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January 18, 2025 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 18 January 2025

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artemisia

Sir Brian Roche spells out what’s wrong with the public service – Audrey Young’s article in the Herald is paywalled but Ele Ludemann has referenced some of it in her blog post, along with her commentary, and now at Point of Order.

In summary, from Audrey Young’s article – There are too many meetings in the public service, too many layers of management, too much duplication, not enough clarity about its role and not enough focus on outcomes, new Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche told chief executives in a letter ahead of their first meeting. He said improvements in efficiency, decision-making, and responsiveness were needed … something is getting lost in translation between ministers and the system … too much focus on doing business with one another and not enough on outcomes

Sir Brian also had a bit to say about the quality of ToW advice provided by officials, relevant currently.

Imagine the impact of a front page pic of Sir Brian, fist raised and shouting Outcomes! Outcomes! Outcomes!

https://pointofordernz.wordpress.com/2025/01/17/roche-diagnoses-public-service-problems/
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January 18, 2025 8:08am
- Benedict Yu
  
  This may seem harsh, but the problems that he identifies IMO have been exacerbated by an insistence on incorporating te ao Maori into all decision making. It can take, figuratively, forever.
  
  I will give a simple example. Let’s say an agency wants to buy a new filing / information management system. That once would have been simple. Now it needs to protect Maori knowledge as a taonga. Ensuring it can do so might take years.
  
  Then the information management system will need an appropriate Maori name. That could take months. Then eventually, the new information management system will be opened and blessed with members of local hapu present. Then the system needs to be monitored to ensure that it protects the mana of Maori knowledge and on and on.
  
  There is no way to make this go faster. If it takes years to get the system right, it takes years, no matter what the cost.
  
  BTW I actually witnessed this. It is not fiction.
  
  My point is that incorporating te ao Maori is astonishingly complex, time consuming, and daunting.
  
  Of course if the new Commissioner were to say this, it would be fatal for him.
  
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  January 18, 2025 8:27am
  - pdm
    
    `My point is that incorporating te ao Maori is astonishingly complex, time consuming, and daunting.’
    
    Especially when there is no need in 95/99% of Government Departments.
    
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    January 18, 2025 8:37am
    - Benedict Yu
      
      Yes but it is a legal requirement of the Public Service Act. If the government does not like it change the Act.
      
      A government department office I visited last year had wall posters…
      
      “We incorporate te ao Maori in everything we do every day.”
      
      Posters in the office, the lunch room and elevators.
      
      The staff are doing what they are told to do.
      
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      January 18, 2025 8:46am
      - pdm
        
        I did not know about the Act BY.
        
        Sounds more like indoctrination to me and that must be turned around.
        
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        January 18, 2025 8:50am
      - NeverMindTheBollocks
        
        It’s the equivalent of the WWJD* wristbands worn by fundamentalist Christian youth. Or posters of Stalin.
        
        * What Would Jesus Do
        
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        January 18, 2025 9:02am
      - Michael Sommerville
        
        And who is the Minister of the Public Service – none other than Nicola Willis who could stop this BS.
        
        I see her lack of action on this matter as similar to the stagnation of public service employees. National promised to return the public service numbers back to 2017 levels. Well, that is not happening.
        
        This is a complete lack of action on the part of this National minister.
        
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        January 18, 2025 9:03am
      - Pope Punctilious II
        
        “If the government does not like it change the Act.”
        
        Can you see a National-led government doing that, BY?
        
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        January 18, 2025 9:15am
      - G the giant from Dunedin
        
        Well, last Friday I had my second hip done. I never heard any Te Reo spoken by doctors, by nurses, by physics, by food distributors or even the coffee lady. Yes there were signs with both languages around, but they do seem to have stopped the are Reo greetings, I was in the hospital just over two years ago, and you were greeted in Māori sometimes, when I got my first hip done in June, there was some greetings in Te Reo, but thankfully this time Te Reo appears to have gone, which I was happy about, I just want the info, no bullshittery
        
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        January 18, 2025 9:28am
      - Benedict Yu
        
        “I never heard any Te Reo spoken by doctors, by nurses, by physics, by food distributors or even….”
        
        Are you confusing te ao Maori with te reo Maori?
        
        My comment was about the incorporation of te ao Maori by the Public service. Nothing to do with the use of te reo. Well only indirectly.
        
        I assure you that the incorporation of te ao Maori into public service analysis and advice has noticbly intensified under this government.
        
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        January 18, 2025 3:02pm
    - kowtow
      
      And no need for , say 50%, of those depts.
      
      We need disruptors , not better managers.
      
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      January 18, 2025 8:47am
      - imalwaysright
        
        Luxon prefers to manage failure rather than euthanise it.
        Meanwhile we hemorrhage money, time and people …
        
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        January 18, 2025 10:09am
      - Steve Otto N Shore
        
        We need Musk and Ramaswamy types.
        “What have you done and produced on the last 12 months? Nothing? Thanks for coming in today, and btw, You’re fired, FIRED!!”
        No more nonsense.
        
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        January 18, 2025 10:48am
      - Benedict Yu
        
        This might seem incredible, but I believe it. If you were to reduce the public service by 50 percent, the world would carry on. You could simply say if you were born on an even numbered day, you lose your job. Yes harsh, but that is the scale of the problem.
        
        I’m not talking nurses, police, etc.
        
        Yes there would be some adjustment. You would not be able to take two years to implement a new filing system.
        
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        January 18, 2025 11:17am
      - kowtow
        
        BY
        
        It is credible .
        
        Apart from the emergency / essential services ( who’re also in at least some sort of holiday mode) I’d warrant that just about the whole of the public service has been on holiday for a month.
        
        And the sky hasn’t fallen in.
        
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        January 18, 2025 12:41pm
      - Steve Otto N Shore
        
        @ BY 11.17am.
        The left will always revert to Nurses, Doctors, Police, First Responders. Best ignored.
        The area in the Public Sector that needs sunlight and disinfectant is those who have been there for decades and done nothing other than Union shit stirring!
        A 50% loss and we would not notice. There would be more leaving maybe because they will have to ‘work.’ Four letter word that should not be mentioned.
        I don’t know what that 50% + would do because the Private Sector would never employ them.
        More on the dole I guess! Cheaper than their inflated salaries.
        My bugbear is the Admin in Health. The Hospitals work great until Admin get hold of your data – then it is fucked!
        
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        January 18, 2025 4:18pm
  - AitchW
    
    The problem comes about largely because of Maori wonderfulness. Knowledge isn’t Maori or pakeha or colonialist or oppressive. It’s just knowledge.
    Add to that the glacial speed at which Maori do anything (interminable hui and consultations) not to mention the koha, karakia and kaumatua and kuia and you see why it takes so very long to get anything done which involves “te ao Maori”.
    
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    January 18, 2025 8:42am
    - Nobby2
      
      AW by koha don’t you mean kash ie cash in English.
      
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      January 18, 2025 1:40pm
      - Steve Otto N Shore
        
        Of course not!!//
        
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        January 18, 2025 4:19pm
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    A mandatory requirement is Maori data sovereignty.
    
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    January 18, 2025 8:45am
  - Grumpy Silver Top
    
    “My point is that incorporating te ao Maori is astonishingly complex, time consuming, and daunting.” …and a complete waste of time, achieving no valid outcome. The true reasons for the ministries’ existence is drowning in ideology.
    
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    January 18, 2025 8:49am
    - Yvette
      
      How much of this might be eliminated if it was enforced that Government departments and services be secular – neutral in religious worldviews – so that te Ao Maori has no more importance than Sharia Law in delivery of drinking water, or that Maori make submissions to a particular Minister in the same way as members of Gloriavale would.
      
      Does the Treaty trump the Declaration of Human Rights – the freedom to practice religious choices, but (one assumes) also freedom from other people’s religious choices, particularly when aided by a third party (the civil service we all pay for) doing it on another’s behalf.
      Maori religious believers were 1.3 percent of the population last Census.
      
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      January 18, 2025 10:18am
  - Paulus
    
    Knowing Roche in this position I do not think he cares what would be fatal to him.
    He, from experience, is there to do a job to the best of his ability, despite the total Public Servants and the Political Unions, who will do everything to wreck what he is trying to do for our Country.
    We saw this side of the country emanating from Helen Clark, and her feminist acolytes, and through her to Dame Ardern.
    Any adverse, by many now very highly paid people, predominently women, movement and the shit will hit the fan.
    Confucious did not actually say “may you live in interesting times” but there is under two years before a new Government is elected, so watch the meeeting times and etc for now.
    
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    January 18, 2025 9:30am
    - artemisia
      
      Sir Brian is there for a reason, and has set CEO expectations.
      
      Public sector CEOs were set expectations last year, notably to shrink budgets. Looking in from the outside it looks very much as though there has been a fair bit of jiggery pokery. Like cancelling vacancies and offering a lot of voluntary redundancies, instead of reviewing functions and roles.
      
      Sir Brian will of course be well aware.
      
      I’d expect to see serious 2025 Budget cuts, hopefully relating to specific functions and roles.
      
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      January 18, 2025 10:39am
  - rouppe
    
    Let’s say an agency wants to buy a new filing / information management system. That once would have been simple. Now it needs to protect Maori knowledge as a taonga.
    
    A filing/info management computer system has nothing to do with protecting Maori or any other knowledge. It doesn’t care if the information put into it is English, Maori, Turkish or Yiddish. It’s a bloody computer system.
    
    Any “protection” is set by policy. You set the policy once, and that’s it.
    
    If the decision makers are being led by the nose with this stuff, they are incompetent, they don’t understand what they’re responsible for and should be tossed out the door forthwith.
    
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    January 18, 2025 9:40am
  - cmm
    
    BY: It would seem that the public service has become obsessed with form over function.
    
    The Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) become how many Maori bullet points you can have and how often you sing little Maori songs at the beginning of a meeting, how many LBGTQI+ signs you have in your building etc.
    
    Unfortunately these KPIs are easy for low-performance people to focus on so they will tend to grow.
    
    The real KPIs (providing a service on a budget that serves the citizens) is far harder to meet and drops by the wayside.
    
    Unfortunately this is not limited to government. I see the save taking over many large corporations.
    
    Taxpayer money or shareholder money? Who cares!
    
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    January 18, 2025 12:09pm
    - artemisia
      
      Don’t forget ‘consultation’ cmm, up and down the country of course, plus the signif costs involved.
      
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      January 18, 2025 12:28pm
  - Unity
    
    Not to ignore the massive expense incurred, Benedict Yu, which could be better spent elsewhere. It’s time this nonsense was knocked literally on the head. We all speak English.
    
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    January 18, 2025 1:34pm
    - Benedict Yu
      
      To repeat my other comment you may be confusing te ao Maori with te reo Maori. Even public servants who only speak English are required to use te ao Maori in their work. “Everything we do every day.”
      
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      January 18, 2025 3:06pm
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      That’s why I commented above, 3 years ago I was often greeted in the hospital in Māori, in June not so much, and last week not one word of Te Reo was waffled to me
      
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      January 18, 2025 3:51pm
- Matt Long
  
  I saw a post yesterday but can’t find it now, that New Zealand has twice as many public servants, excluding Nurse’s, teachers police etc. as communist China per member of the population at large.
  National, look at the polls, the bald Jacinda strategy isn’t working.
  
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  January 18, 2025 8:53am
  - Scott
    
    Since coming to power the coalition has taken NZ in a vastly different direction than the jacinda govt. In the first 100 days they dismantled almost the entire Jacinda agenda, 3 waters gone, Maori health authority gone, the Reserve Bank to concentrate on curbing inflation, tax cuts and some trimming of the public sector.
    
    We agree there is more to be done. Inflation is much more under control and this govt is much more business friendly and is now concentrating on trade deals and cutting burdensome regulations. All those are good things.
    
