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March 10, 2025 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 10 March 2025

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General Debate

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Bridgenag

A Test to Stop Fentanyl Deaths
What if a fast, simple, sensitive, and inexpensive test for fentanyl contamination was widely available?

https://open.substack.com/pub/rwmalonemd/p/a-test-to-stop-fentanyl-deaths?r=1aj1bv&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
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March 10, 2025 8:04am
- Cassandra
  
  Is there a fentanyl problem in NZ? To add to the misery of P?
  
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  March 10, 2025 8:08am
  - cmm
    
    I wonder whether it would add to P or whether it would largely replace it?
    
    Fentanyl is extremely cheap. I am no expert in the field, but as I understand it, the cost of a hit of meth (P) is around $US5 while fentanyl is less than $1.
    
    There is probably little incentive/business sense to move from supplying P to fentanyl.
    
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    March 10, 2025 8:23am
    - Matt Long
      
      The clever move is to sell your cheap fentanyl as P. That’s why testing your Meth to see if it’s actually fentanyl is a thing.
      To make sure your Meth dealer is honest and has an audited supply chain.
      It kind of feels like a Darwin Award situation.
      
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      March 10, 2025 9:02am
      - David Garrett
        
        Matt: I am aware of a young man who was sold heroin as meth…which made no sense since heroin is apparently much more expensive than meth…but certainly a wake up call for the said young man
        
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        March 10, 2025 9:16am
  - peterwn
    
    It is a basic stock in trade for anesthetists, doctors doing colonscopies etc etc and is on the WHO list of the 200 most essential drugs. Hospitals etc keep it under strict control but because it is commonly used and needs to be accessible in operating theatres etc ‘leakages’ can unfortunately occur. A problem is if medical professionals nick it (or similar drugs eg pethidine, profofol, etc) or use it for themselves. One would think that medical professionals are above that, but human frailty being what it is ….. .
    
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    March 10, 2025 8:57am
    - cmm
      
      I doubt epidemic levels of Fentanyl, or any other med, could “leak” out of hospitals etc. There just isn’t enough.
      
      That said, you don’t need much of the stuff. 5 to 50 micrograms of Fentanyl is the dose used in palliative care nasal spray in NZ. Thus a “hit” would likely be in the 50 microgram range and a single spray bottle can deliver around 10 “hits”.
      
      In USA 10 tons of Fentanyl (maybe that was cut) was intercepted at the Mexican border and, quite likely, far more than that got in.
      
      Since 5mg is more than a lethal dose, a ton of uncut Fentanyl is enough to kill 200 million people.
      
      You could bump off the entire NZ population with 25kg of the stuff.
      
      https://www.cfr.org/article/how-does-fentanyl-reach-united-states
      
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      March 10, 2025 9:22am
      - Colville
        
        Fentanyl is made from chemicals sourced from China which can be easily hidden amongst other chemicals for transport and are pretty well undetectable.
        Its really low skill and low tech to make, the problem being the strength varies so widely that people get the dosage/blending wrong and lots of people die.
        
        The USA fentanyl issue is complex as (I understand it) the chemicals come into USA from China and then are smuggled to Mexico where its made by cartels and the drug is cut down or put into pill form and smuggled back.
        
        70,000 deaths in USA in a year from Fentanyl and a lot of those will be people hooked on painkillers who can no longer get them because of medical insurance being cancelled.
        
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        March 10, 2025 10:07am
      - cmm
        
        Collvile: Yup, I wonder how much of this is just supply side dumping from China?
        
        If you wanted to defeat USA then the old way would be to build a naval fleet, sail to USA and try shoot em up – almost an impossible scenario for a place as large, and well armed, as USA.
        
        Or you could basically give them free opiod drugs and let them wipe themselves out. A Fentanyl hit is now $1 or less. That’s about as close as you can get to free.
        
        At this stage it would seem that approx 2.5 to 3.5 million Americans (1% of the population) consume opioids (mostly deliberately Fentanyl or otherwise fake pills containing Fentanyl). Of those around 80,000 die each year.
        
        Regardless of whether or not prescription opioid painkillers are are available or not, they can’t compete with Fentanyl on price and availability.
        
        Add that to the 17% or so of the USA population that have some sort of drug/alcohol abuse disorder and it’s pretty crippling for a country.
        
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        March 10, 2025 2:24pm
    - Steve Otto N Shore
      
      I remember fentanyl being named at my last colonoscopy and queried it. I was assured is was safe at that dosage.
      
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      March 10, 2025 9:29am
      - peterwn
        
        Fentanyl is used for pain relief and midazolam is also administered to calm the patient down. Profofal (Jackson juice) may also be used.
        
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        March 10, 2025 12:37pm
    - rouppe
      
      I had pethidine once, when I was about 15 or 16 after I accidentally spilled boiling water on me.
      
      A-Mazing.
      
      Went from incredible pain to nothing in 30 seconds.
      
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      March 10, 2025 9:58am
  - NZer In Exile
    
    Fentanyl: Highly addictive, physically. Drunken like blissed out state. Death by overdose imminent. User seen lolling about in public like severely impaired mental patients in a semi-comatosed state. You’ll become a completely useless bludging asshole who can only think about your next hit.
    
    Meth: Highly addictive, physically. Feel like a superman for days then become a crashed-out vegetable for a couple of days. Become a scary and dangerous uber-asshole that everyone will want to run away from. Prone to extreme and insane levels of violence. Destroy your family, yourself and your community. If you survive, you’ll probably have heart and mental problems for life. The stuff also eats your teeth away as it’s corrosive.
    
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    March 10, 2025 3:29pm
- Steve Otto N Shore
  
  I had no idea fentanyl was that strong. No wonder Trump wants it eliminated.
  Strange thing is Trudeau is messing Trump about with border security.
  
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  March 10, 2025 9:31am
  - Colville
    
    I believe is the size of the lethal dose is like 2 grains of white sugar…
    
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    March 10, 2025 10:01am
    - cmm
      
      Yup, that sounds about right.
      
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      March 10, 2025 11:33am
  - Chuck Bird
    
    Trump is full shit saying much fentanyl is coming across the Canadian border. A small amount of drugs goes both ways.
    
    Trump did some good common sense things, but starting a tariff is dumb.
    
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    March 10, 2025 10:14am
    - NothingLeft
      
      Inside US he is almost certainly a net positive, and perhaps for the west too with his taking the wind out of the destructive woke sails and out of control NGOs and self serving bureaucracies. But he’s screwing up massively with his transactional approach to international relationships and particularly his vacuity regarding managing hegemonic dictators like Putin
      
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      March 10, 2025 10:32am
    - Fender
      
      Im calling you on that, wheres your figure and source please
      
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      March 10, 2025 10:51am
      - NeverMindTheBollocks
        
        I saw that also – the net movement of fentanyl into the US from Canada last year was something like 10kg. Not good, but hardly worthy of a tariff threat response.
        
        By contrast, the equivalent movement between Mexico & the US was measured in tons.
        
        A simple Google will help you find the report; but here’s a snapshot.
        
        http://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg93nn1e6go
        
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        March 10, 2025 11:43am
      - NZer In Exile
        
        Google and The BBC would be considered honest brokers????
        
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        March 10, 2025 5:26pm
John

I have gritted my teeth and read The NZ Herald, after watching the news on TV1, then I listened to RNZ.
So let’s set the tone for today!
Imagine a dog, not your cutesy puppy, this dog is the ugliest dog in the history of the world.
Now in your mind’s eye, lift that dog in the air, turn it around and lift its tail.
You’re now looking at the window to its soul.
Look closer.
On the edge of the window to its soul is a boil.
Not just a boil, the worst boil that has ever existed, it is suppurating green pus!
Get a microscope and look at that pus.
You find its literally crawling with ghastly microbes.
Look more closely until you find the worst, most awful microbe, in all the millions swimming in the green ooze.
That microbe, in the pus emerging from a boil, on the edge of the window to the soul, of the ugliest dog that ever lived.
Is worth more to the world than New Zealand’s Mainstream Media!
P.S
I am NOT sorry if I have hurt anyone’s feelings, but in case a reader needs the usual club to beat people like me up, take your pick!
I am European, male, heterosexual, married to the same women for 54 years and I came to New Zealand with my parents who emigrated from Scotland in 1961. Prior to approval being granted to come to NZ, the entire family had to be interviewed (including my 5 year old sister and myself aged 7), by NZ officials to see if we were suitable and could contribute to NZ. After arrival my mother worked in the local hospital as a cleaner and my father was a fitter and turner. My sister and I made our own lunches, (for myself, 5 slices of brown bread, butter and vegemite and a piece of fruit, or vegetable, such as a carrot, whatever was cheapest).
My parents and sister are in a cemetery in Masterton, and I am still secondary school teaching, I am now in my mid 70’s. I have taught in Wairarapa, Wellington, Kapiti, Southland, Canterbury, Taranaki, Hawkes Bay and now Auckland. All of my schools featured people from every ethnicity and socio-economic backgrounds. I can affirm that the history I taught was NOTHING like what TPM and dear Jacinda allege!
I am and will always be a proud Kiwi New Zealander.
John Laurenson
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March 10, 2025 8:04am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  married to the same women for 54 years
  
  2, 3, or 4 of them?
  
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  March 10, 2025 11:31am
  - Colville
    
    Bigamy is its own punishment.
    
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    March 10, 2025 12:19pm
    - sirknz
      
      That is at least one mother in law too many.
      
      Some might say the same about monogamy too come to thnk of it.
      
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      March 10, 2025 2:05pm
    - cmm
      
      That a man should marry is a mystery.
      
      That he should marry two is a biggermystery.
      
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      March 10, 2025 2:29pm
  - John
    
    SIGH, and I teach English too, just the one woman, (who must be obeyed)
    
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    March 10, 2025 1:10pm
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  The Canadian billionaire who bought a circa 10% stake in NZME paid about $9m, valuing the company at $90m-ish.
  
