the US are still getting Russian oil, but paying a premium because the middle me are cleaning up. Aren’t those sanctions working well. No impact on Russia while European and US customers have their bills going through the roof……..
        
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        March 10, 2023 12:45pm
    - pdm
      
      I am with you Colville.
      
      We should have withdrawn from Kyoto and Paris agreements years ago.
      
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      March 10, 2023 11:49am
  - amospicton
    
    The reality is that to deny anthropomorphic climate change would cost many more votes than going with the flow. To the extent that removing the cancer that is our current government has to be our top priority I’m prepared to tolerate their stance. I disagree with it, but if it assists in winning the election so be it.
    
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    March 10, 2023 9:12am
    - DeepBlue
      
      It would be the cat o’ nine tail thrashing the media wouldn’t let go off right to the election.
      They are looking for their Simon Bridges’ gotcha moment, and good on Luxon for not giving it to them.
      
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      March 10, 2023 9:35am
    - Chris Nisbet
      
      If only we had people who would educate the masses about where it would be best to spend our ‘climate change’ money.
      We know that the warming caused by CO2 isn’t going to be as dire as we were first told, so rather than trying (and failing) to keep warming below some arbitrary limit by wrecking our economy, let’s put that money towards building better infrastructure.
      I’d vote for that party.
      
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      March 10, 2023 2:34pm
  - coge
    
    I can’t see how National can become Govt 2023, they’ve hemmed themselves in too far. One more mistake now and they’ll fall behind.
    
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    March 10, 2023 9:46am
    - rockape
      
      Yet labour stuff up daily and you think that makes no difference?
      
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      March 10, 2023 10:11am
      - coge
        
        Apparently not.
        
        12 1
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        March 10, 2023 10:18am
    - leoj
      
      Nats are Labour with a blue tie.
      
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      March 10, 2023 1:56pm
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      Get out of here, Hipkins lying daily, ministers misleading the country daily, cover ups being found weekly, yeah tight, ask ya self, why are Labour MPs looking so lethargic? Don’t say they are not, I have watched, snd something is up, can’t work out what it is either Ardern is about to create a huge blow back on Labour, or internal anger is about to erupt, Jackson this week suggesting the merger is back after the election
      
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      March 10, 2023 4:32pm
  - kowtow
    
    One of the problems with these things is our betters believe they must play the climate catastrophe game ,at least as far as European markets are concerned.
    
    In the past Nat leaders had a nudge nudge wink wink approach but now they appear to have gone down the rabbit hole .
    
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    March 10, 2023 9:51am
- sirknz
  
  My biggest issue with Luxon is that given is time at Unilever he will be caught up in the pro WEF bullshit that has taken over politicians globally of late.
  
  We should be running any politicians with even a tenuous link to the WEF out of town after tarring and feathering them.
  
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  March 10, 2023 8:14am
  - Black with a Vengeance
    
    My biggest issue with Luxon is that he believes in a literal sky wizard who magicks things out of thin air and has a son due back some time soon in a city sized mothership to exercise judgement over humankind.
    
    I’m therefore inclined to believe all policy and direction from him is founded on magical thinking and alien technology.
    
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    March 10, 2023 9:08am
    - Simon
      
      “My biggest issue with Luxon is that he believes in a literal sky wizard who magicks things out of thin air”
      
      Lol- but you think there are natural human rights.
      
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      March 10, 2023 10:07am
      - Black with a Vengeance
        
        Oh is that what I think…
        
        4 4
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        March 10, 2023 10:43am
      - pdm
        
        A diversion but back in the 60’s I played cricket with two guys who worked at Unilever in Petone or the Hutt.
        
        Both proudly claimed they regularly peed into the soap vats.
        
        Before Luxons time of course.
        
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        March 10, 2023 11:54am
    - sirknz
      
      I would prefer churchy over a WEF stooge any day of the week. At least with churchy, you have a good idea what you’re going to get and it will be better for more people than the BS the WEF is pushing.
      
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      March 10, 2023 10:08am
      - Black with a Vengeance
        
        Are those really the only 2 options ?
        
        5 2
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        March 10, 2023 10:45am
    - NZer In Exile
      
      BWAV you realise many lefties believe incredibly stupid shit also?
      
      At least the general ethos of Christians as practiced these days is pretty decent.
      
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      March 10, 2023 10:39am
      - Chuck Bird
        
        There is no problem with politicians being Christian. However, there is a problem with them adopting the religion of climate change alarmism.
        
        11 2
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        March 10, 2023 11:04am
      - Black with a Vengeance
        
        At least the general ethos of Christians as practiced these days is pretty decent.
        ______________________
        
        Tell that to the Ukrainians.
        
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        March 10, 2023 11:06am
      - Gravelroad
        
        I don’t believe in the gods, beliefs and legends of some other cultures here – but that just makes me a racist -eh?
        How about you, BWAV?
        
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        March 10, 2023 1:57pm
      - Black with a Vengeance
        
        I don’t believe in the theory of races.
        
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        March 10, 2023 2:39pm
    - Swifty
      
      Huge proportions of your country-folk believe exactly the same things.
      
      In my garden, lounge and kitchen I hear their singing multiple times a week from the nearby hall where they congregate to worship, laud, praise and give thanks to the very same sky daddy.
      
      What does that say about them?
      
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      March 10, 2023 10:52am
      - Black with a Vengeance
        
        That we don’t have a monopoly on gullibility?
        
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        March 10, 2023 1:04pm
    - Yabster
      
      as opposed to Taiwha huh- a lot of Tongans and Samaons believe in that same sky wizard – whats your point?
      
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      March 10, 2023 3:23pm
      - Black with a Vengeance
        
        That out and out Christians make terrible leaders.
        
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        March 10, 2023 4:10pm
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    He has stated he has nothing to do with WEF like the Labour leaders are, evidence or you are full of it
    
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    March 10, 2023 4:33pm
- Paulus
  
  Star Quality and look what we got
  – Ardern and litle Chippy with others like Little and Robertson running for cover still looking for their stars.
  
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  March 10, 2023 8:14am
- RockyJ
  
  Totally agree. The charismatic leader with self-claimed personal attributes that turn out fake is a quite common phenomenon. They find it easy to get senior jobs as they bluff their way past sloppy recruitment processes.
  
  At first staff are captured by their charm and vision. But in the heat of battle their brittle true lack of character is exposed. Then the early acclaim does a 180 turnaround and they become universally loathed and despised.
  
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  March 10, 2023 8:15am
- mandk
  
  Ardern had star quality, but she was dumped because more and more people realised that she was actually useless and completely incapable of delivering anything other than hugs for her supporters.
  
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  March 10, 2023 8:17am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Her star ran out of fuel and she white dwarfed.
    
    A white dwarf is a stellar core remnant composed mostly of electron-degenerate matter. A white dwarf is very dense:
    
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_dwarf
    
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    March 10, 2023 8:57am
    - I remember when
      
      How many climate change, covid, free speech and economic policy white drawfs/dwarves do we have?
      
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      March 10, 2023 9:05am
    - gravedodger
      
      Cor blimey Maggy, only one uptick to be awarded. that needs a standing ovation, “IS VERY DENSE”
      Orsum like Orsum
      
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      March 10, 2023 9:43am
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        I rather liked the electron-DEGENERATE Matter.
        
        6 0
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        March 10, 2023 10:26am
  - Scooter
    
    Isn’t it weird how she has been completely disappeared. More proof that Labour controls media, ie I’m sure they’d love to do a piece on her life after PM, must have a black out till after the election.
    
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    March 10, 2023 10:50am
    - Paulus
      
      Ardern is still a Labour MP remember !
      
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      March 10, 2023 1:26pm
    - leoj
      
      Apart from “completely disappeared”, wouldn’t we like to know what REALLY happened leading up her resignation.
      Reckon the maori caucus and the unions had plenty of influence there.
      Those two are running the country -INTO THE TOILET.
      
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      March 10, 2023 2:02pm
- Simon
  
  Luxon the timid. Except when its against people that have no political representation , the unvaxxed or anyone who dare questions climate fraud. Then he is a real tough guy.
  
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  March 10, 2023 8:24am
- Master Mariner
  
  Yep Indeed,
  However to get “Shit done” , You need a bit of “Mongrel”.
  
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  March 10, 2023 8:28am
- Swifty
  
  ‘Star quality.’
  
  We’ve just had that and look where it got us.
  
  I despair.
  
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  March 10, 2023 8:46am
- H. Upmann
  
  Wake up Tony. Luxon is a disaster.
  
  With the ammunition of Labour’s incompetence and corruption being updated seemingly hourly, National should be at least 25%, if not 50% ahead of Labour. Instead, were an election to be held today, the new Government would be Labour/Green/Maori.
  
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  March 10, 2023 8:53am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    So you think they should be at 85%
    
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    March 10, 2023 9:34am
  - leoj
    
    Sadly, can only give you one uptick.
    Luxon and the Nats are lost, weak and woke, much like Labour.
    
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    March 10, 2023 2:04pm
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  He is polling 26% PM just behind Hipkins, Key as far as I remember is the only leader of the opposition poll ahead of the pm on a regular basis , Ardern headed English some times, but if I remember rightly Rnglish was polling for PM with about the same figures as Luxon, as for favourables, his can Hipkins with constant flip flops, lies , cover ups and nasty smearing of NZers be favourable, I note two policies released from Nats snd Luxon moved up, let’s see what happens in the coming month, because apparently policy will be coming constantly from now on
  
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  March 10, 2023 9:30am
  - peterwn
    
    “He is polling 26% PM just behind Hipkins, ”
    That means absolutely nothing. If National/ ACT was polling 26% behind Labour/ Greens then that would be serious cause of concern to National. But instead National/ ACT are ahead by a whisker, despite the ‘dead cat bounce’ when Chris H became leader.
    
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    March 10, 2023 9:56am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      For PM , on this poll Luxon is at his highest numbers, Hipkins is just at 30% and as I said, Key is the only opp leader to out poll the pm in MMP times, what part of than can’t you understand?
      
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      March 10, 2023 5:07pm
  - DeepBlue
    
    Now or never. We have passed the time of not sharing in case the other guys pick it up. Labour’s budget rewrite has been done. All new policy by Luxon should look fresh. And if the policy doesn’t appeal now it won’t in October.
    
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    March 10, 2023 9:58am
  - Paulus
    
    Hipkins nor Luxon are my eletorate MP so I cannot vote for either.
    So I don’t care who is the prettiest.
    I will vote for the Party which commands my respect and the ability to try and straighten the disaster that Ardern’s socialism invoked.
    
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    March 10, 2023 1:30pm
Matt Long

I was saying to friend earlier that the only chance Labourr has of winning the election is if there’s a natural disaster they can capitalise off.
They’re getting a bounce from the cyclone and new leadership, plus Labour lite is an ineffective opposition.
Will the Taxpayer’s union poll give Nicola inspiration?
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March 10, 2023 8:10am
- Gravelroad
  
  @M. Long-
  Mr Hipkins is the ultimate pragmatist – as compared with Ms Ardern’s giggle and hope approach.
  All that matters to most voters is “where is my money coming from?”
  I can see why so many are still enamoured of the Labour Party.
  
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  March 10, 2023 8:18am
- peterwn
  
  If National changes its leader now, it would greatly increase the chance of a Labour victory. I did expect a ‘dead cat bounce’ in the polls, what was surprising was that the bounce was so small and that National/ ACT had a tiny majority. Interestingly the Greens could be wiped out if they do not retain Auckland Central.
  
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  March 10, 2023 8:28am
  - Captain Mainwaring
    
    What a wonderful thing that would be.
    
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    March 10, 2023 8:44am
  - RoboRob
    
    The greens wont be wiped out. They will easily get their 5%. I dont know what % they got last election but I would put money on them getting more this election. Labour will leak support to the Greens.
    
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    March 10, 2023 9:08am
    - Matt Long
      
      There’s been a number of elections where polls have the Greens under 5%, it’s a dirty trick to pump people up and pull the rug come the cold hard final election results.
      
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      March 10, 2023 9:24am
      - Matt Long
        
        The TU poll also has Winston back in Parliament, courtesy of Luxon a year ago, and I don’t think the Climate Change caused this storm speech did him any good either.
        