    Essentially if the economy improves the coalition will be in good shape for another term. But the economy does need to improve.
    
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    January 18, 2025 9:38am
    - Pope Punctilious II
      
      “In the first 100 days they dismantled almost the entire Jacinda agenda”
      
      I agree they’ve done some good things, but there is so much more to do. Our education system remains thoroughly captured, as shown by the all-pervasive Maori wonderfulness syndrome. And it’s not just the Ardern agenda that needs to be dismantled, as there were also some nefarious developments under the preceding Key administration.
      
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      January 18, 2025 10:21am
      - Scott
        
        Pope, I agree with your comments. Regarding education I am a big fan of Erica Stanford who is pushing back against the trans curriculum and is making educators concentrate on teaching the kids to read and do maths. She’s also banned cellphones and apparently the kids are now talking to each other.
        
        But there’s a lot to do. One of the big problems is that many educators are entranced with Maori wonderfulness and don’t particularly like their own culture and society. And those same people really believe trans women are women.
        
        Ms Stanford does not have an easy task! 😎
        
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        January 18, 2025 12:52pm
      - Jack5
        
        Matt L’s … New Zealand has twice as many public servants …. as communist China …
        
        OECD figures quoted by Wikipedia seem to suggest NZ has comparatively fewer public servants per capita than the US and Germany.
        
        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_public_sector_size
        
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        January 18, 2025 1:35pm
    - Unity
      
      And, Scott, we need to get rid of all race-based legislation and expenditure, It’s costing billions and achieving zilch.
      
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      January 18, 2025 1:35pm
    - Damocles11
      
      This stuff around changing the mandate of the Reserve Bank….it was just window dressing. If the Reserve Bank is solely focussed on inflation then why are we purportedly getting another 50 bps OCR cut in the near future, at a time when oil and petrol costs are rising? This is called ‘claiming easy wins’ while ignoring the hard stuff. It is National party warm fuzzies for propaganda purposes. I don’t see that Labours agenda has been dismantled at all: Maorification continues and is being entrenched. Nothing substantive has been done about the Waitangi Tribunal, state media has not been defunded and / or sold. Let me know when the ‘Principles of the Treaty’ have been removed from all legislation. I’m sick of the be claims of National party supporters, most of us are not fooled about what is going on.
      
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      January 18, 2025 2:10pm
  - Steve Otto N Shore
    
    It was on The Taxpayer’s Union.
    
    https://www.taxpayers.org.nz/taxpayer_update_250117
    
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    January 18, 2025 10:56am
    - Matt Long
      
      That’s right, thanks Steve.
      
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      January 18, 2025 1:29pm
  - Sir Cullen's Sidekick
    
    Matt Long – Long back I said, Luxon is useless. Everybody down ticked me. Who is having the last laugh now?
    
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    January 19, 2025 4:20am
Cassandra

The Curia poll published yesterday puts Labour 1% ahead of National. With a margin of error of 3% it’s not quite as dramatic as commentators, the media and Labour will have us believe. To me the remarkable feature of the poll is that race relations (to me Race Relations) is the top concern for only 8% of those polled. By far the most important issue for most voters is the economy. James Carville would add “Stupid”. Cost of living is the main issue for voters with 22.3% of people saying it’s their top issue, followed by the economy (17.5%), health (11.6%), Māori or Treaty issues (8%), the environment (5.8%) and education (4.5%). Not sure many people would differentiate between the cost of living and the economy. But here’s the $64 question: what do we do about it? Not too sure that new principles for the Treaty and reducing regulations is an attractive message for potential Act voters. Labour’s solution of taxing the rich plus some more borrowing and redistributing that to its supporters and to get back the Maori vote is really promising. //
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January 18, 2025 8:13am
- Tomtoddy
  
  The poll should be a concern to ACT. While I suggest its not a particularly accurate snapshot ACT should be focusing much more on productivity and education – the two major factors that are in pathetically bad shape and are affecting our future.
  
  Sure, the Treaty Principles stuff is focused on important values but it is more a “nice-to-have” option than an urgent deal. We have a population that is ideologically screwed up especially the under 40’s and it is going to take a great effort to turn things around.
  
  The way the Coalition is going they will be a one term government and we will have to wait even longer for reforms.
  
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  January 18, 2025 8:25am
  - BananaLlama
    
    Why is it a concern to ACT when they polled ahead of all the minor parties at 10% even NZF is doing well at 8% the only ones struggling right now are National and they have done it to themselves.
    
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    January 18, 2025 8:29am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      Act down 2.2% that is a 15% drop in support in a money, similar to Nats, stop the bullshit it’s all Nats. We are losing the centre thanks to the divisive TPB, as I said would happen, unless the economy really turns the corner this year, then you will get Labour and greens and TPM
      
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      January 18, 2025 11:28am
      - BananaLlama
        
        G.
        National are now polling down in the 20’s, this is really really really bad for them i don’t know what else to tell you.
        Both Mrs Willis and the Mighty Totara or w/e his name was at the Reserve Bank need a good tune up and get told to get their act together or get gone. Voters are going yet another year without a pay rise and they are going to get rid of the government if it doesn’t change.
        
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        January 18, 2025 12:02pm
      - Quail
        
        What is TPB please?
        
        [Mod – Treaty Principles Bill]
        
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        January 18, 2025 2:23pm
      - G the giant from Dunedin
        
        Bannanallama
        
        What are you suggesting government should grove pay rises? What rubbish, I got a pay rise this year, have they had a wage freeze? WTF is going on with people, I do not want government in my life
        
        Voters can choose to go back to Labour and end up stuck with higher tax bracket creep, they can take the pain and have CGT, wealth tax, inheritance tax. Then they can suffer the ludicrous costs by Greens, and far higher fuel tax hikes, and banning of oil and gas. Then they can suck up TPM in cabinet who will want the Māori parliament and all services seperate for Maori, at tax payers costs.
        
        Yeah it’s all Luxon fault ffs
        
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        January 18, 2025 3:59pm
      - Paulus
        
        Umm !!!!
        Boring
        and the Cricket is still on Television.
        
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        January 18, 2025 4:17pm
      - BananaLlama
        
        G,
        are you even aware that the economy is in recession? voters aren’t getting pay rises anytime soon until Willis stop spraying money around like water (she is spending more than Robbo so don’t even argue) and the Reserve Bank actually sets their interest rates correctly.
        Time to wake up and smell the coffee.
        
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        January 18, 2025 8:14pm
  - Pope Punctilious II
    
    “We have a population that is ideologically screwed up especially the under 40’s and it is going to take a great effort to turn things around. ”
    
    So true, and it’s largely the fault of the Nats who failed to stem the ongoing capture of our institutions during their 9 years in government from 2008-2017. That’s what happens when a government adopts a short-term focus on balancing the books on their watch, and largely ignores the culture war.
    
    I agree that productivity and education are the core issues, but a long-term perspective is vital. Currently we have universities spending millions of taxpayer dollars on “decolonization programs” and teaching maatauranga to science students. Maatauranga is also still in the school science curriculum https://newzealandcurriculum.tahurangi.education.govt.nz/p-t-tara/5637237581.p We have Watercare quietly paying $20M to iwi for use of Waikato River water. Currently scientists need permission from iwi to carry out any kind of research on DOC land, and the consultation process takes months or even years. As BY has pointed out above, government departments are required to incorporate “te ao Maori” into everything they do.
    
    Might not all this have myriad implications for productivity and the economy? Might it not make potential investors think twice about investing in New Zealand?
    
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    January 18, 2025 9:29am
    - Damocles11
      
      Yes, John Key did absolutely nothing except row the boat around in circles and get into bed with the Maori Party. Absolutely hopeless. Now National supporters want a repeat dose of the same disastrous intransigence.
      
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      January 18, 2025 6:27pm
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Act down quite a bit, the TPB is not going to move the vote at all, as I have said everyone knew before the election that Nats snd NZF were not for the TPB, but the damage is being done, the centre is moving left.
    
    In saying that, the cost of living and economy are the 2 biggest concerns, why the tell would people want to go back to Labour who created the mess plus got the first time ever the greens and TPM in cabinet
    
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    January 18, 2025 9:38am
    - westernScientist
      
      Down quite a bit from when? I swear you make up most of what you say. Here is all of the polling since the election: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_next_New_Zealand_general_election
      
      It is ACTs second highest poll since june last year, NZF+ACT are constant with the the highest poll for ACT since June last year, so any loss of support for ACT has gone to NZF. Nats are trend down though.
      
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      January 18, 2025 10:43am
      - G the giant from Dunedin
        
        They have dropped 2.2% since last month, that is a 15% drop, that’s the same as Nats, what the tell are you talking about
        
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        January 18, 2025 4:01pm
    - Mark Hanley
      
      I’m constantly amazed by the stupidity of the average voter.
      
      It beggars belief that the headwinds caused by 6 years of Labour stewardship, during which the Labour hierarchy focused solely on enriching themselves at great cost to Labour voters, is reason for Labour voters to shift their votes back to the perpetrators.
      
      The problem is idiot labour voters take us all down with them.
      
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      January 18, 2025 11:50am
    - Damocles11
      
      ‘The centre is moving Left’ due to the ineffectual National party, which lacks strong leaders with political conviction. Parachuting wokesters into leadership roles so that can run this country on behalf of the elite establishment has proven to be a disaster, both Key and Luxon have done nothing except row the boat around in circles. The MSM run riot in this country and Luxons response is to pander to them. Disgraceful!
      
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      January 18, 2025 3:12pm
      - G the giant from Dunedin
        
        Again, they have dumped the shit Labour brought in, they are delivering what the promised, why the hell are they ineffective? Don’t start about race based crap because this poll shows it is a minor issue. Seymour scares the shit out of centrist voters, that’s why many went to NZF before the election, tell me, after sorting interest rates, getting interest rates dropping quicker than expected, business confidence on the rise, GDP expected positive this year, but yeah Luxon useless. Ffs we will never see a centre right government again if the rotten coalition gets in then enjoy your taxes being prised from you, and enjoy paying for a Māori system across thdd Ed board including a parliament
        
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        January 18, 2025 4:12pm
      - Damocles11
        
        Dumped what? 3 Waters and dumped the dual mandate of the Reserve Bank? Woop de freakin doo. Labour Lite.
        
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        January 18, 2025 7:44pm
  - Unity
    
    The Treaty Principles Bill is much much more than a ‘nice-to-have’ item. It’s costing billions and achieving zilch. The money could be better spent on need, not race and then we might start getting somewhere. We should all be treated the same.
    
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    January 18, 2025 1:38pm
    - Damocles11
      
      The Treaty Principles Bill is ‘costing billions’? What on earth are you talking about?!
      
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      January 18, 2025 3:13pm
      - G the giant from Dunedin
        
        Do you think s this work is done for free ffs
        
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        January 18, 2025 4:14pm
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      We should all be treated the same, but the bill is losing the centre as expected, the poll shows race things are a sms issue, yet we are f….ng about with this, get rid of this crap
      
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      January 18, 2025 4:13pm
      - septic skeptic
        
        If we don’t sort this treaty/maorification/grievance bandwagon our productivity is going to get worse and worse. Any productive people who can will emigrate. It’s happening already.
        
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        January 18, 2025 10:33pm
- BananaLlama
  
  Right Direction 39 Wrong Direction 53 …. National only have themselves to blame.
  
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  January 18, 2025 8:26am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    So as the poll says treaty issues are not a priority, now tell me what the Nats have done to completely up turn the direction over Christmas? They have inflation in the box, interest rates well down from Labours sky high interest rates, stolen taxes returned, even funds for child care and business confidence way better than expected, now in stead of simply blaming Nats, tell me what they have not done correct, and don’t give me any race issue bullshit, because this poll calls bs in race issues
    
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    January 18, 2025 11:34am
    - Ra Henare
      
      Just a small item.
      Nats did not contain inflation.
      That was done by Reserve Bank creating a recession.
      and not printing more money.
      
