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April 4, 2025 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 04 April 2025

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General Debate

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Cassandra

Juliet Samuel is a highly rated British journalist who has published an analysis of the US political economy vis à vis the tariffs. It’s paywalled in The Times but the gist is that it’s the opening salvo in an attempt to balance the US financial position.

An example of the problem is that America is spending money on bombing the Houthis to keep European trade routes open. There are hundreds of these examples over many years, resulting in America’s multi trillion debt. Of course it’s much more than spending on defence. Consumption has had a big whack too.

The aim is to gradually lower the value of the dollar and get trade in balance. Also to bring manufacturing back to the US, creating jobs. Already several huge companies have announced plans to invest hundreds of billions making chips and pharmaceutical. Samuel thinks this is has very fine margin between success and catastrophic failure. The consensus among economists is that tariffs are inflationary. Trump’s Commerce Secretary maintains it’s a different form of inflation, they’re not printing monetise the money supply will not increase but the tariff income will allow wages to rise in line with costs.

Obviously America needs to do something. Its debt was okay when it was dominating world trade and finance but that’s no longer the case. While Trump is no expert (I’m putting it very kindly) he has skilled help at the Treasury and elsewhere. NZ is very vulnerable – mice should avoid elephants – but if everyone plays their cards carefully then we might just avoid Armageddon. China of course is the wild card.
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April 4, 2025 8:02am
- Scott
  
  Cassandra, thanks for a thoughtful post.
  I would say that Trump is a genius. Only he has been able to articulate the folly of endless wars, of mass immigration in a way that has completely changed the conversation.
  
  Now he’s attacking trade. NAFTA meant that America lost all its manufacturing base. Now America is claiming it back. Billions of dollars of investment are flowing back into America. Car makers are building factories back in the USA.
  
  I’m hoping the globalists in NZ will also one day be defeated and we can put NZ First, to coin a phrase. 😎
  
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  April 4, 2025 8:19am
  - john1234
    
    We don’t have the scale to get away with that. If we “Put NZ first” we’d be going back to assembling Pye televisions and CKD Toyotas like the 70’s.
    If your wish is inferior products at higher prices then go ahead and ape Trump.
    
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    April 4, 2025 9:49am
    - cmm
      
      Certainly there are few one size fits all policies where you can transport something successful in one place and expect it to bear fruits elsewhere.
      
      NZ has too small a market to develop products for NZ alone. All product development in NZ has to be done for international markets.
      
      NZ also does not have the massive debt problems to deal with (as much as Robbo and Cindy tried).
      
      Far too many people are victims of a sort of Cargo Cult thinking:
      * Look over the fence.
      * See people doing action X and succeeding.
      * Do action X and expect success.
      
      We see that in far too many fields: economy, supermarkets, energy policies,…. Heck, even education.
      
      What works in USA/Singapore/EU/China might not work in NZ.
      What works in NZ might not work in USA/Singapore/EU/China.
      
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      April 4, 2025 10:42am
    - Scott
      
      john1234 – lots of people say that. We can’t do it, they say.
      But here’s the fact. Roger Douglas took all tariffs off and businesses went to the wall. Businesses making suits suddenly sent their operations to Fiji. Businesses making clothes for the army lost their contracts. Everything went overseas.
      
      So what happened? Other countries got richer and our country, our workers lost their jobs. All because of cheap labour.
      
      How is NZ going to get ahead if we make nothing and rely on tourism and importing a million people to artificially boost our GDP numbers?
      
      We should encourage NZ businesses like every other country in the world does. Tariffs are a fact of life. How did Japan build up its car industry? Through massive tariffs.
      
      We are not smart. We sacrifice NZ businesses. We’re going backwards as a nation, not forward. Time for a different approach.
      
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      April 4, 2025 11:15am
      - R
        
        Trump is just as short sighted as Douglas was; maybe Trump has thought through the exercise, something that Douglas didn’t do
        
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        April 4, 2025 11:32am
      - Quail
        
        Agreed ,
        But Tarriffs and subsidies are the two sides of the coin.
        Subsidies can be cheap labour, and also subsidised labour.
        Working for families is on example , can and is sometimes regarded as a business subsidy.Tourism is yet another subsidised industry.Subsidies are rife in NZ.
        Then there is the variation in exchange rates.Some of these have a huge impact on “fairness.”Let’s not forget they can be manipulated by interest rates and central banks.(NZD is the 10 th most traded in the world.) A Speculators dream.
        Productivity and exports in NZ have been in decline for a generation .
        This largely because one of the highest interest rate regimes in the OECD impacting on a fragile NZD choking out exporters.
        Tarrifs ate not NZ only problem
        
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        April 4, 2025 8:45pm
  - alloytoo
    
    The big losers here will be Europe.
    
    Already industry is abandoning Germany, Big companies must be considering an investment in US production.
    
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    April 4, 2025 11:06am
    - Jack5
      
      Shipbuilding will be the big test.
      
      More than half the number of the world’s new vessels are coming out of Chinese shipyards. The US accounts for less than 1 per cent of new orders.
      
      America needs to re-grow its shipbuilding capacity for defence (second link below).
      
      In World War 2, the US enabled Allied victory by building 6,000 cargo ships. Henry Kaiser’s four shipyards built about 750 vessels. Kaiser built a (cargo) Liberty ship in 60 days.
      
      Kaiser and other yards also built about 122 “escort carriers”, which each typically could carry 28 Wildcat fighters and Avenger torpedo-bombers.
      
      Chinese production:
      
      https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202501/1327019.shtml
      
      Naval needs:
      
      https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2024/february/united-states-must-improve-its-shipbuilding-capacity
      
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      April 4, 2025 1:22pm
  - Handyman
    
    The US didn’t lose its manufacturing base to NAFTA. It lost it to Asia, led by China.
    
    Manufacturing is no longer about building a mega factory; it is about an ecosystem. Someone calculated there are 4,000 steps where iPhone components move between locations, mostly within Asia. Some steps need $200 per hour expertise and other steps require $10 per hour expertise.
    NAFTA solves this problem by getting the $10 per hour jobs done in Mexico and the $50 per hour jobs done in the US. This is the standard model for car components.
    
    It also helps create a peaceful prosperous neighbour on the Southern border, which is strategically a good thing.
    Until the US builds an entire ecosystem in North America, there will be a chicken and egg situation. It is uneconomic to build an assembly plant if all the components are made in Asia. But once the components are made in North America by third parties, the plant will be super competitive. Hence tariffs, and hence why Mexico is being treated differently from other countries. Their tariffs are about short term negotiation over Fentanyl and will eventually reduce and could disappear.
    
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    April 4, 2025 1:19pm
    - kowtow
      
      ‘It also helps create a peaceful prosperous neighbour on the Southern border, which is strategically a good thing.’
      
      Are you serious .
      
      Mexico is a failed, narco state .
      
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      April 4, 2025 2:38pm
      - Handyman
        
        I agree. I should have written “a peaceful prosperous neighbour on the Southern border would be a good thing to have”.
        
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        April 4, 2025 3:49pm
- All_on_Red
  
  Not only Trumps Com Sec, also Janet Yellen, ex Secretary of the Treasury
  https://x.com/DefiyantlyFree/status/1907822210934288566?
  This is an interesting discussion.
  Some snippets
  ‘ Let’s start with Kudlow’s central point: inflation and relative price changes are not the same thing. When tariffs increase the price of one product, consumers have less money to spend on other goods, exerting downward pressure on prices elsewhere. Tariffs rearrange prices within the economy; they do not cause a broad, sustained rise in prices across the board.’
  ‘Research into Trump-era tariffs—including studies by economists at the Federal Reserve and the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)—found minimal pass-through into broad inflation. Any price increases that reached consumers were largely confined to targeted items, with prices elsewhere remaining flat or declining. Inflation under Trump’s first term was typically below the Fed’s two percent target. Kudlow’s point that tariffs alter relative prices rather than cause broad inflation is validated by this empirical evidence.’
  https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2025/03/26/breitbart-business-digest-why-tariffs-do-not-and-cannot-cause-inflation/
  
  Could NZ not help resolve this issue by removing the Tariffs we place on US Goods?
  Thats what Israel has done.
  Anyone who has a surplus to the US is going to lose this game.
  https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-finmin-seeks-immediate-end-remaining-tariffs-us-imports-2025-04-01/
  
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  April 4, 2025 8:20am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    The problem as I said yesterday is that the figures given yesterday on our tariffs are misleading, including the figure put out yesterday on KB. our tariff of 1.5% was an average over all our products imported from the US, many of their products have no tariffs, but wine and a few other things are set at 20%. this average was confirmed by the trade minster McClay yesterday.
    
    To be fair also, the US has looked at how much product comes here and how much we export to the US, there is a 1-billion-dollar difference disadvantaging the US, so they are dividing the tariff with that 1-billion-dollar difference which is also misleading.
    
    where we may well be better off with a 10% tariff when everything settles down and it will within a month, we are at 10%, Aussie is at 25% on their beef simply because they refuse to let US beef into Aussie, they use the excuse of foot in mouth to block them but there is not foot and mouth in the US, South America which are different countries do have foot in mouth so for the Aussies they also are misleading facts. French wine will be highly tariffed, but we will only be 10% tariff, there are a lot of iffs and buts, but much of what will happen with our products will, give us an advantage.
    