  No, I don’t either.
  
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  March 10, 2025 11:47am
- Steve Otto N Shore
  
  Good man John.
  At first when you got to the boil part and past, I thought you were talking about Labour and the Greens! If you have hurt someone’s feelings, fuck them. Nothing happens when they are offended, they are just offended (see Steve Hughes on Youtube)
  
  Without the Herald, TV1 and RNZ your mental health will improve fantastically.
  
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  March 10, 2025 3:08pm
Cassandra

Headline in UK’s Daily Telegraph: The US can no longer be trusted as an ally. Europe must become stronger to stand alone. It’s tempting (wishful thinking?) to hope the author is wrong, that this is a negotiating tactic – Europe has bludged for years and this threat might spur Europe into action and, secondly, Trump will be gone in under four years and Vance has stiff opposition in Rubio and DiSantis. And Gavin Newsom will be a much better candidate than Kamala Harris – note that he’s already positioning himself in the centre. Either way we’ve all had a wake-up call. It staggers me that Germany has neglected its defence for so long. Post Hitler revulsion is understandable but he killed himself 79 years ago! It’s pretty clear that Germany and indeed most countries have relied on America to provide protection, paid for by Americans, for most of those 79 years. Trump is a timely reminder that there really are no free lunches. And to address another, but this time local, issue neither there should be. Millions for whale songs, millions because hopeless parents can’t make a sandwich, millions in “gifts” to extract water we already (or nobody) own. An endless list of waste when we can’t guarantee putting a naval ship to sea. It’s got to change.
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March 10, 2025 8:05am
- Tom Hunter
  
  Re Germany I’m afraid that it’s worse than mere policy decisions degrading defence.
  
  Every German I’ve met in my life had serious guilt issues about WWII and was fearful of ever being “warlike” again, even in defence of their own nation. Even in the Cold War era they were reluctant partners in NATO, going along to get along with the Western victors and unsure as to whether the USSR was really the bad guy worth fighting against.
  
  In the post Cold War era all that seems to have translated into effective pacifism and stuff like their immigration and Net Zero policies: “Who cares if it kills our nation: we deserve it”, seems to be the underlying consensus for all too many Germans.
  
  It’s as if they’ve all become like Herman Goring’s daughter, who sterilised herself as she grew up and discovered what her father had done.
  
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  March 10, 2025 8:28am
  - David Garrett
    
    Tom: I met a lovely German couple up here in the Kingdom last year, and they both fit your description: lovely people pf 60+ still feeling the need to atone for the Nazis.
    
    I got a long message from them just yesterday- they are very fearful of the present conflict turning into a European war now Trump has effectively withdrawn the security guarantee to Ukraine.
    
    They are even seriously asking me if residence here in Tonga is an option for them. Any country would be fortunately to have Manfred and his partner as citizens
    
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    March 10, 2025 8:42am
    - sirknz
      
      The Germans I have met played the most brutal combos in Cards Against Humanity, especially where it had mention of either Jews or Nazis.
      
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      March 10, 2025 8:57am
      - Tom Hunter
        
        Some hope for them then.
        
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        March 10, 2025 10:23am
      - David Garrett
        
        Sirk: I have no idea what your comment means…please translate it into “Old guy” !
        
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        March 10, 2025 10:24am
      - Tom Hunter
        
        Cards Against Humanity is an adult party game in which players complete fill-in-the-blank statements, using words or phrases typically deemed offensive, risqué, or politically incorrect, printed on playing cards.
        
        All the Gen-Z kids I’ve known, including several who are quite Left and “Green”, loved playing this game. Forbidden fruits and all I guess.
        
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        March 10, 2025 10:30am
      - Jack5
        
        Re Tom Hunter on Goering’s “daughter” …
        
        It was Goering’s great-niece, by then in America, and her brother who were reported to have sterilised themselves.
        
        Goering had one child, Edda, and she died in 2018. Earlier she had tried to get access to some of his looted assets.
        
        Report on her death from Israel:
        
        https://www.timesofisrael.com/hermann-goerings-daughter-edda-dies-at-80-is-buried-in-secret/
        
        Here’s the Daily Mail in 2016 on Goering’s great niece saying how she had herself sterilised.
        
        https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3581119/Niece-Hermann-Goering-reveals-sterilised-risk-giving-birth-monster-relatives-infamous-Nazis-reveal-family-ties-affected-them.html
        
        I suspect Tom’s been misled by this report.
        
        A great niece would be a quarter genetic relationship.
        
        However, it seems bullshit that propensity to mass-murder can be inherited. If it’s genetic, the English, and thus European NZ, share a lot of DNA with Germans. Mmm.
        
        If mass-murder propensity was genetic, would Taranaki Maori who committed genocide in the Chatham Islands also later have resisted the Government passively?
        
        The concept of ancestral sin, which lingers on in Western religion (as in Adam and the apple) is a Kiwiblog topic for a wet Sunday in the middle of public holidays.
        
        We could start here on ancestral sin:
        
        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancestral_sin
        
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        March 10, 2025 1:00pm
      - Tom Hunter
        
        @Jack5
        
        Interesting. Thanks. Never took enough interest in it to check. IIRC (and the above suggests not 🙂 ) she wasn’t the only child of senior Nazis to sterilise themselves, or at least deliberately not have children?
        
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        March 10, 2025 7:31pm
      - NeverMindTheBollocks
        
        Joey G saved his six kids the trouble of self sterilisation. He & Magda killed them instead.
        
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        March 10, 2025 9:40pm
    - Matt Long
      
      Other examples of weird warped minds:
      A lesbian apologizing to a trans woman because she cannot cope with penetrative sex with him, but trans women are of course women.
      Lib activist repeatedly raped by one of the men she was advocating for finds it an enlightening experience, regrets his misdirected anger which should be aimed at the white man oppressor.
      https://x.com/GarbageHuman24/status/1898515459261202731
      We should not confuse this with self loathing, these people loath civilisation and conservatives so much that they’re willing to be collateral damage as long as civilisation is destroyed.
      
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      March 10, 2025 9:25am
      - PurplePen
        
        Thankfully all this weirdness is in only a minority of the population. My only issue is the weirdness does seem to garner more than its fair share of MSM.
        
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        March 10, 2025 10:35am
      - cmm
        
        “Thankfully all this weirdness is in only a minority of the population.”
        Sure, but it is normalised. We’re all expected to accept this as just diversity – along with 2+2=5.
        
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        March 10, 2025 2:33pm
  - cmm
    
    All the colonial white guilt bollocks is intended to push those same buttons.
    
    TBF though, the Germans’ brutality was not limited to the 1930s and 1940s. Their genocide of the Herero and Namas in the period before WW1 was much worse than against the Jews during the 1930s/40s (on a % of population basis).
    So maybe Ms Goring was right.
    
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    March 10, 2025 8:44am
    - Master Mariner
      
      Whilst working in Swakopmund in 90’s They still celebrated Hitlers Birthday. Some things never change.
      
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      March 10, 2025 9:14am
    - kowtow
      
      Any worse than the Belgians in the Congo , not to mention the western powers picking over its bones since ‘independence” .
      
      In the last generation alone something like 6 million have died or been killed in the region .
      
      The UN didn’t care , the Gaza scarf wearers don’t care , fighting going on right now , no one cares .
      
      And in the annals of other genocides and nasty leaders there’s Stalin , Mao , Pol Pot etc
      
      Hermann the German is far from being alone in this madness .
      
      ps there’s no shortage of Marxists who’d chuck Churchill into the mix , for good measure.
      
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      March 10, 2025 9:34am
      - cmm
        
        The Belgians and Germans were both terrible colonisers.
        
        The Congo is a mess and pretty much always has been (certainly was before the Belgians). There are currently something like 100 different militia operating in the DRC – most of whom switch allegiance on a whim. That makes it very unlikely that there ever will be any form of a peace settlement.
        
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        March 10, 2025 11:39am
  - NothingLeft
    
    Pathological empathy. Generous altruistic treatment of others must come with a balancing strong requirement for good/contributing behavior or it breaks any hope for maintaining a wealthy and high trust society over long term – as Europe and US are discovering.
    
    Evolution has through trial and error programmed us to be generous in times of plenty. Good for a family, tribe or small village to strengthen if for the future. But it doesn’t scale to towns, cities and states where it enables destructive (to both giver and recipient) bludging.
    
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    March 10, 2025 9:31am
  - thirteenstars
    
    “…seems to have translated into effective pacifism and stuff like their immigration and Net Zero policies…”
    
    The Germans have always been into nature and were fertile ground for the Rebirth of Marxism and Green ideology in the West after the Iron Curtain came down. The Nazis used a lot of mythological, nature-based imagery in their propaganda for good reason. The lederhosen and treks into the grunwald weren’t just for show.
    
    Germany’s post-war economic miracle was a matter of great pride for Germans who looked elsewhere in Europe to see only decline and envy. It was a nation full of vigour and purpose, keen to put the past behind them. It’s only recently that German military strength has diminished. There weapons industry has produced some pretty serious hardware. They had conscription between 1956 and 2011, and overall I think the decline in Germany’s fortunes is due to the particular triumph there of Neo-Marxism and Green ideology, which like elsewhere in the world is the great destroyer of national and individual belief.
    
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    March 10, 2025 11:14am
    - cmm
      
      West Germany’s post war economic miracle was largely a result of the West pouring in resources to boost the West ahead of East Germany in a way to “prove” that the West (aka capitalism) was better then the East (aka communism). It was largely just part of the cold war dick-swinging.
      East Germany got stripped of machinery by the Russians as reparation which didn’t help them.
      
      It is interesting to note that Germany had food rationing lifted in 1950 – a whole 4 years before UK. That really underlines the desire to show that Western Germany was prosperous under Allied control.
      