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        March 10, 2023 9:32am
      - RoboRob
        
        Im not talking polls, Im talking election results. The Greens have never gotten <5%. Just the number of 18-25 'kids' straight out of school give them that.
        
        8 1
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        March 10, 2023 9:36am
      - Matt Long
        
        RR, just what I’m saying, there’s a hard core of lowlifes and brainwashed children that keep the Greens in parliament despite what the polls say.
        
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        March 10, 2023 10:15am
    - rockape
      
      In most election the green vote has fallen fallen from the polls to the actual election result.
      Data from 6 months out for previous elections. I have taken this month to election date. Greens down in all with the exception of2011.
      2020. From 11.5 To. 7.9
      2017. 8.0 to 6.3
      2014. 13. To10.7
      2011 8.0 to 11.1
      2008 7.0 to 6.72
      
      Greens may have a way to drop yet. Their fortunes go up when Labour goes badly down .
      
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      March 10, 2023 10:38am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      6%
      
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      March 10, 2023 5:08pm
    - NeverMindTheBollocks
      
      In previous elections, the Greens have received a bump from overseas voters. With the lockout, that may not apply this time around.
      
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      March 10, 2023 9:31pm
  - Nickc2
    
    If there is a God, please make it so!
    
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    March 10, 2023 9:28am
  - Matt Long
    
    Labour have done very well swapping leaders in election year, first with the princess, then Hipkins.
    Hipkins with a proven track record of failure has quickly outpolled Luxon.
    Perhaps National needs an empty headed smiley face to win over the ignorant voters?
    
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    March 10, 2023 9:29am
    - leoj
      
      Your second sentence is nothing short of brilliant.
      
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      March 10, 2023 2:08pm
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      How are they? All he has done is take support from greens, they still can’t govern
      
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      March 10, 2023 5:09pm
  - Bobba Fret
    
    I often dream of what a better place Parliament would be if the Greens fell below the 5% and didn’t win an electorate seat.
    Here’s hoping Chloe loses Auckland central in October, and the Greens get 4.9% of the vote.
    
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    March 10, 2023 10:38am
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  This poll has the left 4 seats away from government, the centre right can, all that the disaster has done is put green votes to Labour, the MP have stated they are going to sit on the cross benches, for the media to tell only part of the story they should be looked at like these Labour hacks over impartiality, after all the tax payer is paying for them
  
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  March 10, 2023 9:42am
- Chuck Bird
  
  She helped with the mess by supporting Muller.
  
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  March 10, 2023 1:48pm
- coge
  
  If the current trend continues, Labour will have an 80% chance of winning. It was clear, quite early on, Luxon wasn’t the leader they needed.
  
  In short, they’re screwed if they do nothing about that.
  
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  March 10, 2023 3:49pm
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    What trend fFS
    
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    March 10, 2023 5:10pm
Master Mariner

Scorched Earth Policy at its finest.

“NZ’s largest energy company wants out – but who would buy OMV?” ( Need to sign in but headline says enough).
https://128.199.184.70/article/policy/nzs-largest-energy-company-wants-out-but-who-would-buy-omv
And
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/omv-looks-to-sell-exploration-and-production-assets-in-asia-pacific-803737ef

Energy security is apparently Windmills and Hydro along with Hydrogen.
Mean time we import more High Sulphur / Low grade coal for our over stretched Grid too power our E scooters and EV’s.

Diesel is the Lifeblood of NZ’s economy and now delivered in a now dysfunct “Just in time” supply chain.

What could go wrong ?
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March 10, 2023 8:13am
- SoloView
  
  @ Master Mariner
  Another way of looking at OMV’s position –
  
  “OMV are committed to continuing to operate the Maari field safely until the eventual decommissioning of the asset … and will be assessing what the long term future of the asset looks like.”
  Despite the global positioning, the picture looked more rosy for Pohokura and Māui.
  OMV continues to operate the Māui and Pohokura gas fields and is significantly investing in re-developing these fields,” the spokesperson said.”
  
  From https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/rnz/300736397/omv-signals-exit-from-fossil-fuel-energy-production
  
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  March 10, 2023 11:26am
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    OMV is the only upstream O&G company of any scale left operating in NZ
    
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    March 10, 2023 9:33pm
O C Smith

I am aged 71 and currently the country is in the worst state that I can remember. How many years will it take until ‘things’ return to an acceptable state and what direction should Govt policies take?
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March 10, 2023 8:13am
- Simon
  
  “what direction should Govt policies take?”
  
  NZ style communism will have to end. That requires govt revenue to be restricted to say GST 10% and govt living within this revenue range. Things will get better from this point onwards.
  
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  March 10, 2023 8:49am
- Black with a Vengeance
  
  Define ‘acceptable’ and for whom ?
  
  As for government policy direction. I’m all for a forward direction.
  
  Somehow, I don’t think you are.
  
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  March 10, 2023 9:14am
  - Matt Long
    
    Forward lemmings, over the cliff.
    This time Ethno Marxism will work.
    
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    March 10, 2023 9:33am
    - Black with a Vengeance
      
      Almost makes me wish I knew what Ethno Marxism means ?
      
      Is that anything like traditional Pasifikan models of governance ?
      
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      March 10, 2023 9:53am
      - Taieri
        
        Is that anything like traditional Pasifikan models of governance ?
        ———-
        
        And what are these?
        Eat your enemy?
        
        8 1
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        March 10, 2023 10:36am
      - NZer In Exile
        
        Ethno Marxism; It’s like….BLM. And um, CRT. Crazy-making communist psy-ops basically.
        
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        March 10, 2023 10:44am
      - Black with a Vengeance
        
        And what are these?
        Eat your enemy?
        __________________
        
        Samoan Matai system for starters.
        
        Enemies for the main course.
        
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        March 10, 2023 1:17pm
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        Ah… the village Matai system…
        
        Here’s Samoa’s foremost historian telling us a tale of the two-storied house in his village:
        
        https://press-files.anu.edu.au/downloads/press/p99101/html/ch05.html
        
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        March 10, 2023 4:36pm
  - O C Smith
    
    Define forward
    
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    March 10, 2023 9:40am
    - Black with a Vengeance
      
      Not backwards.
      
      Define acceptable and for whom…
      
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      March 10, 2023 9:51am
      - NZer In Exile
        
        Democracy is a majority led thing. The tail should not wag the dog. It generally entails tolerating differences, within reason.
        
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        March 11, 2023 12:39pm
  - O C Smith
    
    Acceptable is where people starting out can get a job and earn sufficient to own a house and can easily bring up a family (of a reasonable size) who can then experience the same.
    
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    March 10, 2023 9:57am
    - Black with a Vengeance
      
      The ol kiwi quarter acre, job for life and nuclear family dream will die with you Boomers.
      
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      March 10, 2023 1:08pm
      - Matt Long
        
        I know!! The minimum family lot size in our district is now 50 acres, gotta love those Greens, the way they love inequality.
        
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        March 10, 2023 5:13pm
  - Swifty
    
    Please define ‘forward’.
    
    Thanks.
    
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    March 10, 2023 10:54am
    - Black with a Vengeance
      
      Back to the future.
      
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      March 10, 2023 2:41pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  O C Smith.
  I an 70. I doubt ‘things’ return to an acceptable state in my lifetime.
  I plan to clock out about 90.
  
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  March 10, 2023 11:48am
- WaynelSexton
  
  It’s not coming back boomer, your generation gave away the country to 1.5 million immigrants and 900,000 maori to fight over.
  Repent Boomer.
  
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  March 10, 2023 11:51am
Random T Person

So this pandemic bullshit has probably indirectly…or directly, I don’t know…cost my marriage. My wife although she broadly agrees the whole thing was ridiculous, nevertheless thinks I’m unhinged to keep on about it. Saturday night she was drunk, screaming at me that I am ‘a piece of shit’ and telling me ‘I’m going to beat the shit out of you’, ‘you’re a fucking loser’, and so on. She punched me in the face twice; and said she’s calling the cops to tell them M assaults F. I restrained her…made video recordings…over the course of two hours. Good thing I was sober, as I didn’t rise to the bait. Next morning, wrote everything down and emailed it to her, asked her to fill in her side of the story. She didn’t.
Anyway, ain’t life fun.
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March 10, 2023 8:13am
- Swifty
  
  Get out.
  
  Leave.
  
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  March 10, 2023 8:50am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    No, use strategies…
    
    Don’t talk about the pandemic bullshit (or other political issues) when your wife is about.
    
    – Why should you let Ardern/Labour/ etc ruin your marriage?
    
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    March 10, 2023 9:35am
    - Random T Person
      
      Believe me I have gone very quiet over the past few years. I don’t invite friends over, I don’t go to any social gatherings if I can avoid it, and I have cut down substantially on booze. Saturday I knew she was spoiling for a fight, so I stayed well off the sauce. I’d be in jail now had I not.
      Anyway.
      
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      March 10, 2023 9:39am
      - Matt Long
        
        I would talk to your GP as first port of call, being isolated from your friends is a worrying sign.
        
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        March 10, 2023 10:12am
      - lifesgood
        
        Can’t imagine why you married her. She doesn’t seem like a particularly nice person.
        
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        March 10, 2023 10:44am
      - NeverMindTheBollocks
        
        I hesitate to offer marital advice, but document thoroughly & keep copies somewhere safe. Try not to let yourself be isolated from friends, as they will give you a sense of perspective.
        
        And, it sounds like your wife has a problem with alcohol, as well as being deeply unhappy. Is counselling an option for her?
        
        Good luck.
        
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        March 10, 2023 9:41pm
    - Drone
      
      MW because thy are trying very hard to ruin everybodies life, one marriage is nothing in the scheme of things..
      
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      March 10, 2023 9:51am
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      That is the exact thing Random should discuss with his wife.
      “Why should we let Ardern/Labour/ etc ruin our marriage?”
      
      Communicate without fighting. It works.
      
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      March 10, 2023 11:52am
  - Stellaboxer
    
    I agree swifty these journalists and politicians that produced the hysteria they now want to forget need to be jailed they have caused untold social and economic consequences. Don’t ever let them blame it on Covid it was their response to Covid that has caused the catastrophe not Covid. Covid is just a virus.
    
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    March 10, 2023 9:37am
- Black with a Vengeance
  
  WOAH…I can’t tell if you’re kidding or not.
  
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  March 10, 2023 9:17am
  - Random T Person
    
    I really wish I was.
    
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    March 10, 2023 9:40am
    - Alan Wilkinson
      
      If she won’t do something about her problems you need to do something about yours. Best together but for yourself if that fails.
      
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      March 10, 2023 11:19am
- Stellaboxer
  
  Random T Person. That’s a very sorry state of affairs. The response to the Covid virus has caused many relationships to breakdown so you’re not alone. For what it’s worth my opinion judging by what you’ve written is that you would be better off without her. Easy to say I know but it’s about keeping yourself safe . Good luck.
  
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  March 10, 2023 9:29am
  - Random T Person
    
    Thanks Stella and you know what, I know this is the right answer. You are right, I would be better off without her.
    
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    March 10, 2023 9:41am
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      Try and communicate. See my 11.52 above.
      Even as a last resort, try it.
      Sad when a marriage breaks down. I have been there done that – divorced.
      
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      March 10, 2023 11:55am
- Ghost
  
  I spent a lot of time trying to get a friend to leave his girlfriend, he thought she was the best he could do, and that it was love, she was emotionally abusive. After he took his own life I found out she used to physical assault him as well, he kept it hidden.
  
  Leave her while you can, it’s not worth the emotional pain, physical pain, and it will wear you down.
  
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  March 10, 2023 9:50am
- ClanMcleod
  
  RTP – that sucks. The fallout from the scam of the covid narrative is much greater than many people realise.
  I haven’t had that level of disorder, but a large number of former friendships are either finished or damaged beyond repair. On the counter side of that, I have met others who more than compensate for any losses. Better to have people in your life who you now know you can depend on in a difficult situation.
  
  Good luck going forward.
  
