General Debate 14 February 2024

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Simon

Does National really want NZ to “partner” with the freak show which is the Maori Party? More Maori voted for National than Maori Party but are National gonna do what Chole Swarbrick demands of them? All the screwballs, freaks and grifters that’s who National intends partnership with? Partner with them and Chole will still not thank National. There will always be more demands.

The free Palestine set while decile one children are a wasteland. Those partners?
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February 14, 2024 8:09am
- john1234
  
  “More Maori voted for National than Maori Party”
  Where did that come from?
  
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  February 14, 2024 9:16am
  - jkt
    
    Statistical analysis shows that this is probably a true statement.
    
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    February 14, 2024 10:47am
    - john1234
      
      Hoping for a cite. “probably true” is not worth the air it’s spoken with when arguing with lefty Maori apologists.
      
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      February 14, 2024 1:31pm
  - Max Mansplain
    
    Yeah but the ones that voted for National aren’t real maoris….
    
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    February 14, 2024 2:00pm
- Damocles11
  
  Chloe is the potential co-leader of the Greens, not TPM.
  
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  February 14, 2024 10:57am
- Ghost
  
  And where have you read national want to partner with the Maori party?
  
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  February 14, 2024 11:02am
Cassandra

Climate worrier King Charles III flew by helicopter from Buckingham Palace to Sandringham in Norfolk for a break after coming out of hospital and then back again yesterday for his chemotherapy. While I don’t begrudge HM a break, it’s a bit rich to wag his finger at fossil fuel use while doing this. Like many of his fellows and despite his many qualities I’m afraid the King of New Zealand is a hypocrite. He has a large and luxurious house in London which has a lovely garden – great for a break. No need to travel anywhere.
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February 14, 2024 8:19am
- thirteenstars
  
  A while back I saw a clip of Charles wandering through one of his organic gardens down in Cornwall, telling the interviewer in that offhand and chummy way the Brit royals have that, one does what one can to improve the environment.
  
  He went on to reveal he has a meatless meal once a week. Perhaps that will offset his whopper chopper trip.
  
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  February 14, 2024 9:02am
  - surfing
    
    Must be quite the conundrum being green and wealthy.
    
    The latter seems to be the greater determinator, in the King’s case anyway.
    
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    February 14, 2024 11:56am
    - thirteenstars
      
      Well, when one can buy enough carbon credit to offset one’s carbon-heavy lifestyle, well, one can get away with almost any profligacy, can’t one?
      
      What, what?
      
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      February 14, 2024 7:16pm
- kiwikidsnz
  
  882 private jets flew into the Superbowl yesterday, including Taylor Swifts
  
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  February 14, 2024 9:24am
  - kowtow
    
    Nothing compared to Davos.
    
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    February 14, 2024 12:35pm
  - thirteenstars
    
    Kudos to the flight controllers at McCarran dealing with all that whiney “is it safe to land” bullshit.
    
    And all that, “I have a vegan aboard. Will there be a vegetable platter on standby?”
    
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    February 14, 2024 7:45pm
pdm

I put this on the 3/5/10/All/Mahuta Waters post earlier but think it might prompt more discussion here – so here goes.

It is incomprehensible that it seems that Taumata Arowai is going to be left in place.

I have just had a look at their website and the following hit me immediately:
1. It is numerically top heavy in bureaucrats sucking the life out of it.
2. Tipa Mahuta (maybe Ormsby) seems to still be in charge.
3. Impossible to read most of it, including the biographies of the Management Teams because most of that is not in English. Probably a plan to cover up the inadequacies of the people involved.

I say to Simeon Brown scrap Taumata Arowai and start again.
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February 14, 2024 8:23am
- Jethrod
  
  Perhaps it’s because there is so much Maori unemployment, at least a FEW have a JOB.//
  
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  February 14, 2024 8:30am
  - igm
    
    They are not unemployed, they are unemployable self-entitled lleeches driven by the likes of Labour/Greens/TPM.
    
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    February 14, 2024 8:40am
    - kowtow
      
      And te media pardy .
      
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      February 14, 2024 9:16am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    That is not a job. They produce nothing except regulations. We are supposed to be getting away from that.
    It is being employed for a high paying dole.
    
    Yes I saw the //
    
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    February 14, 2024 8:45am
    - pdm
      
      Minimum $100,000 per photo shown except for Tipa who is probably on 4 or 5 times that.
      
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      February 14, 2024 8:48am
  - Keith White
    
    They do not have a productive job, they have a trough for their snouts.
    
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    February 14, 2024 3:19pm
- Yabster
  
  maybe email him and ask him- re the nepo Mahuta and the website.
  
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  February 14, 2024 8:31am
- artemisia
  
  Start by changing the name to something comprehensible to the vast majority of us. Agree 100% with your #3, not just the team member descriptions, the whole site is signalling who is in charge.
  
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  February 14, 2024 8:34am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Full of Maori mumbo jumbo. Get rid of it.
  Seems to be just another Quango full of jobs for the bros.
  Get this: “Those who lead give sight to those who follow, those who follow give life to those that lead.”
  Here we go with the slogans again. “Let’s do this!”
  
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  February 14, 2024 8:42am
- Yvette
  
  • FEBRUARY 13, 2024 2:27PM BY DAVID FARRAR
  Three Waters goneburger
  
  • Luxon believes in “partnering through devolution and through localism with iwi”. That’s an accurate description of what “co-governance” is, whether Whānau Ora (which devolves funding and delivery decisions to kaupapa Māori health and social service providers) or Kōhanga Reo (which devolves funding and delivery decisions to Māori-speaking family and hapū communities).
  What’s interesting and tantalising here is that, on the one hand, Luxon opposes “co-governance” in the delivery of public services and, on the other, he provides an accurate definition of what it is and offers two examples of it that he supports.
  
  Luxon opposes “co-governance” in the delivery of public services.
  
  Remove Tipa Mahuta and te Puna, the Maori Advisory Council which she chairs.
  There is no place for them to regulate the Water Regulator, currently titled Taumata Arowai
  https://www.taumataarowai.govt.nz
  Wade through the website of the Water Regulator
  Consider if one New Zealand ethnicity should, in exceptionalism, be raised above all other ethnicities
  When te Puna is removed you will know “#__ Waters” is truly goneburger
  
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  February 14, 2024 8:44am
  - pdm
    
    Hear Hear!!!!
    
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    February 14, 2024 9:34am
- KiwiSapper
  
  I totally agree with you. The retention of Taumata Arowai, one of the many heads of the maori version of the Greek monster Hydra is a clear sign of the Luxon’s continued adulation of the “wonderfulness of maori.”
  Consider also, it is also in conflict with the claimed policy of not using maori names for organisations unless they are solely for the benefit of maori.
  Or is it perhaps more sickening adulation and Taumata Arowai is actually to be only for the benefit of maori?
  Hmmmmm.
  
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  February 14, 2024 9:29am
  - jkt
    
    TA is the regulator and accountable to government.
    
    Can this country afford this specific regulator. That is the question that needs to be asked! One shoes fits all….. human nature tells me the answer to this question is very obviously no and yes all at the same time.
    
    Government has failed us. Local government has failed us. The RMA has failed us. The Public Health system has failed us. (Remember Public Heath Risk Management Plans, asset management plans, LTP’s ….)
    
    Rather than fixing what is wrong with our public health system, local government and our water services regulatory framework we have decided to create a new regulator ……. Yeah, right.
    
    We have cross party political consensus (as close as one can get to consensus on anything) that our water systems needed improved regulation. We have consensus that we deserve better water services asset management. We do not have consensus what that looks like!!
    
    Some think that life should be without risk…..
    
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    February 14, 2024 11:13am
    - Jack5
      
      Right. Tiny country. Does it need a separate water regulator?
      
      The heavy Maorification of this organisation reinforces the view that it’s a gesture to Maori over the cancellation of Three Waters.
      
      We are lucky we have ACT and NZ First moderating National.
      
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      February 14, 2024 12:49pm
- Hard Cheese
  
  Taumata Arowai is a classic example of taking a regulation process that should be simple and infusing it with so much Maori new age gobbledygook that it becomes a self-sustaining opportunity for a bunch of highly paid managers and Maori hangers-on to provide nebulous services to the organisation.
  
  Have a read of the stuff under Te Mana o te Wai on their website:
  
  “Te Mana o te Wai draws on a te ao Māori perspective to recognise the whole-of-system approach to wai, from maunga to moana, or ki uta ki tai. This all of system approach consists of the fundamentals of tīkanga, mātauranga and kaitiakitanga Māori,  which is a unique approach for Aotearoa and all New Zealanders.”
  