    You are correct we should look at how much tariff is on our products, and if it’s a few million simply ditch it, but do it with the US so they are clear this is happening
    
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    April 4, 2025 9:03am
    - Grunter
      
      Ozzie beef tariff is 10%, not 25%.
      
      Also realise, that NZ Beef already had a quota system. Zero tariff (now 10%) for the first 214,000 tonnes. After that is cops a 26.4% tariff. This years volumes will almost hit that mark for the first time I think ever. All due to a lack of domestic US supply.
      
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      April 4, 2025 9:37am
      - G the giant from Dunedin
        
        No it is not, Aussie were singled out by the US for blocking US beef after exporting $3 billion to the US and they were hit with a 25% tariff, it was one of the first announcements put up by Trump in his speech. yes, they have had a 10% tariff across the board like us, but Beef has an extra amount of tariff.
        
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        April 4, 2025 12:37pm
      - Grunter
        
        G – sorry mate you are dead wrong. It is 10% on everything. Same as NZ, same as Brazil and Argentina. So net effect for manufacturing beef (ingredient for burgers) is 10% on the leading players – so price of Maccas goes up, nil impact on volume probably.
        
        Try this link…
        https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/australian-beef-farmers-say-trump-tariffs-boost-price-us-hamburgers-2025-04-03/
        
        Livestock agent McDowall noted Australia had been given an identical tariff to export rival Brazil, the world’s largest beef exporter, as well as Argentina, which together with Australia and the United States comprise the world’s four largest beef exporters.
        “So we’re all at 10%, it really doesn’t change anything,” he said.
        
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        April 4, 2025 1:30pm
    - Lance
      
      Does the deficit included the trade balance including services, especially digital services?
      If not, then it is a very disingenuous figure.
      
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      April 4, 2025 10:23am
- cmm
  
  That is an interesting take.
  
  The vast majority of the military spending is internal to the USA. When they fire a $100k missile at the Houthis that was $100k spent in the USA. When they build a plane or ship almost all of that is in USA. The US military industry has massively inflated cost structures and provides artificial stimulation to the US economy. It is one of the major paths through which debt fuels the economy.
  
  I was involved in the military industry in South Africa. That was vastly more cost effective. As an example, South Africa was producing mine proof APCs for about the same cost as a HiAce van. American MRAPs cost $500k to $1M. Around 20x the cost. The same was true of pretty much all the weapon systems.
  
  “Its debt was okay when it was dominating world trade and finance”. I don’t think it was ever really OK because:
  1) Debt never lasts forever. You can’t keep spending on the credit card forever. Eventually the bill comes due.
  2) It has created a multi-generational society that is over entitled and cannot live without debt. That is setting up an inevitable crash and a huge depression that will make the Great Depression look like kids’ play – likely accompanied by massive civil unrest.
  
  The previous situation where USA was importing everything and only exporting empty containers could not go on forever. The biggest question is how to stop it. The “tariff war” seems to be one potential way to do so.
  
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  April 4, 2025 8:23am
  - In Vino Veritas
    
    “Debt never lasts forever. You can’t keep spending on the credit card forever”. Not on topic, but Chris Hipkins begs to differ. Jacinda Ardern has become a Distinguished Fellow in a Leadership School at Oxford thinking that’s not true. Grant Robertson became Otago University Vice Chancellor thinking that’s not true.
    
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    April 4, 2025 8:38am
    - cmm
      
      Cindy and her ilk pander to the sort of people that like to feel good in the moment.
      Unfortunately those feel good in the moment people:
      1) Can’t understand that the debt, inflation and then resulting squeeze were caused by the lavish spending. They don’t associate the hangover with the boozing. All they “feel” is that it was more fun when they were drinking with Cindy rather than having a hangover with Luxon.
      2) They get to vote. And their vote counts as much as yours or mine.
      
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      April 4, 2025 10:50am
      - R
        
        Vote counts…….sadly!
        
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        April 4, 2025 11:41am
    - R
      
      In both these cases, Ardern and Robertson appointments, there was no thinking; only ideology
      
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      April 4, 2025 11:39am
  - Colville
    
    I listened to a very good argument a while back (can’t remember who it was) basically saying the core idea is to have the USA stop being such a war machine. Redeploy all that manufacturing and people to make goods to sell, all those troops and support staff to productive jobs and the USA will be a much richer country and likely a much more independent country less reliant on China.
    
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    April 4, 2025 8:48am
    - cmm
      
      Yup, agreed, but it is not easy.
      In theory it sounds like switching manufacturing bases, but in practice it is very, very, difficult.
      
      Companies with the administrative, engineering and cost structures to build $1million missiles with a 5000% gross margin cannot typically transition to building $100 consumer products with a 500% gross margin.
      
      Even companies in the semi-consumer space (eg. Intel) can’t do it. Intel are geared around building and selling chips costing $100+. The vast bulk of computer chips are less than $1 (I have some microcontrollers here that cost less than 10 cents). Intel just can’t operate in that space.
      
      Still, they will have to move sooner or later. The longer they wait the worse it will get.
      
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      April 4, 2025 10:59am
    - alloytoo
      
      I think part of the answer is to get someone else to pay for the US war machine other than the US taxpayer.
      
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      April 4, 2025 11:10am
      - cmm
        
        If other people pay their own way then that is not really contributing to the US war machine. It is contributing to their own war machine.
        
        There might be some fish hooks in the NATO agreements though – of the form: “Though shalt purchase weapon systems from [list of vendors]”. Of course this will be hedged as “maintaining compatibility”, but the real reason would be to force countries to prop up existing military suppliers by paying vastly inflated prices for terribly inferior equipment.
        
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        April 4, 2025 1:40pm
    - NZer In Exile
      
      Not to mention it is pure madness to be dependent on a totalitarian enemy for essential goods.
      
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      April 5, 2025 5:31pm
  - Gussy Fink-Nottle
    
    I agree.
    Sovereign debt is the biggest risk we face today.
    It’s really quite depressing to know that we’re borrowing even more money, attempting to change the weather.
    Historians will piss themselves.
    
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    April 4, 2025 10:16am
- Taieri
  
  Obviously America needs to do something.
  ———-
  
  Obviously.
  But in the meantime…
  We have an All-American company such as Apple, which closed its last manufacturing facility in the US in 2004. Its revenue from China in 2021 was $40.31 billion.
  Then, there’s Boeing, which has placed a project for 7,240 aircraft valued at over $1.1 trillion with Boeing China.
  These two examples are just a tip of this iceberg of hypocrisy, because apart from their financial value such ventures also involve a significant transfer of technology.
  NB: There’re 8619 American companies operating in China and around 2400 American companies are owned by the Chinese investors.
  
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  April 4, 2025 8:54am
  - kowtow
    
    The British govt is actively considering nationalising their last remaining steel producer , Chinese owned , that is closing.
    Costs of production through the roof , much due to net zero.
    
    Something does need to be done.
    
    And as Evil Man Orange said in relation to the “crazy” tariffs . One Chinese ship yard builds more ships than the whole of the US does in one year . An activity that the US once led in.
    
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    April 4, 2025 9:45am
    - cmm
      
      The only reason USA still builds ships (other than vessels of war) is down to the protectionist Jones Act of 1920.
      
      That Act is far more of an issue than all these tariffs, but you seldom hear people squealing about it.
      
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      April 4, 2025 11:02am
      - Jack5
        
        Google’s AI summary of the act CMM mentions:
        
        The US Jones Act, officially Section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, is a cabotage law that restricts the transportation of goods between US ports to US-built, owned, and crewed vessels, aiming to support the domestic maritime industry and national security.
        
        Perhaps NZ has limited cabotage, allowing foreign ships to carry cargo between NZ ports under specific conditions. One of the Old Salts who post on Kiwiblog might tell us. Also our position’s effect on NZ-owned coastal shipping.
        
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        April 4, 2025 1:55pm
      - Taieri
        
        Perhaps NZ has limited cabotage, allowing foreign ships to carry cargo between NZ ports under specific conditions.
        ———–
        
        Cross traders (i.e. foreign ships) can remain on NZ coast for 28 days, without having to employ NZ crew. They are only allowed to “load and unload coastal cargo at an NZ port at which it loads or unloads international cargo; or at an NZ port it is scheduled to pass in the course of its continuous journey”.
        
        Also our position’s effect on NZ-owned coastal shipping
        ————
        
        There’s no NZ-owned coastal shipping to speak of left. Apart from the ferries, there’s only one container vessel owned by the Singapore headquartered Swire Shipping and operated entirely on the NZ coast, two cement carriers and two small bulk vessels. The last two are (partly)owned by an Australian company Silver Fern Shipping and employ mostly foreign crews with NZ visas.
        
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        April 4, 2025 4:00pm
    - alloytoo
      
      The problem is energy costs, European nations are encumbered by this stupid net Zero fantasy.
      
      The US is no longer.
      
