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July 10, 2025 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 10 July 2025

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General Debate

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greybeard

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360749709/some-news-weve-updated-homepage

Be still my beating heart !
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July 10, 2025 8:03am
- Anthony Melchett
  
  Still can’t bring themselves to get the name of the country correct
  
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  July 10, 2025 8:14am
- Bridgenag
  
  Please tell us so that we don’t have to read stuff
  
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  July 10, 2025 8:23am
  - Mike
    
    You don’t have to read Stuff.
    You’re welcome.
    
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    July 10, 2025 8:35am
    - I remember when
      
      “You don’t have to read Stuff.”
      
      Still as they are the producer of a significant part of our media we should be able to question their contributions.
      
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      July 10, 2025 9:23am
      - Mike
        
        Which would require reading it.
        
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        July 10, 2025 10:58am
    - cmm
      
      But you do have to pay for it.
      
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      July 10, 2025 9:50am
    - muzled
      
      And I for one am very glad we don’t have to read it Mike.
      
      I’m upto 8 years without a visit now.
      
      And I’ve missed it like a hole in the head.
      
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      July 10, 2025 12:07pm
      - [email protected]
        
        Ditto the TV. We turned it off 13 years ago. Saved having to watch thousands of commercials.
        
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        July 10, 2025 1:02pm
    - ISeeRed
      
      “so that”, Mike. Read all the words next time so that you don’t misunderstand.
      
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      July 10, 2025 1:06pm
    - Jinky
      
      You made me laugh 🤣
      
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      July 11, 2025 7:20am
- cmm
  
  Breaking news: We just updated with new floral canvas on the deckchairs of the Titanic.
  
  (Yes, I know that is not historically accurate).
  
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  July 10, 2025 5:11pm
artemisia

Ministry of Health spending money like water, no evidence that it’s working, but give us more anyway.

‘No evidence’ to show reduction in gambling harm from $81m industry tax

Chief Gambling Commissioner, Susan Hughes, KC, wrote that the commission was “very clear” in 2022 the ministry needed to undertake a major strategic review of its strategy, and it was “disappointed” it had not done so. “The ministry has spent hundreds of millions over a prolonged period of time but there is no evidence that the strategy has had a substantial impact on the level of gambling harm in New Zealand.”

But but but … the ministry listened to a range of views during its consultation on the levy and said there was “strong support” for new priorities to prevent gambling harm.

Did any of the ‘range of views’ supporting new priorities suggest why those hundreds of millions already spent did not work.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/566449/no-evidence-to-show-reduction-in-gambling-harm-from-81m-industry-tax
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July 10, 2025 8:06am
- Simon
  
  Report finds govt department to be parasitic & quite useless. National decides to allow govt department to continue its parasitic function.
  
  Daily examples of NZ in structural decay. Out in the open. Its much worse if you have a look.
  
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  July 10, 2025 8:30am
  - pdm
    
    Which of the 80 odd is that one?
    
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    July 10, 2025 10:31am
- Swifty
  
  Government effectiveness doesn’t matter, it’s kindness that’s most important.
  
  Second most important is the ability to say “we’ve invested $81 million into harm reduction….”
  
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  July 10, 2025 8:36am
  - Paulus
    
    See Kindness expert’s film is not to be made – shame !
    
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    July 10, 2025 9:31am
    - wsk12345
      
      ???
      
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      July 10, 2025 9:43am
      - Swifty
        
        The Ardern film has been halted.
        
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        July 10, 2025 10:06am
      - graham
        
        Only one of them, I believe.
        
        A movie about former Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern that had been earmarked for $800,000 of taxpayer funding has been scrapped.
        
        No public money was drawn down on the project, despite it being in development for months and presented to potential international partners at the Cannes film market in 2023.
        
        The New Zealand-produced film, titled Mania, had been originally expected to go head-to-head this year with the New Zealand/US-produced and Ardern-backed Prime Minister movie.
        
        https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/media-insider/media-insider-taxpayer-funded-jacinda-ardern-movie-mania-scrapped/RQH3MA2ZOFE7ZGOTG47Y2GT6DE/
        
        (Paywalled)
        
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        July 10, 2025 10:59am
      - imalwaysright
        
        “The New Zealand-produced film, titled Mania…”
        
        Should have called it Maniac
        
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        July 10, 2025 3:06pm
- balanced
  
  I predict modest house price rises to continue this year, the economy will keep gradually ticking up, then when the economy is able to absorb new employees, the Luxon lead coalition will drive significant publc sector layoffs.
  
  The challenge for Luxon and Seymour, is how do they prevent a Clark advised McAnulty lead government from ramping up public sector hiring, and spending millions on unneeded consultants.
  
  The question for us is who profited from the millions of our hard earned siphoned into superfluous Labour Party consulting companies?
  
  E.g., $60m+ spent figuring out how to (unsuccessfully) enter a mine with a known impassable rock fall.
  
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  July 10, 2025 8:36am
  - Simon
    
    “the Luxon lead coalition will drive significant publc sector layoffs.”
    
    No this will not happen. Instead National plan to bring in 300K to 500K Indians in. This is the stated goal.
    
    The 300K to 500k Indians will work mostly in the private sector which will go a little way to address the massive over balance of those employed by govt. There will be no lay offs etc. The bloated govt will sail onwards, with the plan to continue to over tax the general economy. National is banking on taxing new vast numbers of Indians to help pay for govt.
    
    However as mass third world immigration is a short term fix and a medium term train wreck it will then leave the left to bring in sweeping wealth taxes, when they get back in.
    
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    July 10, 2025 9:01am
    - Ghost
      
      Where is this goal stated?
      
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      July 10, 2025 9:50am
      - Simon
        
        https://www.visamaxnz.com/visamaxnz-blog-posts/nz-election-political-party-immigration-policies?
        
        Plus,
        https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/election-2023/498433/national-promises-to-expand-international-student-work-rights?
        
        National are reckless garbage.
        
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        July 10, 2025 10:01am
      - balanced
        
        Every time I read detractor posts I’m reminded of the “I know i am but what are you” primary school retort. They never supply facts or references because they have none.
        
        The exception is the much hated “Mike” who cites facts/sources only a political party employee would be bothered to read.
        
        The Coalition agreement states “Deliver savings in public sector spending by reducing non-essential back office functions, with
        expenditure reduction targets to be set for each agency, informed by the increase in back office head
        count at that agency since 2017.”
        
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        July 10, 2025 10:02am
      - balanced
        
        Or they post references which have nothing to do with the post they are mindlessly arguing against.
        
        Simon citing RNZ also provides a clue!
        
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        July 10, 2025 10:20am
      - Ghost
        
        Again where is it a stated goal that national will bring in 300,000 to 500,000 Indians. It sure isn’t in your links.
        
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        July 10, 2025 10:23am
    - Paulus
      
      No wonder Maori are scalded at the thought of being totally outnumbered by those workers of Indian Ethnicity very shortly if not already.
      Go back some years to Fiji where the Fijians owned the land, and the Indians ran all the businesses.
      Then they started with UK Pasports to come here sucessfully as business owners.
      “Fings ain’t what they used to be” and are changing dramatically. !
      
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      July 10, 2025 11:40am
      - Don Beckett
        
        Its easy to see the Indian workers, they work.
        Not so much our ethnic countrymen.
        
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        July 10, 2025 11:55am
      - ISeeRed
        
        Don, why import foreigners when we have locals idle?
        
