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July 21, 2025 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 21 July 2025

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General Debate

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Cassandra

Damien Grant re Ngati Pakeha, the bone carving wearers: “It is a harmless pantomime, as they cloak themselves in the culturally appropriated korowai of perpetual grievance and benefit from the Kiwi reluctance to cause unnecessary offence.”

He could be talking about our PM, especially the bit about causing offence. The bone folk will never vote National, Act or NZF. Why do the Nats care about offending them?

Maggy gave us the link yesterday. Well worth a read.
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July 21, 2025 8:01am
- cmm
  
  Luxon isn’t worried about offending Maori.
  
  He’s worried about offending the other Chardonnay-swillers that make up his social and professional circle.
  
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  July 21, 2025 8:19am
  - Jethrod
    
    And there is a few on this blog!
    
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    July 21, 2025 8:22am
  - balanced
    
    Once again you’re being fooled by the maori smokescreen thrown up by the clark advised ardern to create outage and run cover for the labour hierarchy’s incompetence and embezzlement of our hard earned.
    
    Luxon wasn’t fooled, that is why the police commissioner just set up a task force to investigate public sector fraud.
    
    UK celebrity Russell Howard described prince Andrew’s “i couldnt sweat at the time” epstein scandal defence as ludicrous then followed up with “I bet he’s f$%&#@ sweating now.
    
    I hope Ardern, Mahuta, Little, H Clark, and Robertson are sweating now……
    
    “The husband and family members of Labour Minister Nanaia Mahuta were awarded contracts worth $90,000 by the Ministry for the Environment in a period when Mahuta was the department’s Associate Minister.”
    
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    July 21, 2025 8:36am
    - AitchW
      
      The moment the corruption unit lifts that particular Mahuta lid the screams of “racism” will be heard from space.
      There are a lot of very wealthy and equally well connected people who have done very nicely thank you from government largesse.
      They would not want any sunlight on their affairs.
      
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      July 21, 2025 5:48pm
  - pdm
    
    I disagree cmm.
    
    For some reason Luxon will not take on Maori eg:
    * Te Mana O Te Wai
    * That section 217? of the Education Act.
    * Treaty Principles
    * Treaty is a Partnership.
    
    on and on and on the list goes.
    
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    July 21, 2025 8:38am
    - balanced
      
      Pdm. As I pointed out
      Yesterday, Seymour is the associate minister of education, and left the maori mumbo jumbo for school boards to deal with.
      
      Ask Seymour why and you may get the answer as to why the other maori mumbo jumbo is tolerated.
      
      You could also ask John Tamahere whether the Luxon government has taken action on the maori mumbo jumbo which is sucking millions of taxpayers’ hard earned, he (and other tax dodging maori “charities”) may give you a different viewpoint.
      
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      July 21, 2025 8:56am
      - Don Beckett
        
        Why criticise Seymour? He is the ASSOCIATE minister. Turn your criticism to Erica Stanford – she is the Minister responsible.
        
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        July 21, 2025 11:46am
      - balanced
        
        Don. If you find my statement of fact about Seymour abusive then perhaps it is you who needs to reflect on who you support.
        
        I commented many times on the outstanding achievements of Erica. I also questioned why she left the unnecessary Maori Mumbo Jumbo land mine in place.
        
        I say land mine because it will hide until McAnulty has the power to detonate it.
        
        My guess is National will invoke the treaty principles referendum when seeking a 3rd term.
        
        By then the substantive changes National are making will be imbedded, National ministers will have more time to deal with the maori outrage, and because National will not allow the maori mumbo jumbo to be used to siphon money to the maori kings family and beyond, the elimination of all things maori from legislation isn’t necessary until a labour government is imminent.
        
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        July 21, 2025 12:03pm
      - pdm
        
        balanced once again you are way off track.
        
        Seymour has no clout re that other than at Cabinet where he is obviously out voted by National and quite probably NZ Ministers. So he his constrained from commenting because of Cabinet collective responsibility.
        
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        July 21, 2025 1:07pm
      - balanced
        
        Rather than make excuses for the great redeemer, why dont you ask Seymour why he is engaging in the behavour you repeatedly criticise Luxon for?
        
        It might give you a deeper understanding of the many nuances politicians juggle.
        
        And why don’t you try producing the Act caucus’ large organisation managerial successes and significant policy successes I’ve repeatedly asked the serial Luxon abusers for.
        
        In other words, provide proof to back up your “off track” opinion.
        
        Or is it more crickets.
        
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        July 21, 2025 1:41pm
      - Don Beckett
        
        balanced.
        I made no mention of considering your comment abusive – I said that your criticism is misdirected. It is the Minister of Education who has the responsibility here.
        Despite your comment about other commenters’ biases, your bias is showing in spades – make that excavators.
        
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        July 21, 2025 2:53pm
      - balanced
        
        Ahem Don. I didn’t claim you said my comment was abusive. I suggested that if you find my statement of fact abusive, that you should rethink your ACT party support.
        
        And the only comment I make about the Seymour worship group think on kiwiblog is “show me the money”
        
        So Don, Old Man old chum. Can you have a go at listing the large organisation management roles and successes of the ACT caucus, and the significant beneficial results act ministers achieved , excluding minor legislative changes?
        
        I’ve posted lists of Luxon and his fellow national ministers’ wonderful achievements on kiwiblog but….
        
        Crickets from the act surporting luxon abusers.
        
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        July 21, 2025 3:21pm
    - cmm
      
      No I didn’t say he would take them on. He certainly won’t.
      
      What I said is that he is not worried about offending Maori. He’s worried about offending all the virtue signalling luvvies he deals.
      
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      July 21, 2025 8:58am
    - Tricati
      
      So true – Luxon’s apparent forgetfulness on his position prior to the last election to remove all Race Based Policies, as all New Zealander’s are equal, is what is getting under the skin of many who voted for National.
      We see daily articles on Race Based Policies that are still being progressed (as per list above in pdm’s post), its as if Labour’s He pau pau programme is just continuing and suspect this will be the undoing of National at the next election.
      The bigger question is, who in National has the backbone to stand up to it, or has National as a party adopted the ‘Treaty Principles’ as a new mantra.
      
