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January 27, 2025 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 27 January 2025

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General Debate

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CJames

One of those little things that collectively make a big difference since the change of government is reported occurring in Rotorua.
Police are arresting “homeless” people using shopping trolleys to transport their belongings. They have identified this as an identifier of antisocial behaviour they want to stop. Many of those people have outstanding historical offences. Anyone with a trolley being issued with a trespass notice is an interesting development. It will be interesting to see if this changes the behaviour of the vagrants that blight many CBDs.
No more police prevented from doing their job by government directives – must be a morale boost for them.
What is also of note is the Herald didn’t reportably seek comment from an iwi group or one of the groups that see themselves as definding the homeless rights. A change in media policy?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/rotorua-daily-post/news/police-arrest-13-people-return-45-trolleys-to-rotorua-businesses-during-three-day-operation/3F2B7USD7VCK7DJ2LADRIMEK3Q/
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January 27, 2025 8:00am
- artemisia
  
  Broken windows New Zealand style.
  
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  January 27, 2025 8:02am
- pdm
  
  `What is also of note is the Herald didn’t reportably seek comment from an iwi group or one of the groups that see themselves as definding the homeless rights. A change in media policy?’
  
  The Treaty Principles Bill working already!!!!
  
  Allied with very good work by Mark Mitchell, the New Police Commissioner and clearing out Rotorua Motels as abodes for said to be homeless people.
  
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  January 27, 2025 8:11am
  - igm
    
    Not too good for out-of-town rellies that once helped fill the motels at NZ taxpayers’ expense.
    
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    January 27, 2025 8:20am
    - lifesgood
      
      I’d never stay in a Rotorua Motel now. They are tainted and I have no respect for their owners who merrily ripped off the tax payers. I’ll only stay in places that were not part of the scheme.
      
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      January 27, 2025 12:23pm
      - waikatosinger
        
        That is a bit harsh. If not for this scheme most would have gone bankrupt during covid.
        
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        January 28, 2025 1:09pm
- Steve Otto N Shore
  
  Many years ago when my parents lived in Turangi the supermarket there had the trolleys locked in. You could take your shopping as far as the outdoor trolley park and that was it. Carry your shopping to the car, or home.
  Result – no trolleys littering the streets.
  
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  January 27, 2025 9:33am
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    In the UK you could unlock the supermarket trolly by inserting a 1 pound coin. Tge coin stayed with trolly as part of its locking mechanism, and popped out when you returned the trolly to its bay (chaining it up released the coin).
    
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    January 27, 2025 9:43am
    - Jules99
      
      Good system. I saw on Tucker Carlson’s trip to Moscow that they do it there too. He was blown away, which suggests to me it’s not done in the US. Why not? It encourages people to put the trolley back and not leave it loose in the car park or in a river.
      
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      January 27, 2025 11:03am
    - Observant Octagenarian
      
      Common in Australian supermarkets too.
      
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      January 27, 2025 11:03am
      - waikatosinger
        
        Would probably also sort out the issue where people put wrong sized trolleys into the trolley bay and block it up.
        
        Honestly people. Most trolley bays have two slots. How hard is it to put the big trolleys in one and the small trolleys in the other? Apparently too hard for many of my fellow citizens.
        
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        January 27, 2025 11:44am
    - Steve Otto N Shore
      
      I think Hawaii we inserted notes to release a trolley. No refunds. Can’t remember how much.
      Next time we took over someone else’s trolley when they had finished with it – before it was collected.
      
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      January 27, 2025 11:55am
    - CJames
      
      I believe some supermarkets in NZ are trialing geographical locks on shopping trolleys to stop them being taken out of carparks. From newspaper reports, there may also be a system where once in the store, it can’t get out unless the till releases it. Stops all those brazen meat thefts that were occurring.
      It all costs the shops money that the honest shoppers are having to pay for by increased prices. One of the hidden costs of crime.
      
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      January 27, 2025 12:02pm
      - Handyman
        
        I have observed that at PaknSave Petone. Works a treat.
        
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        January 27, 2025 1:30pm
  - Ian Boag
    
    @Steve
    
    The Turangi supermarket still does it – there is no charge to use the trolley, but if it goes outside the parking lot the wheels lock up …
    
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    January 27, 2025 7:40pm
    - Anthony Melchett
      
      Same system could be used on the ankle bracelets many of turangis finest are wearing…
      
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      January 27, 2025 10:21pm
Pope Punctilious II

Oxford and Cambridge have decided traditional sit-down exams are unfair to certain minorities, so are moving towards “more inclusive” assessments: https://www.gbnews.com/news/oxford-cambridge-university-russell-group-minority-groups-exams
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January 27, 2025 8:05am
- Paulus
  
  How sad Oxform and Cambridge are considering to reduce what has become a gold standard over generations to the modern “she loves me ” position to get a pass.
  
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  January 27, 2025 10:41am
  - 7kiwi11
    
    This could be a real opportunity for non prestigious Universities to step up and offer an education and qualifications that is worth something.
    
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    January 27, 2025 11:01am
- PurplePen
  
  “Research into the attainment gaps between minority groups show that the divide is reduced when results do not solely rely on traditional exams, although studies have not identified a clear factor as to why this is the case”.
  
  “assessment practices might be the root cause for awarding gaps”.
  
  Nothing definitive then, yet they want to go ahead anyway and change the assessment approach.
  
  “Sir John Hayes, who used to serve as a Conservative Education Minister, called the change “deeply insulting to students from minority backgrounds.”
  
  Hayes’ point is true. What the university is saying is that because of a fixed human attribute, your race in this case, you’re somehow unable to behave in the same way as other humans from other races. Highly racist. What might be better is to consider other changeable human attributes or conditions such as economic background.
  
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  January 27, 2025 11:35am
- In Vino Veritas
  
  Of course. Oxford and Cambridge University Dons now believe that minorities are more stupid than non-minorities, and therefore need a hand up. A 2:1, 2:2 or 3rd isn’t worth a pinch of shit any more, it’s the same as getting a “degree” from the back of a Weet-Bix box. Hell, even a 1st will now be laughed at.
  
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  January 27, 2025 3:17pm
- waikatosinger
  
  This is dismaying news.
  
  The “abolish exams”crowd have been pushing hard to do this in New Zealand universities for years. It has been a long time since the arts subjects had exams as writing essays by hand without word processor, a spell checker, and AI assistance is a lost skill. And the academics in arts faculties have (with their typical insufferable arrogance) been trying to force the scientists to give up exams too.
  
  So far New Zealand academics in STEM subjects have been able to push back. But because of the respect Oxbridge has in the academic world this news is going to make it very hard to resist this constant push to abolish exams.
  
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  January 27, 2025 4:41pm
Bridgenag

sunday memepool: here we go
embrace the memes of change

https://open.substack.com/pub/boriquagato/p/sunday-memepool-here-we-go?r=1aj1bv&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false

AND

sunday school pool
get hooked

https://open.substack.com/pub/boriquagato/p/sunday-school-pool?r=1aj1bv&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
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January 27, 2025 8:06am
Bridgenag

Sunday Strip: The Serious Side
We, the people, got some issues to take care of

C.I.A Now favours Lab Leak to explain Covid’s origins…..

Good video.

https://www.malone.news/p/sunday-strip-the-serious-side?r=1aj1bv&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
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January 27, 2025 8:07am
- JackRabbit
  
  No mention is publicly made of the military games held in Wuhan in October 2019, with 9308 athletes, 300,000 attendees from 142 countries.
  
  Notably absent were South Africa, Australia and NZ. As well as the UK. South Africa, Australia and NZ had very few “cases”, and the UK’s high cases can be explained by the UK health dept reclassifying the flu as “Covid” – I’ve seen the evidence of UK health reclassifying the stats; and the high use of Medazolam overdoes used on “Covid” patients in aged care homes.
  
  “Patients have ‘Covid’, no point of treating them, so just inject an overdose of Medazolam.
  
  John Looney the undertaker in the UK was the first whistleblower to reveal the Medazolam overdoes.
  
  The military games, it is now believed to be ground zero for the intentional/”accidental” release of the biologically altered gain of function tweaked flu, developed by Fauci’s team in Wuhan.
  
  Even the corrupt NIH admit that the military games were probably ground zero. All just a big fat co-incidence. Especially as the Wuhan labs had their licence suspended in October 2019 over a “waste matter containment breach”.
  
  The impact of the World Military Games on the COVID-19 pandemic.
  
  It is clear that travel was a major factor in the rapid dissemination of COVID-19 disease. It has been proposed that Wuhan, China, was the epicentre of the pandemic. The World Military Games took place from the 18th to 27th of October 2019 in Wuhan, China. Over 140 nations with 9308 athletes participated with over 300,000 attendees, volunteers and staff. This study examined the hypothesis that the large gathering in a pandemic epicentre was a factor in the spread of COVID-19 disease.
  
  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7813667/
  
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Military_World_Games
  
  https://www.defense.gov/Spotlights/CISM-Military-World-Games/
  
  China has maintained throughout the pandemic that Covid19 was developed at Fort Dietrick in the USA, and released in Wuhan.
  
  Russia has maintained that Covid19 was all about selling vaccines to enrich big Pharma. Neither of those accusations never reached main stream media.
  
  As well as Russia’s first surgical strike in the Ukraine shutting down a multitude of Bio Weapons labs in the Ukraine close to the Russian border, which also never reached main stream media.
  
  Just as news started to be generated (“leaked”) about “bats in the forests of Russia” just inside the border from the Ukraine, that were also a source of ‘Covid19’. Yeah right. Another “Covid19” outbreak a few kms from a bio-weapons lab.
  
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  January 27, 2025 9:42am
  - cmm
    
    ” I’ve seen the evidence of UK health reclassifying the stats;”
    
    I would think that many places did that.
    In the beginning, the period you are talking about here, there was no easy to use test and the classification was a very subjective test based on a set of symptoms.
    
    As is the case with any subjective test: you see what you want to see.
    
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    January 27, 2025 2:08pm
  - kiwimike
    
    JR
    I read Sharri Marksons book, “what really happened at Wuhan”
    she had it right.
    
    The Chinese (read Premier XI) allowed people from the region to fly all over the world, hundreds a week.
    But,
    Stopped them flying anywhere else in China…..
    
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    January 27, 2025 10:27pm
Cassandra

Treaty Principles Bill select committee submissions start at 8.30 am, live streamed. ACT’s Bill is often described as divisive, even by the PM, but of course the division started ages ago – this Bill is a reaction to constant Maori attempts to claim privilege, aided by successive National and Labour governments. Millions of dollars in cash and assets, plus dozens of examples of special treatment – Maori health providers, maraes, university facilities and appointments, Maori seats and wards and so on and the nett result is a group of rich chiefs and no change in the negative statistics. A simple referendum question to put an end to it would win in a landslide.
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January 27, 2025 8:07am
- Blog-aholic
  
  “When people get used to preferential treatment, equal treatment seems like discrimination.”
  ― Thomas Sowell
  
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  January 27, 2025 8:12am
- pdm
  
  Cass did you know they are still counting and sorting submissions.
  
  Justice Select Committee Chairman James Meager told me that in an email yesterday in response to a query I had about Submission numbers.
  
  Kudos to Meager though – he is the first National MP I have had a reply from since they became part of the Government. ACT MP’s, including David Seymour usually but he is a first for National and NZFirst MP’s never reply either.
  
  Oops forgot Tim Costley but he was replying to a `non political’ email.
  
  Finally I do not bombard MP’s with emails maybe 1 or 2 a month.
  
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  January 27, 2025 8:19am
  - igm
    
    This extension for submissions is a real rort. Bet 95% would actually be invalid.
    
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    January 27, 2025 8:22am
    - Paulus
      
      Who will justify those that are both valid and invalid. Umm, look forward to some reliable figures if that is made possible.
      
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      January 27, 2025 2:09pm
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Meager is the chair of the select committee is he not?
    
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    January 27, 2025 8:27am
  - Cassandra
    
    I’ve just watched a bit of it. So far it’s all about sovereignty. While it’s early days I think the battle lines for the future are drawn on this single issue. Presumably laying the foundation for a Maori House, a bicameral Parliament. Horrible thought.
    
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    January 27, 2025 9:00am
    - Grunter
      
      You might be right—the sovereignty issue can blow up big time, in my opinion.
      
      If we can’t even agree on that as a country, then where do we go with that?
      
      The entire ‘Mana motuhake’ movement is about separatism – or apartheid.
      
      All far-left parties (Labour, Greens, TMP) are saying that Maori never ceded sovereignty in 1840.
      
      Fortunately, the submission process and free speech allow us to hear what the far left is thinking and demanding. Hopefully, that will be enough to scare the pants off those in the apathetic centre who wish this would all go away.
      
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      January 27, 2025 9:38am
    - Steve Otto N Shore
      
      Can’t find out how to view it. I’m new to this smart TV stuff.
      