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  March 10, 2023 10:37am
- NZer In Exile
  
  “telling me ‘I’m going to beat the shit out of you’, ‘you’re a fucking loser’, and so on. She punched me in the face twice; and said she’s calling the cops to tell them M assaults F.”
  
  Holy shit. See if you can get an amicable agreement (like when she’s not off her tree) to split things up pronto and then RUN!!!!! Do not stay with that kind of abuse. Like you say, with our psychotic institutions YOU will be framed as the bad guy!!! Get the hell away from her FAST.
  
  Oh, and record everything from now on. ALWAYS.
  
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  March 10, 2023 10:49am
- Bobba Fret
  
  OMG that sounds terrible. Honestly it sounds like you should remove yourself from the relationship. Sorry you probably didn’t want to hear that. If she threatened you like that she has some serious issues.
  Wish you all the best.
  
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  March 10, 2023 10:50am
- Observer of Life
  
  RTP: You deserve better. Pull the pin now. No one should put up with that. And if she’s that bloody miserable, she should just f-off.
  
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  March 10, 2023 6:59pm
Lee C

I’d love to see Willis in charge of The National Party.
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March 10, 2023 8:14am
- Widogast Corwin
  
  Despite Luxon’s shortcomings there is nobody in the current caucus who is more electable or who would do a better job.
  
  If National loses this coming election there will be an internal bloodbath. It should be an election that is impossible to lose.
  
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  March 10, 2023 8:24am
  - virtualmark
    
    And this is National’s problem. The talent line-up is as shallow and uninspiring as I can ever recall it being.
    
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    March 10, 2023 8:32am
    - Widogast Corwin
      
      There are some very promising electorate candidates. If National wins, it may be that the leader after Luxon is not yet in Parliament.
      
      And TBH if there is a Labour-Green-Maori Party Government, I couldn’t care less about Luxon or the National Party. It will be the future of New Zealand at stake.
      
      There is still hope for a vicious shift against the Government. By the election we are likely to be in the middle of a recession with interest rates at their peak, or just coming down from their peak. I was reading some scenarios yesterday of what is going to happen to folk who fixed $800,000 mortgages at 2.5 percent in mid 2021. Those folk are about to fix new loans at 6.9 percent. Many of the higher geared ones in Wellington will be in negative equity, and now their mortgage payments are going to skyrocket. Many will go under. Imagine having your life wrecked by paying $1.2 million for a shit box in Lower Hutt.
      
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      March 10, 2023 9:36am
      - JimBobJoe
        
        that is $676 more a week in interest payments on that 800K mortgage scenario…… that hurts..
        
        I hate to think what it will do in terms of total cost when people inevitably refinance to longer terms on those size mortgages, to reset the ability to financial carry the debt.
        
        The Senior Leaders around the world who have destroyed price stability via the stupidity of the COVID response (Ukraine/Russia is a side show to COVID) need to be held accountable. If it wasnt deliberate (and I have doubts that it wasnt deliberate) then the incompetence is staggering…
        
        Communism via Economic De-growth is a real possibility
        
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        March 10, 2023 10:45am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      I suggest you compare them with the governments caucus, and go and look at new Nat candidates, they are amazing, no point saying they are not, and don’t say the woman ones are only to level the left, because they are equally amazing
      
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      March 10, 2023 9:49am
      - Taieri
        
        new Nat candidates, they are amazing
        ————–
        
        They are. They are also completely unknown.
        
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        March 10, 2023 10:38am
      - leoj
        
        Oh, give it up, FFS (your most common term).
        WE are not convinced, We will never be convinced.
        The Nats are a lost cause under Luxon.
        Blue does not make them conservatives. They are merely Labour in slow motion.
        
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        March 10, 2023 2:18pm
      - virtualmark
        
        Sure, the Labour caucus is bigger but just as talent bereft.
        
        There may well be some amazing talent coming up, but so far it’s invisible and untested.
        
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        March 10, 2023 2:47pm
  - Matt Long
    
    I think Willis is more electable but would hate to see National turn even further hard left.
    
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    March 10, 2023 8:33am
  - Simon
    
    “If National loses this coming election there will be an internal bloodbath”
    
    There are plenty of non-entities out there who will replace the current non-entities running National.
    
    National should be doing a deal with NZ First.
    
    Of course if National really want to win they should be going about crime non-stop. Problem is National are pro-criminal just not as bad as Labo.
    
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    March 10, 2023 8:35am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      [Mod – tone your language down]
      
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      March 10, 2023 9:51am
  - RoboRob
    
    Willis is more electable in my opinion. Certainly seems to have more balls.
    
    If they right doesn’t win this election we are well screwed.
    
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    March 10, 2023 9:28am
    - RoboRob
      
      I take that back. I was thinking of Erica Stanford.
      
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      March 10, 2023 9:33am
      - thirteenstars
        
        Erica Stanford has more balls than Nicola Willis? Do you have pictures?
        
        “If they right doesn’t win this election we are well screwed”
        
        If National win, the “right” won’t have won because National is a neo-Liberal, Third Way, Centre-Left stooge-fest of Teal flag-waving middle managers.
        
        Hell, even ACT ain’t right wing. But when it advances education policy that allows true parental choice and the breaking of the teacher union/neo-Marxist ideological stranglehold over education, and National is actively antagonistic towards that kind of policy, it makes ACT look like the only sane option, and makes National look like part of the problem.
        
        https://www.act.org.nz/policies/education
        
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        March 10, 2023 10:36am
      - RoboRob
        
        @thirteenstars
        I meant more ‘metaphoric’ balls then Luxon.
        
        When I say ‘right’ I mean any govt not led by Labour. I don’t care how right they are, anyone has to be more competent than the current mob 🙂
        
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        March 10, 2023 12:10pm
  - My
    
    Shane Reti. Smart, understated, a contrast to all other leaders.
    While not a qualification but a reality, hard for the media to criticise as a Maori boy done really well.
    
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    March 10, 2023 9:33am
    - Matt Long
      
      Unfortunately Shane is one of the Regressive’s useless Maoris.
      He’s a class enemy and the MSM would try to bring him down like all the other high achieving Maori.
      
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      March 10, 2023 12:26pm
  - Bobba Fret
    
    Luxon should ask Steve Joyce to come back.
    
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    March 10, 2023 12:12pm
    - leoj
      
      …and Bill English
      
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      March 10, 2023 2:19pm
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      How do you know he hasn’t?
      
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      March 10, 2023 5:13pm
  - jon
    
    Agree Widogast. Unforgivable if the Nats do lose. Rob Muldoon, as Oppositon Leader, stormed this country, late 74/75, on the back of the oil shock with big meetings, one at Wiri had 7000 turn out to the venue. Despite the criticism of the man, you had to admire his energy and determination which resulted in his landslide victory at the 1975 election. Politics today, lack that mongrel grunt!
    
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    March 10, 2023 12:23pm
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    Changing horses in midstream is not a good idea
    
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    March 10, 2023 9:36pm
- Simon
  
  Willis shrill neo lib globalist. Fucking awful. She just called for an investigation into bank profits. RBNZ just printed $50 billion to cover Labo spending (backed by National) and parked it into the banking system and then loaned out. There is your profit.
  
  At the same time Luxon is claiming he will lower interest rates, which drives lending & hence bank profits. Willis better have her boss investigated.
  
  National really are a shit show. Doesnt matter who runs it.
  
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  March 10, 2023 8:32am
  - Random T Person
    
    Yep; Labo doesn’t want an enquiry, esp one G Robertson, because the ‘excess profits’ are directly related to…GOVERNMENT POLICY.
    F#cking LOL. Honestly, you cannot make this nonsense up.
    
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    March 10, 2023 8:55am
  - David George
    
    neo lib globalist……….. just called for an investigation into bank profits.
    That can’t be right, “neo liberalism” (shorthand for economic liberalism) isn’t about determining businesses profits.
    
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    March 10, 2023 9:19am
  - RoboRob
    
    ‘neo lib globalists’ dont do heavy handed govt intervention, want to call her a facist and racist too?
    
    If Luxon is claiming what you say, he needs to be dropped right now. Unless of course he is saying he will get inflation under control and thus intered rates can drop. That would be great.
    
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    March 10, 2023 9:32am
  - Widogast Corwin
    
    As Eric Crampton points out, if there are excess profits, why are not foreign banks lining up to enter the New Zealand market? Let’s have an inquiry into barriers to entry.
    
    http://offsettingbehaviour.blogspot.com/2023/02/tilting-at-bank-profits.html
    
    And could Nicola explain the “right” level of bank profits that would be acceptable to her? I bet she knows less about banking than me, and that is not much.
    
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    March 10, 2023 9:39am
    - RoboRob
      
      Yup, the whole attack on banks is BS. Their ROI % is actually down during this period of ‘excess profits’. The headline $ numbers are huge and make the banks a lovely target but the Warehouse has a better ROI then the ANZ.
      
      If the banks are screwing us over then why is the government owned KiwiBank not significantly cheaper then the others? Or are they saying the govt is screwing us over too?
      
      Stupid grandstanding to stupid potential voters. Embarrassing from a supposed sensible party. I might add that Acts Seymour came out in the banks defence earlier this week and made Chloe from the Greens look like a fool. I continue to feel more confident in my move from National to Act.
      
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      March 10, 2023 12:15pm
      - Paulus
        
        I am quite happy for the Banks to make a good return on their investments and this in turn now is slowly but gently a better return on my secure Term Deposits.
        It has a few points to go yet but with mortgage rates increasing I am seeing my return start to return to an acceptable level despite the continuing rate of inflation negativising my return, but a year ago it was a return of 0.85% and now 5.4% , both pre tax.
        I want security for my savings pension thank you.
        
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        March 10, 2023 1:42pm
  - Jack5
    
    If National MPs are attacking banks’ profits, could this be the influence of former National politicians like Farmer- Jim Bolger? He went on to chair Kiwibank.
    
    Similarly with Chris Finlayson and National’s co-governance policies.
    
    What a fuck-up chain since the Muller coup removed the very electable pair of Bridges and Paula Bennett.
    
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    March 10, 2023 1:12pm
  - Jack5
    
    Simon, did Willis call for a Parliamentary committee investigation of NZ banking?
    
    That’s not the same as the Leftists are arguing for. They would like something like a Commerce Commission inquiry. Pressure would be high in the media and generally from Leftists, and the hearing would be more light weight.
    
    If Willis wants a Parliamentary committee to look into our banking, she parallels what Seymour called for when the rest of Parliament was fired up for tighter control on guns, including those of law-abiding NZ sportsmen and farmers. Seymour wanted the issue referred to a Parliamentary committee.
    
    Such a committee hearing would find NZ has a good banking system for a tiny country, most of the risk being carried by banks from overseas – Australia.
    
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    March 10, 2023 2:28pm
- Ruawai
  
  I would prefer Erica Stanford, she is a hard worker and gets her points across well.
  
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  March 10, 2023 9:18am
  - Jigsaw
    
    Erica Stanford is adamant that the TOW was about ‘partnership’. End of conversation.
    
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    March 10, 2023 9:58am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Is Erica a Leader?
    I have said before Luxon is a good Manager, but not a Leader.
    Best National not change anything now, but after the Election.
    We need a Leader real bad.
    
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    March 10, 2023 12:05pm
    - RoboRob
      
      At the rate National are going we might end up with David Seymour as PM or deputy PM.
      
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      March 10, 2023 12:17pm
      - Ghost
        
        I very much doubt you will ever see an act PM, it will never be more than a minor party. What you might see if national form a government this year is a national Winston first government. Yesterdays poll had act down, national up .04 percent. So not sure where you think act will be anything other than a minor party
        
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        March 10, 2023 12:36pm
      - RoboRob
        
        @Ghost Would have agreed about Act 6 years ago, but at the rate National has imploded against the weakest Labour govt in living memory, I could easily see Act becoming the dominant party on the right.
        
        p.s. Dont care about yesterdays poll. Only the trend of the polls is important and in that respect Act has been trending up for some time.
        
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        March 10, 2023 1:25pm
      - Jack5
        
        If we still had the First-Past-the Post election, people now in ACT would likely be stirring away within the National Party.
        
        That would have moved it to the Right.
        