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        July 10, 2025 1:53pm
  - RoboRob
    
    Economists and banks are forcasting middle to low end housing to continue to drop in prices for the remainder of this year. Not for them to rise.
    
    That said remember when everyone was screaming for the government to make housing affordable?
    
    Rumer is that we are about to re enter a recession. So no room for anymore government layoffs.
    
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    July 10, 2025 9:41am
    - balanced
      
      To quote Ian Drury. “Reasons to be cheerful”
      
      Nationwide, new residential listings on OneRoof in June were down almost 5% year-on-year, and while there is still a wide variety of choice for buyers, the oversaturation in the market may be ending.
      
      Higher-than-expected sales are slowly eating away at stock levels. Separate figures from the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand showed an 8.9% annual jump in house sales in May. In fact, total house sales so far this year are 12% up on the same period last year.
      
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      July 10, 2025 10:21am
    - artemisia
      
      Laid off government employees who remain out of work cost less than those who stay. Cost is not just salary, not even close. And by no means all will be eligible for welfare.
      
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      July 10, 2025 10:21am
      - imalwaysright
        
        Yes, the country would be much better off with about 70% of the public service on the dole. That includes MPs , city councillors, and local government .
        
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        July 10, 2025 10:34am
      - balanced
        
        True but as always the situation is more complicated than a simple 2-1 equation.
        
        An exploding unemployment number rings alarm bells in our emotionally driven low regulation market
        
        Unemployment is a great predictor of demand so nz businesses will respond to increased unemploymnt by reducing production, thereby reducing employment.
        
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        July 10, 2025 10:41am
      - Paulus
        
        What and how many Government employees please ?
        as many who lost their jobs in fact were not arranged Departmental Vacancies for the figures.
        
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        July 10, 2025 11:42am
      - balanced
        
        Beehive.govt
        We set a two-year target to cut $400 million in spending on consultants and contractors across the public sector by 2024/25,” Ms Collins says.
        
        “The latest update anticipates savings will come in at more than $800 million by the end of June.
        
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        July 10, 2025 2:52pm
- I remember when
  
  “‘strong support’ for new priorities”
  Yep, the old ones aren’t working so lets try some something different.
  Never know, it might work.
  
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  July 10, 2025 9:28am
- imalwaysright
  
  Correct.
  
  The public service, local government , and their ideologically driven offshoots and are a systemic cancer that is killing New Zealand.
  
  Every day we learn of another leech organisation with a dubious purpose whose only skill seems to be taking possession of millions of dollars of public money.
  
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  July 10, 2025 9:37am
- PurplePen
  
  What’s a “major strategic review of its strategy” as opposed to a review of a strategy.
  
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  July 10, 2025 11:23am
  - septic skeptic
    
    The former costs a lot more.
    
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    July 10, 2025 11:34am
- the deity formerly known as nigel6888
  
  This Deity thinks it would be fair to say that the programme has achieved all of its objectives. The provider industry was fully paid, all of the money was spent, the gambling industry has carte-blanche to rape and pillage the most vulnerable in society, and the “responsible gaming” box was thoroughly ticked.
  
  All good. The programme is clearly a huge success.
  
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  July 10, 2025 12:00pm
- Letterman
  
  They didn’t work because no-one was formally measuring client service outcomes. Doing so halves treatment costs, and doubles service intervention effectiveness.
  
  Client feedback also informs and influences service delivery.
  
  But mental health services are terrified to risk finding out that they suck, so no-one measures client outcomes as a result.
  
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  July 10, 2025 9:41pm
Flossie

So TVNZ is to have an inquiry into any possible bias. Oh my goodness! Does anyone think they’re going to find any?
Of course things may have improved since this household stopped tuning in but somehow I doubt it.
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July 10, 2025 8:08am
- Anthony Melchett
  
  Some of the rabid lefties saying it’s a good thing because tvnz is very right biased. Ask them for an example and of course they can’t give you one.
  
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  July 10, 2025 8:12am
- Scooter
  
  What a joke, they’re only doing it as a sham to be seen to be doing something. Maybe a last ditch effort to keep government funding.
  
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  July 10, 2025 8:28am
  - G152
    
    The answer is in the word NEWS…
    Not Even Worth Seeing
    Or hearing or believing
    
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    July 10, 2025 9:06am
    - mogg
      
      Their disgusting sensationalist coverage of the cabin in Texas foods floating away with 10 young girls inside, who all died. “Look there are flashlights going inside”. Sensationalism 10/10, respect zero.
      They are no better than scum.
      
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      July 10, 2025 10:54am
- Tricati
  
  My understanding the person doing the review was with the Australian ABC network – Now there’s a bastion of impartiality, so expect a very unbiased review (sarc)
  
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  July 10, 2025 9:04am
  - Southern Raider
    
    Employing Fox News to lead the review would be more entertaining.
    
    I guess the ABC will overlook all the anti Israel stories as they do the same themselves in Australia
    
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    July 10, 2025 10:29am
    - Ra Henare
      
      MSM around the world are biased.
      hence them loosing followers in droves.
      
      The MSM media vitriol and excitement when Tucker Carlson added to go and talk to President Putin..
      Who cares what they said. Just that we, the great unwashed, were allowed to watch and listen.
      
      Now I see Tucker has interviewed/talked to the President of Iran. Standing by for MSM to loose their minds.
      
      PS. I Note Netanyahu does NOT give press conferences to Israeli media? Only talks to selected Western Journalists. Wonder why?
      Maybe they are the only gullible ones to accept his spin?
      
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      July 10, 2025 3:16pm
      - Wandering Star
        
        “I Note Netanyahu does NOT give press conferences to Israeli media? Only talks to selected Western Journalists. Wonder why?”
        
        Because Israel depends on the backing of Western English-speaking governments, without which Israel cannot do much at all. He’s speaking to an audience outside of Israel when he is giving press conferences or other addresses in English.
        
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        July 10, 2025 6:41pm
      - Ghost
        
        Guess this is just an imaginary press conference then
        
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gDaxm0dSvk
        
        Do you people ever get anything right or do you just spout bullshit day in and out
        
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        July 10, 2025 6:53pm
- Gravelroad
  
  Hope they ask political reporter Maiki Sherman for her views.
  She knows a thing or two about bias………
  
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  July 10, 2025 9:17am
  - Paulus
    
    Sherman – Not only bias but how to present that in the rudest fashion possible but that is her whanau upbringing.
    Come back Tova !
    
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    July 10, 2025 9:33am
    - pdm
      
      Come back Tova.
      
      Please no.
      
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      July 10, 2025 11:47am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    She’s head of One Views
    
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    July 10, 2025 9:50am
  - John Loveridge
    
    She certainly knows how to shout at a camera.
    
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    July 10, 2025 10:47am
    - Paulus
      
      And be rude if it is a Government Minister.
      
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      July 10, 2025 11:44am
      - pdm
        
        Seymour put Maiki in her place Monday.
        
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        July 10, 2025 11:48am
- RoboRob
  
  The problem is the review is going to focus on how TVNZ are covering news events. It will not cover ‘commentators’ or which stories TVNZ choose to cover and how much coverage is given. Thats where the real issue is.
  
  As a side not I see a RNZ story yesterday on YFC (who KFC are taking legal action against). RNZ said ‘Riccarton high school student Ben Yang…’. Now unless my son who goes to school with Ben has enrolled at a different school I suspect thats some seriously poor reporting.
  
  https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/566390/how-fried-chicken-food-truck-yfc-ran-afoul-of-kfc-s-trademark-lawyers
  
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  July 10, 2025 9:46am
  - rjay
    
    If Ben is from Riccarton and goes to a high school then it is correct. High and Scool are not capitalized so no inference that there is a school’ name in the passage. Having said that, clearly the sentence could be restructured to avoid misunderstanding.
    