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      January 27, 2025 9:52am
      - pdm
        
        Try this link Steve.
        Public hearings are streamed on the parliament website here: https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/scl/justice/news-archive/watch-public-meetings-of-the-justice-committee/
        
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        January 27, 2025 11:08am
      - Steve Otto N Shore
        
        Cheers pdm.
        DPF is doing his right now
        
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        January 27, 2025 11:57am
    - Jules99
      
      Might be easier to sell NZ to Trump. LOL.
      
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      January 27, 2025 11:07am
  - PurplePen
    
    Never get a reply from Seymour, Shane Jones nor Winston nor other ACT MPs, nor Greens. But always have from Penk, Bishop, Collins, Luxon and a few other MPs from National.
    
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    January 27, 2025 11:39am
  - Ghost
    
    Meager is pretty good. He’s even followed up with ministers who haven’t replied and got them to reply.
    
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    January 27, 2025 11:48am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      Megan is the chair of the committee, it is possibly his job, I can see him being a PM in time, as I also see Brown being in the top seat in say 10 years
      
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      January 27, 2025 12:35pm
      - Ghost
        
        No, nothing to do with meager being the chair of the committee. Im talking about contacting him as our mp.
        
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        January 27, 2025 3:51pm
- Yvette
  
  Cassandra
  
  “Maori health providers, maraes, university facilities and appointments, Maori seats and wards and so on” are perhaps surface items. What goes somewhat deeper is the spread of ‘Aryan’ exceptionalism in matters like Te Pou Whakamana Kaimatū o Aotearoa – The Pharmacy Council of New Zealand 
  https://pharmacycouncil.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Pharmacy-Council-Charter-Document-2023-Website.pdf
  which seemed to draw a little surprise from you yesterday morning.
  
  I think that this attitude seems to have penetrated as far as it has, is quite a worry and I am yet to understand really why it has occurred – cultural misappropriation (or counter colonialism, decolonisation that didn’t ease when the pendulum was near balanced) sickophantism or whatever, now means to remove it the assimilators need to admit they were wrong – which is always difficult … as is admitting “millions of dollars in cash and assets” are wasted.
  
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  January 27, 2025 8:52am
  - Cassandra
    
    I’ve just had a look at the document. An interesting read which is difficult to understand, extensive Maori design and use of Manglish obscures much of it. We seem to have four official languages now. I do not have a solution. The Cogovernance virus has arrived and it’s like rust.
    
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    January 27, 2025 9:22am
    - Yvette
      
      I am pleased to see Thomas Cranmer appointed to the Waitangi Tribunal. He may be able to help restrain te Mana o te Wai and the rust that may cause. Waitangi Day 2023 heard cries to save te Mana o te Wai above all else, hinting at the esteem in which the likes of Morgan hold it.
      Te Mana o te Wai never sleeps
      
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      January 27, 2025 11:32am
      - G the giant from Dunedin
        
        Te O Mana o Te Wai if that is the remainder of three waters then that was dropped altogether in November
        
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        January 27, 2025 12:36pm
      - Paulus
        
        Like Rust = it never goes away only continues under cover often.
        
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        January 27, 2025 2:12pm
      - Grunter
        
        G the Giant….
        You’re still wrong….. this right on your own doorstep (ORC)
        
        https://www.orc.govt.nz/your-council/plans-and-strategies/land-and-water-regional-plan/how-it-started/
        
        “Te Mana o te Wai – the vital importance and health of our water – is part of Otago’s collective well-being and future sustainability. The health of some of our waterways is excellent, but others need improving. This is important because Otago’s waterways support all life from threatened native fish, the mahika kai we collect and the swimming holes we love, to how we earn our living and enjoy clean groundwater.
        
        Te Mana o te Wai is about respecting and looking after the water, so the water can look after you. It also recognises that mana whenua, councils, water users and the wider community all have a role in managing freshwater.
        
        The new Land and Water Plan will be based on a whole-of-catchment approach – ki uta ki tai – that is consistent with Te Mana o te Wai and prioritises the health and well-being of waterbodies. “
        
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        January 27, 2025 2:16pm
- Paulus
  
  Isn’t it amazing the some, possible partial Maori, represented by some 16 % of the total population want to rule New Zealand, and the 84% others.
  Sure there is a word for that
  – In South Africa it is called Apartheid isn’t it ?
  
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  January 27, 2025 10:45am
  - PurplePen
    
    Yes. Their rationale is that it’s our country and everyone else has emigrated here. Except, let’s pretend it is their country and everyone has emigrated here. What are they going to do. Not let everyone else have a say. Tax everyone else and then not provide them with health, education, police services, etc. How are they going to treat their Pacific Island ‘sisters’ etc. How are they going to compete with the rest of the world for human resource.
    
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    January 27, 2025 11:44am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    16% most Māori I know are hard working tax payers and are completely devoid of the Māori whinge fest in fact they are more anti it than many on here
    
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    January 27, 2025 12:38pm
    - Sparrow
      
      Totally agree.
      
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      January 27, 2025 1:26pm
  - cmm
    
    Well not really…
    
    Under apartheid, the goal was to be apart (the word means apart-ness). (and, BTW, the word is pronounced apart-hate, not apar-tide as almost all Westerners say).
    
    The intention was that blacks would rule themselves. There was no intention for whites to rule over blacks (well not in the long term anyway).
    
    The first of the Bantustans (as they are sometimes called) was the Transkei, an area I knew well as a child, which was self governing from 1963 onwards.The goal was that these Bantustans would all become independent countries like Lesotho and Swaziland (now Eswatini).
    
    In many ways the Zulu Kingdom (aka Zululand) was at least partially self-governing all the way through the apartheid era with its own tribal court system and a form of tribal government which still exists today (though the white government was more receptive than the modern black government).
    
    One of the main drivers for some of the apartheid policies was to reduce inter-racial and inter-tribal violence. A large push for this occurred due to the Durban Riots in 1949 when approximately 140 Indian people were killed by Zulus often in shocking ways (eg. being burned alive)..
    
    It would be incorrect to say that this was the only factor, but it was a major factor.
    
    I was not yet born when that happened, bat as I understand things, the Wikipedia article is a fair reflection of the atrocities.
    
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durban_riots
    
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    January 27, 2025 2:26pm
  - kiwimike
    
    Ot is here.
    I call it Maori Apartheid….
    it is real and starts with the IWI Leadership group and some of our dodgy woke Politicians…
    
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    January 27, 2025 10:37pm
- Philview
  
  I heard recently that Ngai Tahu’s annual revenue is around $340 million. Obviously a well run Tribe but when we hear from the media about how tough Maoris are doing it, they don’t mention figures like that.
  
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  January 27, 2025 11:30am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Time for them to pay tax, can you imagine the outrage
    
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    January 27, 2025 12:38pm
  - kiwimike
    
    what’s the betting, they get lots of hidden special deals…
    esp with Chris Finlayson on the payroll.
    
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    January 27, 2025 10:39pm
- kiwikidsnz
  
  Hobson’s pledge (140000 members) have just announced (email) that they have been refused a speaking slot by the select committee. Tamihere and Moxon are both being heard.
  
  Hobson’s have been given a slot today by Democracy Action. Tune in via the Parliament website or RNZ’s livestream from around 2.20pm to hear their presentation
  
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  January 27, 2025 12:16pm
  - Ghost
    
    They are at 2.20pm today, something they have even posted on Facebook.
    
    https://www.facebook.com/HobsonsPledge/
    
    https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/list-of-submitters/
    
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    January 27, 2025 12:27pm
    - kiwikidsnz
      
      That’s what I said?
      
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      January 27, 2025 2:11pm
    - Ghost
      
      Btw there is 80 hours of submissions going to be heard. Not everyone is going to be called up in the first week. Brash knows this, to claim they are not being given a slot is just playing for media attention.
      
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      January 27, 2025 2:20pm
      - Graeme Hall
        
        The most recent email (11:56am today) from them includes this text. Seems pretty clear.
        
        “We are very grateful therefore to the team at Democracy Action who gave us their speaking slot today. We had anticipated that if not given a formal slot on Monday, then it was a given that we would be given a slot on Thursday. We therefore agreed to swap with Democracy Action. Just this morning though, the Democracy Action team got an email from the Committee Clerks saying no slot has been given to Hobson’s Pledge and so no swap is currently possible.”
        
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        January 27, 2025 3:19pm
- Damocles11
  
  The vile Finlayson has had his say. What a truly odious individual he is:
  
  ‘He said there were “obvious limits” and issues that were beyond the competence of Parliament and that included interfering with the Treaty of Waitangi which “stands quite apart from Parliamentary sovereignty”.’
  
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  January 27, 2025 1:40pm
  - Eastlander
    
    Not even the most brazen of the left wing judges has ever taken that line. His argument amounts to rebellion.
    
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    January 27, 2025 2:22pm
    - Damocles11
      
      The idea that there are ‘Principles’ to the Treaty of Waitangi was formulated by Parliament and then enshrined by Parliament in an Act of Parliament…..but Parliament cannot – according to Finlayson – define what these Principles are. Bizarre thinking devoid of any reasoning or logic.
      
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      January 27, 2025 3:08pm
  - PurplePen
    
    He assumes the treaty was written, negotiated and signed by competents then.
    
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    January 27, 2025 5:16pm
- kiwimike
  
  Finalising with the racist Health Bill.
  finally codifying Maori Apartheid.
  
  done for me, I want all race based Law gone.
  All NZ citizens are equal.
  simple.
  Thank you Maori Chiefs for the TOW
  making yourselves all British under Queenie !!
  
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  January 27, 2025 10:32pm
Morgan H

Who on this blog is a swing voter? I’ve noticed a few people here are only supportive of one party. There are people on here who threaten to withdraw their support of National over one or two issues, but how many of those are actually going to do that?

I’m someone who votes for which party most aligns with my values and policy goals. I feel this is one of the advantages of MMP, we’re not forced into a two-party system.
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January 27, 2025 8:09am
- Swifty
  
  I’m not a swing voter but I know a few parties who swing – Labour, the Greens and the Maori Party
  
  They all swing between lunacy and insanity.
  
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  January 27, 2025 9:14am
- Cassandra
  
  MMP is the result of the rejection of the two party system. I imagine readers of this blog are predominantly National and Act voters with a sprinkling of NZF and Labour. I twice voted Social Credit! Labour in the old days then National then Act mostly. I’m a member of National. Does that make me swing?
  
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  January 27, 2025 9:26am
  - Morgan H
    
    Yes, I’d say you’re a swing voter. Not just based on this post but based on other posts of yours too. I’ve enjoyed reading quite a few of your posts. Instead of making excuses for National you actually criticise them when they do wrong. That’s something I respect.
    
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    January 27, 2025 9:49am
  - Ian Boag
    
    MMP is the result of the rejection of the two party system
    
    No longer can you get 60% of the parliament with 40% of the vote. You don’t even have to et the most votes …
    
    Sad really
    
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    January 27, 2025 7:48pm
- Damocles11
  
  This business of ‘threatening to withdraw support from National’ as if that is the party we all *should* vote for under normal circumstances….it’s outdated and hide-bound thinking. If the idea of voting for a party other than National leaves someone with a sick feeling in their stomach then it’s probably because they were indoctrinated from birth and are now heavily ‘tribalised’. Changing your vote between parties on the right does not ‘hand the next election to the Left’ any more than a Lefty jumping between Labour and the Greens hands the election to a Right of Centre coalition.
  
  [ Mod – just debate without making it personal]
  
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  January 27, 2025 9:41am
  - pdm
    
    Damoc
    
    I think that is more targeting of National Party members these days.
    
    As opposed to National Voters at the last or next election.
    
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    January 27, 2025 11:14am
- Ultima
  
  I am a swing voter, voted ACT for the first time in the last election. Before that, it was mainly Nat, NZF and Labour. Yes, Labour in the Clark era. I can’t see my vote swinging to Labour anytime soon.
  
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  January 27, 2025 9:48am
- wilderbeast
  
  I don’t vote National. I used to but I feel they’re too soft in opposing the culture war being waged by the left, so I’ve voted Act the last two elections. I don’t think I’m alone in that on here..?
  
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  January 27, 2025 10:10am
- wsk12345
  
  I’m not a swing voter as I think you mean – I would never and have never voted green labour or TPM or any other leftist party like TOP. However I have voted for all of the 3 coalition partners and others at various times. I’m not open to voting Nats anymore unless significant change.
  
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  January 27, 2025 10:17am
- Jules99
  
  I would be a swing voter National/Act/NZF, but I think what the attackers of National are forgetting is the real threat to National are swing voters from Labour/Greens. National got in because of Labour voters switching. Act/NZF are just not getting traction and are no real threat to National. Recent polls are not suggesting that has changed since the election. Personally, I like the coalition – it got us some policies that National would have ignored.
  