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      March 10, 2025 11:48am
      - thirteenstars
        
        I don’t know where you get that idea from. Marshall Plan aid to Germany was far less than that given to France and Britain.
        
        …the Marshall Plan. Can’t West Germany’s revival be attributed mainly to that? The answer is no. The reason is simple: Marshall Plan aid to West Germany was not that large. Cumulative aid from the Marshall Plan and other aid programs totaled only $2 billion through October 1954. Even in 1948 and 1949, when aid was at its peak, Marshall Plan aid was less than 5 percent of German national income. Other countries that received substantial Marshall Plan aid exhibited lower growth than Germany.
        
        Moreover, while West Germany was receiving aid, it was also making reparations and restitution payments well in excess of $1 billion. Finally, and most important, the Allies charged the Germans DM7.2 billion annually ($2.4 billion) for their costs of occupying Germany. (Of course, these occupation costs also meant that Germany did not need to pay for its own defense.) Moreover, as economist Tyler Cowen notes, Belgium recovered the fastest from the war and placed a greater reliance on free markets than the other war-torn European countries did, and Belgium’s recovery predated the Marshall Plan.
        
        https://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/GermanEconomicMiracle.html
        
        It was good old free markets and capitalism that made Germany boom and boom. Despite the much larger aid given to France and Britain, by the 70s Britain in particular was failing badly while Germany continued to boom. It took Thatcher and a lot of delayed pain to right the British ship, just as Rogernomics did in NZ. Germany implemented their reforms beginning in the late 40s.
        
        It was East Germany that was heavily subsidised and linked to the Soviet Union in an attempt to present it as a model socialist state compared to the prosperity of West Germany. When the Iron Curtain fell it was East Germany that collapsed into the arms of West Germany.
        
        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_Plan#Expenditures
        
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        March 10, 2025 1:36pm
  - Gussy Fink-Nottle
    
    East Germans don’t share the same degree of contrition.
    More right wing too – an understandable reaction to living under real socialism.
    Which is, of course, why we have Intersectionality and Cultural Marxism – a fresh set of victims, because those filthy proles just didn’t get it.
    
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    March 10, 2025 11:53am
- cmm
  
  While I generally agree with you, I am concerned that putting a naval ship to sea is a “do something, anything” response that is not well thought out.
  
  As you will likely know from your military experience, the key to modern warfare is integrated operations. That applies especially with larger assets.
  
  Send a tank out with infantry and it is a game changer on the battlefield. Send a tank out without infantry support and it is vulnerable and will be ineffective and is an easy target.
  
  The same is true of the navy. A frigate etc is vulnerable on its own. To be effective it needs to be part of a carrier battle group or similar – providing proper integrated operations.
  
  So that means one of:
  * Build a frigate or two and limit them to coast watch applications (fishing patrol etc).
  * Build a frigate or two and hold hands with the Aussies and join up with their battle groups. In that case NZ has no capacity for independent operations and has to to wherever Aussie wants.
  * Build a carrier battle group. And when you wake up from that dream you will also find out that you didn’t marry royalty and don’t live in a fairy castle.
  
  About the only single asset that can operate independently is a submarine. Submarines are actually massively effective deterrents, especially lower-cost short range diesel subs.
  
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  March 10, 2025 8:36am
  - Michael Johnston
    
    Of your options, number 2 is the most realistic. New Zealand can do very little alone. We need the Aussies and that means making a credible contribution to integrated forces. Whether that means frigates is a different question. It may be that navel drones would serve us better, and that our contribution to a new ANZAC force lies in a different capacity. I lack the expertise to say, but we do need to think outside the box to make the most of the limited amount we are capable of spending on defense.
    
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    March 10, 2025 8:44am
    - imalwaysright
      
      NZ is regressing to the mean.
      Literally, the aspiration of the country is to achieve mediocrity in all things.
      
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      March 10, 2025 11:28am
    - cmm
      
      Sure, but if we just have a frigate or two that need to use the Australian’s as mummy duck all the time then do we really have a navy?
      
      If you have a military force then it has to be effective and under your command.
      
      If we have a frigate or two and we have to ask the Australians to help out all the time, then we don’t have an effective navy.
      
      If we want to steam east and the Aussies want to steam west, guess which way we’re going!
      
      Perhaps the only real answer is to take up the 1906 deal and join up with Australia. Most of the capable NZers seem to have buggered off there anyway. And it would solve the 501 problem too.
      
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      March 10, 2025 2:39pm
  - sirknz
    
    “And when you wake up from that dream you will also find out that you didn’t marry royalty and don’t live in a fairy castle.”
    
    My wife is an absolute princess and can detect a pea on the floor under the bed thank you very much, and my granddaughter will be very disappointed with your assertion about us not living in a fairy castle.
    
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    March 10, 2025 9:00am
    - Don Beckett
      
      Perhaps you shouldn’t pee under the bed. 😆
      
      9 2
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      March 10, 2025 11:01am
- Yabster
  
  speaking of whale songs- TPU is being threaten with High Court proceedings for exposing the commissioning agency and the charity that received the whale song funding are headed by the same woman- unless they withdraw the story, apologise and pay the woman- they can’t afford the legal fees.
  
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  March 10, 2025 8:38am
  - RoboRob
    
    Who is threating the legal action? Is it Melainie Shadbolt (ne Mark – as in Ron Mark). Ex NZF candidate who now runs Maori charitable organisations staffed with family and friends?
    
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    March 10, 2025 11:22am
    - RoboRob
      
      p.s. No slur on Ron Mark, who is a pretty good bloke.
      
      6 1
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      March 10, 2025 11:49am
    - Colville
      
      Its the Māori organisations with family on staff who are not required to turn up which is how stella financial returns like this are achieved.!!
      
      https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/131674579/big-hawkes-bay-seafood-company-to-close-with-loss-of-33-jobs
      
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      March 10, 2025 12:27pm
    - Yabster
      
      yes thats her..
      
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      March 10, 2025 1:29pm
- kowtow
  
  Everyone loves to bag Trump and like Save the Whales , the media present the Euro leaders as Messiahs to Ukraine.
  
  yet , in not very widely touted news those Euros literally spend more money supporting the Russian economy and therefore Putin’s evil war , than they do in aid to Ukraine .
  
  ‘CREA recently revealed how EU imports of Russian fossil fuels in the third year of the invasion, which amounted to €21.9 billion, surpassed the €18.7 billion in financial aid sent to Ukraine in the same year-long period.’
  
  https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/03/05/has-europe-spent-more-on-russian-oil-and-gas-than-aid-to-ukraine-as-trump-claims
  
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  March 10, 2025 8:44am
  - NothingLeft
    
    Europe buying entirely fungible things like oil and gas from Russia or elsewhere makes zero difference to Russia income – if they source it from else where while there are still numerous international buyers for Russia oil and gas then all it is doing is shifting the route the oil and gas take to get to their end users. Russia income doesn’t change significantly.
    
    Ergo it is irrelevant unless all international buyers can be convinced to stop buying from Russia. But China is never going to sign up for that.
    
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    March 10, 2025 10:37am
  - MCōs
    
    As Lenin, another noted Russian said, The Capitalists Will Sell Us the Rope with Which We Will Hang Them
    
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    March 10, 2025 12:00pm
- Paulus
  
  Don’t forget that the one time German Defence Minister, not considered much at the time, hence move. is the Head Honcho of the EU, Ursula von der Leyen.
  President of the European Commission
  Considered Queen of Europe.
  Is there a German Defence correlation ?
  
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  March 10, 2025 8:44am
- peterwn
  
  The White House gives a whole new meaning to an asylum run by the inmates.
  
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  March 10, 2025 8:59am
- Happy1
  
  What we are seeing is 500 million people begging 300 million to protect them from 130 million who can’t even eject a nation of 50 from it’s territory.
  
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  March 10, 2025 10:12am
artemisia

Dramatic overhaul of Whānau Ora contracts includes John Tamihere-led agency – Herald today, not paywalled.

All inaugural commissioning agencies have lost their contracts, up to 1,000 jobs said to be at risk. The agencies are variously ‘gutted’, ‘astounded’ and ‘alarmed’ and say they were doing a great job and don’t understand why they have been dumped.

TPK Secretary for Māori Development Dave Samuels might have given them a hint when he said in a statement on Friday that it was “timely” that the contracts were put out to the market after 10 years. He also indicated a change in direction for Whānau Ora, including a greater focus on data-driven outcomes and more front-line delivery of services. Its $155m budget remained unchanged.

(Apparently public service negligence is the real problem according to Helen Leahy, who previously led the Whanau Ora commissioning agency for the South Island.)
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March 10, 2025 8:06am
- Nukuleka
  
  Well well well… the chickens coming home to roost for John Tamihere Inc?
  
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  March 10, 2025 8:08am
  - Paulus
    
    Are they coming for Tamahere ? – he has many influential friends, on whom he has the dirt !
    
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    March 10, 2025 8:56am
    - ecco
      
      Have seen Tamihere out and about dining at a high end Ponsonby eating establishment with a big group of friends/whanau/workmates last year. So no shortage of cashflow there.
      
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      March 10, 2025 9:05am
    - imalwaysright
      
      If we had a non politicicised police force and a non corrupted judiciary his influential friends would be irrelevant.
      
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      March 10, 2025 9:28am
- David Garrett
  
  Whanau Ora was a scam from the beginning…or if you want to be charitable, a product of hopeless naivite and inrealistic hope by Aunty Tari and others
  
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  March 10, 2025 8:12am
  - Cassandra
    
    And the defunding shouldn’t stop at the Commissioning Agency. How the SFO has ignored this is bewildering. Even the conflict of interest sets off an almighty siren.
    