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      July 21, 2025 9:21am
      - G the giant from Dunedin
        
        He stated before the election there will be no race based services. At least get the facts right if we must rubbish him.
        
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        July 21, 2025 10:21am
      - rouppe
        
        Except there are. Still.
        
        Medical schools get government funding, and still have admission prioritized on race.
        
        In another post today someone said they have first hand knowledge of medical services being prioritized in race. Still.
        
        My medical center provides the services of a dietician at discounted rates if the person is maori or pi. Everyone else needs a community services card to get the same rate.
        
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        July 21, 2025 4:22pm
      - balanced
        
        Many potentially excellent European doctors have missed out on med school because of those quotas.
        
        Whilst I understand investing to lift lower socio economic groups leads to better outcomes for everyone in NZ society, purposefully lowering medical excellence is inexcusable.
        
        Innocent people died thanks to the medical racial quota ipolicy!
        
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        July 22, 2025 5:38am
    - Surely Knott
      
      Young relative applied for an internship at Council recently. They were asked to describe their understanding or opinion of the Treaty of Waitangi.
      
      Not sure how this is legal. Because they are looking for your political opinion. Your interpretation.
      
      AI says this ”
      
      In a job interview, questions about the Treaty of Waitangi are common, especially in roles with a public service or community focus. These questions aim to gauge your understanding of the Treaty’s significance and your ability to apply its principles in your work. Expect to be asked how your role relates to the Treaty, how you would uphold its principles, and how you would demonstrate commitment to it.
      
      The Treaty of Waitangi is New Zealand’s founding document, establishing a relationship between the Crown and Māori.
      
      It outlines principles of partnership, participation, and protection, impacting various aspects of New Zealand society.
      
      In the workplace, this translates to respecting Māori culture, engaging with Māori communities, and ensuring equitable outcomes. ”
      
      AI gives this example response “”I understand the Treaty of Waitangi is a foundational document for New Zealand, establishing a partnership between the Crown and Māori.”
      
      Really where can i read the version of the treaty that has principles and says partnership, participation and protection. The principles are a political interpretation of the treaty and it varies.
      
      Where is the guarantee of equitable outcomes rather than fair an equitable treatment.
      
      People should have a right to there private political opinion without being discriminated against by employers.
      
      Where is the human rights commissioner on this. What has actually changed with the new government.
      
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      July 21, 2025 9:36am
      - G the giant from Dunedin
        
        Luxon is not the council, yes this rubbish has crept in, but the only way to get rid of it is sack the leftie mostly Labour green councils
        
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        July 21, 2025 10:22am
      - imalwaysright
        
        SK
        They called it AI because calling it Big Brother might have spooked some people.
        
        AI is designed to undermine reality.
        Hence the name… Artificial
        
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        July 21, 2025 10:46am
      - Surely Knott
        
        @giant It wasn’t with a lefty green council. It is Auckland. So we did vote for change.
        
        And agree Luxon isn’t in charge of council but he is in charge of the human rights commission. And your private details like political orientation, sexuality, gender, age were previously things that employers shouldn’t be discriminating against.
        
        Someone needs to go to court. Is sharing the same viewpoint on the treaty principles as your employer legal. Knowing the 3 articles sure. But the principles are a political interpretation.
        
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        July 21, 2025 1:54pm
  - Cassandra
    
    They are the bone wearers I’m referring to. Are you sure Luxon is worried about them? They all voted for Ardern. You’ll recall Air NZ was very PC during Luxon’s tenure – perhaps he’s a true believer?
    
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    July 21, 2025 8:47am
    - septic skeptic
      
      I’m in no doubt. Luxon is indeed a true believer.
      
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      July 21, 2025 8:58am
    - cmm
      
      Ah, sorry Cassandra. 100% correct.
      He’s concerneed about his image amongst his fellow virtue signalers.
      
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      July 21, 2025 9:00am
    - G152
      
      Are you sure that they are bone ????
      Seen some very good plastic pieces
      
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      July 21, 2025 9:29am
    - G the giant from Dunedin
      
      Air NZ was already PC before he went to Air NZ, they have been ever since Labour baled them out
      
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      July 21, 2025 10:23am
      - pdm
        
        G you are flogging a dead horse.
        
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        July 21, 2025 1:11pm
    - PurplePen
      
      Not that PC. Luxon promptly cancelled the pink flights to Oz during Sydney Mardi Gras. They were re-established after he left.
      
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      July 21, 2025 12:27pm
  - Flossie
    
    As Luxon apparently is a teetotaller
    there will be no “other” chardonnay swillers.
    
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    July 21, 2025 10:54am
    - cmm
      
      It is a turn of phrase, much like Cassandra’s “bone wearer”. Many will be wearing jade.
      
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      July 21, 2025 11:21am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Herewith:
  
  https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360762243/damien-grant-emergence-ngata-pakeha-has-become-feature-modern-aotearoa
  
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  July 21, 2025 8:40am
  - Grumpy Silver Top
    
    The article describes an intriguing viewpoint which hits home. What’s in it for the Ngati-Pakeha? Is it simply to join the “tribe” or is there a political agenda? Are they relishing tripping on the colonialism guilt narrative? Do they truly believe? And if so, what do they believe. Is it posturing or following?
    
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    July 21, 2025 9:34am
    - PurplePen
      
      I have a close friend who is what I’d call a lefty all-things-maori sympathiser. I haven’t yet discussed it with him, but will one day.
      
      My take on his rationale is its a combination of making amends to Maori and sort of putting all things Maori up on a pedestal. This results in him doing things such as saying Kia Ora instead of thank you to some Maori men that held a gate open for us once. Where he got his rationale from I can only guess it was from the government agency that he worked for, for years. It was an agency that was and still is extremely left and soaked itself in Maori language.
      
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      July 21, 2025 12:38pm
      - Don Beckett
        
        Kia Ora is a greeting. Advise him that Thankyou is’ Nga Mihi’. 🙂
        
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        July 21, 2025 2:56pm
      - Mike
        
        Kia ora can also be used as ‘thank you’. It literally means ‘be well’.
        