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  January 27, 2025 11:11am
  - Mark Hanley
    
    What the ACT party supporters forget is.
    – without Luxons remarkable turnaround of the National party, Seymour would be languishing on the opposition benches.
    – the ministries effecting good fundamental changes to date are all headed by National MPs (the reason I voted National last election and will again next election is because their management talent is much greater than ACT)
    – implementing ACTs free market ethos will (as it has in every other country with unabated free markets) lead to middle class wealth drifting up to the wealthy
    
    So I agree the coalition is a good mix, being expertly orchestrated by Luxon, The minor parties introduce policies which would scare centre voters back to labour, whilst National avoids extremes. and keeps all 3 parties in power.
    
    And if you’re still debating Luxons management expertise, you might care to examine why, for the first time in his political career, Peters is usefully making NZ a better place and hasn’t brought the goverment down.
    
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    January 27, 2025 12:53pm
    - Matt Long
      
      One is reminded of the incredible poor polling Simon Bridges when he was rolled as National Party leader in May 2020.
      https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/nationals-poor-poll-leader-simon-bridges-insists-im-the-leader-and-im-staying/MI4WHNYSI5AIE25MMF65JNMFSA/
      
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      January 27, 2025 2:58pm
      - Mark Hanley
        
        Luxon is managing a coalition, not a single party.
        
        Should National start hoovering up ACT and MZ First votes, Peters would go rogue to drum up support, and the coalition would crumble.
        
        To achieve his goals Luxon is cleverly allowing each party leader chase their agenda whilst National maintains the centre vote..
        
        Seymour gets to attack buerocractic waste and the appalling Maori favoritism / racial legal mess left behind by the Adern, Little, Robertson, Hipkins, and Clark cartel.
        
        Whilst Winston gets to do sfa, whilst living large on the foreign office budget.
        
        Meanwhile clever National Minsters affect change in the important ministries like health, economic development, infrastructure and education.
        
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        January 27, 2025 3:28pm
      - All_on_Red
        
        Lol
        National is struggling to keep to 30%
        I am a National Voter (have been for years and my son voted for the first time for them too) and so far despite Luxon ticking off things quite well on his ‘things to do’ list (which has been good) he has yet to do the things necessary for effective change.
        He is an uninspiring bureaucrat (at least I can spell that right)
        Its not enough.
        
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        January 27, 2025 7:52pm
      - Mark Hanley
        
        Luxon published his to do list at the onset of the coalition (coalition agreements) and in his quarterly plans / quarterly plan verse achieved. No prime minister has been so open and transparent.
        
        Not only that Luxon has done all the things he said he would. A feat never accomplished by a NZ politician let alone a prime minister.
        
        What is it you think luxon should do extra? What are the costs/benefits of your suggestion, what will the.likely reaction of centre voters be to your suggestion, which minister will iplement your suggestion and what will that minister give up to implement your suggestion, and where will lthe boots on the ground skills and budget come from?
        
        These are just a few of the questions Luxon will ask/answer when suggestions come across his desk.
        
        Soooooo eaay to sit behind a keyboard and criticize…..
        
        Much more difficult to take jnto consideration all the management decision making factors, then manage a large team of people selected by nz voters to successfully implement the prioritized ideas.
        
        Ps I have a job so my kiwiblog typing done on my phone….. good on you for playing spot the typo.
        
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        January 27, 2025 8:15pm
- PurplePen
  
  I’ve voted over the years for every party except Greens and smaller parties such as TOP. I voted for Maori party once when it was not this crowd. I considered they were a useful voice to have in parliament. Not now tho. I’ve settled for the last few elections on ACT and will still vote ACT. They’re the most rational, have some good logic behind their policy package, their policies are a reasonable shift rather than a very gradual shift or rather than tinkering around the edges which over the last few decades has gotten NZ nowhere.
  
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  January 27, 2025 11:50am
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  I was a Labour voter many years ago, I swung to act and vowed to never swing again
  
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  January 27, 2025 12:40pm
  - Grunter
    
    So, you’re still with Labour then…??//
    
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    January 27, 2025 2:23pm
  - Observer of Life
    
    G: sorry to point this out, but now you can’t see the wood for the trees at times.
    
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    January 27, 2025 2:55pm
    - Mark Hanley
      
      Ool. Are you a Labour politician?
      
      KBers know he importance of playing the ball and not the man.
      
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      January 27, 2025 5:12pm
      - All_on_Red
        
        Perhaps you should take your own advice.
        And frankly, you are a newcomer.
        So dont patronise us.
        
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        January 27, 2025 7:42pm
      - Ian Boag
        
        @AoR
        
        So dont patronise us.
        
        Attaboy. Personal whacks are standard KB stuff. Work on it and you will inherit the Tall Man mantle 🙂
        
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        January 27, 2025 7:54pm
- cmm
  
  “Who on this blog is a swing voter?”
  
  Everyone in is a swing voter with enough of a reason.
  
  I have personally voted for all of: Green (Rod Donald days) , National and Act. I have never been a party member.
  
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  January 27, 2025 2:31pm
- kiwimike
  
  I did this time.
  free speech and equal rights for all NZ Citizens.
  
  Greens and Maori are nuts…
  Luxon is woke and national with labour have set up this Maori Apartheid culminating in the health act and 3 waters.
  winston gave us Ardern and can’t be trusted.
  
  I spoke with Seymour & Mckee, they were adamant that all NZers are equal and should be treated equally by Law and Govt policies.
  
  so I voted for them.
  
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  January 27, 2025 10:44pm
Matt Long

Some people were surprised Mitch McConnell voted against Pete Hesgeth’s confirmation after he voted for a very motley collection of Biden’s picks.
“McConnell reportedly bragged how he “crushed the sons of bitches” on January 6 and promised to do the same to them in the 2022 primaries.”
https://x.com/ScottAdamsSays/status/1883247452004004056
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January 27, 2025 8:19am
- MCōs
  
  This is McConnell’s last term so he can’t be threatened with being primaried at the next election. He obviously voted against the guy because he didn’t believe he was the right person for the position
  
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  January 27, 2025 8:41am
  - Matt Long
    
    His personal preferences could be the reason for the vote, there could also be other reasons…
    https://x.com/Jude_62/status/1883308550111527403
    
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    January 27, 2025 8:59am
  - CJames
    
    The other alternative is how many defense contractors have been funders of his political campaigns? Kentucky has a lot of defense industries doesn’t it? Many politicians in the US stay loyal to those who have financed them – a fact of life with US politics and why there are strange alliances.
    
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    January 27, 2025 9:03am
  - RoboRob
    
    True with regards to his term and quite possibly true with regards to his vote.
    
    However Mitch is a very old school Rep (as you can tell by his age). He is from a totally different era where Dems and Reps frequently worked together and relations between parties were good even though they might disagree on some policy. This was the period where the Dems were more like current Republicans, they didn’t trust the state (FBI / CIA) and were all in for personal freedom and liberty. Essentially where the modern Rep party is now.
    
    What I am trying to say is that he still acts and works like he did in the good old days, behind the scenes working with both sides to forward the Republican agenda. In todays environment he is decidedly out of place. He might have some agreement with Dems that a vote against Hegseth with get him support on some other bill (which may or may not occur). This is also why he likely voted for many of Bidens picks. As you say he might think Hegseth is just to radical for the job as he respects the FBI / CIA and doesn’t want someone critical of them that might force change, this is not the position of the bulk of the Republican base now.
    
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    January 27, 2025 9:11am
    - All_on_Red
      
      The thing is McConnell when he was Leader used to go on about ‘unity’ and ‘sticking together’ and here he is voting against the mainstream view of his Party.
      Sure, he is allowed to but its hypocritical.
      
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      January 27, 2025 1:39pm
Matt Long

It’s the same in New Zealand, farmers created highly productive land out of unwanted desolate swamps and wastelands, then suddenly they stole it. Starvation and civil strife coming to South Africa.
https://x.com/twatterbaas/status/1883548346897281330
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January 27, 2025 8:23am
- cmm
  
  South Africa is a bit more complicated than that.
  
  The powerful tribes lived, and continue to live, on the North Eastern coastal belt. They were there long before the white man, they were there all the way through the apartheid years and they are there still.
  
  Now why would they live there?
  
  Well being the most power tribes they took the best land that could grow their crops and feed their cattle with the technology available (ie. zero irrigation).
  
  The white farmers mostly ended up in the poorer land where few people lived or were uninhabited. Many of these were arid, almost desert-like lands.
  
  Those lands were turned into prosperous irrigated lands that grew enough food to feed the booming South African population as well as those of other Southern African nations.
  
  Now there are various threats to the farmers’ lives, their economy and their lifestyles and many are leaving the farms and even South Africa to take their skills where they are appreciated.
  
  Once you take away the irrigation and the skill and capital required to work, those farms turn back to unproductive wastelands. Southern Africa is now an importer of food – something that nobody would have believed just 20 years ago.
  
  And no, climate change is not to blame.
  
  Could the same happen in NZ? Of course they could, if the wrong situations arise.
  
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  January 27, 2025 2:45pm
Swifty

This is what Labour and the education unions would deny us:

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/540032/charter-schools-swamped-with-applications-ahead-of-opening

Labour and the unions think only they know best and that these parents don’t know what’s best for their own children.

Labour and the unions must be scared shitless right now – when these schools succeed in delivering what the state monopoly can’t, when these schools and their parents and kids deliver results above the state monopoly, the ‘emperors has no clothes’ moment will come and be obvious to all New Zealanders.

Bring it on.
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January 27, 2025 8:25am
- imalwaysright
  
  I don’t understand why the government limited the number of charter schools.
  Do they think that motivated teachers, parents and pupils are going to produce worse results than the current rabble?
  If a charter school meets the standard then they should automatically get a license.
  
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  January 27, 2025 10:39am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    I do not think they have limited them, I think Seymour did say it would be a staged approach, did he not say he wants up to 60? , and then I think he wants some state schools to convert over later
    
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    January 27, 2025 12:43pm
- Paulus
  
  Probably the Edcationalists consider that the Mothers of today are those whom they taught so it is all right.
  They still knew best then and do so again now.
  
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  January 27, 2025 10:50am
- thirteenstars
  
  Seymour has recently doubled down on this with his State of the Nation speech wherein he argues for parents having direct control of their child’s proportion of the funding they would ordinarily receive when enrolled at a public school, allowing them to spend it at a registered school of their choice. This is ACT policy for a few years now but was not included in the coalition agreement I suspect because it was a bridge too far for National, instead the Charter Schools policy was put in.
  
  Here’s Seymour discussing the same idea with health but he quickly moves on to the education bit:
  
  https://youtu.be/r7bKfxjGHMs?si=xBpTQ17g_BZ8LmZm&t=1234
  
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  January 27, 2025 11:00am
- PurplePen
  
  And all without, well mostly, 3000 staff from the ministry.
  
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  January 27, 2025 11:54am
- kiwimike
  
  I blame Ardern and Hipkins for taking away education (charter schools) from Maori and other kids for whom the standard schools didn’t work.
  
  bags the 2 of them, doing that to kids….
  Never vote Labour
  
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  January 27, 2025 10:48pm
goNZ1

one way the Ukraine war could end quickly is for USA to slip a few surplus nuke weapons to Zelensky thru a 3rd party. (if they haven’t already of course). Then the next time Putin threatens nuke war if his invasion is further hindered ,Ukraine can announce to the world that they got nukes as well and that if Russia uses theirs first then Moscow will be incinerated
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January 27, 2025 8:29am
- Cassandra
  
  Let’s hope not.
  
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  January 27, 2025 9:27am
- Terry Dalee
  
  Slip a few onto Taiwan too while your at it.
  
  It’s the unfortunate reality of mutually assured destruction. It works and it’s worked for the past 60 years.
  
  It’s the same reason why ICBM silos still exist and SSBNs still roam the worlds oceans undetected.
  
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  January 27, 2025 9:45am
- Grunter
  
  “Ukraine can announce to the world that they got nukes as well and that if Russia uses theirs first then Moscow will be incinerated”
  
  Yep……and then what happens next….?
  
  Good plan//
  
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  January 27, 2025 9:48am
  - goNZ1
    
    its just the reality of how things are. Iran could suddenly announce they have a nuke weapon, and Saudi Arabia follow and so on.
    The common factor Putin,Tehran Mullahs,Xi ,Hezbolleh and Rocket Man understand is Force.
    Ukraine agreed to hand over its Nukes in exchange for security guarantees and has been betrayed, it should be given them back.
    
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    January 27, 2025 10:32am
    - Taieri
      
      Ukraine agreed to hand over its Nukes in exchange for security guarantees
      —————-
      
      The nukes, while located in Ukraine, were never really Ukrainian. They were Soviet and they were controlled from the Kremlin.
      