      Now Reserve bank are reversing their earlier stupidity
      
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      January 18, 2025 4:11pm
      - Quail
        
        Inflation is still a problem.There is underlying inflation concerning the RB.
        It will continue to be so until a government balances the books.
        The USD is strengthening against the NZD which inflates oil and most other imports.
        The OCR will reflect this if Orr does his job.
        
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        January 18, 2025 5:48pm
    - RoboRob
      
      Well G, since National are so perfect and only 8% care about Acts TPB (so that cant be the problem) what is it that National are doing wrong to be so bad in the polls?
      
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      January 18, 2025 4:18pm
      - Damocles11
        
        No leadership. Luxon is milquetoast.
        
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        January 18, 2025 7:48pm
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Funny, because 2 polls ago the direction was similar to this, polls appear to be all over the place
    
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    January 18, 2025 4:17pm
- Chuck Bird
  
  The environment can be linked to the economy when it comes to farmers. We should not be paying billions for our emissions.
  
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  January 18, 2025 8:27am
  - Benedict Yu
    
    That is not something that Chris Luxon will talk about. Literally.
    
    IMO Chris Luxon will not be remembered as one of New Zealand’s better prime ministers. If he wins the next election, which is at best a coin toss, he will most likely depart by 2028. His legacy will be more efficient socialism, and better roads. Not without merit but disappointing.
    
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    January 18, 2025 8:34am
    - Tomtoddy
      
      Good summary BY.
      
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      January 18, 2025 8:48am
    - imalwaysright
      
      That the party Hipkins leads is more popular than the party Luxon leads says it all.
      He lacks courage and he lacks vision, NZ has all of the resources necessary to be the richest country in the world yet we flounder and procrastinate for decades on end.
      I’m surprised we’ve made it this far.
      
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      January 18, 2025 9:03am
      - Morgan H
        
        Exactly, Labour has a vision now. While Luxon’s National is just trying to “win the centre” with the no vision or values strategy. This worked for Key because he was popular and had the rockstar economy. This won’t turn out well for Luxon’s National.
        
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        January 18, 2025 9:59am
      - kowtow
        
        Every day , across just about all media , the coalition is attacked.
        
        For all the faults in the coalition and there are many , they are fighting a tide of filth from the media.
        
        Ironic , the media hype up , rightly the poor state of our public finances and all the economic gloom and doom , brought on us by Ardern and Co ,but blame the incumbents.
        
        Anyway to get things right we don’t need better managers , we need disruptors . Cut the public service , cut taxes , cut regulation , cut out the whole climate bollocks and all the race crap.
        
        For starters.
        
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        January 18, 2025 10:01am
      - artemisia
        
        Fast track projects. A process designed to speed up delivery.
        
        Mind you, Labour did some fast tracking as well, though it mostly involved just a hosepipe of taxpayer money with little accountability.
        
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        January 18, 2025 11:16am
      - G the giant from Dunedin
        
        The richest country in the world? Are you for real?
        
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        January 18, 2025 4:18pm
      - Damocles11
        
        I hear a lot about ‘Fast track’ but nothing is being fast tracked. The intransigent Nats to remove their finger from the proverbial before it is far too late. The clock is ticking.
        
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        January 18, 2025 5:12pm
    - SpencerArnold
      
      That is because elections are not elections any more, they are “big brother house” popularity competitions (Note: John Key and Jacinda Ardern, and esp. Winston Peters). NZ’ers get the politicians they deserve and frankly given their choices of late, they deserve it.
      
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      January 18, 2025 9:46am
      - G the giant from Dunedin
        
        Yes, so let’s s hate Luxon, he has chopped all Lsbours crsp, he wants to deliver for the economy this yeah, but who likes badly, oh well bring back Hipkins who created the mess ffs
        
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        January 18, 2025 4:19pm
      - Damocles11
        
        He wants to ‘deliver for the economy’…what does that even mean? It’s just gobbledegook.
        
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        January 18, 2025 5:13pm
    - Burtland
      
      “he will most likely depart by 2028”
      – with all boxes ticked, all personal goals achieved and all his wealth offshore
      
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      January 18, 2025 10:01am
      - Damocles11
        
        Bully for him. “Hur dur, I achieved my goal of being PM”. Past PM’s are now loathed, he might be next. What an achievement that will be, to be loathed by a nation.
        
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        January 18, 2025 3:15pm
  - Quail
    
    CB,
    You are absolutely right.
    Some facts : sheep numbers now about 20 million from about 70 million , nett importer of pork etc
    A swing to viticulture , subsidised forestry competing with pastoral farming.
    Carbon farming forests are now one huge subsidised industry that has changed the face of NZ farming.Carbon farms only produce notional credits with minimal production cost.
    And take another look at the effect of Nationals past introduction of Labours RMA. This resulted in a huge bureaucracy growth , and has created a huge non productive regulatory industry on its own!
    Fast tracking only applies to the built environment and is not remedying the impact on farming.
    There is a lot more regulation choking agriculture .
    NZ is no longer able to farm its way out of any crisis.
    
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    January 18, 2025 9:57am
    - NothingLeft
      
      Wine consumption collapsing too. NZ must do everything it can to increase exports to stem the 30 billion a year structural current account deficit that is rapidly 3rd worlding us. We can’t afford any ‘luxury’ net zero policy choices in this.
      
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      January 18, 2025 11:05am
      - Damocles11
        
        We are on track to pay between $20 and $30 Billion for farcical ‘carbon credits’ if we do not meet nonsensical ‘emissions objectives’, and woke Luxon and the blasé National Party are doing absolutely nothing to get us out of this mess.
        
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        January 18, 2025 3:18pm
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Emission charges in farmers have been kicked down the track to 2030, which will keep happening until Labours get back in
    
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    January 18, 2025 11:35am
    - Tom Hunter
      
      And there’s nothing that National can do to prevent this happening permanently?
      
      Really?
      
      By contrast, when Labour do get back into power circa 2030 or 2033 (best case) and put emission charges on farmers, the next National-led government circa 2036 or 2039 will just leave them there, “bigger fish to fry” and all that.
      
      The term your looking for is Ratchet Socialism.
      
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      January 18, 2025 3:16pm
      - G the giant from Dunedin
        
        Labour greens TPM will be back in 2026, so that’s okay, just as farming is starting to come right, and business confidence is returning, oh only 2 years and I can retire, I will not be paying extra taxes by the vulgar left.
        
        It’s all Luxon bloody fault
        
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        January 18, 2025 4:26pm
    - Damocles11
      
      ‘National: Kicking The Can Down The Road Until Labour Gets Back In.’
      Another potential slogan for the 2026 election.
      
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      January 18, 2025 3:19pm
      - G the giant from Dunedin
        
        Hold, because level headed voters will want it kicked down the road
        
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        January 18, 2025 4:27pm
  - Tom Hunter
    
    $30 billion by my estimate.
    
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    January 18, 2025 3:21pm
- Philview
  
  The media will ensure no positive stories about this Government get in front of an audience. I am sure there is good stuff happening in the country. I get a free business paper in my post box which is full of fancy building projects happening in the South Island. There are businesses investing in this country.
  
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  January 18, 2025 8:32am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Usiness confidence well ahead of predicted, beef’ Lsmb’ wool and dairy are all well ahead of projected, Beef and lamb more than 30% more than expected, and even strong wool up considerably the last few months
    
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    January 18, 2025 11:42am
    - Quail
      
      GG,
      Where did you get those” inflation adjusted “ ?figures from? The male dairy paddock ?
      The falling NZD has made input prices soar and they are still falling.
      Full contract shearing $10 per head for example.
      It actually ain’t easy down on the farm!
      
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      January 18, 2025 6:07pm
- Matt Long
  
  It’s an interesting situation, is National languishing in the polls solely because we’re reaping the economic fruit of three years of total fruit cake socialists poisoning the economic well?
  Is it National’s cunning plan to get so wet they upset conservative and centre right voters so much they increase votes for Act and NZF to the extent the minor parties get a free ride into parliament?
  Or some other failure in vision or messaging?
  
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  January 18, 2025 8:33am
  - westernScientist
    
    I dont think they have that much vision… Their plan is to get so wet the media they force us to pay for start to like them.
    
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    January 18, 2025 10:46am
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  I think the reason for Maori/ Treaty issues rating at just 8% is that NZ does not really have a race relations problem. By which I mean, people here actually run along pretty well at a day to day level. Perhaps most of us regard the jabberings of the tattooed ones as simply performance art of no real merit.
  
  Of course, it could be that the pollsters have omitted to ensure that 50% of all those polled are of Maori descent (as specified in te tiriti).
  
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  January 18, 2025 8:49am
  - PurplePen
    
    It’s interesting that Environment polls lower than Maori Treaty issues. I would have thought it would be the other way round given the Greens polling.
    
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    January 18, 2025 10:18am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      We are investing all this pain in the TPB and we are getting rinsed, well done Seymour
      
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      January 18, 2025 4:29pm
  - westernScientist
    
    I suspect it would be a bigger issue if people realised how much of their tax money was used placating the few that benefit from it. I agree though its not really a ‘race relations’ issue, the issue does not appear to be a general divide on race, more of a divide between the majority of the population, and a few oligarchs that use race as a way to get/maintain power, and again the more the general population find out about it, the more they will be pissed off, irrespective of race.
    
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    January 18, 2025 10:51am
    - imalwaysright
      
      Western , I agree with you.
      “I suspect it would be a bigger issue if people realised how much of their tax money was used placating the few that benefit from it.”
      
      The group that should have the biggest issue is those Maori for whom the money was intended. Their own representatives have been robbing them blind for decades.
      The solution will have to come from Maori. They have to rid themselves of these slavemasters.
      
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      January 18, 2025 12:25pm
      - Paulus
        
        Can’t identify themselves as having been robbed as they would soon be in the pot as a result.
        
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        January 18, 2025 1:15pm
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      They know how much tax and man it’s going to ramp up with all the new taxes that come
      
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      January 18, 2025 4:31pm
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    There was mention at the end of the poll it was very hard to get some sectors of the age group and gender right with lack of participants, it may well be as i think some wealthy people out of range over Christmas
    
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    January 18, 2025 11:45am
- SpencerArnold
  
  Mortgage rates are down, families are saving heaps per month compared to Labour’s reign. Rents are stable and IIRC rising below inflation, landlords are having to tempt people into rentals with added extras. Why is this not trumpted by the left leaning media? (OK I just answered my own question then).
  
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  January 18, 2025 9:27am
  - Damocles11
    
    Mortgage rates are down, Council rates are up.
    Inflation is down, but prices aren’t. Only the rate of *price increases* is down. Petrol prices are up.
    Our national debt is going up, we are borrowing hand over fist to paper over the cracks.
    New Zealanders have to pay through the nose for everything, and they know it. Now we are being told how great Congestion Charges are, this is the next cost that will be imposed on working people.
    
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    January 18, 2025 2:36pm
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  When reading the margin of error, it did go on to suggest certain areas of the poll were harder to get the required numbers, I thought it suggested the margin of error may well have been 5% in many of the age divisions. I simply can not believe that Nats have gone from 38% in November- 29% in January, that is a huge shift, I certainly will be waiting for the rapidly approaching one news varian poll
  
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  January 18, 2025 9:34am
  - Morgan H
    
    The 1-News-Verian poll was the only poll of the last six to put National above 35. Roy Morgan’s last released poll had National on 28.5.
    