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      April 4, 2025 11:12am
- AgainstTheFlow
  
  I’m glad someone has made this point- the revenue from tariffs will help the US’s fiscal deficit.
  
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  April 4, 2025 9:15am
  - Dudley Quaffquaff
    
    At the expense of US consumers.
    
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    April 4, 2025 10:01am
    - cmm
      
      “At the expense of US consumers.”
      
      Ummm, no. The consumers get to choose.
      
      The cost of an 80inch TV goes up. So what? Don’t buy one.
      The cost of junk T-shirts goes up. So what? Don’t buy them. Buy something that lasts longer.
      The cost of French wine goes up. So what? Buy local or drink water.
      The cost of an aluminium soda can goes up 1c. So what? Drink less sodas.
      
      The vast majority of the items involved are discretionary consumer purchases.
      If anything, many consumers will spend less and thus reduce their debt.
      
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      April 4, 2025 11:08am
      - Dudley Quaffquaff
        
        If consumers react to higher prices caused by tariffs, by not buying stuff – then the tariffs won’t raise revenue.
        
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        April 4, 2025 11:37am
      - cmm
        
        Dudley: Who said the raising of tariffs is to raise federal revenue?
        
        It might raise revenue slightly, but clearly major purpose is to shift behaviour and:
        * Promote local industries.
        * Reduce foreign debt.
        
        People who think the USA could carry on doing what they were doing are crazy.
        
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        April 4, 2025 1:44pm
      - Dudley Quaffquaff
        
        Who said the raising of tariffs is to raise federal revenue?
        
        The comment I was responding to:
        
        I’m glad someone has made this point- the revenue from tariffs will help the US’s fiscal deficit
        
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        April 4, 2025 2:34pm
    - thirteenstars
      
      Oh, please. You and the rest of the suddenly-concerned folk here don’t give a damn about the US consumer. Do you likewise care about the European consumer who for years has been gouged by EU tariffs? Or the Japanese consumer? Where was the outrage then? The difference is Trump.
      
      Spare me. A bit more focused outrage on NZ’s suicide pact with Net Zero and the impoverishment of the NZ consumer through massive excise taxes on fuel, double-digit rates increases and other state-mandated imposts that have driven this country to a very low ebb would be of more use than exercising empty concern over the plight of US consumers.
      
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      April 4, 2025 11:20am
      - R
        
        Thirteen,….you forgot NZs obsession with the entitlement of WELFARE
        
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        April 4, 2025 11:55am
      - Debsta
        
        “Spare me. A bit more focused outrage on NZ’s suicide pact with Net Zero…”
        Your whole comment is the best in all of this 13S and I couldn’t agree more!
        
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        April 4, 2025 2:15pm
      - grumpy
        
        Comment of the day! So much sense in so few words.
        
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        April 4, 2025 2:49pm
- pb
  
  Remember when New Zealand by providence of isolation had a thriving manufacturing and industrial base. The great globalist financiers sold it all to China for tin of beans in the 90’s. Financial capitalism shiv’d industrial capitalism in the back. The move to bring industrial jobs home, is admirable. We should copy. A new industrial golden dawn awaits. Or we could await next punch card instruction from the grey spider elite.
  
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  April 4, 2025 12:53pm
- Ra Henare
  
  Unfortunately, journalists in general dont rate highly.
  
  There are exceptions, like with all things.
  
  Juliet(UK) on some subjects reflecting on policy.
  
  Matt Taibbi(USA)
  Whose current substack addresses the fall of Ukraine(Matt was chosen to read and report on the twitter files) and suprise suprise all the lies from the Biden administration (as reported by the NY Times)
  
  https://substack.com/home/post/p-160259839
  
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  April 4, 2025 1:37pm
artemisia

Kainga Ora is proposing to cut hundreds more roles. The PSA is concerned that service to tenants and the public will be impacted.

The PSA understood that Kāinga Ora was also proposing to cut 12 staff, which they said was 10 percent of the team which dealt directly with calls from tenants. The PSA understood that 66 net roles at call centres were also proposed to go.

Meanwhile, and not before time, KO is taking a much harder line with antisocial tenants and others who do not meet their obligations. Like making consequences a whole lot clearer to those tenants. And applying to the Tenancy Tribunal for termination or formalising repayment of rent arrears or damage if issues continue. Or all of the above in some cases. Some debts confirmed in the tens of thousands.

I get the PSA is concerned for its members, and the falling income from their fees. However, they could consider Pareto – namely as a rule of thumb that about 80% of problems are caused by 20% of tenants. Chipping away at the 20% means a whole lot less staff needed. There will always be KO tenants who need extra support, that is understood, but those ‘be kind’ instructions also protected ultra high maintenance ferals.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/557070/kainga-ora-looks-to-remove-more-than-600-roles-to-renew-organisation
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April 4, 2025 8:05am
- sirknz
  
  The Herald version of the article has reports of staff walking around crying, and some unable to come into the office. It looks like parts of the public sector are just day care for adult toddlers.
  
  Having been on the receiving end of a few restructures, the first one sucks, but after you stop taking it personally, you just head out and look for your next job, genrally with a better salary and better conditions. I have learned to be as loyal to the company as they are to me, and knowing that they could cut my job with the statutory minimum notice consultation period, if I see a better opportunity then I will take it, I currently like my job so not much chance at this stage.
  
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  April 4, 2025 8:31am
  - Ginger Cat
    
    Sorry I can give only one uptick to your comments.
    
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    April 4, 2025 12:44pm
  - PurplePen
    
    Absolutely correct. Employer and employee loyalty is never more than the salary and work exchanged. And it never should be more than that. To think it is turns it into something it’s not.
    
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    April 4, 2025 4:05pm
  - NZer In Exile
    
    Yep been through many restructures myself. Didn’t need crayons and colouring in books. Just had to go get another job! Nobody gave a F about me anyway! Sink or swim.
    
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    April 5, 2025 5:27pm
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  It was noticeable that when Hosking had Simeone Brown on the radio this morning, he said he is trying to fix up what is happening in Nelson and he said Gisborne as well, at the end, he said unions are going out of their way to distort the fact, it is a straight out hitjob from what i can see, and apparently the minister as usual was kept in the dark. last night’s story about the wasps was utter bullshit.
  
  Palmerston North is another one, trying to say they are freezing staff, one of our new recruits has left this week because his wife is a doctor in Dunedin, she has been promoted and will move to PN on Monday, the media and unions are so full of shit its not funny.
  
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  April 4, 2025 9:11am
  - AitchW
    
    The media and the unions walk hand in hand it would appear. The public service, ably assisted by the PSA and other public sector unions is deeply hostile to this government.
    It’s good to see successive restructures although I fear that the real hostility comes from middle management who appear not to be badly effected by the restructures.
    I hope I’m wrong…
    
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    April 4, 2025 9:48am
  - OlderChas
    
    I watch the TV news (yes – I know – tragic! But someone has to do it for the sensible ones! lol).
    The ongoing, all out attack on the Nelson hospital is astounding! Ok – they probably are short of doctors, but dang it – it is so obviously an orchestrated hit job. Why?
    
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    April 4, 2025 1:01pm
- alloytoo
  
  The PSA is concerned the PSA will be impacted.
  
  It doesn’t give a damn about neither the tenants nor it’s members (only their dues)
  
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  April 4, 2025 11:14am
  - R
    
    Alloy,….unfortunately I can only uptick your comment once. You are so correct.
    
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    April 4, 2025 12:06pm
Cassandra

We need to stand up for what is right’ – Phil Goff doesn’t regret Trump comments” says the headline. “I’d do it again”. What an idiot. Goff thinks that he can decide NZ’s foreign policy even though he is about number 10 in the MFA pecking order as HC in London. He’s entitled to his own opinion – I don’t think he’s wrong – but expressing it in public is a totally different matter. Amazing hubris from someone who was supposed to be one of Labour’s brighter people.
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April 4, 2025 8:16am
- imalwaysright
  
  Michael Laws gave his opinion, based on working with Goff.
  “Phil always believes he is the smartest person in the room”.
  
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  April 4, 2025 8:24am
- Mod88
  
  Goff just showing the two-faced rat he has always been. Who remembers the Canadian Speakers and his efforts as Auckland Mayor defending Democracy & Free Speech. I spit on you Phil Goff.
  
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  April 4, 2025 8:24am
- AitchW
  
  I absolutely agree. Goff appears to under the virtue signalling spell. “If I honestly believe that what I say is right and just, then noone can call me out on it.”
  Clearly Mr Peters doesn’t agree, and Goff was called out and did suffer the consequences.
  Surely, Diplomacy 101 says that if you want to criticise your friends then you do it behind closed doors.
  A remarkably naive and hubristic mistake from Goff which, apparently, he will defend till his dying day.
  
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  April 4, 2025 8:28am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    He thought it was behind closed doors because of that rule they have, but he is too think to know when it is publicly available that rule does not apply
    
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    April 4, 2025 10:23am
    - AitchW
      
      Chatham House rule I believe they call it.
      What is said behind closed doors stays there.
      Surely even Goff could work out that when there are TV cameras present that rule doesn’t apply???
      