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      January 27, 2025 3:49pm
  - Terry Dalee
    
    “Yep……and then what happens next….?”
    
    Probably a stalemate.
    
    The path of least resistance is to NOT launch a nuclear strike for Russia.
    
    For Ukraine, your more likely to use them because your back is against it.
    
    Yes it does increase the risk of nuclear war but they are facing complete annihilation.
    So hence giving Russia more motivation to end said invasion.
    
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    January 27, 2025 11:20am
    - Grunter
      
      So, using your logic, if Mexico or Cuba somehow got nukes then the US would back off and just leave them alone?
      
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      January 27, 2025 2:27pm
      - All_on_Red
        
        Why do you think the standoff over the Cuban Missile Crisis was perceived as a huge threat to the US.
        Eh Tovarisch
        But do tell us, what do Southfront and The Duran have to say about this?
        
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        January 27, 2025 7:48pm
      - Terry Dalee
        
        Last I looked, the US hasn’t invaded Cuba or Mexico, more the other way around
        
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        January 27, 2025 8:49pm
- Ghost
  
  You mean one way to start a nuclear war.
  
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  January 27, 2025 10:21am
- Paulus
  
  It is generally accepted that the Chechens would of course Nuclear Moscow or a City and Russia know it but would blame the USA first.
  
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  January 27, 2025 10:53am
- Handyman
  
  Ukraine surrendered its nukes as part of the Gun (and nukes) Buy Back scheme which Russia and USA ran after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
  Apparently, Ukraine had no need of nuclear weapons because Russia would protect its sovereignty.
  
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  January 27, 2025 11:12am
- kiwimike
  
  I think if Trump can get the USA to be energy sufficient or an exporter.
  then get the gas down to $60 a barrel the Russians won’t have enough income…
  
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  January 27, 2025 10:50pm
Matt Long

Was this the motto of a departed but not regretted Prime Minister.
Nulla dies sine linea — “No day without a line”
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January 27, 2025 8:35am
NK

https://www.oneroof.co.nz/news/auckland-penthouse-for-sale-for-1-looking-for-reckless-buyer-46909

This article makes me shake my head.

You could, apparently, pick up an apartment for $1 that, according to One Roof could be worth $1M once all the repairs are done. Wow!

Elliott said while someone might be able to pick up the apartment for $1 and would have access to the $355,000 settlement money, they would still have to stump up a further $700,000 to complete the project.

On top of that an estimated $180,000 is needed to carry out additional “wash up” work.

I’m heavily involved in this industry. You can expect to add 20% to the $880K you need to spend. That puts the cost in excess of the expected value.

But, as the article proclaims, once complete the new owner could be sitting on an apartment worth more than $1m!!!!

LOL.
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January 27, 2025 8:43am
- sirknz
  
  ‘Could’ is doing a lot of heavy lifting in the claim.
  
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  January 27, 2025 9:14am
Benedict Yu

I am a fan of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. It has around 90 players, or musicians.

https://www.nzso.co.nz/the-nzso/about-us/players

It is striking that not a single one of those players is Maori. (Yes it is possible that some of them identify as Maori but that is not apparent from reading any of the bios.) They are all white folk and Chinese folk. All have impressive CVs with years of international experience and training.

I’m just curious how New Zealand’s flagship Orchestra, substantially funded by the government, does not attract criticism, demonstrations, and accusations of racism for this state of affairs.
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January 27, 2025 8:49am
- Cassandra
  
  Very good point, BY. It’s not as if Maori are totally removed from the classical world – Inia and Kiri – but perhaps instruments are not their thing?
  
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  January 27, 2025 9:03am
  - Allan
    
    Perhaps it’s the colonialist thing.
    
    Is there any record of maori having any musical instrument?
    
    The australian indigenous tribes managed to be creative by banging two sticks together or blowing through a hollow, wooden tube.
    
    On the other hand, there is not a single person claiming to be maori whose ancestry isn’t more non-maori than maori.
    
    I guess it just depends on which part can claim greater advantage.
    
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    January 27, 2025 9:33am
    - pdm
      
      Allan – Conch Shells.
      
      Maori are very musically inclined and talented but, perhaps not so inclined the Classical Music way.
      
      As someone who is tone deaf without a musical gene in my body I am certainly not the best person to comment any way.
      
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      January 27, 2025 11:26am
      - Jethrod
        
        Incidentally, were and when did those conch shells first appear?
        To my mind they appeared about 20 to 30 years ago.
        Also do we have a local product that relates to a conch shell, or are they just imported?
        
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        January 27, 2025 2:12pm
      - AitchW
        
        Don’t forget guitars. Can’t sing 10 Guitars without a good chunk a chunk accompaniment.
        
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        January 27, 2025 3:53pm
    - Pope Punctilious II
      
      “Is there any record of maori having any musical instrument?”
      
      Are you serious? We learned a bit about Maori musical instruments at primary school – though that was a wee while ago. They made several kinds of wind instruments, including flutes and “trumpets” (no valves, of course). https://teara.govt.nz/en/maori-musical-instruments-taonga-puoro
      
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      January 27, 2025 1:53pm
      - Paulus
        
        Maori invented the Guitar, don’t ya remember,
        
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        January 27, 2025 2:18pm
  - Paulus
    
    Wow, two out of how many, throughout their generations !
    Great singers too.
    
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    January 27, 2025 10:55am
  - PurplePen
    
    They could lower the entrance standard such as allow a higher number of bum notes from players from different races.
    
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    January 27, 2025 12:01pm
    - lifesgood
      
      Love that, very funny.
      
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      January 27, 2025 12:34pm
  - Taieri
    
    It’s not as if Maori are totally removed from the classical world
    ————–
    
    While not Maori, Jonathan Lemalu and Phoebe Osnorne are other notable names.
    
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    January 27, 2025 3:54pm
    - PurplePen
      
      Kiri Te Kanawa.
      
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      January 27, 2025 5:18pm
- Blog-aholic
  
  Probably and most likely because there is no money in that complaint…..
  
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  January 27, 2025 9:15am
- Notsofast
  
  This is the same for American orchestras.
  There is a move to cease blind auditions in order to achieve diversity. By definition this will degrade the quality of the orchestras.
  
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  January 27, 2025 9:24am
  - Jack5
    
    Meanwhile, there are African-American musicians like Wynton Marsalis, at this link playing Haydn:
    
    https://youtu.be/vpFaWJQHwbA?si=s1kdT9gmoo8iBjtS
    
    And these Polynesians, including a brave 12-year-old soprano, singing Nessun Dorma in Auckland:
    
    https://youtu.be/KoNbSm6bGG0?si=0P8S24p3fMatiNZL
    
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    January 27, 2025 11:00am
- Swifty
  
  It’s something I’ve never seen considered in all the DEI stuff of late – where all ‘groups’ should and must be equally represented and enjoy equal success in all things – that different ‘cultures’ have different preferences.
  
  Chinese are overrepresented in the hard sciences while PIs and Maori prefer the social sciences. Maori and PIs favour rap and hip hop in far greater proportions than whiteys or Chinese or Indians. Non-Indian Asians almost never take up cricket, but Indians and whiteys flock to it. Asians and women are almost never present in remote forestry work but Maori bushmen are among the world’s best.
  
  You can look on this as some sort of discrimination, some sort of evil afoot, or you can simply recognise this as different groups of people having different preferences – and it just being the way people are with nothing evil about it.
  
  I prefer this latter interpretation.
  
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  January 27, 2025 9:58am
- Clyde
  
  For the same reason that you won’t see any East Polynesian stand out swimmers, cyclists, long distance runners, hockey players, tennis players. One top swimming coach once told me that the reason they didn’t see these people succeed was that it took too much work. On the other hand, there aren’t too many non-Polynesians in things like league and union. All biff, bash, short term. Some people are simply better suited to some things than others.
  
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  January 27, 2025 10:16am
  - PurplePen
    
    “Some people are simply better suited to some things than others.”
    
    Is it correct and allowed to then say some races are simply better suited to some things than others. I’m being provocative but I’d say yes. Just as tall and short people are better suited to some things such as short people are better suited to being fighter pilots. Or females are better suited to bearing children.
    
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    January 27, 2025 11:59am
  - Jules99
    
    Just look at the compilations of the Jerusalema global dance challenge a few years back (on YouTube). Pretty clear that the Africans got the dance gene. Some of the European efforts are terrible. Great to look at though.
    
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    January 27, 2025 1:08pm
  - Dave
    
    In 2023 70.4% of NBA players were African-American, 17.5% white, more or less the reverse the population ethnic percentages, though the significantly younger age distribution of AAs will account for some of that misalignment.
    
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    January 27, 2025 1:17pm
  - Benedict Yu
    
    “One top swimming coach once told me that the reason they didn’t see these people succeed was that it took too much work..”
    
    Not sure I buy that. In the USA there are no African American Olympic class swimmers but many such track athletes. Why? I don’t know. Especially in the 100 metres, 200 metres, 400 metres, dominated by black athletes. Short distance swimming events, nil. Is this genetic or cultural? I don’t know.
    
    Back to the orchestra. Are Chinese folk genetically disposed to play the violin compared to Maori? Seems unlikely.
    
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    January 27, 2025 1:18pm
    - Jethrod
      
      African American and Maori and PI athletes are recognized as having fast twitching muscles, which are better suited to jumping and sprinting compared with Caucasian athletes who are better at other types of activity,.
      
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      January 27, 2025 2:30pm
    - Taieri
      
      In the USA there are no African American Olympic class swimmers but many such track athletes. Why?
      —————–
      
      Genetics.
      
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      January 27, 2025 3:56pm
    - Gussy Fink-Nottle
      
      I believe it’s related to bone density.
      Black fellas being less buoyant.
      Ordinarily marginal perhaps, but as you’ve noted before, in elite sports, these things matter.
      
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      January 27, 2025 4:32pm
- kiwimike
  
  All the Maori I know love music and dancing.
  Wekkends away someone has a guitar and there are singalongs.
  
  so why would ordinary Maori shit on other Musicians >>
  
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  January 27, 2025 10:54pm
Quail

NZ farmers were the worlds best at achieving.productivity out of land regarded as unusable by the rest of the world.
Successive Governments have regulated farmers out of business, with land now reverting to pine Forest ,carbon sequestration , viticulture ,housing and wasteland.
When Muldoon asked farmers to farm NZ out of the energy crisis of the time – they did.
Now NZ farming and its infrastructure has declined to the point where there are not enough farmers and farms left to farm NZ out of anything.
Productivity in NZ is one of the lowest in the OECD.
Manufacturing also is in trouble. Freezing works and timber processors are closing,Electricity shortages causing closures.
Political discord warning that investment in NZ is insecure.

And what are the positive plans for changedo we get from government.?

More Taylor Swift concerts.
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January 27, 2025 9:02am
- RoboRob
  
  The ‘fix’ is simple.
  
  The first three are essential for any economy.
  
  1. Cheap energy. A massive increase in energy production so that we have an excess of electricity rather then shortages. This will push the price down and allow for all sorts of future endeavours (such as AI for example). No obvious useful activity from the govt in this area. Any easy fix for this might be legislated penalties where shortages occur, which would encourage suppliers to ensure they don’t!
  
  2. Improved roading and transport infrastructure. National seems on board with this.
  
  3. Good communications. The Key govt did a great job on this and the current government just needs to make sure we don’t rest on our laurels.
  
  Extra things
  1) End the carbon / green policies. They aren’t helping with climate change and they are reducing farming and GDP. No progress here. Luxon and other core National MPs are well on the green bandwagon and have their blinkers on.
  
  2) Improve education. Some progress here but disappointed by lack of change at MOE and artificial limit to new charter schools (its like they don’t really want them).
  
  3) Change the Benefit system. We currently allow Islanders in to NZ to harvest our crops. Essentially we are exporting money to the Islands. At the same time there are 100s of thousands unemployed people on benefits. This needs to stop.
  
  4) No more minimum wage increases (until Labour get back). The minimum wage is BS. Everytime the govt artificially pumps it up it does the following. a) Devalues the wages of all those that earn over the minimum wage, b) Pushes everyone to want more money which c) pushes up the price of goods an services. It is no surprise that under Labour the min wage went up from 15.75 (2017) to 22.70 (2023) and that we had a huge spike in inflation. Our dollar is worth less and people are no better off as everything is proportionally more expensive.
  
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  January 27, 2025 9:37am
  - MCōs
    
    The problem with #1 is it’s not in the interest of the power generators, who are private companies, to build power stations that are not going to be working to capacity; particularly if the effect is to lower the prices.
    What happens now?
    Does Transpower guarantee to buy all the power these various power generators produce?
    Btw
    If oil & gas exploration is allowed again is anyone interested?
    Are the oil companies interested in all that oil that Trump says is under America.
    
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    January 27, 2025 10:23am
    - RoboRob
      
      Yeah, I didn’t go into much detail but my idea is something along the lines of.
      