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    March 10, 2025 8:26am
    - David Garrett
      
      Why was this rort ignored? Surely you know the answer…Special People are involved, and different rules apply…until it all just becomes far too blatant to ignore, which is what has happened now
      
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      March 10, 2025 8:30am
    - pdm
      
      Cass – maybe we all should lodge a complaint re misappropriation of funds with the SFO.
      
      Weight of numbers may see some action.
      
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      March 10, 2025 8:39am
      - cmm
        
        I can see how that would be reported:
        
        Something, something, right wing extremists.
        
        28 1
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        March 10, 2025 8:46am
      - pdm
        
        Fair point cmm.
        
        Especially as most of us would be doing say on hearsay rather than hard evidence.
        
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        March 10, 2025 9:11am
- Ra Henare
  
  Maybe would have been a good idea to review the effectiveness of the program overall and whether it should be funded?
  
  I see the Fund was created by a National Government (Key) as a payoff for Maori Party support.
  
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  March 10, 2025 8:12am
  - pdm
    
    Ra that was when the Maori Party comprised one very decent man Pita Sharples and a reasonably decent woman the late Tariana Turia.
    
    Now there is no decency or even good manners to be seen in The current Maori Party Caucus.
    
    Not even respect for Parliament and the people Parliament governs.
    
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    March 10, 2025 10:34am
  - MCōs
    
    What did all that smooching up the Nats get for the original version of the Maori Party?
    Eventual loss of presence in parliament
    I see the current version has gone up in the polls again today
    
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    March 10, 2025 1:51pm
    - Pope Punctilious II
      
      What did all that smooching up the Nats get for the original version of the Maori Party?
      
      Seabed & foreshore act. UNDRIP, and its downstream consequences.
      
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      March 10, 2025 2:16pm
      - MCōs
        
        The seabed and foreshore act benefits have become an illusion
        The big print giveth and the small print taketh away
        
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        March 10, 2025 2:36pm
- kowtow
  
  The Herald tells us this was set upin 2010 by National in recognition that ‘social and health services were not delivering for Maori’.
  
  Here we go again.
  
  Right now there’s a lot of non delivering for everyone!
  
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  March 10, 2025 8:16am
  - PurplePen
    
    Nearly 11 years of Whanau Ora. Any idea of the improvements from what must be more than $1 billion provided? Judging by constant MSM reports of ‘Maori are disproportionately affected by…’ it would seem Whanau Ora is a 10 year failure.
    
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    March 10, 2025 10:44am
- kowtow
  
  No mention in the article of the huge salaries paid to the Fat Cats at the top of Tamahere’s “charity”.
  
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  March 10, 2025 8:48am
- Yabster
  
  its good but it should be scrapped altogether- guess who won the tender for the South Island… it’s our old Koha mates Ngai Tahu…..
  
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  March 10, 2025 8:48am
- cmm
  
  “Data driven” is a way to imply that it will be well managed.
  
  Of course they will use “Maori data” and “Maori data analysis” which nobody is allowed to challenge.
  
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  March 10, 2025 8:49am
  - Paulus
    
    The Waitangi Tribinal will rule anyway and we all know which way they will, do -as usual.
    They are beholden to the elected Parliament as being superior, and the Judges will agree with them.
    
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    March 10, 2025 8:59am
    - PurplePen
      
      Did anyone see the petition to end the Waitangi Tribunal. If nothing else, a reasonable turn-out would must prompt discussion about its scope and relevance. I signed for at least that reason.
      
      https://www.hobsonspledge.nz/end-the-waitangi-tribunal?recruiter_id=86983
      
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      March 10, 2025 10:47am
  - artemisia
    
    Data driven also means that the data provided will be checked carefully against the contracted outcomes. Not sure that has always happened in the past.
    
    An annual report I looked over last year – not WOCA but not that different either – had a long list of activities against contracted outcomes. A very long list, almost all were consultations up and down the country. Looked great, actual achievements less so.
    
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    March 10, 2025 9:10am
  - david
    
    But didn’t they navigate to the Antarctic and back in their wakas using only spreadsheets for guidance?
    
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    March 10, 2025 11:58am
- Suze Wainwright
  
  Given that aotearoa’s msm has not provided a huge amount of analysis on Te Pati Maori’s lack of financial accountability and the whole Manurewa Marae shambles, what do you think the real slant of the Herald article is?
  
  Ooh, and hark! Audrey Young comes up with a piece on public service heads apparently being forced out of their roles. (Maybe they’ll all be on the plane to Australia too. Heh).
  
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  March 10, 2025 9:02am
  - pdm
    
    Suze – maybe New Zealand’s msm will have something.
    
    Then again that will need to be filed under wishful hoping.
    
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    March 10, 2025 10:38am
  - PurplePen
    
    Maybe they sense the floor on which they sit is about to tilt to the right.
    
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    March 10, 2025 10:49am
- JackRabbit
  
  @artemisia
  
  The agencies are variously ‘gutted’, ‘astounded’ and ‘alarmed’ and say they were doing a great job and don’t understand why they have been dumped.
  
  Their 3 main initiatives (from their website::
  [1] COVID-19 Rapid Response:
  
  729% increase in grant applications, with over 10,000 applications processed to assist whānau in purchasing essential items.
  
  [2] COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign
  
  Administered 844,214 vaccinations, with 241,561 doses going to Māori, representing 28.6% of the total.
  
  Yip Yip, safe and effective.
  
  [3] CENSUS
  
  The campaign exceeded expectations, achieving 39,000 completed forms in just three weeks…
  
  I bet it did. Allowed harvesting of votes.
  Problem is they kept the data.
  
  All three very crooked undertakings.
  
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  March 10, 2025 9:35am
  - PurplePen
    
    “729% increase in grant applications, with over 10,000 applications processed to assist whānau in purchasing essential items.”.
    
    How is that any sort of useful measure. For all we know essential items could have been anything from my new swimming pool, SUV and folding cellphone. You have to wonder about the competence of oversight in these arrangements, not just in the commissioning agency but in the public servants that oversee the agencies.
    
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    March 10, 2025 10:53am
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      You have to wonder about the competence of oversight in these arrangements,
      
      Indeed ..
      
      The original contracts were never in an open tender.
      
      How much monitoring of the contracts was undertaken by Te Puni Kokiri?
      
      It all looks like a cosy arrangement rolled along with no external checks for 10 years.
      
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      March 10, 2025 11:41am
Tomtoddy

I’m not a fan of Australia’s Peter Dutton but he does have good instincts and would be country miles better than the Labour weasel.

Importantly what the latest poll in Australia says is that the indoctrination of kids at school and uni is paying off. Combine that with a constant left wing bias by MSM and you have generations of suckers all brainwashed into thinking socialism is the answer.
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March 10, 2025 8:12am
- RoboRob
  
  People were saying this in the US a few yeas ago. Once things get bad enough people will switch.
  
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  March 10, 2025 8:48am
- Paulus
  
  Western Australia has gone well Labor for the third time.
  
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  March 10, 2025 9:02am
  - Tauhei Notts
    
    Possibly off topic but your Pseudonym made me think.
    Paulus on the Volga in January 1943.
    Zelensky in the Kursk in March 2025.
    You have to give it to the Russkies; they know what a surround move is all about.
    
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    March 10, 2025 9:33am
rouppe

All three original Whanau Ora Commissioning agencies have lost their contracts in the recent tender process. 1000 jobs affected, 600 of which are at John Tamihere’s Whanau Ora Commissioning Agency.

The chair of the Whanau Ora Commissioning Agency, Merepeka Raukawa-Tait (who knew?), said

She said she was “absolutely gutted” to lose the contract.

“After 10 years of delivering to whānau in vulnerable communities, we couldn’t believe the decision,” she told the Herald.

The providers which the agency worked with had built up trust within hard-to-reach communities for a decade, she said. Many of those people had significant input into the services they received.

“There is a real risk that whānau throughout the motu will think ‘Here we go again, do we even want to be bothered?’ They may choose to engage or they may choose to say we’ve had enough of this interference in what was doing well for us.”

Well that’s telling. Why should I be bothered engaging with health services because the provider has changed. So I should no longer see the doctor when he retires? Or moves cities? That’s a dumb argument.

Māori Party co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said:

“Whānau Ora has consistently outperformed government agencies. It has shown that when Māori lead, Māori thrive. That success should have been recognised and expanded, not gutted.”

I’m sure that at least some of the services provided were very good. However the problem, Debbie, is that the organisation as a whole is rotten. Whanau Ora Commissioning Agency is completely rotten, and all the good work some of the service providers do is completely ruined by the actions of John Tamihere in collusion with Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi.

As for the other agencies, I’ve not heard of either of them. Does that mean they were effective? Health statistics suggest otherwise. But I wouldn’t be surprised if they lost their contracts so that JT couldn’t say they were targeted.

Helen Leahy, who previously led the Whānau Ora commissioning agency for the South Island, said she was “astounded” at the changes and that TPK was “fixing what was not broken”.
She said it was still unclear what was driving the changes. Numerous reviews and audits had found that Whānau Ora worked and was good value for money.

I think it’s because there was rot in the agencies.

The new agencies include Ngai Tahu and Ngati Paoa. The latter being a tiny area around the Hauraki Gulf. I guess my concern is that this is more tax free money going to iwi organisations, that auditing and oversight will still be inadequate, and we’ll move from having enriched John Tamihere to enriching someone like Mark Solomon.

At the end of the day, though, I’m very pleased that John Tamihere and the Maori Party will no longer use funding intended for Maori Health for their political purposes.
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March 10, 2025 8:17am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  The new agencies include Ngai Tahu and Ngati Paoa.
  
  The Herald has changed this:
  
  An earlier version of this story incorrectly referred to Ngati Toa as Ngati Paoa
  
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  March 10, 2025 10:32am
  - rouppe
    
    Ah, that makes more sense, Lower north island.
    