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    July 10, 2025 10:10am
    - Jack5
      
      But how do do you provide capital letters when you are reading something on radio?
      
      Riccarton High School differs from (a) Riccarton high school.
      
      RNZ should have been specific.
      
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      July 10, 2025 1:24pm
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  When they come back and say everything is all rickety boo, what then? They are full of shit, and trying to hoodwink the rest of society who still believe their bullshittery
  
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  July 10, 2025 9:49am
- Southern Raider
  
  A good first step would be to start with the Jewish community for some full and frank views on the impact of selective reporting
  
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  July 10, 2025 10:21am
- Tom Hunter
  
  What is this “TVNZ” of which you speak?
  
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  July 10, 2025 10:44am
  - Paulus
    
    Changing shortly after the review to TVAO !
    
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    July 10, 2025 11:45am
- Prince
  
  Just read John Campbell blog/essay after the last election.
  Then consider the influential role he now holds at TVNZ.
  
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  July 10, 2025 5:40pm
imalwaysright

I’m guessing that Ardern will give evidence to the Covid Enquiry over Zoom, and as the questions become more awkward there will be “technical problems” and her allotted time will expire.
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July 10, 2025 8:09am
- Tricati
  
  She will no doubt get the questions beforehand and have the appropriate ‘word-salad’ answers for each, espousing just how wonderful she was. Or more likely, just throwing everyone else under the bus.
  
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  July 10, 2025 9:06am
- I remember when
  
  The “technical problems” were New Zealand being able to access the vaccine at the time.
  
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  July 10, 2025 9:31am
- cmm
  
  Any probing would always reduce to “We applied the best science available at the time”
  
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  July 10, 2025 9:52am
  - imalwaysright
    
    “Acting on advice from the Director General of Helf…”
    
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    July 10, 2025 9:53am
    - rouppe
      
      Yip, yip that’ll be what it is…
      
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      July 10, 2025 12:36pm
  - muzled
    
    The best possible political science…
    
    I swear to this day that they thought they could ride the covid bus all the way to the 2023 election.
    
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    July 10, 2025 12:21pm
  - cmm
    
    I bet she doesn’t mention her “awesome inchoo-ishun”.
    
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    July 10, 2025 1:49pm
- GJM
  
  Someone out of sight will be writing the answers on a whiteboard for her to read out.
  
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  July 10, 2025 6:31pm
artemisia

If Uber loses its appeal in the Supreme Court will it fold its tent and leave New Zealand? Or hang in there to see the impact of changes proposed in the Employment Relations Amendment Bill.

Others in the wider gig economy will be watching, waiting, working on Plan B.
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July 10, 2025 8:17am
- Ian
  
  If the appeal is lost, that type of ruling could broaden to many other areas, not just the “gig” economy. Real estate agents, contract lorry drivers, contract trades people, financial planners, etc., etc…..
  
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  July 10, 2025 8:24am
  - Ian Boag
    
    The ole slippery slope trope. If this happens then all sorts of other bad (?) things will follow.
    
    Uber will stay here if they are still making money. Given that the development costs of the app have long since been written off, their marginal cost of doing app-based business is bugger all. They can always up their prices or cut back the 27% slice of every fare that goes to Uber. Or they can leave and have the market open to other ride hailers …
    
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    July 10, 2025 9:29am
    - cmm
      
      Uber itself is not the real issue. It is the impact a ruling would have on the whole gig economy – including long term contractors.
      
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      July 10, 2025 9:53am
    - Libertarians are right
      
      It’s not “Slippery Slope” it’s about precedence. If Uber loses there will also be a huge number of other companies that lose.
      
      The issue seems to be how much importance is put on different aspects of the contracting arrangement.
      i.e. not being allowed to contract for others suggests employment but complete control over what jobs to take and when to work etc suggests not.
      
      The issue is that if a contractor is considered an employee having met one or two “requirements”, then it’s going to have wide reaching ramifications. It doesn’t change whether they should win or lose but does affect future legislation where the politicians may decide that the law isn’t doing what it’s supposed to do.
      
      Note that we have a recent example here re holiday pay rules.
      
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      July 10, 2025 1:10pm
      - cmm
        
        Quite.
        
        Taxis have operated as independent operators since forever. They own their own vehicles. They are not employees. They pay a monthly franchising fee (or whatever) to the taxi company who sends them rides.
        
        It seems to me that Uber drivers want everything.
        
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        July 10, 2025 2:12pm
- Swifty
  
  If people don’t like the terms and conditions on offer then don’t take the job.
  
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  July 10, 2025 8:33am
  - MCōs
    
    I know a guy who did uber work in Auckland. No sick leave, no annual leave, no penal rates. He told me he made about $55k p.a. His wife, my wife’s niece, on the other hand had a reasonable job.
    Basically he was taken advantage of because there are limited opportunities for a person in his position
    
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    July 10, 2025 9:18am
    - Cassandra
      
      55K is about 7 above the minimum wage. Or he could get a real job.
      
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      July 10, 2025 9:44am
    - cmm
      
      “No sick leave, no annual leave, no penal rates.”
      
      Ummm, it’s not employment. It is self employment. You only charge while you’re on the clock.
      
      I am self employed. I don’t charge my customers for annual leave or sick leave and there are no penal rates. Nor do they give me the benefits they give employees (health insurance, Kiwisaver etc).
      
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      July 10, 2025 9:57am
      - Taieri
        
        I am self employed. I don’t charge my customers for annual leave or sick leave and there are no penal rates.
        ———–
        
        Don’t compare your situation to that of Uber drivers. You are in a very different league.
        
        As for your annual leave etc. of course you are charging your customers for that. By incorporating it into the fees you charge for your services.
        
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        July 10, 2025 1:10pm
      - cmm
        
        “As for your annual leave etc. of course you are charging your customers for that. By incorporating it into the fees you charge for your services.”
        
        Yes, that is true. They also pay for me to insure myself, pay my own Kiwisaver etc etc.
        
        But other than the $/hr I make how is that any different to an Uber driver, plumber or such?
        
        When an Uber driver charges for a ride, part of what they are charging goes into keeping them alive while they are on holiday etc.
        
        No different to anyone else consulting in the gig economy.
        
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        July 10, 2025 2:19pm
      - Taieri
        
        how is that any different to an Uber driver
        ———-
        
        Your skills are highly portable internationally. Not so for an Uber driver or a plumber (requires registration etc.)
        
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        July 10, 2025 2:39pm
      - MCōs
        
        My understanding is that Uber drivers, unlike taxi drivers are paid by the company. They don’t collect the fares from the customers.
        I was out at the airport and wanted a taxi home but because I only live 10min away the regular taxi wasn’t interested. The fare was about $60 which was no good to him because he had to return and queue up for hours for another fare
        The uber which was ordered via the app was $30. The uber company could then send him to another fare. So they pass on a proportion of the $30 to the driver
        Jim’s Mowing is similar. The operator can’t do free lance work
        
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        July 10, 2025 7:39pm
    - imalwaysright
      
      “No sick leave, no annual leave, no penal rates..”
      Sick and annual leave, and penal rates, should be between the employer and employee.
      That an employer holds back a portion of wages for leave seems a bit maternalistic.
      