      1. Any time there is less than 10% surplus generation available in the entire system all generators take a financial penalty of some nature.
      
      2. Any time there is more that 15% surplus in the system all generators get a financial incentive (reduced tax on profits perhaps).
      
      The percentages are just made up and would need to be determined. But essentially we need to break the supply and demand curve here. We need to make it so that the costs / penalties of having supply exactly match demand (or be lower then demand) outway the profits. Currently supplying less electricity earns the companies more $ per unit and means they dont have to invest in supply. That needs to end.
      
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      January 27, 2025 10:35am
      - PurplePen
        
        Will this govt or any govt actually make that happen. Not necessarily the fix you’ve suggested which I quite like.
        
        It seems successive govts haven’t moved anything in relation to lack of competition in several areas. All they seem to do is expand or create related govt agencies and produce doorstop reports.
        
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        January 27, 2025 12:07pm
      - RoboRob
        
        @PurplePen
        
        Sadly I think not. I had high hopes that we would see sweeping changes in the energy sector but so far it seems status quo. Aside from reversing the oil exploration ban, where the damage has been done, this govt seems to be following on from the last. I hope to be proven wrong but leadership seems heavily risk / controversy averse.
        
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        January 27, 2025 1:09pm
    - peterwn
      
      If Transpower is going to be the ‘last resort’ purchaser of surplus power, Transpower would either have to significantly its transmission charges (which would be politically unacceptable) or the Government would need to reimburse Transpower for such purchases.
      There is no free lunch in this game. The various ideas touted (generally along the lines of walloping the gentailers) are no better than re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. To cut a long story short, if the Government considers that there should be a wider generation margin than the market currently provides or if the Government considers that power should be cheaper, then the Government would need to establish and finance its own generating business unit.
      It may come as a surprise to many, but the four gentailers and Manawai Power have continuing plans in the pipeline for building new generation (or enhancing existing facilities) to meet increasing loads. The best way the Government can help is to ease regulatory requirements and put a stop to ‘greenmail’.
      
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      January 27, 2025 11:06am
      - RoboRob
        
        There doesn’t need to be a purchaser of last resort. Hydro, Gas & Geo stations dont have to output their maximum output. The issue we have is around surplus capacity to cover spikes in demand. When spikes occur the price jumps, to reduce demand.
        
        The current model encourages generators to only build the minimum amount of generation. Doing so reduces capital costs and maximises pricing. The so called additional generation is the minimum they think they can get away with before brownouts. For example Meridians latest wind station was on hold for 5 years becuase they didn’t think they could sell all the power. Progress only restarted when shortages occurred under Labour. We need to move away from building the minimum to meet demand, to building the minimum to meet demand plus a margin.
        
        I will also add that most gens are primarily building wind. They do this becuase capital is cheap compared to others and they believe that wind is green. The problem is there is no backup when there isn’t enough wind.
        
        It might surprise you to know that the gens plans of additional generation to meet demand has not managed to meet demand over the last 10 years and the gap between peak supply and deman has shrunk. This is intentional. I give you the last 5 years as an example. Woods claimed a big generation pipeline every time people complained about shortages, yet each year brownouts increased. National are now claiming a big pipeline of generation, but I ask where has it been. Next winter we will have the same discussion when we have more shortages.
        
        I am counting commerical buyers having to stop manufacturing to avoid blackouts as a brownout.
        
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        January 27, 2025 11:58am
      - Jack5
        
        Roborob’s …most gens are primarily building wind ….
        
        Contact Energy stands out with its $1.2 billion Tauhara geothermal project, which must be getting close to full production.
        
        Geothermal generation already supplies about a fifth of NZ’s electricity, and it’s base load – there regardless of whether the wind’s blowing.
        
        https://contact.co.nz/aboutus/media-centre/2024/05/06/major-milestone-for-new-zealands-newest-geothermal-renewable-power-station
        
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        January 27, 2025 1:21pm
      - peterwn
        
        RoboRob (WordPress will not let me directly reply to your post) – Money does not grow on trees unless you believe in Social Credit (Major Douglas style rather than Chinese style) economic theories. Building new capacity requires capital money which has to be serviced (ie interest or dividends paid) whether or not the capacity is utilised. Either the customers have to service this capital or the Government has to. As I originally said there is no free lunch. The compromise is maintaining a tail-end of low capital cost but high running cost generation which is often gas turbine. Huntly is now effectively in this role as its capital cost is already a sunk cost, it is towards the end of its life and it is relatively expensive to run. The industry hates meeting the standby cost of Huntly and try and wriggle out of it, but Genesis has learned to play hardball on this eg requiring other players potentially dependent on Huntly to stump up the cost of stockpiling coal.
        Also your idea of ‘sweeping changes’ is nothing more than deckchair rearrangement. It does not address the issue of who stumps up extra capital needed and who services it.
        
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        January 27, 2025 2:59pm
      - RoboRob
        
        @Jack
        
        Great news, didn’t know about that one.
        
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        January 27, 2025 3:41pm
      - RoboRob
        
        @Peter
        
        I understand capital costs, but that is simply part of being a generator. The gens have access to plenty of capital. They have an excellent ability to borrow due to a huge asset base and safe stable returns. There is no need for the NZ govt to borrow to fund generation when the gens can do that themselves. There are even global companies like Brookfield Renewables (ticker BEPC) that specialise in funding and building generation that they then on sell for profit.
        
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        January 27, 2025 3:50pm
      - wsk12345
        
        RoboRob you seem to be missing the point. If generators capital investment goes up by, say 2 billion dollars (1000 MW at $2M per MW), that’s an extra $140 m per year they need to recover from us.$60 per household.
        
        I’d rather just have demand response. Plenty of responsive demand out there.
        
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        January 27, 2025 6:27pm
      - kiwimike
        
        Givt needs to make it law that we can all pour into the network at retail like what we pay for…
        
        200,000 of us adding to the network
        
        got to make it more robust to receive so much but it would work.
        
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        January 27, 2025 10:58pm
    - bythesea
      
      always a market for gas in NZ.
      industrial heat and power generation. let alone household use. Another big find would set NZ up for decades.
      
      oil has been flat lined around $80 barrel for the last 2-3 years, so the trick would be to find reserves that are profitable at that level. Plenty of oil needed aroudn the world for the time being
      
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      January 27, 2025 11:34am
    - David Garrett
      
      MCos: For once Trump is not exaggerating: the US once again has the greatest recoverable oil resources in the world, (second to Russia) albeit that much of it is shale oil which is more costly to produce than oil from “conventional” structures.
      
      No, I do not believe we will ever see explorers return to New Zealand – particularly the challenging and thus very costly, environment of offshore New Zealand. Cindy destroyed our greatest advantage – or at least one of them – political certainty.
      
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      January 27, 2025 12:30pm
      - RoboRob
        
        Hipkins reinforced the issue with his promise to reintroduce the ban immediately on return. So overseas investors can’t even assume it was just one rogue government.
        
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        January 27, 2025 1:11pm
    - gravedodger
      
      Noo MCos they are apart from Contact owned 51% by the NZ Government.
      Oh and the Returns to the Government from the generators partially privatised returning greater dividends at 51% than when they were at 100 % government owned.
      
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      January 27, 2025 6:22pm
  - wsk12345
    
    There will never be a drop in electricity prices. The best you can hope for is that it flattens off. The cheapest resources have been developed. The only thing that can change this is new tech that provides firm power, and given the development and commercialisation timeline that’s a long way off.
    
    The large hydro stations built under “think big” have never and will never pay for themselves in electricity charges. When built the power was being sold at about 10% of the 50 year levelised cost to produce it! And think how much less efficient they would be built today with all the H&S etc – plus super high labour cost.
    
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    January 27, 2025 10:29am
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    3) Good idea in principle but bad in practice. The unemployed are largely unemployable. There are jobs aplenty in places like the Hawkes Bay. The unemployed are unable to turn up on time, pass drugs tests or do a good day’s work. If they were forced to pick fruit they’d bruise it, not turn up & generally shaft the employer.
    
    By contrast the RSE workers work hard, do a good job and earn their coin.
    
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    January 27, 2025 10:46am
    - David Garrett
      
      Nevermind: I agree. And the RSE scheme is having unintended consequences in that there are now huge labour shortages in Tonga (and I’m sure in other Pacific countries). I get people in here every day needing validation of their passports etc. Almost all of them are going to Australia, where I am told they earn AUD25-30 per hour. Even after their travel and living expenses, that’s a whole lot more than they can earn here.
      
      One can hardly blame Tongans for buggering off to Aus and NZ, even if it causes big labour shortages and labour cost inflation at home.
      
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      January 27, 2025 12:35pm
      - Jules99
        
        I’m seeing a lot of PIs following family to OZ via work.
        
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        January 27, 2025 1:10pm
    - Taieri
      
      The unemployed are largely unemployable.
      —————
      
      They still have to eat. Currently, they are eating thanks to the courtesy of the taxpayer.
      
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      January 27, 2025 3:59pm
  - Scott
    
    Robo Rob – couldn’t agree more.
    At some point NZ needs to enhance its energy production through enhanced oil and gas exploration, more hydro power and say no to renewables that simply do not work.
    
    I see Trump is advancing the ball in the USA and maybe NZ will follow suit at some stage. I hope so.
    
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    January 27, 2025 11:58am
- MCōs
  
  Pre around the late 1980’s farming was heavily subsidized which distorted the situation.
  Farmers were paid from the Sheep Retention Fund to build up their flock on the premises someone would buy the wool and meat
  Fred Dagg with a rudimentary explanation
  https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/nationwide-skits-fred-dagg-and-co-1974
  
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  January 27, 2025 10:01am
  - fightingtemeraire
    
    They were then sold off to the Russians who sent Lada Cars, Vodka in repayment. They tried to sell Frigates to the RNZN in payment.
    
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    January 27, 2025 10:22am
  - David Garrett
    
    MCos: Ah, the late John Clark; brilliant chap…sadly because of internet limitations up here I couldn’t enjoy that as much as I would have liked
    
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    January 27, 2025 12:08pm
    - kiwimike
      
      The Games were magnificent.
      we laughed til we cried they were soo good..
      
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      January 27, 2025 11:01pm
- kowtow
  
  ‘More Taylor Swift concerts.’
  
  We are a proudly Pacific nation.
  
  Cargo cult is a natural , spiritual and normal reaction for us to try to recreate the good ole days .
  
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  January 27, 2025 10:03am
- Handyman
  
  The Romans started the “Bread and Circus” method of government.
  
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  January 27, 2025 10:57am
- Gravelroad
  
  IIRC – at that time, Prime Minister Muldoon appealed directly to the farming businesses, communities and individuals to work to help facilitate the nation to recover from the oil crisis.
  He said “We’ll give you the tools”.
  The Department of Agriculture told farmers that if they were not prepared to do this, they should get out and pass your farms over to someone who will.
  Most farmers upped production – as told – and then were vilified afterwards for taking subsidies.
  And please be advised – much of that money went directly to the meat processing works in the form of increased wages.
  
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  January 27, 2025 11:15am
  - Quail
    
    GR,
    Subsidies were negated largely because the Government at the time fixed the value of the NZD, There was intense debate at as to the currency price.Exporters believed it was at least 20% overvalued meaning a subsidy to consumers.
    The tough part for farmers was later when their subsidised debt was sold at a discounted rate to banks and other speculators.
    Their subsidised loans became commercial loans with interest rates soaring from less than 5% to in excess of 20 %.
    Allied to this was an international fall in commodity prices.
    Farmers and Exporters went through hell and some did not manage to come through.Suicides happened.
    
    So now there is grounds for a Crown apology and yet another grievance industry.!
    
    Fat chance
    
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    January 27, 2025 6:18pm
Matt Long

Was this the motto of a departed buafter initially refusing landing rights to repatriation flights of illegals from the US, Colombian President Gustavo Petro has generously offered the use of Presidential aircraft for the flights following discussions with the Trump Administration.
https://x.com/charliekirk11/status/1883602372863414658
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January 27, 2025 9:09am
- Steve Otto N Shore
  
  Wonder what changed his mind?
  
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  January 27, 2025 10:17am
  - Allan
    
    Instant karma.
    
    Immediatly a 25% tariff on all goods to increase to 50% in 7 days.
    
    Colombia woke up and smelled the coffee.
    
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    January 27, 2025 10:42am
    - Allan
      
      Also;
      
      Travel ban and immediate visa revocation on Colombian officials and all allies and supporters.
      
      Visa sanctions on all party members, family members and government supporters.
      
      Enhanced customs and border protection inspections on all colombians and cargo.
      
      IEEPA treasury, banking and financial sanctions to be fully imposed.
      
      FAFO!
      
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      January 27, 2025 11:28am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      Colombia have put a 50% tariff on all US goods, hardly waking up
      
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      January 27, 2025 12:48pm
      - Jethrod
        
        Oooooooh, the price of cocaine set to soar!
        
