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April 28, 2025 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 28 April 2025

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General Debate

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Cassandra

Some thoughts on the other “”negotiations “ the USA is attempting viz. with Iran:

* Iran has been a master of delay for decades, playing its opponents like a trout. Each round of diplomacy gives the regime more room to maneuver, more time to develop its weapons, and more resources to fund terror proxies across the Middle East and Latin America. The result is not peace — it is proliferation.
* Unless the West finally gets serious, Iran will cross the nuclear weapons threshold and the world will not only face an extremist, predatory regime armed with nuclear weapons, but the mother of all arms races. And possibly WW3 as Israel takes the ultimate action in pre-emptive defence.
* NZ is a long way from Iran but a war with Israel would be right next door, in effect (where does the oil come from?).
* The only solution is to completely dismantle Iran’s nuclear program. No talks. No deals. No illusions. It is time to bring these endless negotiations to an end.
* Did anyone think that abandoning Ukraine would be the end of forever war? Trump has just signalled that America’s new strategy is to concede, to be “reasonable”. That works in business; not so well in international relations.
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April 28, 2025 8:00am
- cmm
  
  The way I see it, the only way Ukraine has any chance of peace is if they give the separatists their will and make Donbas independent.
  
  Those that think that Ukraine was peaceful before Russia came along are deluded. Ukraine has been in a perpetual civil war since 2010 or so.
  
  Iran having nuclear capability would very likely result in them using that on Israel. They don’t really seem to need nukes as a deterrent, but rather for aggression.
  
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  April 28, 2025 8:18am
  - Raphael
    
    yep. As I’ve pointed out a number of times: 100% Russia should not have invaded Ukraine. But neither Russia nor Ukraine are “the good guys” both are pretty bad guys who are having a serious punch up. And the smaller one may be going home with his teeth in a bag.
    
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    April 28, 2025 8:46am
    - Colville
      
      But as always… It’s not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog that matters.
      
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      April 28, 2025 9:35am
      - cmm
        
        That’s the crap they feed you in motivation school.
        
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        April 28, 2025 3:09pm
  - Burtland
    
    theres russian separatists in every ex soviet state – its the consequence of russian colonisation – you will need to concede them all
    
    we have plenty here, enjoying democracy whilst loving mother Russia and her Stalinist fist
    
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    April 28, 2025 9:12am
  - I remember when
    
    The only way to prevent future Russian incursions is for surrounding countries to have sufficient fire power to cause serious damage to mainland Russia.
    Can the world afford the dangers that presents?
    
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    April 28, 2025 9:30am
  - Paulus
    
    Iran in years gone by prior to the Mullah taking over by force, and enforcing the Koran, were a highly educated country with people highly qualified, and mature, in their outlook right back to the days of Persia.
    Look at them now wimps and cowards with violence abound.
    
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    April 28, 2025 11:30am
- Mike
  
  The US and Europe had a satisfactory arrangement in place with Iran in 2015. That was ripped up by Mr ‘Art of the Deal’ with the predictable consequence of an accelerated nuclear program. Naturally, the second Trump administration’s policies towards Iran are a confused mess, vacillating between ‘maximum pressure’ and feeble attempts to negotiate.
  There is no real incentive for Iran to give up its nuclear weapons potential.
  
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  April 28, 2025 8:45am
  - cmm
    
    “The US and Europe had a satisfactory arrangement in place with Iran ”
    
    Yup, we give you pallets of cash and pinkie-promise to be nice.
    Instead they used that to fund the Houthis, Hammas etc.
    
    ” There is no real incentive for Iran to give up its nuclear weapons potential.”
    Of course not. Thus far every time they say boo, whitey liberals (and for the purposes of this exercise I include Obama in that) gives them hand outs.
    
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    April 28, 2025 9:13am
    - Colville
      
      Iranian nuclear scientists do have a habit of falling out of windows with a knife in the chest and bullet holes in the head.
      
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      April 28, 2025 9:38am
    - Mike
      
      Um, the US gave Iran its own money back as part of the deal. The Iranians were complying with the agreement, but are now much closer to acquiring nuclear weapons, thanks to Trump’s incompetence.
      
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      April 28, 2025 9:39am
      - NZer In Exile
        
        Yes Mike, the Iranian leadership can be trusted. 🤤
        
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        April 29, 2025 6:59pm
  - Keith White
    
    Whisky Tango Hotel are you smoking? A “satisfactory arrangement”??
    
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    April 28, 2025 9:56am
- lastmanstanding
  
  As I have posted before at least half Ozzie voters suffer from Stockholm Syndrome. It is likely they will elect Labor next Saturday who will need the Greens to form a Government.
  Oz has a Trillion Dollar deficit with deficits forecast for at least the next 10 years. The Greens will demand all mining is shut down along with other economic wrecking measures. Albo is so desparate to remain PM he will agree. Bandt will be Deputy PM and the floodgates will open letting in hundreds of thousands of Muslim immigrants many from Gaza. Labor has already let in 3000 from Gaza with no security checks. So why does this matter to NZ. Oz is our third largest trading partner. If its economy goes south it will impact ours. With our first and second largest trading partners in a trade war we will be very vulnerable.
  
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  April 28, 2025 9:08am
  - cmm
    
    “Oz has a Trillion Dollar deficit”
    No it doesn’t. It has a trillion dollar DEBT. Huge difference.
    
    “With our first and second largest trading partners in a trade war we will be very vulnerable.”
    China is also Australia’s largest trading partner so the spat is unlikely to be anyting serious – just some temporary dick measuring.
    
    Still, with all those downsides, Australia is still highly attractive. 120 of our best and brightest head overseas every day (40,000 a year). The majority of them are going to Oz.
    
    Tomorrow it is 121. My son heads over. He is involved in marine robotics.
    
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    April 28, 2025 9:23am
    - wairarapapaul
      
      Mine went over 3 weeks ago, software engineer…# 120
      
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      April 28, 2025 8:51pm
  - SmokerGuy
    
    Screw Australia, I hope they do and I hope they suffer the consequences. Australia are not the friends we like to think they are. They aggressively target our workers, send 501’s back who have grown up there. Why would we give a shit? They will stab us in the back without a second thought, they are not our close friends and I’m sick of hearing politicians talk like they are.
    
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    April 28, 2025 9:42am
    - Graeme Hall
      
      That’s all fine but who do you want to defend us? Captain Lesbian & her commander comrades?
      
      We cannot afford to buy & maintain a complete navy or air force or army. Best to suck up any perceived insults from Australia.
      
      Look at the LEVs Clark & her knitting group bought. Ended up parked at ChCh intersections during the earthquake periods. Looting went on unimpeded in the CBD. Too big to transport by air for us & generally useless. Only cost a billion when there were Nato equivalents on offer for $20million.
      
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      April 28, 2025 12:28pm
    - Terry Dalee
      
      @SmokerGuy
      Oh boo hoo.
      
      120 New Zealanders a day have said “Screw New Zealand”. I’m one of them.
      
      Give us a call back when you:
      1/ Sort out equal rights for all New Zealanders regardless of ethnic background.
      
      2/ Pay 11.5% Super WITHOUT putting anything in. Why would I stay in NZ for 6% super AFTER I have to put 3% of that in myself! Delusional..
      
      3/ Get that great big chip of the collective shoulder of NZ that cuts anyone down that tries to do anything or excels at anything.. case in point, NZ wants capital gains taxes but doesn’t recognise captial losses… Get fcked… At least Australia gives you 50% CGT discount after 12 months and recognises captial losses.
      
      4/ Get rid of the Cheaty of Waitangi and replace it with a written Constitution. I’m over Maori culture. I don’t give a rat’s arse about it any more and want nothing to do with it. (Everyone in Aussie collectively rolls their eyes at Welcome to Country and then gets on with their lives.)
      
      Australia will look after her own interests. As any Sovereign nation would. What does Australia owe to NZ?
      
      If I was Australian and had the chance, I’d be removing that open invitation in the Australian Constitution for NZ to join the Commonwealth. They don’t need the mess that is the Cheaty to sort out.
      
      And like most Kiwis over here, after 4 years they become Aussies
      
      Enjoy poverty in NZ
      
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      April 29, 2025 2:33am
  - pdm
    
    `Bandt will be Deputy PM’
    
    Bandt being the man who will not have his photo taken in front of the Australian Flag.
    
    How crass is that.
    
    Elect Labour in NZ and get Rawiri, Debbie, Marama and Chloe as Deputy MP’s and we may well have the same crass situation.
    
    Scary isn’t it!!!
    
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    April 28, 2025 9:53am
    - Debsta
      
      Yep sure is! But the majority of NZers don’t see a thing 🙁
      
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      April 28, 2025 1:49pm
    - AitchW
      
      Unforgivable.
      
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      April 28, 2025 5:55pm
  - gravedodger
    
    More likely deficits ongoing with no suggestion of an ending before 2040?
    
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    April 28, 2025 10:01am
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    Bear in mind that any migrants to Aus, once given citizenship, can then migrate to NZ should they so choose.
    
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    April 28, 2025 12:49pm
  - Bevan
    
    Seriously? Consider that the vast majority voted NO to Albanese’s Voice referendum and 65% resent being welcomed to their own country and want the practice stopped. The fact that on polling Labour is winning on two party preferred 52-48 shows how badly the Coalition and Dutton are doing in this election, the Labor government is hated here and the Coalition is still well behind – they are losing because they are both shit and Aussies are choosing the less shit option.
    