  WTF does that even mean, and what does it have to do with a scientific approach to water regulation? The identities of the ticket clippers comes in the last two paragraphs:
  
  “The Taumata Arowai Māori Advisory Group, Te Puna, will provide support and guidance to Taumata Arowai, our Board, Chief Executive and organisation on Māori interests and knowledge as they relate to Taumata Arowai objectives, functions and operating principles. An important part of this will be to engage and work meaningfully with whānau, hapū and iwi.
  
  Embedding Te Mana o te Wai will require a close relationship between Taumata Arowai, mana whenua and kaitiaki who are best placed to advise on the tikanga and mātauranga which underpin Te Mana o te Wai and Te Tiriti o Waitangi interests.”
  
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  February 14, 2024 10:21am
  - septic skeptic
    
    Taumata Arowai is an obvious rort. IMO Luxon has spoken enough weasel words and qualifications to what should have been clear and simple messaging for National supporters to read between the lines. If you voted National expecting real change over 3 waters then you might have been sold a pup. I would be happy to be proven wrong and hear this agency is being replaced and all this mumbo jumbo and special relationship is removed from water regulation and management.
    
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    February 14, 2024 11:25am
    - leoj
      
      Yup, he’s a woke weasel.
      
      Squish personified.
      
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      February 14, 2024 5:08pm
  - PurplePen
    
    Thanks for that. It so well encapsulates a major issue with many govt agencies I’ve sent a copy as it is to Winston Peters, David Seymour and Chris Luxon. I realise they have a team of people that read correspondence, but the idea is to prompt them or their staff about this issue.
    
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    February 14, 2024 1:29pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

NATO.
“European allies of the U.S. should view Trump’s incendiary comments as a ‘real threat.” NATO is a welfare client of the US.
Well Trump has certainly rattled a few cages and given Europe their pedigree.

https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/other/republicans-back-trump-s-russia-suggestion-on-invading-nato-countries/ss-BB1idPJC#image=9
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February 14, 2024 8:25am
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  What gets me thru weee not comments, he was expressing what he had said to the German Chancellor when he was president, what he was doing was clearly telling them to pay their way if they want tgd US yo help them, he may have used his words better, but in essence that’s what he was doing, many of those EU countries actually did top up their funding after his words, words he used more than once to jaw bone these miserable countries
  
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  February 14, 2024 8:31am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    I thought Trump handed Angela Merkel an envelope with an Invoice inside telling her what Germany owed!
    
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    February 14, 2024 9:30am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      Possibly did that as well, it might not have been the chancellor, it might have been the other leader the Germans have, pretty sure it was a male
      
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      February 14, 2024 10:29am
    - House
      
      Trump I think gave Mercle a white feather.
      
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      February 14, 2024 12:59pm
  - NZer In Exile
    
    Kind of looks like many Euro countries HAVE upped their defence spend as a result of Orange-Man-Bad’s “appalling” wind-up!
    
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    February 14, 2024 8:54pm
- Greenheart
  
  I find it appalling that you should support the invasion by Russia into NATO countries that have not paid their full contributions for defence. The ultimate standover tactic. Maybe Trump could do more to stop Americans killing Americans rather than promoting the killing of Europeans.
  
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  February 14, 2024 8:43am
  - Cassandra
    
    See Paulus below.
    
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    February 14, 2024 9:30am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Europe are such bludgers that they need standing over to get the message.
    
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    February 14, 2024 9:32am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    He used that language to get them to pay what they owe, he was speaking in paste tense not a present day announcement
    
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    February 14, 2024 10:30am
    - Hard Cheese
      
      There’s no “owing” involved, it’s not a credit card balance. NATO members agree to spend 2% of GDP minimum on their military – some of them are, some of them aren’t by a small amount, some of them aren’t by a large amount. Those that aren’t don’t have some sort of back payment to make to the US just because the US spends more on their military than them. In fact Poland spends a larger % of their GDP on defence than the US, does that make the US delinquent to Poland?
      
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      February 14, 2024 11:15am
      - Jack5
        
        Steve Otto’s …Europe are such bludgers …
        
        Given NZ’s under-financed, running down defence potential, you speaking tongue in cheek?
        
        NZ 67th in world military power index; Norway and Denmark (similar populations to NZ) 41st and 48th.
        
        https://www.globalfirepower.com/countries-listing.php
        
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        February 14, 2024 12:52pm
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        Jack, NZ gives NATO support. North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.
        We are in the South Pacific. What the fuck has NZ got to do with the North Atlantic other than supporting socialist shit?
        
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        February 14, 2024 2:53pm
  - Matt Long
    
    I find it just appalling the supermarkets will just let my family starve unless I pay them for groceries, it’s the worst kind of blackmail, using my own children as pawns.
    
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    February 14, 2024 10:57am
Paulus

Surely what Trump was saying and he has said it before when President, is that if NATO wants to survive them all country members must pay their proportion and not just Poland and the USA – .
Trust the Trump hating media to try and misconstrue what he said – as usual.
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February 14, 2024 8:32am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Do the American media have a PIJF?
  Seems like they do.
  
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  February 14, 2024 9:34am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    No they have a TDS, the hatred is similar
    
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    February 14, 2024 10:39am
    - Steve Otto(North Shore)
      
      Only 3 downticks G. There are more than 3 lefties here today for sure!
      
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      February 14, 2024 2:58pm
- MCōs
  
  Pretty bloody obvious what he said
  
  “Trump took his criticism to a new level at a campaign rally on Saturday in Conway, South Carolina, when he recounted what he said was a conversation with the “president of a big country”.
  “Well sir, if we don’t pay, and we’re attacked by Russia – will you protect us?” Trump quoted the unnamed leader as saying.
  “I said: ‘You didn’t pay? You’re delinquent?’ He said: ‘Yes, let’s say that happened.’ No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them (Russia) to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay,” Trump said.”
  
  What’s there to misconstrue about “encourage them to do whatever the hell they want”
  Not “your on your own”, but “encourage” the enemy
  https://www.reuters.com/world/what-did-trump-say-about-nato-funding-what-is-article-5-2024-02-12/
  
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  February 14, 2024 9:58am
  - Grunter
    
    Yep – just another example of Trump showing what a nut job he is.
    
    He is of course better than Biden (IMO) but that is now such a low bar it is barely worth mentioning.
    
    Note The White House remark about Trump:
    “Rather than calling for wars and promoting deranged chaos, President Biden will continue to bolster American leadership and stand up for our national security interests – not against them,”
    What a joke of a comment by the current warmongers! Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!
    
    And meanwhile, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg is mouthing off and scaremongering about the imminent threat of Russia invading Europe. He has 90,000 troops ‘practicing’ in Eastern Europe as we speak. The biggest peacetime war games exercise ever seen.
    
    Warmongering elites with their fingers on nuke silos. The delusion clowns are clearly in charge of the circus.
    
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    February 14, 2024 11:06am
    - Its only I
      
      Trump talking about owing money?
      
      Oh the irony, the amount of tradies he has stiffed over the decades.
      
      Trump has be having a go a Nato since the eighties.
      He was a guest of the kremlin mid eighties when they were looking for influential americans (useful idiots) to invest in projects and push the pro soviet/russia narrative.
      The deal for two Trump hotels stalled for a while because the ruskies wanted 51% ownership.
      Russian diplomats invited Trump to rethink the deals offering better terms.
      Two month later Trump paid just over $100,000.00 to publish a Russian written article about disbanding NATO.
      Trump never built the hotels but Russia got is faithful US ambassador in the orange traitor who openly pushes the pro russia message between hitler quotes at his fascist rallies.
      Eyes front, don’t question, Raise your right hand fan bois, click those heels if you don’t your are either a rino, suffering TDS, on the outside of the klan or some other BS.
      
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      February 14, 2024 2:35pm
  - virtualmark
    
    It’s another of Trump’s “Sir” stories.
    
    Most of them involve big men coming up to him with tears in their eyes saying “Sir …” and then saying something that implies Trump is the all-powerful hero.
    
    I strongly suspect all of them are made up. He lies like a Gatling gun, and he’s a narcissist who has to be the centre of every story.
    
    Reality is that NATO is not a protection racket where shopkeepers pay some of their weekly take to the Mob for security. But that’s Trump’s lived experience, and that’s the frame he views NATO through.
    
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    February 14, 2024 2:07pm
  - virtualmark
    
    Also, realistically Russia isn’t going to be invading any NATO countries any time soon.
    
    I suspect Russia would love to re-capture the Baltics in particular.
    
    But Russia’s military has been decimated in Ukraine and arguably doesn’t have the equipment or the men required to conquer and pacify the Baltics. And that’s been made even harder with Finland and Sweden now in NATO and able to quickly respond to any invasion.
    