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      April 4, 2025 10:58am
      - G the giant from Dunedin
        
        He thought he was under Chatham house rules, but they were not in place because it was streamed live ruling out Chatham house
        
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        April 4, 2025 12:44pm
  - PurplePen
    
    You have to ask was this news?! I didn’t read it as thought it’s just going to be waffle justification which will be arrogant and wrong.
    
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    April 4, 2025 4:08pm
- sirknz
  
  Virtue signalling. He will be cheered on by his tribe as being ‘stunning and brave’, and the rest of us in the normal world will still believe he is an idiot.
  
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  April 4, 2025 8:32am
  - AitchW
    
    “Stunning and brave”, the same way they’d describe unionists marching on parliament.
    Like most other Labour and Green MPs he’s nothing
    more than an aging student politician, acting up and posturing every time he disagrees with anything!
    
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    April 4, 2025 9:52am
- Swifty
  
  I quite agree.
  
  I must admit to being a bit surprised about this, it’s almost as if he wanted to get sacked.
  
  He’s not Helen Clark who can roam the world saying what she likes, he was our man in London with diplomatic duties and obligations to fulfill.
  
  It’s a head-scratcher.
  
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  April 4, 2025 8:40am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    He states these are the words I am hearing from nz, won’t be government, it will be from Marxist Helen Clark
    
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    April 4, 2025 10:24am
- JackRabbit
  
  Amazing hubris from someone who was supposed to be one of Labour’s brighter people.
  
  Hubris is a word you find often in describing actions of Labour. Brighter, very rarely, and usually among those that leave Labour once they see the inside.
  
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  April 4, 2025 9:03am
  - Chuck Bird
    
    “one of Labour’s brighter people.”
    
    Goff is probably brighter than any of the current lot of Labour MPs. He probably knows what a woman is.
    
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    April 4, 2025 9:27am
  - AitchW
    
    JR the problem with Labour, the Greens and TMP is that they spend too much time in echo chambers. The ratchet each other up to the point that they admire Goff for an appalling diplomatic gaffe!
    Or justify apparent paedophilia in one of their members.
    Or act up in the house like truculent teenagers then pout when they are called out for their behaviour.
    
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    April 4, 2025 10:21am
    - JackRabbit
      
      AW, and the biggest echo chamber is the murky darkness of their own un-inspected minds.
      
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      April 4, 2025 11:43am
    - Debsta
      
      Puerile is the word you’re looking for
      
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      April 4, 2025 2:27pm
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    He’s a Marxist, not very bright, he was our foreign minister for some time and should have known better
    
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    April 4, 2025 10:25am
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  Agreed, heard the clown this morning and he says he stayed under the threshold, the look on the people he was questioning was a look of WTF, yet he thought it was funny, he knew ministers were in the US at the very moment he opened his mouth, and he was doing his labour dirty work.
  
  what i also noted was these were the words of who he had been speaking to in NZ, so clearly not the ministers who were trying to look at trade deals, and if I had to guess it’s the rotten Helen Clark foundation lies via the rotten UN.
  
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  April 4, 2025 9:14am
- Prince
  
  Reason number 1 for not appointing politicians, especially very partisan ones, to diplomatic posts.
  Bring back Mallard before its too late.
  
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  April 4, 2025 11:18am
- R
  
  Bright!…..depends what the yardstick measure was.
  
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  April 4, 2025 12:08pm
Steve Otto N Shore

This came to me by email last evening:
Now We Know The Real Reason Te Pati Maori Are Giving The Discipline Committee The Middle Finger. Speaker of the House is scared of them. Te Pati Maori would never behave like this on the Marae.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMvhQfqifxQ
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April 4, 2025 8:17am
- Mod88
  
  We are about to see the real Chris Finlayson to the fore in all this. I well remember his “I love to see the Crown Squirm” comment when he was the Ngai Tahu mouthpiece.
  
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  April 4, 2025 8:27am
  - Pope Punctilious II
    
    Finlayson might be a case of the “spiteful mutant”.
    
    12 1
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    April 4, 2025 9:52am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      He has been bitter ever since Bridges booted him. But of course people here said Bridges was an idiot
      
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      April 4, 2025 10:26am
      - Pope Punctilious II
        
        I never called Bridges an idiot.
        
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        April 4, 2025 5:05pm
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      I never suggested you personally said Bridges was an idiot
      
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      April 4, 2025 10:06pm
  - imalwaysright
    
    If it wasn’t Finlayson, it might have been someone like Palmer.
    Big money on the big gravy train.
    
    As an aside, it would be interesting to hear Palmer’s opinion on the attack on our human rights during, and post, the covid scam.
    He’s very quiet.
    Maybe there’s no gravy on that particular train.
    
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    April 4, 2025 10:49am
    - NeverMindTheBollocks
      
      Palmer’s pretty old now
      
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      April 4, 2025 10:19pm
- cmm
  
  Ultimately the only people that keep politicians in check are the voters.
  
  The people who vote for TPM are aggrieved, entitled, Maori activist types.
  
  TPM are not interested in broad appeal or being seen to be reasonable or rational. All they want is their few voters to keep voting for them (maybe beef them up a bit, but not by much).
  
  Giving whitey the middle finger will just enhance their reputation.
  
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  April 4, 2025 8:27am
  - Steve Otto N Shore
    
    Brownlee is scared of being branded “RACIST” because that is exactly what will happen if he does not tow the Maori Party line.
    It was the same for Mallard, then Ardern, and now Luxon.
    
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    April 4, 2025 8:57am
    - G152
      
      Brownlee should vacate the Speakers chair for the Thick seat.
      I’ve seen less waffle in an ice cream parlour
      
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      April 4, 2025 9:09am
      - Don Beckett
        
        Very Good. 😆
        
        8 3
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        April 4, 2025 10:31am
  - Paulus
    
    But TPM do not care as long as they get the Publicity with the so called media behind them, and against the elected Government !
    
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    April 4, 2025 9:06am
    - I remember when
      
      Te Pati Maori ‘s intentions are expansionary.
      Another little chink in the armour of the Westminster system to their quest to expand their Treaty claims.
      Another tiny step forward in their quest for as much as it is possible to get.
      As with Don Trump – nothing is as it seems.
      
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      April 4, 2025 9:32am
  - imalwaysright
    
    The Maori party are, to the welfare of Maoris, what the Green party are to the welfare of the planet.
    
    Both are groups of activists who are running a scam in order to get money.
    
    Coincidentally, both scams are nearing their use-by date as the world realises they have been lied to about the climate, and NZ will soon realise that the Maori race has reached technical extinction and therefore the compensation for their faux grievances will go to people who are predominantly NOT Maori.
    Clearly a ridiculous situation.
    
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    April 4, 2025 9:11am
    - cmm
      
      NZ do realise that and likely the majority of Maori realise this too.
      However those are not the people TPM are targeting.
      
      They just need to find a few people with a chip on their shoulder.
      
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      April 4, 2025 9:23am
  - AgainstTheFlow
    
    And drag down the appeal of a Labour/Greens/TPM coalition.
    
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    April 4, 2025 9:17am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    There are a lot of Maori who think what TPM stands for is disgusting
    
    9 0
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    April 4, 2025 10:27am
    - cmm
      
      Yup, there are “only” 300,000 on the Maori roll.
      
      Everyone on the Maori roll is clearly a racist and an activist who thinks they are entitled to special treatment.
      
      If they were not, they would have gone on the general roll.
      
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      April 4, 2025 1:52pm
      - Taieri
        
        there are “only” 300,000 on the Maori roll
        ————
        
        According to elections.nz there are 576000 on the Maori roll. Not all of them vote for TPM though. In 2023 elections TPM received 106584 electorate votes and 87937 party votes.
        
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        April 4, 2025 4:09pm
      - cmm
        
        Sorry, I was using old numbers.
        I assume too that the huge TPM crusade also pulled a few faithful off the couch.
        
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        April 4, 2025 4:36pm
  - R
    
    For TPM parliament is an ATM machine
    
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    April 4, 2025 12:15pm
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  Oh FFS, the speaker is not allowed to comment until the committee gets back to him, he must be guided by what the committee says, remembering of course all parties are on the committee, other actions recently have been unanimous, including against the Labour MP, Collins has warned them of expulsion and fines which will come from their pay, and they will not be allowed into parliament for May 7 for their very own kangaroo court. When the committee delivers their findings, then the speaker will deliver the punishment given by the committee, who care a shit about what is in that post, they have rules, we don’t like TPM breaking the rules, we didn’t like Mallard breaking the rules, and we wont like it if Brownlie breaks the rules.
  
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  April 4, 2025 9:20am
- JackRabbit
  
  Te Pati Maori would never behave like this on the Marae.
  
  No they wouldn’t, at least not a Marae of their fore- fathers, prior to colonisation. They would have been beheaded by lunch time by their chief, for such arrogance, with their middle fingers hanging next to their heads on a stake as a reminder to others what happens when you attempt a tribal coup.
  
  Ancient Maori oral history is littered with tales of what befell of those that attempted to seize power for themselves, at the expense of the tribe.
  