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    April 28, 2025 1:15pm
- MH
  
  see the Wisconsin Project on nuclear arms Control –
  Iran Watch.
  
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  April 28, 2025 11:34am
Chuck Bird

Does this government not realise that NZ is heavily in debt? Why should we subsidise EV chargers with long-term interest-free loans? Are we still subsidising EVs? I think so.
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April 28, 2025 8:04am
- Frank the tank
  
  Because it is politically appealing to the white collar university-educated middle class who think by speaking minglish, driving a BYD and supporting DEI they are saving the world.
  
  Indeed some of this group are high-ranking members of the government.
  
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  April 28, 2025 8:10am
  - Sparrow
    
    Not just in government. Right across the bureaucracy, media, academia and large corporations. I am afraid that’s the reality and the young have been indoctrinated. Those who can think for themselves will go offshore and will find it’s the same. Get use to it. For us old timers enjoy it, the sun will still come up in the morning and go down at night (hopefully), before the time comes.
    
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    April 28, 2025 11:44am
    - Debsta
      
      That’s the bald truth that I finally stopped hiding from over the last five years, and its no better anywhere. The west is eating its tail, and the meal is just about done!
      
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      April 28, 2025 1:55pm
- pdm
  
  This decision makes Nicola Willis look like Grant Robertson Mark 2!!!
  
  As anyone thought of how many firms that will benefit from this Taxpayer hand out will default on repayment?
  
  More than a few I suspect,
  
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  April 28, 2025 8:15am
  - Michael Sommerville
    
    She is more and more looking like a talker and not a walker. She is unable to take the hard decisions necessary to get this country back on the right track financially.
    
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    April 28, 2025 8:21am
    - cmm
      
      Let’s face it. Be it Venezuela or NZ, people only get the politicians they vote for.
      
      NZ is far too keen on hand outs to do any real belt tightening and National know this which is why they just fiddle around the edges.
      
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      April 28, 2025 8:54am
      - peterwn
        
        As I have said many times before – the overarching objective of a political party is to get into power and if in power, stay in power. Nicola would realise this only too well. National could well have had a fourth term in 2017 if it had loosened the money belts even though it would cause some issues further down the line.
        
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        April 28, 2025 9:23am
      - cmm
        
        peterwn: Certainly you have to be in power to do anything, but it is also pointless getting power unless you’re going to do anything useful with it (unless you just want the power rush and baubles).
        
        At the moment we’re in a lemming run for the cliffs and nobody is doing anything to stop it.
        
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        April 28, 2025 9:26am
      - Ian Boag
        
        far too keen on hand outs to do any real belt tightening
        
        …. starting with the pension ….. 🙂
        
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        April 28, 2025 9:31am
      - cmm
        
        Ian: Yes, the NZ government should get out of the pension business. It never should have entered in the first place.
        
        The problem is now how to reverse the situation it created.
        
        It will take decades to completely reverse the situation because people need time to save.
        
        Currently the average 60+-year-old has less than $80k of retirement assets. As a rule of thumb, $1000 of retirement assets gives you $1 per week of retirement income – so $80 per week. That is not enough to survive – let alone live it up.
        
        So until we have politicians who are prepared to all get together and make this a non-partisan issue we will keep digging this hole…
        
        Far, far easier to just kick the can down the road – along with WFF, welfare and all the other hand outs.
        
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        April 28, 2025 10:06am
      - Paulus
        
        What do you see as a replacement to the current Coalition pleas ?
        
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        April 28, 2025 11:36am
      - Graeme Hall
        
        Ian: hope this link helps you lead us pensioners by example. Donate yours to the Govt.
        
        https://www.treasury.govt.nz/publications/oia-response/activation-requestors-treasury-direct-account-tda-oia-20210509
        
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        April 28, 2025 12:38pm
      - NZer In Exile
        
        Peterwn: ” the overarching objective of a political party is to get into power and if in power, stay in power.”
        
        Yep and that incentive needs to be crushed. You state your principles and objectives up front and if you fail then you F off and learn to code. Simples.
        
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        April 28, 2025 7:18pm
      - NZer In Exile
        
        Boag, what do you suggest be done with the destitute elderly? Nothing?
        
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        April 29, 2025 7:19pm
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      What for delivering an election policy?
      
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      April 28, 2025 8:55am
    - Ian Boag
      
      @cmm
      It will take decades to completely reverse the situation because people need time to save.
      
      Increase the age by six months every year for the next 10 years. Starting now – that’s enough time.
      
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      April 28, 2025 10:26am
      - cmm
        
        Certainly that would be a good, and relatively painless, start and would reduce the cost of servicing the super by 25% (ie. from an average of 20 years to 15 years).
        
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        April 28, 2025 11:25am
    - BeaB
      
      She’s a politician. As are they all. Getting into power and staying there are all that matter, whatever it costs the poor old taxpayers.
      
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      April 28, 2025 11:53am
    - Sacha
      
      I am disappointed in her – actually she started sounding a bit dodgy during the run-up to the election. But she is a female leader of her generation, and they are all somewhat dodgy.
      
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      April 28, 2025 1:11pm
      - cmm
        
        Dude why should you expect anything different?
        
        At every opportunity she openly tells everyone what she is: Blue Green.
        
        Do not expect her to act like a 1990s National minister.
        
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        April 28, 2025 3:12pm
    - Paulus
      
      Biggest problem is still Winston to any sensible solutions.
      
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      April 29, 2025 4:14pm
  - pdm
    
    Has anyone…………………………………
    
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    April 28, 2025 8:28am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Rubbish, it was an election policy, and has been budgeted for, but you understand with a loan the bloody money gets paid back, unlike Robertson who would simply pay for these chargers
    
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    April 28, 2025 8:53am
  - RoboRob
    
    Seems to be more of the same from National. The interest free loans are an improvement over the ‘free cash’ from the previous government. But it really is just tinkering around the edges.
    
    To be fair, its politically a clevear move.
    
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    April 28, 2025 9:08am
    - imalwaysright
      
      I get the impression that the loan scheme is tantamount to binning the policy without actually saying so.
      It works out as $6800 per charger. That wouldn’t pay for the concrete it sits on in today’s NZ.
      And we shouldn’t forget that EVs aren’t selling, by the time the first of these units is powered up EVs will be a distant memory.
      Hybrids were the logical first step.
      
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      April 28, 2025 10:01am
  - john1234
    
    Come on mate. Robbo borrowed $100 billion with zero prospect of it ever paid back. Willis might be a bit hopeless but she’s not on the planet as Robbo when it comes to economic destruction.
    
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    April 28, 2025 9:08am
- The Goblin
  
  The EV rebate scheme was discontinued when the present government came into power although Labour had also signalled that it would be removed.
  
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  April 28, 2025 8:26am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Lanour did not signal its removal, they simply would have run out of funding April 1 2024
    
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    April 28, 2025 8:55am
  - cmm
    
    EVs and now EVs cost less than they did with the rebates.
    
    All the EV luvvies have bought their EVs so now the hand outs are being moved elsewhere – to charging.
    
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    April 28, 2025 8:56am
    - RoboRob
      
      Yup, Labour subsidised the wealthy to buy Teslas. They would have bought them without the tax payer funding but were certainly happy to get a $7000 discount at the taxpayers expense.
      
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      April 28, 2025 9:10am
      - cmm
        
        It was really a hand out to the vehicle companies because it allowed them to inflate prices and still their vehicles by creating a FOMO.
        
        Notice that EVs are 10 to 15% cheaper than when the subsidies were in place. There was absolutely no need for them except:
        * Hand outs to EV makers.
        * Greenie points for the politicians
        
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        April 28, 2025 9:29am
      - Colville
        
        cmm
        Don’t forget the ute tax that was put in to punish farmers and hunters for being farmers and hunters!
        
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        April 28, 2025 9:42am
    - NZer In Exile
      
      Apparently EV resale value is in the toilet.
      
      The batteries are bloody expensive.
      
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      April 29, 2025 7:21pm
  - graham
    
    The EV subsidy (aka the Clean Car Discount) ended on 31 December 2023.
    
    https://www.nzta.govt.nz/vehicles/clean-car-programme/clean-car-discount-ended-on-31-december-2023/
    
    Julie-Anne Genter was on the news last night wailing that the money set aside for the charges was a drop in the ocean – she wants the rebate brought back so the rest of us can subsidise EVs again!
    
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    April 28, 2025 9:07am
    - nova
      
      There is still a smaller scheme in place called the “Clean Car Standards”. In effect this provides roughly $3000 worth of credits to the importer when importing an EV, and someone bringing in a ute will have to pay a penalty. For a while Labour had both schemes in place, which was a double subsidy for EVs, and the media has never provided much coverage to the scheme still in place. National has softened the targets slightly, this link covers the most recent changes:
      
      https://www.autohub.co/customer-notice-ccs-changes-for-2025/
      
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      April 28, 2025 10:54am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      You know that’s exactly what will happen as Hipkins becomes even more desperate for power, and appeasing these muppets with the return of the rebate, and possibly free power for Māori to drive
      
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      April 28, 2025 1:31pm
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  This was an election policy, and petty sure it has already been budgeted for.
  
  Unlike Labour who would have simply paid for the chargers and possibly have paid the power, I would rather see this model that is a loan and repaid for someone else to build, as opposed to Labour funding the full cost
  
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  April 28, 2025 8:51am
- [email protected]
  
  I agree. EV chargers are profitable and don’t need subsidies. Even individuals can own and do own publicly available EV chargers as investments ( I know one such person).
  