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      July 10, 2025 10:00am
    - Swifty
      
      Uber bosses held a gun to his head and forced him to sign their contract did they?
      
      If that happened I’d hope he would have gone straight to the police.
      
      21 5
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      July 10, 2025 10:12am
      - ISeeRed
        
        Sorry moderator, reported by mistake.
        
        [Mod – as a side note, we don’t bother much with reported posts as there are people here who just report a post because they don’t like the content or the person]
        
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        July 12, 2025 12:10pm
    - rouppe
      
      I was an IT contractor before I retired. I also had no sick leave, no annual leave, no penal rates.
      
      I preferred it that way. When I was sick, I called in and stayed home. When I went on leave I didn’t have to make sure I stayed within x days a year. I didn’t have HR getting in my way. I negotiated the time in good faith with my boss, usually months in advance.
      
      The problem your guy had was the rate of pay when he was working, not that he didn’t have sick leave
      
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      July 10, 2025 12:41pm
  - mogg
    
    Exactly.
    
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    July 10, 2025 3:46pm
- cmm
  
  Yup, this would no doubt send a wave through various industries. I watch this with interest.
  
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  July 10, 2025 8:35am
- Simon
  
  Uber have lobbied National who have folded like a cheap suit and will introduce new employment law that works out in Uber’s favor.
  
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  July 10, 2025 9:08am
  - Cassandra
    
    Uber drivers do not have to do it. Why join Uber and then complain?
    
    20 2
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    July 10, 2025 9:45am
    - artemisia
      
      Unions appear to be ~~supporting~~ driving the Uber case. Bigger gains incoming …
      
      16 1
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      July 10, 2025 10:15am
      - Swifty
        
        It’s all a great union membership drive.
        
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        July 10, 2025 10:56am
    - Swifty
      
      Exactly.
      
      How dishonourable.
      
      They voluntarily signed up to it, happy to take all the advantages, but then did the dirty – all capably revved up and encouraged by the unions.
      
      13 1
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      July 10, 2025 10:17am
      - Mike
        
        It’s not ok if the contract one signs does not comply with employment law.
        
        6 18
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        July 10, 2025 11:02am
      - Ian Boag
        
        did the dirty
        
        Which laws did they break? What’s “dirty” about taking perfectly legal steps to improve your lot? Free country and all that ….
        
        As I understood it – maybe in days gone by – if a certain % of your income came from work directed/controlled by a single entity then you were an employee.
        
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        July 10, 2025 11:30am
      - Swifty
        
        Yes, fair point Mike.
        
        And if the law is an impediment for these sorts of relationships then the law should be changed.
        
        The gig economy should be embraced as a feature of the world moving online – not resisted or shackled, we’ll end up looking like dinosaurs and suffer the same fate.
        
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        July 10, 2025 11:40am
      - cmm
        
        “It’s not ok if the contract one signs does not comply with employment law.”
        
        It isn’t employment so employment law does not apply. It is contracting for services.
        
        Next time you get a plumber in are you going to also give him holiday pay, sick leave, Kiwisaver etc?
        
        Taxi drivers are also not employed by the taxi companies (well those I have spoken to anyway). They are self employed. They own the taxis and they choose how many hours they work.
        
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        July 10, 2025 11:54am
      - Swifty
        
        Thanks cmm, you’ve described it better than I did.
        
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        July 10, 2025 12:45pm
      - Swifty
        
        Ian,
        
        “Which laws did they break?”
        
        Nice straw man, I didn’t claim that they did break any laws.
        
        I assert they did the dirty by their claims on Uber after they signed up.
        
        These sort of guys would agree to buy a car from you for $10k but then only turn up with $8k. Or would agree to paint your house with three coats of paint but only actually do one.
        
        Not to be trusted.
        
        I heard one driver on RNZ yesterday bleating about wanting the living wage. I’d like a pay rise too but that doesn’t mean I deserve it nor that someone should be obligated to pay it.
        
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        July 10, 2025 12:54pm
  - artemisia
    
    Shortage of drivers in New Zealand. Many vacancies are for employees. Uber drivers who want to be employees have options, though may need to upskill.
    
    9 2
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    July 10, 2025 11:23am
    - Ian Boag
      
      Only costs a couple of grand to get a basic Class 2 truck licence …..
      
      3 1
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      July 10, 2025 4:47pm
      - Ian Boag
        
        Plus most of a week off work to attend the course .. and a class 2 licence only gets you driving smallish trucks around town ….
        
        But yes. Upskilling is definitely an option …. 🙂
        
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        July 10, 2025 7:50pm
  - Ghost
    
    The proposed changes are common sense
    
    https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/09/15/govt-proposes-clarifying-contractor-criteria-in-law/
    
    6 2
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    July 10, 2025 11:42am
    - cmm
      
      No, not really.
      
      There is a clause “the business does not require the worker to be available to work on specific times of day or days, or for a minimum number of hours OR the worker can sub-contract the work, and”
      
      So let’s break that into two parts:
      “the business does not require the worker to be available to work on specific times of day or days, or for a minimum number of hours ”
      
      The worker (ie. contractor) needs to show up when required (eg. for meetings or when the business is busy) or to make deadlines.
      
      -OR-
      
      “the worker can sub-contract the work,” is problematic for contractors providing professional services.
      
      When I contract for a company they want me to provide the services because of special skills and experience I have. They don’t want me to farm the work out.
      
      Minister Brooke van Velden is going to be getting an email.
      
      8 3
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      July 10, 2025 12:05pm
      - artemisia
        
        The hiring company can vet the subcontractor. Not sure exactly what that means though. May need an HR person to advise if that includes skill levels.
        
        Anyway the Bill will go to Select Committee so opportunity to submit.
        
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        July 10, 2025 12:32pm
      - mogg
        
        For many Ubers it will be a second job, and of course they will be paying tax on their cash payments.
        
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        July 10, 2025 3:51pm
      - Ian Boag
        
        @Mogg
        
        For many Ubers it will be a second job, and of course they will be paying tax on their cash payments.
        
        You obviously have some inside info here. Care to share how you know all this? Which pub did you hear it at …. 🙂
        
        There is no cash involved in Uber rides – it all goes on the credit card as you step out.
        
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        July 10, 2025 4:45pm
      - Colville
        
        Ian.
        
        Plenty of cash for Uber drivers.
        
        Never walked out of a concert and hit up a Uber driver with a $50?…take me here now … they dump their booked ride in a heartbeat and you are on your way.
        
        I dont like waiting half an hour to get to a bar 🙂
        
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        July 10, 2025 7:21pm
- PurplePen
  
  From what little I know about employment law, without a change in legislation I can’t see how the drivers will win. It’s pretty clear cut.
  
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  July 10, 2025 11:32am
  - Ian Boag
    
    It’s pretty clear cut.
    
    So clear cut that Uber lost in the first two levels of court …. they would be most appreciative of the free legal advice you are offering. You know what they say that free legal advice is worth …. 🙂
    
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    July 10, 2025 5:27pm
Hugh Jarse

Given the TVNZ reviewer is ex Australian ABC and SBS it is unlikely that the review will make critical findings. The fact that 75 % of journalists are left or extreme left by their own admissions says more than any review will.
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July 10, 2025 8:22am
- Jack5
  
  Is “SBS” this Australian Special Broadcasting Service? Who’s behind it?
  
  https://www.sbs.com.au/
  
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  July 10, 2025 1:27pm
Cassandra

NZ Socialists complain about David Seymour visiting Dunedin: “Mr Bartle said the crowd had gathered on short notice to oppose Mr Seymour scraping fair-pay agreements, his silence on the genocide in Palestine and his pushing of the Regulatory Standards Bill.”