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        January 27, 2025 2:36pm
      - Grunter
        
        Yep, their wacky Marxist President (Petro) had a major rant on X, and finished with “….and I do the same” after referring to Trump’s 50% tariff.
        
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        January 27, 2025 2:42pm
      - Allan
        
        LOL, I bet that has Trump shivering in his boots.
        
        The U.S. exports manufactured goods, including chemicals, plastics, electrical equipment, and computers.
        
        Colombia exports crude petroleum, coffee, and cut flowers to the U.S.
        
        I can guess which country is going to miss the others goods the most.
        
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        January 27, 2025 2:50pm
- Matt Long
  
  Apologies, this post contained some auto fill that Iissed deleting, should have read;
  After initially refusing landing rights to repatriation flights of illegals from the US, Colombian President Gustavo Petro has generously offered the use of Presidential aircraft for the flights following discussions with the Trump Administration.
  https://x.com/charliekirk11/status/1883602372863414658
  
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  January 27, 2025 11:30am
  - Grunter
    
    I think Petro has changed his mind, now abusing Trump and slapping a 50% tariff on the US
    
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    January 27, 2025 2:44pm
    - All_on_Red
      
      He has now caved
      Trump was playing Golf when all this happened
      He issued the Tariffs (via Social Media) at the 3rd Hole and by the time he got to the 8th Hole the tit for tat exchange was over and Petro had given in.
      #Gangster
      
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      January 27, 2025 3:44pm
- thirteenstars
  
  Hilarious, and bloody terrific.
  
  The final paragraph of Trump’s TS post says it all:
  
  These measures are just the beginning. We will not allow the Colombian Government to violate its legal obligations with regard to the acceptance and return of the Criminals they forced into the United States!
  
  “they forced”, indeed. You want to run a socialist shithole that persecutes its citizens economically and human rights-wise, fine, but don’t expect us to pay for your failures.
  
  I find it really interesting that political and social change could happen all across South and Central America simply by the US closing its borders to illegals and sending them back to where they came from, perhaps resulting in a domino effect. Milei has shown the way in Argentina.
  
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  January 27, 2025 11:34am
  - lifesgood
    
    It’s going to be an entertaining few years.
    
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    January 27, 2025 12:54pm
    - Allan
      
      Better than any reality tele show.
      
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      January 27, 2025 2:51pm
pdm

I have been watching Treaty Principle Bill submissions to the Select Committee and one thing I have noticed is this.

Takuta Ferris and Tamatha Paul are listed as Maori and Green Party representatives to the Committee on the Parliamentary web site and both were present when I tuned in..

Yet both parties seems to operate a revolving door of representatives as Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Steve Abel are now in their seats.

Why is this allowed – can they not hack any longer than 30 minutes i=on the job they were appointed to? In fact Maori Party members rotate with greater frequency.
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January 27, 2025 9:14am
- pdm
  
  Further to the above it looks a complete recolving door from probably all parties.
  
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  January 27, 2025 9:22am
  - Sparrow
    
    It is a total farce. The result is already known. Would rarely agree with Lady Moxon but she is 100% right, a complete waste of time. Have written to the PM telling him to have the balls to stop this crap all it is doing is dividing the country for what. Its not democracy at work when result known. I am far from convinced that if it went to a referendum that a landslide would be the result as many kiwibloggers predict. This blog is only representative of generally a minority of New Zealanders.
    
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    January 27, 2025 9:46am
    - RoboRob
      
      The problem is that Luxon is blocking the converstaion. If the majority of people were are in favour of the status quo then so be it. However at the moment that is only speculation and we cant know what people think becuase Luxon has torpedoed it.
      
      I will also add that the majority of people are in favour of free education, unlimited free medical operations, a 10 hour work week and retirement at 30. Just because the majority want a thing doesn’t mean that its right. Sometimes leaders need to do unpopular things for the betterment of the country. Fewer and fewer people seem to understand that these days.
      
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      January 27, 2025 10:39am
    - Grunter
      
      So what is your solution Sparrow?
      
      Yes, we have a deeply divided country regards Maori separatism, co-governance, Treaty interpretation and special rights for those who identify as Maori.
      
      Forget, for a moment, on how & why we got to this position of division……..now what do we do about it?
      
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      January 27, 2025 11:21am
    - Hollyfield
      
      “I am far from convinced that if it went to a referendum that a landslide would be the result as many kiwibloggers predict. ” The flipside of this argument is that the media and parties on the left would have us believe that every NZer supports co-governance and the view that Maori did not cede sovereignty. A referendum would tell us just what the people of NZ do think and want on this issue.
      
      I’m not sure that the wording of the currently proposed referendum is exactly right, but at least the Treaty Principals Bill lets us start talking about the issue openly and leads the way to further discussion and hopefully a future referendum.
      
      As for the process being a farce due to the result already being known, that is entirely due to Luxon. He could very easily have said the Bill is not National policy but reserved judgement until submissions had been heard.
      
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      January 27, 2025 11:49am
      - Paul Marsden
        
        I can’t remember his exact words, but that is what he implied prior to the last election. He had wisely given himself an ‘out’, but as we all know now, he has changed his position and doubled-down against the Bill. Through his political naivety, he’s dug himself one hell of hole and I can see him being buried alive.
        
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        January 27, 2025 12:54pm
    - PurplePen
      
      It’s a perfectly legitimate issue on which to have a public discussion, which is what is happening. Previously the discussion has been behind closed doors and restricted to an elite few, ie. Court judges and the Waitangi Tribunal. And that’s only because successive govts since the concept of principles were introduced never actually defined them.
      
      Even if it goes nowhere this time, isn’t it healthy to have rational public discussion than not. The nation might need a second or third crack at it just as was the case with women voting in some countries, gay law reform, end of life choice, abortion. On what basis would you not allow public discussion on this treaty topic or any of the others I’ve listed as examples.
      
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      January 27, 2025 12:21pm
    - Keith White
      
      Sparrow: “This blog is only representative of generally a minority of New Zealanders.”
      
      May one inquire which minority you represent, o Sparrow?
      
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      January 27, 2025 3:18pm
      - Sparrow
        
        Ex Labour Old Farts
        
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        January 27, 2025 5:53pm
      - Sparrow
        
        Ex Labour Old Farts. Highly dangerous and self opinionated.
        
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        January 27, 2025 7:41pm
- PurplePen
  
  Te ao Maori and Maori tikanga.
  
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  January 27, 2025 12:13pm
  - Paulus
    
    Spoken as we are told by some 2% of Maori despite what the media all tell us !
    
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    January 27, 2025 2:23pm
Chuck Bird

Great tennis in the men’s singles. Sinner will stay number 1 for a long time. It was worth staying up till 1 am.
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January 27, 2025 9:27am
- pdm
  
  Does Sinner (apt name if he is guilty) not have a final drug enquiry to get past in April for that to happen Chuck?
  
  WADA are the adjudicators I think.
  
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  January 27, 2025 11:46am
  - Chuck Bird
    
    His physio had something on his hands that got transferred to Sinner. Most people accept his story. That is why he is still playing.
    
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    January 27, 2025 12:45pm
Tomtoddy

The sheer paucity of sound responses and the idiocy of some statements following Seymour’s request for a discussion on privatisation is indicative of the poor state of centre and left wing politics in NZ. Just meaningless slogans and gibberish.

There is simply no way anyone can defend the government being a farmer and losing money doing so. How do the socialists explain that the most effective sections of the health system are privately run? Why is it Ok to have private providers of education until one is five but not for one who is six?
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January 27, 2025 9:40am
artemisia

Herald today, paywalled. NZ’s starving students: Hungry kids trailing peers by up to four years in maths, science

Fortunately there’s a solution proposed by the authors of the study. As the Government’s newly revamped lunches in schools programme starts, the study authors say it needs to be doubled to reach more students.

So a lot more money then. I wonder if the authors compared that cost with the option of having someone knock on the door to find out why the kids are starving and what is needed to sort it. Could call it social investment.
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January 27, 2025 9:53am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  I think providing all primary and Intermediate school children with their own Maths workbooks will be a great step toward improving their maths achievements.
  
  For the last few decades there is little physical evidence for a parent to see how their child has been performing in Maths, or even to know what part of the maths curriculum they are being taught (or in many cases, not taught).
  
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  January 27, 2025 10:07am
  - greybeard
    
    If the parents can’t be bothered to feed their kids properly they are hardly likely to be worried about their academic performance, be it maths or anything else.
    
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    January 27, 2025 10:34am
  - imalwaysright
    
    “providing all primary and Intermediate school children with their own Maths workbooks will be a great step toward improving their maths achievements”
    
    That’s also the thinking of the Swedes.
    Screens are very quickly forgotten, but a well put together text book is far more memorable and can be used without the guidance of a teacher.
    
    https://indiandefencereview.com/in-2009-sweden-chose-to-replace-books-with-computers-15-years-later-it-allocates-104-million-euros-to-reverse-course/
    
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    January 27, 2025 11:11am
- Hollyfield
  
  I haven’t seen the study, but I wonder whether they investigated the actual cause. ie, is it as simple as the children are merely hungry, or is it more complex with insufficient safety, security, emotional wellbeing, nurturing etc in their home environments preventing the children from focusing on learning. Simply providing more meals at school will not solve the conditions some children have at home.
  
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  January 27, 2025 10:09am
- surfing
  
  I’d bet that parents who don’t feed their kids are far more likely to be abusive addicts with decent criminal records.
  
  Feeding neglected kids at school then letting them go home to abusive parents is not going to fix anything.
  
  No fix for this problem except getting real about the causes then dealing with that!
  
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  January 27, 2025 10:24am
  - kiwimike
    
    tie their tubes perhaps ??
    
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    January 27, 2025 11:08pm
- Handyman
  
  The article makes sweeping comments and the suggested “solutions” are illogical.
  However, there is no link to the original research so it is hard to say where the conclusions got detached from the underlying data.
  
  — If the solution is to expand the meals in schools programme, then does this mean the existing school meals programme is a great success? But if it is successful, there should be no lag in student performance.
  — If the better off schools are doing well, then why expand the school meals programme to them?
  
  This looks to me like someone has got a funding application coming up. Part of a funding application is to have evidence of “public interest” in the subject. Hence the Herald article.
  
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  January 27, 2025 10:41am
- mogg
  
  The greatest danger that I can see for NZ starving children is that their morbidly obese parents could sit on them without realising it.
  
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  January 27, 2025 11:00am
- Swifty
  
  State lunches solves nothing – it only alleviates the symptoms of upstream problems and causes.
  
  It’s just like Ardern claiming to ‘solve child poverty’ by increasing benefits. In doing so she ‘solves’ nothing, not one thing, she only papers over the cracks.
  
  The causes remain. Untouched, unspoken of and unsolved.
  
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  January 27, 2025 11:18am
- Dougal10
  
  Most school lunches are fed to the children after 1pm , all the serious learning has already happened for the day. The whole thing is a joke .
  
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  January 27, 2025 1:13pm
- In Vino Veritas
  
  What a load of utter poop. “Starving” indeed. There can be no, thats ZERO starving kids in New Zealand. We have a well funded, functioning welfare system that provides for food, clothing and shelter. So as always, the Herald are full of shit. I managed to get a degree after having a couple of weet-bix for breakfast, a vegemite sandwich for lunch and tomato and cheese cooked together for dinner (or “Chow Mein” which was rice and vege cooked in Venkat Curry Powder). Meat was 3 or 4 times a week because mum and dad couldn’t afford it. But I didn’t bloody starve. Don’t tell me that being a bit hungry has anything to do with trailing in any of those subjects. Some kids are just academically dumb.
  
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  January 27, 2025 3:53pm
Maggy Wassilieff

When good things go bad….
Michael Bassett looks at the Waitangi Tribunal:

If the new members perform as they should, they’ll tell the minister that at least half the Tribunal and staff – maybe the whole shooting box – has outlived its usefulness and should be closed down.

https://www.bassettbrashandhide.com/post/michael-bassett-reforming-the-waitangi-tribunal
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January 27, 2025 10:02am
- fightingtemeraire
  
  South Africa bought in its Reconciliation Committee under Desmond Tutu and it lasted 20 years.
  
  ToW Tribunal is still going, fermenting trouble and costing a fortune.
  
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  January 27, 2025 11:02am
goNZ1

theFacts guy submitting right now on TPB really damns the MSM comprehensively and mis-info out there is well worth following
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January 27, 2025 10:16am
Jack5

~~Big~~ Giant Brother watching …

A 16-minute podcast that explains the network of video that is watching us at retail outlets up and down the country — and Golrziz Gharaman’s name is brought in.

Your car number plate, the way you walk even are caught, and the police seem to have used it during the Covid shutdown.

Easy to accept retailers’ need for help against a plague of shoplifting.