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  April 28, 2025 9:05am
  - ISeeRed
    
    I didn’t know that! What’s the typical outlay?
    
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    April 28, 2025 10:58am
    - [email protected]
      
      The public charger owned by my friend is the one located at Tutukaka. Can’t give you a name without his permission but suggest you contact Chargenet and ask them.
      
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      April 29, 2025 7:29am
- Simon
  
  Because debt offset by mass immigration from the third world is 70% of NZ economy.
  
  Farming is less than 10% and manufacturing is 20% of the economy . Keep printing money and use minimum wage from third world to soak up the damage and pretend there is an economy.
  
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  April 28, 2025 9:22am
- Paulus
  
  Car dealers are getting desperate to sell EVs as the bottom has fallen out of th EV market, as no Taxpayer subsidies any more – quite right.
  
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  April 28, 2025 11:34am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    But the cars are half the price they were when the subsidies were in place, i think the gloss has come off them, but why the luvvies have lost interest is a mystery, it can’t be price
    
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    April 28, 2025 1:34pm
- Chris Nisbet
  
  I thought there was an agreement with Act in their coalition agreement that the 10,000 EV charger rollout would only take place if a C/B analysis showed it made financial sense.
  Given the infrastructure and cost involved in installing all those things, and the fact that EVs aren’t as popular as predicted, I’m surprised that it makes sense to install them.
  
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  April 28, 2025 3:21pm
peterwn

So a pensioner lost $158,000 after transferring his life savings to wrong account. The account holder, a beneficiary, thinking she had struck it lucky has blown most of it and is under police investigation. It seems to me that he omitted a digit in the account number section and the first suffix digit ended up as the last digit of the account number. The number entered is error checked but there is a 1 in 9 chance that a wrong number will error check OK. This transaction was before account name verification was introduced.
All I can say is the guy just did not pay proper attention when entering the account number and checking the proposed transaction. The proposed transaction is presented back to the customer for confirmation and the guy must have confirmed the transaction without checking the account number. So once again there is a suggestion that it is the bank’s fault despite the customer not taking reasonable care when doing a 6 figure transaction. And then all those customers out there who take due care are expected to subsidise the ones who do not. A big moral hazard in the making.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/auckland-pensioner-loses-158000-after-accidentally-sending-life-savings-to-wrong-account/YGCBIVL5SVB7BDEQIOJ5XDSHCM/
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April 28, 2025 8:06am
- Cassandra
  
  The account holder was certainly at fault but it’s not quite that simple. The report said that he was one number short and the bank’s system automatically added a zero which made it the lotto winner’s account number. Seems to me that finders keepers should not apply. And the bank has some responsibility too.
  
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  April 28, 2025 8:14am
  - pdm
    
    Cass – if what you say is correct then the Bank shares responsibility too because there is clearly a systems failure which compounded the customers error.
    
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    April 28, 2025 8:18am
    - Debsta
      
      If I was transferring a six figure sum I would sure as hell be checking it landed in the correct account. Appears he didn’t even bother doing that as it was seven weeks before being reported to the bank. Can’t legislate against stupid!
      
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      April 28, 2025 8:41am
    - peterwn
      
      There was no system failure. The failure was not checking that the account number was correctly keyed in. He had two opportunities to check this and failed to take advantage of either.
      
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      April 28, 2025 9:27am
      - Cassandra
        
        Not quite. He omitted a number which the bank then added. All three parties are at fault.
        
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        April 28, 2025 9:44am
  - john1234
    
    The software can add a zero to a 00 suffix, I don’t believe it will add a number to the bank, branch or account number segments.
    The scumbags who took the money need to go to jail.
    
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    April 28, 2025 8:20am
    - G152
      
      Be careful. I bought a fridge/freezer from the guy who found the old one irreparable.
      The bank shut down ALL my accounts and I had to go beg for my own money to pay …….
      
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      April 28, 2025 9:16am
      - peterwn
        
        Good reason to have a credit card with a different bank.
        
        9 0
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        April 28, 2025 9:38am
    - peterwn
      
      He missed a digit in the main account number so when he typed the first digit of the suffix it ended up as the last digit of the account number. The suffix was probably ‘1’ and the system (probably javascript or similar) provided the padding zeroes. The system invites you to check the proposed transaction before the final ‘enter’ or ‘proceed’ Anyone who does not take this opportunity especially for a 6 figure transaction must be nuts.
      Anyway the banks have now covered this sort of thing with account name checking. But one day some idiot will indicate his major transaction should proceed although the names did not match and then will start squawking that the bank should cover his loss.
      
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      April 28, 2025 9:37am
      - mw
        
        I had just replied (and deleted that post) to you above saying that the bank made a mistake by adding digits to the account number, but now I read this explanation it makes more sense that it did not add a number to the account but the user ran across the fields.
        That brings up something interesting, be careful what you wish for. I remember back when things were not so smart on the websites where you had to enter the bank code then skip to the number, then manually move again to the suffix and it was all a slight pita. Would it not have been better that it automatically skipped to the next field when you filled in the previous.
        Of course if it was still like that then this kind of thing could not have happened.
        
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        April 28, 2025 11:08am
  - cmm
    
    There is no finders keepers. If someone makes an erroneous deposit into your account then you are legally required to return the money.
    
    Of course enforcing this is entirely different – especially if it is overseas.
    
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    April 28, 2025 8:23am
    - Local Miller
      
      It’s not overseas. The pensioner lives in NZ and was transferring money from his UK account to his NZ-Westpac account. What surprised me is that he could transfer that much on line. About 2 years ago I wanted to transfer NZ$100,000 internationally and the ASB online system wouldn’t let me. There is (was) a limit of $50,000. I had to go into the branch to arrange it, and they double checked everything.
      
      It’s also totally unacceptable that the system auto fills any part of the data, PARTICULARLY the account number which is (was) the only account identification method. I worked in the banking IT industry for nearly 15 years and as I see it the bank is 100% responsible. The system should have raised the missing digit as an “invalid account” error when he tried to submit the transfer. I suspect that the missing digit was added in the last 3 digits of the account. This is because there used to only be 2 digits in this field (up to 100 accounts per client account) but several years ago this was increased to 3 digits by some banks. Stupidly rather than enforce 3 digits, some banks pad the field with a zero if you only supply 2 digits. They should be making the user add the extra zero as in “if your account only has 2 digits, add a leading 0” (with an example). This would shift any error onto the user.
      
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      April 28, 2025 9:03am
      - cmm
        
        Thanks for that.
        
        The only part that is auto-filled as far as I can tell is the sub-account number. Some banks use -00 and some use -000.
        
        Still, I call bullshit here. The -00 or -000 is not going to change the owner of the account.
        
        How could adding a zero here have moved the money to somewhere where someone else could access it?
        
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        April 28, 2025 9:56am
      - Taieri
        
        There is (was) a limit of $50,000.
        ———–
        
        Still is, and not just with ASB. About a year ago I was attempting to transfer $200K from my Westpac account to my partner’s Westpac account. Couldn’t do it online, so decided to use the telephone banking instead. The interrogation I had to go through was unbelievable – some questions asked were quite invasive, such as where I got the money from, why I’m transferring it, who is the recipient and what is her relationship to me and so on. In the end I was told that I can transfer $50K daily via online banking without going through all this rigmarole.
        
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        April 28, 2025 10:38am
      - nova
        
        It was a SWIFT payment. The account number is provided as a single field, with no separators between account number and suffix. See the link below, which includes “Note: hyphens indicated above are merely for illustrative purposes and should not be entered as part of the account number.”
        
        https://www.westpac.co.nz/foreign-exchange/send-money-to-or-from-overseas/
        
        The root cause is the switch from 2 digit to 3 digit suffixes, and the bank automatically converting between the two. So if the account number was only 15 digits, the bank prepends a zero to the suffix.
        
        So say my bank account number was 03-1111-1234567-050 and I left out the 4, the bank was converting 031111123567050 to 03-1111-1235670-050, as it assumes everything up to 50 is the account number, and I’ve just left a zero off the start of the suffix.
        
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        April 28, 2025 11:09am
      - Paulus
        
        Last month I wanted to pay for some Funeral Flowers for my late Brother’s wife’s funeral.
        What a performance for Stg85.
        You would think I was Money laundering, as the recipients had to go to their Bank, and get approval references.
        
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        April 29, 2025 4:18pm
  - peterwn
    
    He would be looking for any excuse to try and hang some blame on the bank. If I was transferring a six figure sum I would make doubly sure things were right including making sure I had the correct account number to start with. The bank displays the account number for the customer to double check which the customer should have done.
    I have a suspicion that if account name verification had been introduced, and a ‘not match’ flag came up, he would have proceeded anyway.
    
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    April 28, 2025 8:26am
    - rouppe
      
      It would not have, because name check only occurs between nz domestic accounts of participating banks. Not sure if Southland building society supports it for example.
      
      This transaction was international. From the UK to nz.
      