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        March 10, 2023 2:30pm
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      The Election is a long way Political wise. Things change.
      Atm I do see Act getting a lot of attention – because Luxon is sort of sitting on the fence waiting. The more attention Act get, the better.
      Come on David Seymour, get yourself in front of the cameras! Maybe make sure the media has them switched on…..
      
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      March 10, 2023 3:28pm
Paulus

Lee C
New Zealand is not ready for another woman Leader – look at what happened under the last one.
Give it time though.
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March 10, 2023 8:16am
- Littletramp
  
  What garbage! It has nothing to do with man or woman, it is about competent or incompetent. We have just experienced/ejected an incompetent communist and should not tar all women with this brush.
  
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  March 10, 2023 8:51am
  - Widogast Corwin
    
    I agree entirely. I thought Jacinda was a terrible PM, but it has nothing to do with her gender.
    
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    March 10, 2023 9:40am
  - leoj
    
    Amen.
    We need a Maggie Thatcher.
    
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    March 10, 2023 2:23pm
- MCōs
  
  “New Zealand is not ready for another woman Leader”
  Plenty of people seem to think it’s not ready for the males either, so where do we go from here?
  
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  March 10, 2023 9:05am
  - Matt Long
    
    It’s time for our first trans leader obviously. Maybe Luxon should try on a skirt.
    
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    March 10, 2023 9:39am
- Ruawai
  
  What a stupid thing to say, NZers should want the best person for the job, be they male, female, black, white, asian, young or old.
  
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  March 10, 2023 9:17am
- Libertarians are right
  
  What rubbish.
  What you really should have said is that New Zealand could not handle another incompetent, unqualified Marxist to be elected because she’s a female or for any other reason really.
  Gender or race are not good reasons to elect someone but unfortunately there are lots of bigots running around in this country and most of them have voted for Labour and the Maori Party lately.
  
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  March 10, 2023 10:16am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Rubbish. Woman or Man does not matter.
  We need a Leader who is not a rabid socialist like Jaspinda is.
  
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  March 10, 2023 12:08pm
Maggie Pie

Spokesman for NZEI Te Riu Roa tells ZB’s Katie Hawkesby….

60% of Public School Principals now have less than five-years teaching experience.

What hope for the kids of today?
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March 10, 2023 8:20am
- Wayne Mapp
  
  Notwithstanding that came from the NZEI President, I doubt whether it is true. Unions always present bogus statistics to support their claims.
  
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  March 10, 2023 8:24am
  - Libertarians are right
    
    And a large number of Labour MPs have Union experience.
    
    Tells us everything we need to know really.
    
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    March 10, 2023 9:47am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      Tell me how many ACT MPs have any experience
      
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      March 10, 2023 5:15pm
- Its only I
  
  Edjakation haz bean deklining four dekades owled handz ar juzt as shyt as neu.
  
  Ask me how I know, lol.
  
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  March 10, 2023 8:28am
- peterwn
  
  If principals of very small schools were excluded, the remainder would probably have far more than 5 years experience. Anyway, this is a big fallacy the teaching unions like to push – that years experience equates to teaching quality. For example a university graduate did secondary teaching for three terms before taking up a post graduate scholarship at Oxford. He was an excellent teacher and everyone was sorry he had to leave. He returned to NZ to take up a chair (professor) in his subject.
  So it is quite feasible that someone with only five years teaching experience could become a principal of a moderate sized school and be an outstanding principal. Fortunately, Boards of Trustees choose the Principals, not faceless bureaucrats in Head Office or the unions.
  
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  March 10, 2023 8:40am
- Tony Stuart
  
  I’ve just heard the clip replayed, and Newman said that 60% of principals have less than five years “in the job”. I took that to mean that the majority of principals have been principals for less than five years, which I believe would be a more realistic figure, indicative of experienced principals leaving teaching in large numbers. My brother-in-law is one of those; more than 20 years of school leadership, and he just got sick of the ever-increasing demands of the role, mostly imposed by the Ministry of Education.
  
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  March 10, 2023 9:16am
  - Wayne Mapp
    
    I would agree with that. I imagine a large number of primary principals would have less than 5 years experience as a principal. I would also agree that many principals move to other administrative leadership roles, especially in the public service.
    
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    March 10, 2023 11:10am
    - peterwn
      
      Perhaps because the Peter Principle applies. I heard a case where a principal of quite a large secondary school was not coping and he was found a place in the Education Ministry.
      
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      March 10, 2023 3:37pm
  - RoboRob
    
    Well this is Labour double speak. I think they mean less then 5yrs experience at their current school. As principals move around a lot, thats quite likely too.
    
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    March 10, 2023 1:21pm
I remember when

So we are going to have a totally ’emissions free’ electricity system.
Naturally it will be backed up, to cover for the expected outages, by a ‘fossil fuel’ system.
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March 10, 2023 8:26am
- peterwn
  
  It will not be backed up. The Electricity Authority has decided in its infinite wisdom that Genesis should not receive any payments if it is necessary to ‘warm up’ one or more ‘Rankine’ machines (ie the traditional steam turbine generators) so if can be loaded up at short notice if renewables run short. Genesis may well say ‘to hell with it – we will just scrap these Rankine machines’ – there is no point in being like medieval monks who whip themselves as a penance.
  Jacinda shot herself and the Government in the foot by halting oil exploration. And Chris H does not have the guts to reverse that decision.
  
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  March 10, 2023 8:47am
  - RoboRob
    
    I have been saying this here for years now, blackouts and massive price rises are coming. Megan woods will be very happy to lose her job this election. She will be praying this winter is warm and windy.
    
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    March 10, 2023 1:22pm
  - I remember when
    
    So backed up by diesel generators at a business or personal household level.
    The next question is obviously to ask how much will it cost, and will there be diesel available.
    
    Will the cows come home in vain?
    Also a quick question, how many diesel generators are there in New Zealand compared with 2017?
    
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    March 10, 2023 3:06pm
Phronesis

So it turns out that one of the antiviral drugs that this Govt purchased at great cost doesn’t actually work but they didn’t tell the Dr’s prescribing it.

But then there’s this great quote from the Pharmac Director:

“We always knew when we were purchasing treatments we were taking a risk…. the Government did the same thing with the [Covid-19] vaccines. Those are the kinds of decisions you make in a situation of urgency.”

So the vaccines don’t work either ??

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/131447503/health-officials-decided-a-covid19-antiviral-should-no-longer-be-used-why-didnt-prescribers-know
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March 10, 2023 8:34am
- virtualmark
  
  As I understand it Paxlovid is a good medicine that does the job, but also conflicts with a number of other common medications. So Molnupiravir was also brought in for those people who weren’t able to take Paxlovid.
  
  NZ ordered 4 Covid vaccines. In the end 1 of them (Novavax) wasn’t able to be manufactured at scale, another (J&J) performed poorly, another (AstraZeneca) had conflicts with some people and medications, and the 4th (Pfizer) worked well. We ordered 4 vaccines because we knew some sort of outcome like that was likely to be the case.
  
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  March 10, 2023 8:47am
  - Phronesis
    
    You are correct. Although the limitations of Paxlovid are particularly problematic because those most at risk of covid complications are likely to already be taking the medications that it conflicts with, they are also more likely to be maori.
    The bigger issue is I suspect that most people still don’t understand that the vaccine was mandated with only the most basic evidence that it was effective or safe. As you say, this was understood by many at the time and even the Govt hedged its bets. Here we are a few years later and the Govt is quietly admitting this drug doesn’t work.
    
    The question has to be: Given the vaccine was approved and purchased using the exact same process and based on similar quality evidence (clinical trials) IF the vaccines are less effective and potentially more harmful than has been claimed, would there be the political will to admit it?
    
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    March 10, 2023 9:30am
    - Alan Wilkinson
      
      In my experience Paxlovid works well and the vaccines were useful only for the first waves. I would be looking for ways to get off meds that conflict with Paxlovid and have an advance proscription for it if I were in that at risk category.
      
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      March 10, 2023 11:44am
    - virtualmark
      
      Shrug. Many of the commenters here need to join Team Reality.
      
      Go back to 2020 (ie pre-vaccine). Hospital collapse in Italy, the UK, the USA. People dying in their homes because the hospitals were full. Bodies stacked in refrigerated trucks because the morgues were full. India in 2021 was another un-vaxxed example.
      
      Now look at New Zealand and Australia opening up to Covid in 2022. No hospital collapse. No overwhelmed ICUs. No running out of oxygen. Etc etc.
      
      What made the difference? The vaccines. The unvaxxed PM of the UK got covid and nearly died in the ICU, the vaxxed PM of NZ got covid and had a few days off.
      
      It must be warming to sit there with your pre-lunch drink in 2023, with the comfort of vaccines arresting the Covid wave, treatments like Paxlovid, and increasing population immunity … and then log on to Facebook for your next dose of “Pfizer is evil” nonsense. But like I said, you’re not on Team Reality.
      
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      March 10, 2023 2:55pm
- Random T Person
  
  Ha of course the vaxxs don’t work. Even more problematic, the unvaxxed ain’t dying either.
  
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  March 10, 2023 8:56am
Warren

You have to laugh at a lot of the negative comments on here by the Luxon haters as they have voiced there support for Winston Peter’s in the past and now only have David Seymour fawn over.
Well if you look back they didn’t like Don Brash, then Bill English, John Key , Bill English again then they set out with the help of Labour to crucify Simon Bridges to get Todd Muller that last afew weeks with the help of Mathew Hooton before Judith Collins got hold of the poisoned Challis and was succeeded buy our present Opposition Leader Chris Luxon.
So really the won’t like who ever becomes the successor after this election as has been proven in the past, so these people deserve the Government they get so be ready for another Labour Government in September because you deserve the Government you get with your political outlook.
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March 10, 2023 8:46am
- Its only I
  
  Luxon is a product of the National 1980’s marketing dept.
  Luxon is also struggling to stiffen his spine in an environment that sees assertiveness as aggression.
  
  Luxon is also struggling to alter the view Labour is the norm, anything else is a political abomination. Labour and its MSN were allowed to build up that momentum over the many years of a very politicised Covid response from Labour, unhindered by any effective opposition that, for FIVE YEARS, has been an apathetic, whimpering, totally compliant, blue tie no pants meme.
  
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  March 10, 2023 10:03am
  - Alan Wilkinson
    
    The electorate will get the leader it deserves, not who it needs. Soft, scaredy-pants suckers for nice words and b.s. aspirations with no regard for reality. Until reality bites back hard and it is too late.
    
    Hipkins is fully deployed at keeping reality at bay until after the election while Orr borrows money for him.
    
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    March 10, 2023 11:35am
Maggie Pie

First thing went thru my mind when I read this…..
did the sisters from Palmy dodge a bullet?

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/131430687/harry-styles-concertgoers-left-accommodation-after-finding-padlock-on-outside-of-door

🙁 🙁 🙁
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March 10, 2023 8:48am
- dubya
  
  Does have a bit of an Ariel Castro vibe doesn’t it! That said, when I moved to Auckland as a student many years ago, I looked at a ‘flat’ in Remmers which turned out to be a poorly converted garage. Not Northern slopes, mind, but I’m sure you and Prue would have been horrified, Maggs!
  
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  March 10, 2023 9:04am
  - Maggie Pie
    
    OMG dubya!! I just googled Ariel. And you’re right.
    
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    March 10, 2023 9:33am
I remember when

Hawke’s Bay Rainfall Report:
The February graphs showing the percentage of the 30-year average for 2020,21,22,and 23, raise an interesting question.
Does the danger of extreme rainfall increase exponentially if we have successive La Nina systems.
If this is the case why have Niwa not recognised the fact and helped us prepare for the Cyclones, in advance.
Or is this sequence simply a one-off.
It would be normal to expect the extreme features of a drought to occur at the end of Summer.
However, is this also the case for extreme weather from tropical and sub-tropical cyclones with La Nina.
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March 10, 2023 8:50am
peterwn

So teachers are going on strike. I thought that Labour had all the answers on education. Labour politicians are welcomed with open arms at teaching union conferences. What has gone wrong?
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March 10, 2023 8:50am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Remember ‘no more strikes on my watch?’
  Well, she is not on watch anymore.
  