    Sidenote: Russia might also wish to take some of Poland, but that’s not going to happen. Poland spends more on defence than any other NATO member (including the US, whose defence spend is artificially boosted by the spend on the VA). If you take a look at Poland’s current military strength I suspect they’d have no problem dealing to Russia all on their own.
    
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    February 14, 2024 2:11pm
    - Grunter
      
      Virtualmark – I suspect (and hope) you are right, Russia has no ability, nor inclination, to invade and conquer a NATO country. Mainly because any invasion means they are taking on the entire NATO forces. Combined NATO is significantly bigger/stronger than Russia, except in one arena – nukes, where they are almost even strength.
      
      And if you accept that logic, and I am certain that Putin sees it like that, then Russia is not a threat to NATO countries…….UNLESS NATO attacks Russia first. Then it would most likely escalate to a nuclear exchange.
      
      So why-o-why would NATO countries be talking up a Russian invasion?? (rhetorical question).
      
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      February 14, 2024 2:37pm
      - virtualmark
        
        Putin clearly has the inclination … he’s said several times, and as recently as last week with Tucker Carlson, that he sees Russia needing to rebuild the Russian Empire.
        
        NATO isn’t going to attack Russia. But it is going to make itself stronger so as to deter any Russian ambition. NATO’s weak point is the Baltics, which is where I’d expect a lot of military investment to go.
        
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        February 14, 2024 2:54pm
  - virtualmark
    
    And, MCos, since you seem a sensible man …
    
    Trump says this stuff to rile up his base. He’s projecting to them that he’s the big man, the capo dei capi. And they lap it up, as you can see from the comments here.
    
    But I really don’t think it resonates with the independent voter. Polling says Americans over-whelmingly support NATO and America’s ties to their traditional democratic allies. Trump saying this shit is, overall, a turn-off to those independent voters. Just like his comments on abortion are.
    
    Trump doesn’t seem to understand that he is going to need to win a majority of the independent voters if he wants to be President again.
    
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    February 14, 2024 2:16pm
- Ghost
  
  All the articles I’ve read have not done that. They’ve reported what he said at the rally, and that he made the comment as president at a nato meeting.
  
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  February 14, 2024 10:53am
Close Hen Counters

My son failed his restricted drivers test with the AA yesterday – personally, the experience is similar to all his friends who have either had driving lessons or attempted the test in central Auckland. Power tripping horrible Indian men determined to make the whole process a money making venture and that is it. Son was driving 50km/hr in industrial zone (father in back seat) … some guy pulls out in front of him and son breaks to avoid accident. AA guy shats a goat korma in the passenger seat and instantly fails son for not driving at 40km/hr to avoid incident … you can’t make this shit up. Hubby said AA guy had a ‘don’t fuck with me face’ and didn’t question him. I see plenty of dangerous Indian drivers around Auckland – good to know they allow their own to pass. Now have to wait months to resit – pass rate in Invercargill around 80% cf 20-40% Auckland so may fly him down to do test there
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February 14, 2024 8:32am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  I think all new drivers fail their first test.
  Simple things like not having your hands on the wheel at 10 and 2! Some like 9 and 3.
  I have right index finger and thumb at 9. Cars have power steering ffs.
  
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  February 14, 2024 9:40am
  - RoboRob
    
    My son and all but one of his mates passed his restricted on the first go. He also passed is full on the first go!
    
    If you are in Christchurch the VTNZ in Northwood has very friendly, reasonable testing people. Not lax, you can still fail but calm and friendly which helps nervous young people pass. Highly recommended.
    
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    February 14, 2024 10:07am
    - cmm
      
      That was my sons’ experiences there too.
      They seem to have the goal of having competent and well instructed drivers on the road.
      
      Everything seems to be done calmly with a focus on safe driving. No attempt at power play and fear. I know someone who failed there on the first go. They were told what they needed to practice and were told they would almost certainly pass next time (which they did).
      
      My one son even asked a few questions about when to turn on indicators etc, saying he was a bit unsure and had different advice from different people. The tester was happy to give some extra tuiton/input on this. Passed.
      
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      February 14, 2024 10:41am
  - rouppe
    
    Nope my son passed all his driving tests first time.
    
    The final test seemed to finish with: “well I can’t find anything to fail you on so I guess I’ll have to pass you”. Bit of a twat thing to say, but I said to my son “forget it, you never have to see that guy again”.
    
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    February 14, 2024 10:57am
- k1w1
  
  As annoying as it is, those testing bozos don’t like it when parents accompany. And yes, they do tend to fail more than they pass and it feels like something of a money-making scheme.
  
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  February 14, 2024 9:49am
  - Ghost
    
    Not sure how it can be a money making scheme, you don’t pay to to resit.
    
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    February 14, 2024 3:14pm
- RichardF
  
  Funny you say that. I saw a young woman doing an AA test with an Indian instructor yesterday and my first thought was, did he bribe a cop in India to get his driver’s license?
  
  Armourguard seems to only employ Indians these days. I hope their security vetting processes are up to scratch. India has a culture of bribery and corruption. And we haven’t even got to the bottle store owners paying peanuts and witholding passports etc…
  
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  February 14, 2024 9:57am
  - kowtow
    
    ‘India has a culture of bribery and corruption.’
    
    And what in all fairness and reasonablity ( is that a word) could we call the so called regional development fund . $ 3 b to Shane in 2017 and $ 1.2 again this time around .
    
    As one of our regular posters here likes to say;
    
    a fish rots from the head.
    
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    February 14, 2024 11:00am
    - ISeeRed
      
      Why are you changing the subject? Is it “racist” to point out Indians behaving badly?
      
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      February 15, 2024 7:44am
- Jack5
  
  Similar in the south. Indian driving teachers, endless lessons.
  
  Mind you, intensive driving courses would be advisable in India, where in some places overtaking can be on either side of a vehicle.
  
  https://www.expatfocus.com/india/guide/india-driving
  
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  February 14, 2024 10:05am
- MCōs
  
  I bet the AA guy loved having someone looking over his shoulder
  I detested having someone looking over my shoulder at work
  BTW
  My wife, who had been driving for years both here & Thailand, took three goes to get her license and it was an Indian bloke who finally gave her the big tick.
  
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  February 14, 2024 10:13am
- NothingLeft
  
  The more people they fail the more work they create for themselves and the bigger they can grow their little bureaucracy. As Thomas Sowell would say; show me the incentives and I’ll tell you what the outcome will be.
  
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  February 14, 2024 10:44am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Bit like dodgy car mechanics. (and I am not one!)
    
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    February 14, 2024 3:02pm
  - Ghost
    
    It’s free to resit, there are no incentives in failing someone
    
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    February 14, 2024 3:16pm
    - kiwikidsnz
      
      The incentive is more work for more testers (& the fees for repeat tests were only scrapped a few months ago after widespread ripoff complaints, old rorts take a while to flush out)
      https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/498837/fee-to-resit-driver-s-licence-tests-to-be-scrapped-from-1-october
      
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      February 14, 2024 4:36pm
- wsk12345
  
  I sat in on a test recently.
  Apparently if at any time the instructor has to stay STOP, that’s a fail. My friend failed as she misjudged the speed of a car travelling straight across a t junction she was turning into. She’s a competent driver but like all new drivers has some timing issues that will come right in time.
  Sounds like the instructor in the case mentioned above felt that the person undertaking the test was not driving defensively enough.
  
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  February 14, 2024 1:20pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Don’t see what that has to the speed of the car across the T intersection, Give Way sign or not. Coming to a terminated road you give way. Does not matter if the car coming across was speeding or upside down on it’s roof – you give way.
    
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    February 14, 2024 3:07pm
- wsk12345
  
  From what I understand, Indian drivers can get an international licence in India without ever getting behind the wheel of a car. A friend moved to NZ and has to do a test to convert her licence to a full NZ licence (she also had to do the multi choice learners test(. But she has an international licence! She said that is normal….
  
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  February 14, 2024 1:23pm
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    First time to Alaska I had an International. Never had to use it, but there is something seriously wrong with going around a roundabout anti-clockwise.
    Fuck that, I never drove, just sit in the back seat and take photos.
    
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    February 14, 2024 3:09pm
  - NothingLeft
    
    5 years ago the Chinese licensing system was rife with corruption, not sure if that’s changed. In many places you could get a license without ever driving a car (I knew a licensed driver who couldn’t drive). There was motivation to do this because traffic camera demerit points could be transferred to anyone with a license – just say they were driving your car and people with licenses sold that as a service to wealthier drivers.
    
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    February 14, 2024 7:57pm
Maggie Pie

Heading home earlier and stopped off at a Countdown to grab some fresh Vogels Toast.
Went thru the self-checkout and message popped up on the screen….
‘Do you want to round up the dollar amount to support Rainbow Pride Month?’