    You say you can’t believe they’ve lost so much yet all your other comments are blaming it on Luxon for losing the centre? It looks like you’re hedging your bets.
    
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    January 18, 2025 9:55am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      Well what the f….else is it? It’s not the TPB because this poll shows it’s got no sway? Middle income families are way better off, yet they say wrong direction, and they say economy and cost of living are the worse issues, yet they want to put the architect of this shambles back in, another thing, if Labour are so great, then why did Hipkins take such a hiding ? Surely that can’t be hard to answer
      
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      January 18, 2025 11:49am
  - pdm
    
    What about Roy Morgan?
    
    I have more faith in them than a TV1 initiated poll.
    
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    January 18, 2025 9:57am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      The one news poll have had the coalition stable for 3 months, it will be interesting to see the quickly approaching poll, they always have one around ratana
      
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      January 18, 2025 11:51am
  - Paulus
    
    Must be the results from the Department of Statistics as they are good and arriving at results they want.
    
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    January 18, 2025 1:17pm
- mogg
  
  A growing economy is something that will provide you with a real job, higher wages and lower taxes allowing you to pay for your cost of living.
  Labour’s McJobs in the public sector will only ever drain the economy meaning higher taxes and lower standard of living for the plebs.
  
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  January 18, 2025 1:14pm
- coge
  
  There are exciting new changes starting in the Western world. It’s clear the only way NZ can be part of this will be with a new PM. This cannot be delayed, and 2025 is the perfect time for this to be established. Strike while the iron is hot. I’m talking to you, National party! LFG
  
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  January 18, 2025 2:53pm
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Sack Luxon now and we are gone ffs, let me guess, you want Seymour as pm even though his toxicity will simply put the switch voters back to the diabolical left
    
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    January 18, 2025 4:36pm
NK

(Un)believable puff piece by David Fisher I’m today’s [Mod – use correct names]

He’s justifying her actions by arguing it’s a minor amount, less than $150.00 and Pak n Save never made a complaint and it appears that the story was leaked by Leo Molloy. He’s also saying that it appears Golriz hadn’t even reached the checkout and so hadn’t shoplifted anything because she would have paid.

Maybe.

But he’s such a grifter.
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January 18, 2025 8:13am
- AitchW
  
  Jesus. These people will excuse anything if it involves politicians from the left.
  Ghahraman is a thief. She’s been convicted. And now she’s reverting to type.
  
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  January 18, 2025 8:32am
  - kowtow
    
    The incident under report happened prior to her sentencing , it’s not a “new” case since.
    
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    January 18, 2025 10:06am
- Benedict Yu
  
  According to a report I read, she was spotted on CCTV placing items into a bag. Described as a “tote” bag. That is not unlawful but violates the policies of the major supermarkets. If they spot you doing that you could be asked to leave.
  
  However, it would seem to me that it is not “theft” until you walk past the checkout without paying.
  
  It is all speculation.
  
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  January 18, 2025 8:43am
  - kowtow
    
    Not a lawyer ;legally once a person has laid their hand upon the item and taken possesion of it , with intention to steal , then the crime is complete.
    
    This notion of passing the till is , I believe ,a technicality as many thieves ( and innocents) have successfully argued in courts across the Anglo sphere that they weren’t criminally intended but (here insert any number of explanations ) and the courts accept that .
    
    So the prosecution in practise waits till the thief passes the till in order to fully prove its case , and even then it doesn’t always fly.
    
    Am open to correction.
    
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    January 18, 2025 8:56am
    - Benedict Yu
      
      Thanks that’s interesting. There is also common sense. I would not walk around a supermarket tossing groceries into a shoulder bag.
      
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      January 18, 2025 10:03am
      - kowtow
        
        Agree . I carry a shopping bag with me , under my arm usually but will only ever put anything into the trolley or supplied basket for items , until I’ve done my paying .
        
        Here’s another tip.
        
        Always take receipt . At the very least it’s a record of payment .
        
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        January 18, 2025 10:13am
    - Apteryx
      
      Yes, that’s correct as I understand it (also not a lawyer). Moving the goods with the intent of depriving the owner of the goods is the test:
      https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1961/0043/latest/whole.html#DLM329897
      
      To get a conviction the prosecution would have to prove intent beyond reasonable doubt.
      
      The Herald article is an incredible puff piece.
      
      Not clear how the Police learned of the as the supermarket didn’t lodge a complaint: the supermarket entered details into a system it knew the Police have access to.
      
      It’s only a small amount of money. The alleged theft is relevant as GG was appealing against her conviction (having pleaded guilty) and her wet bus ticket penalty.
      
      The event shows there is a continuing propensity to steal from other people.
      
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      January 18, 2025 10:16am
    - Allan
      
      The word of the day is ‘asportation’.
      
      The moving of something with the intention to steal it.
      
      But yes, a conviction is more likely if they leave the store with the item unpaid for.
      
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      January 18, 2025 11:17am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      when you have form there is no way you hide stuff in the tote bag in question and your hand bag
      
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      January 18, 2025 11:52am
    - cmm
      
      Also not a lawyer, but the problem would be proving that they intended to steal.
      
      Yesterday I walked through the supermarket needing to but a handful of thing. I ran out of hands, but didn’t want go and get a basket so I put a smaller item in my back pocket (sticking out and fully visible). When I got to the checkout I removed it from my pocket and paid for it.
      
      I suppose if the person acted furtively and was concealing the products in a bag then that could be construed as an intent to steal.
      
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      January 18, 2025 12:18pm
      - kowtow
        
        cmm
        
        ‘Put in pocket’ .
        
        Tell you what , even if I was an octopus I wouldn’t put anything in a pocket etc
        
        The potential for major grief, if you happened into the wrong ‘Mall cop” ……..just not worth it.
        
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        January 18, 2025 12:48pm
  - Hollyfield
    
    Agree this is all speculation.
    
    Many times I have gone into the supermarket for 2-3 items which I can carry in my hands, then ended up with more than I can carry and so I have them put into my tote bag which is over my shoulder. Then of course removed items at the checkout, double checked my bag had no further items and then paid.
    
    I have also gone into the supermarket with several empty tote bags which I have put into my trolley. I have then put items into the trolley, and after paying pack the items into my bags.
    
    I have never, never, put items into a tote bag which is already in a trolley. Why? The reason you put items into a bag before purchase is because you can’t carry them, or can’t easily carry them, another way. That is not the case when you already have a trolley.
    
    Regardless of the actual intent, once you have a reputation people will be suspicious. That is the reality. If you don’t want that reputation, you shouldn’t earn it in the first place.
    
    I have been in several different supermarkets where customers have been removed by security, usually while the customer screams often racist abuse, and who remains outside the store for some time continuing to scream. My impression has been that security is removing someone known to them before that person has an opportunity to steal. It sounds like that is what has happened here. Since Pak n Save hasn’t gone to the Police it seems they are not making any accusation, and instead a staff member or another customer has talked about what they saw.
    
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    January 18, 2025 9:48am
    - PurplePen
      
      Can supermarket security or any retail security actually lay a finger on you. I thought that they can’t. So how would they actually apprehend you. I’m sure this came up last year when people with trolleys full of groceries left without paying. At the time security firms were asking if there could be a law change that allowed security staff to apprehend etc.
      
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      January 18, 2025 10:25am
      - kowtow
        
        It’s a wee bit complicated
        
        “. Shop staff or security guards can only forcibly prevent you leaving the shop in two kinds of situations:
        
        expensive items – if the things they suspect you of stealing are worth $1,000 or more (a higher-end laptop for example), or
        night time – if it’s between 9.00 pm and 6.00 am (when you’re in an all-night service station for example).”
        
        https://communitylaw.org.nz/community-law-manual/test/shoplifting/the-shops-powers-and-your-rights/#:~:text=They%20also%20need%20to%20have,reasonable%20force%20to%20hold%20you.
        
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        January 18, 2025 12:54pm
    - JackRabbit
      
      If I am only shopping for a small number of items I put them into my shopping (tote) bags. If however I need a trolley, they got into the trolley, not the shopping (tote) bags.
      
      The key determining factors in establishing Golriz’s intent:
      [1] Where there any groceries in the trolley, and if so what what were in the trolley and what were in the tote bag? If she had fruit/meat in the tote bag and cans in the trolley she may have been separating then for hygiene reasons.
      
      [2] Did the tote bag have other things in it, among which the said items could disappear?
      
      As an aside, if Marxist Ardern, had not banned plastic bags, very few people would take shopping (tote) bags into supermarkets.
      
      It is recommended by the manufacturers to clean shopping (tote) bags after every use to prevent bacteria buildup. But they do not clean very well. I’m looking into getting my own plastic singlet bags to take to the supermarket.
      
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      January 18, 2025 11:00am
  - PurplePen
    
    It is however, odd behavior putting items in a tote bag when you simultaneously have items in your trolley. Who does that?
    
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    January 18, 2025 10:20am
  - coge
    
    GG is out of Parliament now. The court can decide what else needs to be done, if it’s needed. There is nothing to be gained from perusing this woman. Seems like a chronic waste of energy. Just a lot of unnecessary noise. Small town NZ. Look around, there are much bigger fish to fry in 2025!
    
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    January 18, 2025 3:04pm
  - Steve Todd
    
    @ Benedict Yu @ 10:03AM
    
    You’d have to be very silly to attempt to steal items from the store I shop at, weekly, being PAK’nSAVE Kilbirnie.
    
    (See https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2018/09/09/i-spy-with-my-multitude-of-eyes-the-mass-surveillance-of-a-supermarket-in-kilbirnie/#google_vignette.)
    
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    January 18, 2025 5:56pm
- MCōs
  
  Many times I’ve noticed people use their own bag to collect groceries in a supermarket and then take them to the checkout
  
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  January 18, 2025 8:47am
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    Yeah, but this is [Mod – use correct names] She has a track record, eh.
    
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    January 18, 2025 8:50am
  - lifesgood
    
    I often do that but always, always pay and show the check out person my empty bag before I refill it with checked out items.
    
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    January 18, 2025 9:01am
    - PurplePen
      
      I’d never show them my empty bag unless asked. By voluntarily offering this you’re putting yourself down when you know you’re a law abiding citizen. If they want to ask let them and then do so. But don’t run around like a submissive guilty party all your life, especially to corporates, govt and retailers.
      
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      January 18, 2025 10:29am
  - imalwaysright
    
    Correct. People bring their own carrier bags, empty them at the till and refill them.
    
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    January 18, 2025 9:06am
    - artemisia
      
      Even if they also have a trolley or basket?
      
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      January 18, 2025 11:13am
      - imalwaysright
        
        Not saying it makes sense, I’m saying I’ve seen it.
        
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        January 18, 2025 11:19am
  - MCōs
    
    I’ve been to the Pak n Sav at Royal Oak a number of times and the only shopping carts available have been industrial size. Maybe it’s easier to use your own bag.
    I read that some supermarkets out West had no hand baskets because they’d been pinched by the clientele.
    Maybe Super Sleuth Molloy could help track them down!
    
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    January 18, 2025 9:07am
    - Pineapple Lumps
      
      Strange that when I go there, about once a fortnight, they have a plethora of trolleys of both small and large sizes. Including on the busy days pre-Christmas.
      
      I haven’t ever seen someone in there stuffing items into their own bags pre-checkout. I have seen a couple in my local Woolworths, where he was wearing a backpack and she was stuffing items into it. Security kicked them out of the store.
      
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      January 18, 2025 9:31am
      - pdm
        
        Pl – I hope Security retrieved the items from the back pack first.
        
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        January 18, 2025 9:37am
      - Pineapple Lumps
        
        pdm – they weren’t mucking around, pushed past me as they hurried down the aisle to confront them. It was nice to see after seeing videos where security stood back and watched as people wheeled trolleys full past them. Either the response varies store to store or they have started to take a tougher stance.
        