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  March 10, 2023 12:31pm
SmokerGuy

Listened to Verrall on todayFM this morning, it was a train wreck. She may have good knowledge in the health sector but she is clearly well out of her depth. Labour should be very concerned about her performance so far. I think health will lose them the election, this winter will be brutal and Verrall is like a possum in the headlights.
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March 10, 2023 8:52am
- Phronesis
  
  Verrall came up through student labour, student union president etc, but she is also a medical doctor. I think she genuinely wants to improve healthcare in NZ but having made it into the top job she has no doubt discovered that the patient died quite a while ago and it’s her job to keep trying to cover that up.
  
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  March 10, 2023 9:38am
Matt Long

From the health thread this morning, our host said; “And this Government lectures us on misinformation!”
David has done us a huge service allowing a diversity of opinion and forum to discuss ideas from COVID to Climate change.
As fair as I’m aware, despite being in favour of the Pfizer shots and even intending to vaccinate his own children, he didn’t censor or shut down any of the alternative information posted here.
I for one am very grateful.
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March 10, 2023 8:55am
I remember when

Did we need a Dr Suneel Dhand to advise us during the Covid epidemic?
His interview with Dr John Campbell, although perhaps a little long, is a master class as an explanation of the simple science.
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March 10, 2023 8:57am
- Littletramp
  
  Just saw a good explanation of the reaction from politicians to covid “the drama kids were pretending to be the science kids”
  
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  March 10, 2023 9:45am
Southern Raider

Massive school strike booked in.

Another day of no school for our students. Plus massive distractions for working parents.

The teachers and unions are completely tone death.
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March 10, 2023 9:14am
- rockape
  
  Maybe parents should blockade schools and not let the teachers out !
  
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  March 10, 2023 12:07pm
kevn

@Matt… Indeed. I’m sure the huge majority find a place here.
C19 jab. There is a tsunami of hard data coming out now of the severely compromised misleading Pfizzer global trials.
Robert Malone has the actual on-going info on his Substack site. It all began quite a while ago. Dodgy from the beginning.
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March 10, 2023 9:15am
Maggie Pie

Things that make you go…. Hmmm

‘Yuan Zhao works as a senior analyst at the Public-Service-Commission, and has been accused of passing information to the Chinese Government.

When approached on Tuesday for comment, Zhao denied he had provided China with information, saying the SIS had no evidence’.

“I’m innocent. Someone framed me up” Zhao said.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/131441881/senior-government-analyst-accused-of-reporting-to-chinese-government-by-security-intelligence-service
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March 10, 2023 9:17am
- Libertarians are right
  
  Does the SIS have no evidence or were they framed? That’s a very “throw every excuse out there and hope one sticks” defence. Interestingly, that’s a very popular technique employed by Chinese Government spokespeople.
  
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  March 10, 2023 9:38am
- Widogast Corwin
  
  You have to wonder what information would be held be an official from the Public Service Commission that would interest the Chinese Government.
  
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  March 10, 2023 9:47am
  - Maggie Pie
    
    As my partner says Wido…. [Mod – no]
    
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    March 10, 2023 10:00am
  - Libertarians are right
    
    All information is worth collecting when you have an inexhaustable supply of people to go through it looking for anything useful.
    
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    March 10, 2023 10:24am
- Simon
  
  Wonder if Zhao has a ricence to kill,
  
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  March 10, 2023 10:14am
  - Maggie Pie
    
    LOL!!
    
    And who says “Someone-framed-me-up” these days anyway?
    
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    March 10, 2023 10:36am
  - kowtow
    
    Where’s Hemi Bond when you need him.
    
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    March 10, 2023 12:10pm
virtualmark

A few days back there were comments about Jacob Chansley, the Jan 6 Shaman.

Here’s an interesting thread, from a former Federal Prosecutor who’s now helping Chansley, about how Chansley was poorly represented by his defence attorney. Worth a read.

https://twitter.com/shipwreckedcrew/status/1633765952847265794
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March 10, 2023 9:40am
- kowtow
  
  Is he the guy who was given a personal , escorted tour by two cops through the building , while their colleague was gunning down an unarmed woman.
  
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  March 10, 2023 9:59am
  - thirteenstars
    
    Not only that, but the newly released video shows he was on the Speaker’s podium with a loud hailer thanking the cops (and I think asking for prayers for them), yet he’s painted as a ransacking, rioting madman who stormed the citadel.
    
    And these are the revelations that Tucker Carlson was vilified for on NZ news bulletins last night.
    
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    March 10, 2023 11:04am
- Phronesis
  
  The defence attorney’s side of the story. He’s not holding back either:
  
  https://www.dailywire.com/news/its-appalling-qanon-shamans-lawyer-says-doj-lied-withheld-videos-aired-by-carlson
  
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  March 10, 2023 10:44am
- Libertarians are right
  
  So he got stitched up by a lawyer that was basically trying to get him to plead guilty?
  
  I thought you said lawyers don’t do that stuff?
  
  I still remember when John Banks got “accidentally” stitched up by the prosecutors who mistakenly didn’t give the defense lawyers evidence that would have helped his case. And then, when he tried to get costs, the judge that had run his farce of a case denied him because ???
  
  Yeah, lawyers and judges get away with “mistakes” all the time.
  
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  March 10, 2023 10:46am
- Vory v zakone
  
  Carlson’s videos are only the initial steps in exposure of the swampy corrupt UniParty Congress. Fear and panic from a desperate Crying Chuck Schumer is nothing compared to when the pre J6 and J6 communications between Pelosi, Schumer, Harris et al are released. Complete meltdown incoming 😉
  #thebestisyettocome
  
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  March 10, 2023 1:00pm
- virtualmark
  
  To be clear … Chansley pled guilty to one charge of obstructing an official proceeding. Hard to argue he was innocent of that charge.
  
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  March 10, 2023 3:30pm
  - virtualmark
    
    Here’s the actual plea agreement, with Chansley’s signature on the last page.
    
    https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/case-multi-defendant/file/1430996/download
    
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    March 10, 2023 3:53pm
Ghost

Ok I believe I have found the stupidest story. Wrestling wants to have betting on their scripted fights……

WWE is discussing procedures with Colorado and Michigan regulators that would enable patrons in those states to bet on the results of scripted matches, according to a Wednesday report from CNBC.

Article
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March 10, 2023 9:41am
- Libertarians are right
  
  I totally get it. It drives interest etc.
  The real question is, why would book keepers want to give odds on it? How do you work out odds for these things? What probability do you give to some random other wrestler just showing up mid match with a chair and “knocking someone out”?
  
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  March 10, 2023 12:46pm
MCōs

One imagines the Blackcaps are in for a lean few years of test cricket unless some bowlers appear out of nowhere.
They’re struggling to get teams out with only Tim Southee and a lesser extent Matt Henry doing the business. Neil Wagner is past his best and Tickner is too inconsistent.
Maybe Jamison will get over his injuries, but I wouldn’t count on it.
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March 10, 2023 9:43am
- Chris Morgan
  
  I’d have Wagner in there every day of the week but he should not be a strike bowler. His strength is coming in time after time and wearing batters down as the ball gets older. We need three strike bowlers and we need them now. If we were serious about winning we would have done all we could to have Boult back in for England. To have Southee and Wagner (at the Mount) as the openers and then Mitchell and Tickner…..well, there is seriously something wrong. Anderson, Broad, Robinson; Stark, Cummins, Hazelwood…….ordinary good bowlers v high impact. We are a way off.
  
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  March 10, 2023 11:22am
- greybeard
  
  Don’t worry, our batsmen will compensate.
  e.g.Williamson. Oh, hang on…….
  
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  March 10, 2023 4:38pm
rangitoto

Government re-education for Real Estate agents:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbNEoLbbJVw
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March 10, 2023 9:51am
- Inandout
  
  rangi, every action we are told has a reaction. There is much chatter on blogs about bypassing agents and selling your own homes.
  
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  March 10, 2023 10:42am
rouppe

Councillor walks out of karakia.

Give that man a DB!
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March 10, 2023 10:06am
- kevn
  
  @rouppe… Most people just fiddle with their phone emailing and social mediaing.
  
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  March 10, 2023 10:54am
  - rouppe
    
    Maybe so. My view is that it would be better to not attend that karakia.
    
    It sends a better signal.
    
    I’m now not attending corporate “huis” in person anymore so I can drop out if there’s any extended introductory of any sort and reconnect later
    
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    March 10, 2023 11:06am
Okahu

Looks like Fox News is in a world of trouble with depositions revealing the hosts, the management and even their owners knew they were lying to their gullible rubes about Trump’s ‘stolen’ election.

Dominion Voting Systems appear to have Rupert’s balls in the vice. So much so they are seeking summary judgement as plaintiffs! As only a 40% owner he could likely shrug off the US$1.6B being sought. But that doesn’t account for what may be much greater punitive damages awarded against Fox.

Then of course there is the next claim off the rank by Symantec for an even greater sum than Dominion. And of course the possibility of claims by the other shareholders of deliberate wealth destruction. And the victims of the Jan 6 insurrection will be on a strong footing to take a bite of the heaving carcass should such liability for the Big Lie be established.

Couldn’t happen to a more deserving collective of lying scum. Fingers crossed for democracy that Rupert, Tugger and the rest of the lying filth are accountable for this destructive lying soon.

Thank dog nobody here on this blog that champions the truth every day believed a word of this shit shovelling hate for profit racket eh?
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March 10, 2023 10:14am
- Inandout
  
  Good God Ok, do you completely ignore CNN/MSNBC and the other MSM outlets that for over 4 years released an onslaught on Trump using a complete Russia collusion lie? I understand you may want a single voice imparting WH news but that is not how it works. Fox has a lawsuit, and they aren’t the first media outlet to go to court.
  
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  March 10, 2023 10:38am
  - Okahu
    
    Keep to the topic old boy/girl. Your whataboutism makes you look like you may have fallen for their bullshit. Surely not.
    
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    March 10, 2023 11:31am
- Swifty
  
  Hahahahaha!
  
  You would have so much more credibility if you occasionally came here pointing out the lies pouring out of the Dems and the lefty MSM.
  
  But you don’t.
  
  Why is that?
  
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  March 10, 2023 11:04am
  - Okahu
    
    Looking forward to you reporting on the cases for epic damages against those entities. If you can’t find any perhaps thats why I can’t?
    
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    March 10, 2023 11:40am
    - Matt Long
      
      Your link please.
      
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      March 10, 2023 12:31pm
      - Okahu
        
        https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/03/09/fox-news-dominion-media-first-amendment/
        
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        March 10, 2023 2:43pm
      - Matt Long
        
        Ahh the WaPo says “may,” let’s bet the farm on that shall we?
        
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        March 10, 2023 5:20pm
      - Okahu
        
        Correct. The author, a conservative, is as you no doubt realise, superb at her job. And having a doctorate in jurisprudence I suspect is aware of the need not to preempt rulings.
        
        While I have no farm, am happy to wager $100 that Dominion will receive an award in this case. Have you got plums? And at what odds?
        
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        March 10, 2023 7:09pm
      - Matt Long
        
        i dont regard either side as reliable and certainly wouldn’t put money on the vagaries of the US courts.
        Also wouldn’t wager with an anonymous TDS sufferer.
        
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        March 11, 2023 8:53am
    - Swifty
      
      Answer the question.
      
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      March 10, 2023 12:46pm
- Libertarians are right
  
  Firstly, it wasn’t an insurrection. There is zero evidence of that. It was simply a protest that turned riotous in some areas and resulted in some people being where they shouldn’t. Like most large protests really. Except of course the fact that the participants got treated far worse by the courts afterwards than usual (mainly because of the insurrection lie).
  
  Secondly, Dominion etc do have weaknesses in their system. The fact that they didn’t directly lead to the theft of the election doesn’t really matter. They are claiming that their reputation was hurt. Was there any reduction in use of their products after the stolen election and can it be directly linked to the belief that they assisted election fraud?
  
  And third, yes the election was stolen. Unequivocally and with undeniable proof. Was there election fraud? Definitely none that can be proven but was the election stolen anyway, of course it was.
  