  Te Pati Maori have no interest in helping their fellow men/woman. It is all about “what is in it fer me?”
  
  If their goals were noble, Tamihere would be living modestly and his Iwi would be thriving. Waititi and Packer would be humble and teachable. They are just everyday manipulative con artists, and useful idiots helping the Marxist revolution.
  
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  April 4, 2025 11:03am
Grunter

TRUMP – “The President for Peace”

Well, that’s been shown to be total BS within the first 100 days.
Here’s the List of why he is a complete idiot…..but still better than the alternative (The Dems):

1. Tariffs based on some abstract balance of trade calculation. This is effectively WW3 for global trade.

2. Promised to end the Ukraine war within 24 hours. So far he has done……nothing. His ‘Minerals Deal’ is total BS and even the evil Zelensky would never sign it and Trump knows that. Trump has no leverage over the Russians. Yes he has at least opened up discussions, but apart from total surrender, which Ukraine/Europeans will never agree to, Trump has no plan…..nothing.

3. Middle East – he has encouraged the evil Netanyahu to bomb Gaza again and looks likely to completely erradicate human life on the Gaza Strip. He has dropped 65,000 bombs on Yemen. He has given Iran a final ultimatum that includes giving up all ballistic missiles (which they have already said No to). The build up of US Navy & Airforce in the ME is at it’s highest level ever seen. Trump will soon bomb the crap out of Iran. The US Military bases with 50,000 Americans will be smashed in retaliation.

We are now on the cusp of global chaos. There is now no doubt whatsoever about that. And then China will take on Taiwan…..

None of this is a conspiracy any longer – it is all happening before our eyes.
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April 4, 2025 8:21am
- Frank the tank
  
  Stop watching CNN/TVNZ as it is bad for your health
  
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  April 4, 2025 11:10am
  - Grunter
    
    Ha…! I’ve never watched that siht for about 3-4 years.
    
    Come on Frank….you can do better than that!
    
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    April 4, 2025 11:39am
- thirteenstars
  
  Oh, dear. I hope you don’t live near a Tesla dealership.
  
  7 0
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  April 4, 2025 11:34am
  - Grunter
    
    Why? I actually quite like Musk. He talks a lot of sense.
    
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    April 4, 2025 11:40am
  - Grunter
    
    thirteenstars…..now come on, make a proper arguement to prove that I’m wrong…..
    
    Yeah, didn’t think so.
    
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    April 4, 2025 11:42am
    - thirteenstars
      
      Grunter, the reason no one is engaging seriously with your post is because it’s mostly hyperbole, assertion, insults and conspiracy. I’ve seen much better from you and that’s what I’d prefer to engage with.
      
      All the best.
      
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      April 4, 2025 12:45pm
- Steve Otto N Shore
  
  The only ones who are not for peace are the Democrats and the media.
  They are both at Trump from all angles. They would rather see America fail than Trump win.
  The people who wanted America to go all EVs and stop petrol/diesel vehicles are now burning the EVs. Strange people, but typical Democrats. Can’t win so they go violent!
  
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  April 4, 2025 11:46am
sungsamning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIgYXwLkL10
Germany and France near civil unrest.
There is a huge tension in the air and the governments across the EU are tyrannical.
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April 4, 2025 8:28am
sungsamning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXaOeZojRjk
Liberal Campaign Implodes.
We have to thank Trump for waking up and uniting Canadians…and NO added tariffs…be kind to Trump people. Gratefulness will get you everywhere.
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April 4, 2025 8:29am
kowtow

Plunket on the Platform will be interviewing the Mr Benjamin Doyle whistleblower , after the 9 o’clock news.
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April 4, 2025 8:30am
- Blog-aholic
  
  Very enlightening it was too…the tendrils seem to be deeper than believed.
  
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  April 4, 2025 9:53am
- imalwaysright
  
  Interesting that they checked on air that Chloe is still following Doyle’s page when she told the public she wasn’t.
  
  Maybe Chloe should ask Adern where she can get hold of a Podium of Truth.
  
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  April 4, 2025 9:54am
Tomtoddy

The weather scare tactics over the last 24 hours are part of the renewed effort to dumb us down on climate change and create a platform for even more crazy efforts to lower GHG’s. Its now pure indoctrination.

In Auckland we had a few showers and some blustery wind. Nothing out of the ordinary. The place is run by idiots and trough dwellers sucking out our initiative and resistance.
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April 4, 2025 8:36am
- pdm
  
  Yep TT
  
  Virtually no rain in Hastings. A dull gray day though and we may get some showers this afternoon I would think.
  
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  April 4, 2025 8:38am
- Master Mariner
  
  Mean while, Some common sense.
  
  https://apnews.com/article/national-weather-service-layoffs-trump-doge-a65360a1eb2500b7d47c9c966e383f4a
  
  Time to kill the climate indoctrination. Looking at you NIWA ( Where the information is directly by NOAA).
  
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  April 4, 2025 8:48am
- mike
  
  The met service has been pretty accurate in forecasting where the heaviest rain would fall. And at least 20mm of rain in Auckland this morning is more than ‘a few showers’.
  
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  April 4, 2025 8:59am
  - AitchW
    
    Hardly a flood of biblical proportions which is how the media appear to be treating it….
    
    15 2
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    April 4, 2025 9:05am
    - Don Beckett
      
      Yes – Atmospheric Rivers – what a lot of crap.
      No worse than the North Easterly storms we have had in B o P that I recall since I was a kid – and I’m now 83.
      
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      April 4, 2025 9:26am
      - CJames
        
        Atmospheric River is a very appropriate weather term. It is just a narrow very moist band of cloud dragged out of the tropics into the more temperate zones. They transport massive amounts of water and help redistribute the heat of the tropics. Shows up very plainly on satellite photos, particularly Hawaii to west coast US. So it brings a lot of rain,
        https://www.noaa.gov/stories/what-are-atmospheric-rivers
        They have always been around. Only since satellites, have they been seen. Nothing unusual, they aren’t getting more of less frequent, and not the apocalypse that alarmists make out.
        
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        April 4, 2025 12:41pm
      - NZer In Exile
        
        Atmospheric River just sounds apocalyptic. Hence why the media clowns prefer this term. “Intense band of rain” just doesn’t generate enough clicks.
        
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        April 5, 2025 5:37pm
    - imalwaysright
      
      “Atmospheric River”
      Sounds like a Van Morrison album…
      
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      April 4, 2025 9:32am
      - Notsofast
        
        For Joni Mitchell to skate away on.
        
        9 1
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        April 4, 2025 10:56am
  - Tomtoddy
    
    Fair enough, Mike. Met Service might be accurate – its not the point I was making – but 20 mms of rain is not deserving of the deluge of warnings, scary predictions and hoha in the MSM.
    
    Its the constant harping on and exaggeration on every weather event of natural and regular occurrence that brasses me off.
    
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    April 4, 2025 9:12am
    - imalwaysright
      
      “Met Service might be accurate”
      They are either accurate or they are not. I could predict next weeks weather and I might be accurate, but its still a guess.
      
      In 2023 they all managed to miss the billions of tons of rain that flooded Auckland.
      Many watched it coming on the free Windy app, dead straight north south path.
      
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      April 4, 2025 10:03am
    - AitchW
      
      Most of the weather catastrophisation comes from you, inexperienced reporters trying to make a name for themselves. Where, one wonders, is the editorial oversight of these breathless ingenues?
      
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      April 4, 2025 10:25am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Last night they were predicting 30 mills over much of the upper north island, there was no warning as I was waiting for the Dunedin weather to come through which says 25 today and showers, its 23 at present and no rain yet.
    
    Don’t know what warnings he is talking about, unless those nut bars on one this morning are distorting the weather that was read to me last night.
    
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    April 4, 2025 9:25am
  - burt
    
    20mm of rain – it’s almost like it’s autumn.
    
    We better have 48 hours of news coverage about the next 20mm, it might flood some of those drains the council hasn’t cleared because they have been busy paining rainbow crossings.
    
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    April 4, 2025 10:08am
- Steve Otto N Shore
  
  Shit on TV1 is best ignored.
  On the Shore it blew a bit and still is. A bit of rain but it did not piss down.
  My property is on a gentle slope so I will never flood, so as I said, best ignored.
  Watch out for Civil Defence throwing orders about.
  
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  April 4, 2025 9:05am
- cmm
  
  There is actually a technical definition of “showers”.
  
  Rain showers are rain falling from individual clouds lasting for less than 30 minutes.
  
  That is distinct from sustained ongoing rain which is just called “rain”.
  
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  April 4, 2025 9:19am
  - R
    
    So true TomToddy……today has, so far, been a typical autumn day for weather
    
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    April 4, 2025 1:24pm
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  I heard the weather last night, they said there will be a heavy rain, but also said the 30 mills expected would we well received, not sure that is a scare tactic.
  
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  April 4, 2025 9:22am
- Gravelroad
  
  Yep, family member who runs a part time outdoors type business had five clients cancel earlier this week because of the forecast heavy rain in our area.
  Which didn’t happen.
  All that happened was lost, much needed income, for young worker.
  