Couldn’t see the ‘F-OFF’ button so settled for ‘NO’
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February 14, 2024 8:34am
- igm
  
  New World are also a pain in the backside with this kiora crap when using the self checkout . . . time it stoppped.
  
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  February 14, 2024 8:44am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Ha! Countdown machine started that nonsense with me. I simply went to another machine. Supervisor asked why. “I don’t understand that shit”
    
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    February 14, 2024 9:42am
  - M.Solvent
    
    The New World checkout machines shout out “Koura!” which is a bit weird. Then they tell you that they take card only and ask “do you wish to continue?”. Surely they could save New Zealanders thousands of hours a year by removing this step and putting a “card only” sticker on each machine.
    
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    February 14, 2024 10:19am
    - Jethrod
      
      I have noticed at the NW self checks, if you scan straight out of your trolley and then place on the right hand bench , without putting in your bag, life is a lot easier. Then you finish with both your cards.
      
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      February 14, 2024 10:54am
- Close Hen Counters
  
  I had similar issue buying Kathryn Wilson shoes – gorgeous shoes but pricey … then asked if I wanted to pay another two bucks to offset carbon credits wtf
  
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  February 14, 2024 9:41am
- 7kiwi11
  
  Do you have to pay more to get your bread already toasted?
  
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  February 14, 2024 9:54am
- Fuzzysnuggleduck
  
  Jesus, I would only have to say ‘Why the Hell would I do that?’
  Why do companies have to take contentious sides in the culture wars?
  Will they ask a customer in a hijab the same question?
  
  I heard a Micheal Jordan quote, pulled out to demonstrate how celebrities might have brains (once) and not have to poke people in the eye. “Republicans buy sneakers too”.
  Some people have tried to turn that into a shameful lack of principles, but I see it more as separating out the supply of entertainment, goods and services from having to polarise people as a point of pride.
  Especially when it is pure cynicism from companies to strike their colours on what they percieve makes them look good.
  
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  February 14, 2024 12:41pm
- Fuzzysnuggleduck
  
  I see now that it was an automated ‘on screen’, so the answer is YES it will ask a person on the way home from mosque the same thing.
  What on earth are these people thinking?
  
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  February 14, 2024 12:43pm
  - Hard Cheese
    
    They’re not thinking, they’re signalling. If they really cared about (insert charity/minority cause here) they’d donate the money themselves rather than ask their customers to do it. But if they get their machines to ask, it costs them nothing and they get the virtue signalling brownie points whether the customer gives any money or not. And if the customer does donate it comes out of the their pockets, not corporate profits. Great success!!!
    
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    February 14, 2024 2:06pm
- NZer In Exile
  
  To hell with the starving kids then?
  
  Countdown is ultimately owned by Woolworths Aus if I’m not mistaken. Woolworths Aus has recently been in the news for promoting woke idiocy in regards Australia Day.
  
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  February 14, 2024 9:06pm
Opie

How can that smug Robertson carry on like he is the financial savior of the world after the damage he has done?

What part of “government spending exceeds government revenues” does he think is a good thing?

He literally doubled our debt to gdp ratio and has the gall to try and run Nicola willis down for trying to tidy the books.

A criminal trial would be justified as I suspect a lot of the money will link back to him and his mates.

From qt yesterday:

1. SUZE REDMAYNE (National—Rangitīkei) to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has she seen on New Zealand’s fiscal position?

Hon NICOLA WILLIS (Minister of Finance): I received Treasury’s briefing to the incoming Minister (BIM), which was publicly released a week and a half ago. The BIM told me that between 2019 and 2023, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has calculated, according to their own cross-country measure, that net debt in New Zealand increased by 18 percent of GDP—18 percent of GDP.

Suze Redmayne: Is that increase in debt greater or less than in other comparable countries?

Hon NICOLA WILLIS: As I said, the increase in New Zealand’s net debt over the period 2019-23 was 18 percent of GDP on the IMF’s measure. Treasury’s BIM tells me that Australia’s net debt over this period rose by only 2 percent, Denmark’s and Ireland’s net debt reduced, and the average increase across 32 advanced economies was only 4 percent.

Suze Redmayne: Was that 18 percent increase in net debt due to COVID?

Hon NICOLA WILLIS: In part, it will have been. But I am reliably informed that all countries in the world suffered from COVID, so COVID is no excuse for New Zealand to have such a large increase in its debt.

Hon David Seymour: Did the previous Government use this extraordinary 18 percent of GDP expansion in public debt to build valuable infrastructure, or leave some other legacy that would assist future New Zealanders in paying that debt off?

SPEAKER: It’s very borderline, that question. But a reasonable answer might be forthcoming.

Hon NICOLA WILLIS: The question New Zealanders often ask me is: “Has there ever been a Government that has spent so much but delivered so little”—

SPEAKER: OK, that’s enough of that.

Suze Redmayne: How high is New Zealand’s net debt compared to previous years?

Hon NICOLA WILLIS: Historical comparisons are made a little difficult by the fact that in 2022, the previous finance Minister changed the definition of net debt in a way that instantly lowered it by about 20 percentage points of GDP. However, if you use the old, established measure of net debt, it is evident that New Zealand’s net debt this year is forecast to be 44 percent of GDP compared to 22 percent when National left office in 2017. Furthermore, net debt of 44 percent is the highest it has been in New Zealand in 30 years.

Hon Grant Robertson: Can the Minister confirm that two paragraphs below the one she quoted in her primary answer, the Treasury told her in their BIM that “Nevertheless, New Zealand’s debt remains low relative to other advanced economies. The average Government debt among advanced economies in 2023 was 47 percent of GDP, compared with 24 percent for New Zealand.”?

Hon NICOLA WILLIS: The Treasury’s BIM also said, “As a small, open economy vulnerable to external shocks and natural disasters, New Zealand needs to retain a large buffer for emergencies.” What the member should understand is that New Zealand should always have relatively low debt compared to most other advanced economies, and it is silly to compare New Zealand’s debt with countries like the United States and Japan. That Minister eroded New Zealand’s buffer, thanks to the big spending of the previous Labour Government.

Hon Grant Robertson: Point of order, Mr Speaker. That was a very specific question asking about a very specific paragraph in the BIM that the member’s primary answer was about, and I didn’t receive an answer to that question.

SPEAKER: Well, I don’t think you could say it wasn’t addressed, and I think that’s one of the problems, isn’t it—that often questions are asked that don’t elicit the answer that members wanting—

Hon Member: It was very specific, though.

SPEAKER: It wasn’t that fine.

Hon Grant Robertson: What’s that?

SPEAKER: It wasn’t all of that fine a question—the BIM is quite a lengthy document.

Hon NICOLA WILLIS: Point of order, Mr Speaker. I am happy to keep reading from the BIM to inform the Minister about how this debt came to be and the structural deficit that he left New Zealand in, if he’d like.

SPEAKER: Sorry, that’s not a particularly helpful point of order.

Hon Grant Robertson: Can the Minister confirm that the paragraph after the paragraph that I just quoted in my question says, in part, “the Crown balance sheet continues to have significant resilience and flexibility to respond to future events”?

Hon NICOLA WILLIS: The member should read the full quote, which also says, “Current spending exceeds current revenues. The Treasury estimates much of this gap is structural, reflecting a mix of short- and long-term drivers. A substantial fiscal consolidation is required.”—and that is what this responsible Government is doing.
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February 14, 2024 8:40am
- Ruahine
  
  Nicola Willis and Christopher Luxon when talking debt numbers should speak in true dollar terms. Name the amount in millions or billions that Labour has squandered from borrowing.
  
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  February 14, 2024 9:11am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    They did, Willis was able to answer the questions saying Robertson had fiddle the accountancy model to distort, she then read out the debt in the old correct scale
    
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    February 14, 2024 10:43am
- Grunter
  
  Robertson uses leftie maths to make a huge deficit and therefore debt sounds like it is OK. Our worst Finance Minister by far.
  
  The real concern is all the unrealised liabilities that are constantly growing (national super, projected public health costs, projected social welfare costs, etc). Our socialist financial system (spend more from tax + debt) is broken but hidden under the carpet.
  
  Go read the Treasury projections out to 2061, under a ‘status quo’ scenario we end up with net debt at 197% of GDP with debt financing costs of $115 Billion pa. Obviously, the country would have gone bust well before 2061.
  
  No one in any political party is discussing the long-term solution to this. At some point we need a completely new way of doing things.
  
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  February 14, 2024 9:38am
  - imalwaysright
    
    Don’t forget that while we spent six years going backwards we also missed out on six years of normal progress and growth.
    