  The non-Fox media had spent 4 years knowingly lying to the public about Trump, hurting his reelection prospects. They withheld important information (accusations of influence peddling from Biden’s own son + witnesses) and continued to push the lie that Russia was behind Trump. People were angry about this and they grabbed the election fraud fantasy because it was their only chance to overturn the injustice. Everyone knew it was unlikely to work but it was their only chance.
  
  You want the people responsible for the “insurrection”? Shiff, Pelosi, Clinton, CNN etc are the culprits.
  
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  March 10, 2023 11:16am
  - kowtow
    
    The moment I see”insurrection’ I know the author is in a very strange “space” , be it msm or just Joe Blogs .
    
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    March 10, 2023 11:35am
    - mawm
      
      I just imagine a spittle-flecked screen and pass on to the next comment.
      
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      March 10, 2023 1:20pm
  - Nickc2
    
    IMO, Dominion is doing this because they have a reputation to save, pure and simple. If they did nothing, their reputation as it stands among free thinkers would be non-existent (rock bottom and corruptable).
    
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    March 10, 2023 11:38am
  - Okahu
    
    What did DPF do to deserve this? He’s trying to run a respectable right wing influence campaign and he attracts cranks and wing nuts like flies. I mean how about this doozy I just read?
    
    “And third, yes the election was stolen. Unequivocally and with undeniable proof. Was there election fraud? Definitely none that can be proven but was the election stolen anyway, of course it was”.
    
    Where’s our dear friend Alwyn P to opine on the ability of the education system to teach writing but not critical thinking? Though to be fair, the problem may not be entirely with the education system.
    
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    March 10, 2023 12:03pm
    - Libertarians are right
      
      So you’re saying the completely false narratives fed to the American people over that four year period didn’t effect the election result? You should look in your mirror to find the crank and wing nut if you believe those deliberate lies didn’t effect the election.
      
      Note that I do not like Trump, nor do I think the election result should have been overturned, just that Democracy requires people to have information so they can make an informed choice and what the US Media and Democrats did was deny them that right.
      
      I get that Trump’s a wanker but the American people should be allowed to make that mistake without interference, just like NZ did with Jacinda.
      
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      March 10, 2023 12:55pm
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        Two downticks?
        Only two trolls onboard today, and it is Friday!
        
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        March 10, 2023 3:39pm
      - Okahu
        
        Which deliberate lies? Please be specific.
        
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        March 10, 2023 3:54pm
    - Libertarians are right
      
      Also note that I didn’t say that there was election fraud, that may have confused you.
      
      “was there election fraud? Definitely none that can be proven”
      
      as opposed to:
      
      “was there election fraud? Definitely, none that can be proven”
      
      I probably could have made that easier for people to understand I guess.
      
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      March 10, 2023 3:30pm
      - Okahu
        
        Yes. Apologies. I now see, or at least I think I do, that you perhaps haven’t fallen for the Big Lie. Rather you think greater biases in the US media mean the electorate don’t get the necessary information. A more nuanced position than I gave you credit for. Lets argue that one out one day.
        
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        March 10, 2023 8:32pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Trump wanted the National Guard because there was social media noise about Protestors infiltrating the rally. He asked for 20 thousand, Pelosi refused. Trump then asked for 10 thousand. Pelosi refused again. She had the control as Speaker.
    Now Pelosi’s refusal meant she knew what was going to happen. She even made arrangements for her Daughter to video it.
    If the National Guard was there, nothing would have happened. Pelosi totally owns this.
    
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    March 10, 2023 1:01pm
    - Okahu
      
      Are you sure about these assertions ? Or are they ‘things you heard’? Because I did some digging and found this. https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-trump-order-national-guard-156055113284
      
      Seems according to this reporting at least someone is treating you like a witless rube. And you have fallen for it and made it public. Sorry about that old chap.
      
      Of course this article with timelines and references and legal beagles pointing out how wrong you are may itself be mischief. How about you post evidence to the contrary because I just hate to think of you as an easy mark or a complicit bullshitter.
      
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      March 10, 2023 5:47pm
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        Democrats never lie.//
        
        2 3
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        March 10, 2023 6:04pm
      - RichardX
        
        Steve has been made aware of this in the past but, because Trump said it was true, Steve believes it.
        
        Steve was offered sworn testimony proving him to be wrong but that doesn’t matter to Steve.
        
        https://www.businessinsider.com/chris-miller-trump-gave-no-order-deploy-troops-january-6-2022-7
        
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        March 10, 2023 6:39pm
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        @Richard and Okahu.
        You two are doing a very good job of deliberately mixing words.
        Trump never signed anything. He merely asked Pelosi – TWICE.
        Now off you go and find some more nonsense.
        
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        March 11, 2023 9:38am
    - Its only I
      
      The black lives matter protests would not have turned into riots if the police numbers that were asked for turned up?
      You cannot defend one side without defending both when politics in the us is nothing more than a very expensive gameshow.
      
      Biden always looks like a cut scene from a weekend at bernie’s and trump can’t descend rams or has bog paper stuck to his shoes while ascending steps, both earn massive advertising revenue for their politically opposed media outlets. Same shyt different day.
      
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      March 10, 2023 6:22pm
Ghost

Apart from lockdown, has there been any time that Labour has been in government the past few years that there hasn’t been a strike or a threat of a strike? Seems their core voter base just hasn’t been happy since they took power.
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March 10, 2023 10:23am
- Phronesis
  
  They’ve spent phenomenal amounts of money. More than twice as much this year as the previous National Govt ever did. But that money has gone to the wealthy, the brown, and the wellington leeches. Essentially none of it has gone to front line public service staff such as teachers, nurses, etc etc. They have seen there salaries devalued by inflation and have been offered pay increases that are less than the inflation that has already occurred.
  
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  March 10, 2023 10:52am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Every time, This is the sixth time Labour have screwed NZ over.
  
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  March 10, 2023 6:05pm
Maggie Pie

TWITTER TRENDING 😀

Here’s something different the group might enjoy over morning-tea.

WATCH:

Drunk dude jumps into Lion enclosure…..(India)

https://twitter.com/raphousereloaded/status/1633479571336228865
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March 10, 2023 10:26am
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Stop Co-Governance. Julian Batchelor.

https://www.stopcogovernance.kiwi/blog/the-dargaville-event-was-epic/

From the post:

“”Last night was the most disgusting display of rude, ignorant and plainly ferral behaviour I have ever witnessed. The whole night, sitting there witnessing their behaviour, made me feel quite sick and very angry. It is just so sad that our nation has come to this and I am now seriously considering my options going forward in Australia, should we be unfortunate enough to get another government in October that continues with this ripping apart and complete destruction of our nation. I have woken up this morning feeling very sad and and very afraid.”.

Vicki.
Vicki works wit Julian Batchelor.
—————————————
From the post:
RADIO NEW ZEALAND LYING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENING
Someone just phoned me to say that they heard about the event on the news as they were driving. Radio New Zealand said that the event turned into a riot and had to be shut down by the police.

Hey! The Police did not shut it down at all. Read yesterday’s blog and you will find out why the Police were there.
Currently NZ is marinating in lies and false information.
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March 10, 2023 10:41am
Ghost

A nice little bitch slap

Wood was questioned why this was, given in 1976 the starting rate for a teacher was around $12,370 while a backbench MP was paid around $14,000. Now an experienced secondary teacher gets paid around $90,000, while the lowest-paid and inexperienced backbench MP gets $163,000 a year.

“That’s a huge difference. So is it fair that politicians’ salaries have surged ahead so much more than teachers’ salaries?” Chan-Green asked.

But while Wood conceded the gap had grown, he said politicians are an easy target.

“I think across our whole system, some of those sorts of relativities have gotten a bit out of whack over time,” he said.

“So, yes, politicians are often the easy target there and fair enough for bringing it up. But for example, we’ve had massive escalation for those on CEO salaries compared to people doing important work.”

National MP and education spokesperson Erica Stanford, who joined Wood on AM, said there’s no doubt teachers are undervalued.

“We need to value our teachers more and they are feeling extremely undervalued, overworked, tired and burnt out, which is why we’re seeing so many of them exit the profession.

“There are a lot of things we can do and it’s not just about pay, but it’s about conditions as well.”

But when she was asked about the gap between teachers’ pay and politicians, she had a sassier response. Stanford jokingly suggested there are “a number of politicians who potentially don’t deserve that rate of pay”, while looking pointedly at Wood.

The comment didn’t go down well with Wood, who hit back jokingly saying, “What a nasty little comment, Erica”.

Newshub
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March 10, 2023 11:52am
- mandk
  
  Erica was excellent against Wood today.
  
  She was forceful, articulate and had command of the facts.
  
  And on top of that, she came across as very personable.
  
  Wood, on the other hand, was defensive and full of bluster. He didn’t have a telling response to anything Erica said.
  
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  March 10, 2023 12:42pm
- Swifty
  
  If Wood was paid on results, like many of his fellow New Zealanders, he’d be owing us!
  
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  March 10, 2023 12:45pm
Sir Cullen's Sidekick

Bros of the Banana Republic of New Zealand – You downtick me when I say Luxon won’t be PM and National will not win the 2023 election. Every poll after Chippie has become the PM point to Labour winning. Labour has taken over National in the latest TPU-Curia poll. Though National-ACT have a 1 seat majority, next TPU-Curia poll will show Labour forming the gummit. Wait for the Roy-Morgan poll to come out. It will show a Labour-Green-Maori party gummit. Instead of downticking me, post logically why you think this won’t happen.
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March 10, 2023 12:11pm
- Alan Wilkinson
  
  It will depend on the economy floating on a raft of borrowed money until the election. If it sinks, so will Labour.
  
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  March 10, 2023 12:50pm
  - Taieri
    
    It will depend on the economy floating on a raft of borrowed money until the election
    ———–
    
    The economy will still be floating on a raft of borrowed money after the election. Regardless of who will win. Haven’t heard anything from the current opposition that would suggest otherwise…
    
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    March 10, 2023 1:54pm
- ClanMcleod
  
  SCS – one question demands an answer from Chippie, and if it was ever asked and answered, he would struggle to keep his job as PM.
  
  We know for a FACT, information was deliberately withheld from the public which showed that the vaccine was a risk to the young, particularly males.
  
  Hipkins was covid minister at the time. Nobody in the media has asked him if he was aware of this, did he approve it and if not, who did? And if he didn’t, as covid minister and ultimately responsible for it, how was this kept from him?
  
  Why is Hipkins being protected by the msm in NZ? Why are the opposition not asking this question in parliament? It is bizarred and it is troubling.
  
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  March 10, 2023 12:51pm
  - Matt Long
    
    I think what is preventing National from speaking out is that their COVID position is identical to Labour, perhaps you could ask Get Boosted to elucidate the differences between them.
    
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    March 10, 2023 12:53pm
    - ClanMcleod
      
      Matt Long – I’ve emailed Chris numerous times, best answer was when I asked him why he was advocating putting this experiment into children who are at zero risk from covid. His answer? To paraphrase, “Well we give them all these other vaccines so why not……”
      
      I am not joking.
      
      10 1
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      March 10, 2023 1:15pm
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        Deflection. Obvious he is not really up to speed with the Covid Vaccine and boosters
        Luxon may want to do some thinking. All these other vaccines have had years of testing. Wonder if he even knows that the Covid vaccine did NOT make you immune.
        It was/is just experimental medication used for control.
        Many (including relatives) walking around saying ‘look at me, I had two vaxes and two boosters and I am fine’ Tell it to the families of those healthy ones who died.
        
        Bring on Nuremberg 2.0
        
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        March 10, 2023 4:02pm
- Matt Long
  
  In 1993 Clark’s faction is reputed to have thrown the election to gain the ascendency for the left in Labour, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1993_New_Zealand_Labour_Party_leadership_election
  I wonder if National’s wets did the same in 2020.
  It would almost be worth it for National to lose the coming election if it set up a united refoeming visionary leadership, but what a mess Labour would make with another three years.
  