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      April 28, 2025 8:56am
      - Local Miller
        
        If name matching were being applied the transfer action would have been accepted but failed when processed on the Westpac side. i.e. they would not have accepted the money because of the mismatch.
        SWIFT Transfers (also called International Money Transfers – IMT) are a disconnected process. i.e. there’s no connection between your submitting them on line and their eventual processing. Actually this is true for pretty much all account payments/transfers except between your own accounts and in some cases between accounts at the same bank.
        You submit a payment/transfer request, this gets queued in a database and picked up later to be actioned.
        Once the payment request arrived at Westpac, their system should have flagged the name mismatch and it should have been rejected. Speaking as a database consultant with 20+ years experience of which about 15 was in the banking industry.
        This is 100% Westpac’s error. They had all the data they needed to validate the payment but their system wasn’t designed properly. I’d not be surprised if this isn’t the first time this has happened, but previously was caught or was for smaller amounts. This begs the question: Why wasn’t this fixed years ago? The SWIFT payment system has been in place for over 50 years (set up in 1973).
        
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        April 28, 2025 9:18am
      - rouppe
        
        You can “shoulda” as much as you want.
        
        Swift payments have never had a name matching check. The check that exists now is only between local banks.
        
        Even now, the name check is an intermediate step in the setup of the payment. If you push the go button, it goes no matter what. Why? Because then the banks don’t have to have a system to hold, identify and manage payments being held for verification.
        
        When you set up a swift payment, you’ve essentially pushed the go button, so unless every bank in the world implements api’s that every other bank in the world uses, there’s no matching.
        
        As you allude to, banking systems were set up a long time ago. Like it or not, even now, some of that 1970’s code is still running. Because the bank ceo’s choose to not invest in modernisation. I know Westpac only migrated the last of their assembler code ten years ago. And that was to Cobol.
        
        Do you know for a fact that banks other than Westpac name check swift payments? I’d be surprised to be honest.
        
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        April 28, 2025 10:20am
      - Local Miller
        
        rouppe, you are correct, it’s quite likely that most banks don’t do name checking, but that isn’t an excuse. There’s no need for there to be API updates that other banks use. The rejection would be on the receiving bank side. When the payment request is applied to the receiving bank account, the receiving bank’s code SHOULD check the account number AND the account name. Then if the name doesn’t match the payment is rejected just as it would be if the account number didn’t match, and the sending bank is notified of the failure and the reason, which is pushed back to the payer. This is a small coding change (and I know Cobol and went through the Y2K fiasco at a bank 🙂 ).
        Having sent SWIFT payments to family for several months to support a family member in SA, I’m aware of some of the reasons it fails and what notifications come through. The sending bank only checks that you are using a valid SWIFT bank code and don’t check the account number, this is only done by the receiving bank, so adding a name check isn’t such a big ask.
        
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        April 28, 2025 3:14pm
  - Ra Henare
    
    AQll acount numbers have a check digit. ie a calculated last number.
    Smart account numbers have 2 check digits.
    
    This is to eliminate a wrong number by mistake(typo).
    
    This whole mistake 1 digit scenario sounds very fishy to me.
    
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    April 28, 2025 1:43pm
    - Local Miller
      
      Most banks only use a single check digit system, but it’s not infallible. It just reduces the likelihood of getting the number wrong by mistake, it doesn’t eliminate it. As someone said, there’s a bout a 1/9 chance of this happening. If you change only 1 digit you are guaranteed the check will fail but 2 changes may just work.
      For background I’ve had to code these systems, and once had to code this to hunt for a valid account with specific characteristics. We had a client that was very superstitious and wanted an account with as many 7s as possible. I built a routine to generate valid accounts then check the characters for 7s until we found one they liked.
      
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      April 28, 2025 3:58pm
    - rouppe
      
      Entirely 100% supposition but…
      
      For a long time NZ bank accounts wer 2-4-7-2 digits (total of 15) for Bank-branch-account-suffix.
      
      Some time ago they went to 3 digit suffixes (16 digits). To be helpful banks would add a preceding zero to the suffix if they saw a 15 digit account number. That is, turn suffix 00 into 000 or 02 into 002
      
      But this means that if someone intended to type
      0312341234567000 but actually entered
      031234123456000 it might end up as
      0312341234560000
      and if that other number passes the checksum (1 in 9 chance), then, well, we have this situation…
      
      And since we’re talking an international swift transfer account formats can be all over the place depending on destination country so sending systems are generally pretty light on account number formatting.
      
      Local Miller is right, more checks can be done in the receiving country but there’s a very delicate balance between safety and pissing people off who are transferring money for important business like their luxury yachts or property developments
      
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      April 28, 2025 8:01pm
- artemisia
  
  The alleged transactions the wrongful recipient made suggest they were aware it was not their money. Even if recovery of the balance turns out to be lawful, good chance it will not have to be repaid in full or even at all. Mother of 5 took that chance. Best potential payday ever.
  
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  April 28, 2025 8:18am
  - peterwn
    
    The legal situation is she is ‘bailee’ of the money received. This is a step below ‘trustee’ in that the standard of care is slightly lower. The ‘bailee’ has an obligation not to misuse money or goods that came into her possession, but may have no liability if the money or goods were lost, stolen or damaged.
    So the woman faces the stark choice of either returning the money by some means or facing prosecution. Admittedly a prosecution is likely to result in the wet bus ticket only with the judge declining to order restitution as repayment would be unrealistic. The pensioner could seek her bankruptcy if it makes him feel better, but that would be a rather futile effort (insurance companies will sometimes bankrupt uninsured at-fault drivers to signal that car owners/ drivers do need at least third party insurance).
    
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    April 28, 2025 8:39am
    - Local Miller
      
      The court could force the sale of the 2 cars she bought and the return of any money still in her and her boyfriends accounts. Then put a repayment schedule in place with money coming directly off her benefit. Although this would be something pitiful like $1.50 a week, so for the next 960+ years assuming they recover about half the money.
      
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      April 28, 2025 9:28am
      - peterwn
        
        As I indicated in another post, she would be very wise at this stage to cash up and return as much of the money as she is able to. No doubt Mr Plod will give her the message on this loud and clear. If she does not do this the judge will not be impressed when sentencing.
        
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        April 28, 2025 9:45am
      - Colville
        
        Yip. She will say she is very sorry but raise her middle finger when it comes to repayment.
        Slap on the hand and a few hundred a month repayment which she will default on.
        
        In an ideal world the judge would make an example of the case so people know not to follow suit.
        
        3 months inside unless 50% immediate repayment?
        
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        April 28, 2025 9:51am
      - pdm
        
        I may be wrong on this but, I thought I saw over the weekend that about $28,000 had been recovered. Guessing on the amount as it may have been a totally different matter.
        
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        April 28, 2025 10:02am
- Chuck Bird
  
  The money was transferred to an overseas account so the bank did not check the name. When I transfer money, I copy and paste.
  
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  April 28, 2025 8:18am
  - Chris2
    
    What is reported in the story but entirely bereft of further comment, is that the customer took seven weeks to inform Westpac of his mistake but still, he wants to blame the Bank for his mistake!
    
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    April 28, 2025 8:25am
    - Anthony Melchett
      
      If i transferred 158k i’m refreshing that page every 5 minutes untill it shows up
      
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      April 28, 2025 8:54am
      - Ehlana
        
        It would take at least a few hours to process through the bank systems, but definitely by the next day it would be reasonable to be ringing the bank to check if the funds haven’t arrived. They may be stuck in a clearing account.
        
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        April 28, 2025 12:09pm
      - Local Miller
        
        That’s not how a SWIFT transfer works. It could take a week for the transfer to come through although it’s normally only 2 – 3 days. International Money Transfers (IMT) are not like a local transfer that now is typically done within 2 hours. Banks typically only submit the IMT to the SWIFT system once a day, late in the afternoon. It then takes a day or two to be processed by the receiving bank.
        
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        April 28, 2025 3:04pm
  - graham
    
    Another check which is worth doing where large sums of money are involved is to transfer just a small amount initially – say $100. If it winds up where you expect it to then you can proceed to transfer the bulk of the money.
    
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    April 28, 2025 8:30am
    - Ehlana
      
      Very good idea, especially if you are using a system like SWIFT that you don’t use often.
      
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      April 28, 2025 12:07pm
    - Local Miller
      
      Not such a good idea. It’s actually quite expensive to put through an IMT. Most people wouldn’t want to spend it twice if they only need to do it once.
      
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      April 28, 2025 4:02pm
      - Ra Henare
        
        Whaaaat!!!!
        
        ANZ Bank in New Zealand charges a standard fee of $5 for international money transfers conducted via Internet Banking or the goMoney app.
        For transfers made in-branch or through phone banking, the fee is $28
        
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        April 28, 2025 4:58pm
    - kiwimike
      
      my limit is set at $10,000 a time.
      
      I don’t mind the hassle.
      
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      April 28, 2025 5:49pm
- kowtow
  
  The guy also didn’t check the transfer for 2 months!
  
  A very serious aspect of this is the police weren’t interested in the theft and said “Nothing to see here ,move along please” . Until the MPs got involved.
  
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  April 28, 2025 8:21am
- Gravelroad
  
  Super photo in this story of the Labour Party MP.
  The National Party MP doesn’t make the cut photo wise.
  Surely, in the interests of balance, either there should be photos of both or neither?
  Really, the msm in this country is shameless in their displays of bias.
  
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  April 28, 2025 8:30am
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  What ever happened to the fact if the wrong money ends up In your account it is fraud to take that money? Did Westpac not put money into a wrong account and chased the people who ran with the money worldwide? Why are the police suggesting this is not there problem
  
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  April 28, 2025 9:00am
- Simon
  
  Too bad NZ isn’t a high trust country anymore. Import the third world become the third world.
  
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  April 28, 2025 9:24am
- Paulus
  
  More actual details please, no media hype ?
  