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    February 14, 2024 10:21am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Labour math is variable arithmetic with a roving decimal point.
    
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    February 14, 2024 10:33am
    - Jethrod
      
      But there is no decimal point on fingers or an abacus.
      
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      February 14, 2024 10:56am
      - Steve Otto(North Shore)
        
        They think the decimal point. That is why it confuses them. When they recall the decimal point it is in a different place.
        The difference between one billion and one trillion is three zeros, and as zeros have no value, there is no extra cost.
        
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        February 14, 2024 11:28am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    You won’t get fresh water until you remove the dead pigs upstream.
    
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    February 14, 2024 10:34am
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  Willis was baiting Robertson, he suck it in hook line and sinker, she made him look like a total waster for his failings, and for Robertson to try and explain his failings was laughable
  
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  February 14, 2024 10:41am
- Swifty
  
  Husband comes home and walks in the front door….
  
  “Hey darling, I’ve got some great news!”
  
  His wife replies “”Oh really? What is it?”
  
  “I’ve just been speaking to some of the neighbours. They’re all in far, far more debt than we are so that means we should borrow and spend more too! If they do it then so should we!”
  
  Wife buries head in hands……
  
  Here’s to you Mr Robertson 🍹- the Grand Architect of our impoverishment.
  
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  February 14, 2024 12:30pm
  - Ghost
    
    To be fair to grant if it wasn’t for his borrowing we wouldn’t have
    
    Ummmm
    
    Oh, no
    
    Ummmmm
    
    Oh hang on there was. No wait
    
    Ummmmm
    
    Nope can’t think of anything but a huge debt.
    
    Oh wait, if not for grant all the wealthy people wouldn’t have been able to get a discount on their expensive useless electric cars and not have to pay for the roads they drove on.
    
    Thank God, I finally thought of something
    
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    February 14, 2024 12:40pm
    - Jack5
      
      Robertson and the Reserve Bank blew out the money supply by tens of billions without borrowing.
      
      The Treasury issued bonds and the Reserve Bank bought them.
      
      Social Credit. And the inflation surge.
      
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      February 14, 2024 1:13pm
      - Inandout
        
        Jack, that is merely printing money, much like Germany post WW1.
        
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        February 14, 2024 1:34pm
      - Grunter
        
        And those bonds are now worth much less, under written by taxpayers of course.
        
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        February 14, 2024 2:45pm
Opie

This pretty much sums up the difference between luxon and hipkins. One is a doer, the other is a nasty little man who can only attack.

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: What I’m going to say to you is that this is a coalition Government of three parties. We have different views from time to time, and that’s actually quite OK. It’s quite healthy and it’s quite constructive. And unlike that previous Government that was all about control and spin and management, I have not heard—in the whole time since he’s become Leader of the Opposition, we haven’t had one question on the economy, not one on health, not one on education, not one on housing, not one on infrastructure.
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February 14, 2024 8:41am
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  I loved it when he told Hipkins look out for when McKanulty shaves his beard off, he will be coming for you soon, it made Peters laugh.
  
  He also stated that Micheal Wood was running Labour during his break after Waitangi, snd I assume he means being voted onto the board, he will hate Hipkins after putting him right up the list, he is a as true Labour hated that Wood
  
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  February 14, 2024 10:59am
Maggie Pie

OMG – who did this 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀

https://twitter.com/Coltheman1/status/1757298191832363520
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February 14, 2024 8:57am
- imalwaysright
  
  Nicie and Smashie
  
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  February 14, 2024 10:00am
Scooter

You’re brave going to Countdown Maggie, I hope you checked the bread for any tooth marks or god forbid other “additions”.
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February 14, 2024 9:03am
- imalwaysright
  
  I feel sorry for the checkout operators and the public, especially the kids, handling items that rats have been on.
  
  The supermarket should dispose of their entire stock.
  
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  February 14, 2024 10:47am
- kowtow
  
  Truth be known they’re probably all inthe same boat .
  Only there does appear to be something in te media about having a go at Countdown./Woolies .
  
  latest is the “loyalty” card privacy business .
  
  Does anyone know if all the other “loyalty” cards at so many other businesses are any different .
  
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  February 14, 2024 10:51am
  - Ghost
    
    Yesterday it was a rat in one auckland pack n save
    
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    February 14, 2024 10:58am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      A mouse in Auckland
      
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      February 14, 2024 11:00am
      - BeaB
        
        Bring back plastic packaging.
        
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        February 14, 2024 12:34pm
    - G152
      
      labour pollies shop in Auckland????
      Who knew
      
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      February 14, 2024 12:15pm
  - Inandout
    
    kow, as for loyalty cards NW recently sent me an email showing what items I preferred to buy. A real breach of privacy.
    
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    February 14, 2024 1:37pm
    - kowtow
      
      Very amusing .
      
      However , other than them do know who else you’ve positively authorised them to give or hold or store information about yourself and where .ie is it held in India or China or the US .
      
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      February 14, 2024 6:47pm
  - NZer In Exile
    
    Loyalty cards are about tracking your spending (and other activities) so the data on you can be sold to the shadowy world of “data brokers”. The data is bought by advertisers, govts and F knows who else.
    
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    February 14, 2024 9:15pm
mandk

Wellington City Council pissing aways ratepayers’ money since forever:
https://www.thepost.co.nz/a/politics/350176545/1400-seafood-dinner-sweetens-reading-cinema-deal?lid=9xitsip3emk0&utm_source=newsletters&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=the_post_digi_weekday_bulletin

Why did the Council lay on lavish entertainment for the company that was seeking a sweetheart deal?

In the business world, it would be the other way round.

Still, can’t criticise the Mayor cos that would be racist and sexist.
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February 14, 2024 9:10am
- imalwaysright
  
  Mandk,
  
  I wonder if the rest of the growing list of businesses in Wellington facing hardship will get similar treatment from the magnanimous mayor?
  
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  February 14, 2024 10:57am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Only if there is free piss.
    
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    February 14, 2024 11:32am
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  I see that a quarter of the bill was for booze.
  
  Was this back when Tory was a drinker?
  
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  February 14, 2024 6:40pm
Yvette

Chris Hipkins insists political parties playing the “race card” is the reason the previous Government couldn’t get Three Waters over the line.
The Labour leader and former Prime Minister was asked about the Coalition Government’s scrapping of his administration’s controversial water reforms in favour of its own version.
“It became divisive because some political parties chose to play the race card over water issues which actually that’s not what this should be about,” he told AM.

This echoes comments from iwi leaders at the start of last year, where they claimed National and ACT – in Opposition at the time – were “fanning the flames of racism“ with regards to Three Waters.
“The challenge now is, if they move away from the model that we had designed with the 10 water entities and with the Māori advisory component built into it… they’re still going to have to find a way of recognising the Māori interest in water which has been established by the courts,” Hipkins continued.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2024/02/chris-hipkins-race-card-from-political-parties-killed-three-waters.html

In Parliament’s Question Time can a member of the Coalition ask the appropriate Minister “Does she or he know exactly what case, ruling or actual wording refers to Hipkins’ media statement “recognising the Māori interest in water which has been established by the courts”, and how does that apply to delivering public water services?”

And is “race card” and more so “fanning the flames of racism”, in this issue, amount to ‘hate speech’?
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February 14, 2024 9:20am
- Grunter
  
  “Chris Hipkins insists political parties playing the “race card” is the reason the previous Government couldn’t get Three Waters over the line.”
  
  Hey Hipkins – the political party that played the race card was Labour, fully supported by the Greens and the Maori Separatist Party.
  
  So, yes, you are in fact correct this time. You are a racist and that is why you failed to get 5-Waters over the line.
  
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  February 14, 2024 11:17am
- septic skeptic
  
  It can’t be long before the latest dictionary definitions have an alternate meaning for racist – as someone who insists that people of all races are equal and have equal rights. In much the same way that people use “literally” as a synonym for “figuratively”.
  
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  February 14, 2024 11:40am
  - Tom Hunter
    
    Academics have been pushing for some time now the idea that being “colourblind about race”…. is racism.
    
    So the dictionary definition changes can’t be far away.
    
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    February 14, 2024 1:39pm
kowtow

The two rescued Israeli /Argentine hostages didn’t get the medication provided that they should have under the ceasefire agreements Hamas signed up to.

Further there’s very disturbing evidence that female hostages are being sexually abused .

Where’s this in our media . Where’s the outrage.

Britain.
A “comedian” , Paul Currie , encouraged a whole theatre to jeer a Jewish man out of the performance and they did.

A prospective MP in Rochdale by election is a dangerous anti semite .

And here in New Zealand there seems to be quite an appetite in far left left circles for all this hatred too.