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        July 21, 2025 3:05pm
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    “Being woke, both for the individual and for the organisation, is a means of advancement when the resources being allocated are finite and the demands by the under-employed symbolic capitalists unconstrained”
    
    Ain’t that the truth!
    
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    July 21, 2025 10:08am
  - mogg
    
    Ardern is a perfect fit for the white liberal described above, she successfully identified her opportunity
    and from that time on exploited the willing news mediums to her own advantage. She also identified the mosque attack as her big opportunity to take her contrived ‘kindness’ brand worldwide, she is still enjoying the financial benefits to this day.
    While enjoying all this global fame the fact that she and Robbo lit a bonfire under the NZ economy is hardly ever mentioned, Hipkins and Labour have been able to pass the blame onto Luxon and National.
    
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    July 21, 2025 10:56am
- Damocles11
  
  Ngata Pakeha, or Tangata Tiriti, are far from harmless. They are the ones selling all citizens of this country down the river. They are the essential allies of the racial separatists and far leftists, they are the enablers and the ones giving succour to a very dangerous group of people.
  
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  July 21, 2025 8:47am
- RoboRob
  
  Watching the TVNZ breakfast show, it would be fair to say that somewhere around 30% of guests have massive chunks of greenstone around their necks. This is especially true where the person isn’t obviously Maori. All the male sports reporters a green stone enabled and the important host is coverred in Maori tattoos.
  
  I think it would be fair to say, of the guests, the more leftwing a person is the bigger / more obvious their Maori ‘bling’. Also hair seems to go rather un natural colours when you are seriously progressive.
  
  It’s all about identifying yourself so that everyone knows where you stand. In a sense it’s almost a uniform.
  
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  July 21, 2025 9:36am
  - Grumpy Silver Top
    
    A uniform is what it is. Just like hippies wore their flower power on their sleeves (literally!) and the blackshirts of pre WWII, and…so on.
    
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    July 21, 2025 11:08am
  - Philview
    
    I don’t have an issue with Maori wearing Greenstone but it grates when I see people I know who aren’t Maori wearing it. Even worse if I like them then they suddenly turn up at a function wearing that instead of a tie.
    
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    July 21, 2025 1:21pm
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    “We’re all individuals”
    
    With apologies to The Life of Brian
    
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    July 21, 2025 7:28pm
NeverMindTheBollocks

The National Ticketing project goes from bad to worse, with its US tech contractor now rated CCC- by Fitch, i.e. junk status.**

Perhaps more importantly, it’s unclear what problem the new system will resolve and whether it will return anything like its $1.4B budget (yes, you read that right, more than a Billion dollars).

What a waste of taxpayer money.

** CCC- = Very low margin for safety. Default is a real possibility.

http://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/567505/can-the-national-ticketing-project-get-back-on-track
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July 21, 2025 8:02am
- imalwaysright
  
  $1.4 billion to issue an electronic ticket to ride.
  So, say it has a lifespan long enough to issue 1 billion tickets (unlikely ), that is at least $1.40 per ticket.
  Therefore, 30 people on a bus has a fixed cost of $42. That’s probably twice the cost of the diesel for the trip.
  
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  July 21, 2025 11:01am
  - Don Beckett
    
    Yes, we have had some really dumb governments, and we haven’t got rid of the yet – we are still suffering when we thought we had unshackled ourselves from the suchlike.
    
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    July 21, 2025 11:50am
- cmm
  
  This is an outrageous scam. An NZ outfit could have done this for well less than half and the technology would have been local – ie. immune to the provider going broke and leaving them with no follow up.
  
  Sometimes I look at this crazy waste and think I should get involved. But then I remember I’ll probably have to sing stupid songs and wave bits of fern around then I go back to working for Americans.
  
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  July 21, 2025 11:25am
  - RoboRob
    
    Try the application process to tender on these jobs. You need a professional full time staff member with experience to even submit for the work, nicely locking our small business, who as you say could do it significantly cheaper.
    
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    July 21, 2025 1:54pm
- PurplePen
  
  Unbelievable. My guess is the solution had to be customised, a lot, to fit all the unique requirements of each regional and local public transport ticketing. A big mistake and should have rung warning bells at the outset, if my assumption is correct.
  
  The correct approach would have been to severely rationalise ticketing and pricing across all regions, then find an existing system that fit with little to no customisation. There’s no way public transport in little ol’ NZ can be any more complex than the likes of London, Hong Kong, etc. What a waste.
  
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  July 21, 2025 12:46pm
  - Humai
    
    Yup – my thoughts exactly. A strong exec sponsorship and programme management team should have done this from the outset.
    
    The really depressing thing is that the management team members overseeing this debacle will probably advance their careers off the back of it.
    
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    July 21, 2025 1:37pm
Pope Punctilious II

If you want to find out who Google AI votes for, try googling “Public Interest Journalism Fund”. You’ll find no mention of the requirement for applicants to support Labour’s position and policies regarding “treaty principles”, just a brief and vague acknowledgement there was a bit of “controversy”.
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July 21, 2025 8:07am
greybeard

https://www.stuff.co.nz/home-property/360761106/million-dollar-mud-13m-spent-flood-damaged-homes-sought-after-auckland-suburb
Another $13m added to Aucklanders’ rates bills.
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July 21, 2025 8:30am
NeverMindTheBollocks

Shell Lane (The Terrace) bike rack report:

At 8.36am, three bikes today.

A cool, calm, dry morning in the Capital, ideal for cycling.
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July 21, 2025 8:36am
- rjay
  
  Three bikes on a Monday. Bureaucrats are turning up at the office rather than “work from home”. Must be terror in the air.
  
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  July 21, 2025 10:43am
  - pdm
    
    rjay – maybe jobs on the line.
    
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    July 21, 2025 1:14pm
- PurplePen
  
  That’s nearly a record isn’t it?
  