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  April 4, 2025 10:23am
- rangitoto
  
  Our rain gauge recorded 61 mm over the last 24 hours, here on the North Shore. First decent rain for months.
  
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  April 4, 2025 10:32am
- R
  
  For TPM parliament is an ATM machine
  
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  April 4, 2025 1:17pm
- R
  
  So true TomToddy……today has, so far, been a typical autumn day for weather
  
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  April 4, 2025 1:20pm
- Pineapple Lumps
  
  100% agree.
  
  Brisbane cyclone is hyped for climate change fear mongering. Despite multiple like events over the past 100 years with similar damage.
  
  The BS around Cyclone Gabrielle which again was climate change. No mention of the Tongan volcanic eruption pushing massive volumes of ocean water into the stratosphere (and some into space!).
  
  Now anytime we are going to have heavy rain it is an Atmospheric River!!!
  
  These ongoing lies and fearmongering are rooted in the demonic. Mother Nature is a supremely strong force that shows the puniness of man. It should remind us of the Almighty Creator.
  
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  April 4, 2025 1:48pm
CJames

Yet another of the examples of how stupid journalists are. They do not know the definitions of words.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/hawkes-bay-hosts-astrology-course-to-inspire-next-generation-of-stargazers/IEM32HGZVRBZNA6Y4J2RVMJRYE/
Astrology is NOT astronomy.
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April 4, 2025 8:36am
- Swifty
  
  FFS.
  
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  April 4, 2025 8:42am
- AitchW
  
  Good grief. Sometimes you can blame spell check (recently I saw expect used instead of expect) but confusing astrology and astronomy is just dumb!
  
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  April 4, 2025 8:43am
  - Sacha
    
    (recently I saw expect used instead of expect)
    
    Really? What DID you expect?
    
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    April 4, 2025 10:17am
    - AitchW
      
      Aaaargh! Physician heal thyself…
      Expect instead of except….
      Editorial oversight needed…
      
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      April 4, 2025 11:01am
- sirknz
  
  My expectations of the Herald were already pretty low, but somehow they manage to find new ways to lower the bar.
  
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  April 4, 2025 8:47am
- David Garrett
  
  CJames: Oh my Lord…that story is a perfect example of the need for sub-editors who are a bit more literate than the children writing the stories. Never in 100 years would you have seen such a howler back in the day.
  
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  April 4, 2025 8:47am
  - Tarquin North
    
    Morning David – no it’s not me.
    
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    April 4, 2025 8:57am
  - AitchW
    
    DG, all three (or is it 4?) of his personalities appear to be here….
    
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    April 4, 2025 9:06am
- Master Mariner
  
  Nope, Astronomy is based on complex maths and science,
  Astrology not so much.
  I think the title is rather apt.
  
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  April 4, 2025 8:51am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    The course is being run by Prof Hearnshaw…
    
    I think he’s more than capable of telling the difference between Astronomy, Astrology, or indigenous star lore.
    
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hearnshaw
    
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    April 4, 2025 10:02am
  - rangitoto
    
    Astrology was historically linked to astronomy. Part of Kepler’s duties as Imperial Mathematician to the Holy Roman Empire was to prepare horoscopes for the Emperor Rudolf II.
    
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    April 4, 2025 10:39am
- Steve Otto N Shore
  
  No author. Interesting.
  
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  April 4, 2025 9:10am
  - David Garrett
    
    Stev: It will be interesting to see how long that howler of a headline stays up…half the day is my prediction.
    
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    April 4, 2025 9:17am
    - alex Masterley
      
      The header has been changed…
      
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      April 4, 2025 9:42am
- cmm
  
  ” Astrology is NOT astronomy.”
  
  “Maori astronomy” is astrology though.
  
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  April 4, 2025 9:13am
- cmm
  
  “The course will also teach attendees about … , Māori astronomy and Matariki ”
  
  So yes, it is astrology.
  
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  April 4, 2025 9:36am
- R
  
  Spelling, comprehension and grammar haven’t been taught in our schools for decades; nor has real factual science. Hence no ability to develop rational thinking
  
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  April 4, 2025 1:29pm
Keith White

If tariffs and protectionist policies are so bad, why do so many other countries – EU, Japan, Canada, Vietnam, India etc. etc. use them so much?

The answer is simple: because they know how much they profit from them.
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April 4, 2025 9:05am
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  In Japan case it is too keep the US out of the global car market, it’s not rocket science, the bullshit spoken on this will disappear in about a month as the global economy settles down , I think NZ are in a good place to gain, for instance, Aussie tariff on beef at 25% as opposed to our 10%, and French wine at huge tariffs to our 10%, there will be other examples.
  
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  April 4, 2025 9:29am
  - Dudley Quaffquaff
    
    The US keeps itself out of the global car market by consistently failing to make cars that non-US drivers want to drive. They’re too big, too unwieldy and too thirsty for European and Japanese roads
    
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    April 4, 2025 11:42am
- Dudley Quaffquaff
  
  Politics.
  
  Tariffs on imported goods favour local producers at the expense of local consumers, and producer interests are better organised and have louder voices than do consumer interests.
  
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  April 4, 2025 10:03am
BeaB

There’s nothing quite like the arrogance of the Left. Does Phil Goff see himself as a modern-day Spartacus or white knight? More like General Custer. If he valued his job so cheaply why did he even take it on? He was no novice . He admits knew exactly what he was doing and his ego told him he was right. He can endlessly congratulate himself for his scintillating take -down of the emperor, but Trump is still the president and Goff is home chopping wood, and will forever be the sacked high commissioner.
All for the sake of a rather obvious and predictable comment which elicited some cosy chuckles from his intellectual peers. A sad end for Phil.
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April 4, 2025 9:09am
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  Peters should double down and call him out and say this is exactly why you were fired.
  
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  April 4, 2025 9:30am
- Don Beckett
  
  “A sad end for Phil.”
  Yes, but thoroughly deserved. He always struck me as a pompous full-of-himself dickhead.
  
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  April 4, 2025 9:32am
- kowtow
  
  It was a sad end for Custer and his men .
  A fitting one for jobsworth Goff.
  
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  April 4, 2025 9:34am
I remember when

So Te Pati Maori is going to hold their own Privileges Committee hearing.
No doubt they will do so during one of the numerous periods when they have no representation in the House.
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April 4, 2025 9:13am
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  They will be banned from parliament by the time 7 May comes around
  
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  April 4, 2025 9:31am
- pdm
  
  Presiding will be?????????
  
  John Tamihere and Tuku Morgan.
  
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  April 4, 2025 10:31am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    They will not be able to enter parliament and please them self with security and passes to get to conference areas, and neither will these MPs if they are banned
    
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    April 4, 2025 2:21pm
Philview

Chris Trotter has written an article on his substack about the historical links between the German Green Party and pedophilia. He was of the view that the NZ Green Party know very well that they don’t want the NZ public to be aware of this association. Interesting times! Some writers appear to be putting their necks on the line so must know they are on safe ground.
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April 4, 2025 9:27am
- AitchW
  
  “Tolerance” is one of the shibboleths of the green movement.
  A substantial proportion will be too scared to speak out about paedophilia for fear of being labelled intolerant. The rest don’t see anything wrong with it in the same way that they are happy for adults to transition their kids.
  
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  April 4, 2025 10:35am
  - imalwaysright
    
    If the Greens see it as an acceptable quirk to describe the anus of every male child as a Bussy, would they be as accepting if their anus was described as a Gussy ?
    
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    April 4, 2025 11:08am
    - AitchW
      
      What sort of twisted psychopath thinks it’s ok to give a boy’s anus a nickname in order to justify rape?
      
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      April 4, 2025 11:32am
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        One who needs to justify their sexual behaviour.
        
        One who is seeking out others with the same predilection… sometimes there’s safety in numbers.
        
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        April 4, 2025 11:51am
- Pineapple Lumps
  
  Is sexual deviancy not aligned with the Greens view that the planet must be saved from humans?
  
  More deviancy = Less humans = Better planet
  
  Completely at odds with the Godly worldview that we are to go forth and multiply and be good stewards of this planet.
  
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  April 4, 2025 1:52pm
Steve Otto N Shore

Peter Williams Substack.
“We need the full story on the Treaty Principles Bill
The biggest question of all hasn’t been answered.
“Because every party in the Parliament apart from Act will be voting down the bill at the second reading, the Select Committee has obviously decided there is no point in continuing the Committee process for another six weeks.”
Strange, I thought we lived in a democracy?

But it means we have no idea what the will of the people actually is on this matter.

https://peterallanwilliams.substack.com/p/we-need-the-full-story-on-the-treaty
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April 4, 2025 9:58am
I remember when

Why do we so often allow ourselves to be placed at a disadvantage?
‘Tikanga’ is simply the usual rights, behaviours and privileges of daily life.
Maori are not alone in having such rights and when they come into conflict no one side is always in the right.
Quite simply, we need non-Maori words (‘Customs’ for example) that we always use when engaged in such debates.
Single words, always used, would give them the same need for respect.
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April 4, 2025 10:25am
- AitchW
  
  Parliament has tikanga and kaupapa just like maraes do.
  What a shame TMP can’t recognise that and resepct it.
  