Shades of the 1930’s.
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February 14, 2024 9:27am
- imalwaysright
  
  Kow,
  
  Shades of the 1930’s?
  Yes.
  
  Which ones are the Nazis ?
  
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  February 14, 2024 11:00am
sungsamning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvauXivACK4
Bye Fani.
Fani Willis is off the case. So another kangaroo court bites the dust.
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February 14, 2024 9:39am
- rockape
  
  MAY be off the case. It has not been decided yet so don’t count your chickens !
  
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  February 14, 2024 10:41am
  - sungsamning
    
    True. However, President Trump has a tradition of winning. Fingers still crossed though.
    
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    February 14, 2024 3:27pm
    - NothingLeft
      
      Trump’s had a lot of losses lately. People bringing suite against him know to pick a strong democrat majority jurisdiction. New York, D.C and other Democrat controlled cities for an easy win.
      
      Making a mockery of Justice is Blind ideal.
      
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      February 14, 2024 8:02pm
sungsamning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tX9EfkSOAs8
This is what happened in Africa this week Ep 23.
Starting with Niger. Niger’s military ruler badly tackled Germany this week.

There have been reports circulating on the internet that Germany issued an ultimatum to Niger, requesting that it cut ties with Russia. The ultimatum included a threat to shut down Germany’s embassy and sever diplomatic relations if Niger refused to comply. It would be interesting to learn more about Niger’s response to this situation.
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February 14, 2024 9:40am
- kowtow
  
  No response needed .As a landlocked country nothing to fear from the kreigsmarine , too far for fallschirmjäger and no borders with the Reich for the panzers to cross .
  
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  February 14, 2024 11:05am
  - Jack5
    
    They’ve got paratroopers again, Kowtow.
    
    https://youtu.be/j3wPVouqqSM?si=YFG0_rPhccNTxiWC
    
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    February 14, 2024 2:49pm
    - mawm
      
      A fallschirmjäger, I believe, is a paratrooper
      
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      February 14, 2024 9:37pm
      - Jack5
        
        MAWM, you are correct, right down to the umlaut over the “a”. My apologies to Kowtow.
        
        I’m old enough to have heard a Crete veteran talking of shooting at descending German parachutists in WW2.
        
        A captured Kiwi artilleryman told of being fed at a German table in a tent – after paratroopers had eaten.
        
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        February 15, 2024 12:22am
  - sungsamning
    
    True. I had a look when it came up on YT. Not a lot of stuff about Africa on this blog. And the presenter is pretty good.
    
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    February 14, 2024 3:29pm
Opie

https://twitter.com/rotovegas_taane/status/1757266812046364700

“As a jogger I see many water leaks on my runs around Wellington town” Dr Ayesha Verrall Tue 13 Feb 2024

Looks like the ratio of troughing to jogging is incorrect.
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February 14, 2024 9:48am
Maggie Pie

Among other things, I’m also a very good judge of body-language.
You can see it in TayTay’s eyes that she’s over this Psycho 🙁

https://twitter.com/NFLonCBS/status/1756892670629171450

(full screen/sound up)
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February 14, 2024 10:02am
- MCōs
  
  This don’t need no sound
  https://x.com/jonesville/status/1756911082046984266?s=61&t=yFkzCNMWRCaVt1p5eRxUog
  
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  February 14, 2024 10:18am
nathie

Apparently some of our radical far-left journalists just love other people’s money.

As taxpayers I’m sure the majority don’t want to be funding the disinformation of the divisive and biased, separatist “elites”.

Stop it now and/or pay it back!

“Sean Plunket Reveals How Much Mihirangi Forbes Gets Paid for Attacking the Government”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnQBsJJm7YI
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February 14, 2024 10:08am
- MCōs
  
  Mister P wouldn’t survive without the Wright family who own Beststart a preschool franchise propped up with $242mil taxpayer money
  https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/300814789/the-jugglenaut-how-childcare-became-a-forprofit-game
  The wheels on the bus go round and round
  
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  February 14, 2024 10:28am
  - Blog-aholic
    
    So someones private wealth goes to SP via a company that took taxpayer money to fund a preschool (note not biased media) and you choose to conflate the two as the as the same?
    PS the taxpayer funding was probably also mostly to parents as subsidies…….Forbes takes taxpayer funding directly and spouts absolute shit for an ignorant audience.
    
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    February 14, 2024 10:38am
    - Yabster
      
      mco’s is a socialist- of course he thinks that way-you shld be use to it by now…
      
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      February 14, 2024 11:01am
  - Libertarians are right
    
    Yeah, that’s a totally worthless comparison.
    Note that Government funding and providing a service for a price to the Government are very different things.
    
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    February 14, 2024 11:03am
  - Albie
    
    Cossie- You obviously have a problem with private individuals putting up their own money, SP included, to start a media company that will go up against the msm to give us balanced objective news.
    Your real name isn’t Nikki Hagar is it? Just wondering.
    
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    February 14, 2024 12:14pm
  - Jack5
    
    Re Nathie’s reference to Sean Plunket on Mihirangi Forbes.
    
    And Plunket had another go on the topic this today. And there’s reference to an important person in Radio NZ.
    
    https://youtu.be/FN06OX5L1Xo?si=bHDU9HqoR6WQ3cXd
    
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    February 14, 2024 2:16pm
  - NothingLeft
    
    Yeah that’s way worse that Labour funnelling hundreds of millions in taxpayer money to their sycophantic left and far left media mates in the media party.
    
    Jessica then Tova.
    
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    February 14, 2024 8:05pm
Jack5

😃 It’s carnival time in Rio de Janeiro (Feb 9 to 17).

Great sights at the Sambadrome, the parade area.

A taste from Reuters:

https://www.reuters.com/pictures/carnival-brazil-scenes-sambadromes-2024-02-12/

Or, even, a couple of hours of the parade in video from Associated Press:

https://www.youtube.com/live/K3M4JuMhA9o?si=OHQSKZmv7G1IWfXP
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February 14, 2024 10:38am
Opie

If Putin hired an Australian translator…

https://twitter.com/Strange_G/status/1757221873300205737
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February 14, 2024 10:53am
rouppe

Six people dead in an influenza outbreak in a rest home.

What, you mean we don’t have to lock the whole country down?
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February 14, 2024 10:59am
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  Nope, the crazy commie has gone.
  
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  February 14, 2024 11:37am
cmm

I have never quite understood the desire or goal to have less prisoners or prisons.

The right number of prisoners is the number that are required to be locked up to reduce crime to an acceptable level.

The right number of prisons is the number to house them.

In other words, prisoner numbers is not a cause, but an effect. Mixing up cause and effect leads to all sorts of problems.

If prisons are working (ie. recidivism down and acting as a harsh enough deterrent) then the prisoner numbers will go down in time without any direct management.

Prison numbers are likely one of those things where it gets worse before it gets better. ie. First get tough on crime. For a year or two that will likely increase the number of prisoners, but once the prisoners get a taste of the new regime they might decide to go straight rather than endure another go in prison, so therefore crime and imprisonment go down in the long term.

However it seems we currently have it the wrong way around. A criminal really has to be extremely bad to end up in prison. Society bends over backwards to keep crims out of prison. As a result, the crims are not getting any incentives to go straight.

Hence what we have: the highest recidivism rates in the world.
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February 14, 2024 10:59am
- imalwaysright
  
  Double bunk all cells, no segregation of gangs or paedos, and put teachers on a 48 week year like the rest of us and get them down to the jails to teach the people they shoved through the meat grinder we call an education system.
  
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  February 14, 2024 11:09am
  - Steve Otto(North Shore)
    
    Don’t you dare touch our holidays.//
    
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    February 14, 2024 11:38am
  - Jack5
    
    What’s with “double bunking”? Does it save much money in construction? Does it make it easier for prison guards to control convicts?
    
    I hope it’s not a subliminal wish for NZ convicts to be homosexually raped, which seems common in American prisons.
    
    I vaguely recall Greg Newbold, the sociologist who had earlier in life been a prisoner himself, saying homosexual rape was not common in NZ jails.
    
    It’s up to the justice system to punish criminals, not leave it to some sort of criminal system.
    
    When you delegate punishment to criminals you get what happened in the Soviet Union’s gulag. That system gave ordinary criminals the privilege to abuse and torment the political prisoners. The Nazis, too, selected concentration camp prisoners to become kapos, who controlled the others, and controlled them brutally.
    
    It would be bizarre to want to facilitate homosexual rape – of anyone.
    
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    February 14, 2024 12:29pm
    - imalwaysright
      
      Jack
      
      Double bunking doubles capacity. Sorry to state the obvious .
      As for the rest of your issues, I couldn’t care less.
      