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        January 18, 2025 10:05am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      I went gheee once to buy beer, found out it was a dry area and never went back 😊🍺
      
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      January 18, 2025 11:54am
      - Pineapple Lumps
        
        Royal Oak sells beer and wine. 1st aisle after the veges. Perhaps you were in West Auckland – they are a licensing trust area and less liquor shops.
        
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        January 18, 2025 1:44pm
      - G the giant from Dunedin
        
        Pineapplelumps
        
        He never sold beer when I was there in 2000
        
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        January 18, 2025 4:37pm
      - Pineapple Lumps
        
        Bad timing G – that was the year they voted to end the dry area. Vote was 60:40 in favour of ending it, so pretty close at the time. Now bottle shops can be found about every 400m on main streets. Plus all the supermarkets.
        
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        January 18, 2025 5:48pm
  - Benedict Yu
    
    Yes me too but the supermarket does not like you doing it for obvious reasons.
    
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    January 18, 2025 9:14am
    - imalwaysright
      
      Maybe the supermarket should put an advisory sign at the entrance telling people to use only baskets or trolleys.
      
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      January 18, 2025 5:24pm
  - Swifty
    
    The Stuff article I posted a day or two ago specifically stated she had put groceries “in a tote bag and her handbag…”
    
    We’re not talking about going shopping with a reusable shopping bag MCos, which everybody does, we’re talking about putting groceries in her handbag!
    
    Who does that?
    
    Please try to keep up.
    
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    January 18, 2025 9:29am
    - Scooter
      
      Maybe that’s her modus operandi, fill her bag then go to the checkout and see if she can get through without paying and if stopped say she was about to pay. I guess it’s the downside of cashierless counters. I wonder if she is now targeting supermarkets for her “fix” as they don’t generally charge or call the police. If so she has some serious issues.
      
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      January 18, 2025 10:09am
    - JackRabbit
      
      Yep,
      
      If it is a cloth carry all bag, and a handbag, then that is a dead giveaway.
      
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      January 18, 2025 11:03am
  - Grizz
    
    Yes, but it is the way you do it. I can have a quick whip around the aisles, but a few items in a supermarket carry bag and pay for the items at checkout. I will be very open about doing it.
    
    In Golriz’s case, I suspect she were putting most items in her cart, then trying to place expensive items in the Tote bag, while looking around to see if anyone was noticing. Sure, she would have paid for basic groceries but she was acting like she wanted to thieve the high end items. Hence why she was asked to Leave.
    
    No one has stated what types of items were going in the Tote bag. It may have been items more likely to be stolen. For example, but not necessarily, booze.
    
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    January 18, 2025 10:16am
    - goNZ1
      
      she was trying to pinch some more Green’s to replace the rotten ones!
      
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      January 18, 2025 3:07pm
  - Nigel Kearney
    
    I carry two bags and put my groceries in them all the time. The supermarket doesn’t care. But if you have a trolley and still put items in your own bag, that is evidence you intend to steal those items. Not conclusive proof, but fairly strong evidence. Combine that with a previous record of shoplifting and you are getting close to proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
    
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    January 18, 2025 11:29am
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  What is Molly following her around?
  
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  January 18, 2025 9:40am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  But did “Stuff” jump the gun and spread misinformation?
  
  Police are investigating another complaint of shoplifting against former MP Golriz Ghahraman, this time from a supermarket.
  
  The alleged shoplifting incident reportedly happened at Pak’nSave Royal Oak in late 2024.
  
  Police confirmed to Stuff a shoplifting complaint from late 2024 was under investigation. No charges had been laid.
  
  https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360549327/police-probe-former-mp-after-complaint-shoplifting
  
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  January 18, 2025 10:07am
- David Garrett
  
  NK: We are both lawyers. If the facts are as reported, she committed no crime – she may well have intended to, but as you of course know as well as me, the actus reus of shop theft requires the person to pass the point of sale without offering to pay. That didn’t happen, because the shop staff intervened.
  
  To be clear, I don’t have much doubt that she was intending to steal, but that’s not the point.
  
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  January 18, 2025 10:30am
  - Allan
    
    Disagree David.
    
    Mens rea and actus reus for theft were complete when she took the item off the shelf.
    
    Of course, mens rea could only be proved by an outstanding interview by a top-notch bobby.
    
    And even then the courts wouldn’t convict.
    
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    January 18, 2025 11:23am
Philview

I read the Herald article about assisted dying taking place in a paddock. The tone of the article was that retirement villages shouldn’t be allowed to have an objection to using their facilities for assisted dying. I wondered what sort of doctor would legally apply assisted death to someone in the back of a ute.
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January 18, 2025 8:16am
- David Garrett
  
  Philview: A doctor carrying out the wishes of a terminally ill patient living in facility which didn’t allow his or her wishes to be complied with in comfort and dignity.
  
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  January 18, 2025 10:32am
- lifesgood
  
  Who would want to live in a retirement village which complied with bumping people off?
  
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  January 18, 2025 1:58pm
  - goNZ1
    
    if they allowed it they would become Death Camps
    
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    January 18, 2025 3:10pm
  - Jack5
    
    Lifesgood, some older folk likely won’t want to live in a retirement village that denies an on-site merciful relief from suffering — a mercy that’s extended to suffering horses and dogs.
    
    In the days when religious charities, lodges, and the like dominated the retirement-home business, refusing to allow a mercy death on the premises might have been expected.
    
    Retirement villages are now big business. Operators will surely be wary of events like a suffering resident’s assisted death being forced to take place in a paddock.
    
    The “right to occupy” financing model is already giving retirement villages headaches in Australia, and this could spread to NZ.
    
    They don’t need their market hammered by reports of customers having to die in paddocks.
    
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    January 18, 2025 3:22pm
- Damocles11
  
  One persons ‘paddock’ is another persons ‘green grassy field with blue sky above’. Situations can be made to sound either sinister or bucolic, depending on the words and phrasing used.
  
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  January 18, 2025 2:38pm
- Lindsay
  
  There is a difference between a retirement village and a residential care facility. The man is reported to have been “thrilled” with the solution of dying in a paddock. It’s his death. Nobody else’s.
  
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  January 19, 2025 7:19am
kevn

green solution…
https://notthebee.com/article/going-back-from-whence-they-came-wyoming-wind-turbines-can-now-be-buried-in-coal-mines
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January 18, 2025 8:20am
Bridgenag

Friday Funnies: New Math
Careful- Red meat causes cancer!

https://open.substack.com/pub/rwmalonemd/p/friday-funnies-new-math?r=1aj1bv&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
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January 18, 2025 8:38am
NeverMindTheBollocks

For those who missed the most important news of the day, (and thank you to those who saw the story but let me be the one to break it) … sadly, the Pistols are playing Auckland and Christchurch only.

I sincerely hope they iconoclast their way through the many shibboleths they encounter in Aotearoa.

http://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/539212/sex-pistols-announce-first-new-zealand-tour-in-30-years
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January 18, 2025 8:41am
- Swifty
  
  I saw them in ‘96 in Aussie on their Filthy Lucre tour.
  
  Awesome.
  
  Won’t be quite the same without Mr Rotten sneering and strutting around up front though.
  
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  January 18, 2025 10:54am
  - Colville
    
    Agree.
    
    Not having Lydon up front would be lame.
    
    Like seeing The Prodigy without Keith Flint.
    
    This:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZj9bi7YNmI&ab_channel=LeftfieldVEVO
    
    Remains my favourite Lydon track tho.
    
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    January 18, 2025 1:17pm
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  God save the QUEENnnnnnnnnn
  
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  January 18, 2025 11:56am
Bridgenag

Why Aren’t Hospitals Incentivized To Save Lives?
What makes hospitals so deadly and how can we fix it?

“In this article, we will review some of the forgotten medical therapies that dramatically improve hospital outcomes and highlight some of the key strategies patients and lawmakers can use to reduce hospital deaths.”

https://open.substack.com/pub/amidwesterndoctor/p/why-arent-hospitals-incentivized?r=1aj1bv&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
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January 18, 2025 8:53am
- kowtow
  
  Talking of hospitals there’ve been a number of articles in the better UK media about the appalling stste of care in NHS hospitals.
  Patients stacked up in corridors , where staff can’t get to them and they die without care or attention.
  
  How very odd .
  
  The media here and throughout the west were gleefully excoriating the US medical insurance industry for its failings ( and thereby lionising the dangerous guy with the Italian name).
  Where are the NHS storiesin our media.
  
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  January 18, 2025 9:13am
  - Ra Henare
    
    Talking to a Pommy mate the other day. His older brother died 3 weeks ago, said he was off to UK in February for the funeral!!!
    
    Seems there is a waiting list for funerals in the UK!!!!
    
    Not unusual to have to wait 2 or 3 months!!!
    
    The POMs much vaunted NHS seems to be pathetic. Started after WW2 with the best of intentions, it has morphed into a bureaucratic socialist nightmare.
    
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    January 18, 2025 10:04am
    - Pope Punctilious II
      
      The NHS worked OK until the UK imported the 3rd world to staff it, and until Gordon Brown’s “equalities act” imposed DEI on it. My comment is based on my brother’s unsatisfactory experiences with the NHS after suffering a stroke in 2011.
      
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      January 18, 2025 12:56pm
- Jethrod
  
  What would happen if you got AI to produce a summary of this article? Say in 100 words?
  Whilst it surely has a lot of good things it, I only read the first bit before flicking to the end
  
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  January 18, 2025 11:25am
Benedict Yu

Just reflecting on yesterday’s sad story about the unvaccinated Maori baby who died of whooping cough. It prompted cries of the “system is failing”.

Yesterday I was working in a town with a population of 4,000, predominantly Maori. There was a sign taped to the front door of the pharmacy. “Whooping cough vaccinations. Free. No appointment required.”

Sure getting this vaccine requires some effort from a parent or pregnant woman. But honestly what more can the government do?
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January 18, 2025 8:56am
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  The Government should work on the Aunties. That’s the way the Maori world works.
  
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  January 18, 2025 9:00am
  - PurplePen
    
    Presumably if aunties have such a role they would know all about whooping cough and other baby things and already be getting their nieces’ babies to a needle. Is it perhaps this person then didn’t have an auntie?
    
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    January 18, 2025 10:34am
- kowtow
  
  How about the govt ( local and national) stop shoving all things Maori down our throats, and use some of the money saved to shove public health advertising down the throats ofthose who do it.
  
  The media could help .
  
  Instead of all their anti democratic sovereignty promotion , they could also do some public health promotion etc
  
  That’s just for starters.
  
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  January 18, 2025 9:18am
- pdm
  
  BY – not to mention Dr Shane Reti travelling around Northland during Parliamentary Recess’ doing vaccinations.
  
  Maybe not now he s a Cabinet Minister but it was reported he did when in opposition.
  
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  January 18, 2025 9:19am
- John Loveridge
  
  Kaitaia? I’m often there myself.
  
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  January 18, 2025 9:20am
  - Benedict Yu
    
    No but close. I don’t want to reveal my whereabouts. Sometimes paranoid is justified.
    
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    January 18, 2025 9:58am
    - Allan
      
      Moerewa?
      
      I have ‘fond’ memories of that place.
      
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      January 18, 2025 11:25am
      - G the giant from Dunedin
        
        Me too, it was flooded out when we went there, we got over the bridge then nah
        
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        January 18, 2025 11:57am
- Damocles11
  
  Maori want Tino Rangatiratanga…but also want the State to babysit them. It’s a paradox that the facepalm was invented to represent.
  
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  January 18, 2025 9:36am
  - PurplePen
    
    I’d argue that they do have tino ranga’ just as everyone does on their own property, much the same as just about anyone else when on their own property all around the globe.
    