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  April 4, 2025 10:55am
- Yvette
  
  When does tikanga, customary “right,” mean “compliance” (not a right) rather than a choice (a right)?
  
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  April 4, 2025 11:01am
  - imalwaysright
    
    That’s the problem Yvette.
    Tikanga, without a specific definition, is the equivalent of yeah nah.
    We don’t pass laws that depend on criteria that exist on the whim of emotion.
    
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    April 4, 2025 12:37pm
- PurplePen
  
  And why is it Maori need an expert to tell them what their customs are. I would have thought customs are well understood by those that abide by and carry them out, that’s the very nature of a custom.
  
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  April 4, 2025 4:37pm
rangitoto

Trump sacks some advisors -Six members of U.S. President Trump’s White House National Security Council (NSC) were fired earlier today, including Brian Walsh, the senior director for intelligence; Maggie Dougherty, the senior director for international organizations; and Thomas Boodry, the senior director for legislative affairs.

Discontent among the troops?
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April 4, 2025 11:10am
rangitoto

DOGE uncover more waste – https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GniI6EbW4AInTh1?format=jpg&name=medium
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April 4, 2025 11:13am
imalwaysright

Why isn’t Luxon, with his business experience, the Minister of Finance?
Willis has a degree in English and some experience at Fonterra but Luxon seems to be better qualified.
On paper…
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April 4, 2025 11:24am
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  Not very often a PM is a minister, this is the first time there has been a true 3-way MMP coalition, it takes a lot of work to stop trouble brewing, and i think he has done very well at keeping things smooth.
  
  Yes Key took tourism, but he stated from day one he would not have taken any portfolio but said with him being on the world stage it was probably a very good idea, i note Cindy took a couple of woke portfolio made up to make her look good, but as soon as she was off pregnant she got rid of child poverty , and some other poverty bullshit that she completely failed at, note she never ever took portfolios back
  
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  April 4, 2025 11:50am
  - imalwaysright
    
    Fair enough, and good points.
    Thinking that, what with our precarious economic situation, Luxon might want to grab the tiller and get us back on track before handing over to the autopilot.
    
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    April 4, 2025 12:16pm
Jack5

Squeeze, squeeze the ratepayers. Sports stadiums, conference centres, bike lanes, and now ….

Canterbury Museum is asking for another $50 million from Christchurch ratepayers and for $50 million from the Government to complete a quarter-billion-dollar redevelopment.

Commitment is needed by next January to prevent “another budget blowout”, reports Stuff.

Museums have trended away from education and into entertainment, which may be why they are costing more.

They began with Rome’s Musei Capitolino, set up by the Pope in 1471, and opened to the public in 1734. Their heyday, at least in the “Anglo” world, was in the late Victorian age, with emphasis on education and learning. It was and age of exploration and the spread of learning. “Boring” wasn’t an issue. They were even spartan, but did their educational job.

Canterbury Museum, founded in 1867, featured South Island geological specimens collected by von Haast and Hochstetter.

Look now at NZ’s Te Papa especially but also at the museum in Christchurch. Emphasis has switched to entertainment from education. Dioramas, displays, many more “guides” and, of course the subtle Woke effects. First, in Christchurch’s case, pressure for a more indigenous slant, then criticism that a display of Maori in grass skirts was less than correct.

https://www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/360639147/canterbury-museum-wants-another-25m-ratepayers
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April 4, 2025 11:33am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Canterbury Museum is a disgrace for failing to defend the decades of archaeological research that provided the context for the dioramas.
  
  https://www.1news.co.nz/2020/06/11/canterbury-museum-apologises-for-longstanding-offensive-exhibit-depicting-early-maori-life/
  
  There’s abundant evidence throughout the South Island that pre-European Maori occupied rock shelters, and caves, at least intermittently.
  
  https://www.redcliffs.org.nz/assets/Uploads/Thesis-Redcliffs-Archeology.pdf
  
  There’s abundant evidence that pre-European Maori quarried and worked stone.
  
  And contrary to Dr Ella Henry’s assertion that there is no evidence that Maori ever lived in caves, she needs to take a trip to Doubtful Sound in Fiordland and contemplate what she’d do when it’s pissing down with rain for weeks on end…
  
  https://deepcovehostel.co.nz/education/maori-occupation
  
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  April 4, 2025 12:35pm
  - imalwaysright
    
    Dr Ella should realise that a cave was the Remuera villa of the time.
    
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    April 4, 2025 12:41pm
G the giant from Dunedin

Found this buried away on Scoop, it appears the government books have improved even more in the last month for the 8 months to end of Feb, the rotten media has ignored good news again.

https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO2504/S00015/financial-statements-of-the-government-of-new-zealand-for-the-8-months-ended-28-february-2025.htm
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April 4, 2025 11:44am
- R
  
  Such good financial news doesn’t fit the media agenda
  
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  April 4, 2025 1:34pm
mandk

I’ve just finished reading the final part of Lloyd Burr’s series on Jacinda Ardern, on Stuff.

He explains her initial popularity well enough, but he fails to explain her descent into unpopularity sufficiently.

Things like her government’s failure to deliver on key policies like Kiwibuild, Auckland Light Rail and Child Poverty were lightly touched upon. But Burr did little to examine her authoritarian tendencies, and her predilection for radical policy departures that were not subject to manifesto.

She divided the nation on the issue of vax mandates, and evidently relished in declaring that non-vaxxed people were, in effect, pariahs. She exacerbated the eventual violence at the end of the Parliament grounds occupation by forbidding anyone from engaging with the occupiers in any way.

Her decision to ban new oil and gas production was not even discussed beforehand by Cabinet, and NZ will be paying the price of her foolishness on this matter for years to come.

She oversaw a massive increase in retail crime, mainly by young people who were never brought to any kind of justice. And she let large numbers of violent offenders out of prison (there is a separate KB post on this today).

However, perhaps her worst move was to Maorify everything and to promote the ideas of Māori wonderfulness and Māori partnership with the Crown. This has caused deep divisions within the nation that will take years to heal.

There are probably other examples that could be cited, but it’s difficult to judge her term as PM as successful, even on balance.
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April 4, 2025 12:04pm
- Swifty
  
  I agree.
  
  That Stuff series is pathetic. Not worth reading.
  
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  April 4, 2025 12:26pm
- imalwaysright
  
  Poor Lloyd, mum’s gone and she didn’t say why….
  
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  April 4, 2025 12:43pm
- Rusty
  
  @mandk
  You could have added she accepted a Damehood even though she is anti-monarchy/ pro-republican.
  
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  April 4, 2025 1:25pm
  - mandk
    
    Indeed.
    
    She didn’t even get her Damehood from the GG, like normal Kiwis do.
    
    No, she was much too important for that. She opted to be invested by Prince William. Way more glamorous than a mere GG.
    
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    April 4, 2025 2:28pm
    - Rusty
      
      @mandk
      
      What a hypocrite that woman is.
      
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      April 4, 2025 4:29pm
graham

Don’t think Chloe and Marama will be having a relaxing weekend …

Why I shared Benjamin Doyle’s screenshots and why I am furious at the Greens – Ani O’Brien

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/why-i-shared-benjamin-doyles-screenshots-and-why-i-am-furious-at-the-greens-ani-obrien/QHMJHB4Z7NAUNGOJQGBDVIJHJU/
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April 4, 2025 12:22pm
- Blog-aholic
  
  The story has more legs than a super model…..so far we’re only at the ankles….
  
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  April 4, 2025 12:43pm
- OlderChas
  
  Probably interesting, but paywalled.
  
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  April 4, 2025 1:18pm
  - graham
    
    Sorry, didn’t realise.
    
    In summary, Ani O’Brien is utterly furious at Chloe Swarbrick, for claiming to speak for the “rainbow community”, portraying an attack on Benjamin Doyle as an attack on the entire community, and accusing people of misinformation, disinformation, homophobia, transphobia, and on and on.
    
    She writes that the members of the rainbow community that she knows all agree that it is not appropriate to use sexual terms such as “bussy” in the captions of photos of children. She believes that most New Zealanders, including those who are gay, should be disturbed by it, and demolishes Chloe’s nonsense about it being “in-group lingo”.
    
    In Ani’s view, Chloe Swarbrick has effectively tossed gays and lesbians under the bus to try to save the skin of her MP. Chloe has tried to normalise sexualised and inappropriate behaviour within the rainbow community, and in so doing has given legitimacy and new fodder to the people who attack homosexuality.
    
    It often feels as if the new attack on gays and lesbians is an inside job. People who want to politicise our sexual orientation, as the Green Party does, wield us as shields and swords to hit their political opponents with. But I will provide no cover for Benjamin Doyle. My sexual orientation is not a cloak with which to disguise someone else’s inappropriate behaviour.
    
    That is why I have sought to make people aware of Doyle’s alt account, and it is why I am furious with the Greens.
    