      By the way, you brought up homosexual rape. Are all prisoners homosexuals or are all homosexuals criminals?
      
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      February 14, 2024 12:41pm
      - Jack5
        
        Good luck, IAR, on getting the teachers “down to the jails”.
        
        A book of graffiti included this from a London public lavatory:
        
        “My mother made me a homosexual.”
        
        Underneath, someone added:
        
        “If I bring her the wool, will she make me one, too?”
        
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        February 14, 2024 1:00pm
    - kowtow
      
      Serious question.
      
      Surely a man cannot “rape” another man .
      It’s sodomy , isn’t it?
      
      2 3
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      February 14, 2024 1:05pm
      - Jack5
        
        Have a look at Section 128 of the Crimes Act:
        
        https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1961/0043/latest/whole.html?search=sw_096be8ed81d369a9_rape_25_se&p=1#DLM329051
        
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        February 14, 2024 1:39pm
      - kowtow
        
        So there’s no such thing as “homosexual rape”.
        
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        February 14, 2024 3:22pm
      - Jack5
        
        That’s not what the law says, Kowtow. If you had read the Crimes Act reference given you would have these definitions.
        
        Sexual violation is the act of a person who rapes another person; or has unlawful sexual connection with another person.
        
        And, person A rapes person B if:
        
        Person A has sexual connection with person B, effected by the penetration of person B’s genitalia by person A’s penis – without person B’s consent to the connection; and without believing on reasonable grounds that person B consents to the connection.
        
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        February 14, 2024 4:10pm
  - Yabster
    
    imagine the whinging from the unions – be worth it just for that re the teachers.
    
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    February 14, 2024 12:49pm
- Steve Otto(North Shore)
  
  More in prison means those outside the prison are safer. Why can’t the left understand that?
  
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  February 14, 2024 11:13am
Maggie Pie

TRENDING NOW

‘The Whitehouse’ has just released a vid of Ol’ Joe sitting around eating fried chicken
and talking basketball with a couple of black guys.

Honestly, if desperation was a video……

https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1757135736309227794
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February 14, 2024 11:07am
- imalwaysright
  
  Joe: “Poor kids are as smart as white kids!”
  
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  February 14, 2024 11:12am
  - Grunter
    
    FFS – just when you thought he couldn’t get any worse.
    
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    February 14, 2024 11:25am
    - NZer In Exile
      
      It would appear that unless the dems can pull off some mega criminal stunt, they are going to get smashed in the election like never before.
      
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      February 14, 2024 9:28pm
- sungsamning
  
  Parodies coming in 5,4,3,2,1.
  
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  February 14, 2024 3:36pm
- virtualmark
  
  And he (well, his campaign) was on TikTok this week too.
  
  Sensible interpretation is that his campaign are wanting to mobilise young and Black voters.
  
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  February 14, 2024 5:51pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Stop Co-Governance. Julian Batchelor.
52 min.

https://stopcogovernance.kiwi/blog/professor-elizabeth-rata-supports-the-stop-co-governance-cause-100-listen-to-the-interview/
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February 14, 2024 11:09am
artemisia

So the Opposition are having a crack at the Government using urgency when they were critical of Labour using it.

OK, that’s what Oppositions do. But they must think people are fairly stupid not to see a big difference between ideological panic at the end of 6 years and a plan for the first days of a new government.
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February 14, 2024 12:38pm
- Blog-aholic
  
  They absolutely do think voters are stupid….they treat voters like a retarded commodity.
  
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  February 14, 2024 12:41pm
  - Keith White
    
    To be fair, voters put Labour and Ardern back in office previously. Can’t get much more retarded than that.
    
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    February 14, 2024 3:21pm
Swifty

Labour accuse the government of implementing policies which will ‘embed inter generational poverty’.

https://tkr.ro/e/EYkucd347WoHLNug

Labour are just bloody shameless. They are without principle. They just thrive on deceit and constantly accuse others of that which they are guilty themselves.

Carmel Sepuloni has done more to embed intergenerational poverty in NZ than any other person one could name.

She is a disgrace. A two-faced, walking, talking disgrace.
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February 14, 2024 12:41pm
- kowtow
  
  Ardern’s lockdowns have helped to destroy what was a passably ok education system.That will be just one , but a major structural intergenerational legacy of that autocrat.
  
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  February 14, 2024 12:51pm
BeaB

Notice how our media always refer to ‘the previous government’ when it is anything negative, never ‘the Labour government’. Yet National is used every time, especially when they can almost spit out ‘under National’, usually in 2013 or years ago, rather than admit Labour was a disaster.
Hipkins was given an embarrassingly easy ride by Hipkiss this morning – kiss and kin. Took me back to the peaceful days under Ardern when Suzy Ferguson adoringly cooed ‘absolutely’ after everything Ardern and Robertson said.
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February 14, 2024 12:42pm
Maggie Pie

O.M.G. Honestly thort he’d forgot!
Walked out the door this morning just as I got home and he never mentioned it.
Courier has just delivered the hughest bunch of Red Roses.
Card says…. “Leo’s @8. Be ready”

Sounds like we’re going down the Viaduct again.
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February 14, 2024 12:57pm
- MCōs
  
  We had lunch at Middlemore Hospital after a nice wee chat with the hematology doctor
  
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  February 14, 2024 1:32pm
  - Maggie Pie
    
    Honestly Cossie, you come across as an unromantic cheapskate 🙁
    
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    February 14, 2024 1:39pm
    - mogg
      
      On our anniversary my wife was complaining about her old car, said she wanted to replace it with something that would go from 0 to 150 in less than three seconds, so I got her a set of bathroom scales!!
      
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      February 14, 2024 2:19pm
      - Keith White
        
        mogg: I see you’re a man who likes to live dangerously!
        
        7 0
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        February 14, 2024 3:22pm
      - Maggie Pie
        
        😀 😀 😀
        
        7 0
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        February 14, 2024 3:25pm
      - Ghost
        
        What exactly is the procedure for getting bathroom scales out of your butt………
        
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        February 14, 2024 3:27pm
greybeard

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/350178971/kiwirail-moves-end-contract-two-new-cook-strait-ferries
I wonder how much money has been spent on this project already ( new terminal, etc ) and how much to break the contract.
Another Labour Govt legacy of incompetence and cost to taxpayers.
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February 14, 2024 2:22pm
- fightingtemeraire
  
  Once again it was a grandiose plan for ferries with all the whistles and bells when all that was needed was a ferry fleet that was reliable, efficient and did not cost the earth.
  
  Problem is that they still want rail ferries when v few people now operate them. Even NZ only has ONE in the present Cook Strait Fleet.
  
  Stena have a design that can be either a straight RoRo or a Rail vessel.
  
  I bet the Govt comes to an agreement with Hyundai where they will be building more ships with them The NIWA vessel Tangaroa is due for replacement and the RNZN will be looking for vessels to replace the Canterbury and other ships.
  
  Hyundai has built the Endeavour and Aotearoa for the RNZN.
  
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  February 14, 2024 3:38pm
Swifty

Yet again arts luvvies cannot adequately fund their jollies without extracting large sums of cash from hard-working ratepayers or taxpayers – and politicians once again will fall for the old ‘cultural well-being’ or ‘city vibrancy’ twaddle:

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/bay-of-plenty-times/news/tauranga-city-council-urged-not-to-kill-historic-village-with-rent-increases/ZJO7CFHKXJAZTLY46USLIQQFQQ/

“Look what we do for this town! You lot owe us our living!”
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February 14, 2024 2:27pm
Ghost

Another interesting interview from Shawn Ryan

Col. John Alexander is a former Army Special Forces Commander with an impeccable career in leadership across multiple agencies and programs within the U.S. intelligence community. Alexander lead Special Forces teams as an Officer during the Vietnam War. He would later serve as the Chief of Human Technology at INSCOM and Army Inspector General. Alexander’s work inspired and was heavily featured in the book and adapted film “Men Who Stare at Goats.” He is widely credited with leading the way in researching non-lethal weapons and military applications of the paranormal.

In this episode, Alexander recounts his experience in Vietnam and the brutality of jungle warfare. Through his experience, he began to see the power of coincidence and intuition. This led him to pursue greater knowledge via the Army Intelligence and Security Command. It was there he helped transform the United State’s approach to the paranormal. Post retirement, Alexander became the Program Manager for Non-Lethal Defense at Los Alamos National Laboratory–the same lab responsible for the creation of the Atomic Bomb. Today, he is a successful Author and continues his work as a researcher.

YouTube
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February 14, 2024 3:06pm
- kowtow
  
  ‘He is widely credited with leading the way in researching non-lethal weapons and military applications of the paranormal.’
  