    There is nothing stopping any Maori tribe doing things their own way with their people on their tribal land. They are fully resourced with local aunties and well-funded by the state and some even better funded through their own enterprises. It astounds me that many tribes seem to lack the wherewithal and get up and go for their own people.
    
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    January 18, 2025 10:40am
    - imalwaysright
      
      Good points Purple.
      The activists discourage ambition and achievement amongst Maori.
      If Maori reached their true potential then all of the government funding would cease.
      
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      January 18, 2025 12:51pm
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Let them have it, but they must funds all there self, and no top ups from us, this is why the king said no, he knows what would happen
    
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    January 18, 2025 11:58am
- In Vino Veritas
  
  Ben, it has nothing to do with the Government. We all know that bad decisions lead to bad outcomes. And you cannot legislate or demand stupidity away.
  
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  January 18, 2025 10:29am
- David Garrett
  
  Bene: Pregnant people mate…seriously, there was a story on Stuffed yesterday in which they actually used that ridiculous phrase referring to getting “pepis” immunized against whooping cough.
  
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  January 18, 2025 10:35am
- cmm
  
  ” But honestly what more can the government do?”
  
  Ummm, be HONEST. At all times. Two main areas spring to mid:
  
  The lying during the Covid period has of course eroded trust in the government and health system.
  
  Lying about colonialism etc has robbed Maori of agency. The thing to do is to be honest and tell tell Maori that they get the same resources as everyone else and must now do their bit. That applies in health, education, etc etc.
  
  The white man has built nice hospitals. If you want them come get them. If you don’t then don’t blame the white man.
  
  If they get worse health outcomes it is their choice and only they can fix that. That is the message that should be given. You have agency.
  
  Pregnant Maori women smoke and drink at far higher rates than others. Clearly there is far less concern about the welfare of unborn (and born) children amongst Maori than there is in the rest of the population.
  
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  January 18, 2025 12:34pm
- Tokerau
  
  Under-rated comment. Comedy gold.
  
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  January 18, 2025 10:09pm
NeverMindTheBollocks

In other musical entertainment news, Donald and friends will get to bop along to YMCA, Macho Man and In the Navy at his post inauguration shindig.

Good choice Don, they’re catchy numbers!

http://www.stuff.co.nz/culture/360551481/village-people-defend-decision-play-trumps-inaugural-events
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January 18, 2025 8:58am
- sungsamning
  
  And the famous garbage truck will make an appearance. It was either that, or Sir Keir Starmer. Trump made the right choice.
  
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  January 18, 2025 10:44am
  - kowtow
    
    Looks like they’ll need snow ploughs , or being DC plows.
    
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    January 18, 2025 1:01pm
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  Hahahaha, he is even going to have the rubbish trucks drive on into town
  
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  January 18, 2025 11:59am
Steve Otto N Shore

This morning I have another email from Julian Batchelor.

“What Seymour And Jordan Peterson Have In Common”
Jordan Peterson was featured in the previous video. David Seymour refuses to be intimidated and bullied. He knows the truth about the Treaty. He knows the Treaty has bee fraudulently manipulated over the last 50 years.

There is a video showing a Maori woman abusing her privilege of making a submission to Parliament. She is allowed 5 minute, no more, just like everyone else. She is not special.
Video is 29 minutes. Worth a watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpxlcOQWnPU
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January 18, 2025 9:04am
Steve Otto N Shore

“Trump announced a $20 billion investment in U.S. data centers by Emirati billionaire Hussain Sajwani.”
With China continuously trying and succeeding to hack the US something does need to be done. Relying on the SS, CIA, and FBI is a joke.

https://thepatriotexpress.com/therightwingclub/trumps-20-billion-data-center-deal-a-masterstroke-or-just-another-mirage/?
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January 18, 2025 9:19am
- Steve Otto N Shore
  
  Sounds like America is only seeing the tip of the iceberg:
  
  https://deplorabledaily.com/joe-biden-made-one-terrible-blunder-that-allowed-the-chinese-to-infiltrate-the-country/?
  
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  January 18, 2025 10:18am
Damocles11

Does anyone know what Nationals plan is? ‘Wasteful spending’ has not been cut, we know this. It’s in the size of the deficits being run and the amount being borrowed. ‘The plan’ seems to be the same tired plan reheated once again: inflation falls, interest rates drop, the housing ponzi is revived, augmented by high immigration numbers. That’s not a plan.
The rest of ‘the plan’ seems to be to talk about law and order a lot. All the while Maorification continues unabated while Luxon panders to the MSM and assorted Leftists.
Perhaps the surge of support for NZF is to do with people bemoaning the lack of strong leadership in government. Winston Peters has a ‘I don’t suffer fools gladly’ persona and healthy testosterone levels; goodness knows what he really thinks of Hipkins and Luxon.
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January 18, 2025 9:21am
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  Hang on, they cut 23 billion of waste beg they did their budget last year, several in going funding had to be topped up which was a one off, let’s just wait to see how the budget goes this year.
  
  I also know that beef, lamb wool and dairy are up considerably, and well ahead of forecast, it appears markets could be 20% ahead of last year, so that’s a lot of extra tax coming forward, it also may see farmers spend more than expected
  
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  January 18, 2025 9:48am
  - Damocles11
    
    $23 Billion of waste was cut, yet spending and borrowing increased? Turn it up mate, that doesn’t make a bit of sense. I guess that is why Red Radio increased the its number of staff earning more than $100,000 by 35%. I guess that’s why Waipareira Trust continues to stash oodles of taxpayer money in its coffers. I guess that’s why outfits like the Royal Society continue to be awash in taxpayer dollars to be forked out on all manner of hare-brained pipe dreams.
    
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    January 18, 2025 12:33pm
  - Paulus
    
    Farmers need to talk to their enemies first, the Banks, who still dislike Farming as it does not have a consistant annual income.
    And without that they can only screw the remainder of custometers particularly those welded to them with a mortgage for life, as their customers.
    
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    January 18, 2025 1:30pm
  - septic skeptic
    
    FFS G they are tinkering at best with the bloated public service. Most of those sacked were job adverts not employees.
    
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    January 18, 2025 10:57pm
- Steve Otto N Shore
  
  Luxon is becoming a much bigger problem than National supporters think. Many are quitting their memberships because he is just not listening, and forcing a block vote on Seymour’s Principles Bill. I thought we lived in a democracy. I may be wrong.
  
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  January 18, 2025 10:24am
  - greybeard
    
    “Many are quitting their memberships”: how about substantiating that statement , Steve ?
    
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    January 18, 2025 10:49am
    - rockape
      
      My experience is just that. I was an officeholder in my electorate and recruited about 10 members before the election. I have resigned and 8 of those I recruited have and thrown their support and money ACTs way. Luxon says whatever his immediate audience wants to hear, that isn’t leadership. If you are not a leader don’t expect people to follow you. My local National MP still has my support but the National party has lost it.
      
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      January 18, 2025 11:16am
      - Damocles11
        
        Luxon and National are just content to row the boat around in circles on behalf of the woke corporate elite, and eventually will end up losing more electorate seats to a genuine Right wing entity. This is a carbon copy of what is happening in the UK where the do-nothing Conservatives will be supplanted by Reform. Reform are now just 1 percentage point behind Labour in a recent poll.
        
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        January 18, 2025 5:18pm
    - Steve Otto N Shore
      
      I have for one.
      Two days ago I posted extracts from an email I received from Don Brash from Hobson’s Pledge. Even now it is still not on the Hobson’s Pledge website.
      “What if National Party members cancel or don’t renew their membership unless Christopher Luxon and the Government make the Treaty Principles Bill a conscience vote?”
      “What do you think? Are you a National Party member? Would you be willing to cancel your membership in order to remind National who their voters are?”
      
      Don Brash
      Trustee
      Hobson’s Pledge
      
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      January 18, 2025 12:08pm
  - Damocles11
    
    Luxon doesn’t want to know you. He’s there on behalf of woke corporate NZ to continue with the social engineering. ‘Go woke, go broke’ doesn’t work for the corporates…they don’t like the ‘go broke’ part of the equation. So we will continue to have forced Moarification, DEI nonsense, and gender politics rammed down our throats as the elites believe we are eventually going to accept it. NZ is being run like a corporation: get onboard with the woke agenda or HR will be having a stern word with you.
    
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    January 18, 2025 12:37pm
    - goNZ1
      
      essentially Luxon is a sales rep, used to KPIs,and chatty get along with anybody.
      . Nats were dreaming if they thought he would be John Key Mk2.
      To be PM you need to kick arse,bust a few heads as required and put the media back in their place like Muldoon did and Trump does.
      Pissing around for over a year without ordering new ferries is another symptom.
      I will be keeping an eye on Australia because if Dutton rolls Albo its will be pretty hard to hang on here…
      
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      January 18, 2025 3:27pm
      - Damocles11
        
        Yes, if you judged Luxon according to the KPI’s he cherishes then he’s a complete flop. ‘The Principles of the Treaty’ are still enshrined in law, new ferries not ordered, public service still bloated, state owned MSM not defunded / sold, Waitangi Tribunal still pumping out poison, Judiciary not reformed. Hopeless.
        
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        January 18, 2025 5:22pm
      - Jack5
        
        goNZ1’s ….To be PM you need to kick arse,bust a few heads as required and put the media back in their place like Muldoon did …
        
        But was Muldoon holding together a coalition of parties? (Muldoon’s over-rated. He introduced price controls and subsidies for sheep farming, and his term ended with a run on NZ’s currency.)
        
        Luxon’s management skills let him run a coalition. Who else on the Centre-Right and Right can?
        
        Luxon may not be to the liking of all of us. But the alternative is worse. Think of another term under Woke Ardernists and Maori activists.
        
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        January 18, 2025 5:22pm
- Graeme Hall
  
  Can anyone explain why Winston is so applauded by the media as a Foreign Minister? If being a Foreign Minister requires being able to walk, drinking whisky, get drunk, reading prepared speeches, chatting with like-minded foreign dignitaries, and handing out taxpayers hard-earned, then put me on the list with thousands of others. He talks a good game until elected then clears off to drink around the globe for 3 years.
  
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  January 18, 2025 11:31am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Compare him to Mahuta, from memory he has been foreign minister three times and been seen as very good all three times, we can’t take that away from him
    
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    January 18, 2025 12:02pm
  - Damocles11
    
    He seems to have some cojones, I think that’s the key to his popularity. Not sure how many of our other erstwhile leaders are up to par in that department, people who have a whining tone of voice and fawn over the leftist MSM are usually not thought well of.
    
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    January 18, 2025 12:40pm
    - pdm
      
      Todd McClay seems to be doing an excellent job in the overseas trade area.
      
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      January 18, 2025 2:45pm
  - kowtow
    
    ‘He talks a good game until elected then clears off to drink around the globe for 3 years.’
    
    Couldn’t agree more.
    
    That’s been his modus operandi for at least 30 years .
    
    How his devotees don’t get that is beyond me.
    
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    January 18, 2025 1:05pm
  - Hugh Jarse
    
    He is applauded by the media because he does a great job as FM, is very hard working, is extremely well thought of globally and is nothing like your description of him. He spent 100 days offshore last year trying to rebuild our international reputation after Mahuta’s piss poor performance and seems to have done a good job. If you think for one minute that the media wouldn’t report him behaving badly as you suggest you are dreaming.
    
    No I am not a Winston fan but can acknowledge his good work in this role.
    
    If you know more then please provide your evidence of him drinking whiskey and getting drunk while on overseas trips, time date place will suffice. Thanks
    
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    January 18, 2025 2:01pm
    - Graeme Hall
      
      Agree about Mahuta. Cindy could have appointed a fence post as Foreign Minister but has Winston, who appointed Cindy as PM, done any better?
      