I guess we can’t both grizzle about supermarket prices, affected by shoplifters, and reject snooping on shoppers, but what of the point that the police used this system during Covid measures.

Listen here:

https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1049-the-front-page-30038501/episode/the-kiwi-made-tech-tackling-retail-crime-261513171/
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January 27, 2025 10:22am
Maggy Wassilieff

Compulsory Tikanga course for all 1st-year students at Auckland University starts this year.

https://www.times.co.nz/news/opinion-push-for-tikanga-maori-undermines-choice-at-university/

Definitely seems like a “make work scheme” for a bunch of lecturers who would otherwise be underemployed.
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January 27, 2025 10:54am
- RoboRob
  
  What about opportunity cost. There is a cost to students having to do this compulsory paper. One of the 8 papers they do will now need to be this course, so that wont have the opportunity to learn something else, that might actually relate to their degree.
  
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  January 27, 2025 10:59am
  - Pope Punctilious II
    
    Absolutely. I recently examined an MSc thesis, and decided that the student should have taken at least one English paper as an undergrad. More useful than tikanga, if you ask me.
    
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    January 27, 2025 2:10pm
- Jack5
  
  This is on indigenous “knowledge” — the oral traditions of Maori.
  
  It’s another attempt at racial preference in student entry.
  
  What an uproar if Otago University in its heyday had had a required entry course on Scottish traditions.
  
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  January 27, 2025 11:14am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    And done by Robertson,the ruinous ex minister of finance
    
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    January 27, 2025 12:52pm
- imalwaysright
  
  Apparently the course costs $990 per head.
  I get the impression that the $990 is the real aim of the course.
  
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  January 27, 2025 11:16am
- kiwimike
  
  yeah that’ll help you in NY in 6 yrs
  
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  January 27, 2025 11:10pm
Terry Dalee

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/ex-mp-says-treaty-principles-backers-should-be-locked-up-with-reading-material-as-submissions-enter-first-day/WINME7R22VFDDA6AJAOV35SGOM/

“No one pretends anymore that all men and everybody else are born equal, that we all have the same equal opportunities, that we have the same equal enjoyment, and there is plenty of law and case law around the world to show that it is a joke to think that is the basis of what he is going for in Article 3,” Waring told the Herald.

“We are not all born with the same rights, it’s just not true. Ask anybody who is in a wheelchair how they feel about that or ask any woman who has been in the workforce her entire life and finds her superannuation contributions are worth far less than any man because there wasn’t any pay equity – this is the real world. There is not equal opportunity, there is not equal enjoyment, there are not equal rights,” she said.”

So, Waring believes the sole determinant of your rights and therefore your equality is your identity?

Plenty of women have far superior superannuation savings than other men. Plenty of people of wheelchairs have been highly successful.
Equality is not the sole determination in success.

Lets take the wheelchair example further. Most buildings have a wheelchair ramp to allow for access. The need for the ramp was determined by need to allow for people in wheelchairs to make it easier to participate in society. The requirement or use of the ramp is not determined by some cultural or ethnic need but by physical need.

Maori have had the opportunity to participate in society. A majority have. Being Maori is not a handicap to success.
There are successful rich self-made Maori, there are poor Maori. There are poor Europeans, Indians and Chinese as well as successful ones.

“We are not all born with the same rights, it’s just not true. ” Thats because people like Marilyn Waring think the way they do with a victim mentality. She is the crystallization of the mentality of why New Zealand is determined to fail.
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January 27, 2025 11:56am
- Hollyfield
  
  I must admit I did not read her piece thoroughly, but my takeaway was “we are not all born equal eg some people need wheelchairs and some people have lower superannuation savings so therefore we should promote further inequality by dividing people by race”. I could not follow her logic at all.
  
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  January 27, 2025 12:24pm
- rouppe
  
  or ask any woman who has been in the workforce her entire life and finds her superannuation contributions are worth far less than any man because there wasn’t any pay equity
  
  Oh, OK. Let’s go ask Theresa Gattung. Or Carolyn Tremain. Or Lydia KO.
  
  Each of them have more money than me. Each of them earned it. Marilyn Waring’s head is stuck in the same place as is John Minto’s.
  
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  January 27, 2025 10:12pm
Jack5

Another case of alleged sabotage by dragged ship anchor in the Baltic.

A fourth case. The Swedes are holding a Malta-registered ship. The Swedes are investigating alleged sabotage of a cable between the Swedish island of Gotland and Latvia.

The Cook Islands-flagged Eagle S is being held in Finland after power and cables in the Baltic were cut.

With American intelligence sources disagreeing with the Baltic countries’ intelligence arms, Sal Mercogliano, the American former skipper now academic gives his views at the link below.

He suggests the sabotage may be caused by hostile agencies bribing a crew member on a sabotage ship.

The latest Mercogliano analysis (up to 20 minutes for his full story):

https://youtu.be/TrT1Pl3pR6Y?si=ulotIdCGZMYlQ8OZ
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January 27, 2025 11:57am
- cmm
  
  The Baltic is a security nightmare.
  
  The average depth of the Baltic is 60 metre or so – well within the range of SCUBA divers – let alone those with a bit of specialised kit. These days even hobby divers are using trimix to routinely dive well over 100 metres deep.
  
  On top of that there are excellent side scan sonar available at very low cost. For less than $5K you can get a side scan sonar that shows up all sorts of detail to a depth of 100 metres or so and allow you to find targets while travelling at 5+ mph. Once found, a cable or pipeline is easy to sabotage.
  
  Then there are ROVs (aka underwater drones) that will take your video 300 metres as well as payloads more down for a less than $5k. You don’t even need to get wet to cause mischief.
  
  Subsea cables and pipelines just lie exposed on the ocean floor ripe for attack. Sure, they are armoured, but are susceptable to small amounts of explosive or damage with anchors, cutting torches and such.
  
  That so few pipelines and cables get attacked is quite surprising.
  
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  January 27, 2025 4:58pm
  - RdM
    
    You’ve reminded me of a very long read article in Wired by Neal Stephenson (whose novels I’ve also enjoyed) from 1996 on cable laying, from history through to optic fiber & damage causes, early on fishermen, but even then hostile state actors were considered… thought not likely, although the Chinese had apparently chopped out a repeater…
    
    https://www.wired.com/1996/12/ffglass/
    Also see, from 2015, I imagine there’s more recent:
    https://www.wired.com/2015/10/undersea-cable-maps/
    
    Regards
    
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    January 27, 2025 11:52pm
Bridgenag

The Biggest MHRA Failure Of Them All?
Rolling out a different “vaccine” to the public than the one tested in the clinical trials

https://open.substack.com/pub/soniaelijah/p/the-biggest-mhra-failure-of-them?r=1aj1bv&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
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January 27, 2025 12:01pm
Mr T

The Justice Select Committee haven’t given Hobson’s Pledge a slot to speak at the oral submissions for the Treaty Principles Bill.

Yes, you read that right – the largest, most vocal, and organised organisation advocating for ‘one law for all’ – and with more than 140,000 supporters – has not been given a speaking slot, while the likes of John Tamihere and Lady Moxon have been.

A TOTAL DISGRACE
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January 27, 2025 12:07pm
- Ghost
  
  No that is not correct
  
  https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/list-of-submitters/
  
  They are at 2.20pm today
  
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  January 27, 2025 12:19pm
  - goNZ1
    
    that will be entertaining – I wonder who it will be fronting if not DB?
    
    Angry Andy is on at 3.10pm – it would be good if he began with an apology to taxpayers for wasting $500 million on the failed Health restructure, during covid and when he was advised against it…
    
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    January 27, 2025 12:29pm
    - Benedict Yu
      
      An great example of how one person with terrible ideas can create havoc in a small country.
      
      On the bright side… New Zealand was saved from David Parker’s RMA replacement because the guy took five years to develop it. It was only enacted just before the election.
      
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      January 27, 2025 1:29pm
  - lifesgood
    
    Ghost, only because they negotiated with another submitter to use some of their time. Hobson’s Choice was NOT given a slot by the powers that be, A total disgrace.
    
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    January 27, 2025 4:38pm
  - Mr T
    
    Well it was correct, but another group gave up their spit to allow them to be heard
    
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    January 27, 2025 4:43pm
    - Ghost
      
      Not really correct. we are in the first week of 80 hours of submissions. They weren’t in the first weeks submissions, so they whinged until someone gave them a spot instead of waiting until their turn comes up.
      
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      January 27, 2025 4:51pm
  - Mr T
    
    Well it is technically correct. They were given no slot but another party gave up their slot so they could speak
    
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    January 27, 2025 4:52pm
  - Yabster
    
    Wrong again Ghost- they had to get their slot from Democracy Action.
    
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    January 28, 2025 7:36am
    - Ghost
      
      No not wrong. What happens is the first lot are who political parties want to hear from first. Hobson pledge packed and sad and didn’t want to wait until they got their time alloted to them.
      
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      January 28, 2025 9:28am
TripeWryter

In the late 1970s I became a father.
She arrived early one winter’s morning after sparing her mother a long and convoluted labour.
But there was a hitch. She came with a condition – perhaps a set of conditions – that caused us a great deal of worry and prompted the clacking of rosary beads among her grandparents and an elderly Anglican aunt to say ‘I hope I don’t shock God too much with this’ as she went creakingly down on her knees to pray for my daughter.
I won’t be more specific about her conditions. She is in her 40s now, a mother, is living her life, and doesn’t really like me talking about it.
Back at the start, though, the future didn’t look good.
Two days after her birth I took her to another hospital where there was, I was told, the latest and most modern x-ray machine in the southern hemisphere.
‘It’s just over a million dollars,’ a clearly impressed nurse told me. ‘And we have it here.’
A probe shaped like a snake’s head was positioned inches above my daughter’s little body. Then something went KLAKKA BOOM KLAKKA BOOM KLAKKA BOOM BOOM BOOM.
The KLAKKA BOOM was repeated several times.
A nurse helped me put a nappy on my daughter. As I went on to dress her I asked the staff: ‘How much is this going to cost me?’
They laughed. ‘No! No! This is taxpayer-funded. It’s free and for everyone. We’re not in America yet.’
Greatly relieved I took my daughter back to her mother at the maternity hospital.
I was reminded of this the other day when the news told us that the Act leader, David Seymour, was musing about privatising health and that we all get $6000 a year to fund our own health insurance.
No, David, no.
There is a lot about you and your party that I like: the Treaty Principles Bill, largely.
I also have a great deal of admiration for Karen Chhour, who it seems to me is the bravest MP in the current Parliament. That woman has a backbone of titanium as she stands up to Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, Willow-Jean Prime, Kahurangi Carter, and Virginia Andersen.
But you will lose my vote if you persist with promoting privatised healthcare.
My daughter’s conditions would not have been covered by health insurance. Until she was 16 she needed several operations.
What would we have if we’d had to rely on a health insurer, for which profit is the prime motive?
She lives her life as normally as she can. When she was young we were told that pregnancy would be life-threatening. Well, somehow it turned out to be not so
The state health system, whatever its faults – the lack of urgency except when urgency is clearly needed, urgently, being one of them – made her treatment possible. It was reliable, it was there. I didn’t have to sell the house to pay for it.
Privatisation looks good. Self-responsibility. Choice. Efficiency. That’s how it will be sold.
But the fish-hooks are carefully concealed.
What happens when the insurer decides not to cover you?
What happens when the insurer decides they’re not going to fund your treatment any more?
What will stop a health insurer jacking up the premiums as their customers get older? That’s what a health insurer did to me between 2007-2011. And when I asked them to cover a simple x-ray they declined.
What happens – as it did a couple of years ago with a friend of mine – when a simple knee job at a private hospital goes wrong and he nearly died? He ended up at the public hospital, who saved his life and cleaned up the private hospital’s job.
If inefficiency in the health system is your main concern then the answer is obvious. Make the health system efficient.
According to the surgeon who operated on me a few months ago that was starting to happen.
Dr Reti wasn’t entirely a failure.
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January 27, 2025 12:07pm
- newview
  
  Yes TW I agree. Premiums will go up more because imo the government would build less or no more hospitals which means private insurers would have to build them. Also private insurers seem to pay for more expensive treatments knowing those extra costs will just mean higher premiums that will automatically cover increased costs. The public system has to justify the cost for funding.
  
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  January 27, 2025 1:15pm
  - Paulus
    
    In the UK many year ago when we had Health Insurance there the premiums were Tax deductible.
    We have paid our own Health Insurance here for 50 years and are at our old age grateful for it, for such as a wife’s recent hip replacement, and our premiums have continmued to go up, but gratefully.
    
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    January 27, 2025 2:33pm
- Cassandra
  
  He didn’t actually say that. Things like MRI which I imagine is what your daughter had and keytruda would still be funded. Seymour was making the point that state funding for private provision is common overseas and systems like the NHS are expensive and inefficient.
  