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  March 10, 2023 1:01pm
  - rockape
    
    Not only that but Labour have no money! They. Can’t afford an election. Most of their donors have done a runner and the Unions are not too happy with a broke country and high inflation making workers poorer.
    
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    March 10, 2023 2:41pm
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      Put up Union fees – just like Taxes and Rates!
      
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      March 10, 2023 4:03pm
- kowtow
  
  Chippie’s up in the polls because he’s getting exposure via the natural storm / floodevents .
  
  Also he’s also making the right noises around ditching the most contentious Ardern Regime policies . But it is only noise and the idiot pollee is easily taken in .
  
  I think once the Nats do start their electioneering and get more exposure their poll share will increase .
  
  NB if Luxon does win you’ll see him shoot upin the preferred PM poll as well .Weird but true and shows how thick your “average , centrist, voter” is and fickle.
  
  BTW ; in’t it odd with all this climate ‘catastrophe’ we’re being presented by te media pardy , the Green vote has gone down .
  One would think people would think they’re our only hope , God help us.
  
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  March 10, 2023 1:04pm
  - lifesgood
    
    The question is – How do they get more exposure when the bulk of the MSM is totally against them. The only exposure the MSM gives them is negative.
    It seems a lot of the KB readers are totally taken in by the MSM as well.
    
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    March 10, 2023 1:45pm
  - Taieri
    
    Chippie’s up in the polls because he’s getting exposure via the natural storm
    ———-
    
    Hipkins’s up in the polls because he projects an image of a pragmatic leader, who discards unpopular policies and appeals to the centre. Meanwhile his opposite number projects an image of another man-in-suit or no image at all. While I don’t have much trust in the veracity of Hipkins’s “turn-around”, I see very little to inspire in Luxon. And his hysterical reaction to Maureen Pugh only deepens that feeling.
    
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    March 10, 2023 2:00pm
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      Hipkins is the leader like the schoolroom classroom leader, that sits at the back of the classroom.
      
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      March 10, 2023 4:07pm
    - Dougal10
      
      But has he discarded the bad policys or he just won’t talk about them. Willy seems to still be working on his merger , 3 waters has a new unknown name so is probably going full steam ahead . Hipkins is a master of smoke , mirrors and look over there a squirrel politics.
      
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      March 10, 2023 4:43pm
  - rockape
    
    Not only that but Labour have no money! They. Can’t afford an election. Most of their donors have done a runner and the Unions are not too happy with a broke country and high inflation making workers poorer.
    
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    March 10, 2023 2:22pm
- Loddenthinks
  
  Let me get this straight – you’ve been sh*t-posting for years, and continue to do so, but now demand that we post logically in response?
  
  I don’t mind a bit of logical debate – you go first.
  
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  March 10, 2023 3:59pm
Ghost

No, this amount of benefit fraud should come with a prison sentence. This a joke sentence, 11 months, stuck at home, collecting a benefit.

A former couple have been sentenced to home detention after committing benefit fraud over 16 years, receiving $600,000 in taxpayer money.

Yogita Dhani, 46, and Rajesh Dhani, 55, appeared at the Auckland District Court on Friday before Judge Pippa Sinclair.

Stuff
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March 10, 2023 12:28pm
- Swifty
  
  Calculated, planned, organised defrauding of the community and over nearly two decades.
  
  Just sickening.
  
  I have to agree, Ghost, a custodial sentence is called for in order to effectively denounce this sort of behaviour.
  
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  March 10, 2023 12:42pm
  - DimChappie
    
    The report does not explain what the fraud was, it just says they received various benefits and were in an arranged marriage then split but kept living in the same house. Are you aware of the details of the fraud? If so please share.
    
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    March 10, 2023 1:16pm
    - Swifty
      
      Yep, you’ve just nailed it.
      
      Claiming benefits to which they were not entitled and as found proven by Judge Sinclair.
      
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      March 10, 2023 3:00pm
- Loddenthinks
  
  Deport them! Sick of ratbags immigrating to New Zealand and bringing their shitty values and lack of morals, ripping off the taxpayer.
  
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  March 10, 2023 4:00pm
Ghost

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2023/03/labour-mp-tamati-coffey-to-retire-from-parliament-at-election.html

Labour MP Tamati Coffey to retire from Parliament at election
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March 10, 2023 12:53pm
- Warren
  
  Well let’s hope he makes a better parent for his two children than he did masquerading as a MP for the Labour Government in New Zealand.
  
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  March 10, 2023 1:32pm
- Sir Cullen's Sidekick
  
  Ghost – Be happy that finally there is GOD.
  
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  March 10, 2023 3:11pm
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  Is quite strange, he did not say he was retiring after Christmas when the others pulled the pin, then nek thing, Hipkins saying he was not forced out. Very strange, are they going to gift his seat to the MP
  
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  March 10, 2023 5:27pm
ClanMcleod

Anthony Fauci gets thrown under the bus by a former CDC director.

Dr. Robert Redfield, the former CDC Director, believes that US taxpayer money from NIH, State Department, USAID, and DOD funded the creation of SARS-CoV-2:

They wanted a single narrative, and I had a different point of view… Science has debate, and they squashed any debate… I think it’s an inaccurate paper that was part of a narrative that they were creating… I think there’s no doubt that NIH was funding gain of function research.

https://twitter.com/KanekoaTheGreat/status/1633490350701690880

This should be headline news, in NZ? Tumbleweed as usual.
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March 10, 2023 12:59pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  The NZ News outlets don’t speak American?
  
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  March 10, 2023 1:18pm
ClanMcleod

The January 6th “insurrection” was a lie.

Jimmy Dore comments on the videos released recently showing footage from the Capitol Building that was previously suppressed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4cB5DVOc-c&t=312s
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March 10, 2023 1:08pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Pelosi is in the crosshairs and she knows it.
  The excuses and diversions are wearing out. Some people need to watch their backs.
  
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  March 10, 2023 1:24pm
  - Vory v zakone
    
    Yep Steve. Nancy is the bottom line conspirator in the J6 false flag operation. As I mentioned above, looking forward to when the pre J6 and J6 communications between Pelosi, Schumer, Harris et al are released. Complete (and hysterical) meltdown incoming 😉
    #thebestisyettocome
    
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    March 10, 2023 1:48pm
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      #thebestisyettocome.
      Yes. #Trump2024
      
      4 1
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      March 10, 2023 4:09pm
- slightlyrighty
  
  If your own source is fronted by Tucker Carlson, who is now ON RECORD as misleading his audience, then I feel sorry for you.
  
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  March 10, 2023 1:27pm
  - Ghost
    
    So what exactly was wrong in the video footage showing the police walking him around and opening doors for him, footage that was never released until now. Or is it just oh no Tucker released quick attack Tucker and not focus on the deception.
    
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    March 10, 2023 1:38pm
    - ClanMcleod
      
      Ghost – yip, yip that’s exactly what it is. The last 3 years have been an excellent education in how people gaslight, deflect and of course the favourite tool, ad hominem. The big secret of course is to NEVER engage in the actual subject matter of you’ll be exposed as the useful idiot you actually are.
      It’s been very revealing and educational.
      
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      March 10, 2023 5:06pm
Maggie Pie

Minor-Attracted Person (n) woke…
euphemism for pedophiles/nepiophiles/ephebophiles

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/131422204/child-groomer-told-victims-well-done-after-they-sent-explicit-photos

(And the thing I’ve noticed with people like this, is that they often exhibit some form of physical-deformity with their appearance. Just saying)
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March 10, 2023 1:40pm
- Gravelroad
  
  @MP-
  There has to be something seriously wrong (physical deformity or not) with an adult who indulges in sex with a baby, toddler or child.
  Something I have never understood and never will.
  And the people who make money out of it are the lowest of the low.
  
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  March 10, 2023 2:06pm
  - Maggie Pie
    
    It’s due to be sentenced 31st May. Will be interesting….
    
    6 1
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    March 10, 2023 2:12pm
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      Think of the MASH theme song.
      
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      March 10, 2023 4:30pm
Jack5

Radio NZ is no longer even pretending to be politically neutral. It’s gone full out Labour, and further than that, full out ethnonationalist.

A report of a Northland meeting about co-governance contains none of the argument of the organiser, and lauds the protesters who tried to shut down free speech.

In another article, tribal leaders warn Hipkins not to backdown on co-governance. The article leads with the tribes accusing National and ACT of “fanning the flames of racism”.

That, of course, is like Verwoerd accusing opponents of South African apartheid of being racists.

Radio NZ is now so partisan that National and ACT should plan to close it and walk away. Who would buy it?

Radio NZ reporting opposition to ethnonationalist “co-governance” is racist:

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/483604/iwi-leaders-warn-hipkins-not-to-bow-on-three-waters-co-governance
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March 10, 2023 1:58pm
Chuck Bird

Has no one thought of what a mess it will be if we have a draw between the left and right?

Surely it would make sense to have one less list MP.
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March 10, 2023 2:00pm
Maggie Pie

Happened to overhear Anne Gibson (NZH property guru) on ZB earlier.
She was saying that a third of Company liquidations in the last few months have been from the Building and Construction sector!

My partner headed down to Waikato this morning with a new beer-fridge for the maimai so haven’t been able to ask him what he thinks about it.

I would have thort it can only be extremely bullish for the existing housing market (?)
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March 10, 2023 2:25pm
- trout
  
  A number of Companies doing spec builds register a company for each project. When the project is completed and sold on the company is liquidated. A deliberate construct used by developers to avoid responsibility for on going quality issues. Hence the increase in liquidations.
  
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  March 10, 2023 3:07pm
  - Maggie Pie
    
    Talking of ‘quality issues’ trout….have you read about all the problems they’ve been having in Auckland’s tallest $300 million luxury-apartment building ‘The Pacifica’?
    
    AirCon malfunctions for weeks on end, fire sprinklers flooding apartments, rubbish chute blockages, security concerns, and to top it off….some nasty pr*ck installed a ‘humming-vibrator’ which ran 24/7 driving the residents insane!
    
    As my partner said the other day… imagine paying $40mill for the Penthouse if the lifts malfunctioned 🙁
    
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    March 10, 2023 3:38pm
Yabster

Great piece by Chris Trotter

another type of revolution is required and soon…

https://www.bassettbrashandhide.com/post/chris-trotter-the-revolution-has-begun
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March 10, 2023 2:37pm
Swifty

A blatant one-sided hit-piece from RNZ on co-covernance.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/485692/police-step-in-as-co-governance-supporters-clash-with-meeting-organiser

No balance. No giving both sides, both arguments, equal coverage. No discussion of the issues. Interviewing people only from one side (3-0).

Fair and balanced my arse. No more chances. Get rid of it, or go to a subscription only model.

No point complaining to the Broadcasting Minister, he’s laughing at us.

He LOVES the fact that he’s got a permanently left propaganda arm in RNZ backing his policies at no cost to him, it’s all bought and paid for by taxpayers.

Labour has corrupted our civic institutions. It’s just such a shame.

Of course National won’t do anything about it either. They’re too gutless.
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March 10, 2023 2:51pm
- mandk
  
  I see RNZ also made a gratuitous attempt to denigrate Mr Batchelor by mentioning that he is a Christian evangelist.
  
  I don’t know if he is actually a Christian evangelist, but how on earth could that be relevant?
  
  I suppose if you a white and a Christian nowadays, you are automatically a racist bigot.
  
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  March 10, 2023 4:32pm
  - Ghost
    
    Because he is a Christian evangelist and that’s his job?
    
    2 3
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    March 10, 2023 4:38pm
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      Ghost, he stopped work to do this. I don’t think it is a job as such.
      It is something that a NZ Patriot wants to do.
      
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      March 10, 2023 5:05pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    I wonder if being a Christian Evangelist is important?
    
    6 1
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    March 10, 2023 5:03pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  This was totally expected by the leftist media.
  The Police were INVITED, and RNZ lied.
  From today’s blog at http://www.stopcogovernance.kiwi
  RADIO NEW ZEALAND LYING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENING
  Someone just phoned me to say that they heard about the event on the news as they were driving. Radio New Zealand said that the event turned into a riot and had to be shut down by the police. This is obviously lies. What for? To put the wind up other event organisers to shut down future events. This is further proof that the media is actively working with the government / protesters / the tribal elite to shut down opposing voices, people / groups who oppose the takeover of New Zealand.
  