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  July 21, 2025 12:47pm
peterwn

“Health insurance: Insurers seek tax break to lower costs for employer-provided health cover” – Herald headline. The idea does have wider merit, but also raises the question of why a person who ‘goes private’ should meet the (almost) total cost of treatment instead of a portion being publicly funded..
However if the tax break is available to employers, then surely it should be available to anyone else who has health insurance.
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July 21, 2025 8:43am
- Cassandra
  
  Absolutely. The tax break they’re after is FBT. I think it should be an income tax deduction. Because I’m old I pay a fortune to Southern Cross. It’s good for me but I am saving the public system a heap.
  
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  July 21, 2025 8:51am
  - mogg
    
    I’m old but I have never paid a cent to SC, my payments are in an investment account which now contains enough money to pay for any medical treatment we might need. Self insurance is definitely the way to go.
    
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    July 21, 2025 11:03am
    - slijmbal
      
      @mogg
      
      I’ve done a mixed approach – dropped my insurance to minimum possible for the expensive stuff. As we’re getting old this saved a fortune. Even so the costs are becoming silly. However, just had a $50K treatment that not only could I NOT get it under our current system owing to waiting lists even if I did get the treatment, they were proposing the incorrect treatment and then not actually giving it to me.
      
      This treatment significantly reduces my chances of dying or having a stroke but, as I am not in immediate danger (8% p.a. chance increasing each year), I don’t get treated as a priority. I’m based in Auckland.
      
      I will be paying privately for further monitoring not covered by SC out of the premium reductions mentioned above.
      
      On this basis I would have been behind on self insurance
      
      For the immediately life threatening stuff our current health system is excellent in my experience but terrible outside of that.
      
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      July 21, 2025 12:50pm
      - cmm
        
        That’s pretty much our approach too.
        
        Self insure for the basic stuff and only get Southern Cross for the big ticket items (surgery, cancer etc).
        
        Costs us about $1000 a month.
        
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        July 21, 2025 1:33pm
      - mogg
        
        That is very thoughtful planning, my direct family members have all been very healthy into old age,
        so I am keeping my fingers crossed.
        I would happily use your method for home and contents, but it doesn’t seem to work that way.
        
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        July 21, 2025 2:07pm
      - wsk12345
        
        We self insure. In 10 years we hve spent $40 k on 1 cancer surgery and associated visits to specialists (private had the advantage of being laparoscopic – we are self employed so faster return to work is good). So probably broken even? Idk what insurance costs now – used to get it paid by my employer.
        
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        July 21, 2025 4:04pm
- cmm
  
  In many countries medical costs are tax deductible – be those medical insurance costs or out of pocket expenses.
  
  It cost around $5000 when our son was delivered by C-section in South Africa (1991). That was deducted from our income for tax purposes.
  
  Seems fair to me – if someone is picking up their own tab instead of dumping it on the taxpayer then why not make it tax deductible?
  
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  July 21, 2025 9:18am
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    It’s exactly the same principle behind the integration of Catholic and other schools. These schools educate circa 20% of NZ pupils. It was regarded as entirely unreasonable that those parents paid twice for their kid’s education, once via fees & a second time via tax.
    
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    July 21, 2025 10:13am
    - peterwn
      
      The biggest ‘driver’ for integration was fewer people were taking the vows of poverty etc and it was these monks and nuns who basically ran the Catholic schools. The Catholic education system was heading towards collapse meaning the State would have to spend big money picking up the slack. NZEI and PPTA strongly opposed grants to Catholic schools, so integration was negotiated.
      Some private schools (‘independent’ schools) were not prepared to lose their autonomy and these school communities decided not to integrate. These schools get meagre Government grants which is significantly less than the GST the parents effectively pay to the Government. These independent schools are mostly clustered in Auckland with not many (eg Christs College) outside Auckland.
      
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      July 21, 2025 12:34pm
- Tom Hunter
  
  …then surely it should be available to anyone else who has health insurance.
  
  Exactly, otherwise you end up in the US situation where your healthcare premiums explode if you quit your job and go independent because private healthcare is not tax deductible in the US.
  
  It should have been fixed decades ago since the industry deduction only happened by accident, arising out of WWII wage controls, where companies had to bid for workers using other means, like paid health insurance – for which the companies in turn deducted from their income-before-tax.
  
  However, this is happening in NZ because healthcare costs, and hence premiums, are rising fast and our “insurers” seem to operate more as a private pay-as-you-go scheme rather than acturial-based across a broad swarth of customers – hence the massive increases that have been happening to privately insured people when they hit 65. Sure, their healthcare costs go up, but if their customer base was wider that could be ameliorated.
  
  As it is, it just looks like more coporate welfare, and certainly the Left will argue that way, plus “robbing the public healthcare system of tax revenue to give it to rich people”.
  
  I can’t see National taking that on.
  
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  July 21, 2025 9:48am
  - Mike
    
    the Left will argue that way, plus “robbing the public healthcare system of tax revenue to give it to rich people”.
    
    correct. It would be a direct transfer of wealth from poorer to richer people. Same argument for those who want poorer taxpayers to subsidize private schools.
    
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    July 21, 2025 10:33am
    - cmm
      
      “poorer taxpayers”
      
      Now there’s an oxymoron. Please show me one instance of that happening.
      
      Poor people take far more out of “the system” than they ever pay in tax. They are not subsidizing anyone. They are being subsidized.
      
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      July 21, 2025 11:28am
      - Tom Hunter
        
        Wasting your time, cnn. “Mike” is not here to debate but to troll people for whom he has utter contempt.
        
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        July 21, 2025 11:39am
      - Mike
        
        It’s simple logic, really. You give a tax break for private healthcare or education then there is less money for already underfunded public systems.
        
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        July 21, 2025 12:26pm
    - In Vino Veritas
      
      lol mike, so user pays (from their own money) is a direct transfer of wealth? Laughable.
      
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      July 21, 2025 7:36pm
- imalwaysright
  
  Trump recently made interest on car loans on US built cars tax deductible.
  
  Anyone who benefits from private health insurance should get tax a rebate, but trying to implement that would just result in the usual bleat fest from the majority of the country who have a visceral hatred for anyone who gets a break.
  