All the big problems facing NZ. A broken record – note no mention of any real issue but then the socialist plan for NZ does not actually include anything apart from tax the rich and encourage Hamas to murder Jews.
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July 10, 2025 8:32am
- balanced
  
  Tax the rich? Yeah Right.
  
  The big end of town love Labour.
  
  NZs profitable cartels: Power companies, public sector Consulting firms, developers (the big guys own the land encircling nzs cities), supermarkets, fletcher building, and Local councils disproportionate $100k plus employees ….
  
  LOVE LABOUR!
  
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  July 10, 2025 8:53am
  - Paulus
    
    UK are changing to ensure that they tax the rich.
    Too late as so many already gone with their billions.
    We have so few such that they are already poised for moving money when we get a Left Wing Government, or National again.
    
    12 2
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    July 10, 2025 9:37am
    - Ian Boag
      
      UK problem was that non-doms were about to becoime liable for inheritance tax on offshore assets. Not really a relevant problem for NZ.
      
      6 2
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      July 10, 2025 11:32am
      - mogg
        
        Rubbish it’s not just non doms who will pay the wealth tax, the need to cover the £40 billion deficit will mean a wealth and property tax on the middle classes.
        
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        July 10, 2025 7:48pm
    - PurplePen
      
      Well, who else is there to tax. You can’t really take much more from the workers and you can’t take more from beneficiaries.
      
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      July 10, 2025 11:36am
  - Quail
    
    Balanced
    You missed out all the non tax paying government funded indigenous cartels.,
    The ones claiming water rights etc etc!
    
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    July 10, 2025 12:08pm
Rusty

So Jacinda said she would attend the covid inquiry but no one has asked her to.

Maybe they can’t get hold of her.
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July 10, 2025 8:35am
- Paulus
  
  She will not return to New Zealand for it, so it will be internally televised
  
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  July 10, 2025 9:38am
  - rjay
    
    Hate to think what televising her internals will reveal.
    
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    July 10, 2025 10:13am
  - stewmar
    
    She’s already back here
    
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    July 10, 2025 10:14am
Maggy Wassilieff

The Malaghan Institute of Medical Research carries out cutting edge medical research.
Much of their work in the field of immunology involves types of cells and biochemicals and processes that I’d never heard of when I studied biology, genetics, microbiology and biochemistry some 50 years ago.

So I understand that this difficult topic of human immunology is probably pretty overwhelming for most people who are needing to understand something about their condition or treatment options.

One way scientists try to explain new or complicated matters to lay people is to employ analogies with something familiar, such as likening the human brain to a computer, or electric current in a wire to a flow of water.

In a recent article in “The Conversation” a Maori Engagement Advisor working for the Malaghan Institute creates an analogy between the Human Immune System and the Maori concepts of guardianship, genealogy and balance.

https://theconversation.com/a-maori-worldview-describes-the-immune-system-as-a-guardian-this-could-improve-public-health-in-aotearoa-nz-259025

But he goes beyond the realms of scientific/medical explanation when he lays a political dimension into his analogy.

There’s three things that bother me with what he has written:

1. He equates the entry of an infective agent into the body as being similar to colonisers invading Maori land. (the converse of this is that the colonisers of NZ are akin to viruses, bacteria, parasites,etc)

2. He uses the analogy to reinforce the belief that disease results from the breaking of Tapu or traditional bonds.

3. He seems dismissive of the advances Western Science has made in understanding and treating immunological conditions.

After reading the article, I wasn’t surprised to learn that the author has no medical or biological qualifications. In fact, he has an M.A. in German Literature, with a thesis on the Grimm Fairy Stories.

Such a pity that he didn’t draw an analogy between the immune system and Little Red Riding Hood…
and cast the Malaghan Institute and its workers as the axeman that slays the Big,bad wolf.
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July 10, 2025 9:17am
- Blog-aholic
  
  I recently had a virus that gave me a cough, but after reading this the Engagement Advisor can have it, and then it’ll be a far cough.
  
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  July 10, 2025 9:25am
  - Don Beckett
    
    So you want him to join the far queue.
    
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    July 10, 2025 10:45am
- Boy Geoff
  
  So, the author’s yet another ‘expert’ then.
  
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  July 10, 2025 9:34am
- Cassandra
  
  I was involved peripherally in the founding of the Malaghan. None of this BS then. Why do they need these non-contributing leeches on the staff? It’s not as if Maori organisations or people are donors to medical research.
  
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  July 10, 2025 9:50am
  - kowtow
    
    ‘non-contributing leeches’
    
    It would be very interesting to know just how many of these drags/wastes on progress and additional costs to institutions in time , salaries etc the whole “engagement” thing is causing , across the whole economy .
    
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    July 10, 2025 11:57am
  - Jack5
    
    The Malaghan Institute of Medical Research has admirable goals. A Maori advisor relating its research field to Maori lore is disturbing. So is the institute advisors raising “equitable health outcomes” and “the treaty” in relation to genetic research.
    
    The set-up of the Malaghan Institute:
    
    – It’s a registered charity.
    
    – It’s substantial by NZ standards. Grants and donations in its latest year totalled $24,001,530, and total cash inwards was $25,971,049, and cash “applied” $25,768,211.
    
    – The organisational structure is circular.
    
    The sort of unconventional, charitable structure activists home in on. Think of Amnesty International. Think of the network of NZ’s St John Ambulance groups around the country.
    
    The report at the Charities Register says of Malaghan Institute: “The financial statements comprise of the Institute and its controlled entity, Malcorp Biodiscoveries Ltd, together the ‘Group’.”
    
    Malcorp Biodiscoveries Ltd is owned by the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research, whose web site says: “As a registered charity, we are owned by New Zealand, for the benefit of all.”
    
    The Malaghan Institute Trust Board members are at the link below. Former Brierley Investments star Paul Collins is chairman. Another Brierley Investments star (and former Governor-General), Patsy Reddy, is a board member , as is Ashley Bloomfield, Director-General of Health during the Covid epidemic.
    
    The institute has its own karakia, and an advisory group, Te Urungi Maori, which, the institute says:
    
    ” …is an integral yet independent group at the Malaghan Institute, providing advice to the leadership team, with an overall approach of equitable health outcomes for Māori as a result of our research and clinical activity. Te Urungi also provides guidance on engagement with and implementation of the articles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Vision Mātauranga.”
    
    Equitable health outcomes as a result of the research? Maori activists want their politics central to science?
    
    The institute directors:
    
    https://www.malaghan.org.nz/our-people/trustees/
    
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    July 10, 2025 2:56pm
- Dave
  
  Oh dear. The trouble with analogies is that they are analogies, not the real thing.
  
  I’m alive today because 40 years ago my Chinese GP gave me three shots of penicillin, not spiritual mumbo jumbo about relationships or, for that matter, acupuncture. I’ll probably live a bit longer because of my daily intake of pills and three-monthly injections – thank you science!
  
  Yes, I’ve been powerfully moved and spiritually refreshed by NZ’s and other countries’ natural beauty, but in serious, life-saving/prolonging medicine animism is no substitute for science.
  