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  April 28, 2025 11:39am
- jonno1
  
  I agree. Let’s say the suffix he entered was 51 (a savings account). The system read the 5 as digit #7 of the account number, then added two zeros. The suffix thus became the most common one for a transaction account: 001. The bad luck was that a real account number was thereby created. I have always believed that the check digit prevented this error, but perhaps not.
  
  PS My bank has a $100k daily limit, but this can be temporarily increased with a phone call.
  
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  April 28, 2025 2:00pm
  - artemisia
    
    Have also arranged temp increases, but via secure bank email. Provided transfer date, amount, recipient bank account details, purpose and phone number to call me. Once I was called. All NZ business or trust accounts, so probably no scam alarms triggered.
    
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    April 28, 2025 3:33pm
- NZer In Exile
  
  With a transfer of this magnitude the bank should indeed put additional safeguards in place. Will diminish the glee of NZ’s mean spirited a-holes but so be it. 😊
  
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  April 29, 2025 7:25pm
Chuck Bird

I had a laugh when Sky News Australia showed Kemi Badenoch saying British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had no balls.
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April 28, 2025 8:31am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  I didn’t…
  
  For when it gets to the point that females are publicly dissing men’s genitalia, then it becomes hypocritical for females to object when they’re described in foul terms.
  
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  April 28, 2025 8:39am
  - kowtow
    
    You are of course quite right.
    
    While Kemi might makea great conservative leader , the Tories , in opposition , are desperate for some cut through , esp with local elections imminent and Reform looking to do very well.
    
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    April 28, 2025 9:03am
  - David George
    
    Jacinda called David Seymour “an arrogant prick” – in Parliament. She’s railed against gender type slurs but, as usual, it’s OK when the Left do it; especially if it’s a bloke (bonus points – a right wing bloke) on the receiving end.
    
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    April 28, 2025 9:06am
    - Ghost
      
      So we should lower ourself to the level of the left?
      
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      April 28, 2025 9:18am
    - peterwn
      
      I hope Mr Speaker intervened at the time, the p word is definitely unparliamentary, far worse than ‘featherless budgies’ which was ruled unparliamentary many years ago..
      
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      April 28, 2025 9:48am
      - pdm
        
        pw – Speaker would have been The `Despicable’ Mallard so he almost certainly would have let it go.
        
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        April 28, 2025 10:04am
      - Ghost
        
        It was Rurawhe
        
        https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/such-an-arrogant-prick-pm-lashes-out-at-act-leader-david-seymour/X46N3OBWCFEYZKHBIW2TF7B52Y/
        
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        April 28, 2025 11:22am
    - imalwaysright
      
      Toxic femininity
      
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      April 28, 2025 11:53am
  - Pope Punctilious II
    
    Yes, “gendered abuse” cuts both ways.
    
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    April 28, 2025 10:53am
  - Bevan
    
    Imagine if Keir came out and said Kemi comes across as a bitch – there would be hell to pay!
    
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    April 28, 2025 1:18pm
Yvette

Michael Laws on the Māori Issues the Mainstream Media Won’t Cover
Transcript –

There are other stories that do not seem to get much coverage. A really good example is the number of young Māori children who are abused each year, or who are killed or severely injured to the point of permanent disability. As every New Zealander knows, the mainstream media don’t want to touch this story.
The level of Māori child abuse in this country is a national scandal. It is such a scandal that if you were to remove Māori from our child abuse and child homicide statistics, New Zealand would be one of the safest places in the world for small children. However, when Māori are included in the statistics, we become one of the most dangerous countries in the Western world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRiNyMA_ci0&t=262s.

One of the most important things to me about this hīkoi is our children, our mokopuna

Alongside him walked Te Pāti Māori co-leader, Rawiri Waititi, and Waititi’s wife, Kiri Tamihere-Waititi, who was one of the organisers of the march. “I want to cry. You can hear all of our whānau behind us. We’ve got all of our babies here, and it’s for them. We’ve been so traumatised as a people, and it’s really hard to see, it’s really hard to feel, and it’s really hard to endure.”
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/in-depth/534594/behind-the-banner-inside-the-hikoi-mo-te-tiriti

One thing that seems to me to be consistent is the inconsistency of statements reflecting some Maori matters.
Half truths are dangerous because you don’t know what half you have, may be in relation to the above quotes, or perhaps my comment here, but it seems the Late Māori King, Tūheitia Pōtatau’s call for unity in the face of a more racially divisive political culture than before, seems to have translated into unity of ethnicity and culture, and te Pati Maori, but there seems to be no mention of economic unity. Are the Elite of Maori called to true unity, or just screwing around echoing a tribal past?

To my perhaps misguided thinking this is another dichotomy which contributes to a deep discomfort and cringe I experience when I hear Maori spoken or see yet another sport news clip laden with almost every arena performing the haka.
I know this attitude is sub-consciously self developed, but as with anything repeat often enough I feel they have done it to me.

And it does not alter the fact children are dying as their supposed Treaty-enriched future is taken from them.

Perhaps read: Self-induced poverty, Lindsay Mitchell, third post down the column.
https://lindsaymitchell.blogspot.com
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April 28, 2025 8:36am
- rouppe
  
  Are the Elite of Maori called to true unity, or just screwing around echoing a tribal past?
  
  It’s the classic elite play book. Stir up the poor, disenfranchised, trapped, and uneducated. Draw them to a banner and give them an enemy. The elite gather power to themselves in this process.
  
  In 1930 the catch cry was German Nationalism. The (initial) enemy was the rest of Europe via the harsh Versailles treaty repayments made worse by the Great Depression. The elite were the remaining land owners, industrialists, and high society that remained at the time who ended up as the generals and suppliers to the regime.
  
  Here it is Maori. The banner is the Maori Party. The catch cry is Maori Nationalism. The enemy is “colonialism” ie everyone else. The elite are John Tamihere and his circle, along with the tax free settlement trusts worth billions.
  
  The Mazi Party are much more dangerous than most think.
  
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  April 28, 2025 9:23am
- Simon
  
  “poverty” is a core NZ industry worth $20 billion pa. Too much money now. Too many greedy people involved in the charity racket.
  
  There will be a few deaths on the way through. Industrial accidents as such. But keep dancing and singing in Maori not unlike those huge Kim statues in North Korea. Same purpose.
  
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  April 28, 2025 9:40am
Scooter

So after 3 years the inquest into the murder of Juliana Bonilla Herrera starts and will last 2 weeks. The murderer was let out weeks before his parole was up so he could be monitored otherwise he would be let out free with no checks. Yet tragically he was not monitored properly and was sent to live next to a single woman living alone who was not told he was a criminal, in jail for kidnapping and rape. She was afraid of him and ultimately proved correct. Will anyone in corrections or parole board be held to account?

This doesn’t give me much hope…he wasn’t monitored to begin with.
“Brider is now serving a life term in prison with a minimum non-parole period of 23 years, and is subject to preventive detention, meaning he will be monitored for the rest of his life.”

https://www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/360665994/key-failures-leading-juliana-bonilla-herreras-killing-be-scrutinised-inquest
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April 28, 2025 8:37am
- kowtow
  
  This should be front page news and reported on relentlessly by the media.
  
  It won’t be .
  
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  April 28, 2025 9:05am
  - Mike
    
    I can’t check the paper copy, but is the article being on the main page of the Press website ‘front page’ enough for you?
    
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    April 28, 2025 9:45am
    - Fender
      
      Front page news, we all know what was implied
      Reported on relentlessly by media
      Again we all know what was meant
      Just answering at all and Quoting one news site in a snarky superior demeaning way shows us what
      
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      April 28, 2025 1:33pm
      - kowtow
        
        TY .
        
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        April 28, 2025 4:46pm
    - Ghost
      
      It’s been reported on newstalk zb, rnz, herald. 1news.
      
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      April 28, 2025 1:48pm
- Simon
  
  Prisons are a moral and fiscal failure – Bill English.
  
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  April 28, 2025 9:28am
  - Allan
    
    Add the context.
    
    Without it you sound like you are saying prison is a problem.
    
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    April 28, 2025 1:12pm
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    He never said he would close them down like Labours left wing green party are demanding
    
    4 1
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    April 28, 2025 1:38pm
- David Garrett
  
  Scooter: In Oz or the UK this prick would be serving LWOP or if not that, then a minimum NPP north of 30 years. The story is very poorly written – how unusual- but it appears he is subject to preventive detention, so he may well never be free.
  That is unless the Green Party is appointing members of the Parole Board in 23 years’ time.
  
  13 2
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  April 28, 2025 10:17am
  - Scooter
    
    23 years isn’t long, he’ll be in his 50’s when he is up for parole. If you read what he did you her, nothing short of a noose would be good for him.
    
    “Crown prosecutor Claire Boshier described the killing as a person’s “worst nightmare”, while Justice Jonathan Eaton said the murder involved “a high degree of brutality, cruelty, depravity and callousness”.
    
    4 1
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    April 28, 2025 6:04pm
- kiwimike
  
  Definately a case for execution but Kiwis are arseholes and don’t value life, women or Kids.
  
  2 2
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  April 28, 2025 5:55pm
Maggy Wassilieff

Who brought culture wars to our shores?

https://breakingviewsnz.blogspot.com/2025/04/matu-kahurangi-lefts-buzzword-backfire.html#more
21 2
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April 28, 2025 8:43am
- Swifty
  
  Absolutely 100% correct.
  
  The left are flat out lying.
  
  Again.
  
  16 2
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  April 28, 2025 8:55am
- Swifty
  
  More on ‘imported culture wars’….
  
  https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kATzIMObclw
  
  The Platform.
  