      Where are his accomplishments? I know of none documented. I do recall one time he gave the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 100s of $ millions extra and next election Key took it off them again.
      
      This time the Ministry lost no people – thanks to Winston.
      
      The Ministry seems full of strutters & prancers – largely no-hopers who turn up to cocktail parties & talk small talk in foreign languages but realise little, like Winston, for those who work hard to pay their huge salaries. I’d roll the whole dept into the Aussie one & let the Aussies represent us overseas. We’d lose nothing.
      
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      January 18, 2025 4:23pm
      - Hugh Jarse
        
        You haven’t got a clue on what MFAT and the FM does, but keep digging.
        
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        January 18, 2025 8:48pm
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  Wait to see his state of the nation and his plan for this year, why he is supposedly failed is beyond me, he has a huge mess to fix
  
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  January 18, 2025 12:00pm
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  Let’s not forget what most people think of Peter’s, do not forget his nasty vulgar antics
  
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  January 18, 2025 4:40pm
Tempist

Anyone else think Wellington Water’s ‘Mind the Wai’ campaign asking households to check and fix their leaks is a bit like taking Josef Fritzl’s parenting guidance?
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January 18, 2025 9:24am
- greybeard
  
  My email to Hosking yesterday:
  ” https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360552097/watch-burst-pipe-wellington-street-leaves-water-gushing
  This is so good !
  Wellington Water is currently advertising every day on NewstalkZB, exhorting people to save water by any means possible ! “
  
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  January 18, 2025 10:50am
- kowtow
  
  Faaaark , I wonder how much time and money was spent ( as per BY’s above post re all things Maori) on coming up with that.
  
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  January 18, 2025 1:06pm
Steve Otto N Shore

“Obama To Divorce Michelle After Discovering She’s Actually A Woman”

https://babylonbee.com/news/obama-to-divorce-michelle-after-discovering-shes-actually-a-woman?
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January 18, 2025 9:27am
- Pope Punctilious II
  
  The Bee is usual very funny, the “Obama is a closet gay” trope is tedious and embarrassing. How about focusing on Obama’s actual policy sins instead of promulgating nonsense about his sexuality?
  
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  January 18, 2025 1:06pm
  - Steve Otto N Shore
    
    Babylon Bee is satire. Don’t like satire, don’t read it.
    
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    January 19, 2025 9:59am
Damocles11

Tama Potaka has apparently ‘overhauled’ the Waitangi Tribunal. I don’t think much of his new appointments, who are mostly Maori and are the usual mix of lawyers, broadcasters, and public servants. One example: ‘Rex Hale, author and experienced public servant, including in information and data management, with experience preparing oral and written resources to support Tribunal claimants.’ Taxpayers may very well despair. Taxpayers may also very well despair at the following reappointments:
Dr Ruakere Hond (Taranaki, Ngāti Ruanui), serving a third term.
Derek Fox (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Porou), serving a second term.
Kim Ngarimu (Ngāti Porou), serving a third term.
Dr Hana O’Regan (Ngāi Tahu), serving a second term.

Potaka is a strategic asset, an activated sleeper cell, within the National Party. When your Red team eventually gets voted out, it is strategically wise to have someone looking after your interests on the inside of the Blue team – it’s just common sense because governments change, as do the seasons. Potaka is IMHO a big part of the reason why Luxon is so paralysed and meek.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/539260/minister-overhauls-waitangi-tribunal-membership
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January 18, 2025 9:33am
- Steve Otto N Shore
  
  Potaka and Luxon are activists who are letting down National big time.
  
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  January 18, 2025 10:29am
- Burtland
  
  luxon is woke elite – is he still learning maori ?
  
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  January 18, 2025 10:36am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Phillip Crump (aka as Thomas Cranmer) is an interesting addition to the mix…
  
  https://pointofordernz.wordpress.com/2025/01/17/thomas-cranmer-the-kiwi-one-lands-a-job-on-the-waitangi-tribunal/
  
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  January 18, 2025 10:41am
  - artemisia
    
    Agree, Mr Crump is going to be busy, but he has a big brain and rather a lot of experience lifting lids, even some screwed down pretty tightly.
    
    A bit of a New Zealand one off in that regard.
    
    Is Stuff unhappy about their own investigative journalists being roundly gazumped by Mr Crump? Their report refers to “Crump’s credentials as a former politics blogger, lawyer, and brief stint as founding editor of the failed Newstalk ZB subscription website ZB Plus”. Rather an underwhelming description of a national treasure.
    
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    January 18, 2025 11:05am
    - pdm
      
      Crump has Richard Prebble already there laying down the foundations for change.
      
      One hopes they will be able to pull the activism back if not completely shut it down
      
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      January 18, 2025 2:51pm
  - Pope Punctilious II
    
    A very positive addition.
    
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    January 18, 2025 1:23pm
Morgan H

Luxon’s National is down to 29.6% (Taxpayer’s Union-Curia – January). That’s almost 10% worse than they got in the election. What do you think is the reason for this decrease in support?
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January 18, 2025 9:43am
- Ghost
  
  Well if you bothered to read the poll you would know the answer. The vast majority of those polled considered the main issues to be the economy and cost of living. Only 8% consider Māori/treaty issues to be a main issue
  
  https://www.taxpayers.org.nz/taxpayer_update_250117
  
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  January 18, 2025 10:11am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    So going back to Labour tpm and green will fix the economy and cost of living how?
    
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    January 18, 2025 12:04pm
    - Damocles11
      
      Slogan for the next election:
      ‘National: We’re The Centre-Left Establishment Pati That Is Not As Kino As Labour.’
      
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      January 18, 2025 1:36pm
Pineapple Lumps

Interesting article about a French theatre in today’s news. Management invited refugees to a weekend seminar to explore better ways of treating refugees. 6 months later, they are still there and numbers have almost doubled to 350. Theatre is having to cancel all shows and is going broke.

A case of be very careful how you go about your activism.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/this-paris-theatre-gave-free-tickets-to-hundreds-of-migrants-five-weeks-ago-now-they-wont-leave/T5XUTN2JENETRGI45SAHHH2N6Y/
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January 18, 2025 9:44am
- artemisia
  
  Apparently they are all aged 16 so entitled to be housed and fed by the government. Not sure it will appeal much to taxpayers.
  
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  January 18, 2025 11:21am
- kowtow
  
  An allegory ( how apt) for the what’s happening to the whole of the west.
  
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  January 18, 2025 1:09pm
Sparrow

Frankly not at all surprised by the latest Opinion Poll. Many of us just simply wanted to get rid of Labour that included long time Labour supporters. As many have pointed out elections are won in the middle. I hazard a guess many in the middle are unhappy with the Coalition, especially two of its leaders. Luxon is not resonating with the public. He comes across as a person who changes his opinions with the wind is politically naive and lacks street smarts and empathy. His offsider Seymour is seen as an opportunist and a smug bastard. The Poll was spot on its back pocket economics not the Treaty that’s the top priority for most people coupled with will they have a job tomorrow. Yes the Coalition has sought to reduce the cost of the public service but the decisions are being made by the fat cat bureaucrats and the poor buggers at the bottom are paying the price. Most people don’t care a f…about departments etc having a Māori name much more important issues cost of food, rent. Yes most MPs of all parties own rentals but Luxons handling of his was a pr disaster. Will it be anybody but the Nats and Luxon in 2026? ACT will only pick up the dregs. Big voter turn off ?
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January 18, 2025 9:54am
- artemisia
  
  OTOH Prime Minister Luxon is keeping the coalition’s feet mostly pointing in the same direction. Tricky.
  
  And gets bonus points for not being the podium of truth and expecting Ministers to speak to their portfolios. Most doing well, IMO.
  
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  January 18, 2025 11:09am
- Damocles11
  
  Nothing inspiring at all about Luxon. He’s a wet blanket. No-one knows what he stands for, but the climate rubbish and lack of guts re Maorification are major turn-offs. He seems content just to row the boat around in circles like Key did. He’s there as a corporate NZ stooge, but it will be corporate NZ that suffers the most when the rapid Left get back. Luxon veering Left just pushes them further Left. We are going to end up with the far Left in power here and that spells economic collapse and large scale capital flight from this country. We are going to be Mugabefied and end up as the Zimbabwe of the South Pacific.
  
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  January 18, 2025 12:46pm
  - Colville
    
    Damo.
    
    One thing is inspiring about Luxon and that he is head and shoulders better than anyone else would be at managing a three part coalition government which has major issues to correct.
    
    Any ideas who could come close to the job he is doing??
    
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    January 18, 2025 1:27pm
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      You might have to ask all the experts here that say he is dead beat
      
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      January 18, 2025 4:43pm
    - Ghost
      
      I’d say the other thing is you get what they campaigned on. Also that they let you know what they will be doing each quarter.
      
      We’ve got a stable government that is doing the work needed, it’s going to take time. Kiwiblog is not representative of the electorate. But we right leaning voters day after day attack what is being done, just remember you next option is a labour, greens Maori government.
      
      But as things go, the world can change rapidly and what people think is important today will be long forgotten
      
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      January 18, 2025 5:02pm
- kowtow
  
  ‘As many have pointed out elections are won in the middle. ‘
  
  Are they though .
  
  Recent elections in the west have shown that not to be the case . Perhaps as things are so dire , and it’s the “middle” that have delivered us to this pickle we’re in.
  
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  January 18, 2025 1:11pm
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    We are nothing like the rest of the bloody world, we already dumped the left, but everyone has buyers remorse, so get ready for steep taxes
    
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    January 18, 2025 4:44pm
    - Pineapple Lumps
      
      We dumped the more left for the less left. You have told us how you have moved from Labour to National, that could be because your politics have moved right but also traditionally you are a more left voter than the traditional National voter so National is probably also drifting more left.
      
      What do you think?
      
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      January 18, 2025 5:57pm
- mogg
  
  You hit the nail on the head with -most people care about the cost of food and rent’. Luxon knows this and that is why the coalition are putting everything in place for economic growth before the next election
  Where you say political naivety without direction I say astute politics with a very clear direction. The only problem that I can see is the legacy media’s determination to coverup/downplay anything positive and support division wherever they can find it.
  
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  January 18, 2025 2:09pm
- Tom Hunter
  
  As many have pointed out elections are won in the middle.
  The Precious Midpoint
  
  The Left, including Labour, never talk or think like this about “the middle”. The midpoint is there to be moved, not just accommodated while others move it.
  
  There’s also this advice from the peanut gallery:
  
  The result of this style of accommodationist politics, as my colleague Keith Joseph complained, was that post-war politics became a ‘socialist ratchet’ — Labour moved Britain towards more statism; the Tories stood pat; and the next Labour Government moved the country a little further left. The Tories loosened the corset of socialism; they never removed it.
  
  That link also contains various quotes from GOP folk in 1980 talking about how the extremist, Ronald Reagan, would destroy the GOP whether he won or lost.
  
  This also sounds familiar:
  Democrats know that if they can get those policies implemented now, many of them will remain forever. They’ll lose Democrats in the process, but so be it — there will be more Democrats in the future. It’s impossible to watch politics professionally for over a decade, through some of its liveliest battles in a long time, and not come to the understanding that Democrats in general do politics differently.
  …
  Here’s how this dynamic plays out: When Democrats are legislating on something major, they look around the field and say to themselves, “Yeah, we’re going to take some casualties on this one, but we’re going to change America.”
  …
  To put it simply, Republicans approach politics like America fights wars: They don’t want to lose a single man. Democrats, on the other hand? They look at politics like the Russians looked at Stalingrad: The congressman in front votes now; when they fall the next man gets elected and he will vote too.
  