    Thanks
    
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    March 10, 2025 10:47am
- artemisia
  
  I hope and expect that the new Whanau Ora contracts will be very tight, and monitored equally tightly.
  
  WO assistance is in theory legally available to all, not just particular races. It would be interesting to see a breakdown by ethnicity, though unlikely to be presented.
  
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  March 10, 2025 10:37am
- JackRabbit
  
  [Mod – stay on topic]
  
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  March 10, 2025 12:12pm
ecco

More and more impressed with the coalition government led by Luxon for things they are getting done behind the scenes cleaning up many uses of taxpayer money. Namely with today’s announcement of the withdrawing of funding to Tamihere’s outfit and indirectly the maori party. That was clearly just a means for the Labour party to fund their coalition partner using taxpayer money.

There has been virtually no comment by the legacy media on the Maori party’s late and inadequate filing of their accounts, except by business desk new site.

Following this a closer look at charity status is well overdue. I’m sure anyone who is running a bonafide charity will have nothing to worry about.
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March 10, 2025 9:03am
- rouppe
  
  IRD are running a consultation about taxation of charities.
  
  https://www.ird.govt.nz/updates/news-folder/2025/public-consultation-on-taxation-and-the-not-for-profit-sector
  
  I’ve submitted with a general theme that rather than assume those with charitable status are a charity, to look at their behaviours.
  
  I’ve suggested that iwi are behaving more like a family Trust than a charity, and that perhaps more could be gained by reducing the number of charities, especially those that are multi million – some multi billion – dollar organisations.
  
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  March 10, 2025 10:53am
Maggy Wassilieff

I see Ngai Tahu has picked up the Whanau Ora contract for much of the South Island.

I wonder if last week’s ructions in the top echelons of the Iwi are just coincidental…

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360600554/unfair-underhanded-iwi-sacks-directors-without-notice

One of the other Whanau Ora contracts goes to Ngati Toa… based in Southern North Island and headed by Helmut Modlik – who has been around the Health Sector at a Governance level for a few years.
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March 10, 2025 9:54am
- artemisia
  
  Juliet Tainui -Hernandez looks like a strong contender for the Ngai Tahu role she has been summarily dropped from. She fitted right in with Reserve Bank DEI, saying:
  
  Part of this is helping it better reflect the society it serves by bringing in more diverse people and viewpoints. This includes bringing a Te Ao Māori perspective to bring to life the bicultural basis of our modern country and Te Tiriti o Waitangi in a beautiful way where people can recognise the greater combined value we have as a country through that partnership.
  
  https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/about-uc/why-uc/our-alumni/notable-alumni/juliet-tainui-hernandez
  
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  March 10, 2025 10:18am
  - Jack5
    
    While we’re on Ngai Tahu and funding ….
    
    Using the book-keeping terms of Ngai Tahu’s annual report for the financial year ended 30 June 2024:
    
    Revenue: $347.3 million.
    Cost of sales: $140.97 million.
    Gross profit: $206.32 million.
    Operating expenses:$171.60 million.
    Trading surplus: $42.42 million.
    Tribal expenditure:$100.93 million.
    Tribal revenue: $24.55 million.
    Income tax: $3.58 million.
    Group surplus: negative $30.59 million.
    
    Net assets — total equity — are listed as $1.656 billion.
    
    Total assets of $2.096 billion are offset by borrowings of $379.40 million and other liabilities of $60.87 million.
    
    The ratio of debt to total assets is 18.1 per cent.
    
    https://ngaitahu.iwi.nz/opportunities-and-resources/publications/ngai-tahu-annual-reports/annual-report-2024/
    
    https://ngaitahu.iwi.nz/opportunities-and-resources/publications/ngai-tahu-annual-reports/annual-report-2024/
    
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    March 10, 2025 10:05pm
- PurplePen
  
  I see Tainui-Hernandez was quick to trot out the ‘It’s a breach of tikanga’ objection. Amusing. Using that tactic on your own kind.
  
  And later in the article “Ngāi Tahu Holdings has had mixed results in recent years, reporting a record profit of $240m in 2021 but multi-million-dollar losses in the past two years.”
  
  A monkey could have thrown a dart at the NZ stock market last year and made a profit.
  
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  March 10, 2025 11:04am
- rouppe
  
  Helmut Modlik is a history revisionist who believes that Maori never ceded sovereignty.
  
  On that basis alone I don’t trust him to not be racist in his operations.
  
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  March 10, 2025 11:06am
- kowtow
  
  I wonder how much of this divvying up the country along those tribal lines coincides with the co governance Trojan Horse of Ti Three Waters.
  
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  March 10, 2025 11:49am
Steve Otto N Shore

Trump Blasts Trudeau Over Fentanyl Crisis, Imposes New Tariffs.
“Before hanging up, Trump peculiarly sensed that Trudeau might be trying to use the tariff dispute as a political maneuver to cling to power.”
Do Canada still want a useless PM?

https://americanvoterpolls.com/trump-blasts-trudeau-over-fentanyl-crisis-imposes-new-tariffs/?
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March 10, 2025 10:15am
Steve Otto N Shore

The Party of Insanity and Hate Revealed.
Just like the left parties in NZ.
“The most jarring moments came when Democrats refused to applaud universally commendable topics, such as honoring Gold Star families or addressing the concerns of grieving mothers who lost daughters to violence. Their silence during these moments left many questioning their priorities and commitment to unity.”
People lose family and the Dems don’t give a shit.

Video 3 minutes.

https://americanvoterpolls.com/democrats-unmasked-the-party-of-insanity-and-hate-revealed/?
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March 10, 2025 10:19am
sirknz

Bit hard to feel sorry for this poor kiwi battler…

Tries to circumvent international banking sanctions and got caught out. Instead of arguing the merits on a legal/financial basis, he is now going to the HRC. Not sure what they can do about international banking regulations but here we are.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360606775/meet-kiwi-flagged-high-risk-over-bank-transaction-gone-wrong
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March 10, 2025 10:27am
PurplePen

I haven’t seen any MSM publish what the actual current treaty principles are. But discovered this from NZ Media Watch. It would be useful if it was repeated in the main papers across NZ.

https://x.com/nz_media_watch/status/1834017727117463838
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March 10, 2025 11:16am
Philview

Stuff are running a readers poll on who you would vote for if an election was held today. When I looked it had Labour on 48%, Greens on 16%, National on 14% and ACT on 9%. It really does show that Stuff is a left wing echo chamber.
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March 10, 2025 11:21am
- JackRabbit
  
  $tuffed, telling people what they want to hear for decades.
  
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  March 10, 2025 12:15pm
- penguincouple
  
  Shows that Stuff readers generally have too much time to kill before lunch time hits.
  
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  March 10, 2025 1:06pm
- Steve Otto N Shore
  
  National 14%, ACT 9%.
  Indoctrinated 12 year olds are doing the poll. (they are also running $tuff)
  
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  March 10, 2025 4:02pm
- Pineapple Lumps
  
  Stuff poll in reality is “who would our readership vote for?”
  
  No more of an indication of how the election would go than if KBers were polled!
  
  As others have noted it shows how left stuff are. No surprise really. Write articles appealing to the left, attract left voters. What is really surprising is that any ACT voters are subjecting themselves to Stuff. Must enjoy pain.
  
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  March 10, 2025 7:53pm
Ghost

I guess pay to play was only bad when the other person was doing it

Private meetings and group dinners with the leader of the most powerful country in the world are being sold for millions, according to Wired.

The tech publication revealed on Tuesday that it had received an invitation to reserve a seat at a dinner with President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort for $1 million, with the most recent event occurring this past Saturday. It was listed on Trump’s official presidential schedule as the “MAGA INC. Candlelight Finance Dinner.”

Article
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March 10, 2025 11:29am
- Northshoredoc
  
  Gotta love those emolluments.
  
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  March 10, 2025 4:07pm
greybeard

https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/360608305/ex-cyclone-alfred-afternath-im-stuck-cruise-ship

A 20-year old plumber from Waitara on a cruise ship, without travel insurance…. I will have to think about that for a while !
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March 10, 2025 11:44am
- Don Beckett
  
  My understanding is, that’s called “tough shit” , shit happens, so suck it buddy and work toward getting the answers instead of whingeing to the press.
  
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  March 10, 2025 11:51am
- Ghost
  
  It’s not that hard. Commit a crime and win a free ticket back to New Zealand.
  
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  March 10, 2025 11:55am
- greybeard
  
  I was actually amazed that a 20-year old single guy would take a cruise; the fact that he is a plumber from Waitara is just the icing ! The lack of travel insurance is the cherry on top.
  
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  March 10, 2025 1:32pm
- Albie
  
  Stuffed reports he’s stressed because he missed his flight back to Aotearoa.
  Perhaps if he asked the booking agent if he could get a flight to New Zealand he might have more luck?
  
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  March 10, 2025 2:24pm
- Bobba Fret
  
  I would love to ask him face to face, “So do you still feel that declining to take out travel insurance was a smart decision?”.
  
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  March 10, 2025 3:55pm
- Steve Otto N Shore
  
  If I broke my leg in say Fairbanks or Chena Hot Springs in Alaska I would be in deep shit without insurance (the necessary evil)
  It was NZ$1200 for 2 of us for 6 weeks – and that included 3 days in Hawaii each way.
  Young invincible 20 year old and now he moans. Your fault sonny boy.
  
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  March 10, 2025 4:34pm
G the giant from Dunedin

TPU poll out, the left would be in government, and Nats are up, as Act are losing a huge share of support again down to 7%
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March 10, 2025 12:38pm
- Pineapple Lumps
  
  Seymour getting some short term smacking for school lunches and fair enough too. He needs to appoint someone to take care of its operation and to front the media on it. Minimising his brand damage from National entrenching a labour Marxist fund guzzling monster is smart politics.
  