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  January 27, 2025 1:18pm
- MCōs
  
  In 1938 the Social Security Act became law over the strong opposition of the National Party and the New Zealand Branch of the British Medical Association whose members refused to cooperate.
  Among other things the act brought in a universal healthcare system providing free hospital treatment, free medicine, a maternity benefit and subsidized doctors visits.
  Ten years later I was born with an undetected congenital hip and two years after that I spent thirteen months in Dunedin Hospital to sort it out.
  (A year away from home at that age is no small thing)
  My father had only recently returned from a career stunting by a six year stint in the NZ Army. I expect he would have been quite grateful to the taxpayers at the time.
  
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  January 27, 2025 1:37pm
  - Cassandra
    
    And in the ensuing 80 years or so the health system is creaking and inefficient. What to do? We need a new approach.
    
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    January 27, 2025 2:22pm
    - Observer of Life
      
      Why hasn’t this government approached Prof Des Gorman to employ his expertise to help sort our hospitals/health sector?
      
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      January 27, 2025 3:23pm
    - rouppe
      
      Not fund tattoo removal.
      Not fund GP care at A&E.
      Not fund sex changes.
      Not fund non clinical staffing to make Maori (or anyone else) feel special.
      
      Those are just off the top of my head. There will be dozens – hundreds? – of examples.
      
      The time to access medical care has ballooned out since 15 years ago in Wellington. Whatever it is that’s caused that needs cauterising.
      
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      January 27, 2025 10:03pm
- Pope Punctilious II
  
  Agreed. People who want to live in a country with a private health system should go and live in the USA.
  
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  January 27, 2025 2:13pm
- bennerg
  
  What must be considered is that our Health System is firstly a Disease System – ie you go to your Doctor or Hospital because you are sick/injured etc.
  
  The second is that it is all business. The old joke that goes that at medical school the first lesson is that a patient cured is a client lost. Now I now that is a bit cynical, as there are so many good doctors, nurses etc. But if you look at the restructuring so that doctors are now less independent, they are employees of a medical center, oeprating on a strict financial basis, but working under contracts that no doubt restrict their independence to speak out on any issue.
  
  If you look at all the niche “health” industries, whether that be for MRI and other such specialities, they are extremely profitable industries. The icing on the cake of health so to speak.
  
  Then you have the public health systems (DHB’s). I had a bit to do with them last decade, and my independent observation was bloat, cronyism, and a preponderance of overweight paper pushers.
  
  If we really had a “health system” we would first measure and test. Just like we do with our cars. I’d be suggesting a medical “Warrant of Fitness” at regular intervals, which would catch any insidious illness at an early and treatable phase. There are varying attitudes to the best health systems, so a set of options can be created. Insurance companies I’m sure would love to see a “blue tick” should they still be needed. They love to measure and test.
  
  In any such systems there needs to be a designation for people born with a genetic issue as TripeWryter described. I don’t think anyone has any difficulty with that. But the people who drink to excess, eat to excess, and do not exercise etc, need to realise there are consequences, and one of them is that others will not pay for their bad decisions.
  
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  January 27, 2025 2:30pm
  - kiwimike
    
    that’s called the GP !!!
    
    but 50% of them are over 50 !!!
    we don’t have enough coming through.
    25% of them will retire in 5 yrs
    
    hello Houston, we have a problem….
    
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    January 27, 2025 11:18pm
- Tom Hunter
  
  Privatisation looks good. Self-responsibility. Choice. Efficiency. That’s how it will be sold.
  But the fish-hooks are carefully concealed.
  What happens when the insurer decides not to cover you?
  What happens when the insurer decides they’re not going to fund your treatment any more?
  What will stop a health insurer jacking up the premiums as their customers get older?
  
  A friend of mine has been a Lefty forever, reasonably solid Labour man (may have voted Alliance once) and he’s had private healthcare insurance forever and swears by it. He’s used it a lot.
  
  It’s a huge topic but here’s my take:
  
  – Insurance is for big, rare things that you can’t pay for: house destroyed by fire, car totalled in crash, so why can’t big, rare health events be handled by private insurance?
  
  – Let the government take care of all the more common and cheaper stuff, from hip surgeries to cold medicines.
  
  – Invert the system from 80:20 public:private costs to 20:80 and I reckon it would work better as the State would have more resources to handle that which the private sector can’t or won’t.
  
  One reason the Left oppose this is that if it’s not universal people might try to withdraw from paying taxes to support it and they fear the whole thing will collapse.
  
  Everybody always rants about the USA but for a number of historic reasons their system is pretty screwed up (and Obamacare did not help in any way at all).
  
  But private health insurance is very much a thing in places like Switzerland, where it’s compulsory, and you never hear horror stories about that.
  
  In Germany when they have a bad flu season the excess patients are sent to private hospitals where (gasp) profits are made from government payments. As a result they don’t have the horror scenes of over-burdened wards that happen during a bad flu season in Britain. Similar decisions are made for other healthcare. Try that in Britain, or here!
  
  In fact it’s a bit of a shock to people when they find out how much private health insurance there is in those Democratic-Socialist nations of Western Europe.
  
  Meanwhile, for all the US healthcare problems – and I lived there for a decade and used it – I’d never want to be subjected to the 100% State health care systems of Canada and Britain, especially as you get older. Frankly I’m not looking forward to dealing with our system in my old age – quality-adjusted life year (QALY) and all that.
  
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  January 27, 2025 4:59pm
Yvette

I am a little surprised (but not so much now, because it has been going on for an Ardernity) and disappointed that a supposed democratic and ‘broad’ (Nationally-wide) and diverse appeal party, should have such an autocratic view on one issue: the Treaty Principles Bill.
But I guess if you’re going to treat voters as sheeple you will get bit of a flocking mess.
15 1
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January 27, 2025 12:56pm
sungsamning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eC7XZ4wsUxI
China Gives North Korea Strong WARNING – BACK OFF IMMEDIATELY! – Even Russia Desperate Against China.
Tensions in East Asia are escalating as Russia and North Korea deepen their military cooperation. Kim Jong Un’s support for Moscow and Russia’s offer of advanced military technology to Pyongyang are creating ripples across the region. But what about China? As the longstanding ally of North Korea and a key partner to Russia, Beijing’s silence raises questions. Is China quietly observing, or does this newfound alliance undermine its influence?
6 1
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January 27, 2025 1:37pm
sungsamning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sElO8BN0g4
The Cartel will Annihilate Delta Force?_ this is going to be bad.
Explore the shocking realities of a hypothetical clash between the ruthless power of cartel organizations and the elite Delta Force. In this deep dive, we analyze why the cartel’s tactics, networks, and overwhelming influence might hold an unexpected edge against one of the most skilled Special Operations units in the world. Is modern warfare prepared for such unconventional threats?
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January 27, 2025 1:38pm
mogg

Colombia was refusing to take back two plane loads of illegals from US. Trump immediately slaps 25% tariff increase on all their exports to US, this will rise to 50% after two weeks.
Next thing Gustavo Petro their Marxist president sends his own plane to collect them. That’s how to get results it’s called negotiating.
18 1
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January 27, 2025 2:02pm
NoFax

I didn’t watch the video but I am sure Delta Force backed by Rangers and the US Airforce would annihilate the cartels. However, the real threat is corruption. How much money does it take to bribe Delta Force? Untouchable? Maybe, but we will find out.
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January 27, 2025 2:18pm
- NoFax
  
  I thought I was relying to sungsamning – but anyway interesting times ahead.
  
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  January 27, 2025 8:31pm
Keith White

Well, well, WEF.

“Members of the World Economic Forum (WEF) have unveiled plans for permanently mass-vaccinating the general public every six months with long-acting mRNA vaccines to tackle multiple diseases.

“During panel discussions at this week’s annual WEF meeting in Davos, Switzerland, globalists have been laying out plans for tech-driven precision medicine, “long-acting injectables,” “climate-sensitive” vaccines, and mRNA therapeutics for non-communicable diseases.

Gosh, that escalated weirdly.
12 1
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January 27, 2025 3:14pm
Mr T

Is it possible somehow to make the newest comments appear first rather than having
To scroll through the lot to see if there are any new comments.
Thanks
5 1
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January 27, 2025 4:40pm
- Blog-aholic
  
  Just hightlight a sentence and CTRL F then whenever you refesh search for the sentence and it’ll be where you last read from. Exception is of course replies to posts further up. It is a pain but this eases it a little.
  
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  January 27, 2025 4:47pm
greybeard

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360558281/water-bottling-company-liquidation-owing-creditors-26-million

I know bugger-all about running a business but how on earth does a business such as this get to owe so many people so much money ?

Where are the auditors ?
Where are the managers ?

Who are the Hawkes Bay Regional Council staff and councillors and mayor who signed-off this original deal ?

The whole thing stinks to high heaven of corruption by several parties, in my opinion.
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January 27, 2025 4:54pm
- Swifty
  
  Greybeard, this thinking is quite wrong of you.
  
  You must not automatically equate business failure with criminality.
  
  Businesses can fail, and do fail, all the time with no criminality afoot whatsoever.
  
  Unplanned or out of control costs, planned sales revenues not delivered, new projects going awry, failure to attract and maintain good staff, an inability to compete against stiff competition, poor or absent strategic planning etc etc – there are all sorts of causes of business failure.
  
  I have no knowledge of this specific business and unless you do you really should halt your speculation before the facts are in – lest you falsely malign innocent parties.
  
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  January 27, 2025 5:34pm
- fightingtemeraire
  
  My wife and I ran a SME and we were v particular about paying bills, getting paid and paying tax on time.
  
  My wife became terminally ill and I paid an “estimated GST” each time it was due. I informed IRD and so did my accountant. I was charged interest on the difference between what they thought I should pay and what I did.
  
  I kept IRD informed and to tell you the truth they told me they had to charge the penalty interest by law.
  
  When my wife died and we got back on to an even keel, the Total GST was paid and the penalty interest credited to the account.
  
  With IRD, as long as you are up front and keep them advised they will support and advise you. Try and pull the wool over their eyes, LOOK OUT.
  
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  January 27, 2025 5:55pm
Mr T

Can anyone help so I can get the comments posted so the newest comments appears first
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January 27, 2025 4:54pm
- Ghost
  
  You can’t.
  
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  January 27, 2025 8:59pm
lifesgood

A “maori” submitter on the Treaty Principles Bill goes by the very Maori name of Helmut Modlik. You really do have to laugh.
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January 27, 2025 6:35pm
- Ghost
  
  Sad really when people make fun of someone because of their name. Reminds me of a school yard bully. He had a Māori mother and a white father. More and more you see in the right that nasty streak we often saw in the left and were disgusted in.
  
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  January 27, 2025 9:11pm
  - kiwimike
    
    yes Ghost
    absolutely the worst.
    
    Yeah much more than the racists in Parliament gobbing off and doing their little war dance to intimidate parliamentarians.
    
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    January 27, 2025 11:22pm
    - Ghost
      
      So that makes it ok right? Because someone does something in parliament that makes the constant racism on this blog ok? Because someone does something in parliament that makes it ok to do the things that people on this blog hated the left doing?
      
      No, you should always try to be better and not try to excuse the degrading behaviour on this blog just because someone else did something.
      
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      January 27, 2025 11:30pm
      - Yabster
        
        ahh Ghost on his high horse again- he’s always right don’t you know //
        
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        January 28, 2025 7:43am
      - Ghost
        
        It’s OK yabster, I know people on this blog clap like monkeys at the daily racism posted instead of demand better here
        
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        January 28, 2025 9:29am
      - Yabster
        
        Ghost, monkeys?- very racist term…
        
        1 0
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        January 28, 2025 1:44pm
      - Ghost
        
        Hey. If you want to twist something that isn’t racist into being racist go for it. Shame you don’t actually speak up about the daily racism on this blog.
        
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        January 28, 2025 2:01pm
      - Yabster
        
        lol I wouldn’t give a toss if you or anyone else referred to me as a monkey- others of course would take great offence so I am not twisting anything.
        
        Racism is everywhere- on both sides- look no further than Pakistani Rape gangs – look at TPM. You don’t seem to comment on those issues- don’t they count? Telling others what they should do or think is never going to work- but you just can’t help yourself- KB (the racist blog- maybe you should post at the daily?) seems to wind you up- yet you are here every day and at 11.30pm?
        
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        January 28, 2025 2:51pm
      - Ghost
        
        Strange how pointing out that it is sad to attack a Māori because of his name, and that the abuse of others doesn’t make abusing peple right upsets you. Gee I would wonder why
        
        Btw, nice attempt at a smear there, but it shows more of you than anything.
        
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        January 28, 2025 3:15pm
Sir Cullen's Sidekick

https://www.roymorgan.com/findings/9813-nz-national-voting-intention-december-2024
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January 28, 2025 2:50am

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