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    April 4, 2025 3:06pm
Inandout

US stockmarket crashed to levels similar as when Covid was announced. Apparently it recovered after 2020. I mean why invest in the sharemarket if prices don’t fluctuate?
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April 4, 2025 12:29pm
- Bridgenag
  
  Good time to buy
  
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  April 4, 2025 12:44pm
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Just checked my shares and virtually no change, Contact down 2 cents spark down 1 cent
    
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    April 4, 2025 1:11pm
- Jack5
  
  What of all the Kiwisaver money invested in the US sharemarkets?
  
  More than 3 million New Zealanders likely have more than $110 billion invested in Kiwisaver schemes. According to a new online helper, Google AI, about 60 per cent is invested overseas.
  
  In addition, the NZ Superannuation Fund has around $80 billion worth of investments. According to its 2024 annual report, 75 per cent of its money was in global equities (shares), and 25 per cent in global fixed-income investments.
  
  https://www.canstar.co.nz/kiwisaver/new-zealands-top-10-kiwisaver-schemes/
  
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  April 4, 2025 1:45pm
G the giant from Dunedin

TAX PAYER UNION CURIA POLL

The worm has turned quickly, and this was taken before the Doyle fiasco. it matches the Reid research.

It will be interesting to see if Morgan which could even be out today matches. i reckon Monday may very well me a TV one Varian poll which is due

https://www.taxpayers.org.nz/tucur_04_aprpoll2025?utm_campaign=250403_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_source=taxpayers
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April 4, 2025 12:57pm
- kiwikidsnz
  
  Roy Morgan poll was out a few days ago
  L/R evenly split
  https://www.roymorgan.com/findings/9893-nz-national-voting-intention-march-2025
  
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  April 4, 2025 1:12pm
- Chuck Bird
  
  I am concerned that the Greens get 11%. Let us hope that future ones since Doyle bring it down.
  
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  April 4, 2025 1:15pm
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    I am sure it will alter things; some soft greenies may well be appalled like the housewives of Ponsonby
    
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    April 4, 2025 1:19pm
    - Mark Hanley
      
      The poll has been reported in stuff of all places!
      
      Watch the blue, gold, and black lines climb as we head closer to the election.
      
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      April 4, 2025 2:42pm
  - mandk
    
    One would hope so, but it looks like the Green vote is immune to the scumbag tendencies of Doyle, Paul and others in the Parliamentary Party.
    
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    April 4, 2025 3:44pm
Yvette

Treaty Principles Bill report back
This is a Final Report of the Justice Committee
from page 5

• Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand and 12,347 others [a single document with 12,347 signatories]
• Hapai Te Hauora and 10,020 others
• Hobson’s Pledge and 24,706 others
• Tauranga Intermediate and 124 others
• Tōku Waka and 313 others
• Waitomo Papakainga and 207 others.

47,717 collated submissions
23011, supposed now 5 submissions ‘against’
the submission of 24,706 (Hobson’s Pledge), presumed to be ‘for’ and now: 1
So a greater number of submissions ‘for’, Hobson’s Pledge, out-numbered the combined total of the others ‘against’, but now are one fifth of the value that the Committee has given the other five ‘against’ in total.

does ACT have a plan B?
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April 4, 2025 1:31pm
- mandk
  
  Citizens’ Initiated Referendum, although I suspect it would need to be not led by ACT.
  
  I would sign.
  
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  April 4, 2025 3:41pm
- Blog-aholic
  
  Looks like a white wash to me…… Herald reports majority opposed but what is 24706/47717 as a %? 51.7%…..democracy not in action.
  
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  April 4, 2025 4:06pm
  - Jethrod
    
    Even that Labour MP , Duncan Webb is saying all those Hobsons Choice people have got their submissions ignored, according to Don Brash, it’s just not fair says Webb. Sigh
    
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    April 4, 2025 7:54pm
SmokerGuy

The latest Curia poll has Labour down 4.3% and back into the twenties. I assume the media will be breathlessly harassing Hipkins about this like they did Luxon. Orrrrrr maybe not!
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April 4, 2025 1:49pm
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  Yes, I went searching, that poll is bullshit, how can neither side not get 50%? They are not splitting the wasted vote so an utterly pathetic poll
  
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  April 4, 2025 2:23pm
  - septic skeptic
    
    If I were you I wouldn’t be quite so forthright in dissing Curia polls on this particular blog 😉
    
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    April 4, 2025 7:50pm
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      Can you point to where the Curia poll has neither side getting to 50% I was talking about the Morgan poll that he put up, but both sides are on 47%, how the hell can that be? They haven’t adjusted for the wasted votes
      
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      April 4, 2025 10:13pm
  - Ghost
    
    Huh?
    
    Have you read the curia poll or do you mean a different poll. The centre right get 50.9%
    
    National 33.5%
    ACT 10.0%
    NZ First 7.4%
    
    The left get 45.1%
    Other 3.9%
    
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    April 4, 2025 8:18pm
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      I was replying to the person that put up the Morgan poll, keep up, in the Morgan poll both sides are on 47%, they have divided the wasted votes
      
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      April 4, 2025 10:14pm
      - Ghost
        
        I suggest you learn to read, you’ve replied to someone talking about the curia poll, not the Morgan poll.
        
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        April 4, 2025 10:21pm
Ghost

Final report released

“A series of human errors” and a culture that prioritised accomplishing missions over safety are among factors deemed to have led to the sinking of the HMNZS Manawanui in Samoa last October.

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April 4, 2025 3:13pm
- Ghost
  
  Report, includes transcript from the night
  
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  April 4, 2025 3:16pm
- cmm
  
  “Human errors” are bullshit. There are only system errors.
  
  Yes, humans, like any other part of the system do fail, but the systems are designed to cope with that and are surrounded by training and leadership.
  
  Whenever you hear the term “human error” it is a white-wash. It is an attempt to deflect fault from the system as a whole: “Oh, everything is fine, just a person broke. That let the system down”.
  
  Utter nonsense whether you’re dealing with a pilot crashing a plane, a military incident, whatever.
  
  The only time we should blame an incident on human failure is if someone goes rogue and deliberately crashes a plane or whatever. Even then, “the system” as a whole should have a backup.
  
  Now in this case it is even worse. It is “a series of human failures”. ie a poorly run ship with inadequate systems and poor discipline and training.
  
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  April 4, 2025 3:27pm
  - Taieri
    
    “Human errors” are bullshit. There are only system errors.
    ————-
    
    “Systems” are designed by humans. I have to see a perfect system yet.
    As for “human errors”…they certainly occur. Particularly in shipping, where, due to ever changing conditions dynamics constantly change. No procedure/training/leadership based system can be ever designed to accommodate this. While technology can limit some adverse effects, even the automation can’t completely eliminate human element and consequently human errors. Work as designed and work as carried out are often two completely different things.
    
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    April 4, 2025 4:42pm
  - PurplePen
    
    Interestingly, from a source, there is only one ship bridge training simulator in NZ. Private business. It’s a boat version of cockpit simulator. It is used to train the Cook Strait ferry operators and auto pilot. Presumably the navy also uses it.
    
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    April 4, 2025 4:49pm
- PurplePen
  
  I think they mean mistake, not error as cmm very well points out.
  
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  April 4, 2025 4:44pm
cmm

Sweet picture of a loving dad holding his kids. He has been murdered. Poor kids.

Scroll down to next photo: gang tats. Never mind. The kids are probably far better off.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/search-warrants-executed-in-investigation-into-tyrone-munns-homicide-christchurch-police/SAWV3OEIFJGAVHLHA5XGBNCH4U/
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April 4, 2025 3:45pm
Ghost

Stuff, how about just reporting the news instead of this nonsense at the top

This excellent piece is from The Post. You can read more of their stories here.

Oranga Tamariki chief executive Chappie Te Kani has resigned.

Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche confirmed the resignation, saying, Te Kani decided to step down to focus on his health.

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April 4, 2025 3:50pm
- AitchW
  
  Chappie. Preposterous name for an adult.
  HDPA interviewed him some time back. He wouldn’t answer a single question. He bullshitted, prevaricated and obfuscated. To be honest I suspect that he had no idea about the questions she asked him. So very far out of his depth, the very definition of a DEI hire.
  
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  April 4, 2025 9:37pm
Keith White

“The SPX was around 3780 when the Covidiocy kicked off in March, 2020. Endless money printing in the form of “stimulus” found its way into the markets, in addition to Boomers coming up against the retirement wall trying to max out their contributions to their pension plans.

“This skewed the market as infinity fake money machine dollars were shoveled into the “Magnificent Seven”, which quickly became decoupled from any real price discovery or investment fundamentals, like P/E.

“The economy, and in particular, the tech sector did NOT organically grow 51% between March 2020 and March 2025.

The time for sensible correction is at hand.
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April 4, 2025 5:52pm
- RichardX
  
  Remarkable post hoc rationalisation.
  
  Trump’s tariffs cause the markets to plummet and you claim it is time for a sensible correction.
  
  Is it really admiration for Trump’s economic choices or do just you believe him incapable of doing anything wrong?
  
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  April 4, 2025 10:05pm
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  Agreed. If you strip out the Magnificent Seven, the US share market has barely moved in recent years.
  
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  April 4, 2025 10:31pm

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