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  March 10, 2025 7:58pm
Ghost

According to the poll results, released on Monday afternoon, National is up 1.7 points to 33.6%, but Labour has moved past it, up 2.8 points to 34.1%.

Meanwhile, the Greens have stumbled down 3.2 points to 10%, while Act has declined 2.3 points to 7.7%. Te Pāti Māori has risen 2.1 points to 6.5%, while New Zealand First is down 1.3 points to 5.1%.

Article

Taxpayers Union-Curia poll. I wonder if some of this hit is with Tim Jago being named, also some will be school lunches.
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March 10, 2025 12:44pm
- Suze Wainwright
  
  With all due respect to DPF, I think Curia polls a little bit too often… (especially in this part of the electoral cycle).
  
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  March 10, 2025 12:56pm
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    It is following the same trend
    
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    March 10, 2025 1:21pm
  - Ghost
    
    He is hired to do the polls, not up to him how often the client wants them
    
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    March 10, 2025 1:24pm
    - Damocles11
      
      Who is the client?
      Would the client want to see National do well in the polls, or see ACT do well in the polls? 🤷🏻‍♂️
      Personally I don’t trust polls.
      
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      March 10, 2025 8:14pm
      - Ghost
        
        Seriously? You need to ask who the client is for a Taxpayers Union-Curia poll?
        
        Ummm, hello, it’s in the first part of the name of poll
        
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        March 10, 2025 8:21pm
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  Seymour has been creating a stir amongst voters weekly, he is scaring the centre back left, s as if that will now not change before the election.
  
  Do higher taxes, banning oil and gas, and stymying the economy, and a treaty commissioner to over rule the parliament, thanks a bunch pathetic act
  
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  March 10, 2025 12:59pm
  - Conservatarian
    
    Equal treatment for humans regardless of race is an 80-20 issue, yet somehow Luxon and his cuckservative cabinet is too scared to upset the 20%.
    
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    March 10, 2025 1:39pm
    - MCōs
      
      Equal treatment is an issue
      There’s no way that kids at decile 1, decile 10, private and charter schools are treated equally
      
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      March 10, 2025 3:33pm
      - Pineapple Lumps
        
        Parents financially sacrificing to put their children through private school are showing they have a high regard for education.
        
        Actually much of the inequality begins at home. No matter how much state intervention you can’t compensate for a broken foundation. A stitch in time saves nine.
        
        As an example, a new teacher I know is feeling like throwing in the towel because very little time goes into teaching and a lot goes into trying to manage behavioural problems.
        
        Children need to learn to respect authority because they have had loving discipline at home. Teachers need to have the authority to discipline at school. Then we might be able to turn around some of the educational decline.
        
        We were brought up to do well at school and we are trying to pass that on to our children. Those are values we need to keep encouraging. But many children’s parents couldn’t care less.
        
        Parents financially sacrificing to put their children through private school are showing they have a high regard for education.
        
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        March 10, 2025 8:08pm
    - Pope Punctilious II
      
      I wish you were right about the 80:20 split. But decades of ongoing activist capture of our institutions has rewritten the meaning of the treaty, and indoctrinated much of the younger half of the population to believe that non-Maori New Zealanders have less right to be here than those of us who happen to have Maori blood. And the spread of this cancer has only been possible because of the negligence and cowardice of our political and institutional leaders.
      
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      March 10, 2025 7:57pm
  - Grunter
    
    G – I think you might be right on that. Too many Polls appear to agree with you.
    
    NZ is very much a socialist bearing society, so Seymour gaining some small amount of power has put the sihts up the weak that make up middle NZ. And most NZer’s don’t want a fight with Maori over sovereignty.
    
    So, that just means that this country (soon to be officially called Aotearoa) is confined to be a failed state, riddled with ethnic racism, and socialist economic failure. That is simply the reality. No state anywhere at anytime survived socialism nor appartheid. NZ will not buck that trend – how can it?
    
    We are already socialist. We are already ethnically divided. We are already woke and suffocating in ‘Global Boiling’ BS.
    
    Your man Luxon is not going to stop it. He is too weak and woke. He is part of the centre-left.
    
    Only ACT has a plan that takes a different path. But it appears Kiwis are rejecting it.
    
    Time to dust off the passport……
    
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    March 10, 2025 1:43pm
    - Terry Dalee
      
      What’s stopping you?
      
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      March 10, 2025 3:09pm
      - Grunter
        
        Convince family. Without them I’m staying put.
        
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        March 10, 2025 3:22pm
      - Terry Dalee
        
        Fair enough. Was a serious question.
        
        Many people say I’ll leave but they won’t or can’t.
        
        The only alternative then is to adapt to the new ethno-state that is emerging
        
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        March 10, 2025 9:40pm
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      Politics is simple, I have stated this for months, yet I get ridiculed and rubbished, but there it is. This economy is really starting to improve, why the hell would the voter want that damaged
      
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      March 10, 2025 5:57pm
      - Grunter
        
        Don’t think anything is improving. I just agree with you that the polls are saying the Left is up, ACT is being rejected. We are on the same path of failure that we weee on 2 years ago
        
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        March 10, 2025 6:54pm
      - Pineapple Lumps
        
        Because most are not yet experiencing this improvement you speak of.
        
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        March 10, 2025 8:13pm
- Conservatarian
  
  Yes, why isn’t Seymour doing a better job of cooking and delivering hot halal lunches to every child whose parents don’t love him or her enough to send him or her to school with a lunch?
  
  The media and teacher unions are LOVING the thought of these poor brown kids “going hungry” so long as they can use the issue to own Seymour.
  
  Luxon actually won some points with me for sounding like a common sense dad when he suggested a vegemite / marmite sandwich and apple. A rare moment of intestinal fortitude from him.
  
  He might even win some more with me by defunding the whole scheme.
  
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  March 10, 2025 1:19pm
  - Grunter
    
    Seymour made a colossal mistake when he accepted the Minister of School Lunches job. I emailed him at the time and said as much.
    
    All central planning blobs attempting to deliver 140,000+ school lunches every day will come out smelling like yesterday’s fish pie. Why would Seymour put his hand up for a job that was guaranteed to fail? Silly stuff Mr Seymour!
    
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    March 10, 2025 3:28pm
    - Ghost
      
      The school lunches were part of their coalition agreement, so being in charge of them was likely his idea
      
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      March 10, 2025 3:31pm
      - Grunter
        
        Maybe you’re right on that Ghost – which makes it even sillier on his part.
        
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        March 10, 2025 4:00pm
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      Most comments about the school lunches are saying make your own lunch, it’s Seymour over all performance sickening voters
      
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      March 10, 2025 6:02pm
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Nats up the last 2 TPUs polls, and Act have gone from 1;% to 7%, Seymour is damaging the government
    
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    March 10, 2025 5:59pm
    - Damocles11
      
      Who commissions the polls? Who is the client?
      
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      March 10, 2025 8:17pm
- greybeard
  
  Any poll which places Hipkins above anyone else is just fantasy.
  
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  March 10, 2025 1:35pm
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Just listening to the idiot on the news, whinging about the investment summit saying the government are talk at people now and not with them, then he said that Transmission gully was a failure, even though those muppets sent the builders home during Covid
    
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    March 10, 2025 6:08pm
NothingLeft

Chinese robot ready to run marathon. https://youtu.be/eGu1y9FFTKA

The almost daily improvement in agility, dexterity and ability to deal with real world problems from the 10-20 developers jockeying for the ‘next big thing’ robotics market is amazing.
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March 10, 2025 1:02pm
- Jethrod
  
  Hope it is well lubricated
  
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  March 10, 2025 2:53pm
pdm

Colville the other day (Friday maybe) you asked me if I had submitted on something to do with, I think, Hastings DC.

I have just had a look and don’t see anything that particularly stirs me up on My Voice My Choice so can you elaborate please.

I assume it is not the Te Awanga Playground project which I went past last Tuesday when mrspdm and I a very nice lunch with friends at the Clifton Cafe.
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March 10, 2025 1:19pm
- Colville
  
  pdm.
  FDS. Future Development Strategy. Its too late, subs have closed.
  
  Have a read if you want to scream in anger.
  
  https://www.hastingsdc.govt.nz/hastingsnapierfuturedevelopment/
  
  Save the apple trees and dont build any houses is the summary of 90% of them.
  
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  March 10, 2025 1:44pm
  - pdm
    
    Thanks Colville I will have a look.
    
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    March 10, 2025 2:25pm
- Jethrod
  
  Where is the Clifton Cafe please pdm?
  Went to Off the Track recently for lunch, was very good
  
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  March 10, 2025 2:58pm
  - Colville
    
    Hygee Cafe.
    468 Clifton Road, Te Awanga
    
    Basically at the end of the road. Cracking spot.
    
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    March 10, 2025 4:45pm
    - NeverMindTheBollocks
      
      Try The Figgery Cafe, on the outskirts of Havelock North – it’s excellent.
      
      You’ve got to like figs, though.
      
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      March 10, 2025 9:57pm
Ghost

This isn’t exactly something you do out of nowhere, it will be booked well in advanced. It won’t look good to the public with the media beat up of it. Which strangely wasn’t the same for Debbie’s anniversary in the Cook Islands.

Embattled former minister and mountaineer Andrew Bayly has taken a two-week leave of absence from Parliament to climb Mount Everest last week, The Post can reveal.

He’s the second MP in a month to take a holiday while the House is sitting. Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer took a trip to Rarotonga in February to celebrate her wedding anniversary

Article
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March 10, 2025 1:22pm
- Colville
  
  He will have booked and paid for that 3 years ago and been training like a demon for a year.
  
  About 1 in 50 die who attempt it I think. !!
  
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  March 10, 2025 1:46pm
- pdm
  
  Ghostie I doubt Bayly will be doing any protesting while he is in Nepal or at the South Col, atop Hillary’s Step or standing on the Summit.
  