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  July 21, 2025 11:16am
  - Ian Boag
    
    Private health insurance is a bet between you and the insurer. I bet I will need some expensive medical treatment this year and the insurer bets I won’t.
    
    If I need treatment the insurer loses the bet this year. If I don’t, I lose the bet. If I have insurance it’s for my own benefit, not to save the state system money. Looked at this way, I see no reason why the tax man should have anything to do with it.
    
    Arguably if the premiums were tax deductible, the payouts might be taxable. There’s a novel thought 🙂
    
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    July 21, 2025 1:48pm
    - imalwaysright
      
      “There’s a novel thought”
      
      Novel is one description …
      
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      July 21, 2025 2:14pm
Maggy Wassilieff

Michael Bassett is not pulling his punches:

An Auckland friend with Waikato connections told me about the Hamilton City Council’s ill-thought-through new proposed management policies that appear to have been dreamt up by a collection of Tainui racists.
:
Low grade central and local governance could be about to cost us all a fortune for no discernible gain except for the people claiming they are special, very expensive, te Tiriti gatekeepers.

https://www.bassettbrashandhide.com/post/michael-bassett-much-hangs-on-how-you-vote-on-12-october
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July 21, 2025 8:45am
RRM

You used to ride on the chrome horse with your diplomat
Who carried on his shoulder a Siamese cat
Ain’t it hard when you discover that
He really wasn’t where it’s at
After he took from you everything he could steal?

How does it feel?
How does it feel?
To have on your own?
With no direction home?
Like a complete unknown?
Like a rolling stone?

– Bob Dylan
5 1
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July 21, 2025 9:30am
- mogg
  
  All inspired by Woody Guthrie and his son Arlow, of ‘Alice’s Restaurant’ or ‘City of New Orleans’.
  Here is ‘The Motorcycle’ song. https://youtu.be/BvLtNBm1yyA
  
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  July 21, 2025 11:13am
lifesgood

I’m becoming increasingly brassed off. Every single new highway, new hospital wing, stadium, library, you name it has a Maori name. Maori are a very small percentage of the population. Why do we have to put up with this crap and who are the nutjobs decreeing that this should be so. And, what’s more, what is the government doing about it. Another election promise ignored.
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July 21, 2025 9:30am
- R
  
  The first part of your comment is true, and annoying. Last sentence shows your ignorance, the government doesn’t have any control over the mindset of numerous public servants.
  
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  July 21, 2025 10:44am
  - Grumpy Silver Top
    
    Sadly, true.
    
    5 1
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    July 21, 2025 11:10am
  - imalwaysright
    
    “…the government doesn’t have any control over the mindset of numerous public servants.”
    
    That’s correct but they theoretically don’t need to control the mindset of a person whose job it is to serve the public.
    
    Unfortunately when our bureaucracy see the term Public Servant they add some punctuation marks.
    
    Public? -servant.
    
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    July 21, 2025 11:25am
    - lifesgood
      
      They campaigned on changing back the names of government departments, didn’t they? Oranga Tamariki?
      
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      July 21, 2025 12:05pm
- Scott
  
  The govt is not a dictatorship. It is a fact that many many New Zealanders signal their virtue with speaking a bit of Maori, wearing a big tiki and calling things by Maori names. Now I don’t like that. However neither I nor the government can dictate to people their beliefs.
  
  There is a long march back through the institutions required. This govt is doing a lot and Luxon is the head of the govt and in my opinion he’s doing a pretty good job.
  
  But people are wanting something to believe in. For some people it’s Maori wonderfulness. Others of us go to church. Those of us that go to church don’t need another religion. ✝️🔥
  
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  July 21, 2025 11:02am
- Mike
  
  How are you harmed by this?
  
  2 19
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  July 21, 2025 11:13am
  - Scott
    
    The harm for me personally has been to the church, which has often verred from its mission of proclaiming the gospel to embrace the false gospel of Maori wonderfulness and “social justice”. The harm for the community has been to follow false pagan spirituality which brings down our community.
    
    The harm for NZ is to denigrate ourselves and our culture. Western civilisation is far superior to Maori society of the 19th century. And you Mikey and everyone here agrees with me.
    Not one, not one of us, wants to go back to living in a grass hut and fighting tribal wars with our neighbours every year.
    
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    July 21, 2025 11:37am
    - Eastlander
      
      The fault of pre-1840 Maori society was not material poverty, it was the utter lack of scruples against deceit, theft and murder. Material conditions have changed, but the ethical defects of the culture are alive and well.
      
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      July 21, 2025 12:01pm
    - Mike
      
      Yeah, using te reo really is a slippery slope for a return to the stone age.
      It is interesting though, that you can’t conceive how the Christian gospel might relate to social justice.
      
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      July 21, 2025 12:30pm
      - Jethrod
        
        I perceive mixed metaphors here.
        
        8 1
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        July 21, 2025 1:01pm
      - Scott
        
        Mikey – “using te reo really is a slippery slope for a return to the stone age.”
        Well it is actually. Can anyone deny we are returning to tribalism? If Maori culture is about anything it’s about tribalism. Tuhoe got control of a national park and the first thing they did was burn the huts and keep everyone out.
        
        The Christian gospel does have a relationship to social justice. Social justice comes from Marxism and Marxism comes from Christianity. But Marxism is a perversion of Christianity. Marxism says don’t worry about heaven, you can have heaven on earth. But the result of Marxism has always been hell on earth.
        
        It doesn’t take much for a first world country to descend into 3rd world status. Just take South Africa.
        
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        July 21, 2025 1:24pm
  - Jethrod
    
    Right back at you…… How does it help, incentivize or assist me in my everyday life?
    
    8 1
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    July 21, 2025 1:00pm
- PurplePen
  
  It’s not just naming, it’s public art such as you find on highway concrete or train stations. There surely must be other art in NZ and the world other than Maori art and that would appeal equally to any number of people. But as Bishop said recently, you don’t need to install artworks on every new local road built.
  