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  January 18, 2025 3:41pm
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    No the left don’t talk that, they simply wait for it to fall into their lap, but it’s still what it is
    
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    January 18, 2025 4:46pm
Maggy Wassilieff

Michael Bassett reminds us of the origins of Waitangi Day and the ensuing fiascos.

Spare a thought for what our national day was meant to be, compared with what it has become. Before 1973 a small ceremony took place at Waitangi each 6 February to commemorate the signing of the Treaty. Only Northland had a holiday. Then Norman Kirk promised during the 1972 election campaign to establish a national holiday. The New Zealand Day Act passed through Parliament the following year. Kirk was adamant that henceforth the day should be called New Zealand Day.

https://www.bassettbrashandhide.com/post/michael-bassett-waitangi-day-looms
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January 18, 2025 10:13am
- pdm
  
  New Zealand Day was a day to be celebrating.
  
  I must say I applaud the hosting by the New Zealand High Commission in Suva of the three mrspdm and I attended there 1975/76/77. Very friendly and convivial.
  
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  January 18, 2025 10:31am
  - Swifty
    
    There are three Mrs PDMs?
    
    You must be a busy fellow.
    
    7 0
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    January 18, 2025 10:59am
    - Colville
      
      Bigamy is its own punishment !.
      
      Is it bigamy with 3?
      
      *mind boggles at the pain and suffering*
      
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      January 18, 2025 1:28pm
      - chuk
        
        Three spouses at the same time is trigamy.
        
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        January 18, 2025 3:30pm
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        Is it bigamy with 3?
        
        No, it is trigamy…..
        
        2 0
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        January 18, 2025 4:06pm
    - pdm
      
      No Swifty – quite happy with the one I married almost 55 years ago.
      
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      January 18, 2025 3:04pm
      - Swifty
        
        Good stuff pdm.
        
        My folks were happily married 63 years until the old girl popped off in 2023.
        
        My congratulations to you.
        
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        January 18, 2025 3:22pm
sungsamning

https://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2025/01/16/fbi-shuts-down-dei-office-before-trump-takes-office-n4936065
FBI Shuts Down DEI Office Before Trump’s Inauguration.
The FBI has closed its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) office, according to an exclusive report from Fox News.

“In recent weeks, the FBI took steps to close the Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI), effective by December 2024,” the agency told Fox News Digital on Thursday.

The decision follows growing criticism from Republican lawmakers. Earlier this month, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) sent a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray, condemning what she described as “radical” DEI initiatives that she argued had “endangered” Americans, citing the New Year’s Day terrorist attack in New Orleans as an example. [Wait six months, and you’ll be able to buy desirable properties in Virginia at a reasonable price.]
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January 18, 2025 10:22am
sungsamning

https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2025/01/16/greenland-pm-we-want-more-u-s-partnership-on-minerals-support-boosting-arctic-defense/
Greenland PM: We Want More U.S. Partnership on Minerals, Support Boosting Arctic Defense.
On Thursday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “Special Report,” Greenland Prime Minister Múte Egede stated that while they don’t want to be a part of America, there are a lot of areas for cooperation, including on boosting defense in the Arctic region and greater American partnership with regards to Greenland’s minerals.

Egede said that a strong partnership between the U.S. and Greenland is crucial, but “We don’t want to be Danes. We don’t even want to be Americans. We want to be Greenlanders. But we know that we have a lot…to cooperate together with, especially with the defense and security for the last years, we also have a strong partnership between our countries. So, I believe we have a lot to cooperate with.” [If they’re independent; the Jones Act won’t apply. The Jones Act requires US territories to send exports in US built, captained, crewed, and registered ships. They’re as scarce as hen’s teeth.]
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January 18, 2025 10:23am
- All_on_Red
  
  The US wont be buying it. That just Trump using that language in a simplistic way to start a conversation. The solution is what is called a Compact of Free Association.
  Greenland maintains its independence but its citizens get entry to the US to live and work and access to US Domestic programs and the US gets access to Greenland and the ability to expand their Military presence.
  The US has this with Micronesia, Palau and the Marshall Islands.
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compact_of_Free_Association
  
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  January 18, 2025 12:31pm
  - sungsamning
    
    Oh, I didn’t know that. Thanks for the heads up.
    
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    January 18, 2025 8:41pm
- fightingtemeraire
  
  Not exports, but any cargo between any US State and Territory. US Built ships and crewed.
  
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  January 18, 2025 1:07pm
  - sungsamning
    
    So, its not quite as bad a roadblock to trade as I thought.
    
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    January 18, 2025 8:42pm
Steve Otto N Shore

Democrats’ stomachs dropped when Donald Trump, Jr. posted this one video on social media.
A bobblehead on the dash of Trump One. I have one on the dash of my Prado.

https://deplorabledaily.com/democrats-stomachs-dropped-when-donald-trump-jr-posted-this-one-video-on-social-media/?
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January 18, 2025 10:40am
Ghost

Steven Greer’s whistle blowers are coming forward, should be worth watching

UAP whistleblower says UFO retrieval program exists

In an exclusive interview with NewsNation, whistleblower Jake Barber said he has contracted as a helicopter pilot to retrieve all kinds of downed craft, some of which he believes are of nonhuman origin.

“Just visually looking at the object on the ground, you could tell that it was extraordinary and anomalous,” Barber told NewsNation’s Ross Coulthart. “It was not human.”

Article
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January 18, 2025 12:22pm
- NothingLeft
  
  99.999% chance this is bollocks
  
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  January 18, 2025 5:20pm
  - slijmbal
    
    99.99 recurring % likelihood of bollockness.
    
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    January 18, 2025 7:34pm
Steve Otto N Shore

Geoengineering.
Is this overreach just gone mad? Interfering with the weather may not be reversable, probably can’t be reversed.
Why do these nutters think they have to save us? If it is not broken then don’t fix it!

This planet has been around a long time, and during that time survived a lot of disasters. The thing is the planet heals itself. We don’t need fuckwit humans thinking they can heal it better.
Climate Change and Global Warming is just yet another huge hoax.

https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/other/geoengineering-the-controversial-plan-to-hack-the-planets-climate/vi-AA1xaVgU?
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January 18, 2025 3:29pm
- PurplePen
  
  Yes. Consider we live quite successfully in temperatures ranging from minus 50 to plus 50 and in howling winds, storms of all sorts etc. What’s a bit of different weather here and there. It might make some places less hospitable but then some the opposite. This is all assuming we also can do anything about the change in any case.
  
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  January 18, 2025 5:41pm
Albie

In response to my post yesterday about Luxon having a state of the nation speech to clearly outline his vision for our country, something I still haven’t got a handle on, below was a response:

MCōs

“Kiwis wouldn’t listen to a general State of the Nation speech no matter who the speaker”

Anyone remember the 1:00pm daily addresses and how fixated the populace were, and that was every day!
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January 18, 2025 3:32pm
- Ghost
  
  Never watched the 1pm slot, don’t know anyone who did.
  
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  January 18, 2025 5:09pm
  - Albie
    
    You might not have, but you can safely assume at least 30% of the population would have been tuned in, if the latest poll is anything to go by. For the record, I couldn’t subject myself to it either.
    
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    January 18, 2025 5:28pm
    - Ghost
      
      People were locked in their homes, no doubt watching to see when their home detention would end. Completely different than a state of the nation speech. Most aren’t interested in politics. If you want to see, go look at the numbers of views such speeches get.
      
      Here is Luxon last year delivering a state of the nation speech, bet you didn’t even know about it
      
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNGujwpX2gM
      
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      January 18, 2025 7:36pm
  - JackRabbit
    
    Did a couple of times, for part of it, just to remind me what a she evil looked like, and what bald face lies she was telling on those days. Couldn’t watch the full length as didn’t have sick bags on hand.
    
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    January 18, 2025 5:48pm
  - kowtow
    
    Yep , I’m not acquainted with anyone whose into BDSM either.
    
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    January 18, 2025 6:28pm
  - graham
    
    I know several people who eagerly awaited every utterance from Our Glorious Leader, sadly.
    
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    January 18, 2025 7:04pm
- MCōs
  
  Both Chris Luxon and David Seymour are due to make what they and the media consider major speeches in the next week or two.
  I doubt if any major tv network will be covering them live.
  
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  January 18, 2025 8:46pm
Philip Hart

Go woke, go broke

Had a chance to sell product to military but some board members didn’t like it

175 people out of work…….

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/tauranga-based-e-motorcycle-maker-ubco-tipped-into-receivership-ex-manager-fires-shots/WWA4VQBT6ZFSRAQM34LGIPXCJY/
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January 18, 2025 4:13pm
Steve Otto N Shore

Obamas getting divorced?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cczYQh5W8Bs
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January 18, 2025 5:57pm
Swifty

I’ve heard reports that there has been recent Islamic thuggery at various Speaker’s Corners in the UK – that they congregate en masse and surround Christian speakers and intimidate them to stop speaking or leave.

Here we have Muslim thugs start throwing punches after losing a debate at (the Hyde Park) Speaker’s Corner:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rhEYNENm_Mw

Sad to see such a great and long-standing institution overtaken and destroyed by the intolerant.

I’ve often thought that it must be hard for some, having come from societies where you rule the roost and no back talk is allowed, to suddenly find others openly speaking against you and pulling your faith to ribbons.

Somewhat unsurprisingly the thuggery, bullying and nastiness quickly comes out.

So much for the religion of peace – clearly the greatest lie ever told.
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January 18, 2025 6:36pm
Swifty

First phase of magic mushie trials complete at Gisborne:

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/539320/marae-based-study-into-psychoactive-mushroom-for-treating-methamphetamine-addiction-completes-first-phase-of-trials
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January 18, 2025 7:01pm
cmm

Has NZ devolved into a country where only Rich Pricks can get justice?

Someone gets their Porche 911 stolen and the cops get involved – 20 police cars and a 100km pursuit that takes an hour and a half.

But when I report a stolen Subaru the cops don’t even bother sending 1 car for a 3km drive from the Papanui cop shop!

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/jail-for-501-after-porsche-911-stolen-from-parnell-home-before-waikato-expressway-police-pursuit/Z4H4DKYBABE55AVJ4GMTRI6K6I/
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January 18, 2025 7:45pm
- Pope Punctilious II
  
  Possibly. One of my students recently had his old car stolen, and the police showed very little interest.
  
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  January 18, 2025 8:11pm
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  Hmm. The two criminals broke into a house while inhabitants were sleeping, stole a credit card, then returned to steal a Landrover to ram down the gates & then steal the Porsche.
  
  With all due respect, the event had a bit more to it than simply stealing a car.
  
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  January 19, 2025 6:30am
Kurious Kiwi

My greatest dissapointment with National (so far) is that they took 1 whole year to put someone of Roches status into such a critical role. Contrast that with Trump in his second term hitting the ground running with his lineup of nominees announced before he takes power. National had long enough in opposition to have started with far more momentum. They only have two years to turn the ship as the third year is election year. So now they are halfway through their action years. Willis has failed to drain the swamp in wellington, and failed to turn the economy, a stark contrast to Argentina with the same imperative. Reti has failed to make any real impact on the effectiveness of the health system, and now there is a shortage of nurses but a freeze on recruitment!
Personally I would like to see National and partners get three terms, but unless they radically turn up the heat I fear they will be gone in 26 and the country will fall backwards again.
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January 18, 2025 11:02pm
Kurious Kiwi

How many people know that Auckland hospital (and some others) has a Te Whare Awhina, where family visitors can have free overnight accommodation and free food. But this is only available to Maori.

And yet we cant afford to hire enough nurses or doctors.

Can someone tell me how this is justified?
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January 18, 2025 11:06pm
- Pope Punctilious II
  
  A very good question. We’re well on the way to becoming a Maori ethnostate.
  
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  January 19, 2025 8:39am

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