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  March 10, 2023 5:00pm
- Prince
  
  A friend sent me this clip of jackson being ‘interviewed’ on Te Karere a few days ago.Apparently it is a regular segment.
  Jackson gets 5 minutes to trash the Opposition with his mate ‘Scotty’. It’s all smiles and laughs for the lads. This is what goes for ‘political analysis’ that TVNZ puts in front of Maori each and every week day.
  Now the clip is all in Maori of course, but the body language is universal.
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67Ok6oi9TX4
  
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  March 10, 2023 7:12pm
- ClanMcleod
  
  Where have we seen this before? Oh, that’s right, the Wellington protest. No surprises, people need to understand what this government is doing to NZ. They are destroying it.
  
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  March 11, 2023 8:01am
Maggie Pie

Some serious ‘RACE-BAITING’ by the LA Times….

https://twitter.com/latimes/status/1633840062160072707
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March 10, 2023 3:17pm
mogg

More from Ian Wishart on Climate Change lies from NIWA and the MSM: https://youtu.be/uW-3ZxKmMSE
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March 10, 2023 3:23pm
- thirteenstars
  
  Shocking. All a lie and a beat up. Poor meteorology. Agenda-based perspectives. Media complicity.
  
  Luxon went off half-cocked, driven by his own agenda which is mainly modern corporate wokeism mashed up with vote grabbing.
  
  I guess his reading list–shoved down Maureen Pugh’s throat–was written by the same types that got this disaster porn epic clusterfuck so wrong.
  
  And as Wishart makes clear, a tragedy for the people affected because much of it could have been mitigated if policies were not biased towards the climate change narrative.
  
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  March 10, 2023 4:16pm
  - Chris Nisbet
    
    A decent journalist with access to him might ask Luxon if he is still in “no doubt” that Gabrielle is a result of “Climate Change”.
    They might also ask Shaw is he’s a little less angry now that he knows that Gabrielle is what Mother Nature produces all the time, and not the result of our agriculture or coal-fired power station.
    And they might pull our fricken useless MPs up when they declare that “Climate Change is here!” (whatever the hell that means)
    
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    March 10, 2023 4:45pm
  - mogg
    
    It appears that Jacinda’s ‘nuclear moment’ was in 1938.
    
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    March 10, 2023 5:02pm
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      Then in 2009.
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9rsxFaq6Ig
      
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      March 10, 2023 6:31pm
Sir Cullen's Sidekick

Bros – The latest Roy Morgan poll is out. As I predicted it will be Labour-Green-Maori party gummit. This country deserves them.
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March 10, 2023 4:07pm
- Chris Nisbet
  
  Think the last 5 years were bad? Strap in tight, I say.
  
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  March 10, 2023 4:46pm
- Steve Todd
  
  Question for G the giant and Colville: When a dead cat bounces, how long does it stay in the air before hitting the ground? (See GD, Mon 13 Feb 23.)
  
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  March 10, 2023 5:02pm
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    What the he’ll have I got to do with it? Yesterday’s poll show s Hipkins has done is take support from the Greens, and they are still well away from government
    
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    March 10, 2023 5:31pm
    - Sir Cullen's Sidekick
      
      Giant bro:
      A potential 58 seats for a Labour/Greens coalition and 58 seats for a potential National/Act NZ coalition puts the Maori Party in the box seat to determine the next New Zealand Government
      
      If these results were repeated at this year’s New Zealand Election the Labour/Greens coalition would score 58 seats, level with the 58 seats for a potential National/Act NZ coalition – not enough for a majority of 61 seats for either side of politics.
      
      The projected results show the Maori Party with 4 seats in New Zealand’s next Parliament would be in the box seat to determine who New Zealand’s Prime Minister after this year’s election would be – either Chris Hipkins (Labour) or Christopher Luxon (National).
      
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      March 10, 2023 5:45pm
    - Steve Todd
      
      Although your support for Colville’s comment was weak, you did agree with him that the dead cat bounce was over, if only by implication. However, on reflection, I should not have included you in my comment, above. I apologise to you.
      
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      March 10, 2023 5:48pm
  - PeeJay
    
    beginning to look more like a trend than a dead cat bounce isn’t it???
    
    If we end up with labour/greens/maori in October then this country might not recover.
    
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    March 10, 2023 8:15pm
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  MP going on cross benches, and if you believe the Greens are polling at 13% while on the other poll they are 5% then you are deluded
  
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  March 10, 2023 5:29pm
Steve Todd

Retiring MP Tāmati Coffey was interviewed by HdPA about 30 minutes ago. He reckons there are not enough Māori around the Rotorua council table, and that the now-withdrawn Rotorua (extra Māori seats) Bill could have been sold better.

Very disappointing that HdPA did not know enough about the subject to suggest to Coffey the obvious solutions to “the problem”.

They are—

(1) Introduce PR/STV, city-wide.
(2) Māori must stand for election, in greater numbers than currently.
(3) With STV being a system of proportional representation, Māori must vote in greater numbers than currently.
(4) If Māori voters want more Māori councillors, they must vote for Māori candidates, 1, 2, 3, etc., before, if they so wish, rank-ordering non-Māori candidates, 4, 5, 6, etc.

It’s all so easy, but neither Coffey nor HdPA could think outside their FPP straightjackets.

Coffey will not be missed. In the meantime, the battle continues.
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March 10, 2023 4:42pm
NZer In Exile

Yet another giant hole gets ripped in the “climate emergency” narrative.

Sea level rise not unprecedented. Majority of islands gaining mass, not losing it.

https://notrickszone.com/2023/03/07/science-yields-surprises-island-nations-growing-atoll-island-stability-is-global-trend/
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March 10, 2023 4:49pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Underwater volcanoes pushing up?//
  
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  March 10, 2023 5:14pm
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Perhaps in a few cases.
    
    In the 1830s Charles Darwin had figured out what was happening with most coral atolls /reefs.
    
    And Prof. Paul Kench’s detailed research has been ignored time and time again by our MSM.
    
    Reef islands have continually adjusted to environmental change over the past two millennia
    
    https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-36171-2
    
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    March 10, 2023 6:02pm
    - info@cruzpro.com
      
      To simplify the situation:
      
      A volcano erupts causing a landmass to form above the ocean. Eventually the weight of the landmass causes it to slowly sink back into the water.
      
      The coral growing in the ocean around the landmass can grow slightly faster than the sinking landmass.
      
      Eventually the landmass sinks below water level and the faster growing coral forms a reef which stays close to sea level.
      
      If the landmass has a river or two, coral doesn’t like freshwater and grows more slowly. This can causes passes into the lagoon when the landmass subsides below sea level.
      
      Examples of this are North and South Minerva reefs South of Tonga and Beverage reef East of Tonga.
      
      Yachtees exchange GPS locations of the pass entry locations which allow yachts to safely anchor in the lagoons in relatively shallow water hundred of miles from the nearest land.
      
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      March 10, 2023 10:22pm
thirteenstars

Latest Roy Morgan poll:

Support for the Greens is far higher amongst both younger women and younger men than their older counterparts. One-in-five women aged 18-49 (20%) and over one-in-five men aged 18-49 (21%) support the Greens compared to only 6.5% of women aged 50 and just 2% of men aged 50 .

https://www.roymorgan.com/findings/9202-nz-national-voting-intention-february-2023

That’s all you need to know, folks. 20%, 1 in 5. That ‘s massive, and growing every year the indoctrination factories called public schools churn out true believers.

Didn’t happen this year. Didn’t happen in the last five years. It’s been a carefully stewarded operation lasting several decades, and under all governments.

It’s not inconceivable that NZ will have a Green-led government within three election cycles.
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March 10, 2023 5:27pm
- Matt Long
  
  It’s why the Regressives want to lower the voting age, children are easily taken in by the Green narrative in School but grow out of it in the real world.
  With a few “special” exceptions.
  
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  March 10, 2023 5:40pm
  - Steve Todd
    
    This Kiwiblog “young people will vote Green” trope is becoming boring.
    
    I suspect the 16- and 17-year-olds most likely to vote would be those attending (or who attended), the upper decile schools.
    
    I mean, c’mon, how many under 18s who attended Auckland Grammar, Dio, Queen Margaret, Scots College, Christ’s College, Rangi Ruru, Columba College, etc. would vote Green? I would say no more than 20%. In my view, most (meaning, a plurality) would vote National/ACT.
    
    Giving 16- and 17-year-olds the vote would have little or no impact on the outcome of future general elections, but it doesn’t suit the right-wingers here to accept, or even acknowledge, that.
    
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    March 10, 2023 6:27pm
    - thirteenstars
      
      Huh? The data obviously contradicts you.
      
      Why use such schools as barometers? They have no bearing on the data. The vast majority of children are taught in the regular public schools where Green is the ideology du jour, and everyone’s ordering seconds.
      
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      March 10, 2023 7:00pm
      - Steve Todd
        
        I started by saying most young people likely to vote would be attendees at upper decile schools. The named schools were just examples of such schools.
        
        […] where Green is the ideology du jour, […].
        
        That is nothing more than your prejudiced, politically-motivated, opinion.
        
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        March 10, 2023 7:09pm
- Sir Cullen's Sidekick
  
  Well if Chloe is the PM in the next 10-12 years, you will get your free supply of canabis delivered by gummit transport!!!
  
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  March 10, 2023 5:47pm
Sir Cullen's Sidekick

Luxon must be crying quietly – So close and yet so far – Like Don Brash in 2005. Nice Nicola will cruise into the PM role in 2026.
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March 10, 2023 5:48pm
- PeeJay
  
  National have a real dilemma now. Release policy now, make waves and get in peoples faces? Great – but Labour and their MSM lapdogs will talk it down, then quietly steal the best bits and re-brand it. Problem is the longer they wait, the risk grows that the public makes their mind up on Luxon – phone off the hook etc. Next couple of polls will be interesting – is it a trend or a dead cat bounce. Originally thought it was a bounce……..worry is that it is the start of a trend.
  
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  March 10, 2023 8:20pm
Ghost

Seems all the screw ups are happening all at once. Good for labour they will be forgotten by election time

The Health Minister is in another political neutrality mess after Te Whatu Ora paid for a puff profile of her in a southern newsletter.

Dr Ayesha Verrall – who sacked the chair of Te Whatu Ora last week for not being politically neutral – has called the piece an “inappropriate use of public funding”.

Newshub
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March 10, 2023 6:38pm
- Prince
  
  Verall claims she didn’t know, but it was approved by her office, and the staff member ‘no longer works there’.
  So where did he/she go ? Promoted ? To the PM’s dept ?
  They’ve changed the head, but the corruption courses through the whole body of this Govt.
  
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  March 10, 2023 6:56pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Alway’s Trump’s fault. [Mod – tone your language down please]
https://valiantnews.com/2023/03/mcconnell-hospitalized-after-fall-at-old-trump-hotel-report/
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March 10, 2023 6:41pm
- fernglas
  
  I like how Trump is still good for a laugh even though his time has passed
  
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  March 10, 2023 7:08pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Yep.
https://thepatriotchronicles.com/news-for-you/msm-downplays-antifas-attack-its-just-foolishness-enough-is-enough/
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March 10, 2023 6:45pm
Maggy Wassilieff

Anyone found the correct ED data set that Ayesha Verrall assured us would be published on the Te Whatu Ora website this afternoon?

She was unable to provide O’Brien with the national ED wait times, again, referring O’Brien to the data that will be published on the Te Whatu Ora website later on Friday.

https://www.todayfm.co.nz/home/national/2023/03/health-minister-ayesha-verrall-deflects-responsibility-for-incorrectly-quoting-ed-data.html
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March 10, 2023 7:19pm
- Ghost
  
  They’ll probably put it up at 11.59pm
  
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  March 10, 2023 7:27pm
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Seriously?
    
    You seem to be unaware of the Friday afternoon habits of Wellington public servants.
    
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    March 10, 2023 7:40pm
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      Yer, they run off to the bar for a craft beer shandy
      
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      March 11, 2023 9:50am

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