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  March 10, 2025 2:28pm
- cmm
  
  Am I the only one who thinks this is bullshit?
  
  Becoming an MP should be a commitment that you make that means you don’t get to take a few weeks off to pursue your hobbies – be those mountain climbing or tiddly-winks competitions.
  
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  March 10, 2025 3:21pm
  - Colville
    
    I think your comment is bullshit.
    Who else puts life on hold for work?
    
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    March 10, 2025 4:47pm
  - pdm
    
    Bayly has probably put in more time in the House than all of The Maori Party Members combined since Election Day.
    
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    March 10, 2025 6:52pm
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  Paker has done it twice, and let’s not forget Ardern bizarrely simply disappearing from a full sitting period
  
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  March 10, 2025 6:10pm
PurplePen

I posted this as a reply above, but wanted to post it as a topic on its own.

Brynn Neilson does a good job of listing what are the current treaty principles here

https://nzmw.nz/tpb

COPIED FROM ABOVE
What are the Principles?
The Government created Principles in 1989 to guide its actions on matters relating to the Treaty:

The Government has the right to govern and make laws. (The kāwanatanga principle)
Iwi have the right to organise as iwi, and, under the law, to control their resources as their own. (The rangatiratanga principle)
All New Zealanders are equal before the law.
Both the Government and iwi are obliged to accord each other reasonable cooperation on major issues of common concern.
The Government is responsible for providing effective processes for the resolution of grievances in the expectation that reconciliation can occur.’
However, the Courts and the Waitangi Tribunal also created it’s interpretation of the Principles:

The principle of partnership
The principle of reciprocity
The principle of mutual benefit
The duty to act reasonably, honourably and in good faith
The duty to make informed decisions
The principle of active protection
The principle of redress
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March 10, 2025 2:00pm
- Pope Punctilious II
  
  “The duty to act reasonably, honourably and in good faith”. LMAO.
  
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  March 10, 2025 2:31pm
  - PurplePen
    
    Good point. What happens if Maori don’t abide by any of the Principles. What’s the recourse for the Crown?
    
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    March 10, 2025 6:17pm
David Garrett

Is my memory going, or has the punk the subject of this story already been named in an earlier story?

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360608445/teen-accused-murder-adopted-gangster-ways-after-fatal-stabbing-court-hears

Name suppression is rapidly becoming a waste of time in the age of social media and the internet.
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March 10, 2025 2:01pm
- Ghost
  
  I’m really not sure. I thought he was named last week, guess not
  
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  March 10, 2025 2:14pm
- cmm
  
  Which punk? The stabber or the stabbed? (Insert alleged as appropriate).
  
  I would have thought the 13yo (now 14yo) stabber would get significant name suppression until conviction at least.
  
  But I am not of the Brotherhood so what would I know.
  
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  March 10, 2025 2:45pm
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  I’m pretty sure he hasn’t.
  
  It’s the murdered victim who was last week described as an aggressive bully.
  
  https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/crime/robbery-altered-murder-accused-court-hears
  
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  March 10, 2025 3:03pm
  - David Garrett
    
    Maggy: Yes, it appears you are right. But my point remains: while I can’t be bothered looking, I’m sure the name is already “out there” and accessible for anyone with 30 minutes to spare, and better internet knowledge than I possess.
    
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    March 10, 2025 3:25pm
Chuck Bird

The latest poll by the Taxpayers’ Union shows that we will lose the next election, and Hipkins polls are higher than Luxon’s preferred PM.

If Luxon cannot up his game, he should be rolled. Next year will be too late.

We just need to look at what Rodney Hide said about him to know he should be replaced.

RODNEY HIDE: Chris Luxon is done

https://www.bassettbrashandhide.com/post/rodney-hide-chris-luxon-is-done
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March 10, 2025 2:13pm
- Sparrow
  
  Luxon is not the major problem its Seymour. Yes he resonates on this blog, but out there in the real world in middle NZ he is regarded as a opportunist, smug, arrogant, p…. I had some dealings with him he just wanted to fob me off like a piece of shit. Remember his popularity bombed just before the last election, same thing occurring again with how he is handling the school lunch fiasco. Every time he opens his mouth he turns off middle NZ ok not this blog.
  Another reality the old Labour voters who switched last time are going back to their roots they see no difference with the Nats so why vote for them again, maybe Winston.
  
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  March 10, 2025 2:40pm
  - Chuck Bird
    
    I was an active member of the National Party, and Luxon fobbed me off rudely.
    
    I will be voting for Act but have had some disagreement with Seymour, which he did not like.
    
    I am a conservative and did not like the way he responded to Bob McCoskrie of Family First and let him know.
    
    He does not try to please everyone as Luxon does. Luxon gets asked if it fair is men wearing dresses play against women in sports and he cannot give a straight answer no.
    
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    March 10, 2025 3:07pm
    - David Garrett
      
      Chuck: To be fair, you have been an “active member” of all three parties in the coalition…
      
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      March 10, 2025 3:40pm
      - Chuck Bird
        
        Your point?
        
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        March 10, 2025 3:44pm
      - Ghost
        
        You got a hot meal for every time chuck said he wasn’t voting act, nz first or national you’d would be set for life with your meals.
        
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        March 10, 2025 4:19pm
    - Colville
      
      Chuck, you are a fringe weirdo who changes views depending on the breeze.
      You are exactly who a serious politician dosent want to waste time with!
      
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      March 10, 2025 4:50pm
      - Swifty
        
        Hahahahhahahah!
        
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        March 10, 2025 5:24pm
      - Pineapple Lumps
        
        Play the ball not the man. The true fringe weirdos are mainly in the Greens and TPM.
        
        Being a social and fiscal conservative puts one at odds with National liberals and ACT socially liberal. Being outspoken like Chuck means he will ruffle some feathers. Easy to dismiss him by disparaging him.
        
        Social conservatives are not really represented in NZ politics and are constantly attacked by the legacy media. They are an easy target. Interesting to see that they make up almost a quarter of the voters in the UK. I suspect we are a bigger block of voters in NZ than you would know. However currently that sector of vote is divided across a number of parties. I would like to see a social Conservative Party get established in NZ.
        
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        March 10, 2025 9:07pm
  - David Garrett
    
    Sparrow: I think you are right; my sources – not as good as they once were, but still significant – tell me that Seymour is an arrogant prick who listens to no-one whose views he doesn’t like, and who runs the caucus with a rod of iron.
    
    I can believe that. ACT has 11 MP’s – but who has ever heard of Mark Cameron or Laura McClure? You can pretty much be certain that the three or four you have heard of will all be toadies to Seymour, or at least to defer to him.
    
    You are also correct that being popular on KB is not at all the same thing as being popular with the tradies who listen to the radio at a building site near you.
    
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    March 10, 2025 3:31pm
    - Colville
      
      DG
      I’ve had a beer with Cameron after an ACT event. He is a good bastard.
      I have met about 5 politicans in my life and he is one!
      
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      March 10, 2025 5:02pm
    - pdm
      
      From what I see Cameron is doing an excellent job and is highly regarded in the farming community.
      
      All of their other MP’s punch above their weight with Brooke van Velden being well prepared and setting a cracking case when Parliament first sat after the election.
      
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      March 10, 2025 6:59pm
    - Pineapple Lumps
      
      Many a party came to woe through the ill discipline of their MPs. So ruling a tight ship isn’t a bad thing.
      
      Equally he is the leader through holding Epsom not necessarily for his leadership of a team. So he could very well not be the leader in the future.
      
      Right now he is looking a novice with his handling of school lunches.
      
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      March 10, 2025 9:14pm
  - Quail
    
    Sparrow,
    It is not Seymour or Peters calling the shots.(or not)
    That Trans stuff, spiking the treaty bill and unfulfilled promise of changes.,
    I would cheer Luxon on if he did something worthwhile .It is nothing personal.
    
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    March 10, 2025 4:03pm
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      Keep saying it’s Nats fault, while they keep going up in the polls as Act slides quickly
      
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      March 10, 2025 6:17pm
- Pope Punctilious II
  
  But replace him with whom? The leading contenders are all out-and-out progressives. Better for the government to sit tight, and hope their policies produce the much-needed economic left. And if ACT and NZF can lift their numbers at the next election (or at least stay in the frame) they can continue to push back against wokism. Thin gruel, I know.
  
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  March 10, 2025 2:41pm
  - Chuck Bird
    
    “The leading contenders are all out-and-out progressives. ”
    
    I would like to see Simeon Brown take the job. Did you see him on Q + A on Sunday? He did far better than Luxon. The trouble is Simeon is a very loyal person so he would not push for the job.
    
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    March 10, 2025 3:13pm
    - Grunter
      
      Simeon Brown is not the answer either. And no I don’t have any alternatives to Luxon. There is no one in the current Nats line up.
      
      Currently there is no REALISTIC solution to NZ’s economic and race issues. Nothing is going to change the direction the country is on.
      
      Doing the same thing and expecting a different result is……..?
      
      If you think I’m wrong I’m all ears to reading your SPECIFIC AND REALISTIC Solution…..
      
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      March 10, 2025 3:35pm
      - Steve Otto N Shore
        
        Specific, Simeon Brown is the answer – full stop.
        
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        March 10, 2025 5:37pm
      - G the giant from Dunedin
        
        Well it doesn’t seem to matter with Hipkins in labour, why would Brown who appears to be well above his age and experience
        
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        March 10, 2025 6:19pm
    - Pope Punctilious II
      
      I’m well aware Simeon Brown is NOT a progressive (I had to bite my tongue when one of my woke colleagues described him as “an awful man”). But I think he needs more experience before taking on the leadership – look what happened to Simon Bridges, a genuine conservative who got the job before he was ready for it, and unfortunately made too many mistakes.
      