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  July 10, 2025 10:17am
  - Ghost
    
    30 years ago my Chinese gp gave me acupuncture, it got rid of a year long problem with headaches that no medications would touch.
    
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    July 10, 2025 10:28am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Oh dear. The trouble with analogies is that they are analogies, not the real thing.
    
    Exactly…
    and I hate to think how the analogy used by the Malaghan adviser applies to autoimmune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, Graves disease, Type-1 diabetes, etc)….. Have the sufferers of an autoimmune diseases transgressed some ancient Tapu, or have they strayed from “Tribal Authority”?
    
    Why has their “Guardian” deserted them?
    
    72 years ago my life hang in the balance as a neonate until Dr Anderson slashed my ankle veins and transfused new blood into my system.
    My whanau had skewed the system against my healthy arrival…. My mother had Rh negative blood, My father was Rh positive…and antibodies against Rh+ve fetuses had built up in my mother’s immune system during earlier pregnancies when carrying my brothers.
    
    According to the Maori World view as espoused in the The Conversation, I was an invader/alien that needed to be ousted to protect the whanau.
    
    I prefer my family’s traditional view…..I was a desired babe who grew into a healthy child and adult thanks to the knowledge and skills of (then) modern/Western Doctors, nurses and scientists.
    
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    July 10, 2025 12:06pm
- Ian
  
  If the person giving the Maori worldview is a Maori, what was he doing gaining an M.A. in German Literature, with a thesis on the Grimm Fairy Stories. If he equates colonisers seem to be bad, why study coloniser literature? Don’t Maori have their own stories to get an M.A. in?
  
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  July 10, 2025 11:00am
- artemisia
  
  Would Maori invading Maori land, and slaughtering or enslaving some along the way, also be an infective agent?
  
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  July 10, 2025 11:02am
  - Swifty
    
    Yes, I thought that too, I wonder why he didn’t use that as the analogy?
    
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    July 10, 2025 11:16am
  - Keith White
    
    artemisia – That’ll likely be equated to the prep before a colonoscopy?
    
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    July 10, 2025 3:04pm
- Swifty
  
  $1,000 says, pre-contact Maori wouldn’t have had the faintest bloody clue about the immune system. Or germ theory. Or any idea whatsoever about the function of internal bodily organs except at an extremely basic level – like when you breathe those big sacks get larger then smaller. Why and what for? Who knows?
  
  (Just by the way, exactly the same as my forebears wouldn’t have had a clue until the scientific process came along and we worked these things out.)
  
  To now expound about ‘Te Ao Maori’s’ views on immune systems sounds like a (very) modern invention.
  
  Totally made up in fact.
  
  And, I’d like to know, just who decides whether something is a feature of Te Ao Maori or not? Are there criteria? Is a poll taken? Are Maori in the street, farm or factory sought out for their view or are these just pronouncements from a very small and self-appointed group of academics and elites? And of course never questioned or critiqued, just accepted as fact.
  
  Needless to add too, any notion that there is a Pakeha world view, or a Chinese or Indian or Russian world view is completely and utterly laughable.
  
  I say this is all a great con. Going in daily and on our coin.
  
  I say we are being openly lied to and for political and financial gain.
  
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  July 10, 2025 11:15am
  - Mike
    
    $1,000 says, pre-contact Maori wouldn’t have had the faintest bloody clue about the immune system. Or germ theory.
    
    No one will take that bet – no one in the 17th century had any clue about germ theory.
    
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    July 10, 2025 11:48am
    - Swifty
      
      “… no one in the 17th century had any clue about germ theory.”
      
      That is my point.
      
      10 2
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      July 10, 2025 11:59am
    - Graeme Hall
      
      The Romans were aware of hygiene in the treatment of wounds. I guess their knowledge got lost & it took a long time before English surgeons understood the importance of carbolic soap.
      
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      July 10, 2025 12:17pm
    - NothingLeft
      
      Not true, Athanasius Kircher observed microorganisms in the mid 17th century using microscopes and proposed germ theory
      
      7 1
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      July 10, 2025 12:47pm
    - Jack5
      
      Some say Agostino Bassi pioneered germ theory, announcing it in 1835 — before the Treaty of Waitangi.
      
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      July 10, 2025 7:31pm
  - Paulus
    
    Maori are the people to decide what is best for their and our Country, and particularly Maori, so who the hell do you think you are, or maybe know superstitions better than highly intelligent, having achieved School C Level 1, and ignorant Mumbo Jumbo Maori superstitions.
    
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    July 10, 2025 11:54am
  - Swifty
    
    Honestly, if someone came to me and said “Swifty, your views on certain matters are problematic. Being of Scottish ancestry, let me inform you of the Scottish worldview so you can adopt it as your own.”
    
    I’d laugh in their face and instantly question their motives.
    
    Even worse would be if they said “To be a true and authentic Scotsman you MUST adhere and prescribe to this worldview, independent thought is not allowed” which is what I fear is happening in NZ of late. Certainly Willie Jackson and many others are openly saying that if you don’t agree with certain Maori views you’re not a real Maori or that you’re a useless Maori.
    
    The whole idea is actually bloody sinister when you think about it.
    
    It’s all about control – shepherding Maori into little ideological and political boxes with dissent actively discouraged.
    
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    July 10, 2025 11:58am
- rouppe
  
  He equates the entry of an infective agent into the body as being similar to colonisers invading Maori land. (the converse of this is that the colonisers of NZ are akin to viruses, bacteria, parasites,etc)
  
  Oh course he has completely missed the part where those colonisers have radically improved the life expectancy of Maori.
  
  So colonisers are more like an anti biotic
  
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  July 10, 2025 12:49pm
infused

This is something everyone should watch https://x.com/HeadWarriorTWM/status/1942830357226680518
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July 10, 2025 9:32am
- kiwimike
  
  why ?
  
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  July 10, 2025 1:44pm
lifesgood

Seriously, does anyone really care about some lizards in Otago? Apparently there are thousands of them and they are not endangered. About time DOC and the Greens were told to pull their heads in. Seems they are hell bent on destroying this country.
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July 10, 2025 9:33am
- Northshoredoc
  
  DOC rolling out the same scare tactics as in 2016.
  
  https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/317145/mine-expansion-threat-to-rare-lizards-doc
  
  Another department that the government should gut but won’t.
  
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  July 10, 2025 11:24am
- PurplePen
  
  I farm land in north Otago and they’re all over the place. Common as muck.
  
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  July 10, 2025 11:41am
- Paulus
  
  Though we were told by some expert some 30,000 were anticipated.
  
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  July 10, 2025 11:55am
- Jack5
  
  It’s an attempted repeat of the Greens’ snail stand-off with State-owned Solid Energy over the opencast coal mine on the West Coast.
  
  That led to rehoming 6,000 snails at a cost to Solid Energy of $125,000 a year.
  
  Six thousand snails were moved, but DOC froze 800 of them to death, apparently accidentally.
  
  Powelliphanta Augustus snails can be as big as a human fist and are carnivorous, eating worms and slugs.
  
  The broader Powelliphanta family of big, “meat” eating snails, exists in the North Island as well as in the South Island from Marlborough to Southland.
  