  5 0
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  April 28, 2025 1:25pm
Raphael

The US media attempted to do a “hit job” on Trump, attacking him for being the only one to be so disrespectful as to wear a blue suit to Pope Francis’ funeral.

Looking at the photos, about 40% of the people attending were wearing blue suits…..
https://notthebee.com/article/lefties-freaked-out-because-president-trump-committed-the-ultimate-fashion-faux-pas-by-wearing-a-blue-suit-to-pope-franciss-funeral-but-they-forgot-to-mention-a-few-others-who-did-the-same/
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April 28, 2025 8:54am
- Gravelroad
  
  I am no great fan of Mr Trump, same as I was no great fan of Ms Ardern.
  But the people voted for them.
  The fanatical blind hatred of Mr Trump, no matter what does or doesn’t do, has become ridiculous.
  And diminishes real and valid concerns people may have about him and his administration.
  
  23 2
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  April 28, 2025 9:42am
  - Mike
    
    100%. Sure, attack him for his myriads of political and personal failings. but it’s not like he committed a serious faux pas, like Obama wearing a tan suit or ordering Dijon mustard.
    
    7 10
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    April 28, 2025 9:47am
    - Conservatarian
      
      My favourite “failing” is “mistakenly” deporting sweet innocent Maryland Dad – real name Kilmar Obrego Garcia, real nationality El Salvadorean, real immigration status criminal alien, real employment MS-13 gang banger, people smuggler and wife beater.
      
      Of course, Democrats and media sprinted to hug and kiss Kilmar Obrego Garcia. One clownish Dem literally flew down to Garcia’s plush new taxpayer-funded surrounds in El Salvador to have a candle lit dinner with his favourite “down on his luck” victim of Stephen Miller’s white ethno-state.
      
      Why hasn’t President Boasberg simply ordered Bukele to break Garcia back into the US to recommence the crime spree? There must be a local MS-13 chapter meeting tonight for him to attend. Or maybe Garcia’s wife was missing his standover tactics.
      
      Keep it up Dems. It’s going great for you.
      
      13 3
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      April 28, 2025 1:22pm
      - Mike
        
        There seems to be considerable dispute about the extent of this man’s alleged crimes. In ay event, that’s irrelevant to the more important question of whether due process should be followed and the government follow the law and court rulings.
        
        4 5
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        April 28, 2025 2:41pm
      - Conservatarian
        
        “No, sir, the correct method to deport criminal alien murderers and rapists is fill out form 1042B, not 1034B. Due process violation”
        
        5 3
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        April 28, 2025 3:33pm
      - Mike
        
        First, a court needs to find that someone is a rapist (calling Donald Trump) or murderer. US officials saying so does not necessarily make it so.
        The US has a set of procedures to deport illegal aliens. Following those procedures is quite straightforward. The administration does not need to ignore due process and then lie to the courts about it.
        
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        April 28, 2025 3:46pm
  - Dudley Quaffquaff
    
    Yeah. Adding a weak piece of evidence to a strong argument doesn’t make it stronger, it makes it weaker. There is already plenty of far stronger evidence that Trump is a despicable lump of dog shit
    
    5 13
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    April 28, 2025 12:11pm
- BeaB
  
  Amazing what politics will turn the left into. Trump is overturning their world. They now hate EV’s and love illegal alien rapists! And to cap it all off they are clutching their pearls over a dress code , at a Catholic funeral of all things. How bourgeois!
  
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  April 28, 2025 11:58am
- lifesgood
  
  Prince William also wore a blue suit.
  
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  April 28, 2025 12:33pm
- Allan
  
  Note well that 95% of all media coverage of Trump is negative.
  
  That’s where a lot of commentators get their knowledge of Trump.
  
  13 4
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  April 28, 2025 1:14pm
  - Bridgenag
    
    If you go on “The White House” link you can get what is really happening not what the MSM want you to believe
    
    9 5
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    April 28, 2025 1:38pm
  - newview
    
    So remind me of the positive things.
    Trump has done Allan. Not what he might achieve if he’s very lucky but what is happening now. You might argue he is sending illegals back where they came from, but how he is doing that is indiscriminate lacking humanity and bordering on illegal. A real nice guy.
    
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    April 28, 2025 2:04pm
    - Fender
      
      Maybe illegals is a hint, bout time they stopped being ignored, maybe then things will change for the better
      
      5 4
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      April 28, 2025 3:15pm
RRM

The Wairarapa-Wellington train service has basically fallen apart this year, after the completion of the big track replacement project in the long tunnel that was meant to enable higher speeds and fix everything. (Following the fiasco last year in which many stretches of new track in the Hutt Valley and the Wairarapa were laid too close together for the trains to run properly.)

Instead we have:
● Trains that are semi-permanently replaced with buses due to chronic shortage of trained on-board staff at Transdev.
● Trains running 20-30 minutes late due to “rusty rail conditions”

And now, just to complete the impression of a complete and utter clown show by EVERY organization involved in running the service, we see that GWRC are attempting to resolve a very old historic HR/payroll issue by posting about it on social media:

https://www.facebook.com/100064858293633/posts/30145016125097717/?app=fbl

Attention former Greater Wellington employees, you may be owed a Holidays Act Remediation payment.

If you were employed by Greater Wellington (formally called Greater Wellington Regional Council) between 1 June 2010 and 4 June 2022, you might be owed a Holidays Act Remediation payment for incorrectly calculated holiday and leave pay.

To ensure we are compliant with the Holiday Act 2003 we are committed to paying back any amount owed, even if it is just 1 cent.

How to Check:
1. Visit: https://www.gw.govt.nz/holidays-act-remediation/
2. Complete the online application form.

We will notify you if any money is owed with further steps you need to take.

Know someone who might be eligible? Share this post and help us reach our former colleagues!

Questions? Contact us at [email protected]
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April 28, 2025 9:03am
- cmm
  
  All that and the “customers” are only paying 15% of the costs.
  The taxpayer backs this up with 85% subsidies.
  
  21 2
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  April 28, 2025 9:31am
  - Taieri
    
    The taxpayer backs this up with 85% subsidies.
    ———–
    
    I’m not a great fan of subsidies and don’t use public transport, but this is not the only instance of the “taxpayer back up”. The whole health and education system in NZ is “backed up by the taxpayer”. And so are many other things. Should we do away with them just because because they are subsidized and not everyone is using them, whether by choice or because they have no need?
    
    8 3
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    April 28, 2025 9:57am
    - cmm
      
      That is a good question.
      
      The way I look at it is that the government should not get involved in businesses and industries by default. They should only step in in exceptional circumstances.
      
      And when they do step in, pricing should be such that it still encourages private providers.
      
      So for example we should not have a state ferry service that competes against a private ferry provider. Nor should we have government backed rail that competes with other transport options.
      
      In this case here (and buses) the subsidies are so high that they make it challenging for private providers to step up. There is no incentive to provide a better service and what we end up with is what we are getting: crap services that cost us a massive amount.
      
      As I have written before, it would be cheaper to give the people that use Cindy’s train from Hamilton to Auckland the following package than the current subsidies:
      * A new Suzuki Swift every 5 years
      * All servicing, tyre replacement, fuel, insurance, and other costs.
      * Free parking in Auckland.
      
      16 3
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      April 28, 2025 10:32am
  - RRM
    
    I’d need to be convinced it’s 15% / 85%. Last time I looked it up we here in Wellington were paying well over twice that at the ticket box.
    
    I can already drive to and from Wellington for about the same price as individual fares on Snapper. If they want to collapse public transport significant fare increases would be the way to do it.
    
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    April 28, 2025 1:00pm
- Simon
  
  Think that Fail Rail costs NZ one billion per year. Rail works when moving goods from the interior to ports like in Canada or US. Maybe a few profitable lines in North Island to port Tauranga. Otherwise rail in NZ is an expensive mess. A lot of people though are making good money milking that one billion loss each year. The real NZ.
  
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  April 28, 2025 9:32am
  - fightingtemeraire
    
    Rail is profitable in the Napier/NP/Auckland triangle and across Cook Strait/
    
    4 0
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    April 28, 2025 11:16am
- rouppe
  
  Regarding that last point, I was made redundant from Westpac in 2019. Last year they contacted all former employees saying there might be holiday pay corrections due to incorrect calculations.
  
  It was only $400 after tax and stuff but still…
  
  Though I don’t think they used social media to be fair.
  
  13 0
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  April 28, 2025 9:32am
  - rockape
    
    Should. Have been a nurse! Wife just got backpay, I thought quite good at over $14k after tax. Then we got tho notification and that’s just for her new contact of 4 and a half years. She is still owed for 10 and a half years before that ! So hoping for another $25k in July.
    
    11 1
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    April 28, 2025 10:57am
- Mike
  
  Not the only organization with a huge Holidays Act liability.
  Governments need to adopt a long-term plan to restore the rail (and ferry) network. It’s taken far too many years to recover from the disastrous privatization. Hopefully, the recent noises about a bipartisan approach to infrastructure will lead to some sustainable progress.
  
  3 13
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  April 28, 2025 9:55am
  - cmm
    
    The ” disastrous privatization” was not in privatization was not in the privatization but how it was done.
    
    How can any system which needs an 85% taxpayer subsidy be considered successful?
    
    18 3
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    April 28, 2025 10:18am
    - Mike
      
      Really? How would you have privatized NZ Rail and Air NZ less disastrously?
      