  As for naming things, spread the love around and give some things a name in English. It’s a rich, diverse and beautiful language.
  
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  July 21, 2025 12:52pm
- MCōs
  
  In our suburb the vast majority of street names seem to relate to some long forgotten person of English origin plus there’s the obligatory Church and Coronation Rds.
  I’ve never heard anyone complain even though Brits are well outnumbered separately by Asians, Maori, Pacific people.
  It’s only an issue for insecure
  
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  July 21, 2025 5:14pm
waikatosinger

Give a prayer for the Druze and Christians currently being massacred by Islamist nutters in Syria. This is a very real genocide of a civilian population which the world is ignoring. Meanwhile the globalist socialists and the brainless idiot students that they have brainwashed blather on and on about Gaza.
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July 21, 2025 9:33am
- mandk
  
  The Islamist massacring Druze and Christians in Syria are not nutters.
  
  Murdering people, often in the most hideous of ways, is what Islamists do.
  
  There are many lovely Moslems, but their religion is pure evil.
  
  It is probably the worst threat the world faces.
  
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  July 21, 2025 10:33am
  - Scott
    
    mandk – I agree with you. These guys in Syria have gained power and what do they want to do? Massacre their non Muslim neighbours.
    
    Like are there any Muslim governments that gain power and say, ok I’ll now work to govern well and grow the economy and improve the lives of my fellow countrymen? What’s wrong with these people, they gain power and the first thing they want to do is massacre everyone that doesn’t follow their religion?
    
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    July 21, 2025 11:41am
    - Mike
      
      Druze communities have been living in Muslim countries for many centuries. So using them to prove that Muslim governments ‘gain power and the first thing they want to do is massacre everyone that doesn’t follow their religion’ might not be the example you imagine.
      
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      July 21, 2025 12:33pm
      - Cassandra
        
        Druze comes from Shia Islam.
        
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        July 21, 2025 1:43pm
      - cmm
        
        I occasionally work with a Druze engineer who fled Iran about 20 years ago. He’s friendly with (on a personal basis) Israelis and Christians. He has a complete distrust of Sunni.
        
        10 1
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        July 21, 2025 2:01pm
      - Don Beckett
        
        Druze is considered a heretical sect in Islam, so they’re treated by Sunni & Shia the same as Christians & Jews.
        
        7 1
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        July 21, 2025 3:04pm
    - mandk
      
      “What’s wrong with these people …?”
      
      They are doing what their disgusting prophet told them to do.
      
      9 1
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      July 21, 2025 12:39pm
    - Philview
      
      I always thought the new rulers of Syria were aligned with ISIS but were enemies of Assad and Russia so some pivoting required from the media to paint them as nice guys.
      
      6 2
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      July 21, 2025 1:27pm
    - cmm
      
      I doubt it is limited to just Druze and Christians. The “wrong sort” of Muslims will cop it too.
      
      Basically, think of the Catholic vs Protestants in Northern Ireland. Now multiply by 50 and throw in some petrol.
      
      I was speaking to an Afghani recently. He belongs to the Hazara group. He told me he distrusts Pashtun Afghanis because they killed his uncle a few years ago and caused genocide. He thinks his life would be in danger if he attended the Sunni, and Pashtun/Taliban-sympathising, Al Noor mosque in Christchurch.
      
      I am in no way an expert in the matter – I merely pass on what he told me.
      
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      July 21, 2025 1:58pm
surfing

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/companies/retail/commerce-commission-files-charges-against-noel-leeming-over-price-promise-claims/DVTFHLHN7VFSZKCS2THEAT3CJU/

I’ve always found Noel Leeming price promise to be a good scheme. Will be interesting to see what people have complained about.

There have to be some T&C’s, so that price comparisons are like for like.
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July 21, 2025 9:48am
- slightlyrighty
  
  This is blatant over-reach by the Commerce Commission.
  
  Leemings have done nothing wrong and I hope that the Commerce Commission get sued for this one. They deserve to be.
  
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  July 21, 2025 11:49am
  - MCōs
    
    Let’s just wait and see the evidence
    
    2 0
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    July 21, 2025 4:38pm
- Raphael
  
  I’ve never had a problem with their price match promise.
  Yeah, it obviously excludes drop-shippers and trade pricing.
  
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  July 21, 2025 1:29pm
- RoboRob
  
  Thats crazy. I used the price match promise just this weekend. The terms are simple, it has to be an advertised price of the same product and available at the other retailer. Simple and standard.
  
  Took all of 2 mins for the staff member to look up the advert. Saved me buying part of the purchase from them and then going elsewhere to get the other part. A real bonus in this case.
  
  The commercie commision should go and look at something that does hurt consumers.
  
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  July 21, 2025 2:01pm
- MCōs
  
  According to the article 5% of the population saved money at Noel Leemings over three years by way of their price matching scheme.
  Some of them no doubt multiple times
  That’s pretty impressive
  
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  July 21, 2025 4:35pm
Rocky Jnr

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/auckland-invasion-boy-racers-lead-police-around-streets-in-cat-and-mouse-chase-as-prime-minister-warns-drivers-of-crackdown/YGU6LF3IR5FTBESPWYMZ5FSCJI/

So, Simon Mercep from TV one news follows these hooligans around all night filming and talking to them. (No doubt due to a tip off from one of this group) What do we learn from Simon?, well there was no violence, they were approachable and happy to talk, and they were only doing their burnouts in isolated industrial areas. And on Sunday morning they all went to church. / Tosser.
16 2
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July 21, 2025 9:51am
- Mike
  
  Did the facts upset you?
  
  2 21
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  July 21, 2025 11:17am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    What facts?
    
    I don’t recall Simon Mercep stated the basic fact that the actions they were showing (repeatedly) were illegal.
    
    https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1998/0110/latest/DLM434542.html
    
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    July 21, 2025 2:10pm
    - Mike
      
      You think his reporting the numbers of arrests, etc didn’t indicate the activities were illegal?
      