  Nailing the miners:
  
  https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/decade-long-fight-to-save-rare-snails-to-wrap-up/CJMGUC27UICN2SL4NMGXFRFJC4/
  
  NZ’s carnivorous snails:
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powelliphanta
  
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  July 10, 2025 12:51pm
MCōs

My daughter gave me a copy of Judith Collins autobiography for my birthday when it came out a few years ago.
I read it and hadn’t realized she was such a wonderful woman.
When Jacinda Ardern’s book came out I reserved it at the library and I’m about 1500 in the queue. I wanted to compare the two for credibility
My sister bought it and I’m about 50 in line for her copy, which is disappointing especially considering most of the family is illiterate
Then what do you know my daughter gave me a copy for my birthday last week!
Btw
I had a few political biographies.
Some are quite interesting Rob Muldoon, Walter Nash, Norm Kirk, FDR, but Maggie Thatcher’s autobiography is as dull as ditch water.
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July 10, 2025 9:40am
- Cassandra
  
  Apples and oranges. Biography v autobiography. There are several good bios of MT.
  
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  July 10, 2025 9:51am
- Philview
  
  I am interested in politics but have been inclined to read a book about a politician. I did once get my Dad for his birthday Don Brash’s autobiography. He enjoyed that book so I might read it one day. Brash did a lot of stuff before politics.
  
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  July 10, 2025 11:20am
- Paulus
  
  Saw one of Ardern’s at $4.99 yesterday.
  
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  July 10, 2025 11:56am
  - kowtow
    
    Getting down to toilet roll territory .Tempted as one might be don’t . The ink is bad for your bum.
    
    Toxic , like she is.
    
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    July 10, 2025 12:03pm
  - MCōs
    
    Maybe that’s what my daughter paid.
    Where did you see it?
    
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    July 10, 2025 12:14pm
  - NothingLeft
    
    how absorbent is the paper and how many pages?
    
    toilet paper about $1/roll. Wondering if this might be a cheaper alternative.
    
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    July 10, 2025 12:16pm
- Taieri
  
  My sister bought it and I’m about 50 in line for her copy
  —————
  
  I’m not going to bother with reading it, but I can get an ebook if need be.
  Drop me a line and I’ll send you a copy in the epub format.
  
  [email protected]
  
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  July 10, 2025 1:24pm
I remember when

So for the CHB solar farm costs will include:
(1) A Cultural Impact Report.
(2) At least five 6 monthly meetings with catering costs.
(3) Provision for a(/or several?) karakia for native tree removal.

Total cost? Secret.
It appears that this is always the case.
Probably commercially sensitive even though, presumably, only one iwi is represented.
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July 10, 2025 9:49am
- rouppe
  
  The last two should cost nothing.
  
  The meetings: 10am-11am at meeting room x in building y. Make your own way, pay your own cost because you wanted this, not me.
  
  The trees: we’re starting felling at 9am on day x. You may come on site the previous day. Health and safety means you can’t be around the logging operation. Make your own way, pay your own cost because you wanted this, not me.
  
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  July 10, 2025 12:54pm
Ghost

No surprise with this.

Joe Biden’s former doctor refused to answer a single question Wednesday about the ex-president’s health and cognitive decline — stunningly invoking his right against self-incrimination before slinking out of a congressional deposition.

According to Comer, O’Connor, Biden’s longtime personal physician, was asked two key questions:

“Were you ever told to lie about the president’s health?”
“Did you ever believe President Biden was unfit to execute his duties?”

In both instances, O’Connor took the Fifth.

Article
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July 10, 2025 11:15am
- Dudley Quaffquaff
  
  So we think doctors should give medical details about their patients?
  
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  July 10, 2025 11:31am
  - Ghost
    
    Actually, yes. Those two questions should be answered. This is a doctor whose job it was to give a detailed examination of a sitting president. It’s common practise that presidents release this
    
    Two important question
    
    “Were you ever told to lie about the president’s health?”
    “Did you ever believe President Biden was unfit to execute his duties?”
    
    So what is your problem asking the doctor if he was ever told to lie, or if he believed the sitting president was unfit to execute his duties?
    
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    July 10, 2025 11:36am
    - Jack5
      
      An extract from the Hippocratic oath, which goes back 2000 to 2500 years:
      
      Whatever, in the course of my practice, I may see or hear (even when not invited), whatever I may happen to obtain knowledge of, if it be not proper to repeat it, I will keep sacred and secret within my own breast.
      
      And a modern version:
      
      I will respect the privacy of my patients, for their problems are not disclosed to me that the world may know.
      
      https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9297488/
      
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      July 10, 2025 12:07pm
      - cmm
        
        Oh bullshit. There are exceptions to this.
        If someone is being medically screened for a function where medical conditions matter then they are free, and sometimes duty bound, to disclose that information.
        
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        July 10, 2025 12:40pm
      - Keith White
        
        Jack5: I graduated long enough ago that we could still opt to recite the original Hippocratic oath, not solely the woke’n’ bowdlerized version.
        
        The prof who witnessed our attestation also informed us that the key in this phrase is “if it be not proper to repeat it…” because there are occasions – very, very carefully selected – where it be not only proper but essential to repeat it, to save lives and damage…
        
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        July 10, 2025 1:09pm
      - Paulus
        
        Have yet to see the Hypocratic Oath in Maori, but I suppose all Maori qualified Doctors would know it by heart.
        
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        July 10, 2025 3:47pm
  - NothingLeft
    
    Like they do for pilots and others in critical roles?
    
    “Medical practitioners must report to the CAA any pilot or air traffic controller who has a medical condition that may
    interfere with aviation safety. This is a public safety responsibility held by all New Zealand registered medical
    practitioners.”
    
    https://www.aviation.govt.nz/assets/publications/medical-information-sheets/mis002-medical-practitioner-obligations.pdf
    
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    July 10, 2025 12:19pm
    - Keith White
      
      That duty to inform also extends to licensed firearms owners as well as to other medical practitioners – but interestingly, not to politicians, police, lawyers or judges.
      
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      July 10, 2025 1:06pm
  - rouppe
    
    This is not all doctors and all patients.
    
    Neither of those two questions provides specific medical details.
    
    Presidential health checks are made public anyway, sort of, when they declare the President is in excellent health.
    
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    July 10, 2025 12:57pm
    - Mike
      
      Yes. Remember Trump described by his doctor as “the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency.”
      
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      July 10, 2025 1:37pm
Jack5

Dates for end of 3G transmission for cellphones and some emergency services are firming up. This affects many older text-and-voice phones as well as emergency devices.

Shutdown dates of New Zealand 3G, PBTech’s told customers in its Hardwired newsletter:

– Spark: 31 March 2026.
– One NZ (previously called Vodafone): December this year.
– 2 Degrees: late this year.
– Skinny Mobile: 31 March 2026.

Cheapest “smart phones” cost now not much more than many “basic phones” that have voice and text only, but usually are much bigger.

Many older folk prefer basic phones, but overseas there’s also a “minimalist” trend among some young people to move to what the call “dumb phones”.

In recent times, NZ has had a smaller selection of basic phones on offer compared with overseas. Not every phone available overseas works with NZ transmission, however.

Unused credit on your phone transfers to a new phone with your SIM card.
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July 10, 2025 11:53am
- cmm
  
  Most of those dumb phones would seem to be 4G capable (at least) and are actually still based on modern technology. Only older dumb phones will be 3G only.
  
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  July 10, 2025 12:44pm
  - Jack5
    
    Bought a dumb phone on sale as 4G and 3G a year or more ago, CMM. The shop took it back when I establisheḍ it didn’t link with 4G.
    
    My old 3G phone, with a new battery, is still working for text and voice. It needs little pocket space and I know I’ve got it with me.
    
    A fairly plain smart phone provides What’s App international voice, text, and video calls via WiFi.
    