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      March 10, 2025 8:12pm
  - pdm
    
    Give your choice at the informal poll at No Minister.
    https://nominister.wordpress.com/2025/03/10/who-is-your-preferred-prime-minister/
    
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    March 10, 2025 7:01pm
- Grunter
  
  Chuck – unless ACT get 20%+ (which will never happen IMO) then NZ is buggered. The Nats are proving, once again, that they aren’t up to much. We are still on the same pathway to a socialist ethno-state (think we are already there).
  
  So, Hipkins or Luxon….? It doesn’t really matter. On all the big issues that matter they are the same. I’d prefer Luxon, but only just.
  
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  March 10, 2025 2:47pm
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Labour want hire taxes, and redistribution of wealth, Nats are the complete oppositions, what utter waffle
    
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    March 10, 2025 6:21pm
- Hugh Jarse
  
  It’s only 18 months since this government were elected to try and sort out 6 years of ridiculous behaviour by the Ardern regime. It’s 18 months to the next election. National is up overall, ACT and Seymour are both down. He is turning the public off and is becoming a millstone. We are in our third recession now, with Trump wrecking long standing rules based structures, trade and investments, a depression is not far away in our very fragile economy. If people think Hipkins is the solution then this country is screwed.
  
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  March 10, 2025 3:06pm
  - Grunter
    
    Again, if you think Luxon is the solution then this country is also screwed. If you disagree, please explain what he is doing or going to do to get us out of the deep poo the country is already in. Softly, softly just delays the inevitable.
    
    And maybe Luxon realises that ‘going hard’ is political suicide. Again, if he’s correct on that, and I think he is, then we are still screwed.
    
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    March 10, 2025 3:38pm
    - Hugh Jarse
      
      Without going into all the detail that they have done, a couple of high value items that help the average NZ’er are leading a three headed coalition to achieve in a number of areas over a short period of time, created an environment for his ministers from three parties to achieve in their roles, undertaken a large number of overseas missions to try and get more trade and investment one to NZ, reduced inflation back to a manageable level, started a process to get interest rates back down to pre Labour times, introduced anti gang legislation resulting in a number of gang members being charged with offences, reduced the visible impact of gangs on the street in NZ, started reducing the number of state servants back to a reasonable level, cost of living down, etc.
      
      There is plenty more but I know you will probably shoot me down over whatever I put up so maybe to shortcut the process you tell us what he hasn’t done that you want and who you think will be better, what impact changing PM’s to your preferred option at this point will have ?, how your preferred PM will be accepted by the MSM ?.
      
      Do I think he is 100%, no but he is better than any other option at this stage from my perspective.
      
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      March 10, 2025 4:50pm
    - Steve Otto N Shore
      
      SPECIFIC!
      Luxon is not doing anything except sit in that fence.
      His cojones must be sore if he has any.
      
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      March 10, 2025 5:40pm
  - Sparrow
    
    Luxon and his Ministers including KBs favourite Simieon Brown are naive. Its small thing in the overall picture but they leave themselves open to be crucified by the media and in this case the medical profession. The reality is that Maori and Pasifica are unfortunately more prone to bowel cancer and at an earlier age. It’s possibly due to their lifestyle I have no idea but it’s a reality. So it was planned to test them at a earlier age its nothing to do with special treatment its addressing a reality. So what does this clothed eared government do, takes money away from that plan to bring down the overall screening age. You could predict what would happen an outcry. Surely they could have found the money to continue with the plan for Māori and Pasifica. Its played into the hands of those accusing the coalition of being anti Māori. Many in middle NZ will see it that way as well. They lack street smarts.
    
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    March 10, 2025 4:02pm
    - Chuck Bird
      
      If Maori are more likely to get certain diseases due to lifestyle, do you think they should get special treatment?
      
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      March 10, 2025 5:06pm
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  Nats up for the second TPU poll, as Act loses 50% of their support in those same 2 polls, ask your self why
  
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  March 10, 2025 6:13pm
Don Beckett

There is a genocide going on in Syria as we speak. The Muslim extremists who have taken over have been killing Christians, Alawites and anyone who is not Islamic. Hundreds of bodies in the streets of villages & cities.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_p5Ft2FXcR4
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March 10, 2025 2:48pm
NZer In Exile

We should trust the UN why?

From Watts Up with That:

If UN Secretary-General António Guterres Can’t Get Basic Facts Right, Why Should We Believe the UN on Anything?

https://wattsupwiththat.com/2025/03/09/if-antonio-guterres-cant-get-basic-facts-right-why-should-we-believe-the-un-on-anything/
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March 10, 2025 2:54pm
- Don Beckett
  
  Not surprised – the UN is a disaster at all levels. We should abandon this useless socialist unelected bunch of Commos & start a proper caring organisation that helps to stop wars & provide aid where it is genuinely needed – not supplying terrorists with funds to attack Israel, kill Christians & other minorities & prop up corrupt dictators.
  
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  March 10, 2025 3:11pm
cmm

For anyone that thinks the recent cyclones are new due to climate change: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVKShNxQw9U
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March 10, 2025 3:52pm
- Steve Otto N Shore
  
  Let’s go make a beach – oh, why not make a huge palm island?
  
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  March 10, 2025 5:47pm
cmm

Hmmm
I tend to distrust statistics from advocacy groups. Still, the claims here are interesting…

According to this lot, alcohol-rleated harm costs us around
$9.1 billion a year of which $4.8 billion is due to foetal alcohol spectrum disorder.

That’s a lot of money. $4.8bn is $1000 a year for every man, woman and child in NZ. It is also around $25,000 for every net taxpayer.

So basically useless mothers drinking while they are pregnant is causing more than half the harm of alcohol. They are causing more harm than all the other sources combined.

Drinking mothers are causing more damage than drunk drivers, alcohol-related cancers, pissed people falling down stairs, liver disease, drunk people fighting, etc etc COMBINED!

If so, then we should stop breathalyzing drivers and start breathalyzing pregnant women since they are the really dangerous ones. Stop harassing drunk people brawling in the streets. Start hassling pregnant mums buying booze and ciggies.

That’s what the data is telling us and you can’t argue with facts!

And, surprise surprise, there is an overwhelmingly high number of those drinking mums-to-be that also smoke… and are Maori…. and live in the Far North.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/local-alcohol-policy-to-tackle-far-norths-drinking-issues/JPV7MTS4Y5B7TINOTIA3SLMVYA/
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March 10, 2025 4:21pm
- Pineapple Lumps
  
  cmm – “we should stop breathalyzing drivers and start breathalyzing pregnant women since they are the really dangerous ones”
  
  Brilliant and funny!
  
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  March 10, 2025 8:28pm
Ghost

I doubt she will get much of a punishment. Involving her child in the crime., that child should be uplifted from her

A woman who had just stolen $1500 worth of clothing from Rebel Sport walked out the door holding a toddler’s hand while telling a staff member “I’ll stab you if you follow me any further”.

Article
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March 10, 2025 6:06pm
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  She’s from Huntly… deep in the rohe of Waikato-Tainui.
  
  You’d think she’d be a prime candidate for some of their much lauded wrap-around care…
  
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  March 10, 2025 7:51pm
Albie

This was posted on ZB and reiterated by Hipkins last week:

“Labour determined to re-instate oil and gas ban when it gets back into power

ON AIR
HEATHER DU PLESSIS-ALLAN DRIVE
Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Tue, 27 Aug 2024, 6:09pm
Labour would re-instate a ban on oil and gas exploration if it got back into power.

The Government is reversing the ban, despite belief from opponents there’s no reserves left to be found.

It also plans to make it easier import Liquefied Natural Gas, aiming to boost energy supplies.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins says New Zealand has an abundance of renewable electricity options that should be pushed.”

Ardern with one ignorant captains call not only scuttled our oil and gas industry, but her inept successor is now doubling down.
I fear that no matter what Shane Jones and the PM do to restore faith in international investment in our country, the threat of a change of government with statements like this will impoverish us for the foreseeable future.
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March 10, 2025 7:09pm
- Jack5
  
  Agreed: Hipkins has now made it near-impossible to get oil and gas explorers back to NZ.
  
  One thing that a re-elected Centre-Right could do though is exploit the national reserves of coal-seam gas. We’ve plenty of it.
  
  Queensland has been exporting LNG from its coal-seam gas. China has been a strong buyer.
  
  NZ’s Government has signalled consent for a new LNG import facility. We need to import liquefied gas largely because the Ardern-initiated ban on new oil and gas exploration has stopped any development of new offshore natural gas resources to replace present fields that are running down.
  
  The Coalition’s failure to curb bias in the State-owned and State-subsidised media has stopped New Zealand from seeing fully what a mess Labour made of the energy industry.
  
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  March 10, 2025 9:20pm
Swifty

It’s funny you know, not once in all the years I’ve been reading about the ‘wonderful’ outcomes of Whanau Ora have I ever read an author listing a single one of those wonderful outcomes.

Not one.

Here’s another article I can add to that list.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/360609101/whanau-ora-under-attack-new-contracts-raise-alarm
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March 10, 2025 7:59pm
- Ghost
  
  The local iwi closed until further notice their provider down here, guessing it lost funding. Such a shame, it does a lot for the community, from providing free health care, counselling etc, picking elderly up and transporting them to their medical appointments. Working with the schools to get truant students to school. Providing a food bank. If they do close, it will be a big hit for our town. It was partly funded by the iwi, donations and some govt funding
  
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  March 10, 2025 8:27pm
Jack5

Russians are controlling most of their drones in the Ukraine War by signals through optic cables as thin as fishing lines, reports the Wall Street Journal.

This gets round Ukrainians jamming radio control signals to the drones.

With drones spotting and destroying vehicles such as trucks, both sides have new front-supply tactics.

Russians are using horses and donkeys, and Ukrainians are using supply drones that can carry parcels up to about 13kg. They are also using wheeled push-trolleys.
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March 10, 2025 11:04pm

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