      3 0
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      July 21, 2025 2:54pm
  - Rocky Jnr
    
    It was a puff piece that wouldn’t have been out of place in the Womans Weekly,
    
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    July 21, 2025 3:12pm
artemisia

Ministry of Health reviewing campylobacter data after scaremongering accusations

Perhaps an over dramatic headline that could be walked back when the current review is complete. So far it appears that infection rates are dropping while hospitalisations are increasing, and the why is under review.

The Public Health Communication Centre, from whence the information came, is hosted by Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington.and says it is ‘Promoting research and evidence for a healthier Aotearoa New Zealand’. Lead author in this report University of Otago Professor Michael Baker.

Fortunately they were able to take time out from their research and evidence collection for a submission opposing the Regulatory Standards Bill.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/567494/ministry-of-health-reviewing-campylobacter-data-after-scaremongering-accusations
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July 21, 2025 10:21am
NothingLeft

A really fascinating insight into hierarchical jockeying and anti-social (sabotaging female competition for baby-making resources) instincts within women that arise as an inevitable consequence of evolutionary pressures within historically normal context of limited resources for survival.
https://youtu.be/n5-oFNTsNzs

Explains why female dominated ‘spaces’ organizations, industries and tend to be so toxic. It’s evolutionary programming at play.

And probably has a malign influence in politics as well given electoral dominance of women.
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July 21, 2025 11:05am
- Pope Punctilious II
  
  Yes I saw that clip the other day. A good example of why feminists and progs hate evolutionary psychology.
  
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  July 21, 2025 11:20am
  - NothingLeft
    
    My question is that if eventually reality overwhelms academic and political denialism of evolutionary driven largely genetically deterministic intellectual performance and behaviours then what do we do to make our world and social structures better able to maximize human happiness?
    
    My thoughts – We should teach kids about our evolutionarily implanted drives, both pro social and anti social, as well as anti-social ‘tribal’ behaviors to enable us all to check and monitor our own and others behaviors for unnecessarily destructive instinct-driven behaviors. We are each mostly capably of controlling our own bad behaviors to get more out of life, but it would be helpful if we all understood better as a society just what they were and when we need to make an effort to keep them in check.
    
    We should put curing-cancer levels of money into developing nootropic treatments, gene therapies or medications to augment everyone’s brains as much as fundamental limitations of biology allow, cure depression and other brain chemistry issues.
    
    We should also work on embryonic gene editing to give everyone the advantages of being born ‘gifted’, editing out deleterious traits (addictive issues, chronic health problems etc) to truly level the playing field. We can do a better job than the uncaring and unthinking evolutionary lottery of sexual reproduction. While those alive now don’t benefit, no reason to prevent future generations from reaping the advantages. This is easily achievable on a universal basis within a few years (genetic sequencing of embryos is common even now).
    
    To condemn kids to be born with major gene-dictated disadvantages that make it impossible for them to measure up to most peers in the game of life and find the same levels of contentment is just cruel and no longer necessary.
    
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    July 21, 2025 12:27pm
- mandk
  
  Interesting clip.
  
  I think we should encourage liberals in their anti-child beliefs.
  
  It would mean that conservatives will out-breed them and they will become extinct.
  
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  July 21, 2025 12:54pm
NothingLeft

If you want a large pool of educated english speaking talent to pull into NZ we should target 20 something US graduates with ridiculous levels of college or post accident medical debt that they have no hope of paying off and can’t bankrupt their way out of.

Offer them financial asylum and a chance at not being kept poor under the burden of impossible to pay off debt all their life.
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July 21, 2025 11:20am
- Mike
  
  So long as they don’t read Kiwiblog, with its endless denigration of our country.
  NZ firms are already doing quite well at recruiting refugees from the US.
  
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  July 21, 2025 12:34pm
  - Jethrod
    
    One doesn’t need to log on here every day then.
    
    9 1
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    July 21, 2025 1:03pm
  - Eastlander
    
    There are no refugees from America, New Zealand is not good at attracting Americans and this isn’t your country.
    
    4 2
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    July 21, 2025 2:24pm
    - Mike
      
      Um, this is my country.
      
      3 6
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      July 21, 2025 2:55pm
      - Eastlander
        
        Your country is some hellhole called ‘Aotearoa’. You’re no compatriot of mine.
        
        9 1
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        July 21, 2025 3:45pm
      - Jack5
        
        Mike/Milky’s …this is my country…
        
        Does the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues know about your claim?
        
        1 1
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        July 21, 2025 5:58pm
  - Pope Punctilious II
    
    Denigration of our country? You talking about The Daily Blog again milky? Bomber Bradbury never tires of calling Kiwis “sleepy hobbits” and “cracker rednecks”.
    
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    July 21, 2025 7:42pm
- cmm
  
  Well that could potentially work, but there’s more to it than that.
  
  As US citizens they are unable to escape the US tax system and debt. Sure, we could give them sanctuary but that wouldn’t last forever and they would likely want to travel back to USA at some stage at which point they would be arrested.
  
  Americans are massively over-entitled which is why they continue to build up ever increasing natiaonal debt. Few of them would be willing to settle for the level of material comforts that NZ offers and most of us consider adequate.
  
  Most of the people with useful degrees (ie. those we’d want) can find jobs and pay off their study debts. Those that can’t find jobs to pay off their debts tend to be those with basket weaving degrees – and we already have enough of those anyway.
  
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  July 21, 2025 1:24pm
  - Eastlander
    
    Had an American PhD student in my social circle, and she bitched constantly about everything in this country. One of her most frequent complaints was the insufficient variety of nacho chips. It is almost superfluous to add that she is back in California.
    
    The other two American PhDs I knew were more agreeable (though one of them was basically a character from a 2000s college comedy come to life), but neither of them planned on staying either, which was a pity since their skills would have been quite useful in the construction sector.
    
    I don’t blame them. Unless you’ve got a strong sentimental attachment to New Zealand why on earth would you, as a foreigner, choose to spend your whole life here?
    
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    July 21, 2025 1:59pm
    - lifesgood
      
      And you would suggest California is better? Oh my!
      