      4 9
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      April 28, 2025 10:35am
      - cmm
        
        By keeping the government out of them. If they fail or stand they must do so on their own two feet.
        
        There are other airlines providing services so AirNZ should fully privatise.
        
        Ditto NZ Rail. If government rail is not commercially viable, then there are other players that will pick up the slack.
        
        9 3
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        April 28, 2025 11:32am
      - Mike
        
        Nonsense. Air NZ fails and stops all flights. No replacement airline will appear by magic. Same as for rail, or the public health system for that matter.
        
        4 8
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        April 28, 2025 11:36am
      - graham
        
        If Air NZ “fails and stops all flights” it wouldn’t just happen immediately. It would be apparent for months that the airline was in trouble. We wouldn’t need a “replacement airline …(to) appear by magic“, we already have airlines flying within New Zealand that could ramp up their operations over that timeframe. Jetstar being the obvious one, but there are other small airlines operating a limited number of services.
        
        10 1
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        April 28, 2025 11:59am
      - Mike
        
        Maybe. But the government didn’t think it could take that risk last time AirNZ went bust.
        
        5 4
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        April 28, 2025 12:39pm
      - Pope Punctilious II
        
        Either privatize properly, or don’t privatize at all. The current model of AirNZ is effectively “privatize the profits, socialize the losses”.
        
        It’s hard to see how rail could be effectively privatized in NZ. I’d rather the state just did a better job of running rail as a public transport service.
        
        7 0
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        April 28, 2025 1:31pm
Chuck Bird

Would the real New Zealand please stand up?

The Maori political activist party are attempting to impose tikanga on our Parliamentary process. The chief Justice of New Zealand Helen Winklemann, a graduate of the Auckland Frankfurt University uses 1984 doublethink to timewarp back to 1840 and newspeak to redefine New Zealand. Now this is where its led.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRGi-txQiP0&t=12s
15 5
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April 28, 2025 9:48am
- Mike
  
  Auckland Frankfurt University?
  
  7 3
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  April 28, 2025 9:55am
  - Pope Punctilious II
    
    An allusion to the Frankfurt School, “critical theory”. Quite well represented at Auckland Uni e.g. https://profiles.auckland.ac.nz/emilie-rakete
    https://profiles.auckland.ac.nz/c-cremin
    
    6 3
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    April 28, 2025 1:10pm
    - Mike
      
      Ah, the ‘cultural Marxism’ conspiracy theory.
      
      2 9
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      April 28, 2025 2:42pm
      - Pope Punctilious II
        
        Conspiracy theory? Emilie Rakete describes herself on the Auckland Uni website as “a critical Marxist scholar”. Ciara Cremin describes herself as a “critical and cultural theorist whose work diagnoses the socio-economic, cultural and subjective condition of late capitalism. She draws in particular on Marxist and psychoanalytic perspectives with expertise in the work of Karl Marx, Jacques Lacan, Slavoj Žižek, early Frankfurt school”
        
        [Mod – deleted]
        
        4 1
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        April 28, 2025 7:05pm
      - NZer In Exile
        
        Ah the loony-left gas lighting.
        
        0 0
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        April 29, 2025 7:29pm
greybeard

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360664905/really-concerned-hundreds-heavily-pregnant-women-showing-hospital-no-or-minimal-antenatal-care

What is interesting about this article is what it doesn’t say: the headline suggests a national problem when in fact it is all about Middlemore Hospital and its situation in South Auckland.

And South Auckland has a very high percentage of maori and P.I. families.
Could this possibly be a reason for the lack of antenatal care? Just a thought.
13 2
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April 28, 2025 9:50am
- cmm
  
  Of course. No doubt there will also be a high correlation with people that smoke and drink during pregnancy too.
  
  Anyone who has the slightest goal of being a good parent can easily find, and access, the dozens of antenatal services available. There really is no excuse.
  
  Many of us even managed to do so before the age of Google.
  
  But no, the “solution” will no doubt be to roll out yet another Maori/Pacifika NGO to provide antenatal services…
  
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  April 28, 2025 10:16am
- Simon
  
  It’s been like this for years & years. The horror stories that never can make msm. The morbid obesity in south Auckland is another massive liability.
  
  There is also the vitamin d issue.
  
  11 1
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  April 28, 2025 11:30am
- Paulus
  
  Nobody wants to work there as a result of the treatment, or preferentials, or otherwise, of the many Maori/PI patients, so are you surprised at the lack of many staff ?
  
  7 0
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  April 28, 2025 1:52pm
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  Immigration checks may be an issue
  
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  April 28, 2025 10:14pm
I remember when

How often do we hear comments about “putting food on the table?”
The comments are very rarely about “learning to put food on the table?”

Asian restaurant owners in Palmerston North retiring after operating for 46 years.
Couldn’t speak English when he arrived age 20.
Originally they used to stay open until 2 am at weekends and midnight during the week, now because of age they close at 9 pm.
Still a ‘cash only’ business.
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April 28, 2025 10:06am
Swifty

Te Ao Maori in action?

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/559239/most-arrests-in-wairoa-under-latest-gang-conflict-warrant-for-weapons

Who’s to say it’s not, and by what criteria?

Or is modern Te Ao Maori just the ‘good bits’ of Maori society, handpicked by university academics, grifting politicians and self-interested community leaders?

If this is Te Ao Maori then leave me out.
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April 28, 2025 10:20am
imalwaysright

Apparently gangs in the Bay of Plenty are starting to dress in all black to get around the gang patch law.

Maybe ban gangs instead of their clothing.

I’ve yet to hear of a woman being raped, someone being stabbed, or drugs being pushed, by a home made jerkin.
11 3
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April 28, 2025 10:38am
Pope Punctilious II

Luxon did a pretty good job of stonewalling Ingrid ~~Hipkins~~ Hipkiss this morning, when she repeatedly tried to get him to condemn Winston Peters’ “threat” to defund RNZ. Luxon even seemed to hint that RNZ needed to lift their game when he responded by saying the government expected RNZ to give “value for money” or something similar.
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April 28, 2025 10:58am
- BeaB
  
  Of all the subjects she could have grilled him on after a big overseas trip all she could manage was to harp on about RNZ. Talk about navel gazing. It was clear to listeners that Luxon had said all he intended to say on the subject but good old RNZ made it all about themselves. No wonder we are fed up with the media. No wonder we agree with Winston that they shouldn’t get so much of our money when they are so mediocre.
  
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  April 28, 2025 12:54pm
  - Paulus
    
    Luxon was very good on Mike Hosking’s programme this morning but of course Mike did not try an interrupt him every time he spoke.
    Ingrid still has alot to learn in her own right, and not try to imitate Maiki Sherman.
    
    9 1
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    April 28, 2025 1:57pm
    - waripori
      
      He sounded very cheerful on Hosking. He must have a lot of energy as he can have only just got off the plane from Rome. He even seemed to be across the big scandal of the day which was three people being admitted to police college having not passed the physical test or something. Big contrast with Chippy who never seemed to know anything about anything.
      
      7 1
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      April 28, 2025 2:14pm
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  Upping their game or perhaps they could get achievement funding or a similar outcome to the police funding for drink driving, in the past they were taking the money but not giving the required out comes
  
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  April 28, 2025 1:44pm
Bridgenag

YOUR CO2 EMISSIONS ARE NOT DRIVING CLIMATE CHANGE BY TRAPPING HEAT
By Joseph Fournier, Ph.D

AI-generated podcast, discussing this insightful research by Joseph Fournier, Ph.D.

https://open.substack.com/pub/metatron/p/your-co2-emissions-are-not-driving?r=1aj1bv&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
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April 28, 2025 11:10am
- cmm
  
  Is “AI generated” supposed to make us believe it more?
  
  10 0
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  April 28, 2025 11:20am
  - imalwaysright
    
    I heard on the Bret Weinstein podcast that there are scientists who are asking AI to prove their conclusions.
    
    That’s, maybe, okay as a type of peer review after the scientists have gone through the scientific process, but apparently some are skipping that step.
    
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    April 28, 2025 11:34am
    - imalwaysright
      
      Predetermined conclusions.
      
      3 3
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      April 28, 2025 12:17pm
    - Raphael
      
      a good 10 years or so ago I read an article about a tool that was using sensors to monitor solar activity. The people running it had no problem with using AI to populate any missing datapoints considering it just as valid as the actual raw data.
      
      8 1
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      April 28, 2025 12:53pm
      - cmm
        
        That is no different to old days extrapolation.
        Using extrapolated data as data in OK so long as you put huge safety rails around it and do it with care and understanding.
        Unfortunately AI doesn’t have that second layer knowledge to understand what it is doing.
        
        3 0
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        April 28, 2025 3:16pm
      - kiwimike
        
        before AI, they just made it up in hundreds of places all over the World…
        
        2 0
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        April 28, 2025 6:06pm
  - Raphael
    
    Some AI tools for podcasts are taking things like research papers and turning them into a discussion that people can listen to.
    
    It’s an interesting use of the technology, and presuming it doesn’t make crap up, it’s not a bad way for people who prefer to listen to a podcast to find out about new research etc.
    
    4 1
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    April 28, 2025 12:51pm
    - Sacha
      
      – and university students are using AI to write their essays.
      They think they’re clever.
      
      5 0
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      April 28, 2025 1:40pm
      - Swifty
        
        There’s a certain KB poster who uses AI to assemble some of his posts on here too!
        
        Nor does he declare when he’s doing it.
        