  Sounds like a piss take , waste of money and resources.
  
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  February 14, 2024 3:26pm
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    Men who stare at goats
    
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    February 14, 2024 6:46pm
- NZer In Exile
  
  Shawn Ryan DOES have some very interesting and revealing interviews. I skip the alleged paranormal stuff.
  
  I’d recommend looking up these:
  
  Tim Parlatore – United States v. Donald J. Trump | Part 1
  
  Tim Parlatore – Unpacking the Trump Indictments | Part 2
  
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  February 14, 2024 9:42pm
  - Ghost
    
    Yeah, watched those. I actually find these paranormal ones interesting, especially their military background.
    
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    February 14, 2024 10:04pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

The Election interference Trial.
Nicely worded isn’t it? It is not Trump doing the interference, it is the bloody Democrats! but such is the leftist media!

https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/other/trump-asks-supreme-court-to-put-off-his-election-interference-trial/ss-BB1id5c9?
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February 14, 2024 3:14pm
kevn

One for google enthusiasts… we all use it but.
https://rwmalonemd.substack.com/p/google-has-usurped-democracy?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=583200&post_id=141621755&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=15bbs6&utm_medium=email
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February 14, 2024 3:17pm
Jack5

Russia has put the Prime Minister of Estonia, Kaja Kallas, on its “wanted list” because of what it calls the desecration of World War 2 Soviet monuments in Estonia.

The Baltic countries have been removing Red monuments to new sites, annoying Russians. The Baltic people are also avid supporters of Ukraine.

In 1949 Kallas’s mother, Kristi (then six months old), her grandmother and her great-grandmother were sent to Siberia under Stalin’s mass deportations of Baltic citizens who were deemed “anti-Soviet”.

The Estonian Prime Minister’s father, Siim Kallas, oversaw the country’s shift to democratic capitalism as president of the Bank of Estonia in the 1990s, and served as prime minister between 2002 and 2003 before becoming a European Commissioner.

https://youtu.be/7aoPge4SNt0?si=cs0a6ppRzvapXXzQ
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February 14, 2024 3:20pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Breaking News
The 49ers received 3 mail-in touchdowns late last night.
They are now Super Bowl Champions!
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February 14, 2024 3:43pm
Maggie Pie

Admittedly, it would be at least 6 years since we were last in Waimate.
I still remember it for it’s wonderful tearooms and Devonshire Teas.
It was one of the most delightful rest-stops on our 2 week tiki tour.
Nicer more welcomimg people you could not meet. Although we never let on we were from Auckland. In fact for our entire trip around small town South Island, we were warned that if anyone asked, best to say Palmy.

Irrespective of that, I think Dr Rawiri might be jumping to conclusions with his concerns here. It is my belief, that the new mechanic in town is more than likely a Hindu.

https://twitter.com/RawiriTaonui/status/1757377515428217232
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February 14, 2024 3:55pm
- MCōs
  
  The panel beater has a distinctly pakeha name
  https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/south-canterbury/grossly-insensitive-swastika-sign-waimate-panelbeaters
  
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  February 14, 2024 5:29pm
  - Maggie Pie
    
    Don’t let that fool you Cossie.
    My partner has a client in the Sikh community that makes restaurant bookings under the name ‘Manny’
    Never been turned away yet. (his real name is Mandeep)
    
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    February 14, 2024 5:47pm
  - kowtow
    
    Whoever or whatever he is there’ll be a “back story” .
    
    Note too the SS runes above the offending article , that’s as bad and taken as a whole very disturbing.
    
    In any event though he’s probably very low iq .The wings are upside down …….. or maybe his sign maker ‘s about to get the bash……
    
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    February 14, 2024 7:00pm
- fightingtemeraire
  
  Hindu one goes the other way.
  
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  February 14, 2024 7:04pm
Steve Otto(North Shore)

Maori forcing indoctrination.
This shit needs to be nipped in the bud – now!

https://www.hobsonspledge.nz/meetjanetdickson

Yes they are asking for donations but this sneaky blackmailing crap just has to stop.
Who is really behind it?
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February 14, 2024 4:41pm
- PurplePen
  
  That is ridiculous.. I mean essentially forcing someone to have to learn the ToW stuff just so you can’t continue you work. Got to be unlawful under the human rights act surely, freedom of association, thought, etc.
  
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  February 14, 2024 7:00pm
- PurplePen
  
  Here’s what the Human Rights Act says, there might be something in the ethical beliefs area:
  
  For the purposes of this Act, the prohibited grounds of discrimination are—
  
  (c)
  religious belief:
  (d)
  ethical belief, which means the lack of a religious belief, whether in respect of a particular religion or religions or all religions:
  
  (g)
  ethnic or national origins, which includes nationality or
  political opinion, which includes the lack of a particular political opinion or any political opinion:
  
  It shall be unlawful for any person concerned with procuring employment for other persons or procuring employees for any employer to treat any person seeking employment differently from other persons in the same or substantially similar circumstances by reason of any of the prohibited grounds of discrimination.
  
  Where a religious or ethical belief requires its adherents to follow a particular practice, an employer must accommodate the practice so long as any adjustment of the employer’s activities required to accommodate the practice does not unreasonably disrupt the employer’s activities.
  
  Organisations of employees or employers and professional and trade associations
  
  (1)
  It shall be unlawful for an organisation to which this section applies, or for any person acting or purporting to act on behalf of any such organisation,—
  (a)
  to refuse or omit to accept any person for membership; or
  (b)
  to offer any person less favourable terms of membership and less favourable access to any benefits, facilities, or services, including the right to stand for election and hold office in the organisation, than would otherwise be made available; or
  (c)
  to deprive a person of membership, or suspend him or her, in circumstances in which other persons would not be deprived of membership or suspended,—
  
  by reason of any of the prohibited grounds of discrimination.
  
  Qualifying bodies
  (1)
  It shall be unlawful for an authority or body empowered to confer an approval, authorisation, or qualification that is needed for, or facilitates, engagement in a profession, trade, or calling, or any person acting or purporting to act on behalf of any such authority or body,—
  (a)
  to refuse or omit to confer that approval, authorisation, or qualification on a person; or
  (b)
  to confer that approval, authorisation, or qualification on less favourable terms and conditions than would otherwise be made available; or
  (c)
  to withdraw that approval, authorisation, or qualification or vary the terms on which it is held, in circumstances in which it would not otherwise be withdrawn or varied,—
  
  by reason of any of the prohibited grounds of discrimination.
  
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  February 14, 2024 7:15pm
  - rouppe
    
    Unlikely in the ethical belief area as that specifically says “which means the lack of a religious belief”.
    
    In fact in all of these, they’ll probably say “we are treating everyone the same so there is no discrimination”.
    
    More likely in the BoR Act as you mention below
    
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    February 15, 2024 8:39am
- PurplePen
  
  And then there’s these areas in the Bill Of Rights Act that might be useful for Janet:
  
  13 Freedom of thought, conscience, and religion
  
  Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion, and belief, including the right to adopt and to hold opinions without interference.
  
  14 Freedom of expression
  
  Everyone has the right to freedom of expression, including the freedom to seek, receive, and impart information and opinions of any kind in any form.
  
  15 Manifestation of religion and belief
  
  Every person has the right to manifest that person’s religion or belief in worship, observance, practice, or teaching, either individually or in community with others, and either in public or in private.
  
  17 Freedom of association
  
  Everyone has the right to freedom of association.
  
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  February 14, 2024 7:23pm
kevn

SteveO… Fast food staff next up, then maybe fuel station staff. Endless money opportuniddy.
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February 14, 2024 5:16pm
- Inandout
  
  kev, there are many licensed operators out there such as financial advisers, security, gas fitters, builders, gun owners, lawyers. doctors, dentists, opticians etc. Where does this cultural madness end?
  
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  February 14, 2024 5:50pm
Ghost

Newshub has been leaked another Cabinet paper which reveals the Government is considering allowing for a potential influx of overseas landlords.

The Housing Minister’s preferred option is now allowing foreign buyers to invest in not just large-scale build-to-rent housing, but any residential land, if they intend to develop even one house on it.

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Well Kieran, it’s not the government leaking, it’s the leftie civil servants who do not respect their job and need to be fired for doing this.
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February 14, 2024 6:52pm
Ghost

No, prison is the right place for you

A man who defrauded taxpayers to the tune of $200,000, much of which was spent on his “hedonistic” lifestyle that included gambling and adult entertainment, has again appealed, saying he should be serving his sentence at home, not in a cell.

While Nathan Downey’s lawyers say he should have been sentenced to home detention instead of his prison sentence of just over 20 months, the Crown says the judge made no errors in his decision.

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February 14, 2024 7:09pm

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