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    July 10, 2025 1:13pm
    - Local Miller
      
      Jack5 – Do you have a make and model? I’m looking for a “plain smart phone” for my other half.
      
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      July 10, 2025 4:33pm
      - Jack5
        
        PB Tech are advertising a Mobiwire Hinto 4G for $44. It’s tied to OneNZ.
        
        The Warehouse also has this brand on special, also locked, but it doesn’t say to which network.
        
        I think these may have a very basic camera function, but you can ignore that. A person has reviewed the phone on the Warehouse site. Also on sale at Harvey Norman and Noel Leeming.
        
        Supply of the text-talk only phones in NZ is light, presumably because the retailers and cellphone companies can make more from selling a smart phone.
        
        There used to be more brands around, including a very rugged one for tradies.
        
        If the demand is made to the retailers, they should get a bigger variety.
        
        Be careful about buying from overseas. They might not work with out cellphone networks.
        
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        July 10, 2025 5:18pm
kowtow

Nice to work in a “profession” that has self regulating powers.

Anyone else , outside of the Elite Class , would be on indecent assault charges.

‘A senior lawyer at a big law firm who grabbed a junior colleague’s penis at a Christmas party and made other lewd comments about people he worked with has been suspended for 15 months.’

https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/drunk-senior-lawyer-grabbed-colleagues-genitals-party
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July 10, 2025 12:33pm
cmm

… and then there was one…

One of Cindy’s hagiographic movies has been given the chop. I suppose that was after they pissed nearly a million bucks of taxpayers’ money against the wall.

There is still one though, so fans don’t need to be disappointed.

The polling suggests that over 60% of NZers would not want to see a movie about Cindy.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/culture/360752925/one-two-jacinda-ardern-films-set-2025-release-scrapped
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July 10, 2025 12:34pm
- Northshoredoc
  
  Hoorah!
  
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  July 10, 2025 12:44pm
- Paulus
  
  But remember 52% of the Electorate voted for her so many would welcome her renaissance and reincarnation via a film.
  Women still think she is the best thing since Maori invented White Bread.
  
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  July 10, 2025 3:51pm
kowtow

Talking of getting away with it , if this club really believed its own rhetoric then it would report the matter to the police.

“We are committed to creating a safe, respectful environment for everyone involved in our game, players, coaches, officials, and supporters alike.”

https://www.odt.co.nz/star-news/star-sport/star-rugby/watch-cowardly-king-hit-leads-expulsion-christchurch-rugby-club
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July 10, 2025 1:00pm
Keith White

Why do immigrants like Golriz Ghahraman and Ricardo Menendez March and Asha Ali Abdille enrich our country and not their own? Don’t they have a duty of care to their fellow citizens?
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July 10, 2025 1:03pm
- Mike
  
  No, they really don’t.
  
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  July 10, 2025 1:39pm
  - Keith White
    
    Don’t worry Mike, I’ll still treat you if you turn up in the ER – assuming I’m ever permitted to be licensed back in NZ despite my jab heresies 🙂
    
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    July 10, 2025 3:08pm
Swifty

The missing footage outside Epstein’s cell has been found!

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1AeAbwrzhc/?mibextid=wwXIfr

😁
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July 10, 2025 1:08pm
- Mike
  
  Was it Professor Peacock with the dagger in the conservatory?
  
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  July 10, 2025 1:40pm
john1234

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/colombian-soldier-dies-in-eln-bomb-attack-using-donkey/AUN4CX3WGZB5RONZNRKWVRHQNQ/

No word on how the donkey is.
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July 10, 2025 1:26pm
MCōs

President Vladimir Putin is laughing up his sleeve at President Trump, the leader of the free world, who in turn using the big stick to bully a number of smaller countries including interfering with the judicial processes of Brazil.
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July 10, 2025 1:47pm
- john1234
  
  Don’t think Putin has much to laugh about.
  
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  July 10, 2025 1:59pm
- Local Miller
  
  Citation needed.
  
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  July 10, 2025 4:36pm
  - MCōs
    
    https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/eu-seeks-trade-deal-with-trump-this-month-new-tariff-notices-due-2025-07-09/
    
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    July 10, 2025 7:12pm
Ghost

New taxpayers Curia poll

National was the most popular, with 33.9%.
Labour sat at 31.6%.
NZ First had 9.8% support.
The Green Party was on 9.4%.
And ACT had 9.1%.
Te Pāti Māori was on 3.5%, meaning it would need to win keep electorate seats to return to Parliament on these numbers.

Article
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July 10, 2025 2:14pm
- MCōs
  
  Polling needs to be done on the individual Maori seats to gauge the actual support for TPM. While they won 6/7 Maori seats at the last election the Labour Party picked up far more party votes.
  In the election 6 seats represents 6/120 or 5% so anything less (in this case 3.5%) distorts the poll numbers because there’s an overhang, increasing the seats in parliament.
  Of course it all depends on how many seats TPM win. Could be zero. Could be seven.
  By election may or may not be some sort of indication of TPM’s actual popularity
  
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  July 10, 2025 2:44pm
- Swifty
  
  So we’re down to just one in thirty New Zealanders continuing to support the racist, rabid, separatist Maori Party.
  
  Progress of a kind I suppose.
  
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  July 10, 2025 3:03pm
- cmm
  
  I wouldn’t try to read the tealeaves on TPM this far out.
  
  As we have seen with various events like the march on Wellington, the creation of a short period of outrage can stir the cuzzies from the couch for a few days. I predict some shenanigans just before the elections.
  
  I saw a recent poll which said that over 70% of Maori women aged 18-49 supported TPM. That’s almost certain to put at least one electoral MP in.
  
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  July 10, 2025 3:29pm
  - rouppe
    
    Which is why there will be no treaty references removed from legislation this term, despite the promises
    
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    July 10, 2025 5:57pm
- Chuck Bird
  
  So we have a choice between a Labour PM and a Labour-Lite PM.
  
  Both have similar views on trans issues.
  
  Similar views on climate emergency.
  
  Similar views on Israel.
  
  Can anyone add to the list?
  
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  July 10, 2025 3:57pm
  - Chuck Bird
    
    Similar views on the racist Maori seats.
    
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    July 10, 2025 4:03pm
  - sirknz
    
    The totally non biased $tuff poll currently has Hipkins at 52% and Swarbrick at 17%.
    
    Makes me wonder if they are holding their thumbs on the scales this time because of how their recent pro left polls have gone…
    
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    July 10, 2025 4:17pm
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  This poll virtually mirrors the Morgan poll from last week, it has the opposition well behind the government in a block, and has NZF looking stronger. This poll sees NZF in front of Act again as I said would happen
  
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  July 10, 2025 4:48pm
- Damocles11
  
  The Curia poll seems to throw up some bizarre results. The ‘ACT support is dropping’ storyline appears to have reached its conclusion, now it’s ‘NZF are going past ACT’. The establishment certainly do greatly fear ACT.
  
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  July 10, 2025 5:46pm
Ghost

Story is paywalled.

A former member of the Waitangi Tribunal will lead a panel of four people to review every Treaty clause in the statute book.

Former member of the Waitangi Tribunal David Cochrane, a lawyer, is chairing the group. He is also part of a review of the…

He is joined by Marama Royal

The fourth member of the group is James Christmas

Our job is to provide advice to ministers and that’s what we’ll do,” he said.

He said the review would be unlikely to go beyond August.

Article
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July 10, 2025 6:29pm

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