        6 0
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        April 28, 2025 2:45pm
      - Raphael
        
        Well the technological crap is out of the horse. It isn’t going back. So we need to learn how to deal with it.
        
        1 0
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        April 28, 2025 3:00pm
cmm

Let’s see….
* Drives off the road doing 130kph without any signs of braking?
* Six year old son dies.

At first he was found guilty of deliberately crashing the car and thus murder (seems reasonable enough), but this got downgraded on appeal to manslaughter claiming it was a mechanical fault.

Sentenced to 5 years which was reduced to just over 4 years. Out after 2.5 years.

Released because he is not an “undue risk” on society.

No wonder the cops have all but given up.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360667789/father-who-killed-son-fiery-crash-freed
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April 28, 2025 11:19am
- Bobba Fret
  
  That reminds me of this incident and why we can no longer drive up Mt Wellington.
  https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/faces-of-innocents/80160234/faces-of-innocents-britney-abbott–dead-after-car-plunged-over-cliff
  
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  April 28, 2025 11:54am
  - john1234
    
    Nah, the reason you can’t drive up Mt Wellington anymore, nor Mt Eden nor One Tree Hill is that these public roaded volcanoes are treated in accordance with nonsense Maori beliefs (that nobody in their right mind believes) that they are “people” who’s “mana” would be diminished by cars driving on them. Apparently people walking on the face of these “people” is OK?
    What a steaming pile of crap.
    
    26 3
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    April 28, 2025 12:13pm
    - David Garrett
      
      John: unfortunately I have only one uptick to give you…
      
      15 2
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      April 28, 2025 1:27pm
    - Paulus
      
      Schhh – its all Tikanga now, and that now replaces the current day to day interpretation by our Judges of anything Maori –
      see Peter Ellis Supreme Court Judgement, and why they invoked their decision, except Peter was not a Maori, of the so called Founding Document,
      
      8 1
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      April 28, 2025 2:04pm
    - MCōs
      
      On the practical side
      I drove up One Tree Hill occasionally and it was a shambles. Same with Mt Eden
      
      2 1
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      April 28, 2025 2:28pm
      - Ghost
        
        I hated driving up one tree hill, but not as much as going up mount john
        
        1 1
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        April 28, 2025 2:31pm
      - MCōs
        
        Our family lived in Timaru and we often went up to Lake Alexandrina alongside Lake Tekapo. To get there we went passed the access road to Mt John before it was popularized. If it was a good day we’d go up to look out over the lakes and the McKenzie Country
        On a clear day you can see forever and on a clear night your can make out the edge of the universe
        Last time we were there there was a bloke in a kiosk at the bottom of the hill charging a fee.
        My Dad, who has long since passed away & the most affable of people, would have been livid
        We turned around and let the camper vans and minivans tick off another item on their list
        
        6 2
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        April 28, 2025 3:34pm
keepcalmcarryon

Well if you thought Labours new firearms laws are a failure and insult to firearms license holders and the general public, you were right.
Gun crime has increased since the register and Jacindas laws and now this:
“COLFO
Press Release April 28, 2025

The Council of Licensed Firearms Owners (COLFO) expresses profound alarm and condemnation over the Firearms Safety Authority’s decision to grant a firearms license and police vetting accreditation to Jaye Pukepuke, a former Junior Warriors rugby league player convicted of 15 armed robberies.

This reckless decision represents a serious breach of public trust and raises grave concerns about the integrity of New Zealand’s firearms licensing and vetting systems. COLFO strongly criticizes the Firearms Safety Authority and decision-makers for allowing a former violent criminal to hold such critical roles, which directly jeopardize community safety.

Pukepuke’s accreditation as a police vetting agent and his role on a Māori Firearms Authority forum, where he claims his criminal history provides a valuable perspective, are deeply disturbing.

Armed robbery is a severe crime involving violence and intimidation, and entrusting someone with such a record to determine whether law-abiding citizens are “fit and proper” to hold firearms licenses is unacceptable.

This decision is particularly egregious given the prior failure of police vetting processes, which allowed a terrorist to obtain a firearms license. The Firearms Safety Authority’s choice to permit a convicted armed robber to serve as a vettor and hold a firearms license demonstrates a dangerous disregard for public safety and accountability.”

A 15 x armed criminal allowed to vet for firearms licenses.
Words fail me.
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April 28, 2025 1:16pm
- Don Beckett
  
  Foxes running the chicken coup, The inmates running the asylum.
  
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  April 28, 2025 2:03pm
  - Mike
    
    Does a chicken coup involve assassination of the rooster?
    
    5 7
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    April 28, 2025 2:43pm
    - Don Beckett
      
      Silly boy – the fox has eaten it.
      
      4 2
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      April 28, 2025 3:08pm
  - kiwimike
    
    It was probably NZ Police way of saying FU to ACT & Nicole Mckee
    
    2 1
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    April 28, 2025 6:10pm
    - Ghost
      
      No, it was bullshit and has been retracted
      
      https://www.colfo.org/post/colfo-apology-and-clarification-regarding-misreported-information
      
      5 0
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      April 28, 2025 6:28pm
      - GJM
        
        Still a violent thug with a criminal record and a firearm licence. With the police trying to remove licences for spending tickets, the hypocrisy is real.
        Mind you, the police have no issues with a cop misusing the registry and buying guns using other people’s details. Still has his gun licence.
        
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        April 28, 2025 10:05pm
      - Ghost
        
        No he isn’t still a violent thug. Get over yourself. The man fucked up when he was young, he turned his life around, has devoted his life to helping kids who need help. I’d rather have a 100 people like him who work giving back to this country and those who need it than people like yourself who continue to judge him for his past mistake and hold it against him. There is nothing in the law stopping him from having a gun license
        
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        April 28, 2025 10:25pm
- Northshoredoc
  
  Surely this is incorrect?
  
  Even by NZ standards this is a whole new level of incompetence.
  
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  April 28, 2025 3:51pm
- keepcalmcarryon
  
  COLFO have retracted this statement and apoligised.
  The guy is some sort of community vetter not a firearms license vetter.
  My apologies for repeating the press release.
  
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  April 28, 2025 3:52pm
  - keepcalmcarryon
    
    Although COLFO still says he is a licensed firearms owner with 15 armed robbery convictions.
    You can be denied a firearms license for having too many speeding tickets.
    
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    April 28, 2025 8:54pm
    - Ghost
      
      The guy has turned his life around. He was in jail in his 20’s, he’s in his 40’s now, so there is nothing to stop him getting a gun license.
      
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      April 28, 2025 9:10pm
- Northshoredoc
  
  Hmm I may have been a bit quick to judge – this article provides some perspective.
  
  https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360666638/former-junior-warriors-player-jaye-pukepukes-rugby-league-redemption-story-prison-inspiring-mentor
  
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  April 28, 2025 3:57pm
Hugh Jarse

Words fail me on several grounds. Maybe it’s not as bad as it seems but at face value:
1. An armed robber is allowed to have a firearms licence. Maybe they think that reduces the number of charges next time, at least he will be licensed and the firearm he uses will be registered.
2. Not only that but he is a vetter making fit and proper decisions on the suitability of other firearms holders being re-licensed along with new applicants and presumably storage facilities.
3. As such what database access does he have to see what firearms other holders have stored away ?.
4. What the hell is the Maori Firearms Authority forum, what does it do and what are the members being paid ?.
5. Is there a Honkeys Firearms Authority Forum, or an Indian one, Chinese perhaps ?. If not why not.
6. Hopefully Mark Mitchell will be able to explain all this, but at this point it all seems indefensible.
7. Can the NZ Police and the FSA get any more ridiculous?
8. Looking forward to MSM coverage coming up.
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April 28, 2025 1:54pm
- cmm
  
  Does anyone still think National is doing their job?
  
  No, their job is not to be less bad than Labour. Their job is to reverse Labour’s long list of cock-ups.
  
  All they are doing is minding house for Labour until they get back in again.
  
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  April 28, 2025 3:21pm
  - Gravelroad
    
    Does anyone still think MMP is doing a good job?
    I am no apologist for the National Party, but it seems to be that a lot of the policies they wish to bring to action are held up by the need to constantly consult and appease their coalition partners.
    So we have snail pace governance with very few electeds held accountable.
    Yes, MMP has brought in a lot of different people with their own agendas, which must be accommodated – at all costs.
    But, to all those who voted for other parties via MMP to “keep National honest”, or some such tosh, are you still pleased with your decisions?
    
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    April 28, 2025 4:57pm
    - NZer In Exile
      
      List MPs are a stupid concept. A lucky dip.
      
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      April 29, 2025 7:32pm
  - Ghost
    
    It was a bullshit story that has already been retracted.
    
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    April 28, 2025 7:09pm
Chuck Bird

The title explains what the video is about.

Michael Laws Reacts To Jack Tame’s Interview With Shaun Hendy On The Covid Response

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMpS62mMz1A
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April 28, 2025 1:55pm
Chuck Bird

[Mod – you already posted this word for word the other day]
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April 28, 2025 2:16pm
Ghost

Police Teach Extremely Entitled Teen the Lesson of a Lifetime

I could never be a cop, I would just taser her, over and over until she shuts up.
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April 28, 2025 4:08pm
- Gravelroad
  
  I bet she will be on social media quick as you like and friends with the democrat defund the police agitators – such as the delightful AOC the next Pres of the USA.
  All this will work out fine for her – a career as a well paid “influencer” already underway.
  
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  April 28, 2025 5:42pm

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