      2 2
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      July 21, 2025 2:22pm
      - Eastlander
        
        I’m not moving to California but if I’d grown up there I struggle to imagine willingly relocating to New Zealand permanently. There just aren’t many drawcards for a Californian… though if you’re an academic in the earthquake engineering field you might consider living and working here for a few years, as some have.
        
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        July 21, 2025 2:41pm
      - Don Beckett
        
        If you had lived in California for any length of time, you would probably by now have moved to Texas or Florida. 🙂
        
        3 2
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        July 21, 2025 5:19pm
    - NeverMindTheBollocks
      
      There are 1,000,000 people who think otherwise.
      
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      July 21, 2025 7:44pm
- rouppe
  
  We have double tax agreements with the USA.
  
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  July 21, 2025 7:07pm
cmm

Can someone please draw me a picture showing how the IRD lets a small company with no assets and no employees get $560k in the hole?

How is that possible?

Is this another “brown privilege” case?

IRD got snarky with me when I was less than 48 hours overdue paying $11k of GST. Perhaps I should tell them I’m African.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/auckland/auckland-council-boss-investigates-mayoral-aides-company-liquidation-560000-owed-to-ird/NL3TIK5GBNCWXBFVWFPP6BXLNA/
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July 21, 2025 1:47pm
- Tauhei Notts
  
  CMM has left salient facts out.
  Mr Jazz Singh was the Head of Budget and Finance in the Mayor’s Office. Wayne Brown was quoted as saying that “Singh’s appointment would bring a sharp focus to holding Council’s spending and procurement practices to account”.
  The salary for the person who appointed Singh should be classified in the Council’s accounts as Charitable Donations. Otherwise the accounts would not show a true and fair view.
  
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  July 21, 2025 4:11pm
Surely Knott

Why were the media showing us old sanitised photos.

This dangerous guy is on the run. On the 19th they (stuff, rnz etc) showed him with two small tattoos. Today , they show him and his whole face and neck is tattooed with fists and gang tattoos.

In 2022 when he was convicted for the violent crime (assault with a weapon, kidnapping) they didn’t show him or his accomplices at all.

In 2019 when he racially attacked an asian couple and their child his photo wasn’t shown either. (yelling racial slurs and punching the man 10-15 times in the head, and those who tried to help and then stole their car.)

July 19 2025 minor tattoos
https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360763429/man-run-hamilton-should-not-be-approached

July 21 2025 two days later heaps of Tattoos
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/hamilton-police-issue-arrest-warrant-for-troy-mudford-say-he-should-not-be-approached/JM6UDWX44JB25FBBVGC465SKOU/

2022 no photo = partial identity suppression
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/129747001/traumatic-night-of-robbery-and-violence-in-isolated-farmhouse

2019 no photo = partial identity suppression
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/113687709/cambridge-mans-random-vicious-attack-on-asian-couple-and-their-child
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July 21, 2025 2:11pm
Swifty

The NZ Greens say “bring it on”.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/home-property/360764690/billionaire-declares-britain-has-gone-hell-lists-london-mansion
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July 21, 2025 3:29pm
Sparrow

Te reo is an official language of New Zealand so why not use it on buildings etc. Surely it does nobody any harm. When I returned from an overseas business trip and saw that koru on the tail of an AIRNZ plane it warmed my heart. Should we ban the koru. Many of us live in towns with beautiful Māori names even with arguments over an H. I would rather have that and knowing the translation of same instead of some obscure 19th century British politician such as Russell. Lets get our knickers in a twist over hospital waiting lists, cost of housing etc etc. Lets be proud of both founding cultures. I have no greenstone and drink Speights not Chardonnay.
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July 21, 2025 3:56pm
- BananaLlama
  
  Not all will like the same thing so there should be choice, but we get a monopoly instead.
  
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  July 21, 2025 4:38pm
- mandk
  
  The problem with Te Reo names, especially for government agencies, is that they are usually poetic.
  
  They tend not to give helpful pointers as to what the agencies do.
  
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  July 21, 2025 4:40pm
Jack5

Green light for Waikato medical school

Today’s announcement that the Government will proceed with a Waikato University medical school is welcome.

However, let us hope Waikato doesn’t use Otago-type racial criteria in student selection.

This is from an earlier Waikato University statement on the medical school plan (link below):

“It will focus on selecting students who are committed to careers in primary care and who come from underrepresented, underserved Maori, Pacific, remote and rural communities.”

So, the Waikato criteria need watching.

The Ministerial announcement today includes: “The school will offer a graduate-entry programme, providing a flexible new pathway into medicine that helps attract a broader range of students and build a stronger, more diverse work force”.

Waikato’s earlier statement:

https://www.waikato.ac.nz/about/major-projects/medical-school/

And, the Government announcement:

https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/new-waikato-medical-school-gets-green-light
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July 21, 2025 5:29pm
- Sparrow
  
  Suggest you read Bryce Edwards article on this subject. The background to this decision which Bryce has been following for some time is interesting to say the least.
  
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  July 21, 2025 7:42pm
  - Jack5
    
    Not sure what you’re saying, Sparrow.
    
    Bryce Edwards wrote last year National had provided an increase of 25 places at Otago and Auckland medical schools after promising 50 increased places.
    
    The Government in today’s announcement (link in post above) says the Waikato medical school will add 120 doctor training places each year from 2028.
    
    It adds: “This is on top of the 100 additional medical training places that are being added over the term of this Government across the University of Auckland and University of Otago.”
    
    Bryce Edwards article:
    
    https://theintegrityinstitute.substack.com/p/whats-behind-the-med-student-cuts
    
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    July 21, 2025 8:31pm
    - Sparrow
      
      He has written an article after today’s announcement. Suggest you try and get hold of it. Explains the influence of lobbyists and a lot of background.. Makes interesting reading
      
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      July 21, 2025 10:00pm
  - waikatosinger
    
    The decision to call it simply the “New Zealand School of Medicine (NZSM)” is surely a hopeful sign. Auckland and Otago might think it a bit … grandiose … but the name wasn’t taken so I guess they are free to claim it.
    
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    July 21, 2025 8:33pm

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